Methods and systems for communications device troubleshooting

• US 7,257,741 B1
• Filed: 06/25/2003
• Issued: 08/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Baker, Jess, Palenik, Dirk, Horton, John Joseph, Norton, ReNae
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson; Yolanda L
• Application Number:
  US10/603,949
• Time in Patent Office: 1,511 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 714/43
• 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

Abstract

Methods and systems provide for the troubleshooting of communications devices that interconnect a personal computer or network of personal computers to a network of a service provider. The troubleshooting is provided through a computer application program that may troubleshoot various issues. Issues related to the personal computer and the connection from the computer to the communications device may be analyzed. Additionally, the troubleshooting program may analyze issues related to the communications device and its connection to the service provider'"'"'s network by the troubleshooting program interacting with a diagnostics program of the communications device and/or the network. The troubleshooting program may provide a graphical user interface to interact with the customer to allow the customer to step through the troubleshooting process while the troubleshooting application program may display information acquired during the troubleshooting for the user and may store the troubleshooting information or forward it to the service provider through the network connection to a server when possible. The troubleshooting program enables this information to be provided to the service provider from the customer without requiring the customer to be technically skilled and without requiring an on-site visit by a technician. Such information allows the service provider to provide guidance to the customer to complete the self-installation or self-repair process.

Claims

1. A method of providing troubleshooting assistance for use of a communications device of a computer system, comprising:

at the computer system, utilizing a computer-implemented application to perform one or more checks on the communications device;

at the computer system, utilizing the computer-implemented application to detect from the one or more checks whether there is a problem related to operation of the communications device that a re-start may solve;

at the computer system, utilizing the computer-implemented application to initiate the re-start of the communications device upon detecting that there is a problem that the re-start may solve;

at the computer system, utilizing the computer-implemented application to detect whether the re-start of the communications device solved the problem; and

at the computer system, utilizing the computer-implemented application to re-set the communications device upon detecting that the re-start failed to solve the problem.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications device is a digital subscriber line modem and the problem that a re-start may solve is a failure of a transceiver to synchronize.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein utilizing the computer-implemented application to perform the one or more checks comprises checking a connection between the computer system and the communications device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein utilizing the computer-implemented application to perform the one or more checks comprises checking operational parameters of the communications device.

5. The method of claim 1, utilizing the computer-implemented application to perform the one or more checks comprises checking for a response from a DNS server.

6. The method of claim 1, utilizing the computer-Implemented application to perform the one or more checks comprises checking for a response from an email server.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing troubleshooting assistance for use of the communications device comprises using a digital subscriber line modem.

8. A system for providing troubleshooting assistance for use of a communications device, the system comprising:

a memory storage; and

a processing unit coupled to the memory storage, wherein the processing unit is operative to;

utilize a computer-implemented application to perform one or more checks on the communications device, wherein the computer-implemented application is stored on the memory storage unit;

utilize the computer-implemented application to detect from the one or more checks whether there is a problem related to operation of the communications device that a re-start may solve;

utilize the computer-implemented application to initiate the re-start of the communications device upon detecting that there is a problem that the re-start may solve;

utilize the computer-implemented application to detect whether the re-start of the communications device solved the problem; and

utilize the computer-implemented application to re-set the communications device upon detecting that the re-start failed to solve the problem.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the communications device is a digital subscriber line modem and the problem that a re-start may solve is a failure of a transceiver to synchronize.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the communications device is a digital subscriber line modem.

11. A computer-readable medium which stores a set of instructions which when executed performs a method for providing troubleshooting assistance for use of a communications device of a computer system, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising:

utilizing a computer-implemented application to perform one or more checks on the communications device;

utilizing the computer-implemented application to detect from the one or more checks whether there is a problem related to operation of the communications device that a re-start may solve;

utilizing the computer-Implemented application to initiate the re-start of the communications device upon detecting that there is a problem that the re-start may solve;

utilizing the computer-implemented application to detect whether the re-start of the communications device solved the problem; and

utilizing the computer-implemented application to re-set the communications device upon detecting that the re-start failed to solve the problem.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein utilizing the computer-implemented application to initiate the re-start of the communications device comprises utilizing the computer-implemented application when the problem that a re-start may solve comprises a failure of a transceiver to synchronize.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein utilizing the computer-implemented application to perform the one or more checks comprises utilizing the computer-implemented application for checking a connection between the computer system and the communications device.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein utilizing the computer-implemented application to perform the one or more checks comprises utilizing the computer-implemented application for checking operational parameters of the communications device.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein utilizing the computer-implemented application to perform the one or more checks comprises utilizing the computer-implemented application for checking for a response from a DNS server.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein utilizing the computer-implemented application to perform the one or more checks comprises utilizing the computer-implemented for checking for a response from an email server.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein providing troubleshooting assistance for use of the communications device comprises providing troubleshooting assistance using a digital subscriber line modem.