Operator system, remote support method, and program for the operator system

• US 8,984,408 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2012
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Optim LLC
• Original Assignee: Optim LLC
• Inventors: Sugaya, Shunji
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Matt
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lu, Hua
• Application Number:
  US13/648,232
• Publication Number:
  US 20130298032A1
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 715/736
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0879 Manual configuration through operator
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5064 Customer relationship management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities

Abstract

An operator system, an operator server, and a remote support method, and a program for the operator system are provided, which are capable of receiving input of user action for ongoing support operation. While an operator is carrying out support operation for an electric appliance 10, user action input by a user, such as forcing to stop the support operation or starting to save the support operation, is processed by an operator server. Accordingly, the operator server 200 fulfills the function of the operator system 1 based on user'"'"'s intention. In addition, displaying a network map showing support operation information on the electric appliance 10 allows a user to easily know the status of the support operation, contributing to user'"'"'s appropriate decision making.

Claims

1. An operator system comprising:

a processor, an electric appliance requested for support, the electric appliance being used by a user;

an operator server communicatively connected with the electric appliance requested for support through a public network; and

an operator terminal communicatively connected with the operator server through a local area network or a public network;

wherein

the electric appliance requested for support includes;

a support operation screen display module configured to display a screen during support operation for the electric appliance requested for support from the operator terminal;

a user action notification module configured to receive input of user action from the user for support operation performed from the operator terminal and then to transmit the user action to the operator server;

a network map generation module configured to generate a network map based on device type information of at least one electric appliance connected with the local area network to which the electric appliance requested for support belongs and based on information on the support operation; and

a network map display module configured to display the network map together with the screen during support operation, the displayed network map includes icons corresponding to the electric appliance requested for support and the at least electric appliance connected with the local area network and an icon representing the support operation information for the electric appliance requested for support; and

the operator server includes;

a user action receiving module configured to receive the user action; and

a user action execution module configured to carry out control related to support operation performed from the operator terminal based on the user action received by the user action receiving module,

wherein the control related to support operation performed from the operator terminal includes a control for recording a screen of the support operation and a control for forcing to stop the support operation.

2. The operator system according to claim 1, further comprising a support operation screen display device communicatively connected with the electric appliance requested for support and the operator server through a local area network or a public network, wherein

the support operation screen display device includes:

a support operation screen receiving module configured to receive a screen during support operation performed from the operator terminal for the electric appliance requested for support;

a support operation screen display module configured to display the received screen on an output unit of the support operation screen display device; and

a user action notification module configured to receive input of user action from the user for support operation performed from the operator terminal and then to transmit the user action to the operator server.

3. The operator system according to claim 2, wherein the support operation screen display device further includes:

an electric appliance detection module configured to detect the at least one electric appliance connected with the local area network to which the support operation screen display device belongs; and

an electric appliance information determination module configured to determine the device type information of the electric appliance detected by the electric appliance detection module.

4. The operator system according to claim 1, wherein the electric appliance requested for support further includes:

an electric appliance detection module configured to detect the at least one electric appliance connected with the local area network to which the electric appliance requested for support belongs; and

an electric appliance information determination module configured to determine the device type information of the electric appliance detected by the electric appliance detection module.

5. The operator system according to claim 1, wherein when the user action is starting recording the screen of the support operation, the control for recording the screen of the support operation includes writing a screen buffer to be displayed on the support operation screen display module of the electric appliance in a storage unit.

6. The operator system according to claim 5, wherein when the user action is stopping recording the screen of the support operation, the control for recording the screen of the support operation further includes encoding the screen buffer as a video file and writing the video file in the storage unit.

7. The operator system according to claim 6, wherein when the user action is stopping recording the screen of the support operation, the control for recording the screen of the support operation further includes transmitting the video file to the electric appliance.

8. A remote support method executed by an operator system including an electric appliance requested for support, the electric appliance being used by a user, an operator server communicatively connected with the electric appliance requested for support through a public network, and an operator terminal communicatively connected with the operator server through a local area network or a public network, comprising the steps of:

by the electric appliance requested for support,

displaying a screen during support operation for the electric appliance requested for support, the support operation performed from the operator terminal;

receiving input of user action from the user for support operation performed from the operator terminal and then transmitting the user action to the operator server;

generating a network map based on device type information of a plurality of electric appliances connected with the local area network to which the electric appliance requested for support belongs and based on information on the support operation;

displaying the network map together with the screen during support operation, the displayed network map includes icons corresponding to the electric appliances and an icon representing the support operation information for the electric appliance requested for support;

by the operator server,

receiving user action from the electric appliance requested for support; and

carrying out control related to support operation performed from the operator terminal based on the received user action,

wherein the control related to support operation performed from the operator terminal includes a control for recording a screen of the support operation and a control for forcing to stop the support operation.

9. The remote support method according to claim 8, wherein when the user action is starting recording the screen of the support operation, the control for recording the screen of the support operation includes writing a screen buffer to be displayed on the support operation screen display module of the electric appliance in a storage unit.

10. The remote support method according to claim 9, wherein when the user action is stopping recording the screen of the support operation, the control for recording the screen of the support operation further includes encoding the screen buffer as a video file, and writing the video file in the storage unit.

11. The remote support method according to claim 10, wherein when the user action is stopping recording the screen of the support operation, the control for recording the screen of the support operation further includes transmitting the video file to the electric appliance.

12. A computer program product for use in an operator system including a processor and an electric appliance requested for support, the electric appliance being used by a user, an operator server communicatively connected with the electric appliance requested for support through a public network, and an operator terminal communicatively connected with the operator server through a local area network or a public network, comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having a set of instructions physically embodied therein, the set of instructions including computer readable code,

which when executed by the operator system causes the electric appliance requested for support to:

display a screen during support operation for the electric appliance requested for support, the support operation performed from the operator terminal;

receive input of user action from the user for support operation performed from the operator terminal, and then transmitting the user action to the operator server;

generate a network map based on device type information of a plurality of electric appliances connected with the local area network to which the electric appliance requested for support belongs and based on information on the support operation; and

display the network map together with the screen during support operation, the displayed network map includes icons corresponding to the electric appliances and an icon representing the support operation information for the electric appliance requested for support; and

which when executed by the operator system causes the operator server to;

receive user action from the electric appliance requested for support; and

carry out control related to support operation performed from the operator terminal based on the received user action,

wherein the control related to support operation performed from the operator terminal includes a control for recording a screen of the support operation and a control for forcing to stop the support operation.

13. The computer program product to claim 12, wherein when the user action is starting recording the screen of the support operation, the control for recording the screen of the support operation includes writing a screen buffer to be displayed on the support operation screen display module of the electric appliance in a storage unit.

14. The computer program product according to claim 13, wherein when the user action is stopping recording the screen of the support operation, the control for recording the screen of the support operation further includes encoding the screen buffer as a video file, and writing the video file in the storage unit.

15. The computer program product according to claim 14, wherein when the user action is stopping recording the screen of the support operation, the control for recording the screen of the support operation further includes transmitting the video file to the electric appliance.