Collecting appliance problem information over network and providing remote technical support to deliver appliance fix information to an end user

• US 7,305,465 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2004
• Issued: 12/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DMO Incorporated, Robert P. Wing
• Original Assignee: DMO Incorporated
• Inventors: Wing, Robert, Fisher, Jr., John W.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, HARESH N
• Application Number:
  US10/991,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20050120112A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,112 Days
• Field of Search: 709217-235, 709200-207, 709/250, 718102-104, 719/310, 719/311, 719315-318, 715/700, 715/721, 715735-744, 715809-820, 707/10, 707/3, 707/102, 700/9, 700/17, 705/1, 705/500, 705/8, 705/22, 705/28, 705/9, 705/2, 714/4, 714 46- 48, 717168-178
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A system for the intelligent management of knowledge and delivery of content is provided. The system allows end users to access targeted fixes in connection with resolving problems with appliances, such as computers or other devices. The system further provides for the delivery of inventory information and information regarding attempts that have been made to fix problems with an appliance to technical support personnel. Technical support personnel may selectively access approved fixes or potential fixes through selections made from a tree of devices and/or problems or through the identification of key indicators. Technicians may also create fixes and made such fixes available to other technicians immediately.

Claims

1. A system for delivering content and organizing knowledge of information, comprising:

a processor, said processor executes programming code for obtaining information related to an appliance;

a user input to receive requests for a problem resolution with respect to said appliance from a user of said appliance, said requests include a user entered selection of a problem made from a list of potential problems;

a user output to present fixes identified using information related to said appliance provided by said user input;

a database to store a record of presented fixes applied as part of a problem resolution procedure including;

a knowledge base of approved fixes, at least one of said presented fixes included in said knowledge base of approved fixes comprises an approved fix that is automatically delivered over a network to the user, at least one of said presented fixes included in said knowledge base of approved fixes comprises a self-help tutorial; and

an attention database of potential fixes, at least one of said presented fixes included in said attention database of potential fixes comprises a potential fix developed and provided by a technician to the user, said potential fixes are available to technicians including technicians other than the technician that originally developed a potential fix, and said potential fixes are displayed to at least one of said technicians and considered by said at least one of said technicians for inclusion in said knowledge base of approved fixes.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said user output comprises means for displaying items of information related to said appliance, and means for displaying a number of fixes in response to a selection of one of said items of information related to said appliance.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said user output comprises means for displaying items of information related to said appliance, means for displaying key indicators in response to a selection of one of said items of information related to said appliance, means for displaying a number of fixes in response to a selection of one of said key indicators.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

said user output displaying items of information related to said appliance;

programming code for pushing a problem resolution generated by a technician in response to said request for a problem resolution to a customer associated with said appliance;

programming code for receiving feedback regarding whether said problem resolution satisfied said request for a problem resolution;

programming code for indexing said problem resolution according to at least one of one of an item selected from said displayed items of information and a key indicator.

5. A method for delivering content and organizing knowledge of information, comprising:

obtaining information related to an appliance by a processor;

receiving requests, by a user input, for a problem resolution with respect to the appliance from a user of said appliance, the requests include a user entered selection of a problem made from a list of problems;

presenting fixes, by a user output, identified using information related to the appliance provided by the user input;

storing in a database, a record of presented fixes applied as part of a problem resolution procedure, the stored record including;

a knowledge base of approved fixes, at least one of the presented fixes included in the knowledge base of approved fixes comprises an approved fix that is automatically delivered over a network to the user, at least one of said presented fixes included in the knowledge base of approved fixes comprises a self-help tutorial; and

an attention database of potential fixes, at least one of the presented fixes included in the attention database of potential fixes comprises a potential fix developed and provided by a technician to the user, the potential fixes are available to technicians including technicians other than the technician that originally developed a potential fix;

displaying at least one of the potential fixes to at least one of the technicians, the at least one of the technicians considers the displayed potential fixes for inclusion in said knowledge base of approved fixes.