Method for managing appliances

• US 7,353,073 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2005
• Issued: 04/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SanDisk Corporation (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Ferchau, Joerg
• Primary Examiner(s): KOSOWSKI, ALEXANDER J
• Application Number:
  US11/292,130
• Publication Number:
  US 20070129812A1
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 700/108, 717/168, 717171-173, 710/100, 711/104, 711/115
• US Class Current: 700/108
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0428 Safety, monitoring G05B19/0423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23311 Load new program together with test program
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24001 Maintenance, repair

Abstract

A method for maintaining and/or repairing an appliance is provided. The appliance includes collecting data from the appliance, wherein a flash device collects information from the appliance; launching an application from the flash device after the flash device interfaces with a computing system, wherein the application provides a user interface with selectable options for maintaining and/or repairing the appliance; contacting a server, wherein the computing system has access to a network connection and connects to the server; and transmitting the collected information from the flash device to the server.

Claims

1. A method for maintaining and repairing an appliance, comprising:

collecting information from the appliance, wherein a flash device collects information from the appliance and based on the collected information, the flash device determines what information is to be presented to a user;

launching an application stored in the flash device after the flash device interfaces with a computing system, wherein the flash device assists in launching the application and the application provides a user interface with selectable options for maintaining and repairing the appliance;

contacting a server, wherein the computing system has access to a network connection and connects to the server;

transmitting the collected information from the flash device to the server; and

upgrading appliance related information, wherein the server upgrades the appliance related information based on the collected information and the upgraded appliance related information is used to maintain and repair the appliance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein based on the collected information, the user interface provides an option to the user to schedule an appointment with a resource associated with the appliance and the appointment is scheduled to maintain and repair the appliance.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the resource associated with the appliance is one or more of an appliance dealership, repair facility and a technician.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein based on the collected information, the user interface provides a form to the user and the form is automatically filled, completely or partially, and information from the form is sent to the server;

wherein the form is used to extract the collected information and to collect any additional information regarding the appliance, and the collected information and the additional information is used to maintain and repair the appliance.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein based on the collected information, the user interface provides the user with a link to a website of a resource to assist the user to maintain and repair the appliance.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the appliance is one or more of an automobile, a digital camera, and industrial equipment.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein based on the collected information the server sends updates to the flash device and the updates are used for maintaining and repairing the appliance.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the updates include one or more of appliance firmware updates, user instructions, reset codes and appliance system updates.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein based on the collected information, the flash device automatically selects options for the user.

10. A method comprising:

collecting information from an appliance, wherein a non-volatile memory device with a memory controller collects information from the appliance and based on the collected information determines what information is to be presented to a user;

launching an application stored in the non-volatile memory device after the non-volatile memory device interfaces with a computing system, wherein the memory controller assists in launching the application and the application provides a user interface with selectable options for maintaining and repairing the appliance;

connecting to a server, wherein the computing system connects to the server via a network connection;

transmitting the collected information from the non-volatile memory device to the server;

upgrading appliance related information, wherein the server upgrades the appliance related information based on the collected information; and

sending upgraded appliance related information to the non-volatile memory device, wherein the upgraded appliance related information is transferred to the appliance and used for maintaining and repairing the appliance.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein based on the collected information, the user interface provides an option to the user to schedule an appointment with a resource associated with the appliance to maintain and repair the appliance.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein based on the collected information, the user interface provides a form to the user and the form is automatically filled, completely or partially, and information from the form is sent to the server;

wherein the form is used to extract the collected information and to collect any additional information regarding the appliance and the collected information and the additional information is then used to maintain and repair the appliance.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein based on the collected information, the user interface provides the user with a link to a website of a resource, to assist the user to maintain and repair the appliance.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the appliance is one or more of an automobile, a digital camera and industrial equipment.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein based on the collected information the server sends updates to the non-volatile memory device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the updates include one or more of appliance firmware updates, user instructions, reset codes and appliance system updates.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein based on the collected information, the non-volatile memory device automatically selects options for the user for maintaining and repairing the appliance.