Remote support installation mechanism

• US 10,228,926 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2016
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Soini, Jonathan Michael, Shelton, Timothy Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): Arani, Taghi T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Champakesan, Badri
• Application Number:
  US15/009,762
• Publication Number:
  US 20170220330A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,139 Days
• Field of Search: 713191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 at the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols

Abstract

A remote support installation mechanism provides for the installation of a remote support client application onto a user device. A server may receive a request for a remote support eligibility status from a device agent application on a user device that is loaded with an installer package for a remote support client application. The remote support client application may be used to initiate a remote support session with a remote support application on a remote support server to provide a computing terminal with remote support access to the user device. The server may determine based on at least one of a device management database or a user account database that the user device qualifies for remote support. Accordingly, the server may send an install command to trigger an installation of the remote support client application on the user device from the installer package.

Claims

1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that upon execution cause one or more processors to perform acts comprising:

receiving a request for a remote support eligibility status from a device agent application on a user device that is preloaded with an installer package for a remote support client application, the remote support client application to initiate a remote support session with the remote support application on a remote support server to provide a computing terminal with remote support access to the user device, and wherein the installer package comprises at least one of;

a setup file, a library file, or an installation utility for installing the remote support client application on the user device, wherein the request for the remote support eligibility status includes a hash of the installer package preloaded on the user device;

comparing the hash to a new hash of a latest version of the installer package for the remote support client application;

sending the latest version of the installer package for the remote support client application along with a private key encrypted hash of the latest version of the installer package to the user device in response to the hash and the new hash being different;

sending an indication that the installer package on the user device is up-to-date to the device agent application on the user device in response to the hash and the new hash being identical;

determining based on at least one of a device management database or a user account database that the user device qualifies for remote support in response to the request for the remote support eligibility status;

sending an install command and a message authentication code to the user device, the install command triggers an installation of the remote support client application on the user device from the installer package following the user device qualifying for remote support; and

receiving an indication that the remote support client application is installed onto the user device from the installer package, the remote support client application being installed following the device agent application validating the install command via the message authentication code.

2. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the request and the indication are received via a transport layer security (TLS) secure communication session between the user device and a server that executes the computer-executable instructions, and the install command and the message authentication code are sent to the user device via the TLS secure communication session.

3. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the message authentication code is a Hashed Message Authentication Code (HMAC) that is generated from the install command using a cryptographic hash function and a cryptographic key.

4. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the encrypted hash of the latest version of the installer package is to be decrypted by the device agent application using a public key of asymmetric encryption that corresponds to the private key, the public key being stored in the user device.

5. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 4, wherein the receiving includes receiving the indication for an install of the remote support client application from the latest version of the installer package in response to a hash of the latest version of the installer package generated by the device agent application matching a decrypted hash that is decrypted from the encrypted hash via the public key.

6. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the device management database includes a list of user devices for which remote support client application are available, and wherein the user account database includes service plan details and a payment history of a user that affects remote support eligibility for the user device.

7. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the sending the install command includes sending the install command in response to a user initiated installation request from a customer care terminal, an installation request initiated for a customer support call that is detected via an interactive voice response (IVR) function, or a troubleshooting engine initiated installation request from the troubleshooting engine that seeks to resolve a device issue via remote intervention.

8. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 7, wherein the user initiated installation request is initiated by a customer service representative that is authorized to provide remote support to the user device.

9. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the sending includes sending the install command to the user device via at least one of an Internet connection or a wireless carrier network that provides communication services to the user device.

10. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the acts further comprise sending an execution command that causes the remote support client application to initiate the remote support session with the remote support application, the execution command being sent based on a user initiated execution request from a customer care terminal, an execution request initiated for a customer support call that is detected via an interactive voice response (IVR) function, or a troubleshooting engine initiated execution request from the troubleshooting engine that seeks to resolve a device issue via remote intervention.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein the acts further comprise sending a request that causes the user device to prompt for a remote support authorization from a user, wherein the sending the execution command includes providing the execution command to cause the device agent application to start execution of the remote support client application in response to receiving the remote support authorization that is inputted by the user at the user device.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein inputted remote support authorization is an inputted alphanumeric code or an electronic signature.

21. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein sending the install command comprises sending the install command to the user device as a Short Messaging Service (SMS) message via the wireless carrier network.

13. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, at a server of a wireless carrier network, a request for a remote support eligibility status from a device agent application on a user device, the device agent application to use a remote support client application to initiate a remote support session with a remote support application on a remote support server, the remote support session to provide a computing terminal with remote support access to the user device, wherein the request for the remote support eligibility status includes a hash of an installer package preloaded on the user device;

comparing the hash to a new hash of a latest version of the installer package for the remote support client application;

sending the latest version of the installer package for the remote support client application along with a private key encrypted hash of the latest version of the installer package to the user device in response to the hash and the new hash being different;

sending an indication that the installer package on the user device is up-to-date to the device agent application on the user device in response to the hash and the new hash being identical;

determining, at the server, based on at least one of a device management database or a user account database that the user device qualifies for remote support in response to the request for the remote support eligibility status;

sending, from the server, an install command and a message authentication code to the user device, the install command initiated by an interactive voice response (IVR) function detecting that the user selected an option to talk to a customer service representative during a telephone call to the wireless carrier network, the install command triggers an installation of the remote support client application on the user device from the installer package, wherein the install command is sent to the user device via the wireless carrier network; and

receiving, at the server, an indication that the remote support client application is installed onto the user device from the installer package, the remote support client application being installed following the device agent application validating the install command via the message authentication code.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the request and the indication are received at the server via a transport layer security (TLS) secure communication session between the user device and the server, and the install command and the message authentication code are sent to the user device via the TLS secure communication session.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the message authentication code is a Hashed Message Authentication Code (HMAC) that is generated from the install command using a cryptographic hash function and a shared secret between the user device and the server.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the encrypted hash of the latest version of the installer package is to be decrypted by the device agent application using a public key of asymmetric encryption that corresponds to the private key, the public key being stored in the user device.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein the receiving includes receiving the indication for an install of the remote support client application from the latest version in response to a hash of the latest version generated by the device agent application matching a decrypted hash that is decrypted from the encrypted hash via the public key.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, further comprising sending an execution command that causes the remote support client application to initiate the remote support session with the remote support application, the execution command being sent based on a user initiated execution request from a customer care terminal of a customer service representative, an execution request initiated for a customer support call that is detected via an interactive voice response (IVR) function, or a troubleshooting engine initiated execution request from the troubleshooting engine that seeks to resolve a device issue via remote intervention.

19. A system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory including a plurality of computer-executable components that are executable by the one or more processors to perform a plurality of actions, the plurality of actions comprising;

receiving a request for a remote support eligibility status from a device agent application on a user device, the device agent application to use a remote support client application to initiate a remote support session with a remote support application on a remote support server, the remote support session to provide a computing terminal with remote support access to the user device, wherein the request for the remote support eligibility status includes a hash of the installer package preloaded on the user device;

comparing the hash to a new hash of a latest version of the installer package for the remote support client application;

sending the latest version of the installer package for the remote support client application along with a private key encrypted hash of the latest version of the installer package to the user device in response to the hash and the new hash being different;

sending an indication that the install package on the user device is up-to-date to the device agent application on the user device in response to the hash and the new hash being identical;

determining based on at least one of a device management database or a user account database that the user device qualifies for remote support in response to the request for the remote support eligibility status, the device management database including a list of user devices for which remote support client application are available, and the user account database including service plan details and a payment history of a user that affects remote support eligibility for the user device;

sending an install command and a message authentication code to the user device following the user device qualifying for the remote support, the install command triggers an installation of the remote support client application on the user device from the installer package for the remote support client application, wherein the installer package comprises at least one of;

a setup file, a library file, or an installation utility for installing the remote support client application on the user device;

receiving an indication that the remote support client application is installed onto the user device from the installer package, the remote support client application being installed following the device agent application validating the install command via the message authentication code;

receiving an electronic authorization from the user device, prior to the user device executing the remote support client application, to start the remote support session; and

sending an authorization confirmation message to the user device, wherein the user device initiates execution of the remote support client application to start the remote support session in response to the authorization confirmation message.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the sending the install command includes sending the install command in response to a user initiated installation request from a customer care terminal of a customer service representative, an installation request initiated for a customer support call that is detected via an interactive voice response (IVR) function, or a troubleshooting engine initiated installation request from the troubleshooting engine that seeks to resolve a device issue via remote intervention.