Systems and methods for providing hierarchy of support services via desktop and centralized service

• US 9,304,827 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2012
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PlumChoice Incorporated (Allstate Corporation)
• Original Assignee: PlumChoice Incorporated (Allstate Corporation)
• Inventors: Werth, Ted, Goldlust, Josh, Samanta, Chanchal
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Dieu-Minh
• Application Number:
  US13/658,552
• Publication Number:
  US 20130103973A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,260 Days
• Field of Search: 714/26, 714/38.14, 714/46, 714/57
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 Grid computing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063112 Skill-based matching of a person or a group to a task
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• 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: H04M 2203/406 Rerouting calls between call centers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet

Abstract

The present solution provides increases in automation, scalability and efficiency for delivering technical support services to devices. Systems and methods of the present solution provide a hierarchy or layers of automated desktop services with remote technical support services, which may be automated. The present solution provides an on desktop automation support system that detects and automatically remediates problems on a device of the user. If the problem is not fixed or fixable via local automated remediation at the desktop, a centralized service may remotely deliver technical support services to the device in the form of automated support services delivered to the device or remote technical agents connecting remotely with the device. With the combination of local support automation, remote support automation, remote and onsite technicians, the centralized service may deliver a hierarchy or multi-layers of services to any device.

Claims

1. A method for providing a hierarchy of automated local and remote support services to a device, the method comprising:

(a) detecting, by an agent configured and executing on a device, a problem to be remediated on the device;

(b) performing, by the agent responsive to the detection, an automated remediation of the detected problem on the device;

(c) determining, by a centralized service operating on one or more servers remote to the device responsive to receiving a request for support on the device, a type of work to perform on the device, the centralized service identifying a local automation package that is configured to execute on the device to perform the type of work independent of the agent; and

(d) communicating, automatically by the centralized service via a remote connectivity tool providing a remote connection to the device via which the centralized service interacts with the device, the local automation package to execute on the device to perform the type of work independent of the agent.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises detecting, by the agent, the problem with one or more of the following:

network connectivity, compliance with a policy, resource usage and application issues.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises monitoring, by the agent, a configuration of hardware and software on the device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises prompting, by the agent, a user of the device to select a self-healing automation tool to remediate the problem.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises executing, by the agent, a self-healing automation tool to remediate the problem.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises receiving, by the agent, from the centralized service a self-healing automation tool to remediate the problem.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises determining automatically, by the centralized service responsive to the request, a type of work for the request and the local automation package corresponding to the type of work.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises communicating, automatically by a support automation tool of the centralized service, the local automation package to the remote device without interaction from a remote support agent.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises establishing, automatically by the centralized service, the remote connection via the remote connectivity tool to the remote device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) further comprises transferring, automatically by the centralized service, access via the remote connection to the device to a remote support agent responsive to a predetermined event associated with execution of the local automation package.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) further comprises transferring, automatically by the centralized service, access via the remote connection to the device to a remote support agent responsive to completion of the type of work via the local automation package.

12. A system for providing a hierarchy of automated local and remote support services to a device, the system comprising:

an agent configured and executing on a device, the agent detecting a problem to be remediated on the device and performing, responsive to the detection, an automated remediation of the detected problem on the device;

a centralized service operating on one or more servers remote to the device responsive to receiving a request for support on the device;

a support automation tool of the centralized service determining a type of work to perform on the device and identifying a local automation package that is configured to execute on the device to perform the type of work independent of the agent;

a remote connectivity tool of the centralized service establishing a remote connection to the device via which the centralized service interacts with the device; and

wherein the support automation tool automatically communicates, via the remote connection to the device established by the remote connectivity tool, the local automation package to execute on the device to perform the type of work independent of the agent.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the agent detects the problem with one or more of the following:

network connectivity, compliance with a policy, resource usage and application issues.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the agent monitors a configuration of hardware and software on the device.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the agent prompts a user of the device to select a self-healing automation tool to remediate the problem.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the agent executes a self-healing automation tool to remediate the problem.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the agent receives from the centralized service a self-healing automation tool to remediate the problem.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the support automation tool determines a type of work for the request and the local automation package corresponding to the type of work.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the support automation tool automatically communicates the local automation package to the remote device without interaction from a remote support agent.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the remote connectivity tool automatically establishes, responsive to the request, the remote connection the device.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the centralized service automatically transfers access via the remote connection to the device to a remote support agent responsive to a predetermined event associated with execution of the local automation package.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein the centralized service automatically transfers access via the remote connection to the device to a remote support agent responsive up completion of the service via the local automation package.