Remote assistance
First Claim
1. A client computer in a system that includes the client computer and an expert computer connected with a network, wherein a user of the client computer requires support services for the client computer and the expert is able to provide support services to the user, the client computer comprising one or more computer readable storage media having computer-executable instructions for implementing a method for requesting support services from the expert that permits the expert to control the user computer and such that the user receives support services from the expert, wherein the method comprises:
- a step for generating a ticket on the client computer, the ticket including credentials that permit the expert computer to login to the client computer at the user'"'"'s request, the credentials including at least an encrypted portion that includes at least an encrypted password;
a step for escalating the ticket to the expert computer which initiates a user request for remote assistance for support services from the expert computer, and wherein the expert computer is unable to decrypt the password even upon decrypting the encrypted portion of the credentials;
in response to the user initiated request for remote assistance, a step for receiving a connection request from the expert computer indicating that the expert computer desires to connect with the user computer, the request to connect including the credentials;
a step for accepting the connection request upon verifying the credentials by at least decrypting the password, and wherein upon accepting the connection request the expert computer is able to view a desktop of the client computer without initially being able to control the client computer; and
upon subsequently receiving a control request from the expert computer to remotely control the user computer over the network, a step for selectively providing control of the client computer to the expert computer, such that the expert is able to control the client computer, but wherein the user is able to unilaterally terminate the selective control.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods for remote assistance. A user computer is able to generate a ticket that includes temporary credentials for a remote assistance account of the user computer. The ticket is escalated to an expert, who activates the ticket and requests a connection with the user using the encrypted credentials. The user can accept this request if the credentials are validated and provide the expert with a view of the user'"'"'s desktop. The expert, if necessary, can request control of the user computer and the user can either grant or deny this request. If granted, the user computer can unilaterally terminate the control that was provided to the expert. Because the credentials in the ticket are encrypted, the expert does not know the actual password to the remote assistance account and can only access the user computer interactively.
57 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A client computer in a system that includes the client computer and an expert computer connected with a network, wherein a user of the client computer requires support services for the client computer and the expert is able to provide support services to the user, the client computer comprising one or more computer readable storage media having computer-executable instructions for implementing a method for requesting support services from the expert that permits the expert to control the user computer and such that the user receives support services from the expert, wherein the method comprises:
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a step for generating a ticket on the client computer, the ticket including credentials that permit the expert computer to login to the client computer at the user'"'"'s request, the credentials including at least an encrypted portion that includes at least an encrypted password;
a step for escalating the ticket to the expert computer which initiates a user request for remote assistance for support services from the expert computer, and wherein the expert computer is unable to decrypt the password even upon decrypting the encrypted portion of the credentials;
in response to the user initiated request for remote assistance, a step for receiving a connection request from the expert computer indicating that the expert computer desires to connect with the user computer, the request to connect including the credentials;
a step for accepting the connection request upon verifying the credentials by at least decrypting the password, and wherein upon accepting the connection request the expert computer is able to view a desktop of the client computer without initially being able to control the client computer; and
upon subsequently receiving a control request from the expert computer to remotely control the user computer over the network, a step for selectively providing control of the client computer to the expert computer, such that the expert is able to control the client computer, but wherein the user is able to unilaterally terminate the selective control. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9)
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10. An expert computer in a system that includes a user computer and an expert computer connected within a network, wherein a user requires support services for the user computer and the expert computer is able to provide support services to the user, the expert computer comprising one or more computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions for implementing a method for remotely controlling the user computer from the expert computer such that the expert computer is able to provide support services to the user, wherein the method comprises:
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a step for receiving a ticket from the user computer that indicates a user initiated request for support services from the expert computer, wherein the ticket includes encrypted credentials having at least an encrypted portion and at least an encrypted password;
a step for activating the ticket by at least decrypting the encrypted portion of the credentials, but wherein by decrypting the encrypted portion the expert computer is unable to decrypt the encrypted password;
in response to activating the ticket, a step for requesting a connection with the user computer over the network using the credentials in the ticket, wherein the connection request is granted by the user computer upon the user computer verifying the credentials by at least decrypting the password, and wherein the expert computer is initially only able to view a desktop of the user computer without being able to control the user computer when the connection request is granted by the user computer; and
subsequently, upon requesting control of the user computer, receiving selective control to the user computer such that the expert is able to provide the requested support services to the user, wherein the expert computer is still able to view the desktop of the user computer even if the request to control the user computer is denied, and wherein the user can unilaterally terminate the selective control. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A user computer in a system that includes the user computer and at least one expert computer connected over a network, wherein a user requires support services for the user computer and an expert is able to provide support services to the user computer, the user computer comprising one or more computer-readable storage media having computer executable instructions for implementing a method for requesting support services from an expert that enables the expert to view or control the user computer, and wherein the method comprises:
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a step for creating a table to store outstanding remote assistance requests, wherein each row of the table corresponds to a particular ticket that was sent to an expert to initiate a remote assistance request, the ticket including credentials that permit the expert computer to login to the user computer at the user'"'"'s request, the credentials including at least an encrypted portion that includes at least an encrypted password and a key that is associated with the table;
an act of creating a new entry in the table when a new ticket is created, wherein each row of the table comprises a security identifier of the user, a session identifier and a timeout value;
a step for escalating a ticket to an expert which initiates a user request for remote assistance for support services from the expert computer, and wherein the expert computer is unable to decrypt the password even upon decrypting the encrypted portion of the credentials; and
when a corresponding and subsequent connection request is received from an expert that received a ticket, the connection request including the credentials, a step for verifying the credentials by decrypting the key and a password, wherein the connection request is granted if the key in the connection request is same as the key associated with the table and if the password in the connection request is the same as a remote assistance account password of the user computer, and wherein granting the connection request enables the expert computer to view a desktop of the user computer without being able to control the user computer unless control to the user computer is subsequently granted by the user computer. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification