Automated remote monitoring and diagnostics service method and system

• US 20060149808A1
• Filed: 12/17/2004
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Avinash, Gopal B., Weiner, Allison Leigh
• Granted Patent: US 7,734,764 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A technique is provided for detecting and responding to serviceable conditions in systems. Following detection of an indicator of a serviceable condition, a service request is generated and transmitted to a service provider. The requests results in consultation of a service knowledge base that contains information on the indicators, potential causes or conditions that could result in the indicators, and responses to the conditions. Responses may then be generated automatically for satisfying the service requests.

Claims

1. A method for operationally servicing systems comprising:

detecting an indicator of a serviceable condition in a serviced system;

automatically generating a request for service of the serviceable condition in the serviced system;

accessing a knowledge base including system data defining operational performance parameters of a plurality of serviced systems, service data defining known serviceable conditions for the serviced systems and indicators of potential malfunction based upon the performance parameters, and response data defining a plurality of responses to the serviceable conditions; and

automatically generating a response to the service request based upon the indicator and the response data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising reconciling a plurality of responses possible for servicing the serviceable condition.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising prioritizing a plurality of responses possible for servicing the serviceable condition.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the plurality of responses are prioritized based upon prioritization scores stored in the knowledge base.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the prioritization scores indicate prioritization between a plurality of responses to different potential serviceable conditions for the serviced system.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the prioritization scores indicate prioritization between responses to different serviceable systems.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the prioritization scores are generated based upon probability of a particular serviceable condition, severity of a particular serviceable condition, or cost of a potential serviceable condition.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the prioritization scores are based upon service contract data for the serviced systems.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the response includes automatically requesting operational data from the serviced system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the response includes automatically transmitting a software service packet to the serviced system.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the software service packet includes code for reconfiguration of the serviced system.

12. A method for operationally servicing systems comprising:

receiving a request for operational service from a serviced system, the request identifying an indicator of a serviceable condition in the serviced system;

accessing a knowledge base including system data defining operational performance parameters of a plurality of serviced systems, service data defining known serviceable conditions for the serviced systems and indicators of potential malfunction based upon the performance parameters, and response data defining a plurality of responses to the serviceable conditions; and

automatically generating a response to the service request based upon the indicator and the response data.

13. A method for operationally servicing systems comprising:

receiving a plurality of requests for operational service from a plurality of serviced systems, the requests identifying indicators of a serviceable conditions in the serviced systems;

accessing a knowledge base including system data defining operational performance parameters of a plurality of serviced systems, service data defining known serviceable conditions for the serviced systems and indicators of potential malfunction based upon the performance parameters, and response data defining a plurality of responses to the serviceable conditions;

automatically prioritizing a plurality of responses for servicing the serviceable conditions of the serviced systems; and

automatically generating responses to the service requests based upon the indicators, the response data and the prioritization.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the responses are prioritized based upon prioritization scores stored in the knowledge base.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the prioritization scores indicate prioritization between a plurality of responses to different potential serviceable conditions for individual serviced systems.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the prioritization scores indicate prioritization between responses to the serviceable systems.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the prioritization scores are generated based upon probability of a particular serviceable condition, severity of a particular serviceable condition, or cost of a potential serviceable condition.

18. A computer program for operationally servicing systems comprising:

at least one machine readable medium;

computer code stored on the at least one machine readable medium including code for detecting an indicator of a serviceable condition in a serviced system, automatically generating a request for service of the serviceable condition in the serviced system, accessing a knowledge base including system data defining operational performance parameters of a plurality of serviced systems, service data defining known serviceable conditions for the serviced systems and indicators of potential malfunction based upon the performance parameters, and response data defining a plurality of responses to the serviceable conditions, and automatically generating a response to the service request based upon the indicator and the response data.

19. A computer program for operationally servicing systems comprising:

at least one machine readable medium;

computer code stored on the at least one machine readable medium including code for receiving a request for operational service from a serviced system, the request identifying an indicator of a serviceable condition in the serviced system, accessing a knowledge base including system data defining operational performance parameters of a plurality of serviced systems, service data defining known serviceable conditions for the serviced systems and indicators of potential malfunction based upon the performance parameters, and response data defining a plurality of responses to the serviceable conditions, and automatically generating a response to the service request based upon the indicator and the response data.

20. A computer program for operationally servicing systems comprising:

at least one machine readable medium;

computer code stored on the at least one machine readable medium including code for receiving a plurality of requests for operational service from a plurality of serviced systems, the requests identifying indicators of a serviceable conditions in the serviced systems, accessing a knowledge base including system data defining operational performance parameters of a plurality of serviced systems, service data defining known serviceable conditions for the serviced systems and indicators of potential malfunction based upon the performance parameters, and response data defining a plurality of responses to the serviceable conditions, automatically prioritizing a plurality of responses for servicing the serviceable conditions of the serviced systems, and automatically generating responses to the service requests based upon the indicators, the response data and the prioritization.