Dynamic display of personal computer support information

• US 6,944,800 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2001
• Issued: 09/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Desai, Anish C., Brundridge, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Dieu-Minh
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCCARTHY, CHRISTOPHER S
• Application Number:
  US09/854,364
• Publication Number:
  US 20030074607A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,586 Days
• Field of Search: 714/48, 714/57, 714/52, 707/202, 715/708, 715/709, 715/710, 715/705, 715/738, 715/969, 715/753, 715/751, 345/708, 345/709, 345/710, 345/705, 345/736, 345/738, 345/969, 345/751, 345/753
• US Class Current: 714/48
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0769 Readable error formats, e.g. cross-platform generic formats, human understandable formats
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0775 Content or structure details of the error report, e.g. specific table structure, specific error fields
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0781 Error filtering or prioritizing based on a policy defined by the user or on a policy defined by a hardware/software module, e.g. according to a severity level

Abstract

A method and system of detecting and reporting failures in a computer, in particular a personal computer is disclosed. Event codes related to failure events are given unique alpha numeric designations, allowing universal recognition of failures related to diagnostic programs that are ran. The unique event codes are stored in an error log when a particular failure is found through the operation of a diagnostic program. The error log is parsed as to determined values and can be minimized further by eliminating redundant occurrences of the event codes. Event codes can be related to frequently asked question (FAQ) files, the FAQ files can then be presented to a user. In certain cases, the presented FAQ files can be minimized further by a template that masks out irrelevant FAQ files. The FAQ file that are considered relevant can be predetermined per the requirements of the user.

Claims

1. A method of detecting and reporting failures in a computer comprised of:

assigning one or more alpha numeric designated event codes exclusively to a particular failure event;

detecting the particular failure event in a device of the computer;

storing the one or more exclusively assigned event codes associated with the detected particular failure event in an error log;

parsing the error log for the one or more stored event codes if the event codes compare to one or more determined values; and

relating the parsed event codes to one or more frequently asked question (FAQ) files, the FAQ files accessible by an user and each FAQ file categorized as either a failed FAQ or a passed FAQ.

2. The method of detecting and reporting failures in a computer of claim 1 further comprising:

presenting the one or more FAQ files to an user.

3. The method of detecting and reporting failures in a computer of claim 2 further comprising:

providing customized pages related to the FAQ files to the user comprised of;

creating a template;

inputting into the template relevant content from the error log; and

masking out non relevant content from the template.

4. The method of detecting and reporting failures in a computer of claim 3 wherein the FAQ files and the template written in HTML.

5. The method of detecting and reporting failures in a computer of claim 1 wherein the error log is further parsed for redundant event codes.

6. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

computer readable medium coupled to the processor; and

computer code, encoded in the computer readable medium, configured to cause the processor to;

assign one or more alpha numeric designated event codes exclusively to a particular failure event;

detect the particular failure event in a device of the computer;

store the exclusively assigned one or more event codes of the detected particular failure event in an error log;

parse the error log for the one or more stored event codes if the event codes compare to one or more determined values; and

relate the parsed one or more event codes to one or more frequently asked question (FAQ) files, the FAQ files accessible by an user and each FAQ file categorized as either a failed FAQ or a passed FAQ.

7. The computer system of claim 6 wherein the processor is further configured to:

present the one or more FAQ files to an user.

8. The computer system of claim 7 wherein the processor is further configured to:

provide customized pages related to the FAQ files to the user comprised of;

creating a template;

inputting into the template relevant content from the error log; and

masking out non relevant content from the template.

9. The computer system of claim 8 wherein the FAQ files and the template are written in HTML.

10. The computer system of claim 6 wherein the error log is further parsed for redundant event codes.

11. A computer program product encoded in computer readable media, the computer program product comprising:

a first set of instructions, executable on a computer system, configured to

assign one or more alpha numeric designated event codes exclusively to a particular failure event;

a second set of instructions, executable on the computer system, configured to

detect the particular failure in a device of the computer;

a third set of instructions, executable on the computer system, configured to

store the exclusively assigned one or more event codes of the detected particular failures in an error log;

a fourth set of instructions, executable on the computer system, configured to

parse the error log for the stored one or more event codes if the one or more event codes compare to one or more determined values; and

a fifth set of instructions, executable on the computer system, configured to

relate the parsed event codes to one or more frequently asked question (FAQ) files, the FAQ files accessible by an user and each FAQ file categorized as either a failed FAQ or a passed FAQ.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprised of:

a sixth set of instructions, executable on the computer system, configured to;

present the related FAQ files to an user.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 further comprised of:

a eighth set of instructions, executable on the computer system, configured to;

provide customized pages related to the FAQ files to the user comprised of;

creating a template;

inputting into the template relevant content from the error log; and

masking out non relevant content from the template.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the FAQ files and the template are written in HTML.

15. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprised of:

a seventh set of instructions, executable on the computer system, configured to;

parse the error log for redundant event codes.