System, method, and apparatus for performing fault diagnosis for an electronic appliance using sound data

• US 9,317,371 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Park, Kyong-Ha, Hong, Hyun-Su, Shim, Seung-Seop
• Primary Examiner(s): Bonzo, Bryce
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mehrmanesh, Elmira
• Application Number:
  US13/837,817
• Publication Number:
  US 20130268806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: 714/30
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1415 at system level
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2155 Acoustic coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/24 Arrangements for testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces

Abstract

A fault diagnosis system, method, and apparatus are provided that diagnose a broken appliance and repair the broken appliance using voice communication. The method includes generating monitoring information, based on a current state of the appliance; generating first mix data by mixing the monitoring information and sound data; outputting the first mix data to a mobile communication terminal; receiving second mix data from the mobile communication terminal, when the monitoring information indicates that the appliance has a fault; extracting recovery data from the second mix data; and repairing the fault of the appliance using the recovery data.

Claims

1. A method of diagnosing a fault in an appliance by a diagnosis apparatus in a fault diagnosis system, the method comprising:

generating and displaying monitoring information, based on a current state of the appliance;

generating first mix data by mixing the monitoring information and sound data;

outputting the first mix data to a mobile communication terminal;

receiving second mix data including recovery data from the mobile communication terminal, when the monitoring information indicates that the appliance has a fault, and if the fault is not repairable via the mobile communication terminal, receiving second mix data including recovery data from a diagnosis server;

extracting the recovery data from the second mix data; and

repairing the fault of the appliance using the recovery data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request for detecting the current state of the appliance from the mobile communication terminal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first mix data is output through a speaker included in the appliance, and wherein the second mix data is received through a microphone included in the appliance.

4. A method of diagnosing a fault in an appliance by a mobile terminal in a fault diagnosis system, the method comprising:

receiving first mix data from a diagnosis apparatus, which displays a current state of the appliance;

extracting, from the first mix data, monitoring information that indicates the current state of the appliance;

determining whether a fault has occurred in the appliance, based on the monitoring information;

generating second mix data, including recovery data, by mixing sound data with the recovery data for repairing the appliance, when it is determined the fault has occurred, and if the fault is not repairable via the mobile communication terminal, receiving second mix data including recovery data from a diagnosis server; and

outputting the second mix data to the diagnosis apparatus.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising requesting, to the diagnosis apparatus, for detecting the current state of the appliance.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein generating the second mix data comprises:

determining whether the fault that has occurred in the appliance is repairable;

and

generating the second mix data by mixing the sound data with the recovery data.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the diagnosis apparatus is included in the appliance.

8. A method of upgrading firmware of an appliance by a mobile communication terminal in a fault diagnosis system, the method comprising:

receiving first mix data from a diagnosis apparatus of the appliance;

extracting, from the first mix data, monitoring information that indicates a current state of the appliance and triggers the mobile communication terminal to display a no fault indication at the mobile communication terminal when the appliance has no fault;

checking a version of the firmware installed in the appliance, based on the monitoring information;

requesting, to a diagnosis server, for upgrade data in order to upgrade the firmware if the version of the firmware is not a newest version;

generating mix data by mixing the upgrade data and sound data; and

outputting the mix data to the diagnosis apparatus.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the diagnosis apparatus is included in the appliance.

10. A diagnosis apparatus for detecting a fault in an appliance in a fault diagnosis system, the diagnosis apparatus comprising:

a monitoring unit configured to detect a current state of the appliance, and generate monitoring and displaying information based on the current state of the appliance;

an encoder configured to generate first mix data by mixing the monitoring information and sound data, and extract recovery data for repairing the fault in the appliance from second mix data, including recovery data, transmitted from a mobile communication terminal, when the fault has occurred in the appliance, and if the fault is not repairable via the mobile communication terminal, receiving second mix data including recovery data from a diagnosis server;

a speaker configured to output the first mix data to the mobile communication terminal;

a microphone configured to receive the second mix data from the mobile communication terminal; and

a

recovery unit configured to repair the fault of the appliance using the recovery data.

11. A mobile communication terminal for detecting a fault in an appliance in a fault diagnosis system, the mobile communication terminal comprising:

a microphone configured to receive first mix data from a diagnosis apparatus, which displays a current state of the appliance;

a data generator configured to extract, from the first mix data, monitoring information that indicates the current state of the appliance;

a speaker configured to output, to the appliance, second mix data including recovery data for repairing the in the appliance; and

a controller configured to determine whether the fault has occurred in the appliance based on the monitoring information control the data generator to generate the second mix data by mixing the recovery data and sound data, when the fault has occurred, and if the fault is not repairable via the mobile communication terminal, receiving second mix data including recovery data from a diagnosis server, and control the speaker to output the second mix data to the diagnosis apparatus.

12. The mobile communication terminal of claim 11, further comprising a communication interface configured to performs wireless communication.

13. The mobile communication terminal of claim 12, wherein the controller checks a version of firmware installed in the appliance, based on the monitoring information, and controls the communication interface to request for upgrade data in order to upgrade the firmware, when the version of the firmware is not a newest version.

14. The mobile communication terminal of claim 13, wherein the data generator generates third mix data by mixing the upgrade data with the sound data, and wherein the speaker outputs the third mix data to the diagnosis apparatus.

15. The mobile communication terminal of claim 11, wherein the data generator generates the second mix data by mixing the recovery data transmitted from the diagnosis server with the sound data.

16. The mobile communication terminal of claim 11, wherein the diagnosis apparatus is included in the appliance.