System and method for remote maintenance of handheld computers
First Claim
1. A method for maintaining handheld computers at a location remote from a home maintenance node containing a maintenance database for at least one of the handheld computers and connected to the remote location through a network, the method comprising:
- connecting one of the handheld computers to a maintenance node;
detecting whether the maintenance node is the home maintenance node for the handheld computer;
locating the home maintenance node for the handheld computer if the connected maintenance node is not the home maintenance node;
opening a maintenance session between the handheld computer and the home maintenance node; and
performing maintenance on the handheld computer;
wherein performing maintenance on the handheld computer involves scanning data on the handheld for viruses;
wherein scanning data on the handheld computer for viruses includes reading said data from the handheld computer, storing said data at least temporarily on a computer system, scanning said data for viruses with a virus detection program, cleaning said data of viruses identified during the scanning, and updating the data on the handheld based on results of the scanning utilizing the virus detection program;
wherein performing maintenance on the handheld computer involves running diagnostics on the handheld computer;
wherein the diagnostics include operations including checking for broken shortcuts, checking for missing files, checking for temporary files that can be deleted, checking a registry area, deleting games, and deleting proprietary information that employees should not have installed on the handheld computer;
wherein the maintenance database contains information on the handheld computer including a personal calendar, contacts, tasks, a list of software and corresponding versions installed on the handheld computer, and a history of diagnostics and repairs for the handheld computer;
wherein a central maintenance node is the home maintenance node for all of the handheld computers;
wherein the central maintenance node includes a central maintenance manager that has access to a tracking database, a rules database, and a download database containing information to be downloaded to the handheld computer;
wherein the tracking database contains problem/action information relating to different problems found and different actions taken on a plurality of the handheld computers, configuration information, and software versions contained on each handheld computer;
the rules database defines preferred configurations on the handheld computers and identifies software that should not be installed on the handheld computers; and
the download database includes software license information that is downloaded to the handheld computers.
13 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for maintaining handheld computers at a location remote from a home maintenance node containing a maintenance database for at least one of the handheld computers. The method comprising connecting one of the handheld computers to a maintenance node and detecting whether the maintenance node is the home maintenance node for the handheld computer. If the connected maintenance node is not the home maintenance node, the home maintenance node for the handheld computer is located and a maintenance session is opened between the handheld computer and the home maintenance node. The method further includes performing maintenance on the handheld computer.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method for maintaining handheld computers at a location remote from a home maintenance node containing a maintenance database for at least one of the handheld computers and connected to the remote location through a network, the method comprising:
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connecting one of the handheld computers to a maintenance node;
detecting whether the maintenance node is the home maintenance node for the handheld computer;
locating the home maintenance node for the handheld computer if the connected maintenance node is not the home maintenance node;
opening a maintenance session between the handheld computer and the home maintenance node; and
performing maintenance on the handheld computer;
wherein performing maintenance on the handheld computer involves scanning data on the handheld for viruses;
wherein scanning data on the handheld computer for viruses includes reading said data from the handheld computer, storing said data at least temporarily on a computer system, scanning said data for viruses with a virus detection program, cleaning said data of viruses identified during the scanning, and updating the data on the handheld based on results of the scanning utilizing the virus detection program;
wherein performing maintenance on the handheld computer involves running diagnostics on the handheld computer;
wherein the diagnostics include operations including checking for broken shortcuts, checking for missing files, checking for temporary files that can be deleted, checking a registry area, deleting games, and deleting proprietary information that employees should not have installed on the handheld computer;
wherein the maintenance database contains information on the handheld computer including a personal calendar, contacts, tasks, a list of software and corresponding versions installed on the handheld computer, and a history of diagnostics and repairs for the handheld computer;
wherein a central maintenance node is the home maintenance node for all of the handheld computers;
wherein the central maintenance node includes a central maintenance manager that has access to a tracking database, a rules database, and a download database containing information to be downloaded to the handheld computer;
wherein the tracking database contains problem/action information relating to different problems found and different actions taken on a plurality of the handheld computers, configuration information, and software versions contained on each handheld computer;
the rules database defines preferred configurations on the handheld computers and identifies software that should not be installed on the handheld computers; and
the download database includes software license information that is downloaded to the handheld computers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16)
