END-USER PORTAL SYSTEM FOR REMOTE TECHNICAL SUPPORT

• US 20130159881A1
• Filed: 12/15/2011
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Vera, Roy, Duffy, Michael P., Liu, Xingxin, Hall, William C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,495,666 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/753
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance

Abstract

A controller provides information regarding end-user dictated content for a plurality of technical support topics to an end-user device prior to the controller receiving any indication of specific technical support required by the end-user. Additionally, the controller provides information regarding available automated technical support to the end-user device prior to the controller receiving any indication of specific technical support required by the end-user. The end-user device provides an indication of selection of at least a portion of the either the information regarding end-user dictated content for a plurality of technical support topics or the information regarding available automated technical support. By providing such information prior to receiving any indication of the specific technical support required by the end-user, the likelihood that the end-user can successfully resolve his/her issue without further intervention is increased.

Claims

1. A method for providing technical support to an end-user via a controller implemented by a processing device, the method comprising:

providing, by the controller to an end-user device and prior to the controller receiving indication of specific technical support required by the end-user, information regarding end-user dictated content for a plurality of technical support topics;

providing, by the controller to the end-user device and prior to the controller receiving indication of the specific technical support required by the end-user, information regarding available automated technical support, the available automated technical support selected by the controller according to information about the end-user; and

receiving, by the controller from the end-user device, an indication of selection of at least a portion of either the information regarding the end-user dictated content for the at least one technical support topic or the information regarding the available automated technical support.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the information regarding end-user dictated content further comprises providing information regarding at least one most frequently selected technical support topic of the plurality of technical support topics.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the information regarding end-user dictated content further comprises providing information regarding most frequently searched keywords.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the information regarding end-user dictated content further comprises providing content regarding the plurality of technical support topics that is editable by any of a plurality of end-users.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the information regarding the automated technical support further comprises providing information regarding automated processing that may be performed on the end-user device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, by the controller to the end-user device and prior to the controller receiving indication of the specific technical support required by the end-user, information regarding a mechanism to initiate communication with a technical support technician.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, by the controller from the end-user device, an indication of selection of the mechanism to initiate communication with the technical support technician.

8. A method for an end-user to obtain technical support via an end-user device implemented by a processing device and comprising a user interface, the method comprising:

receiving, by the end-user device from a controller prior to the controller receiving indication of specific technical support required by the end-user, information regarding end-user dictated content for a plurality of support topics;

receiving, by the end-user device from the controller prior to the controller receiving indication of the specific technical support required by the end-user, information regarding available automated technical support, the available automated technical support selected by the controller according to information about the end-user; and

providing, by the end-user device via the user interface to the controller, an indication of selection of at least a portion of either the information regarding the end-user dictated content for the at least one technical support topic or the information regarding the available automated technical support.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving the information regarding end-user dictated content further comprises receiving information regarding at least one most frequently selected technical support topic of the plurality of technical support topics.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving the information regarding end-user dictated content further comprises receiving information regarding most frequently searched keywords.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving the information regarding end-user dictated content further comprises receiving content regarding the plurality of technical support topics that is editable by any of a plurality of end-users.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving the information regarding the automated technical support further comprises receiving information regarding automated processing that may be performed on the end-user device.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving, by the end-user device from the controller and prior to the controller receiving indication of the specific technical support required by the end-user, information regarding a mechanism to initiate communication with a technical support technician.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

providing, by the end-user device via the user interface to the controller, an indication of selection of the mechanism to initiate communication with the technical support technician.

15. An apparatus for providing technical support to an end-user, comprising:

a processing device;

a storage device, operatively connected to the processing device, having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the processing device, cause the processing device to;

provide, to an end-user device prior to receiving indication of specific technical support required by the end-user, information regarding end-user dictated content for a plurality of technical support topics;

provide, to the end-user device and prior to receiving indication of the specific technical support required by the end-user, information regarding available automated technical support, the available automated technical support selected by the controller according to information about the end-user; and

receive, from the end-user device, an indication of selection of at least a portion of either the information regarding the end-user dictated content for the at least one technical support topic or the information regarding the available automated technical support.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein those instructions that, when executed by the processing device, cause the processing device to provide the information regarding end-user dictated content are further operative to cause the processing device to provide information regarding at least one most frequently selected technical support topic of the plurality of technical support topics.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein those instructions that, when executed by the processing device, cause the processing device to provide the information regarding end-user dictated content are further operative to cause the processing device to provide information regarding most frequently searched keywords.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein those instructions that, when executed by the processing device, cause the processing device to provide the information regarding end-user dictated content are further operative to cause the processing device to provide content regarding the plurality of technical support topics that is editable by any of a plurality of end-users.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein those instruction that, when executed by the processing device, cause the processing device to provide the information regarding the automated technical support are further operative to cause the processing device to provide information regarding automated processing that may be performed on the end-user device.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, the storage device further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processing device, cause the processing device to:

provide, to the end-user device prior to receiving indication of the specific technical support required by the end-user, information regarding a mechanism to initiate communication with a technical support technician.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, the storage device further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processing device, cause the processing device to:

receive, from the end-user device, an indication of selection of the mechanism to initiate communication with the technical support technician.

22. An apparatus for obtaining technical support by an end-user, comprising:

a processing device;

a user interface operatively connected to the processing device;

a storage device, operatively connected to the processing device, having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the processing device, cause the processing device to;

receive, from a controller prior to the controller receiving indication of specific technical support required by the end-user, information regarding end-user dictated content for a plurality of support topics;

receive, from the controller prior to the controller receiving indication of the specific technical support required by the end-user, information regarding available automated technical support, the available automated technical support selected by the controller according to information about the end-user; and

provide, via the user interface to the controller, an indication of selection of at least a portion of either the information regarding the end-user dictated content for the at least one technical support topic or the information regarding the available automated technical support.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein those instruction that, when executed by the processing device, cause the processing device to receive the information regarding end-user dictated content are further operative to cause the processing device to receive information regarding at least one most frequently selected technical support topic of the plurality of technical support topics.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein those instruction that, when executed by the processing device, cause the processing device to receive the information regarding end-user dictated content are further operative to cause the processing device to receive information regarding most frequently searched keywords.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein those instruction that, when executed by the processing device, cause the processing device to receive the information regarding end-user dictated content are further operative to cause the processing device to receive content regarding the plurality of technical support topics that is editable by any of a plurality of end-users.

26. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein those instruction that, when executed by the processing device, cause the processing device to receive the information regarding the automated technical support are further operative to cause the processing device to receive information regarding automated processing that may be performed on the end-user device.

27. The apparatus of claim 22, the storage device further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processing device, cause the processing device to:

receive, from the controller and prior to the controller receiving indication of the specific technical support required by the end-user, information regarding a mechanism to initiate communication with a technical support technician.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, the storage device further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processing device, cause the processing device to:

provide, via the user interface to the controller, an indication of selection of the mechanism to initiate communication with the technical support technician.