Method and system for customer support

• US 7,584,385 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2006
• Issued: 09/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Thresh, Donald
• Primary Examiner(s): Iqbal; Nadeem
• Application Number:
  US11/615,498
• Publication Number:
  US 20080155522A1
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: 714/18, 714/25, 714/33, 714/37, 714/38, 714/46, 714/48, 714/57
• US Class Current: 714/38.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management

Abstract

An embodiment generally relates to a method of software support. The method includes receiving a request for assistance for a selected device and analyzing an associated fault log for the selected device, where the associated fault log logging at least one fault. The method also includes determining at least one software release for the at least one fault.

Claims

1. A method of software support, the method comprising:

receiving a request for assistance for a selected device;

analyzing an associated fault log for the selected device, the associated fault log logging at least one fault;

determining at least one software release for the at least one fault; and

displaying a listing of the at least one software release.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

forwarding the at least one software release to a user.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

querying the selected device for the associated fault log; and

receiving the associated fault log.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving associated fault logs for a plurality of devices, each associated fault log containing at least one fault;

at a predefined interval; and

storing the received associated fault logs.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving metadata associated with at least one software update, the metadata includes information of at least one identified fault that is repaired by the at least one software update; and

updating a database with the metadata associated with the at least one software update.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

querying the database with at least one fault; and

retrieving the at least one software update associated with the at least one fault.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

displaying a user interface that displays the at least one fault with a graphical link to the at least one software update.

8. An apparatus comprising of means for performing the method of claim 1.

9. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

10. A system for customer support, the system comprising:

a database configured to store information associating a plurality of software releases with respective faults; and

an advisor module configured to interface with the database, wherein the advisor module is configured to receive a fault log from a selected device, the fault log containing at least one fault, determine a recommended software release based on the at least one fault, and display a listing of the recommended software release.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the advisor module is configured to forward the recommended software release to a user.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the advisor module is configured to query the selected device for the fault log and receive the associated fault log.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the advisor module is further configured to receive associated fault logs for a plurality of devices, each associated fault log containing at least one fault;

at a predefined interval, and storing the received associated fault logs in the database.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the information of at least one identified fault that is repaired by the at least one software release, and wherein the advisor module updates the database with the information associated with the recommended software release.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the advisor module is further configured to query the database with at least one fault and retrieve the recommended software release associated with the at least one fault.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the advisor module is further configured to display a user interface that displays the at least one fault with a graphical link to the recommended software release.