Remote diagnostic system and method based on device data classification

• US 8,312,324 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2010
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Foley, Diane Marie, Zhao, Shi
• Primary Examiner(s): TRUONG, LOAN
• Application Number:
  US12/695,790
• Publication Number:
  US 20110185220A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• Field of Search: 714/31, 714/37, 714/26, 706/20, 706/45
• US Class Current: 714/31
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5079 for maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0733 in a data processing system embedded in an image processing device, e.g. printer, facsimile, scanner
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0784 Routing of error reports, e.g. with a specific transmission path or data flow
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/079 Root cause analysis, i.e. error or fault diagnosis in a hardware test environment G06F11/22; in a software test environment G06F11/36
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00344 with a management, maintenance, service or repair apparatus monitoring H04N1/00002

Abstract

A remote diagnostic system and method based on device data classification. Device diagnostic data with respect to a device can be acquired and a conditional probability look up table can be constructed for each fault code associated with the device diagnostic data by a classification module. A score function can then be created by summing the conditional probabilities and an occurrence of the fault code can be mapped to a service call category with a numerically highest score function. The fault occurrence data in association with a number of time stamps and device identifiers can be stored in a data warehouse. The occurrence of fault code can be matched with respect to a solution set which can be automatically dispatched to a customer via a communications link.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

classifying device diagnostic data according to a problem type, with respect to a device;

extracting at least one fault code based on a classification algorithm associated with a diagnostic server, by executing a program instruction in a data-processing system;

constructing a conditional look up table including a conditional probability for said at least one fault code, by executing a program instruction in a data-processing system;

creating a score function by summing said conditional probability associated with said at least one fault code in order to thereafter map said occurrence of said at least one fault code to a service call category with a numerically highest score function, by executing a program instruction in a data-processing system; and

matching an occurrence of said at least one fault code with respect to a solution set by a decision support server in order to thereafter automatically dispatch said solution set to a customer via a communications link, by executing a program instruction in a data-processing system.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing in a memory, said at least one fault code in association with a plurality of time stamps and device identifiers, by executing a program instruction in a data-processing system.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said memory comprises a database.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said memory comprises a data warehouse.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said device comprises an MFD.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting said diagnostic data to said diagnostic server via said communications link, by executing a program instruction in a data-processing system.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said communications link comprises the Internet.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising sharing said solution set with said customer via a welcome center agent, by executing a program instruction in a data-processing system.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising sharing said solution set with said customer via a service technician, by executing a program instruction in a data-processing system.

10. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a data bus coupled to said processor;

a computer-usable medium embodying computer code, said computer-usable medium being coupled to said data bus, said computer program code comprising instructions executable by said processor and configured for;

classifying device diagnostic data according to a problem type, with respect to a device;

extracting at least one fault code based on a classification algorithm associated with a diagnostic server, by executing a program instruction in a data-processing system;

constructing a conditional look up table including a conditional probability for said at least one fault code;

creating a score function by summing said conditional probability associated with said at least one fault code in order to thereafter map said occurrence of said at least one fault code to a service call category with a numerically highest score function; and

matching an occurrence of said at least one fault code with respect to a solution set by a decision support server in order to thereafter automatically dispatch said solution set to a customer via a communications link.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said instructions are further configured for storing in a memory, said at least one fault code in association with a plurality of time stamps and device identifiers.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said memory comprises a database.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein said memory comprises a data warehouse.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein said device comprises an MFD.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein said instructions are further configured for transmitting said diagnostic data to said diagnostic server via said communications link.

16. The system of claim 10 wherein said communications link comprises the Internet.

17. The system of claim 10 wherein said instructions are further configured for sharing said solution set with said customer via a welcome center agent and/or a service technician.

18. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a data bus coupled to said processor;

a computer-usable medium embodying computer code, said computer-usable medium being coupled to said data bus, said computer program code comprising instructions executable by said processor and configured for;

classifying device diagnostic data according to a problem type, with respect to a device;

extracting at least one fault code based on a classification algorithm associated with a diagnostic server, by executing a program instruction in a data-processing system; and

matching an occurrence of said at least one fault code with respect to a solution set by a decision support server in order to thereafter automatically dispatch said solution set to a customer via a communications link;

constructing a conditional look up table including a conditional probability for said at least one fault code; and

creating a score function by summing said conditional probability associated with said at least one fault code in order to thereafter map said occurrence of said at least one fault code to a service call category with a numerically highest score function.