MONITORING AND TROUBLESHOOTING A MODULE ASSOCIATED WITH A PORTABLE COMMUNICATION DEVICE

• US 20090156199A1
• Filed: 12/18/2007
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Chen, Liren, Zhang, Yang, Taylor, Kirk S., Steenstra, Jack, Hoefel, Guilherme Luiz Karnas, Suta, Lucian
• Granted Patent: US 8,626,149 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/425
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0254 comprising one or a plurality of mechanically detachable modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/24 Arrangements for testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7246 by connection of exchangeable housing parts

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, and software to monitor, troubleshoot, or diagnose one or more specialty modules associated with a portable communication device are provided. The methods, apparatuses, and software identify the specialty module, obtain and execute procedures to monitor, test, or diagnose the specialty module. If unsatisfactory, error, defective or the like performance is identified, a solution is applied to correct, the performance.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring, troubleshooting, or diagnosing specialty modules connected to portable communication devices comprising:

identifying a specialty module connected to the portable communication device from a plurality of specialty modules adapted to be connected to the portable communication device;

obtaining monitoring, testing, or diagnostic procedures based on the specialty module identified;

executing, at the portable communication device, the obtained monitoring, testing, or diagnostic procedure;

generating a report based on the executed monitoring, testing, or diagnostic procedure;

first determining from the report whether the specialty module is performing unsatisfactory;

second determining if a solution to the unsatisfactory performance exists; and

if a solution exists, applying the solution.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the second determining if a solution to the unsatisfactory performance exists comprises checking a memory of the portable communication device for the solution.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein if the second determining if a solution to the unsatisfactory performance determines a solution does not exist in the memory than the method further comprises providing a warning.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein if the second determining if a solution to the unsatisfactory performance determines a solution does not exist in the memory than the method further comprises:

establishing a communication link to a server; and

third determining if a solution to the unsatisfactory performance exists at the server.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein obtaining the monitoring, troubleshooting, or diagnostic procedure comprises fetching the monitoring, troubleshooting, or diagnostic procedure from a memory of portable communication device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein obtaining the monitoring, troubleshooting, or diagnostic procedure comprises:

establishing a communication link to a server; and

fetching the monitoring, troubleshooting, or diagnostic procedures from the server.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising detecting whether the specialty module is connected to the portable communication device.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the method of detecting is selected from the group consisting of:

manually inputting the specialty module using a user interface, detecting a mechanical switch, or detecting an electrical connection.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprises monitoring, troubleshooting, or diagnosing performance of the portable communication device.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein if the second determining if a solution to the unsatisfactory performance determines a solution does not exist in the memory than the method further comprises alerting a service provider.

11. A wireless device comprising:

a portable communication device contained in a housing;

a control processor contained in the housing for controlling functions of at least tire portable communication device;

a user interface connected to the control processor to allow a user to interact with at least the portable communication device;

transmit and receive circuits to provide modulation and demodulation of radio frequency signals between an antenna and the control processor;

a specialty module removably connectable to the portable communication device;

a monitoring, troubleshooting, or diagnostic unit connected to the control processor to monitor, troubleshooting, and diagnose the specialty module;

a memory containing executable code for one or more monitoring, troubleshooting, or diagnostic procedure, wherein the monitoring, troubleshooting, or diagnostic unit accesses the memory to execute the one or more monitoring, troubleshooting, or diagnostic procedure.

12. The wireless device of claim 11 comprising a means for detecting whether the specialty module is connected.

13. The wireless device of claim 12 wherein the means for detecting whether the specialty module is connected is selected from the group consisting of:

a mechanical switch, an electro-mechanical switch, or an electrical connection.

14. The wireless device of claim 11 wherein transmit and receive circuits communicate with a remote monitoring, troubleshooting, and diagnostic unit residing in a server remote from the wireless device.

15. The wireless device of claim 14 wherein the server remote from the wireless device comprises a general purpose computer.

16. The wireless device of claim 14 wherein transmit and receive circuits communicate to the remote monitoring, troubleshooting, and diagnostic unit through a network selected from the group of networks consisting of:

a wireless network, a PSTN network, a local area network, a wide area network, a Wifi network, a WiMax network, a lower power radio frequency network.

17. The wireless device of claim 14 wherein the memory resides at the server.

18. The wireless device of claim 17 wherein the memory resides in the wireless device and at the server.

19. The wireless device of claim 13 wherein removably connectable specialty module comprises one of a plurality of removably connectable specialty modules.

20. A wireless device comprising:

a portable communication device contained in a housing;

means for controlling;

functions of at least the portable communication device;

means for interfacing with the means for controlling the at least the portable communication device;

means for transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals between an antenna and the control processor;

a specialty module;

means for attaching the specialty module and the portable communication device;

means for monitoring, troubleshooting, or diagnostic testing connected to the control processor to monitor, troubleshooting, and diagnose the specialty module;

a memory containing executable code for one or more monitoring, troubleshooting, or diagnostic procedure, wherein the monitoring, troubleshooting, or diagnostic unit accesses the memory to execute the one or more monitoring, troubleshooting, or diagnostic procedure.

21. The wireless device of claim 20 wherein the specialty module comprises one of a plurality of specialty modules.

22. The wireless device of claim 21 further comprising means for identifying the one of the plurality of specialty modules removably connected to the portable communication device.

23. The wireless device of claim 20 wherein the means for monitoring, troubleshooting, or diagnostic testing is connected to the means for controlling through a network.

24. The wireless device of claim 23, wherein the network is a low power radio frequency network.

25. A computer readable storage media embodying a method for monitoring, troubleshooting, and diagnosing a specialty module connected to a portable communication device the method comprising:

detecting a specialty module connected to the portable communication device;

identifying the specialty module from a plurality of specialty modules adapted to be connected to the portable communication device;

executing monitoring, testing, or diagnostic procedures based on the specialty module identified; and

applying a solution based on issues identified by the executed monitoring, testing, or diagnostic procedures.