Automated Message Enumerated Notification

• US 20110159868A1
• Filed: 12/31/2009
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Granda, Shawn F., Krause, Kevin R., Sumcad, Anthony J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,497,643 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/423
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5061 characterised by the interaction between service providers and their network customers, e.g. customer relationship management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/06 Testing, supervising or monitoring using simulated traffic

Abstract

The described method and system provide a connectivity problem resolution mechanism that uses a data mode call in order to diagnose a connection problem while avoiding audible ringing and or inadvertent user pick-up during error diagnosis and correction. The system includes three primary functions and elements including cellular error message recognition, error response handling configured to update and/or maintain processes, and new error message capture. This system is usable both online and offline. Error recognition may be based on error message matching or keyword matching.

Claims

1. A method of resolving a connectivity problem experienced by a user of a cellular communications device in attempting to use the cellular communications device, the method comprising:

receiving at a call center a report indicating that a connectivity problem has been experienced by the user in attempting to use the cellular communications device;

instantiating an autonomous probe to place a data call to the cellular communications device;

receiving an error message at the probe responsive to the data call to the cellular communications device;

correlating the received error message to an array of known error messages at the probe, wherein the array of known error messages is linked to an array of corrective actions associated with respective known errors;

determining whether the received error message is present in the array of known errors;

executing at least one corrective action from the array of corrective actions, wherein the at least one corrective action is linked to the received error message if the received error message is present in the array of known errors; and

transmitting the received error message to an advisor if the received message is not present in the array of known errors, and receiving at least one additional corrective action, and updating the array of known errors to include the received error message and updating the array of corrective actions to include the at least one additional corrective action and linking the received error message to the at least one additional corrective action.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of receiving an error message at the probe responsive to the data call to the cellular communications device further includes receiving an audible error message at the probe.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of determining whether the received error message is present in the array of known errors comprises matching the received error message to an error message present in the array of known errors.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of determining whether the received error message is present in the array of known errors comprises matching a portion of the received error message to a like portion of an error message present in the array of known errors.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the array of corrective actions includes one or more actions that include transmitting instructions to a service provider associated with the cellular communications device.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the transmitted instructions include an instruction to reactivate a MIN/MDN associated with the cellular communications device.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein executing at least one corrective action linked to the received error message if the received message is present in the array of known errors further comprises determining that execution of the at least one corrective action was successful and transmitting a success indicator to an advisor.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein a live advisor has attempted to resolve the connectivity problem prior to the step of instantiating an autonomous probe to place a data call to the cellular communications device.

9. A method of resolving a connectivity problem experienced by a user of a cellular communications device in attempting to use the cellular communications device, the method comprising:

instantiating an autonomous probe to test the cellular connectivity of the cellular communications device, the autonomous probe including computer executable instructions for;

placing a data call to the cellular communications device;

receiving an error message responsive to the data call to the cellular communications device;

correlating the received error message to an array of known error messages at the probe, wherein the array of known error messages is linked to an array of corrective actions associated with respective known errors;

determining whether the received error message is present in the array of known errors;

executing at least one corrective action from the array of corrective actions, wherein the at least one corrective action is linked to the received error message if the received message is present in the array of known errors; and

transmitting the received error message to an advisor if the received message is not present in the array of known errors.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein transmitting the received error message to an advisor if the received message is not present in the array of known errors further comprises receiving at least one additional corrective action, and updating the array of known errors to include the received error message and updating the array of corrective actions to include the at least one additional corrective action and linking the received error message to the at least one additional corrective action.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein receiving an error message at the probe responsive to the data call to the cellular communications device further includes receiving an audible error message at the probe.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step of determining whether the received error message is present in the array of known errors comprises matching the received error message to an error message present in the array of known errors.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step of determining whether the received error message is present in the array of known errors comprises matching a portion of the received error message to a like portion of an error message present in the array of known errors.

14. The method according to claim 9;

wherein the array of corrective actions includes one or more actions that include transmitting instructions to a service provider associated with the cellular communications device.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the transmitted instructions include an instruction to reactivate a MIN/MDN associated with the cellular communications device.

16. The method according to claim 9, wherein executing at least one corrective action linked to the received error message if the received message is present in the array of known errors further comprises determining that execution of the at least one corrective action was successful and transmitting a success indicator to an advisor.

17. The method according to claim 9, wherein a live advisor has attempted to resolve the connectivity problem prior to the step of instantiating an autonomous probe to test the cellular connectivity of the cellular communications device.

18. A system for correcting a cellular connectivity error with respect to a vehicle telematics unit, the method comprising;

a dialer for placing an unmanned data call to the vehicle telematics unit;

a known error store for recording known connectivity error indicators in conjunction with known corrective actions, each known error being associated in the store with at least one known corrective action; and

an autonomous error corrector for detecting and recording an error message responsive to the data call placed to the vehicle telematics unit, wherein the autonomous error corrector is further configured to match the detected error message with a matching known error in the error store if any and to execute a corrective action associated with the matching known error if any, and otherwise to transmit the recorded error message to a live advisor.

19. The system for correcting a cellular connectivity error according to claim 18, further comprising an adaptation module for receiving an indicator of a corrective action associated with a previously unknown error and for updating the known error store to include the previously unknown error and the corrective action associated with the previously unknown error.

20. The system for correcting a cellular connectivity error according to claim 18, wherein the autonomous error corrector is further configured to parse a previously unknown error message to identify one or more key words within the previously unknown error message.