DYNAMIC RANKING OF SERVICE ACTIONS

• US 20080278755A1
• Filed: 05/08/2007
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Martin, Michael John
• Granted Patent: US 8,649,047 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.16
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5075 Remote control machines, e.g. by a host
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/55 Self-diagnostics; Malfunction or lifetime display

Abstract

Systems and methods for dynamically updating service ranks for a plurality of service actions for an electronic system are disclosed. A central computing system may receive a plurality of service actions prioritized in an order based on a service rank associated with each service action. Each service action may correspond to one or more operations performed to attempt to repair an electronic system. The central computing system may receive feedback information for one or more service actions from a first user pertaining at least to whether each service action successfully repaired a fault for the electronic system. The service rank for each service action may be updated based on at least the feedback information, and the order for the service actions may be modified based on the updated service ranks. The central computing system may provide one or more service actions to a second user based on the modified order.

Claims

1. A system for dynamically updating service ranks for a plurality of service actions for a printing system, the system comprising:

a processor;

a communication interface in communication with the processor; and

a processor-readable storage medium in communication with the processor,

wherein the processor-readable storage medium contains one or more programming instructions for performing a method of dynamically updating ranks for a plurality of service actions for a printing system, the method comprising;

receiving a plurality of service actions, wherein each service action has an associated service rank, wherein the service actions are prioritized in an order based on the service rank, wherein each service action corresponds to one or more operations performed to attempt to repair a printing system,

receiving, via the communication interface, feedback information for one or more service actions from a first user, wherein the feedback information pertains at least to whether each of the one or more service actions successfully repaired a fault for a printer system,

updating, by the processor, the service rank for each of the plurality of service actions based on at least the feedback information,

modifying the order for the service actions based on the updated service ranks for each service action, and

providing, via the communication interface one or more of the plurality of service actions to a second user, wherein the service actions are provided based on the modified order.

2. A method of dynamically updating service ranks for a plurality of service actions for an electronic system, the method comprising:

receiving, by a central computing system, a plurality of service actions wherein each service action has an associated service rank, wherein the service actions are prioritized in an order based on the service rank, wherein each service action corresponds to one or more operations performed to attempt to repair an electronic system.

receiving, by the central computing system, feedback information for one or more service actions from a first user, wherein the feedback information pertains at least to whether each of the one or more service actions successfully repaired a fault for an electronic system;

updating the service rank for each service action based on at least the feedback information;

modifying the order for the service actions based on the updated service ranks for each service action; and

N providing, by the central computing system, one or more of the plurality of service actions to a second user, wherein the service actions are provided based on the modified order.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein updating the service rank comprises, for each service action:

determining a first number of times that the service action repaired the fault;

determining a second number of times that the fault has occurred; and

dividing the first number by the second number to generate the service rank for the service action.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein determining the first number comprises determining the first number of times that the service action repaired the fault within a predetermined time period, and wherein determining the second number comprises determining the second number of times that the fault has occurred within the predetermined time period.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein determining the first number comprises determining the first number of times that the service action repaired the fault within a geographic region, ad wherein determining the second number comprises determining the second number of times that the fault has occurred within the geographic region.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein determining the first number comprises determining the first number of times that the service action repaired the fault for a electronic system used within a market segment, and wherein determining the second number comprises determining the second number of times that the fault has occurred for an electronic system used within the market segment.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising, for each service action:

multiplying the service rank by an average service expertise for one or more users performing the service action.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein the electronic system comprises an electronic printing system.

8. The method of claim w wherein updating the service rank comprises, for each service action:

adjusting the service rank based on a cost of performing the service action.

10. A system for dynamically updating service ranks for a plurality of service actions for an electronic system, the system comprising:

a processor;

a communication interface in communication with the processor; and

a processor-readable storage medium in communication with the processor,

wherein the processor-readable storage medium contains one or more programming instructions for performing a method of dynamically updating ranks for a plurality of service actions for an electronic system the method comprising;

receiving a plurality of service actions, wherein each service action has an associated service rank, wherein the service actions are prioritized in an order based on the service rank, wherein each service action corresponds to one or more operations performed to attempt to repair an electronic system,

receiving, via the communication interface, feedback information for one or more service actions from a first user, wherein the feedback information pertains at least to whether each of the one or more service actions successfully repaired a fault for an electronic system,

updating, by the processor, the service rank for each service action based on at least the feedback information,

modifying the order for the service actions based on the updated service ranks for each service action, and

providing, via the communication interface, one or more of the plurality of service actions to a second user, wherein the service actions are provided based on the modified order.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the one or more programming instructions for updating the service rank comprise one or more programming instructions for performing the following for each service action:

determining a first number of times that the service action repaired the fault;

determining a second number of times that the fault has occurred; and

dividing the first number by the second number to generate the service rank for the service action.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the one or more programming instructions for determining the first number comprise one or more programming instructions for determining the first number of times that the service action repaired the fault within a predetermined time period, and wherein the one or more programming instructions for determining the second number comprise one or more programming instructions for determining the second number of times that the fault has occurred within the predetermined time period.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the one or more programming instructions for determining the first number comprises one or more programming instructions for determining the first number of times that the service action repaired the fault within a Geographic regions and wherein the one or more programming instructions for determining the second number comprises one or more programming instructions for determining the second number of times that the fault has occurred within the geographic region.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the one or more programming instructions for determining the first number comprises one or more programming instructions for determining the first number of times that the service action repaired the fault for an electronic system used within a market segment, and wherein the one or more programming instructions for determining the second number comprises one or more programming instructions for determining the second number of times that the fault has occurred for an electronic system used within the market segment.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising one or more programming instructions for performing the following:

for each service action multiplying the service rank by an average service expertise for one or more users performing the service action.

16. The system of claim 10 wherein the one or more programming instructions for updating the service rank comprise one or more programming instructions for performing the following:

for each service action adjusting the service rank based on a cost of performing the service action.

17. The system of claim 10 wherein the electronic system comprises an electronic printing system.

18. A system for dynamically updating service ranks for a plurality of service actions for an electronic system, the system comprising:

a communications network;

a storage medium;

a plurality of remote computing devices, wherein each remote computing device is in communication with the communications network, wherein each remote computing device is configured to;

receive a plurality of service actions and corresponding service ranks from the communications interface, wherein the plurality of service actions are prioritized in an order based on the corresponding service ranks,

receive feedback information from a users wherein the feedback information pertains at least to whether each of one or more service actions successfully repaired a fault, and

transmit the feedback information via the communications network; and

a central computing system in communication with the communications network and the storage medium wherein the central computing system is configured to;

retrieve information pertaining to a plurality of service actions and a plurality of service ranks from the storage medium,

transmit information pertaining to the plurality of service actions via the communications network,

receive the feedback information from the communications network,

update the service rank for each service action based on at least the feedback information,

modify the order for the plurality of service actions based on the updated service ranks for each service action, and

store the plurality of service actions in the storage medium in the modified order.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the communications network comprises one or more of a local area network, wide area network, metropolitan area network, the Internet, an intranet a wireless network, a personal communication service network, a Wi-Fi network, and a Bluetooth network.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the plurality of remote computing devices comprise one or more of a laptop computer, a handheld device, and a cell phone.