Abstract: A broadband gateway, which enables communication with a plurality of devices, handles at least one physical layer connection to at least one corresponding network access service provider. Security boundaries such as conditional access (CA) and/or digital right management (DRM) boundaries associated with the broadband gateway are identified based on security profiles associated with the plurality of devices and/or a service from networks. The identified security boundaries are utilized to determine or negotiate CA information for content access for the service. The received content may be distributed according to the determined CA information and the security profiles of the corresponding devices. The broadband gateway may be automatically and dynamically configured based on the identified security boundaries to secure content distribution to the devices.

Abstract: A method and system are provided in which a broadband gateway may receive different content from different sources, may combine the content to produce a combined content, and may communicate the combined content to a device connected to the broadband gateway. The content may be automatically and/or manually synchronized. The synchronization may be based on a clock signal received from the device, a clock signal from another device connected to the broadband gateway, and/or a clock signal received through one or more network access service providers. The content may be video image data and/or audio data. Moreover, user-generated content may be received and combined by the broadband gateway when in a peer-to-peer communication configuration with the source of the content. When more than two different content are received, the broadband gateway may be utilized to select which contents to combine.

Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for adaptive multimedia delivery via a broadband gateway are provided. A broadband gateway may be operable to determine which one or more of a plurality of devices is communicatively coupled to the broadband gateway. Content may be requested from, and/or scheduled to be delivered to, one or more of the devices. The gateway may be operable to select a provider from which to request the content based on results of the determining. The provider may be selected based on a bandwidth of a link between the broadband gateway and the one or more devices to which the content is to be delivered. The gateway may be operable to select one of a plurality of versions of the content based on results of the determining and requesting the selected version of the content from the selected content provider.

Abstract: A broadband gateway, which enables communication with a plurality of devices, handles at least one physical layer connection to at least one corresponding network access service provider. Before allowing the devices to access content from the service provider, the broadband gateway may identify a device power profile for each of the devices, and a network power profile for the content to select a corresponding content delivery mechanism to optimize power consumption. The content may be communicated to the devices utilizing the corresponding selected content delivery mechanism. Depending on configuration, content transcoding may be performed at the broadband gateway and/or at the devices. The content may be burst downloaded and stored in a local storage to be consumed by the devices thereafter. Upon completion of download, the broadband gateway may shut down receiving components to save resources and power. The receiving components may be tuned on to receive additional content when needed.

Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for managing bandwidth by a broadband gateway are provided. In this regard, broadband gateway may, upon receiving a request for content from a user of the communication device, present, via a graphical user interface, a message that offers a benefit to the user in exchange for deferring consumption of the content until a later time. The gateway may then deliver the content to the communication device at a time determined by a response to the message received from the communication device. The message may provide several times at which the content may be delivered and a corresponding benefit available for each of the times. The times may correspond to times at which it is expected there will be less traffic in the network over which the content is to be delivered.

Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for customized delivery of content by a broadband gateway are provided. A broadband gateway may be operable to determine one or more characteristics of acquired content. The gateway may be operable to determine, based on the determined characteristics and based attributes of one or more electronic devices that will be utilized for consuming the content, whether the acquired content may be compatible with the device(s). In instances that the acquired content is not compatible with the device(s), the gateway may transcode the acquired content to make it compatible with the device(s). The one or more characteristics may comprise an identity or a type of a provider associated with the acquired content, a quality of the acquired content, and/or power consumption associated with communicating the acquired content to a destination device, and/or power consumption associated with presenting or otherwise processing the acquired content on a destination device.

Abstract: A broadband gateway, which enables communication with a plurality of devices, handles at least one physical layer connection to at least one corresponding network access service provider. The broadband gateway determines network channel conditions for a requested service and identifies a user profile for a requesting device. The broadband gateway negotiates a service profile for the requested service with the at least one network access service provider based on the determined network conditions and the identified user profile. Content may be acquired and received for the requested service from the at least one network access service provider utilizing the negotiated service profile. The broadband gateway aggregates and assembles the received content. The resulting assembled content is communicated to the requesting device for the requested service. The broadband gateway may relay content among peer devices.

