Method and apparatus for problem diagnosis and solution

• US 6,571,236 B1
• Filed: 01/10/2000
• Issued: 05/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Ruppelt, Kevin Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Metjahic, Safet
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALAUBAIDI, HAYTHIM J
• Application Number:
  US09/480,585
• Time in Patent Office: 1,233 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/3, 705/1, 705/8, 709/207
• US Class Current: 714/25
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/366 using diagnostics G06F11/0703 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/914 Video
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/916 Audio
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/917 Text
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A method for problem diagnosis based on queries received from remote locations includes the steps of determining applicable solution recommendations based on a diagnosis query, displaying the applicable solution recommendations on a screen of a remote terminal, and determining whether a case based reasoning tool is available to answer the diagnosis query. When the case based reasoning tool is available, the method presents the case based reasoning tool on the screen with the applicable solution recommendations.

Claims

1. A method for consumer product problem diagnosis based on queries received from remote locations, the method comprising:

determining applicable solution recommendations based on diagnosis query for a problem associated with operation of the consumer product;

displaying the applicable solution recommendations for solving the consumer product problem on a screen of a remote terminal; and

determining whether an interactive case based reasoning tool for the consumer product is available to answer the diagnosis query and when the case based reasoning tool is available, presenting the case based reasoning tool on the screen.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying comprises displaying the applicable solution recommendations only when the applicable solution recommendations are less in number than a solution threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining comprises the steps of identifying consumer product problem keywords in the diagnosis query and matching the keywords against a consumer product problem solution recommendation database.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of displaying comprises displaying the applicable solution recommendations when the keywords are less in number than a keyword threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the consumer product is an appliance, and wherein the step of presenting includes displaying a case based question to a user and receiving a case based answer from the user, the cased based question and answer more narrowly defining the scope of the appliance problem in an interactive fashion.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of assigning a rating based the case based answer and selecting a case based solution recommendation based on the rating.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying further comprises displaying the applicable solution recommendations including at least one of a text solution document, audio solution document, video solution document, and slide show solution document to the remote terminal.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying further comprises displaying the applicable solution recommendations including an interactive technician chat display.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of presenting includes displaying a plurality of case based questions and receiving a like plurality of case based answers.

10. A consumer product problem solving computer program product comprising:

a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing for execution by the processing circuit;

instructions for determining applicable solution recommendations based on a user input consumer product problem diagnosis query;

instructions for displaying the applicable solution recommendations for solving the consumer product problem on a screen of a remote terminal; and

instructions for determining whether an interactive consumer product problem solving case based reasoning tool is available to answer the diagnosis query by more narrowly defining the scope of the problem, and when the case based reasoning tool is available, presenting the case based reasoning tool on the screen.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the instructions for displaying comprise instructions for displaying the applicable solution recommendations only when the applicable solution recommendations are less in number than a solution threshold.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the instructions for determining include instructions for identifying keywords in the diagnosis query and matching the keywords against a solution recommendation database.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the instructions for displaying comprise instructions for displaying the applicable solution recommendations when the keywords are less in number than a keyword threshold.

14. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the consumer product is an appliance, and wherein the instructions for displaying further comprise instructions for displaying the applicable appliance problem solution recommendations including at least one of a text solution document, audio solution document, video solution document, and interactive technician chat display, and slide show solution document to the remote terminal.

15. A network based problem diagnosis tool for diagnosing problems associated with a consumer product at a remote location, the diagnosis tool comprising:

a communication interface for receiving a diagnosis query from a remote terminal, the diagnosis query concerning a problem associated with operation of the consumer product;

a processing circuit coupled to the communication interface; and

a memory coupled to the processing circuit, the memory storing instructions for;

identifying keywords in the diagnosis query;

matching the keywords against a consumer product solution recommendation database to determine applicable solution recommendations;

displaying the applicable solution recommendations on a screen of the remote terminal; and

determining whether a case based reasoning tool is available to answer the diagnosis query for the consumer product problem received in the diagnosis query, and when the case based reasoning tool is available, presenting the case based reasoning tool on the screen.

16. The diagnosis tool of claim 15, wherein the instructions for displaying comprise instructions for displaying the applicable solution recommendations when the applicable solution recommendations are less in number than a solution threshold.

17. The diagnosis tool of claim 15, wherein the consumer product problem relates to a problem with an appliance, and wherein instructions for presenting a case based reasoning tool further comprise instructions that interactively present a plurality of case based questions, receive a plurality of case based answers, generate a rating based the case based answers, and select a case based solution recommendation based on the rating to solve the appliance problem.

18. The diagnosis tool of claim 15, wherein the solution recommendation database comprises a plurality of text solution documents.

19. The diagnosis tool of claim 15, wherein the solution recommendation database comprises solution recommendations selected from the group consisting of audio solution documents, video solution documents, and slide show solution documents.

20. The diagnosis tool of claim 15, wherein the applicable solution recommendations include an interactive technician chat display.