Systems and methods for diagnosing and fixing electronic devices

• US 8,006,121 B1
• Filed: 06/30/2008
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Law, Wing, Samoilova, Svetlana, Hodge, Andrew Bert
• Primary Examiner(s): Riad; Amine
• Application Number:
  US12/217,004
• Time in Patent Office: 1,149 Days
• Field of Search: 714/2, 702179-187, 455/425
• US Class Current: 714/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test

Abstract

Systems and methods for reducing the cost and time required for diagnosing and fixing electronic devices are provided. A host electronic device may be configured to generate a log of events that it experiences. A help component may access the generated log and analyze the log to detect if the host device has experienced a problem. Data may then be exchanged between the help component and the host device in order to fix the detected problem.

Claims

1. A method of diagnosing a host electronic device with a help component, the method comprising:

accessing at least a portion of a log with the help component;

analyzing the at least a portion of the log with the help component to detect a problem experienced by the host electronic device;

exchanging corrective data between the help component and the host electronic device to fix the problem, wherein the exchanging includes uploading the corrective data to the host electronic device from the help component; and

in response to the host electronic device receiving the corrective data, scanning the host electronic device with the host electronic device to determine a portion of the host electronic device that experienced the problem.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating the log with the host electronic device based on one or more events experienced by the host electronic device, wherein at least a first event of the one or more events is a crash event.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating the log with the host electronic device based on one or more events experienced by the host electronic device, wherein at least a first event of the one or more events is a program update event.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating the log with the host electronic device based on one or more events experienced by the host electronic device, wherein at least a first event of the one or more events is a file transfer event.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating the log with the host electronic device based on one or more events experienced by the host electronic device, wherein at least a first event of the one or more events is an environmental event.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating the log with the host electronic device based on one or more events experienced by the host electronic device, wherein at least a first event of the one or more events is a usage event.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating the log with the host electronic device based on one or more events experienced by the host electronic device, wherein the generating the log comprises storing one or more pieces of information related to each of the one or more events.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a first piece of the one or more pieces of information related to a first event of the one or more events is the date that the first event occurred.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein a first piece of the one or more pieces of information related to a first event of the one or more events is the duration of the first event.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein a first piece of the one or more pieces of information related to a first event of the one or more events is the location of the host electronic device during the first event.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein a first piece of the one or more pieces of information related to a first event of the one or more events is the type of error that occurred during the first event.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein a first piece of the one or more pieces of information related to a first event of the one or more events is the size of data received by the host electronic device during the first event.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein a first piece of the one or more pieces of information related to a first event of the one or more events is the type of data received by the host electronic device during the first event.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein a first piece of the one or more pieces of information related to a first event of the one or more events is the size of data transmitted from the host electronic device during the first event.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein a first piece of the one or more pieces of information related to a first event of the one or more events is the type of data transmitted from the host electronic device during the first event.

16. The method of claim 7, wherein a first piece of the one or more pieces of information related to a first event of the one or more events is the identity of an other entity that communicated with the host electronic device during the first event.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessing includes:

transmitting a data exchange request from the host electronic device to the help component in response to the host electronic device experiencing an instigating event; and

in response to the help component receiving the data exchange request, downloading the at least a portion of the log from the host electronic device to the help component.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessing includes transmitting the at least a portion of the log from the host electronic device to the help component using a wireless protocol.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing is heuristic.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing includes comparing the at least a portion of the log to a database of previously accumulated data.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing includes studying the at least a portion of the log with a human administrator of the help component.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the exchanging resets the host electronic device.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the exchanging includes deleting the corrective data from the host electronic device.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the exchanging includes communicating the corrective data to a user of the host electronic device, wherein the corrective data includes one or more instructions teaching the user how to interact with the host electronic device to fix the problem.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the host electronic device is a portable media device.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the host electronic device is a cellular telephone.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the host electronic device is a personal computer.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the help component is a web server.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the help component is a file server.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the help component is a portable media device.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein the help component is a cellular telephone.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein the help component is a personal computer.