Abstract: A method and system are provided in which a broadband gateway may enable a guest or visitor to access content available to the broadband gateway. The content may be received by the broadband gateway through one or more of a plurality of network access service providers that may provide separate physical layer access to the broadband gateway. After a visitor's device is connected to the broadband gateway, the broadband gateway may classify the device. Based on the classification, the device may be authorized to access a portion of the content received. Once the authorization process is complete, the appropriate content may be made available and transferred to the device. The authorization process may include the authentication of a device identifier and/or a user identifier. The authorized access may be time-limited, but may be renewed or enabled when a request is received within a determined period of time.

Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for providing incentivized benefits in a broadband gateway are provided. In this regard, credits may be added to a subscriber account associated with a broadband gateway based on input provided by a user of an electronic device in communication with the broadband gateway, and it may be determined whether to provide services and/or content via the broadband gateway based on a number of credits in the subscriber account. The input may comprise, for example, feedback regarding content consumed via the broadband gateway, and responses to surveys, polls, or questionnaires presented via the broadband gateway. The broadband gateway may be operable to handle a plurality of physical layer connections to a corresponding plurality of network access service providers. The broadband gateway may be operable to communicate the user input to a provider associated with the subscriber account via one or more of the physical layer connections.

Abstract: A broadband gateway, which enables communication with a plurality of devices and handles at least one physical layer connection to at least one corresponding network access service providers, may be operable to receive a request for content from a particular device of the plurality of devices. Content which corresponds to the request may be selected by the broadband gateway from content that may be available in one or more content sources, based on user preference information associated with a particular type of the content. The broadband gateway may receive the selected content from a selected content source of the one or more content sources for communication to the particular device. The broadband gateway may receive the selected content from a content provider and/or a network access service provider via broadcast communications and/or Internet communications. The selected content may also be received from a communication device via peer-to-peer communications.

Abstract: A broadband gateway, which enables communication with a plurality of devices, handles at least one physical layer connection to at least one corresponding network access service provider. The broadband gateway may receive a packet from a network access service provider over a physical layer connection. The broadband gateway may determine which one of a set of possible transport protocols is utilized for the received packet. The determined transport protocol is utilized to identify or search for content of the received packet. The set of possible transport protocols are selected based on, for example, a channel type identified for the physical layer connection. The selected set of possible transport protocols may be utilized, sequentially or concurrently, to determine the transport protocol for the received packet. The identified content is marked utilizing the determined transport protocol for content distribution to devices for content consumption.

Abstract: A broadband gateway may be used to provide peer-to-peer communications with other broadband gateways. One or more peer-to-peer connections may be configured with each of the other broadband gateway, for use in peer-to-peer communications, which may be utilized to communicate shared content among the broadband gateways. Users may receive incentives for participating in peer-to-peer communications, comprising sharing credits and/or reduced charges. The broadband gateway may track and/or aggregate sharing credits based on communication of shared content. Peer-to-peer connections may be configured using at least one physical layer connection utilized by the broadband gateway in communicating with corresponding access network service provider. Peer-to-peer connections may also be configured using direct connections and/or links between the broadband gateways. The broadband gateway may generate a directory for use in conjunction with peer-to-peer operations. The directory may be presented via a user interface.

Abstract: A broadband gateway may be used to provide multi-tier billing services in a home network. The broadband gateway may determine whether a transaction requested from the broadband gateway is performable in a plurality of steps, may associate a charge and/or a credit with each of the determined plurality of steps, and may perform the requested transaction based on the associated charges and/or credits. The broadband gateway may determine a plurality of cost combinations for performing the requested transaction based on the determined associated charges and/or credits, and may offer the generated plurality of cost combination for selection by user. The transaction may comprise obtaining content for consumption by devices serviced by the broadband gateway. In this regard, a charge and/or a credit may also be associated with one or more criteria associated with obtaining content. The broadband gateway may communicate with users during multi-tier billing services via a user interface.

