Enterprise wide system and methods for configuring, diagnosing, and updating appliances
First Claim
1. A server-side configuration of an enterprise wide system to provide appliance field support, said server-side configuration comprising:
- a web server, serving as a portal site, configured to be accessed by a portable field computer of a client-side configuration of said enterprise wide system via a first network;
a first database server operatively connected to said web server, wherein said first database server is a central system database server storing at least one of appliance software updates, appliance configuration data, and appliance control data;
a second database server operatively connected to said first database server, wherein said second database server is a product software storage (PSS) database server configured to receive and store data for programmable generic service boards; and
a third database server operatively connected to said first database server, wherein said third database server is a technical documentation system (TDS) database server.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and methods to provide appliance field support personnel with a tool that, together with proper interface modules, simplifies the execution of diagnostic procedures and provides an easy way to configure, reconfigure, or update electronic boards in the home on a client side of an enterprise wide system. The electronic boards serve as electronic controllers in the appliances and are programmable generic service boards. With such a system, it is possible to update and re-configure electronic boards and interact directly with an electronic controller of an appliance while an appliance is operating. Software, configuration data, and control data are downloaded from a server-side configuration of the enterprise wide system to update the electronic boards.
30 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A server-side configuration of an enterprise wide system to provide appliance field support, said server-side configuration comprising:
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a web server, serving as a portal site, configured to be accessed by a portable field computer of a client-side configuration of said enterprise wide system via a first network; a first database server operatively connected to said web server, wherein said first database server is a central system database server storing at least one of appliance software updates, appliance configuration data, and appliance control data; a second database server operatively connected to said first database server, wherein said second database server is a product software storage (PSS) database server configured to receive and store data for programmable generic service boards; and a third database server operatively connected to said first database server, wherein said third database server is a technical documentation system (TDS) database server. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method to provide appliance field support for an enterprise wide system having a client side and a server side, said method comprising:
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operatively connecting a portable field computer to a generic electronic control board of an appliance on a client side of an enterprise wide system; operatively connecting said portable field computer to a network on said client side of said enterprise wide system; transmitting data for said generic electronic control board from a factory computer-based apparatus located at a factory of said enterprise wide system to at least one of a product software storage (PSS) database server and a technical documentation system (TDS) database server on a server side of said enterprise wide system; downloading at least one of configuration data and control data from a server, operatively connected to said network on a server side of said enterprise wide system, to said portable field computer; updating said generic electronic control board by electronically transferring at least a portion of said at least one of configuration data and control data from said portable field computer to said generic electronic control board; and commanding said portable field computer to perform a diagnostic procedure on said appliance via said generic electronic control board while said appliance is operating. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. An enterprise wide system to provide appliance field support for a plurality of appliance types, said enterprise wide system comprising:
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a client-side configuration including a portable field computer having a client software application residing thereon providing a universal user interface which is common across all appliance types of said enterprise wide system, and an appliance configured to operatively communicate with said portable field computer and having a programmable generic service board configured to be programmed for any appliance type of said enterprise wide system; a server-side configuration including a web server, a central system database server operatively connected to said web server, a product software storage (PSS) database server operatively connected to said central system database server, and a technical documentation system (TDS) database server operatively connected to said central system database server; and a network configured to communicatively connect said portable field computer of said client-side configuration to said web server of said server-side configuration.
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23. A method to provide appliance field support for an enterprise wide system having a client side and a server side, said method comprising:
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operatively connecting a portable field computer to a generic electronic control board of an appliance on a client side of an enterprise wide system; operatively connecting said portable field computer to a network on said client side of said enterprise wide system; transmitting data for said generic electronic control board from a research and development computer-based apparatus located at a research and development facility of said enterprise wide system to at least one of the product software storage (PSS) database server and the technical documentation system (TDS) database server on a server side of said enterprise wide system; downloading at least one of configuration data and control data from a server, operatively connected to said network on a server side of said enterprise wide system, to said portable field computer; updating said generic electronic control board by electronically transferring at least a portion of said at least one of configuration data and control data from said portable field computer to said generic electronic control board; and commanding said portable field computer to perform a diagnostic procedure on said appliance via said generic electronic control board while said appliance is operating.
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Specification