Virtual Technician for providing technical support for manipulation of radiotelephones

• US 7,047,004 B1
• Filed: 06/11/2001
• Issued: 05/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Chanyu Holdings LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tolbert, Robert E. II
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US09/878,630
• Time in Patent Office: 1,800 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/419, 455/186.1, 455/403, 455/411, 455/517, 455/550.1, 379/201.01, 379/201.05, 379/201.04, 379/201.12
• US Class Current: 455/425
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42161 via computer interface

Abstract

The present invention relates to a virtual technician adapted to run on different platforms and to provide programming instructions and trouble shooting tips to users. The virtual technician can run on a computer or a radiotelephone. It allows a user to learn how to program or to trouble shoot a radiotelephone without going through a technical manual. The virtual technician prompts the user to select the task and displays the information on a user interface screen. The virtual technician may also assist the user to program a radiotelephone.

Claims

1. A virtual technician for assisting a user to operate a radiotelephone, the virtual technician being capable of interpreting a technical request and providing a solution for the request, the virtual technician comprising:

a computer readable memory on which is stored a computer program, the computer program comprising instructions, when executed by a computer, perform the steps of;

in a first troubleshooting mode;

receiving a user problem from a user input;

receiving manufacturer data;

receiving radiotelephone model data;

promoting a user to select a high level description of the problem;

receiving a specific symptom of the problem;

searching for an answer to the user problem stated by the user input; and

displaying the answer to the user;

wherein the computer program further performs the step of;

in a second programming mode, changing features of the radiotelephone, the changing features of the radio telephone including;

receiving an equipment manufacturer from a user input;

receiving an equipment model from a user input;

providing a list of programmable features for the model to the user;

receiving a selected programmable feature from a user input;

programming the radiotelephone with the selected programmable feature in response to a user input.

2. The virtual technician of claim 1, wherein the computer program is executed in a client environment.

3. The virtual technician of claim 1, wherein the computer program is downloaded to a client environment and executed in its entirety in the client environment.

4. The virtual technician of claim 1 further comprising

playing a video file associated with the answer.

5. The virtual technician of claim 4, wherein the video file is a MPEG (moving pictures experts group) file.

6. The virtual technician of claim 1 further comprising a database residing in the computer readable memory, the database storing information on a plurality of radiotelephones.

7. The virtual technician of claim 1 further comprising a database residing in the computer readable memory, wherein the database stores the answer to the user problem.

8. The virtual technician of claim 1, wherein the computer program further performs the step of displaying a list of the specific symptoms.