Service operations on a computer system
First Claim
1. A method of performing a service operation on a computer comprising the steps of:
- receiving at a support centre from the computer information indicative of the need for a service operation;
identifying a service operation to be performed based on the information received from the computer;
forwarding a task record for the service operation from the support centre to a mobile computing device associated with an engineer who is to perform the service operation; and
prior commencement of the service operation on the computer, establishing a local communication link between the computer and the mobile computing device, and confirming the service operation to be performed using data transmitted over said link.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to performing a service operation on a computer. In one embodiment, information indicative of the need for a service operation is sent by a customer computer to a support centre. Based on this received information, the support centre then identifies the service operation to be performed on the computer, such as the replacement of a faulty component. The support centre then creates a service task record describing this service operation, which is transmitted from the support centre to a mobile computing device associated with an engineer who is to complete the service operation. This typically includes schedule information, detailing when and where the service operation is to be performed. When the engineer then arrives at the customer location, a direct communication link is established between the customer computer to be serviced and the mobile computing device, for example using an infrared link. Information transmitted over this link allows the mobile computing device and the customer computer to confirm with one another the details of the service operation to be performed, such as which particular component of the computer is to be replaced. This minimises the likelihood of mistakes being made during the service operation. Finally, a confirmation that the repair has been completed can be transmitted from the mobile computing device and/or the customer computer itself back to the support centre.
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Citations
65 Claims
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1. A method of performing a service operation on a computer comprising the steps of:
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receiving at a support centre from the computer information indicative of the need for a service operation;
identifying a service operation to be performed based on the information received from the computer;
forwarding a task record for the service operation from the support centre to a mobile computing device associated with an engineer who is to perform the service operation; and
prior commencement of the service operation on the computer, establishing a local communication link between the computer and the mobile computing device, and confirming the service operation to be performed using data transmitted over said link. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of running a support centre to control a service operation to be performed on a computer, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving at the support centre from the computer information indicative of the need for a service operation;
identifying a service operation to be performed based on the information received from the computer;
forwarding a task record for the service operation from the support centre to a mobile computing device associated with an engineer who is to perform the service operation; and
transmitting control information about the service operation to the computer for comparison with the task record on the mobile computing device, in order to allow the computer to confirm that the correct service operation is to be performed by the engineer. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of using a mobile computing device to support a service operation on a computer, the mobile computing device being associated with an engineer who is to perform the service operation, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a task record for the service operation from a support centre over a first network, wherein at least a portion of said task record can be matched with data available on said computer;
prior to commencement of the service operation on the computer, establishing a local communication link between the computer and the mobile computing device, and using said communications link to match said portion of the task record against the data available on said computer in order to confirm the service operation to be performed; and
sending a confirmation back to the support centre over the first network once the service operation has been completed. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method of controlling a service operation on a computer comprising the steps of:
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forwarding a task record for the service operation from a support centre to a mobile computing device associated with an engineer who is to perform the service operation;
forwarding information about the service operation from the support centre to the computer; and
prior to commencement of the service operation on the computer, establishing a local communication link between the computer and the mobile computing device, and confirming data from the task record against the information received by the computer from the support centre. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 37)
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31. Apparatus for controlling a service operation to be performed on a computer comprising:
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a support centre including a first network interface to said computer for receiving information from the computer indicative of the need for a service operation;
a database of technical data for identifying a service operation to be performed based on the received information; and
a second network interface; and
a mobile computing device including a third network interface, for connection to the second network interface of the support centre, for receiving a task record for the service operation from the support centre; and
a fourth network interface for establishing a local communication link between the computer and the mobile computing device in order to allow the service operation to be verified prior to its commencement. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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38. A support centre for controlling a service operation to be performed on a computer, the support centre including:
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means for receiving at the support centre from the computer information indicative of the need for a service operation;
means for identifying a service operation to be performed based on the information received from the computer;
means for forwarding a task record for the service operation from the support centre to a mobile computing device associated with an engineer who is to perform the service operation; and
means for transmitting control information about the service operation to the computer for comparison with the task record on the mobile computing device, in order to allow the computer to confirm that the correct service operation is to be performed by the engineer.
