System and method for capturing debug information using a peripheral device

• US 8,773,527 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2007
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kang, Byung, Kim, Paul Suntae, Kim, Tae Hee, Rowe, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): DOAN, DUYEN MY
• Application Number:
  US11/845,587
• Publication Number:
  US 20090059000A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,507 Days
• Field of Search: 348/125, 709/224, 725 13- 14
• US Class Current: 348/125
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/04 for receivers

Abstract

A system and method for capturing debug information are disclosed. In one aspect, a method comprises connecting a portable test device having a memory and no processor to a television, the test device having stored therein a debug program configured to be executed by a control unit of the television to capture debug information from the television and store the captured debug information on the test device.

Claims

1. A method of capturing debug information from a television, the method comprising:

customizing a debug program to execute one or more user commands, wherein the user commands execute same or similar commands previously entered on the television by an end-user of the television, wherein the executed user commands are used for generating debug information, capturing relevant debug logs and storing the relevant debug logs, such that said debug logs are captured under conditions that closely re-create a scenario that triggered a specific problem and contain only debugging data resulting from the debug program; and

connecting a portable test device having a memory and no processor to a television, the test device having stored therein the debug program that is executed by a control unit of the television for capturing the relevant debug logs from the television and for storing the captured relevant debug logs on the test device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the test device is connected to a local port of the television.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the test device is connected to a USB port of the television.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the debug program is customized to be automatically executed by the television when the test device is connected to the television.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the debug program is designed to capture relevant debug logs from the television with no user input.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the debug program is designed to interact with and guide a user for narrowing a technical issue, via a user interface of the television, and to capture relevant debug logs from the television based on input from the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the debug program is an executable program.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the debug program has a menu-based interface.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the debug program captures relevant debug logs from the television by calling a diagnosis program embedded in the television.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the test device is a passive storage device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the test device is a non-volatile storage device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the test device is a flash media card.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein the debug program is customized for only capturing and saving selected debug logs.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein the debug program provides guided step-by-step user questions for determining technical problems with the television.

33. The method of claim 1, wherein the debug program is customized for capturing and saving particular debug logs for a particular reported technical issue.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the portable test device is used by a manufacturer for determining a cause for the particular reported technical issue.

13. A device for capturing relevant debug logs from a television, the device comprising:

a debug program that is executed by a control unit of the television for capturing the relevant debug logs from the television and for storing the captured relevant debug logs on the device, wherein the debug program is customized for executing one or more user commands, wherein the user commands execute same or similar commands previously entered on the television by an end-user of the television, wherein the debug program executes for generating debug information and capturing relevant debug logs based on the one or more user commands executed by the debug program, such that said relevant debug logs are captured under conditions that closely re-create a scenario that triggered a specific problem and contain only debugging data resulting from the debug program; and

a memory unit that stores the debug program and the captured relevant debug logs.

14. The device of claim 13, further comprising an interface configured to connect to the television.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the interface is a USB interface.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein the debug program is configured to be automatically executed by the television when the test device is connected to the television.

17. The device of claim 13, wherein the debug program is designed to capture relevant debug logs from the television with no user input.

18. The device of claim 13, wherein the debug program is designed to interact with and guide a user for narrowing a technical issue, via the user interface of the television, and to capture relevant debug logs from the television based input from the user.

19. The device of claim 13, wherein the debug program has a menu-based interface.

20. The device of claim 13, wherein the debug program capture relevant debug logs from the television by calling a diagnosis program embedded in the television.

21. The device of claim 13, wherein the device is a passive storage device.

22. The device of claim 13, wherein the device is a portable device.

23. The device of claim 13, wherein the test device is a non-volatile storage device.

24. The device of claim 13, wherein the test device is a flash media card.

25. A method of debugging a television at a remote location, the method comprising:

delivering a test device to a remote location having a television, the test device having stored therein a debug program that is executed by a control unit of the television and executes a series of user commands for generating debug information, capturing relevant debug logs from the television and for storing the captured relevant debug logs on the test device, wherein the debug program is customized for executing one or more user commands, wherein the user commands execute same or similar commands previously entered on the television by an end-user of the television, and wherein said relevant debug logs are captured under conditions that closely re-create a scenario that triggered a specific problem and contain only debugging data resulting from the debug program;

at the remote location, connecting the test device to the television such that the debug program is executed by the television for capturing relevant debug logs for storing the captured relevant debug logs on the test device;

receiving the test device having stored therein the captured relevant debug logs; and

analyzing the captured relevant debug logs.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the debug program is designed to capture the relevant debug logs from the television without user input.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the debug program is designed to interact with and guide a user of the television for narrowing a technical issue, via the user interface of the television, and to capture the relevant debug logs from the television based on input from the user.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the debug program is configured to be automatically executed by the television when the test device is connected to the television.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the debug program captures relevant debug logs from the television by calling a diagnosis program embedded in the television.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein the debug program has a menu-based interface.