Method and apparatus for facilitating maintenance
First Claim
1. A method for facilitating a maintenance operation over a network, comprising:
- receiving a maintenance request directed to the maintenance operation from a customer over the network; and
providing information directed to performing the maintenance operation to the customer over the network in response to the maintenance request, wherein the provided information includes at least contemporary verbal and visual information.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Audio/visual maintenance information relating to vehicle diagnostics is exchanged across a network. In operation, a customer, such as an automotive mechanic, can establish communication across a network, such as the internet or a telephone line, to a technician provided by a supplier of various goods and/or diagnostic equipment. Once the network connection is established, the customer can describe symptoms and vehicle type to the technician. In response, the technician can provide both verbal and visual information to the customer. The visual information can include streamed-video images, electrical and mechanical diagrams, drawings produced by the technician, various electronic waveforms measurable by an oscilloscope and the like. By using a combination of visual information to supplement verbal descriptions and instructions, the customer can more easily and quickly comprehend information provided by the technician.
34 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A method for facilitating a maintenance operation over a network, comprising:
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receiving a maintenance request directed to the maintenance operation from a customer over the network; and
providing information directed to performing the maintenance operation to the customer over the network in response to the maintenance request, wherein the provided information includes at least contemporary verbal and visual information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An apparatus for facilitating a maintenance operation over a network, comprising:
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a network interface that receives a maintenance request from a customer over the network, wherein the maintenance request is directed to the maintenance operation; and
a terminal that provides information to the customer over the network in response to the maintenance request, wherein the provided information includes at least contemporary verbal and visual information directed to performing the maintenance operation. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. An apparatus for facilitating a maintenance operation over a network, comprising:
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a network interface that transmits a maintenance request to a technician over the network, wherein the maintenance request is directed to the maintenance operation; and
a terminal that receives information from the technician in response to the maintenance request over the network; and
wherein the received information includes at least contemporary verbal and visual information directed to performing the maintenance operation;
wherein the terminal includes a display and the visual information includes at least one image that is displayed using the display. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method for facilitating a maintenance operation over a network, comprising:
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first conducting over the network a maintenance request directed to the maintenance operation from a customer to a technician; and
second conducting over the network information directed to performing the maintenance operation from the technician to the customer over the network in response to the maintenance request, wherein the provided information includes at least contemporary verbal and visual information. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34)
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Specification