Method and apparatus for use in remote diagnostics

• US 7,984,121 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2007
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Seki, Masahiko, Konopka, Courtney
• Primary Examiner(s): Chankong; Dohm
• Application Number:
  US11/935,218
• Publication Number:
  US 20080059606A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,352 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/219, 709/220, 709/221, 709/226, 717168-178
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2845 Telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus, system and method for use in remotely diagnosing electronic devices and/or providing content. The method for use in remotely diagnosing includes the initiating a diagnostic analysis of an electronic device, identifying the electronic device, receiving scripts communicated over a distributed network for diagnosing, remotely initiating diagnostic instructions with the scripts and receiving a response based on the instruction. The method can further determine further diagnostic instructions based on responses, and remotely initiate further instructions with the scripts. Additionally, a system for use in remotely diagnosing electronic devices includes a script generator coupled with a distributed network, and a remote diagnostic controller coupled with the distributed network and with an electronic device. The script generator compiles scripts and forwards them over the distributed network. The diagnostic controller implements the scripts to forward instructions to and to receive replies from the electronic device.

Claims

1. A method for use in remotely diagnosing an electronic device, comprising:

initiating a diagnostic analysis of an electronic device;

receiving a first plurality of scripts for diagnosing the electronic device communicated over a distributed network, where the receiving the first plurality of scripts comprises receiving within a diagnostic controller at least one web page having one or more of the first plurality of scripts and the diagnostic controller extracting at least one of the first plurality of scripts from the at least one web page;

determining whether at least one of the first plurality of scripts was previously received;

storing those scripts that were not previously received;

determining whether one or more of the first plurality of scripts determined to have been previously received are updated scripts of one or more scripts previously received;

storing the one or more updated scripts when the one or more updated scripts are updated scripts of the one or more previously received scripts;

remotely initiating a first diagnostic instruction with at least one of the first plurality of scripts;

receiving within the diagnostic controller an identification of the electronic device;

locally determining a second plurality of scripts needed to implement the diagnosis of the electronic device in response to receiving the identification of the electronic device; and

receiving the second plurality of scripts from over the distributed network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the second plurality of scripts comprises receiving within the diagnostic controller at least one web page with the second plurality of scripts incorporated therein.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein the second plurality of scripts are generated for diagnosing the electronic device based on an identity of the electronic device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein one or more of the second plurality of scripts provide polling of the electronic device.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein one or more of the second plurality of scripts initiate remote maintenance of the electronic device.