Abstract: A hospitality media system includes a media system controller and a plurality of controllable devices operable by the media system controller, each of a plurality of rooms having one or more in-room controllable devices. A communication module performs data communications with a mobile device. An authentication module receives identification information from the mobile device, determines a registered room currently associated with the identification information, and includes in an authorized subset of the controllable devices for which the mobile device is authorized to operate at least the in-room controllable devices of the registered room. The media system controller operates the authorized subset of the controllable devices in dependence upon commands received from the mobile device.

Abstract: A hospitality establishment includes guest rooms having media devices installed therein. Each guest room has one or more in-room media devices for providing a pay-per-use media function. A media system controller dynamically associates a credit corresponding to a monetary value with a particular guest room in response to an occurrence of a first event, configures an in-room media device of the particular guest room to indicate the credit associated with the particular guest room and allow a guest of the particular guest room to utilize at least an amount of the credit toward an order of the pay-per-use media function, activates the pay-per-use media function on at least one of the in-room media devices of the particular guest room in response to a received order, and decreases the credit associated with the particular guest room according to the amount of the credit utilized toward the received order.

Abstract: A client device in a distributed system includes a timer for timing a request time duration substantially including a period of time that the client device is waiting for results to be received via a network from a server in response to a request sent by the client device. A processor of the client device compares the request time duration with a dynamically generated request time threshold, and automatically controls a network interface to issue one or more alert messages to a network operation center (NOC) via the network when the request time duration is greater than the request time threshold. The request time threshold is dynamically calculated according to historic request time durations timed by the timer for a plurality of previous requests sent by the client device.

Abstract: A service controller includes a network interface for coupling to a local area network of a hospitality establishment, and one or more processors coupled to the network interface. The one or more processors are configured to detect a device identifier of a user device on a local area network of a hospitality establishment, determine whether a guest of the hospitality establishment is associated with the device identifier, and automatically activate a service for the user device at the hospitality establishment in response to detecting the device identifier on the local area network when a guest of the hospitality establishment is determined to be associated with the device identifier.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatic client device location detection includes a controller module configured to receive first network traffic transmitted on a computer network of a hospitality establishment from a known location within the hospitality establishment. The controller module is further configured to query one or more network components of the computer network to determine a source access-node from which the first network traffic originated, and store a mapping of the source access-node to the known location in the storage device. The controller module is further configured to receive second network traffic transmitted on the computer network by a client device at the hospitality establishment, query the one or more network components of the computer network to determine that the second network traffic originated from the source access-node, and automatically determine the client device to be at the known location according to the mapping in the storage device.

Abstract: A user-profile server for providing a user-tailored entertainment experience across different entertainment devices includes a network connection for coupling the user-profile server to a network. The user-profile server is configured for storing a user profile corresponding to a user identifier, and receiving via the network an electronic bookmark, the electronic bookmark being associated with the user identifier and pertaining to content that was not finished by a user at a first entertainment device. The user-profile server is further configured for updating the user profile to include the electronic bookmark, and communicating via the network at least the electronic bookmark to a controller of a second entertainment device to thereby allow the second entertainment device to play the content automatically starting from a position in the content corresponding to a position indicated by the electronic bookmark. The first entertainment device and the second entertainment device are different devices.

Abstract: A hospitality media system includes a plurality of set-top boxes (STBs) coupled to a radio frequency (RF) coax network. Each STB has an identifier for identifying the STB. A content source broadcasts media content to the STBs utilizing the RF coax network and an update server distributes software data to the STBs. The software data causes a particular STB to perform a media function customized for the particular STB according to the identifier of the particular STB.

Abstract: A hospitality establishment includes guest rooms having media devices installed therein. Each guest room has one or more in-room media devices for providing a pay-per-use media function. A media system controller dynamically associates a credit corresponding to a monetary value with a particular guest room in response to an occurrence of a first event, configures an in-room media device of the particular guest room to indicate the credit associated with the particular guest room and allow a guest of the particular guest room to utilize at least an amount of the credit toward an order of the pay-per-use media function, activates the pay-per-use media function on at least one of the in-room media devices of the particular guest room in response to a received order, and decreases the credit associated with the particular guest room according to the amount of the credit utilized toward the received order.

