Support network
First Claim
1. A method of device maintenance, comprising:
- determining that maintenance should be performed on a target device;
automatically selecting a maintenance process including at least one maintenance task to effect said maintenance;
automatically managing said maintenance process on a maintenance server separate from said target device, said maintenance server adapted to manage maintenance processes for a plurality of devices, said managing including at least monitoring the execution of said process; and
automatically performing at least one said maintenance-related task to effect at least a portion of said maintenance of said target device.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of device maintenance, comprising: determining that maintenance should be performed on a target device; automatically selecting a maintenance process including at least one maintenance task to effect said maintenance; automatically managing said maintenance process on a maintenance server separate from said target device, said maintenance server adapted to manage maintenance processes for a plurality of devices, said managing including at least monitoring the execution of said process; and automatically performing at least one said maintenance-related task to effect at least a portion of said maintenance of said target device.
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Citations
147 Claims
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1. A method of device maintenance, comprising:
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determining that maintenance should be performed on a target device;
automatically selecting a maintenance process including at least one maintenance task to effect said maintenance;
automatically managing said maintenance process on a maintenance server separate from said target device, said maintenance server adapted to manage maintenance processes for a plurality of devices, said managing including at least monitoring the execution of said process; and
automatically performing at least one said maintenance-related task to effect at least a portion of said maintenance of said target device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83)
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37. A method of device maintenance, comprising:
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determining, by a target device, that maintenance-related tasks generated specifically for the target device by a separate entity, may be available for said target device; and
seeking by said target device of the maintenance-related tasks; and
performing of said maintenance-related tasks by said target device to effect maintenance of said target device.
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55. A method of device maintenance, comprising:
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providing a maintenance network including a user site and a multi-device servicing site that provides maintenance to at least one target device in said user site;
selecting, by a user, a degree of access of maintenance functions of said servicing site to at least one of maintenance-related information of said target device and commanding said target device to perform a maintenance-related task; and
setting said degree of access. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71)
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84. A maintenance configuration adapted for carrying out the method of any of claims 171, comprising:
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at least one target device at a user site;
at least one site server associated with a plurality of devices at said user site; and
a maintenance server that provides maintenance for said target device.
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85. A method of device maintenance, comprising:
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providing a log of data produced by a target device, said log including indications of internal states of said target device, said internal states comprises at least an identification of an execution location within software on said device; and
analyzing said indications of internal states to detect pre-fault events that indicate a fault state of said target device. - View Dependent Claims (86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97)
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98. A method of device maintenance, comprising:
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providing a plurality of similarly configured devices at a plurality of sites belonging to unrelated users;
detecting a state in a target one of said devices, said state being unknown to an automatic maintenance server that provides maintenance for said target device; and
activating a second one of said target devices to obtain data useful in at least one of diagnosing and treating said unknown state. - View Dependent Claims (99, 100, 101, 102, 103)
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104. A method of device maintenance, comprising:
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providing a maintenance network including a user site and a multi-device servicing site that provides maintenance to at least one target device in said user site;
defining a set of data for a plurality of parameters of said target device;
collecting data at said device responsive to said defined set;
sending said collected data by said target device to said servicing site in response to a single event; and
performing maintenance on a device, by said servicing site, responsive to said set. - View Dependent Claims (105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110)
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111. A method of displaying device data for a maintenance viewer, comprising:
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receiving target device data including values for a plurality of parameters associated with the device;
automatically analyzing said target device data, resulting in an indication of a subset of said parameters that are of interest;
generating a display in which said subset is emphasized. - View Dependent Claims (112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147)
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123. A method of updating of executing software, comprising:
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providing a target device having an executing software including a plurality of code sections between which sections execution passes;
providing a replacement code patch to said target device;
automatically estimating when a section is not executing and others sections are executing; and
automatically replacing code in said not executing section with said replacement code patch.
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134. A method of managing data in a distributed support network, comprising:
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providing a maintenance network including a user site and a multi-device servicing site that provides maintenance to at least one target device in said user site;
collecting and transmitting a collection comprising at least one of data and maintenance-related information from a plurality of different components of said maintenance network to a server, at least said collecting being initiated by said server; and
maintaining said target device using said collection.
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Specification