Systems and methods for providing remote services using a cross-device database

• US 8,996,659 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2010
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PlumChoice Incorporated (Allstate Corporation)
• Original Assignee: PlumChoice Incorporated (Allstate Corporation)
• Inventors: Werth, Theodore, Goldlust, Joshua
• Primary Examiner(s): Park, Jung
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHIH, ALBERT K
• Application Number:
  US12/842,702
• Publication Number:
  US 20110022641A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,712 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/223, 709/226, 709/218
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

The solution of the present application provides many types and forms of resources, such as products or services, to an environment of heterogeneous devices. An agent and centralized service may communicate to deliver an optimum package of resources to a device. Each device may include an agent that collects information important to determining the appropriate resources for the device and understanding the environment the devices are contributing to. The information may be stored and analyzed in a cross device knowledge base, and the knowledge base may be consulted to determine resources appropriate for devices. The agent and centralized service may engage in pro-active alerting and provisioning of services, based on any collected information, to minimize the burden of resource procurement on the customer. After delivery of resources, the agent and centralized service may also perform updating, repairing, and healing functions for the resources.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

(a) receiving, via a first network by a data processor executing on one or more servers of a centralized service configured to provide remote technical support services by remote online personnel via their respective devices through the centralized service to a plurality of devices of a plurality of users, from each of a first plurality of agents resident on a first plurality of heterogeneous devices in a first local area network environment of a first user, a first set of data comprising events about one of operation or performance of a first combination of software and hardware installed on each of the first plurality of heterogeneous devices in the first local area network environment of the first user;

(b) receiving, via a second network by the data processor of the centralized service from each of a second plurality of agents resident on a second plurality of heterogeneous devices in a second local area network environment of a second user, a second set of data comprising events about one of operation or performance of a second combination of software and hardware installed on each of the second plurality of heterogeneous devices in the second local area network environment of the second user different than the first local area network environment of the first user;

(c) comparing, by the data processor of the centralized service, the first set of data to the second set of data to identify a first event in the events of the first set of data of the first user that corresponds to a second event of the events in the second set of data of the second user, the first event comprising a first inter-operational incompatibility between two or more heterogeneous devices of the first plurality of heterogeneous devices in the first local area network environment of the first user and the second event comprising a second inter-operational incompatibility between two or more heterogeneous devices of the second plurality of heterogeneous devices in the second local area network environment of the second user;

(d) correlating, by the data processor of the centralized service responsive to the comparison, the first event identified from the first set of data of the first user to the second event identified from the second set of data of the second user; and

(e) storing, by the data processor of the centralized service, the correlated data and the corresponding first event of a first device of the first user and the second event of a second device of the second user to one or more cross-device knowledge databases maintained on the one or more servers, the one or more cross-device knowledge databases comprising events from one of operation or performance of combinations of software and hardware of a plurality of heterogeneous devices of a plurality of users and reported by each agent residing on the plurality of heterogeneous devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data processor is configured to consult the cross-device knowledge base for solutions to incompatibility issues.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises receiving, by the centralized service, from each of the second plurality of agents, one or more events occurring on the second plurality of heterogeneous devices of the second user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises identifying, by the centralized service, a first sequence of events from the first set of data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises identifying, by the centralized service, a second sequence of events from the second set of data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises correlating the first event from the first set of data of the first device with the second event of the second set of data of the second device, wherein the first event and the second event identify an issue between a combination of a particular software and a particular hardware.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises determining, by the centralized service, an outcome from correlating the first set of data and the second set of data.

8. A method comprising:

(a) receiving, by a data processor executing on one or more servers of a centralized service configured to provide remote technical support services by remote online personnel via their respective devices through the centralized service to a plurality of devices of a user, from an agent executing on a device of the user, data identifying an event about operation of a combination of a particular software with a particular hardware in a local area network environment of the device;

(b) identifying, by the data processor of the centralized service, a correlation between the event in the local area network environment of the device with one or more events about operations of combinations of software and hardware of a different device in the local area network environment of the user stored in a cross-device knowledge database by identifying that the event corresponds to the one or more events, the cross-device knowledge database comprising events from operation of combinations of software and hardware of a plurality of heterogeneous devices and reported by each agent residing on the plurality of heterogeneous devices; and

(c) determining, by the data processor of the centralized service, an outcome of the device of the user based on the correlation between the event of the device to the one or more events of the different device of the user stored in the cross-device knowledge database, wherein the outcome comprises a prediction of one or more events to occur on the device and identifies a status of incompatibility between the combination of the particular software with the particular hardware; and

(d) communicating, by the centralized service, the outcome to one of a remote online personnel, the agent or the user subscribed to the centralized service.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein step (a) further comprises receiving, by the centralized service, data identifying a sequence of events in the environment of the device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein step (a) further comprises receiving, by the centralized service, data identifying the event comprising an issue with one of operation or performance of the device.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein step (b) further comprises identifying, by the centralized service, a sequence of events from operation of a first combination of a first hardware and a first software on a plurality of heterogeneous devices.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein step (b) further comprises identifying, by the centralized service, the correlation between the event and a sequence of events stored in the cross-device database.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein step (c) further comprises determining, by the centralized service, the outcome as a second event to occur on the device.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein step (c) further comprises determining, by the centralized service, the outcome as a state of the device based on the incompatibility between the combination of the particular software with the particular hardware.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein step (c) further comprises transmitting, by the centralized service, information about the outcome to the agent.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein step (c) further comprises transmitting, by the centralized service, information about the outcome to one or more subscribers to the centralized service.

17. A method comprising:

(a) receiving, by a data processor executing on one more servers of a centralized service configured to provide remote technical support services by remote online personnel via their respective devices through the centralized service to a device, from an agent executing on the device, data collected about a local area network environment of the device, the data identifying a first plurality of events from operation of combinations of particular software with particular hardware across different devices operating via one or more networks in the local area network environment of the device;

(b) identifying, by the data processors of the centralized service, a correlation of the first plurality of events from the collected data with a second plurality of events in a cross-device knowledge database by identifying that the first plurality of events correspond to the second plurality of events, the cross-device database knowledge comprising events from operation of combinations of software and hardware of a plurality of heterogeneous devices in the local area network environment of the first user and reported by each agent residing on the plurality of heterogeneous devices; and

(c) determining, by the data processor of the centralized service, a recommendation of one or more services of the centralized service to perform on the device based on the correlation; and

(d) communicating, by the centralized service based on the recommendation, to the agent one or more provisioning actions to be performed by the agent on the device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein step (a) further comprises receiving, by the centralized service from the agent, collected data identifying the first plurality of events resulting from operation of the device.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein step (b) further comprises identifying, by the centralized service, the first plurality of events from operation of a first combination of a first hardware and a first software on the device correlates to the second plurality of events from operation of combinations of the first hardware and the first software on the plurality of heterogeneous devices.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein step (c) further comprises determining, by the centralized service, the one or more services to address an outcome from the correlation.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein step (c) further comprises identifying for the one or more services a remote service to be performed by a remote online technician.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein step (c) further comprises identifying for the one or more services a service to be performed by the agent.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein step (c) further comprises identifying for the one or more services a compilation of services.