Remote monitoring and diagnostics system with automated problem notification

• US 8,422,377 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2004
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Weiner, Allison Leigh, Avinash, Gopal B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mered, Habte
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOUIS, VINNCELAS
• Application Number:
  US11/015,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20060133283A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,042 Days
• Field of Search: 370241-253, 370/395.42, 709/217, 709/201, 709/223, 709/224, 709/227, 709/207, 709/219, 709/203, 702/122, 702/188, 702/34, 702 57- 59, 702117-121, 702182-184, 702/185, 717/172, 714/4, 714/47, 705/8, 705/2, 435/6, 378/4, 378/117, 600/301
• US Class Current: 370/241
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/16 using machine learning or artificial intelligence

Abstract

A technique is disclosed for servicing complex systems. Upon detection of a serviceable condition, a system snapshot is made and stored. The snapshot may include a range of data then available on the system, particularly hardware configuration data, such as components then installed, peripherals installed, their states, and so forth. The snapshot may include data available prior to the detection of an indicator, at the time of detection and following detection, facilitating evaluation of the condition and potential responses to it.

Claims

1. A method for operationally servicing medical diagnostic systems comprising:

detecting an indicator of a serviceable condition in a serviced medical diagnostic system;

automatically storing in the serviced medical diagnostic system snapshot data representative of a system configuration of the serviced medical diagnostic system upon detection of the indicator, wherein the system configuration comprises hardware configuration data and software configuration data for the serviced medical diagnostic system;

automatically generating a request for service of the serviceable condition in the serviced medical diagnostic system;

transmitting the service request and the snapshot data to a service provider;

accessing a knowledge base including system data defining operational performance parameters of a plurality of serviced medical diagnostic systems, service data defining known serviceable conditions for the serviced medical diagnostic systems and potential indicators of the condition based upon the performance parameters, and response data defining a plurality of responses to the serviceable conditions;

analyzing the snapshot data, wherein analyzing the snapshot data includes identifying associations between the snapshot data and the system data, service data, and response data accessed from the knowledge base;

prioritizing a plurality of possible responses to the service request based upon the snapshot data and the response data, wherein the prioritization is adjusted based upon service contract data of the service data; and

automatically generating a response to the service request based upon the prioritization of possible responses, wherein the response includes an indication of the priority of the response.

2. A method for operationally servicing medical diagnostic systems comprising:

detecting an indicator of a serviceable condition in a serviced medical diagnostic system;

automatically storing in the serviced medical diagnostic system snapshot data representative of a system configuration of the serviced medical diagnostic system upon detection of the indicator, wherein the system configuration includes data indicative of system components installed in the serviced medical diagnostic system and peripherals coupled to the serviced medical diagnostic system upon detection of the indicator, and wherein the system configuration comprises hardware configuration data and software configuration data for the serviced medical diagnostic system, the system components installed in the serviced medical diagnostic system, and the peripherals coupled to the serviced medical diagnostic system;

accessing a knowledge base including system data defining operational performance parameters of a plurality of serviced medical diagnostic systems, service data defining known serviceable conditions for the serviced medical diagnostic systems and potential indicators of the condition based upon the performance parameters, and response data defining a plurality of responses to the serviceable conditions;

analyzing the snapshot data, wherein analyzing the snapshot data includes identifying associations between the snapshot data and the system data, service data, and response data accessed from the knowledge base;

prioritizing a plurality of possible responses based upon the snapshot data and the response data, wherein the prioritization is adjusted based upon service contract data of the service data; and

automatically generating a response based upon the prioritization of possible responses.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the snapshot data includes data collected at a desired time based upon a time of detection of the indicator.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the snapshot data includes data representative of an error present in the serviced medical diagnostic system upon detection of the indicator.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein system configuration includes at least one of software, hardware, firmware, network, location, and customer data.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising automatically generating a request for service of the serviceable condition in the serviced medical diagnostic system, and transmitting the service request and the snapshot data to a service provider.

7. A method for operationally servicing medical diagnostic systems comprising:

detecting an indicator of a serviceable condition in a serviced medical diagnostic system;

automatically storing in the serviced medical diagnostic system snapshot data representative of a system configuration of the serviced medical diagnostic system upon detection of the indicator, wherein the system configuration includes data indicative of system components installed in the serviced medical diagnostic system and peripherals coupled to the serviced medical diagnostic system upon detection of the indicator, and wherein the system configuration comprises hardware configuration data and software configuration data for the serviced medical diagnostic system, the system components installed in the serviced medical diagnostic system, and the peripherals coupled to the serviced medical diagnostic system;

automatically generating a request for service of the serviceable condition in the serviced medical diagnostic system;

transmitting the service request and the snapshot data to a service provider, wherein the service request includes an indication of a priority of the service request;

accessing a knowledge base including system data defining operational performance parameters of a plurality of serviced medical diagnostic systems, service data defining known serviceable conditions for the serviced medical diagnostic systems and potential indicators of the condition based upon the performance parameters, and response data defining a plurality of responses to the serviceable conditions;

analyzing the snapshot data, wherein analyzing the snapshot data includes identifying associations between the snapshot data and the system data, service data, and response data accessed from the knowledge base; and

automatically generating a response to the service request based upon the snapshot data and the response data.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the snapshot data includes data collected at a desired time based upon a time of detection of the indicator.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the snapshot data includes data representative of an error present in the serviced medical diagnostic system upon detection of the indicator.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein system configuration includes at least one of hardware, firmware, network, location, and customer data.