Abstract: A method and system are provided in which a broadband gateway may handle at least one physical layer connection to at least one corresponding network access service provider. The broadband gateway may receive content comprising an application through the at least one network access service provider and may store the content in a first portion of a memory. A software agent may be utilized to request the content and/or to store the received content in the first portion of the memory. The broadband gateway may execute the application after access by the application to a second portion of the memory is disabled. After the execution of the application is completed, access to the second portion of the memory may be enabled. In some instances, the application may be verified to determine whether it is secure for utilization and/or distribution. When verification fails, the application may be deleted.

Abstract: A broadband gateway, which enables communication with a plurality of devices, handles at least one physical layer connection to at least one corresponding network access service provider. The broadband gateway may operate as a home gateway to negotiate with one or more visited gateways, a common authorized service area or domain (ASD) for providing services to the visited gateways. The home gateway may establish one or more corresponding communication links with the visited gateways based on the negotiated common ASD. The home gateway communicates corresponding content for the services to the visited gateways via the established corresponding communication links. The home gateway communicates information about gateway functionalities required for the services to the visited gateways.

Abstract: A method and system are provided in which a user interface application may be received by a broadband gateway and may be configured to generate a user interface for display in a display device. The user interface may be generated based on programming information and/or associated metadata received through one or more network access service providers. Each of the network access service providers may be handled by the broadband gateway through a corresponding physical layer access. More than one user interface application may be received by the broadband gateway. In such instances, the broadband gateway may enable the selection of one of the available user interface applications to generate the user interface. For each user interface application, the associated user interface that is generated may have a particular layout, visual characteristics, set of functions, and/or theme that is different from that of the other user interfaces.

Abstract: A broadband gateway may be used to authorize transactions associated with one or more accounts, which may be associated with a user of the broadband gateway. The transaction may be handled by the broadband gateway. The authorizations may be performed based on information associated with the accounts, whose storage may be controlled by the broadband gateway. The broadband gateway may block and/or terminate transactions failing authentication and/or validation, which may be performed based on the stored information. The transactions may be initiated within a network serviced by the broadband gateway. The transactions may also be initiated outside the serviced network. The stored information may comprise a user profile, which may comprise a plurality of settings for controlling and/or managing authorization performed by the broadband gateway. The user profiles may be configurable by users, wherein configuration may comprise initializing and/or modifying one or more of the transaction related settings.

Abstract: A broadband gateway may be operable to receive network topology information to enable peer-to-peer communications between a first communication device and a second communication device. The first communication device is communicatively coupled to the broadband gateway. The broadband gateway may be operable to handle at least one physical layer connection to at least one corresponding network access service provider. A communication link which may bypass core layer network components and/or resources for enabling the peer-to-peer communications between the first communication device and the second communication device may be established by the broadband gateway, based on the received network topology information, a location of the first communication device and a location of the second communication device.

Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for managing power consumption utilizing inter-gateway communication are provided. In this regard, a first broadband gateway residing in a first location may determine past, present, and/or expected power consumption of the first location. The gateway may receive, from one or more other broadband gateways residing in one or more other locations, information that enables determining past, present, and/or expected power consumption of the other location(s). The gateway may control power consumption of the first location by controlling a state of operation of devices residing in the first location. The gateway may determine aggregate power consumption of the first location and the other location(s). The gateway may control power consumption of the first location by enabling operation of one or more devices during periods of lower aggregate power consumption and disabling operation the devices during periods of higher aggregate power consumption.

Abstract: A broadband gateway, which that enables communication with a plurality of devices, handles at least one physical layer connection to at least one corresponding network access service provider. The broadband gateway may identify video layer information required for a layered video service based on video decoding capabilities and/or power profiles for the devices. The identified video layer information, comprising number of required layers and corresponding video formats such as 720P60, 1080i60 and/or 1080P60, may be communicated to the at least one network access service provider. A base layer video and one or more enhancement layer videos, generated via scalable coding based on the communicated identified video layer information, may be received from the at least one corresponding network access service provider.