METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DELIVERING DEVICE SPECIFIC SERVICE DOCUMENTATION TO A MOBILE PLATFORM

• US 20130115923A1
• Filed: 11/07/2011
• Published: 05/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Earl, Jeffrey R., Evanitsky, Eugene S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,066,192 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

Disclosed is a method and system for delivering device specific service information to a mobile platform. According to an exemplary system, a mobile phone and a Device Assist Server are operatively connected to prompt a user to capture relevant device information using a camera associated with the mobile phone. A remote Device Assist Server processes this device information and provides service related information to the user via the mobile phone.

Claims

1. A method of operating a communication system to provide service related information to a user of a device operatively isolated from the communication system, the communication system including a mobile phone operatively connected to a server, and the method comprising:

a) a user initiating communications between the mobile phone and the server,

b) the server communicating user instructions to the mobile phone, and the mobile phone communicating the user instructions from the server to the user using a UI (User Interface) associated with the mobile phone, the user instructions related to the mobile phone obtaining device information and the user instructions including one or more of (1) the user capturing an one or more images of the device with the mobile phone to obtain the device information, (2) the user textually entering information about the device into the mobile phone, and (3) the user verbally speaking information about the device into the mobile phone;

c) the mobile phone communicating the device information to the server;

d) the server processing the device information and retrieving service related information relevant to the device information;

e) the server communicating the service related information to the mobile phone; and

f) the mobile phone communicating the service related information to the user using the UI associated with the mobile phone.

2. The method of operating a communication system according to claim 1, the device information including one or more of a serial number of the device, a model number of the device, a fault condition associated with the device, a physical location associated with the device, and a physical profile of the device.

3. The method of operating a communication system according to claim 1, the service related information including one or more of voice prompts requesting audio input from the user for additional information related to the device, text prompts requesting textual input from the user for additional information related to the device, an image of the device, the model of the device, the serial number of the device, account information, service confirmation information, fault clearance instructions, repair instructions, part information, URLs of places to get part, and a link to video of a repair procedure for the device.

4. The method of operating a communication system according to claim 1, the UI associated with the mobile phone including one or more of a visual display, an audible system, a key pad and a camera.

5. The method of operating a communication system according to claim 1, step d) comprising a Device Assist Service process located on the server, the Device Assist Service process processing the device information and retrieving service related information relevant to the device information.

6. The method of operating a communication system according to claim 1, wherein the device is one of a printer, a MFD (Multifunction Device), and an image scanner.

7. The method of operating a communication system according to claim 1, step b) comprising the user capturing two or more images of the device, the two or more images captured from different perspectives of the device.

8. The method of operating a communication system according to claim 1, wherein steps b)-f) are repeated one or more times.

9. The method of operating a communication system according to claim 1, wherein:

the UI associated with the mobile phone including a visual display, an audible system, a keypad and a camera; and

the device is a printer.

10. The method of operating a communication system according to claim 9, step d) comprising a Device Assist Service process located on the server, the Device Assist Service process processing the device information and retrieving service related information relevant to the device information.

11. A communication system to provide service related information to a user of a device operatively isolated from the communication system, the communication system comprising:

a mobile phone; and

a server operatively connected to the mobile phone, the server configured to access and execute computer readable instruction to perform a method of providing service related information to a user, the method comprising;

a) a user initiating communications between the mobile phone and the server;

b) the server communicating user instructions to the mobile phone, and the mobile phone communicating the user instructions from the server to the user using a UI (User Interface) associated with the mobile phone, the user instructions related to the mobile phone obtaining device information and the user instructions including one or more of (1) the user capturing an one or more images of the device with the mobile phone to obtain the device information, (2) the user textually entering information about the device into the mobile phone, and (3) the user verbally speaking information about the device into the mobile phone;

c) the mobile phone communicating the device information to the server;

d) the server processing the device information and retrieving service related information relevant to the device information;

e) the server communicating the service related information to the mobile phone; and

f) the mobile phone communicating the service related information to the user using the UI associated with the mobile phone.

12. The communication system according to claim 11, the device information including one or more of a serial number of the device, a model number of the device, a fault condition associated with the device, a physical location associated with the device, and a physical profile of the device.

13. The communication system according to claim 11, the service related information including one or more of voice prompts requesting audio input from the user for additional information related to the device, text prompts requesting textual input from the user for additional information related to the device, an image of the device, the model of the device, the serial number of the device, account information, service confirmation information, fault clearance instructions, repair instructions, part information, URLs of places to get part, and a link to video of a repair procedure for the device.

14. The communication system according to claim 11, the UI associated with the mobile phone including one or more of a visual display, an audible system, a key pad and a camera.

15. The communication system according to claim 11, step d) comprising a Device Assist Service process located on the server, the Device Assist Service process processing the device information and retrieving service related information relevant to the device information.

16. The communication system according to claim 11, wherein the device is one of a printer, a MFD (Multifunction Device), and an image scanner.

17. The communication system according to claim 11, step b) comprising the user capturing two or more images of the device, the two or more images captured from different perspectives of the device.

18. The communication system according to claim 11, wherein steps b)-f) are repeated one or more times.

19. The communication system according to claim 11, wherein:

the UI associated with the mobile phone including a visual display, an audible system, a keypad and a camera; and

the device is a printer.

20. The communication system according to claim 19, step d) comprising a Device Assist Service process located on the server, the Device Assist Service process processing the device information and retrieving service related information relevant to the device information.

21. A method of operating a communication system to provide service related information to a user of a device operatively isolated from the communication system, the communication system including a mobile phone operatively connected to a Device Assist Service process running on a server, and the method comprising:

a) the user initiating communications between the mobile phone and the Device Assist Service;

b) the Device Assist Service communicating voice prompts to the user via the mobile phone, the voice prompts instructing the user to take one or more specific pictures of the device;

c) the mobile phone communicating to the Device Assist Service the one or more specific pictures of the device;

d) the Device Assist Service communicating visual and audio data to the mobile phone, the visual and audio data including one or more of an image of the device, a model name and account information;

e) the Device Assist Service communicating one of video and audio data to the mobile phone requesting confirmation from the user of the visual and audio data communicated in step d); and

f) the Device Assist Service communicating additional service information to the mobile phone if the Device Assist Service receives a confirmation from the user, and the Device Assist Service returning to step b) if the Device Assist Service does not receive the confirmation from the user.

22. The method of operating a communication system according to claim 21, wherein the additional service information is one of a fault clearance procedure, a repair procedure, part replacement information and a web link to video of a repair procedure.

23. The method of operating a communication system according to claim 21, further comprising:

g) the Device Assist Service communicating to the mobile phone a request for the user to indicate one of audibly and textually whether a service call is required.