11. A method for operationally servicing medical diagnostic systems comprising:

receiving a request for service of a serviceable condition in a serviced medical diagnostic system, the request including snapshot data representative of a system configuration of the serviced medical diagnostic system upon detection of an indicator of the serviceable condition, wherein the system configuration includes data indicative of system components installed in the serviced medical diagnostic system and peripherals coupled to the serviced medical diagnostic system upon detection of the indicator, and wherein the system configuration comprises hardware configuration data and software configuration data for the serviced medical diagnostic system, the system components installed in the serviced medical diagnostic system, and the peripherals coupled to the serviced medical diagnostic system;

accessing a knowledge base stored in a computer-readable storage device, wherein the knowledge base includes system data defining operational performance parameters of a plurality of serviced medical diagnostic systems, service data defining known serviceable conditions for the serviced medical diagnostic systems and indicators of potential malfunction based upon the performance parameters, and response data defining a plurality of responses to the serviceable conditions;

analyzing the snapshot data, wherein analyzing the snapshot data includes identifying associations between the snapshot data and the system data, service data, and response data accessed from the knowledge base;

prioritizing a plurality of possible responses based upon the snapshot data and the response data, wherein the prioritization is adjusted based upon service contract data of the service data; and

automatically generating a response to the service request based upon the prioritization of possible responses, wherein the response includes an indication of the priority of the response.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the snapshot data includes data representative of a time of detection of the indicator.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the snapshot data includes data representative of an error present in the serviced medical diagnostic system upon detection of the indicator.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein system configuration includes at least one of software, hardware, firmware, network, location, and customer data.

15. A device including a non-transitory computer storage medium having executable computer code encoded thereon, the computer code including:

code for detecting an indicator of a serviceable condition in a serviced medical diagnostic system, code for automatically storing in the serviced medical diagnostic system snapshot data representative of a system configuration of the serviced medical diagnostic system upon detection of the indicator, wherein the system configuration comprises hardware configuration data and software configuration data for the serviced medical diagnostic system, code for automatically generating a request for service of the serviceable condition in the serviced medical diagnostic system, code for transmitting the service request and the snapshot data to a service provider, code for accessing a knowledge base including system data defining operational performance parameters of a plurality of serviced medical diagnostic systems, service data defining known serviceable conditions for the serviced medical diagnostic systems and potential indicators of the condition based upon the performance parameters, and response data defining a plurality of responses to the serviceable conditions, code for analyzing the snapshot data, wherein analyzing the snapshot data includes identifying associations between the snapshot data and the system data, service data, and response data accessed from the knowledge base, code for prioritizing a plurality of possible responses to the service request based upon the snapshot data and the response data, wherein the prioritization is adjusted based upon service contract data of the service data, and code for automatically generating a response to the service request based upon the prioritization of possible responses, wherein the response includes an indication of the priority of the response.

16. A device including a non-transitory computer storage medium having executable computer code encoded thereon, the computer code including:

code for detecting an indicator of a serviceable condition in a serviced medical diagnostic system, code for automatically storing in the serviced medical diagnostic system snapshot data representative of a system configuration of the serviced medical diagnostic system upon detection of the indicator, wherein the system configuration includes data indicative of system components installed in the serviced medical diagnostic system and peripherals coupled to the serviced medical diagnostic system upon detection of the indicator, and wherein the system configuration comprises hardware configuration data and software configuration data for the serviced medical diagnostic system, the system components installed in the serviced medical diagnostic system, and the peripherals coupled to the serviced medical diagnostic system, code for accessing a knowledge base including system data defining operational performance parameters of a plurality of serviced medical diagnostic systems, service data defining known serviceable conditions for the serviced medical diagnostic systems and potential indicators of the condition based upon the performance parameters, and response data defining a plurality of responses to the serviceable conditions, code for analyzing the snapshot data, wherein analyzing the snapshot data includes identifying associations between the snapshot data and the system data, service data, and response data accessed from the knowledge base, code for prioritizing a plurality of possible responses based upon the snapshot data and the response data, wherein the prioritization is adjusted based upon service contract data of the service data, and code for automatically generating a response based upon the prioritization of possible responses.

17. A device including a non-transitory computer storage medium having executable computer code encoded thereon, the computer code including:

code for receiving a request for service of a serviceable condition in a serviced medical diagnostic system, the request including snapshot data representative of a system configuration of the serviced medical diagnostic system upon detection of an indicator of the serviceable condition, wherein the system configuration includes data indicative of system components installed in the serviced medical diagnostic system and peripherals coupled to the serviced medical diagnostic system upon detection of the indicator, and wherein the system configuration comprises hardware configuration data and software configuration data for the serviced medical diagnostic system, the system components installed in the serviced medical diagnostic system, and the peripherals coupled to the serviced medical diagnostic system, wherein the service request includes an indication of a priority of the service request, code for accessing a knowledge base including system data defining operational performance parameters of a plurality of serviced medical diagnostic systems, service data defining known serviceable conditions for the serviced medical diagnostic systems and indicators of potential malfunction based upon the performance parameters, and response data defining a plurality of responses to the serviceable conditions, code for analyzing the snapshot data, wherein analyzing the snapshot data includes identifying associations between the snapshot data and the system data, service data, and response data accessed from the knowledge base, and code for automatically generating a response to the service request based upon the snapshot data and the response data.