System, method, apparatus, and computer program product for providing mobile device support services

• US 10,506,425 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2017
• Issued: 12/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Assurant Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Assurant Incorporated
• Inventors: Hurst, Cameron E., Conrad, Cassandra G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Agosta, Stephen M D
• Application Number:
  US15/803,257
• Publication Number:
  US 20180063703A1
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0742 in a data processing system embedded in a mobile device, e.g. mobile phones, handheld devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0748 in a remote unit communicating with a single-box computer node experiencing an error/fault remote testing G06F11/2294
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0793 Remedial or corrective actions recovery from an exception in an instruction pipeline G06F9/3861; by retry G06F11/1402; for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity H04L69/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/069 using logs of notifications; Post-processing of notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0883 Semiautomatic configuration, e.g. proposals from system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/18 Delegation of network management function, e.g. customer network management [CNM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5064 Customer relationship management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5074 Handling of user complaints or trouble tickets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/56 including a user help function
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5232 Call distribution algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data

Abstract

A method is provided for diagnosing and assessing the status of a mobile device. Device status data acquired from hardware components of the mobile device, such as sensors associated with the touch screen, accelerometer, and network signal strength sensor, may be compared to benchmark values associated with the hardware components to evaluate and determine the status of the mobile device. A corresponding system, apparatus, and computer program product are also provided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving mobile device status data from a mobile device, wherein the mobile device comprises a touch screen sensor, an accelerometer, and a network signal strength sensor, and wherein the mobile device status data comprises;

a first set of status monitoring data, wherein the first set of status monitoring data comprises monitoring data queried from the touch screen sensor of the mobile device;

a second set of status monitoring data, wherein the second set of status monitoring data comprises monitoring data queried from the accelerometer of the mobile device; and

a third set of status monitoring data, wherein the third set of status monitoring data comprises monitoring data queried From the network signal strength sensor of the mobile device;

identifying the mobile device;

diagnosing a status of the mobile device, wherein diagnosing a status of the mobile device comprises;

comparing the first set of status monitoring data to a first benchmark performance indication, wherein the first benchmark performance indication is associated with the touchscreen sensor;

comparing the second set of status monitoring data to a second benchmark performance indication, wherein the second benchmark performance indication is associated with the accelerometer; and

comparing the third set of status monitoring data to a third benchmark performance indication, wherein the third benchmark performance indication is associated with the network signal strength sensor;

causing an indication of the diagnosed status of the mobile device to be provided to a user of the mobile device;

determining a current value of the mobile device based at least in part on the diagnosed status of the mobile device; and

causing an indication of the current value of the mobile device to be provided to a user of the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the mobile device comprises determining an identification of a model of the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first benchmark performance indication, the second benchmark performance indication, and the third benchmark performance indication are based at least in part on the identification of the model of the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first benchmark performance indication, the second benchmark performance indication, and the third benchmark performance indication are further based at least in part on a predetermined profile of the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the mobile device further comprises a battery sensor;

the device status data further comprises a fourth set of status monitoring data, wherein the fourth set of status monitoring data comprises monitoring data queried from the battery sensor of the mobile device; and

diagnosing a status of the mobile device further comprises comparing the fourth set of status monitoring data to a fourth benchmark performance indication, wherein the fourth benchmark performance indication is associated with the battery sensor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication of the current value of the mobile device provided to the user of the mobile device comprises an offer to buy back the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication of the current value of the mobile device provided to the user of the mobile device comprises a current insurable value.

8. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory having program code instructions embodied therein, the at least one memory and program code instructions being configured to, with the at least one processor, direct the apparatus to at least:

receive mobile device status data from a mobile device, wherein the mobile device comprises a touch screen sensor, an accelerometer, and a network signal strength sensor, and wherein the mobile device status data comprises;

a first set of status monitoring data, wherein the first set of status monitoring data comprises monitoring data queried from the touch screen sensor of the mobile device;

a second set of status monitoring data, wherein the second set of status monitoring data comprises monitoring data queried from the accelerometer of the mobile device; and

a third set of status monitoring data, wherein the third set of status monitoring data comprises monitoring data queried from the network signal strength sensor of the mobile device;

