Server architecture supporting a personal media exchange network

Abstract

Certain aspects of the invention may be found in a method and system for setting up devices for communication on a communication network and may include a headend that may detect when a first device is initially coupled to the communication network and assign an address to the first device. The headend may transfer the assigned address to the first device and in response to receiving the transferred assigned address and/or an identifier of the first device from the first device, the headend may communicate the transferred received assigned address and/or the identifier of the first device to at least one communication server coupled to the communication network. The assigned address of the first device may be a static address, a dynamic address and/or an embedded device address such as a MAC address. The identifier of the first device may be a digital certificate and/or a serial number.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for operating a headend comprising:
 communicating with a first device via a communication network,   assigning an address to the first device;   associating the address with the first device;   transferring the assigned address to the first device;   receiving an identifier of the first device from the first device; and   communicating the transferred assigned address of the first device to a communication server via to the communication network.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising communicating the identifier of the first device to the communication server via the communication network. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising detecting an initial coupling of the first device to the communication network prior to assigning the address to the first device. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the assigned address of the first device is one of a static address, a dynamic address, and an embedded device address; and   the identifier of the first device is one of a digital certificate and a serial number.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising broadcasting the transferred assigned address and the identifier of the first device throughout at least a portion of the communication network by the communication server. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising receiving the broadcasted transferred assigned address and the identifier of the first device by a second device via the communication network. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising the second device communicating with the first device using the broadcasted transferred assigned address and the identifier of the first device. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising a second device requesting at least one of the transferred assigned address and the identifier of the first device from the communication server. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 the second device receiving the at least one of the transferred assigned address and the identifier of the first device from the communication server; and   the second device exchanging media with the first device using the at least one of the transferred assigned address and the identifier of the first device.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the second device requests the at least one of the transferred assigned address and the identifier of the first device from the communication server based on a known location of the first device. 
     
     
         11 . A system for setting up devices for communication, the system comprising:
 a communication interface coupled to a communication network;   processing circuitry communicatively coupled to the communication interface, the communication interface and the processing circuitry configured to:
 communicate with a first device via a communication network, 
 assign an address to the first device; 
 associate the address with the first device; 
 transfer the assigned address to the first device; 
 receive an identifier of the first device from the first device; and 
 communicate the transferred assigned address of the first device to a communication server via to the communication network. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising the communication interface and the processing circuitry configured to communicate the identifier of the first device to the communication server via the communication network. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising the communication interface and the processing circuitry configured to detect an initial coupling of the first device to the communication network prior to assigning the address to the first device. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the assigned address of the first device is one of a static address, a dynamic address, and an embedded device address; and   the identifier of the first device is one of a digital certificate and a serial number.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising the communication interface and the processing circuitry configured to broadcast the transferred assigned address and the identifier of the first device throughout at least a portion of the communication network. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising the communication interface and the processing circuitry configured to:
 receive a request from a second device for at least one of the transferred assigned address and the identifier of the first device; and   transmit the at least one of the transferred assigned address and the identifier of the first device to the second device to facilitate the second device exchanging media with the first device using the at least one of the transferred assigned address and the identifier of the first device.   
     
     
         17 . A method for operating a headend comprising:
 communicating with a first device via a communication network,   assigning an address to the first device;   associating the address with the first device;   transferring the assigned address to the first device;   receiving an identifier of the first device from the first device; and   communicating the transferred assigned address of the first device and the identifier of the first device to a communication server via to the communication network.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the assigned address of the first device is one of a static address, a dynamic address, and an embedded device address; and   the identifier of the first device is one of a digital certificate and a serial number.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising broadcasting the transferred assigned address and the identifier of the first device throughout at least a portion of the communication network by the communication server. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 a second device requesting at least one of the transferred assigned address and the identifier of the first device from the communication server;   transferring the at least one of the transferred assigned address and the identifier of the first device to the second device; and   facilitating the second device exchanging media with the first device using the at least one of the transferred assigned address and the identifier of the first device.