Graphical representation of system information on a remote computer

• US 7,337,404 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2003
• Issued: 02/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Rollins, Doug L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Cao (Kevin)
• Application Number:
  US10/690,834
• Publication Number:
  US 20040109018A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,589 Days
• Field of Search: 715762-765, 715735-740, 715/744, 715/853, 715/854, 715/705, 715/739
• US Class Current: 715/747
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/328 Computer systems status display G06F11/327 takes precedence

Abstract

A method and apparatus for gathering system information into a file and transmitting the file to a remote location for presentation as a graphical display. A computerized diagnostic tool, can assist a support person in providing technical support to an end user in connection with the configuration of a remote computer. System information relating to a particular customer'"'"'s computer can be stored for subsequent reference. Computer program code running on a source computer can direct a source computer to self-survey system information. Program code creates a file containing system information and transmits the system information file to a remote computer separate from the source computer. Transmission may be accomplished via any effective transmission medium such as the Internet. Computer program code on the remote computer then displays a graphical representation of the system information.

Claims

1. A computerized diagnostic tool for displaying system information on a graphical display comprising:

a first electronic device that is configured to receive system information from a second separate source electronic device, wherein the system information identifies at least one of hardware components that reside in the source electronic device and a configuration of the source electronic device, and wherein the first electronic device displays a graphical representation of the system information of the source electronic device.

2. The diagnostic tool of claim 1, wherein the receipt of the system information is activated by an action occurring on the source electronic device.

3. The diagnostic tool of claim 1, wherein the system information is received via electronic mail.

4. The diagnostic tool of claim 1, wherein the system information file is stored on an archival mechanism for subsequent reference.

5. The diagnostic tool of claim 4, wherein the archival mechanism is a system information database.

6. The diagnostic tool of claim 1, wherein the graphical representation of the system information comprises icons to represent system components arranged in a hierarchical order.

7. The diagnostic tool of claim 1, wherein the graphical representation of the system information comprises a template populated with icons.

8. A method of graphically representing system information of a source electronic device on a remote computer comprising:

receiving gathered system information from the source electronic device, wherein the system information identifies at least one of hardware components that reside in the source electronic device and a configuration of the source electronic device; and

displaying a graphical representation of the system information contained in the system information file on the remote computer.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising storing the system information file in a system information database.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving the system information file is accomplished via the Internet.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein displaying a graphical representation comprises providing a template populated with icons, each icon representing items contained in the system information.

12. A program storage device storing instructions that when executed performs the method comprising:

receiving gathered system information from a source electronic device, wherein the system information identifies at least one of hardware components that reside in the source electronic device and a configuration of the source electronic device; and

displaying a graphical representation of the system information contained in the system information file on a separate remote computer.

13. The program storage device of claim 12, further comprising storing the received system information in a system information database.

14. The program storage device of claim 12, wherein receiving the system information file is accomplished via the Internet.

15. The program storage device of claim 12, wherein displaying a graphical representation comprises providing a template populated with icons, each icon representing items contained in the system information.

16. A programmed computer for graphically displaying system information gathered by and received from a separate source electronic device, the programmed computer comprising:

memory configured to store computer readable program code;

a processor for executing computer readable program code stored in said memory;

a system information file transmitted from a separate source electronic device, wherein the system information identifies at least one of hardware components that reside in the source electronic device and a configuration of the source electronic device; and

a display adapted to display visual images representative of the system information, wherein the processor is responsive to a command to graphically display the information contained in the system information file on the display.

17. The programmed computer of claim 16 wherein the graphical display of information contained in the system information file is hierarchically arranged.

18. A computer executing a diagnostic tool for displaying system information on a graphical display comprising:

a first electronic device configured to gather system information from a separate second electronic device, wherein the gathered system information identifies at least one of hardware components that resides in the separate second electronic device and a configuration of the second electronic device, and wherein the second electronic device is configured to transmit, and wherein the first electronic device is configured to receive and display said system information.

19. The computer of claim 18, wherein the transmission of the system information is accomplished by the second electronic device uploading the system information to an Internet server which is accessible to the first electronic device.

20. The computer of claim 18, wherein the transmission of the system information is accomplished via electronic mail.

21. The computer of claim 18, additionally comprising an archival mechanism for storing the system information.

22. The computer of claim 21, wherein the archival mechanism is a system information database.

23. The computer of claim 18, wherein the system information is displayed in a hierarchical order.

24. The programmed computer of claim 18, wherein the displayed system information file is hierarchically arranged.

25. A method of graphically representing system information comprising:

gathering system information from a first electronic device into a system information file, wherein the system information identifies at least one of hardware components that reside in the first electronic device and a configuration of the first electronic device;

transmitting said system information file to a separate second remote electronic device; and

graphically representing the system information file on the remote electronic device.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising storing the system information file in a system information database.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the transmitting the system information file is accomplished via the Internet.

28. An article of manufacture comprising a computer storage-usable-medium having a computer readable code embodied therein for displaying system information on a graphical display the computer readable code in said article of manufacture comprising:

computer readable code responsive to a command to gather system information about a first electronic device, wherein the system information identifies at least one of hardware components that resides in the first electronic device and a configuration of the first electronic device; and

computer readable code responsive to a command to transmit the system information to a remote second electronic device, wherein the system information is configured to be displayed as a graphical representation on the remote second electronic device.

29. The article of manufacture of claim 28, further comprising a computer readable code means for storing the system information file in a database for subsequent retrieval.

30. The article of manufacture of claim 29, wherein the computer readable code means includes computer readable code for transmitting a system information file from the first electronic device to the second electronic device by electronic transfer over the Internet.

31. A programmed computer for graphically displaying system information gathered by and received from a separate source computer, the programmed computer comprising:

at least one hardware component;

a system information file configured to be transmitted to the programmed computer;

wherein the system information identifies at least one of hardware components of the source computer and a configuration of the source computer; and

code responsive to receive the system information of the source computer and graphically display an image indicative of the source computer system information.