Abstract: A client device in a distributed system may include a timer for timing a request time duration substantially including a period of time that the client device is waiting for results to be received via a network from a server in response to a request sent by the client device. A network interface may receive a value of a service time duration from the server. The service time duration may correspond to time that the server spent servicing the request. A processor may subtract the service time duration from the request time duration to thereby calculate a difference time duration, and automatically control the network interface to issue one or more alert messages to a network operation center (NOC) via the network when the difference time duration is greater than a difference time threshold. The difference time threshold may be determined according to a type of the request.

Abstract: A cleared sites list includes one or more hostname descriptors. A firewall includes rules associated with a cleared IP list including cleared IP addresses, and permits transfer of a cleared HTTP request from a user device to a cleared destination IP address that matches one of the cleared IP addresses. A controller examines a non-cleared HTTP request from the user device to a non-cleared destination IP address that does not match one of the cleared IP addresses, and acts as a transparent proxy between the user device and the non-cleared destination IP address when a destination host header of the non-cleared HTTP request matches a hostname descriptor of the cleared sites list. The controller further acts as a transparent proxy between the user device and the non-cleared destination IP address when a referrer header of the non-cleared HTTP request matches a hostname descriptor of the cleared sites list.

Abstract: A system for aggregate monitoring of private computer networks includes a plurality of monitoring servers for monitoring a plurality of private networks. Each private network has at least one monitoring server configured for monitoring the private network by collecting statuses of devices associated with the private network. A central server is coupled to each of the monitoring servers via a wide area network (WAN) and stores information pertaining to a plurality of users. The information associates each of the users with a group of one or more of the private networks. The central server may receive a request from a remote device via the WAN, determine the group of private networks associated with the requesting user, automatically generate a set of statistics according to only the statuses collected for each private network in the group associated with the requesting user, and send the set of statistics to the remote device.

Abstract: A cleared sites list includes one or more hostname descriptors. A firewall includes rules associated with a cleared IP list including cleared IP addresses, and permits transfer of a cleared HTTP request from a user device to a cleared destination IP address that matches one of the cleared IP addresses. A controller examines a non-cleared HTTP request from the user device to a non-cleared destination IP address that does not match one of the cleared IP addresses, and acts as a transparent proxy between the user device and the non-cleared destination IP address when a destination host header of the non-cleared HTTP request matches a hostname descriptor of the cleared sites list. The controller further acts as a transparent proxy between the user device and the non-cleared destination IP address when a referrer header of the non-cleared HTTP request matches a hostname descriptor of the cleared sites list.

Abstract: A controller of an entertainment device includes a network connection for coupling the controller to a user-profile server via a network. The controller configured for determining a user identifier corresponding to a user associated with the entertainment device; automatically retrieving a user profile corresponding to the user identifier from the user-profile server, the user profile including an electronic bookmark pertaining to content that was not finished by the user at a different entertainment device; and controlling the entertainment device to allow the user to initiate playing the content at the entertainment device, and to play the content automatically starting from a position in the content corresponding to a position indicated by the electronic bookmark.

Abstract: A method of servicing requests for information at a server includes receiving a request for information from a client device, and determining a number of attempts of the request made by the client device. Both the client device and the server may count the number of attempts for each request. When the number of attempts is greater than a threshold, the method includes servicing the request and sending the information to the client device. When the number of attempts is not greater than the threshold, the method includes sending a service unavailable message to the client device. A retry-after delay may be calculated by the server according to a predicted time for the server to exit the overloaded state and included in the service unavailable message. The predicted time may take into account both requests currently being serviced and requests that have been scheduled to be serviced in the future.

Abstract: A configuration apparatus includes a user interface allowing a user to initiate configuration of at least a target configurable device selected from a plurality of configurable devices. A command module is coupled to the user interface for dynamically generating a sequence of commands required to configure the target configurable device. The sequence of commands includes commands for entering a hidden service-configuration menu of the target configurable device. A communication module is coupled to the command module for transmitting the sequence of commands to the target configurable device.