Systems and methods for automated server side brokering of a connection to a remote device

• US 9,594,597 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2012
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: PlumChoice Incorporated (Allstate Corporation)
• Original Assignee: PlumChoice Incorporated (Allstate Corporation)
• Inventors: Werth, Ted, Goldlust, Josh, Samanta, Chanchal
• Primary Examiner(s): Avellino, Joseph E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Book, Phyllis A
• Application Number:
  US13/658,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20130103841A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,603 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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

Systems and methods described herein provide for automated brokering of a remote connection to a device between entities, including support personnel, work queues and automated support tools. The automated brokering of the remote connection may be based on a work flow or events detecting during service to the remote device. In one example deployment, a centralized service provides support services to multiple customer devices. For each device, the centralized service establishes a remote connection to the device via a remote connectivity tool. Based on the type of work to perform, the centralized service may automatically provide the remote connection to a support automation tool to automatically deliver a local automation service to the device or to a remote support agent to access the device via the remote connection.

Claims

1. A method for providing different levels of access via the same connection to a remote device, the method comprising:

establishing, by a remote connectivity tool executing on a server, a connection between the remote connectivity tool and a remote device comprising a transport layer connection via a network, the connection providing a first level of access to a view of a desktop of the remote device remote from the server, the remote connectivity tool configured to broker access to the same connection established between the remote connectivity tool and the remote device to transfer access of the same connection among a plurality of different remote support technicians;

determining, by the server, a second level of access for a first remote support technician of the plurality of remote support technicians to provide support via the same connection established between the remote connectivity tool and the remote device, the second level of access selected between at least two different levels of access corresponding to different subsets of executable actions to be performed on the remote device and available to the plurality of different remote support technicians, the second level of access limited to a subset of executable actions permitted under the first level of access and only via a user interface separate from the view of the desktop;

displaying, by the server responsive to the determination and on a first device of the first remote support technician, the user interface comprising an enumerated list of one or more executable actions corresponding to the second level of access that the first remote support technician has permission to perform on the remote device via the same connection;

receiving, by the server via the user interface, a request from the first remote support technician to perform an executable action of the one or more executable actions on the remote device;

providing, by the server responsive to receiving the request from the first remote support technician, access to the same connection established and brokered by the remote connectivity tool for use by the first remote support technician; and

transmitting, by the server responsive to the request received from the first remote support technician, an executable via the same connection established between the remote connectivity tool and the remote device to perform the executable action on the remote device corresponding to the second level of access that the first remote support technician has permission to perform on the remote device via the same connection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first level of access comprises unlimited access to the desktop of the remote device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprises determining, by the server, the second level of access based on a type of service requested on the remote device and the one or more capabilities of the first remote support agent.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the enumerated list of one or more executable actions excludes one or more actions available via the first level of access.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first remote support agent does not have permission to access the desktop of the remote device via the connection.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprises transmitting, by a support automation tool of the server, via the connection an executable comprising a local automation service to the remote device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprises determining, by the server, that the first remote support agent has a second level of access only to obtain telemetry data from the remote device, and responsive to the determination displaying to the first device of the first remote support agent the user interface comprising the enumerated list of one or more executable actions to obtain telemetry data from the remote device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprises determining, by the server, from the plurality of different levels of access, a third level of access for a second remote support agent to provide support via the connection to the remote device, the third level of access, different from the second level of access, is limited to a second subset of executable actions permitted under the first level of access.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprises displaying, by the server responsive to the determination, to the a second device of the second remote support agent a second user interface comprising a second enumerated list of one or more executable actions corresponding to the third level of access that the second remote support agent has permission to perform on the remote device via the connection.