Method and apparatus for use in remote diagnostics

• US 8,635,325 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2011
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• 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: Konopka, Courtney, Seki, Masahiko
• Primary Examiner(s): DAILEY, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US13/171,308
• Publication Number:
  US 20110258307A1
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 717/173, 714/38.14
• US Class Current: 709/223
• 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 plurality of scripts for diagnosing the electronic device communicated over a distributed network, where the receiving the plurality of scripts comprises receiving within a diagnostic controller at least one web page having one or more of the plurality of scripts and the diagnostic controller extracting at least one of the plurality of scripts from the at least one web page, where the diagnostic controller is implemented on the electronic device being diagnosed;

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

storing those scripts that were not previously received;

determining whether one or more of the 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; and

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

receiving, locally at the diagnostic controller, a response based on the first diagnostic instruction;

locally determining, through the diagnostic controller, a second diagnostic instruction based on the response, where the diagnostic controller does not communicate with other logic in determining the second diagnostic instruction; and

initiating, by the diagnostic controller, the second diagnostic instruction with at least one other script of the plurality of scripts.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

remotely receiving the diagnostic controller over the distributed network;

identifying the electronic device after receiving the diagnostic controller such that the diagnostic controller is received prior to the identifying of the electronic device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the identifying the electronic device comprises electronically accessing the electronic device and receiving an identity of the electronic device from the electronic device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of identifying the electronic device comprises determining whether an identity of the electronic device can be directly determined;

and

requesting the identity of the electronic device from a user when the identity cannot be directly determined.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

locally determining, by the diagnostic controller, the plurality of scripts needed to implement the diagnosis of the electronic device in response to receiving the identification of the electronic device;

the diagnostic controller requesting, over the distributed network, the plurality of scripts; and

the receiving the plurality of scripts comprises receiving the plurality of scripts from over the distributed network in response to the request from the diagnostic controller.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of receiving the plurality of scripts comprises receiving within the diagnostic controller at least one web page with the plurality of scripts incorporated therein.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

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

8. The method of claim 7, wherein one or more of the plurality of scripts provide polling of the electronic device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein one or more of the plurality of scripts initiate remote maintenance of the electronic device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at least one web page wherein the diagnostic controller is incorporated into the at least one web page;

extracting the diagnostic controller from the at least one web page; and

initializing the diagnostic controller.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

locally determining whether one or more additional scripts are needed to initiate the second diagnostic instruction;

requesting from over the distributed network the one or more additional scripts when it is determined that the one or more additional scripts are needed; and

receiving the one or more additional scripts from over the distributed network such that the initiating the second diagnostic instruction comprises implementing the one or more additional scripts.