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39. A support centre for controlling a service operation to be performed on a computer, the support centre including:
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a first network interface operable to connect to said computer to allow receipt of information indicative of the need for a service operation from the computer;
a scheduler operable to generate a task record for the service operation to be performed in accordance with the information received from the computer;
a second network interface operable to connect to a mobile computing device associated with an engineer who is to perform the service operation;
and logic operable to download from the support centre the task record onto the mobile computing device via the second network interface, and to download control information about the service operation to the computer via the first network interface, wherein a comparison between the task record on the mobile computing device and the control information on the computer can confirm that the correct service operation is to be performed by the engineer. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41)
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42. A mobile computing device to support a service operation on a computer, the mobile computing device being associated with an engineer who is to perform the service operation, said device comprising:
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means for receiving a task record for the service operation from a support centre over a first network, wherein at least a portion of said task record can be matched with data available on said computer;
means for establishing, prior to commencement of the service operation on the computer, a local communication link between the computer and the mobile computing device, and using said communications link to match said portion of the task record against the data available on said computer in order to confirm the service operation to be performed; and
means for sending a confirmation back to the support centre over the first network once the service operation has been completed.
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43. A mobile computing device to support a service operation on a computer, the mobile computing device being associated with an engineer who is to perform the service operation, said device method comprising:
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a cellular telephone interface to establish a connection to a support centre;
a diary facility for storing a task record for the service operation, wherein the task record is received from the support centre over the cellular telephone interface;
a communications interface for establishing a local link with the computer to be serviced, wherein said local link is used to match said task record against data available on the computer, in order to confirm the service operation to be performed. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. A support centre for controlling a service operation to be performed on a computer, the support centre including:
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a cellular telephone interface for connection to a mobile computing device belonging to an engineer to perform said service operation;
a first network interface for connection to the computer to be serviced;
a scheduler for generating a service task record corresponding to said service operation for transmission over the cellular telephone interface to said mobile computing device, and information for transmission over said first network interface to the computer to be serviced; and
a memory system for storing records about outstanding service operations, wherein a record is closed upon receipt of confirmation over said cellular telephone interface that the service operation has been successfully completed, said confirmation being conditional on said task record corresponding correctly to the information transmitted over the first network interface to the computer to be serviced.
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52. A computer program product comprising program instructions which when loaded into one or more machines for execution cause said one or more machines to implement a service operation on a computer by performing the steps of:
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receiving at a support centre from the computer information indicative of the need for a service operation;
identifying a service operation to be performed based on the information received from the computer;
forwarding a task record for the service operation from the support centre to a mobile computing device associated with an engineer who is to perform the service operation; and
prior to commencement of the service operation on the computer, establishing a local communication link between the computer and the mobile computing device, and confirming the service operation to be performed using data transmitted over said link.
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53. A computer program product comprising program instructions which when loaded for execution into one or more machines at a support centre cause said one or more machines to manage a service operation on a computer by performing the steps of:
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receiving at the support centre from the computer information indicative of the need for a service operation;
identifying a service operation to be performed based on the information received from the computer;
forwarding a task record for the service operation from the support centre to a mobile computing device associated with an engineer who is to perform the service operation; and
transmitting control information about the service operation to the computer for comparison with the task record on the mobile computing device, in order to allow the computer to confirm that the correct service operation is to be performed by the engineer. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56)
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57. A computer program product comprising program instructions which when loaded for execution into a mobile computing device cause said device, when used for a service operation on a computer, to perform the steps of:
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receiving a task record for the service operation from a support centre over a first network, wherein at least a portion of said task record can be matched with data available on said computer;
prior to commencement of the service operation on the computer, establishing a local communication link between the computer and the mobile computing device, and using said communications link to match said portion of the task record against the data available on said computer in order to confirm the service operation to be performed; and
sending a confirmation back to the support centre over the first network once the service operation has been completed. - View Dependent Claims (58, 59, 60, 61, 62)
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63. A computer program product comprising program instructions which when loaded for execution into one or more machines at a support centre cause said one or more machines to manage a service operation on a computer by performing the steps of:
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forwarding a task record for the service operation from a support centre to a mobile computing device associated with an engineer who is to perform the service operation;
forwarding information about the service operation from the support centre to the computer; and
prior to commencement of the service operation on the computer, establishing a local communication link between the computer and the mobile computing device, and confirming data from the task record against the information received by the computer from the support centre. - View Dependent Claims (64)
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65. A method of operating a support centre for controlling a service operation to be performed on a computer, said method comprising the steps of:
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storing records about outstanding service operations;
providing a cellular telephone interface for connection to a mobile computing device belonging to an engineer to perform said service operation;
providing a first network interface for connection to the computer to be serviced;
transmitting a service task record corresponding to said service operation over the cellular telephone interface to said mobile computing device;
transmitting information corresponding to at least part of said service task record over said first network interface to the computer to be serviced; and
receiving confirmation over said cellular telephone interface that the service operation has been successfully completed, said confirmation being conditional on said task record corresponding correctly to the information transmitted over the first network interface to the computer to be serviced;
and closing a stored record corresponding to the service operation on receipt of said confirmation.
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Specification