System and method for handling audiovisual equipment issues

• US 9,143,772 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2012
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Habas, Andrew G., Abels, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Natnael, Paulos M
• Application Number:
  US13/722,381
• Publication Number:
  US 20130107058A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: 348180-181, 348/184, 348/185, 348/187, 348188-192
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/177 Initialisation or configuration control processor initialisation G06F9/4405
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/00 Diagnosis, testing or measuring for television systems or their details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/04 for receivers

Abstract

A system and method for addressing audiovisual equipment issues are disclosed. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a display device having a housing component at least partially defining an interior space. In some cases, a memory may be fixed within the interior space, and the memory may be storing a first set of display parameters and a second set of display parameters. The system may also include a diagnostic tool located within the interior space. The tool may be operable to assist a user in resolving a display-related issue by engaging in a diagnostic routine that includes a communicative interaction with a remotely located network node.

Claims

1. An audiovisual system, comprising:

a display device having a housing component at least partially defining an interior space;

a memory fixed within the interior space, the memory storing a first set of display parameters and a second set of display parameters;

a data store in communication with display device, the data store to maintain customer information for a user of the audiovisual system; and

a diagnostic tool located within the interior space, the diagnostic tool operable to assist the user in resolving a display-related issue by engaging in a diagnostic routine that comprises a communicative interaction with a remotely located network node to resolve the display related issue based on the customer information associated with the user maintained at the data store, the diagnostic tool to run a diagnostic routine, to provide a signal identifying a device component metric indicative of a potentially suboptimal user experience for a user of the remote device recognized during the diagnostic routine, to receive an indication to perform a suggested resolution, the suggested resolution being based on the potentially suboptimal user experience, and to resolve the potentially suboptimal user experience with the suggested resolution.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the communicative interaction comprises a sending of at least a portion of the first set of display parameters to the remotely located network node.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the communicative interaction comprises a receiving of at least one suggestion for resolving the display-related issue.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a stored network address for the remotely located network node.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the stored network address is factory installed.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first set of display parameters comprise as-is display configurations, and the second set of display parameters comprise as-shipped display configurations.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic routine comprises a test selected from a group consisting of a color gamut test, a video signal test, a remote control signal strength test, and a video sharpness test.

8. An audiovisual diagnostic system, comprising:

a computing device communicatively coupled to a knowledge store;

the knowledge store maintaining a first issue resolution option for a first display device issue and a second issue resolution option for a second display device issue;

a data store in communication with computing device, the data store to maintain customer information for a user, wherein the data store is remote from the knowledge store; and

an issue resolution tool configured to operate with the computing device to receive an indication of a display device issue from a remotely located display device, to respond to the indication by initiating communication of an issue resolution option maintained in the knowledge store and identified by the issue resolution tool as an appropriate resolution option for the display device issue based on the customer information associated with the user being maintained at the data store.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the computing device, the knowledge store, and the issue resolution tool are configured as a network based service bureau operable to support a plurality of remotely located display devices.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the network based service bureau is accessible via a portal.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the information is billing information and shipping information for the user.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the computing device is operable to poll a plurality of remotely located display devices, further wherein the indication of the display device issue from the remotely located display device is received in response to a polling event.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the indication of the display device issue is pushed to the computing device by the remotely located display device.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the computing device is configured to pull data from the remotely connected display device.

15. A device issue resolution method, comprising:

running a diagnostic routine at a remote device;

receiving a signal from the remote device identifying a device component metric indicative of a potentially suboptimal user experience for a user of the remote device recognized during the diagnostic routine;

acquiring a suggested resolution for addressing the potentially suboptimal user experience in response to the signal;

communicating the suggested resolution to the remote device;

receiving, at the remote device, an indication to perform the suggested resolution;

determining that information for the user is maintained at a data store in response to the indication to perform the suggested resolution; and

resolving the potentially suboptimal user experience with the suggested resolution in response to the information for the user being maintained at the data store.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the device component metric relates to a component part having a type selected from a group consisting of a battery, software element, a firmware element, a hardware device, a remote control, a digital photo card reader module, a cable, a bulb, a stand, and a speaker.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the suggested resolution comprises an invitation to purchase a component part having a type selected from a group consisting of a battery, software element, a firmware element, a hardware device, a remote control, a digital photo card reader module, a cable, a bulb, a stand, and a speaker.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

comparing the device component metric against a collection of known metrics;

identifying a listing of possible solutions for the potentially suboptimal user experience associated with device component metric; and

selecting the suggested resolution from the listing of possible solutions.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising receiving the communication from the remote device via a portal.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising receiving the communication from the remote device at a network based service bureau having an Internet Protocol address.