Remote assistance

• US 7,539,733 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2005
• Issued: 05/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kwak, Justin, Bhattacharjee, Avronil, Mohammed, Mazhar
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar; Saleh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hamza; Faruk
• Application Number:
  US11/215,527
• Publication Number:
  US 20050289226A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,365 Days
• Field of Search: 709208-211, 709/223, 709/229, 709226-227, 713/182, 713/187, 713/189, 713/190, 713/191
• US Class Current: 709/208
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/33 using certificates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/28 Restricting access to network management systems or functions, e.g. using authorisation function to access network configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5074 Handling of user complaints or trouble tickets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

Systems and methods for remote assistance. A user computer is able to generate a ticket that includes temporary credentials for a remote assistance account of the user computer. The ticket is escalated to an expert, who activates the ticket and requests a connection with the user using the encrypted credentials. The user can accept this request if the credentials are validated and provide the expert with a view of the user'"'"'s desktop. The expert, if necessary, can request control of the user computer and the user can either grant or deny this request. If granted, the user computer can unilaterally terminate the control that was provided to the expert. Because the credentials in the ticket are encrypted, the expert does not know the actual password to the remote assistance account and can only access the user computer interactively.

Claims

1. A client computer in a system that includes the client computer and an expert computer connected with a network, wherein a user of the client computer requires support services for the client computer and an expert provides support services to the user, the client computer comprising one or more computer readable storage media having computer-executable instructions for implementing a method for requesting support services from the expert that permits a computer controlled by the expert (expert computer) to control the user computer and such that the user receives support services from the expert, wherein the method comprises:

a step for generating a ticket on the client computer, the ticket including credentials that permit the expert computer to login to the client computer at the user'"'"'s request, the credentials including at least an encrypted portion that includes at least an encrypted password;

a step for escalating the ticket to the expert computer which initiates a user request for remote assistance for support services from the expert computer, and wherein the expert computer is unable to decrypt the password even upon decrypting the encrypted portion of the credentials;

in response to the user initiated request for remote assistance, a step for receiving a connection request from the expert computer indicating that the expert computer desires to connect with the user computer, the request to connect including the credentials;

a step for accepting the connection request upon verifying the credentials by at least decrypting the password, and wherein upon accepting the connection request the expert computer is provided a view of a desktop of the client computer without initially being provided to control of the client computer; and

upon subsequently receiving a control request from the expert computer to remotely control the user computer over the network, a step for selectively providing control of the client computer to the expert computer, such that the expert computer controls the client computer, but wherein the user is provided an option to unilaterally terminate the selective control.

2. A client computer as defined in claim 1, wherein the step for generating a ticket on the user computer further comprises an act of generating a key that is associated with a table that maintains outstanding remote assistance requests, wherein an encrypted version of the key is included in the ticket and wherein the key is unknown to the expert computer.

3. A client computer as defined in claim 1, wherein the ticket comprises a hashed value of a public key of the client computer, wherein the expert computer validates the public key of the user to insure that the expert is assisting the user that generated the ticket.

4. A client computer as defined in claim 1, wherein the step for escalating the ticket to the expert computer further comprises one or more of:

transmitting the ticket in an email to the expert;

transmitting the ticket to the expert over instant messaging; and

transmitting the ticket to the expert by saving the ticket to a file.

5. A client computer as defined in claim 1, wherein the step for escalating the ticket to the expert computer further comprises:

a step for receiving an unsolicited call from the expert; and

a step for determining that the expert is in a designated group maintained on the client computer.

6. A client computer as defined in claim 1, wherein the step for providing control of the client computer to the expert computer such that the expert is provided the option to view and control the user computer further comprises a step for allowing the user to unilaterally terminate the control granted to the expert computer by selecting a predetermined key at the client computer.

7. A client computer as defined in claim 1, wherein the step for accepting the connection request such that the expert computer is provided the option to view a desktop of the client computer but cannot control the client computer further comprises establishing a shadow session on the user computer, wherein the expert has limited privileges on the client computer.