Enduser diagnostic system and method for computer-based error interpretation

• US 6,865,696 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2001
• Issued: 03/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Lopke, Michael S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILSON, YOLANDA L
• Application Number:
  US09/882,567
• Publication Number:
  US 20020194550A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,362 Days
• Field of Search: 714/48, 714/26, 714/46, 714/25, 714/43, 714/31, 706/45
• US Class Current: 714/48
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0748 in a remote unit communicating with a single-box computer node experiencing an error/fault remote testing G06F11/2294
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/079 Root cause analysis, i.e. error or fault diagnosis in a hardware test environment G06F11/22; in a software test environment G06F11/36
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0793 Remedial or corrective actions recovery from an exception in an instruction pipeline G06F9/3861; by retry G06F11/1402; for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity H04L69/40

Abstract

An enduser diagnostic system or “system” (10) for computer-based error interpretation includes a network addressable device (33), a computer-based system (20), and an inspector (40). The network addressable device (33) provides solutions for error problems associated with the computer-based system (20). The computer-based system (20) includes a system registry (26) for storing information required for configuring software and hardware components that define the computer-based system (20). The inspector (40) is a software component linked with the system registry (26) and the network addressable device (33). The inspector (40) compiles examination data by accessing the computer-based system (20) including the system registry (26). By generating examination data, the inspector (40) quickly and accurately provides information, including real-time information, required for assisting the network addressable device (33) with supplying a solution to the error.

Claims

1. An enduser diagnostic system, comprising:

(a) a network addressable device;

(b) a computer-based system, the computer-based system including a system registry; and

(c) an inspector linked with the system registry and the network addressable device wherein the inspector compiles examination data for the computer-based system, said examination data comprised of configuration data and diagnostic data of past solutions to error problems for said computer based system, and wherein the examination data is displayed by the computer-based system for user approval prior to connecting with the network addressable device.

2. The system according to claim 1 further comprising:

(a) a browser linked to the network addressable device; and

(b) wherein the inspector is linked with the browser.

3. The system according to claim 2 wherein the inspector comprises a plugin integrated with the browser.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein the network addressable device includes:

(a) a support resources component; and

(b) wherein the inspector is linked with the support resources component.

5. The system according to claim 1 wherein the inspector obtains configuration data associated with the computer-based system.

6. The system according to claim 1 wherein the inspector obtains diagnostic data associated with the computer-based system.

7. The system according to claim 1 wherein the inspector includes a repository;

and

(a) wherein the inspector stores diagnostic data in the repository.

8. The system according to claim 1 wherein only the examination data approved by the user is sent from the computer-based system to the network addressable device.

9. A method for computer-based error interpretation, comprising:

(a) engaging an inspector linked with a computer-based system;

(b) generating examination data associated with the computer-based system via the inspector, said examination data comprised of configuration data and diagnostic data of past solutions to error problems for said computer based system, wherein the examination data is displayed by the computer-based system for user approved prior to connecting with a network addressable device; and

(c) sending the examination data to the network addressable device.

10. The method according to claim 9 further comprising the step of installing the inspector within the computer-based system.

11. The method according to claim 9 wherein the step of generating examination data for the computer-based system includes the step of obtaining configuration data associated with the computer-based system.

12. The method according to claim 11 wherein the step of obtaining configuration data includes the step of accessing a system registry provided by the computer-based system via the inspector.

13. The method according to claim 9 wherein the step of generating examination data for the computer-based system, further includes the step of obtaining diagnostic data associated with the computer-based system.

14. The method according to claim 9 wherein the step of displaying the examination data for user approval includes the step of editing the examination data for user approval.

15. The method according to claim 9 wherein the step of sending the examination data to the network addressable device, includes the step of sending only the examination data approved by the user from the computer-based system.

16. The method according to claim 9 further comprising the step of deriving a solution to the error with the network addressable device based on the examination data.

17. The method according to claim 16 wherein the step of deriving a solution includes the step of storing the solution to the error within a repository provided by the inspector.