identify the mobile device;

diagnose a status of the mobile device, wherein diagnosing a status of the mobile device comprises;

comparing the first set of status monitoring data to a first benchmark performance indication, wherein the first benchmark performance indication is associated with the touchscreen sensor;

comparing the second set of status monitoring data to a second benchmark performance indication, wherein the second benchmark performance indication is associated with the accelerometer; and

comparing the third set of status monitoring data to a third benchmark performance indication, wherein the third benchmark performance indication is associated with the network signal strength sensors;

cause an indication of the diagnosed status of the mobile device to be provided to a user of the mobile device,

determine a current value of the mobile device based at least in part on the diagnosed status of the mobile device; and

cause an indication of the current value of the mobile device to be provided to the user of the mobile device.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein directing the apparatus to identify the mobile device comprises directing the apparatus to determine an identification of a model of the mobile device.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first benchmark performance indication, the second benchmark performance indication, and the third benchmark performance indication are based at least in part on the identification of the model of the mobile device.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first benchmark performance indication, the second benchmark performance indication, and the third benchmark performance indication are further based at least in part on a predetermined profile of the mobile device.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

the mobile device further comprises a battery sensor;

the device status data further comprises a fourth set of status monitoring data, wherein the fourth set of status monitoring data comprises monitoring data queried from the battery sensor of the mobile device; and

directing the apparatus to diagnose a status of the mobile device further comprises further directing the apparatus to compare the fourth set of status monitoring data to a fourth benchmark performance indication, wherein the fourth benchmark performance indication is associated with the battery sensor.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the indication of the current value of the mobile device provided to the user of the mobile device comprises an offer to buy back the mobile device.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the indication of the current value of the mobile device provided to the user of the mobile device comprises a current insurable value.

15. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having program code portions stored therein, the program code portions being configured to, upon execution, direct an apparatus to at least:

receive mobile device status data from a mobile device, wherein the mobile device comprises a touch screen sensor, an accelerometer, and a network signal strength sensor, and wherein the mobile device status data comprises;

a first set of status monitoring data, wherein the first set of status monitoring data comprises monitoring data queried from the touch screen sensor of the mobile device;

a second set of status monitoring data, wherein the second set of status monitoring data comprises monitoring data queried from the accelerometer of the mobile device; and

a third set of status monitoring data, wherein the third set of status monitoring data comprises monitoring data queried from the network signal strength sensor of the mobile device;

identify the mobile device;

diagnose a status of the mobile device, wherein diagnosing a status of the mobile device comprises;

comparing the first set of status monitoring data to a first benchmark performance indication, wherein the first benchmark performance indication is associated with the touchscreen sensor;

comparing the second set of status monitoring data to a second benchmark performance indication, wherein the second benchmark performance indication is associated with the accelerometer; and

comparing the third set of status monitoring data to a third benchmark performance indication, wherein the third benchmark performance indication is associated with the network signal strength sensor;

cause an indication of the diagnosed status of the mobile device to be provided to a user of the mobile device,

determine a current value of the mobile device based at least in part on the diagnosed status of the mobile device; and

cause an indication of the current value of the mobile device to be provided to the user of the mobile device.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein directing the apparatus to identify the mobile device further comprises directing the apparatus to determine an identification of a model of the mobile device.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the first benchmark performance indication, the second benchmark performance indication, and the third benchmark performance indication are based at least in part on the identification of the model of the mobile device.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the first benchmark performance indication, the second benchmark performance indication, and the third benchmark performance indication are further based at least in part on a predetermined profile of the mobile device.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein:

the mobile device further comprises a battery sensor;

the device status data further comprises a fourth set of status monitoring data, wherein the fourth set of status monitoring data comprises monitoring data queried from the battery sensor of the mobile device; and

the program code portions configured to direct the apparatus to diagnose a status of the mobile device further direct the apparatus to compare the fourth set of status monitoring data to a fourth benchmark performance indication, wherein the fourth benchmark performance indication is associated with the battery sensor.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the indication of the current value of the mobile device provided to the user of the mobile device comprises an offer to buy back the mobile device.

21. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the indication of the current value of the mobile device provided to the user of the mobile device comprises a current insurable value.