Systems and methods for providing a client agent for delivery of remote services

• US 10,033,832 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2015
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PlumChoice Incorporated (Allstate Corporation)
• Original Assignee: PlumChoice Incorporated (Allstate Corporation)
• Inventors: Werth, Theodore, Goldlust, Joshua
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Nam T
• Application Number:
  US14/791,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20160191668A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,114 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

The solution of the present application provides many types and forms of resources, such as products or services, to an environment of heterogeneous devices. An agent and centralized service may communicate to deliver an optimum package of resources to a device. Each device may include an agent that collects information important to determining the appropriate resources for the device and understanding the environment the devices are contributing to. The information may be stored and analyzed in a cross device knowledge base, and the knowledge base may be consulted to determine resources appropriate for devices. The agent and centralized service may engage in pro-active alerting and provisioning of services, based on any collected information, to minimize the burden of resource procurement on the customer. After delivery of resources, the agent and centralized service may also perform updating, repairing, and healing functions for the resources. Resources may be aggregated into a cohesive platform to be combined and delivered in an optimum manner, and resources may also be maintained and monitored to ensure their quality via escalation or remedial action. Devices may be connected to the resources through intelligent routing.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting, by a first agent executing on a first device, to a centralized service via a first connection established over a first network, data about an environment of a second device in communication with the first device, the data about the environment of the second device received from a second agent executing on the second device via a second connection established over a second network;

receiving, by the first agent via the first connection, from the centralized service, instructions to provide to the second agent of the second device; and

transmitting, by the first agent via the second connection, the received instructions to the second agent of the second device to establish a third connection between the second device and the centralized service over the first network, and enable communications via the third connection between the centralized service and the second device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, establishing by the first agent a communications interface between a user of the first device and the centralized service.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the first agent, data from a third agent to transmit to the centralized service.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting data about the environment of the second device includes transmitting, by the first agent to the centralized service, data about one of operation or performance of a combination of software and hardware of the second device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, by the first agent to the centralized service, data about one of operation or performance of a combination of software and hardware of the first device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, by the first agent via the first connection, from the centralized service, instructions to provide to the second agent of the second device further comprising receiving, by the first agent, a recommendation of a provisioning action comprising at least one of the following:

installation of recommended software, installation of recommended hardware, configuration action on installed software, configuration action on installed hardware of the device, execution of an optimization tool, execution of software, purchase of one or more remote services of the centralized service, provisioning of one or more remote services of the centralized service, de-installation of software, de-installation of hardware, a change to configuration of operating system, and a change to state of the operating system.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the first agent, from the second agent a response responsive to transmitting the received instructions to the second agent via the second connection; and

transmitting, by the first agent, the response to the centralized service via the first connection.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first connection is established over a local area network and the second connection is established over a cellular network.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, by the first agent, a set of instructions to establish the third connection between the second agent executing on the second device and the centralized service.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the first agent, data about the environment of the second device from the second agent executing on the second device.

11. A system comprising:

a first agent executing on a first device including one or more processors and in communication via a network with a centralized service;

a data collection component of the first agent executed by the one or more processors to collect data about data about an environment of a second device in communication with the first device, the data about the environment of the second device received from a second agent executing on the second device via a second connection established over a second network and a transmitting the collected data to the centralized service;

a delivery component of the first agent executed by the first device to receive via the first connection, from the centralized service, instructions to provide to the second agent of the second device and transmitting, via the second connection, the received instructions to the second agent of the second device to establish a third connection establish a third connection between the second device and the centralized service over the first network, and enable communications via the third connection between the centralized service and the second device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first agent further includes a connection management component executed by the first device to establish, by the first agent, a communications interface between a user of the first device and the centralized service.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the data collection component of the first agent is configured to receive, by the first agent, data from a third agent to transmit to the centralized service.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the data collection component of the first agent transmits, by the first agent to the centralized service, data about one of operation or performance of a combination of software and hardware of the second device.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the data collection component of the first agent transmits, by the first agent to the centralized service, data about one of operation or performance of a combination of software and hardware of the first device.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein receiving, by the first agent via the first connection, from the centralized service, instructions to provide to the second agent of the second device further comprising receiving, by the first agent, a recommendation of a provisioning action comprising at least one of the following:

installation of recommended software, installation of recommended hardware, configuration action on installed software, configuration action on installed hardware of the device, execution of an optimization tool, execution of software, purchase of one or more remote services of the centralized service, provisioning of one or more remote services of the centralized service, de-installation of software, de-installation of hardware, a change to configuration of operating system, and a change to state of the operating system.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the delivery component of the first agent is further configured to:

receive, from the second agent a response responsive to transmitting the received instructions to the second agent via the second connection; and

transmit, by the first agent, the response to the centralized service via the first connection.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the first connection is established over a local area network and the second connection is established over a cellular network.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the delivery component of the first agent is further configured to transmit, by the first agent, a set of instructions to establish the third connection between the second agent executing on the second device and the centralized service.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the first device includes a first communications interface configured to communicate using cellular communications with the centralized service and a second communications interface configured to communicate using wireless communications with the second agent.