Customized electronic product configuration

• US 9,912,781 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2015
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Brech, Brad L., Daley, Michael E., Kamath, Sunil J., Png, Leslie, Reilly, Kevin J., Roberts, Steven L., Spence, Alise, Swanberg, Randal C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lai, Michael C
• Application Number:
  US14/868,465
• Publication Number:
  US 20170094021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1433 during software upgrading
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1225 Software update, e.g. print driver, modules, plug-ins, fonts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/123 Software or firmware update, e.g. device firmware management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

An electronic product can be configured by a method that includes attaching a machine-readable identification (ID) tag containing an ID code to a hardware unit of the electronic product. The ID code is associated with a particular configuration of the electronic product, and can be read or scanned with a mobile device configured to send the ID code to a provider server device. In response to receiving the ID code, the provider server device can send product configuration instructions and a product configuration application to the mobile device. The product configuration instructions can guide a user through a customized series of electronic product configuration operations. The product configuration application can assist the user in performing configuration operations, can provide customized configuration help, and can establish a wireless link between the mobile device and the electronic product, allowing the user to interact with the electronic product.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of configuring an electronic product, the method comprising:

receiving, at a provider server device in electronic communication over a network with the electronic product, from a mobile device having a first wireless communication link with the network, an electronic signal representing an identification (ID) code corresponding to a configuration of the electronic product, the mobile device having generated the electronic signal in response to reading a machine-readable ID tag attached to a hardware unit of the electronic product, the machine-readable ID tag containing the ID code;

sending, in response to receiving the electronic signal, from the provider server device to the mobile device, a set of product configuration instructions corresponding to a set of configuration operations, that are executed on the mobile device and establish the configuration of the electronic product;

sending, in response to receiving the electronic signal, from the provider server device to the mobile device, a product configuration application that is executed, in response to user input, on the mobile device, and connects, through a second wireless communication link, the mobile device to the electronic product and provides for an execution of at least a portion of the set of configuration operations;

monitoring, with the provider server device in electronic communication with the electronic product, a completion status of the at least a portion of the set of configuration operations; and

sending, in response to the monitoring, from the provider server device to the mobile device, information regarding a pending operation of the at least a portion of the set of configuration operations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is selected from a group of mobile devices consisting of:

a cell phone, a laptop and a tablet computing device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the product configuration application is configured to connect the mobile device to the electronic product by opening, on the mobile device, a control panel application that allows a user to interact with a system administration portal of the electronic product.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring further comprises sending, with the mobile device, to the provider server device, a message indicating a successful completion of the set of configuration operations.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring further comprises modifying, based upon user interaction with the set of configuration operations, at least one portion of the set of product configuration instructions stored on the provider server device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending of the information regarding a pending operation of the set of configuration operations further comprises sending, from the provider server device to the mobile device, troubleshooting resources.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending of the information regarding a pending operation of the set of configuration operations further comprises providing access to a technical support agent.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the configuration of the electronic product includes identifying software to be downloaded and installed onto the electronic product.

9. A system for configuring an electronic product, the system comprising:

an electronic product, the electronic product including a wireless access point and at least one hardware unit, the electronic product further including at least one machine-readable identification (ID) tag attached to the at least one hardware unit, each of the at least one machine-readable ID tag containing a respective ID code, each respective ID code corresponding to a respective configuration of the electronic product;

a mobile device including an optical device configured to read, in response to a user positioning the mobile device adjacent to the at least one hardware unit, the at least one machine-readable ID tag and to communicate, through a first wireless link communicatively coupled with a network, to a provider server device, an electronic signal containing at least one corresponding ID code extracted from the at least one machine-readable ID tag, the mobile device further configured to connect, in response to executing a product configuration application, through a second wireless communication link, with the electronic product, and to send a message indicating the successful execution of the product configuration application to the provider server device; and

the provider server device, the provider server device configured to receive the electronic signal from the mobile device, the provider server device containing the product configuration application and a set of product configuration instructions, the provider server device further configured to, through the network, electronically monitor progress of the electronic product configuration and to send, in response to the provider server device receiving the at least one corresponding ID code from the mobile device, the product configuration application and the set of product configuration instructions through the network and the first wireless link to the mobile device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one machine-readable ID tag is attached to the at least one hardware unit by affixing the at least one machine-readable ID tag to a container of the at least one hardware unit.

11. The system of claim 9, the electronic product further including, attached to the at least one hardware unit, instructions for scanning the machine-readable ID tag and for downloading product configuration instructions for the electronic product.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one machine-readable ID tag is selected from a group of machine-readable ID tags consisting of:

a quick response (QR) code, a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag, a stock keeping unit (SKU) and a barcode.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the set of product configuration instructions are customized for the configuration of the electronic product.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the set of product configuration instructions include at least one instruction type selected from a group consisting of:

a video, a still image, a still graphic illustration, an animated graphic illustration and a hyperlink.

15. A computer program product for configuring an electronic product, the computer program product comprising at least one computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by at least one computer processor circuit to cause the at least one computer processor circuit to perform a method comprising:

receiving, at a provider server device in electronic communication over a network with the electronic product, from a mobile device having a first wireless communication link with the network, an electronic signal representing an identification (ID) code corresponding to a configuration of the electronic product, the mobile device having generated the electronic signal in response to reading a machine-readable ID tag attached to a hardware unit of the electronic product, the machine-readable ID tag containing the ID code;

sending, in response to receiving the electronic signal, from the provider server device to the mobile device, a set of product configuration instructions corresponding to a set of configuration operations, that are executed on the mobile device and establish the configuration of the electronic product;

sending, in response to receiving the electronic signal, from the provider server device to the mobile device, a product configuration application that is executed, in response to user input, on the mobile device, and connects, through a second wireless communication link, the mobile device to the electronic product and provides for an execution of at least a portion of the set of configuration operations;

monitoring, with the provider server device in electronic communication with the electronic product, a completion status of the at least a portion of the set of configuration operations; and

sending, in response to the monitoring, from the provider server device to the mobile device, information regarding a pending operation of the at least a portion of the set of configuration operations.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the product configuration application is configured to provide access to at least one of a group consisting of:

a set of product management tools and a set of hyperlinks.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the set of hyperlinks include at least one hyperlink destination type of a group consisting of:

install tests, verification tests and product management tools.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the set of product management tools are configured to include at least one function of a group consisting of:

disc partition resizing, network configuration, virtual machine (VM) installation, VM configuration, memory allocation, hardware installation, application of template configurations and flash installation of firmware into hardware units.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the connecting of the mobile device to the electronic product by the execution of the product configuration application further includes the electronic product receiving input and commands entered into the mobile device.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the input received by the electronic product includes at least one input type of a group consisting of:

a configuration parameter, a network address, data for subsequent use and a configuration command.