System and method for performing guided procedures

• US 20050015682A1
• Filed: 07/18/2003
• Published: 01/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Power Conversion Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: American Power Conversion Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Rasmussen, Neil, Colucci, David A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,509,529 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/47
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3055 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the status of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring if the computing system is on, off, available, not available error or fault processing without redundancy G06F11/0703; error detection or correction by redundancy in data representation G06F11/08; error detection or correction by redundancy in operation G06F11/14; error detection or correction by redundancy in hardware G06F11/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/328 Computer systems status display G06F11/327 takes precedence

Abstract

A processor embedded in a device includes instructions for procedures to be completed by a user. A display provides the instructions as steps for completion to the user. The processor monitors status of the device to determine completion of the steps before proceeding with the next step. Errors in performing steps are identified by the processor and steps to correct the errors are displayed for execution by the user.

Claims

1. A system for guiding a user through performance of a procedure corresponding to a device associated with the system, the system comprising:

at least one stored procedure including a plurality of steps to be performed by a user;

at least one sensor providing information regarding the status of the device;

a display for displaying the plurality of steps in order;

a programmed processor connected to the sensor for determining whether a currently displayed step has been properly performed based upon the information regarding the status of the device from the sensor.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the programmed processor includes means for displaying on the display at least one error message when a step is not properly performed.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the programmed processor includes means for terminating a procedure when a step has not been properly performed.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for displaying all of the steps in a procedure; and

means for returning to a step in the procedure after display of all of the steps.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the programmed processor includes means for determining a next step in the procedure based upon the information regarding the status of the device from the sensor.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the device is an uninterruptible power supply.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is embedded in the device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the display is part of the device.

3. The system of claim 3, wherein the programmed processor includes means for displaying additional steps to correct error caused by a step which is not properly performed.

10. A method of guiding a user through performance of a procedure corresponding to a device, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying a step of the procedure to the user;

monitoring the status of the device to determine whether the step has been properly performed by the user; and

displaying a next step of the procedure to the user upon determining that the prior step has been properly performed.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the monitoring step includes obtaining information on the status of the device from at least one sensor.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of displaying an error message upon determining that a step has not been properly performed.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of displaying a correction step to be performed by the user after the error message.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of terminating the procedure upon determining that a step has not been properly performed.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

displaying a listing of all steps in the procedure; and

displaying a next step in the procedure following the display of the all the steps in the procedure.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the device is an uninterruptible power supply.