Method for remotely diagnosing devices

• US 20030140279A1
• Filed: 11/25/2002
• Published: 07/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Deutschland GmbH (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Deutschland GmbH (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Szucs, Paul, Clanget, Ulrich
• Granted Patent: US 7,370,236 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/31
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test

Abstract

A method for diagnosing devices via a remote testing device (1) which is connectable to devices (3₁ to 3₄) to be diagnosed via a communication network (2) is proposed, wherein said diagnosing is performed by exchanging diagnostics information between said remote-testing device (1) and said devices (3₁ to 3₄) to be tested via said communication network (2). Said process of exchanging diagnostics information is at least partially done by using a communication protocol being based on XML-scripts which include said diagnostics information. The advantage of this method is a lean and platform-independent way of diagnosing devices, which enables to avoid unnecessary efforts and costs.

Claims

1. Method for diagnosing devices (3₁ to 3₄) via a remote testing device (1) which is connectable to devices (3₁ to 3₄) to be diagnosed via a communication network (2), wherein said diagnosing is performed by exchanging diagnostics information between said remote testing device (1) and said devices to be tested (3₁ to 3₄) via said communication network,

characterized in that

said process of exchanging diagnostics information is at least partially done by using a communication protocol being based on XML-scripts which include said diagnostics information.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that said XML-scripts comprise XML-tag structures which respectively contain parts of said diagnostics information.

3. Method according to claim 2, characterized by exchanging diagnose command information by using command tag structures containing diagnose command information within said XML-scripts.

4. Method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized by exchanging diagnose response information by using response tag structures containing diagnose response information within said XML-scripts.

5. Method according to anyone of the claims 1 to 4, characterized by performing a diagnostic protocol agreement between said remote testing device (1) and said devices to be diagnosed (3₁ to 3₄) at the beginning of a diagnosing process, said diagnostic protocol agreement specifying which XML-syntax has to be used within said XML-scripts when exchanging said diagnostics information.

6. Method according to claim 5, characterized by using a protocol tag structure for exchanging diagnostic protocol information, thereby performing said protocol agreement.

7. Method according to anyone of the claims 1 to 6, characterized by using said XML-scripts to exchange said diagnostics information between said remote testing device (1) and a gateway (3₁, 3₂) interfacing said remote testing device (1) and said devices (3₁ to 3₄) to be diagnosed, and using a device-specific diagnose protocol to exchange said diagnostics information between said gateway (3₁, 3₂) and said devices to be tested (3₃), wherein said gateway (3₁, 3₂) transfers said diagnostics information from/to said XML-scripts to/from said device-specific diagnose protocol.

18. Computer program product comprising computer program means adapted to perform the method steps according to anyone of claims 1 to 7 or any step thereof when it is executed on a computer, digital signal processor or the like.

8. Remote testing device (1) being connectable to devices (3₁ to 3₄) to be diagnosed via a communication network (2), said remote-testing device (1) comprising communication means (4) for sending/receiving diagnostics information to/from said devices (3₁ to 3₄) to be diagnosed, characterized in that said communication means (4) comprises an XML-client-module (4₄) having functionality to use XML-scripts as a communication protocol for sending/receiving said diagnostics information.

9. Remote testing device (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that said communication means (4) further comprises an Internet protocol layer (4₁), a transport control protocol layer (4₂) using said Internet protocol layer, a socket layer (4₃) using said transport control protocol layer, wherein said XML-client-module (4₄) uses said socket layer (4₃).

10. Remote testing device (1) according to claim 8 or 9, characterized by extracting means for extracting said diagnostics information from said XML-scripts and/or embedding means for embedding said diagnostics information into said XML-scripts.

17. System for remotely diagnosing devices,

characterized by

a remote testing device (1) according to anyone of the claims 8 to 10,

at least one device (3₁ to 3₄) to be diagnosed according to anyone of the claims 11 to 16, wherein said remote testing device (1) and said at least one device (3₁ to 3₄) to be diagnosed are respectively connected via said communication network (2).

11. Device (3₁ to 3₄) being connectable to a remote testing device via a communication network, said device (3₁ to 3₄) comprising communication means (5) for sending/receiving diagnostics information to/from said remote testing device (1), characterized in that said communication means (5) comprises an XML-server-module (5₄) having functionality to use XML-scripts as a communication protocol for sending/receiving said diagnostics information.

12. Device (3₁ to 3₄) according to claim 11, characterized by diagnosing means (7) being connected to said communication means for executing diagnostics tasks in dependence of said diagnostics information.

13. Device (3₁ to 3₄) according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that said communication means (5) further comprises an Internet protocol layer (5₁) a transport control protocol layer (5₂) being based upon said Internet protocol layer (5₁), a socket layer (5₃) being based upon said transport control protocol layer (5₂), wherein said XML-server-module (5₄) is based upon said socket layer (5₃).

14. Device (3₁ to 3₄) according to anyone of the claims 11 to 13, characterized by extracting means for extracting said diagnostics information from said XML-scripts and/or embedding means for embedding said diagnostics information into said XML-scripts.

15. Device (3₁ to 3₄) according to anyone of the claims 11 to 14, characterized by communication protocol converting means for transferring said diagnostics information from/to said XML-scripts to/from a device-specific diagnose protocol.

16. Device (3₁ to 3₄) according to anyone of the claims 11 to 15, characterized by a device-specific diagnose protocol layer usable by said XML-server-module (5₄) to exchange said diagnostics information with a device (3₃) to be diagnosed which is connectable with said XML-server-module (5₄) via said device-specific diagnose protocol layer.