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14. A system for maintaining a plurality of handheld computers configured for connection to a network having a plurality of maintenance nodes coupled thereto, each of said plurality of handheld computers having a home maintenance node, the system comprising:
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for each handheld computer, a maintenance database stored on the home maintenance node and associated with the handheld computer; and
a maintenance manager installed on each of the maintenance nodes and operable to detect whether the maintenance node is the home maintenance node for the handheld computer connected to the maintenance node, locate the home maintenance node for the handheld computer if the maintenance node is not the home maintenance node, open a maintenance session across the network between the located home maintenance node and the connected handheld computer, and perform a maintenance operation using the maintenance database stored on the home maintenance node;
wherein performing a maintenance operation on the handheld computer involves scanning data on the handheld for viruses;
wherein scanning data on the handheld computer for viruses includes reading said data from the handheld computer, storing said data at least temporarily on a computer system, scanning said data for viruses with a virus detection program, cleaning said data of viruses identified during the scanning, and updating the data on the handheld based on results of the scanning utilizing the virus detection program;
wherein performing a maintenance operation on the handheld computer involves running diagnostics on the handheld computer;
wherein the diagnostics include operations including checking for broken shortcuts, checking for missing files, checking for temporary files that can be deleted, checking a registry area, deleting games, and deleting proprietary information that employees should not have installed on the handheld computer;
wherein the maintenance database contains information on the handheld computer including a personal calendar, contacts, tasks, a list of software and corresponding versions installed on the handheld computer, and a history of diagnostics and repairs for the handheld computer;
wherein a central maintenance node is the home maintenance node for all of the handheld computers;
wherein the central maintenance node includes a central maintenance manager that has access to a tracking database, a rules database, and a download database containing information to be downloaded to the handheld computer;
wherein the tracking database contains problem/action information relating to different problems found and different actions taken on a plurality of the handheld computers, configuration information, and software versions contained on each handheld computer the rules database defines preferred configurations on the handheld computers and identifies software that should not be installed on the handheld computers; and
the download database includes software license information that is downloaded to the handheld computers. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A computer program product for maintaining handheld computers at a location remote from a home maintenance node containing a maintenance database for at least one of the handheld computers and connected to the remote location through a network, the product comprising:
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computer code that creates a communication link between one of the handheld computers and a maintenance node;
computer code that detects whether the maintenance node is the home maintenance node for the handheld computer;
computer code that locates the home maintenance node for the handheld computer if the connected maintenance node is not the home maintenance node;
computer code that opens a maintenance session between the handheld computer and the home maintenance node;
computer code that performs maintenance on the handheld computer; and
a computer readable medium that stores said computer codes;
wherein performing maintenance on the handheld computer involves scanning data on the handheld for viruses;
wherein scanning data on the handheld computer for viruses includes reading said data from the handheld computer, storing said data at least temporarily on a computer system, scanning said data for viruses with a virus detection program, cleaning said data of viruses identified during the scanning, and updating the data on the handheld based on results of the scanning utilizing the virus detection program;
wherein performing maintenance on the handheld computer involves running diagnostics on the handheld computer;
wherein the diagnostics include operations including checking for broken shortcuts, checking for missing files, checking for temporary files that, can be deleted, checking a registry area, deleting games, and deleting proprietary information that employees should not have installed on the handheld computer;
wherein the maintenance database contains information on the handheld computer including a personal calendar, contacts, tasks, a list of software and corresponding versions installed on the handheld computer, and a history of diagnostics and repairs for the handheld computer;
wherein a central maintenance node is the home maintenance node for all of the handheld computers;
wherein the central maintenance node includes a central maintenance manager that has access to a tracking database, a rules database, and a download database containing information to be downloaded to the handheld computer;
wherein the tracking database contains problem/action information relating to different problems found and different actions taken on a plurality of the handheld computers, configuration information, and software versions contained an each handheld computer;
the rules database defines preferred configurations on the handheld computers and identifies software that should not be installed on the handheld computers, and the download database includes software license information that is downloaded to the handheld computers. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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Specification