Systems and methods for providing support services to users of programmable devices

• US 20020169864A1
• Filed: 05/14/2001
• Published: 11/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Sesek, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,051,088 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User 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: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing support services to users of programmable devices are provided. One of many possible methods for providing support services for a plurality of programmable devices associated with a plurality of users involves the steps of: receiving user-specific data associated with one of the programmable devices and the corresponding user; storing the user-specific data associated with the programmable device and the corresponding user; receiving notification that a replacement programmable device for the programmable device is needed by the user; and configuring the replacement programmable device based on the user-specific data associated with the programmable device and the corresponding user. The method may further involve the steps of: providing the replacement programmable device to the user; receiving the programmable device; repairing the programmable device; providing the repaired programmable device to the user; receiving the replacement programmable device from the user; and receiving payment for providing the support services to the user.

Claims

1. A method for providing support services for a plurality of programmable devices, each of the plurality of programmable devices associated with a user, the method comprising:

receiving user-specific data associated with one of the programmable devices and the corresponding user;

storing the user-specific data associated with the programmable device and the corresponding user;

receiving notification that a replacement programmable device for the programmable device is needed by the user; and

configuring the replacement programmable device based on the user-specific data associated with the programmable device and the corresponding user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the replacement programmable device to the user.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving the programmable device;

repairing the programmable device;

providing the repaired programmable device to the user and receiving the replacement programmable device from the user.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving payment for providing the support services to the user.

5. A programmable device that provides a user application and is configured to communicate with a network, the programmable device comprising:

a processing device configured to control the operation of the programmable device;

a user interface configured to enable a user to interact with the user application;

a network interface device configured to enable the programmable device to communicate with the network; and

memory comprising the user application and logic configured to provide user-specific data associated with the user application to the network, the user-specific data comprising information capable of being used to configure a replacement programmable device for the user.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the programmable device is a laptop computer.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the logic is further configured to enable the user to customize the user-specific data provided to the network.

8. The device of claim 5, wherein the logic is further configured to provide the user-specific data to the network in response to a request from the network.

9. The device of claim 5, further comprising a programming interface configured to connect to and communicate with an external device which is adapted to program the programmable device according to the user-specific data provided to the network.

10. The device of claim 5, wherein the network interface device is further configured to enable the programmable device to be programmed according to the user-specific data via the network.

11. A system for providing support services to a plurality of programmable devices, each of the plurality of programmable devices associated with a user, the system comprising:

means for receiving user-specific data associated with each of the plurality of programmable devices and the corresponding user;

means for storing the user-specific data associated with each of the plurality of programmable devices and the corresponding user;

means for receiving notification that a replacement programmable device for one of the plurality of programmable devices is needed by the corresponding user; and

means for configuring the replacement programmable device based on the user-specific data associated with the one of the plurality of programmable devices and the corresponding user.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising means for providing the replacement programmable device to the corresponding user.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising means for receiving payment for providing the support services to the corresponding user.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the logic is further adapted to configure the replacement programmable device based on the user-specific data associated with the one of the plurality of programmable devices and the corresponding user.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the logic is further adapted to request that a replacement programmable device be configured based on the user-specific data associated with the one of the plurality of programmable devices and the corresponding user and be provided to the corresponding user.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein each of at least a portion of the plurality of programmable devices is a laptop computer.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the logic is further configured to submit a request that the replacement programmable device be delivered to the corresponding user.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein each of at least a portion of the plurality of programmable devices is a laptop computer.

14. A system for providing support services to a plurality of programmable devices, each of the plurality of programmable devices associated with a user and configured to connect to and communicate with the system via a network, the system comprising:

a processing device configured to control the operation of the system;

a network interface device adapted to communicate with each of the plurality of programmable devices via the network; and

memory comprising logic configured to;

receive user-specific data associated with each of the plurality of programmable devices and the corresponding user, the user-specific data comprising information capable of being used to configure a replacement programmable device for the user;

store the user-specific data associated with each of the plurality of programmable devices and the corresponding user; and

receive notification that a replacement programmable device for one of the plurality of programmable devices is needed by the corresponding user.

18. A system for providing support services for a network supporting a plurality of programmable devices, each of the plurality of programmable devices associated with a user and configured to connect to and communicate with the network, the system comprising:

a processing device configured to control the operation of the system;

a network interface device adapted to communicate with the network; and

memory comprising logic configured to;

receive user-specific data associated with one of the plurality of programmable devices supported by the network and the corresponding user, the user-specific data comprising information capable of being used to configure a replacement programmable device for the user;

receive notification that a replacement programmable device for one of the plurality of programmable devices supported by the network is needed by the corresponding user; and

configure the replacement programmable device based on the user-specific data.