33. A diagnostic system comprising:

a help component comprising;

circuitry configured to access at least a portion of a log;

circuitry configured to analyze the at least a portion of the log to detect a problem; and

circuitry configured to exchange corrective data to fix the problem; and

a host electronic device including a program configured to generate the log based on one or more events experienced by the host electronic device, wherein the help component is configured to upload the corrective data to the host electronic device to exchange the corrective data, and wherein, in response to the host electronic device receiving the uploaded corrective data, the host electronic device is configured to scan the host electronic device to determine a portion of the host electronic device that experienced the problem.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the help component is configured to use a wireless protocol to access the at least a portion of the log.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein the help component is configured to use heuristics to analyze the at least a portion of the log.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein the help component is configured to compare the at least a portion of the log to a database of previously accumulated data to analyze the at least a portion of the log.

37. The system of claim 33, wherein the help component is configured to permit a human administrator of the help component to study the at least a portion of the log to analyze the at least a portion of the log.

38. The system of claim 33, wherein the help component is a web server.

39. The system of claim 33, wherein the help component is a file server.

40. The system of claim 33, wherein the help component is a portable media device.

41. The system of claim 33, wherein the help component is a cellular telephone.

42. The system of claim 33, wherein the help component is a personal computer.

43. The system of claim 33, wherein at least a first event of the one or more events is a crash event.

44. The system of claim 33, wherein at least a first event of the one or more events is a program update event.

45. The system of claim 33, wherein at least a first event of the one or more events is a file transfer event.

46. The system of claim 33, wherein at least a first event of the one or more events is an environmental event.

47. The system of claim 33, wherein at least a first event of the one or more events is a usage event.

48. The system of claim 33, wherein the program is configured to store one or more pieces of information related to each of the one or more events to generate the log.

49. The system of claim 48, wherein a first piece of the one or more pieces of information related to a first event of the one or more events is the date that the first event occurred.

50. The system of claim 48, wherein a first piece of the one or more pieces of information related to a first event of the one or more events is the duration of the first event.

51. The system of claim 48, wherein a first piece of the one or more pieces of information related to a first event of the one or more events is the location of the host electronic device during the first event.

52. The system of claim 48, wherein a first piece of the one or more pieces of information related to a first event of the one or more events is the type of error that occurred during the first event.

53. The system of claim 48, wherein a first piece of the one or more pieces of information related to a first event of the one or more events is the size of data received by the host electronic device during the first event.

54. The system of claim 48, wherein a first piece of the one or more pieces of information related to a first event of the one or more events is the type of data received by the host electronic device during the first event.

55. The system of claim 48, wherein a first piece of the one or more pieces of information related to a first event of the one or more events is the size of data transmitted from the host electronic device during the first event.

56. The system of claim 48, wherein a first piece of the one or more pieces of information related to a first event of the one or more events is the type of data transmitted from the host electronic device during the first event.

57. The system of claim 48, wherein a first piece of the one or more pieces of information related to a first event of the one or more events is the identity of an other entity that communicated with the host electronic device during the first event.

58. The system of claim 33, wherein the host electronic device is further configured to transmit a data exchange request to the help component in response to the host electronic device experiencing an instigating event, and wherein the help component is further configured to receive the data exchange request and to download the at least a portion of the log from the host electronic device to access the at least a portion of the log.

59. The system of claim 33, wherein the help component is configured to reset the host device to exchange the corrective data.

60. The system of claim 33, wherein the help component is configured to delete the corrective data from the host electronic device to exchange the corrective data.

61. The system of claim 33, wherein the help component is configured to communicate the corrective data to a user of the host electronic device to exchange the corrective data, and wherein the corrective data includes one or more instructions for teaching the user how to interact with the host electronic device for fixing the problem.

62. The system of claim 33, wherein the host electronic device is a portable media device.

63. The system of claim 33, wherein the host electronic device is a cellular telephone.