SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING REMOTE SERVICES USING A CROSS-DEVICE DATABASE

• US 20110022641A1
• Filed: 07/23/2010
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PlumChoice Incorporated (Allstate Corporation)
• Original Assignee: PlumChoice Incorporated (Allstate Corporation)
• Inventors: Goldlust, Josh, Werth, Theodore
• Granted Patent: US 8,996,659 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/803
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• 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: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

The solution of the present application provides many types and forms of resources, such as products or services, to an environment of heterogeneous devices. An agent and centralized service may communicate to deliver an optimum package of resources to a device. Each device may include an agent that collects information important to determining the appropriate resources for the device and understanding the environment the devices are contributing to. The information may be stored and analyzed in a cross device knowledge base, and the knowledge base may be consulted to determine resources appropriate for devices. The agent and centralized service may engage in pro-active alerting and provisioning of services, based on any collected information, to minimize the burden of resource procurement on the customer. After delivery of resources, the agent and centralized service may also perform updating, repairing, and healing functions for the resources. Resources may be aggregated into a cohesive platform to be combined and delivered in an optimum manner, and resources may also be maintained and monitored to ensure their quality via escalation or remedial action. Devices may be connected to the resources through intelligent routing.

Claims

1. A method for collecting data from heterogeneous devices by a centralized service, the method comprising:

(a) receiving, via a first network by a centralized service from each of a first plurality of agents resident on a first plurality of heterogeneous devices of a first user, a first set of data about one of operation or performance of a first combination of software and hardware installed on the first plurality of heterogeneous devices;

(b) receiving, via a second network by the centralized service from each of a second plurality of agents resident on a second plurality of heterogeneous devices of a second user, a second set of data about one of operation or performance of a second combination of software and hardware installed on the second plurality of heterogeneous devices;

(c) correlating, by the centralized service, the first set of data of the first user to the second set of data of the second user; and

(d) storing, by the centralized service, the correlated data to one or more cross-device databases.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises receiving, by the centralized service, from each of the first plurality of agents, one or more events occurring on the first plurality of heterogeneous devices of the first user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises receiving, by the centralized service, from each of the second plurality of agents, one or more events occurring on the second plurality of heterogeneous devices of the second user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises identifying, by the centralized service, a first sequence of events from the first set of data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises identifying, by the centralized service, a second sequence of events from the second set of data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises correlating a first event from the first set of data of the first device with a second event of the second set of data of the second device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises determining, by the centralized service, an outcome from correlating the first set of data and the second set of data.

8. A method for providing an alert by a centralized service to a device based on a cross-device knowledge base, the method comprising:

(a) receiving, by a centralized service from an agent executing on a device, data identifying an event in an environment of the device;

(b) identifying, by the centralized service, a correlation between the event in the environment of the device with a cross-device database comprising events from operation of combinations of software and hardware of a plurality of heterogeneous devices and reported by each agent residing on the plurality of heterogeneous devices; and

(c) determining, by the centralized service, an outcome based on the correlation.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein step (a) further comprises receiving, by the centralized service, data identifying a sequence of events in the environment of the device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein step (a) further comprises receiving, by the centralized service, data identifying the event comprising an issue with one of operation or performance of the device.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein step (b) further comprises identifying, by the centralized service, a sequence of events from operation of a first combination of a first hardware and a first software on a plurality of heterogeneous devices.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein step (b) further comprises identifying, by the centralized service, the correlation between the event and a sequence of events stored in the cross-device database.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein step (c) further comprising determining, by the centralized service, the outcome as a second event to occur on the device.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein step (c) further comprising determining, by the centralized service, the outcome as a state of the device.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein step (c) further comprises transmitting, by the centralized service, information about the outcome to the agent

16. The method of claim 8, wherein step (c) further comprises transmitting, by the centralized service, information about the outcome to one or more subscribers to the centralized service.

17. A method for providing by a centralized service a compilation of services to a device based on a cross-device knowledge base, the method comprising:

(a) receiving, by a centralized service from an agent executing on a device, data collected about an environment of the device, the data identifying a first plurality of events;

(b) identifying, by the centralized service, a correlation of the first plurality of event from the collected data with a second plurality of events in a cross-device database comprising events from operation of combinations of software and hardware of a plurality of heterogeneous devices and reported by each agent residing on the plurality of heterogeneous devices; and

(c) determining, by the centralized service to the agent, one or more services of the centralized service based on the correlation.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein step (a) further comprises receiving, by the centralized service from the agent, collected data identifying the first plurality of events resulting from operation of the device.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein step (b) further comprises identifying, by the centralized service, the first sequence of events from operation of a first combination of a first hardware and a first software on the device correlates to the second sequence of events from operation of combinations of the first hardware and the first software on the plurality of heterogeneous devices.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein step (c) further comprises determining, by the centralized service, the one or more services to address an outcome from the correlation.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein step (c) further comprises identifying for the one or more services a remote service to be performed by a remote online technician.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein step (c) further comprises identifying for the one or more services a service to be performed by the agent.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein step (c) further comprises identifying for the one or more services a compilation of services.