Method and system for remote diagnostics

• US 20090049343A1
• Filed: 08/16/2007
• Published: 02/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.), David Sun
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Katz, Hagay, Sherman, Itay, Bychkov, Eyal
• Granted Patent: US 8,352,802 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A diagnostic system for computers, including a connector interface for connecting the diagnostic system to a PC, a storage medium for storing executable instructions that boot the PC when the diagnostic system is connected to the connector interface, for storing diagnostic testing program code that scans and tests the PC, and for storing a phone number for a remote online help-desk facility, a modem for communicating wirelessly with the online help-desk facility when the PC is not fully operational, and for enabling the remote online help-desk facility to remotely run the diagnostic testing program code on the PC and view the results, an audio subsystem for enabling voice communication between a user and a representative at the remote online help-desk facility, and a processor for controlling the storage medium, the modem and the audio subsystem. A method is also described and claimed.

Claims

1. A diagnostic system for computers, comprising:

a connector interface for connecting the diagnostic system to a PC;

a storage medium for storing executable instructions that boot the PC when the diagnostic system is connected to said connector interface, for storing diagnostic testing program code that scans and tests the PC, and for storing a phone number for a remote online help-desk facility;

a modem for communicating wirelessly with the online help-desk facility when the PC is not fully operational, and for enabling the remote online help-desk facility to remotely run the diagnostic testing program code on the PC and view the results;

an audio subsystem for enabling voice communication between a user and a representative at the remote online help-desk facility; and

a processor for controlling said storage medium, said modem and said audio subsystem.

2. The diagnostic system of claim 1 further comprising a battery for powering said processor.

3. The diagnostic system of claim 1 wherein said connector interface is a USB connector.

4. The diagnostic system of claim 1 wherein said connector interface is an SD connector.

5. The diagnostic system of claim 1 wherein said modem communicates in dual transfer mode (DTM), providing both a circuit switched (CS) connection and a packet switched (PS) session.

6. A method for diagnosing a computer that is not fully operational, comprising:

enabling voice communication between a user and a representative at a remote on-line help-desk facility;

communicatively connecting a diagnostic system (i) to a PC that is not fully operational, and (ii) to the online help-desk facility;

booting the PC from a disk drive on the diagnostic system;

remotely running diagnostic testing program code stored in the diagnostic system on the PC, from the online help-desk facility; and

remotely viewing the results of the diagnostic testing program code, from the online help-desk facility.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said communicatively connecting the diagnostic system to the remote online help-desk facility uses in dual transfer mode (DTM) connection, providing both a circuit switched (CS) connection and a packet switched (PS) session.