METHOD, SYSTEM, AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM FOR REMOTE ASSISTANCE, SUPPORT, AND TROUBLESHOOTING

• US 20110213821A1
• Filed: 02/03/2011
• Published: 09/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Odyssey Software, Inc.
• Inventors: Hanson, Mark, Gentile, Mark, Wade, Mark, Sullivan, Jim
• Granted Patent: US 8,924,461 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0246 Exchanging or transporting network management information using the Internet; Embedding network management web servers in network elements; Web-services-based protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0266 using meta-data, objects or commands for formatting management information, e.g. using eXtensible markup language [XML]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0273 using web services for network management, e.g. simple object access protocol [SOAP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

The present disclosure enables remote device management. A programmatic interface is associated with each application plug-in. A web server included with the on-device agent provides access to the programmatic interfaces according to open standards such as HTML or XML. The present disclosure enables access to remote devices through existing infrastructure without the need for proprietary systems. An IT administrator or other administrator may remotely access and update software and hardware, track device data plan usage statistics, provide live support, and track current and historical device locations. Through the support features of the present disclosure an IT administrator or other support operator may remotely operate a device as if they were actually holding the device. This feature provides direct access to device files and software while also showing the IT administrator screen views of the remote device. Thus, the IT administrator actually sees what the remote user also sees.

Claims

1. A remote assistance system for use with a remote device, said system comprising:

an on-device agent encoded on said remote device and operable to allow said support computer to connect thereto via an HTTPS connection;

said on-device agent operable to provide a screen view of said remote device to said support computer and receive from said support computer a plurality of control signals, said plurality of control signals corresponding to remote device actions occurring in essentially real time.

2. The remote assistance system of claim 1, further comprising a file system component operable to provide file system information to said support computer and accept file system changes from said support computer.

3. The remote assistance system of claim 1, further comprising a simultaneous voice channel operable to connect a user of said remote device to a user of said support computer.

4. The remote assistance system of claim 1, further comprising a mouse-based interface on said support computer, said mouse-based interface corresponding to a touchscreen-based interface on said remote device.

5. The remote assistance system of claim 1, further comprising a keyboard-mapping-based interface on said support computer, said keyboard-mapping-based interface corresponding to a physical button-based interface on said remote device.

6. A tangible computer readable medium encoded with instructions comprising the process of:

initiating a connection from a remote device to a support computer;

connecting an on-device agent encoded on said remote device to said support computer via said communications link;

providing a screen view interface of said remote device to said support computer and receiving from said support computer a plurality of control signals, said plurality of control signals corresponding to remote device actions occurring in essentially real time.

7. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 6, further comprising instructions for a file system component on said remote device to provide file system information to said support computer and accept file system changes from said support computer.

8. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 6, further comprising instructions for a simultaneous voice channel operable to connect a user of said remote device to a user of said support computer.

9. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 6, further comprising instructions for a mouse-based interface on said support computer, said mouse-based interface corresponding to a touchscreen-based interface on said remote device.

10. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 6, further comprising instructions for a keyboard-mapping-based interface on said support computer, said keyboard-mapping-based interface corresponding to a physical button-based interface on said remote device.