User terminal, operator server, remote support method and user terminal program

• US 9,185,548 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2013
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Optim LLC
• Original Assignee: Optim LLC
• Inventors: Sugaya, Shunji
• Primary Examiner(s): Gillis, Brian J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Gil H.
• Application Number:
  US13/766,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20140115033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/485 Task life-cycle, e.g. stopping, restarting, resuming execution G06F9/4881 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/547 Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/133 Protocols for remote procedure calls [RPC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

Mutual remote support between users is easily facilitated without troublesome complicated user registration. For user terminals between which remote support is performed, a user can use an appropriate supporter user terminal to enable the supporter user terminal to access a supportee user terminal to thereby facilitate setting manipulation and check device (or terminal) status with regard to not only the supportee user terminal but also a supportee device that is communicably connected to the supportee user terminal, by merely selecting the supportee device (or terminal) from an address book stored in the corresponding user terminal. Further, when a necessary application is not installed in a counterpart user terminal, it is possible to transmit information for installing the application through an SMS or the like.

Claims

1. A user terminal which is communicably connected to an operator server, and is communicably connected to a different user terminal through a public line network, one of the user terminals serving as a supportee terminal that receives remote support from the other user terminal or serving as an operator terminal that provides remote support to the other user terminal, the user terminal comprising:

a controller configured to execute one or more modules comprising;

when serving as the supportee terminal,

an electronic device detecting module for detecting an electronic device that is connected to a local area network to which the user terminal is connected;

an electronic device determining module for determining device type information of the detected electronic device; and

an operator assisting module for facilitating one of checking of device status and setting manipulation of the electronic device,

when the user terminal is serving as the operator terminal, the one or more modules further comprise;

a user terminal registering module for registering information of different user terminals serving as the supportee terminal and performing remote support, associated with information related to owners of the different user terminals, in an address book, the address book including an address book provided in the user terminal serving as the operator terminal in advance;

a remote support start module for starting the remote support with respect to at least one of the different user terminals by selecting the registered information of the at least one different user terminal from the address book, wherein the availability of starting the remote support is based at least in part on a remote support status indicating whether the at least one different user terminal is capable of the remote support;

an electronic device registering module for registering the determined device type information of the detected electronic device, associated with information related to an owner of the supportee terminal, in the address book;

a user terminal selecting module for selecting the electronic device registered by said electronic device registering module from the address book to start communications with the user terminal detecting the electronic device as the supportee terminal; and

an electronic device support module for performing one of checking of device status and setting manipulation of the selected electronic device by using said operator assisting module of the user terminal starting the communications by said user terminal selecting module.

2. The user terminal of claim 1, wherein the address book includes a combination of an address book provided in the user terminal serving as the operator terminal in advance and information related to whether the different user terminals are capable of remote support, received from the operator server.

3. The user terminal of claim 1, wherein, when a necessary application for remote support is not stored in the at least one different user terminal, said remote support start module transmits, to the at least one different user terminal, a message explaining a method for storing the application in the at least one different user terminal.

4. An operator server which is communicably connected to the user terminal of claim 1, the operator server comprising:

a storage unit configured to store a user terminal management database,

wherein said user terminal management database stores information related to whether the user terminal is capable of remote support and information for uniquely identifying the user terminal, associated with each other.

5. An operator server which is communicably connected to the user terminal of claim 1 and generates a network map related to the user terminal, the local area network, and the electronic device, according to contents registered in the address book.

6. A remote support method which is performed by a user terminal that is communicably connected to an operator server, and is communicably connected to a different user terminal through a public line network, one of the user terminals serving as a supportee terminal that receives remote support from the other user terminal or serving as an operator terminal that provides remote support to the other user terminal, the remote support method comprising:

when the user terminal is serving as the supportee terminal,

detecting an electronic device that is connected to a local area network to which the user terminal is connected,

determining device type information of the detected electronic device, and

facilitating one of checking of device status and setting manipulation of the electronic device; and

when the user terminal is serving as the operator terminal,

registering information of different user terminals serving as the supportee terminal and performing remote support, associated with information related to owners of the different user terminals, in an address book, the address book including an address book provided in the user terminal serving as the operator terminal in advance,

starting the remote support with respect to at least one of the different user terminals by selecting the registered information of the at least one different user terminal from the address book, wherein the availability of starting the remote support is based at least in part on a remote support status indicating whether the at least one different user terminal is capable of the remote support,

registering the determined device type information of the detected electronic device, associated with information related to an owner of the supportee terminal, in the address book,

selecting the electronic device from the address book to start communications with the user terminal detecting the electronic device as the supportee terminal, and

performing one of checking of device status and setting manipulation of the selected electronic device by the user terminal starting the communications.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium that stores a user terminal program which causes a user terminal to perform a remote support method, wherein the user terminal is communicably connected to an operator server, and is communicably connected to a different user terminal through a public line network, one of the user terminals serving as a supportee terminal that receives remote support from the other user terminal or serving as an operator terminal that provides remote support to the other user terminal, the remote support method comprising:

when the user terminal is serving as the supportee terminal,

detecting an electronic device that is connected to a local area network to which the user terminal is connected,

determining device type information of the detected electronic device, and

facilitating one of checking of device status and setting manipulation of the electronic device; and

when the user terminal is serving as the operator terminal,

registering information of different user terminals serving as the supportee terminal and performing remote support, associated with information related to owners of the different user terminals, in an address book, the address book including an address book provided in the user terminal serving as the operator terminal in advance,

starting the remote support with respect to at least one of the different user terminals by selecting the registered information of the at least one different user terminal from the address book, wherein the availability of starting the remote support is based at least in part on a remote support status indicating whether the at least one different user terminal is capable of the remote support,

registering the determined device type information of the detected electronic device, associated with information related to an owner of the supportee terminal, in the address book,

selecting the electronic device from the address book to start communications with the user terminal detecting the electronic device as the supportee terminal, and

performing one of checking of device status and setting manipulation of the selected electronic device by the user terminal starting the communications.