Methods and apparatus for hardware registration in a network device

Fault-tolerant CPE configured to couple to a content delivery network, said CPE comprising:

• one or more optional hardware features;
• a storage apparatus;
• and
• a processor, said processor configured to run at least one monitor application thereon, said monitor application comprising a plurality of instructions which are configured to, when executed:
• (i) detect at least one event relating to operation of one or more software applications also running on said processor;
• (ii) selectively log data relating to said detected event;
• and
• (iii) provide a hardware registry accessible by said one or more applications;
• wherein at least one of said one or more software applications is configured to selectively access and control at least one of said one or more optional hardware features of said CPE based at least in part on said data relating to said at least one detected event.

A server entity of a head-end portion of a content delivery network, said server entity comprising:

• a storage apparatus;
• and
• a processor, said processor configured to run a software process thereon, said software process comprising a plurality of instructions which are configured to, when executed:
• cause an application to be selectively downloaded to at least one client device, said application being configured to detect and access records within a hardware registry disposed on said at least one client device;
• and
• utilize said application to control at least one hardware feature associated with said at least one client device via one or more software interfaces associated with middleware of said at least one client device.

A content delivery network, comprising:

• a plurality of client devices each having at least one optional and controllable hardware feature associated therewith;
• a plurality of registries in operative communication with respective ones of said plurality of client devices, said registries each comprising information relating individual ones of said client devices to respective ones of said optional and controllable hardware features;
• middleware running on respective ones of said client devices, said middleware configured to interface with a head-end application and with said at least one controllable hardware feature associated with said respective ones of said client devices;
• and
• a head-end server configured to run a software process thereon, said software process configured to download said head-end application to said client devices, and said head-end application configured to detect and access said information within said registries, and control said respective ones of said optional and controllable hardware features associated with each of said respective ones of said client devices via said middleware running thereon.

A method of operating a content delivery network comprising a plurality of client devices operatively coupled thereto, said plurality of client devices each having at least one hardware registry associated therewith, each of said hardware registries comprising data relating to a plurality of hardware features and software interfaces for utilizing said plurality of hardware features, said method comprising:

• distributing at least one software application to said plurality of client devices;
• running said at least one application on said client devices;
• using said at least one software application to discover said at least one registry and said software interfaces;
• and
• responsive to said discovery, controlling at least one of said hardware features using said at least one software application.

A method of operating a content delivery network having a multiple systems operator (MSO) and a plurality of consumer premises equipment (CPE) coupled thereto, said method comprising:

• configuring said CPE with one or more non-standardized hardware options;
• disposing entries relating to said one or more options within a hardware registry associated with said CPE, said entries having at least one standardized interface associated therewith;
• and
• operating an MSO application on said CPE, said MSO application accessing said one or more non-standardized options via said standardized interface.