VIRTUAL MOBILE MANAGEMENT FOR DEVICE SIMULATION

• US 20140136667A1
• Filed: 11/08/2013
• Published: 05/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vmware LLC (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AetherPal, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: GONSALVES, Deepak, CHENGAPPA, Pooja, PARMAR, Ramesh, AYYALASOMAYAJULA, Subramanyam, VISWANATHAN, Mahadevan, OH, Byung Joon
• Granted Patent: US 10,108,758 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3664 Environments for testing or debugging software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/085 Retrieval of network configuration; Tracking network configuration history
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/145 involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements

Abstract

Described herein is a method and system that provides access to numerous connected devices in a device bank and allows remote interaction and control of aspects of the connected devices using a remote management system. In an embodiment, the method comprises the configuring of one or more connected devices in the device bank to mimic an end user'"'"'s connected device configuration and environment in order to resolve an issue with the end user'"'"'s connected device. In other embodiments, the connected devices in the device bank can be used by end users such as developers to test and diagnose new applications and by remote support technicians to train themselves on connected devices.

Claims

1. A method for performing device simulation, the method comprising:

logging onto a device bank portal in accordance with an event;

selecting a connected device from a plurality of connected devices in a device bank on a condition that the connected device is available in the device bank;

establishing a connection with the connected device; and

requesting activities on the connected device in accordance with the event to simulate end user device performance.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating creation of an emulator instance of the connected device on a condition that the connected device is unavailable.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the connection is with the emulator instance of the connected device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein details and tutorials specific to the connected device are presented to the end user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the event and the activities are for connected device development and testing.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the event and the activities are for end user training on the connected device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the event is a call from an end user for assistance with end user device, further comprising:

establishing a remote management session with the end user device;

determining that configuration changes are needed on the end user device;

configuring the connected device with the configuration changes to analyze impact of the configuration changes on operations and performance of the connected device; and

configuring the end user device on a condition that the configuration changes have no adverse effect on the connected device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the event is a call from an end user to resolve an issue with end user device, further comprising:

establishing a remote management session with the end user device;

disconnecting the remote management session on a condition that time needed to resolve the issue exceeds a predetermined threshold, wherein the activities include trouble shooting on the connected device to determine a solution; and

contacting the end user to apply the solution to the end user device.

9. A device bank system, comprising:

at least one device bank configured to hold a plurality of connected devices;

a device bank portal configured to present a list of the plurality of connected devices to a user;

the device bank portal configured to receive a request from a user to connect to a connected device;

an administrator server configured to locate the connected device from the at least one device bank on a condition that the connected device is available;

the administrator server configured to establish a connection with the connected device; and

the device bank portal, the administrator server and the connected device configured to perform activities requested by the user to simulate end user device performance.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein details and tutorials specific to the connected device are presented to the user prior to establishing a connection with the connected device.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of connected devices in the at least one device bank are connected to the device bank portal via at least one of a cellular connection, a tethered connection, and a Wi-Fi connection.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the tethered connection is via an Internet capable device.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the administrator server further comprises:

a provisioning entity configured to register and enroll connected devices into the device bank system;

a device monitor configured to track the connected devices and verify online/offline status of the connected devices;

a remote access entity configured to at least establish connectivity to the connected devices;

a device emulator entity configured to at least create, monitor and manage emulator machines and emulator instances; and

a repository configured to store information regarding at least the connected devices.

14. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

the device bank portal and the administrator server configured to permit the end user to create an emulator instance of the connected device on a condition that the connected device is unavailable.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the administrator server further comprises:

a device monitor configured to determine availability of a requested connected device; and

a device emulator entity configured to create an emulator instance in response to a request from the device monitor.

16. A method for performing device simulation, the method comprising:

presenting a list of a plurality of connected devices in response to an end user logging onto a device bank portal;

receiving a request from the end user to connect to a connected device;

locating the connected device from the at least one device bank on a condition that the connected device is available;

establishing a connection with the connected device; and

performing activities on the connected device in accordance with end user requests to simulate end user device performance.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

creating an emulation instance on a condition that the connected device is unavailable.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

presenting details and tutorials specific to the connected device prior to establishment of the connection.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the plurality of connected devices are connected to the device bank portal via at least one of a cellular connection, a tethered connection, and a Wi-Fi connection.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the tethered connection is via an Internet capable device.