Troubleshooting engine and method for using same

• US 7,519,604 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2003
• Issued: 04/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Gomes, Clemilton, Lisboa, Robson, Mazon, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): To; Baoquoc N
• Application Number:
  US10/652,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20050050096A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,055 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A system for using a troubleshooting engine to assemble an interactive multimedia repair guide for assisting a service technician in the repair of a defective product, and a mehof of using the same. The system includes a dynamic knowledge database for storing product history records relating to defects reported concerning the product. The database also contains design information related to the product for correlation with the defect reports and use in analyzing future reported defects. A product performance counter (PPC) analysis module receives PPC data from an individual product, generates a PPC profile based on the received data, and compares the profile to stored design and historical PPC profiles to produce a weighted prediction report of likely defects. This report is transmitted to the troubleshooting engine, which directs a multimedia application to transmit diagnosis and repair instructions to a service center technician. The database is formed of separate portions, embodied at separate geographical locations and storing records in different languages.

Claims

1. A distributed service system comprising:

a first database storing first selected historical information in a first selected spoken language, the first selected historical information comprising first product repair information reported by a first service technician after performing repairs on another product similar to a product being repaired;

at least a second database storing at least second selected historical information in at least a second selected spoken language, the second selected historical information comprising second product repair information reported by at least a second service technician also after performing repairs on another product similar to the product being repaired; and

a troubleshooting engine in communication with said first database and said at least second database, said troubleshooting engine for receiving repair information from any of the first and at least second service technicians, and said troubleshooting engine for assembling a repair guide based at least in part on the received information and on selected information of the first selected historical information and the at least the second selected historical information,

wherein said troubleshooting engine further comprises a translator configured to translate between the first selected spoken language and a different language comprising the second selected spoken language.

2. The distributed service system of claim 1 further comprising a product performance counter (PPC) analysis module for receiving PPC counts from the product and using them to assemble a PPC report, wherein said troubleshooting engine is in communication with the PPC analysis module to receive the PPC report and wherein said troubleshooting engine assembles the repair guide also in part based upon the received PPC report.

3. The distributed service system of claim 1 wherein said first database is embodied at a first location and said second database is embodied at a second location, the second location distributed apart from the first location.

4. The distributed service system of claim 3 wherein the first location at which said first database is embodied is positioned within boundaries of a first geographical area and wherein the second location at which said second database is embodied is positioned within boundaries of a second geographical area.

5. The distributed service system of claim 1 wherein the repair guide assembled by said troubleshooting engine is in a selected one of the first selected spoken language and the at least the second selected spoken language.

6. The distributed service system of claim 5 wherein said translator is further configured for translating at least portions of one of the first selected historical information in the first selected spoken language and the at least second selected historical information in the second selected spoken language into an other of the first and second selected spoken languages.

7. The distributed service system of claim 6 wherein the repair guide assembled by said troubleshooting engine includes a template portion, the template portion selectably in the first selected spoken language and the at least the second selected spoken language.

8. The distributed service system of claim 7 wherein, once formed the repair guide assembled by said troubleshooting engine is accessible by any of the first and at least se configured at a selected one of said first database and said at least second database.

9. The distributed service system of claim 8 wherein the language in which to template portion of the repair guide assembled by said troubleshooting engine is selected, dependent upon which of the first and at least second service technicians selects to access the repair guide.

10. The distributed service system of claim 9 wherein said translator is further for translating the template portion between the first selected spoken language and the at lest the second selected spoken language.

11. The distributed service system of claim 1 further comprising a first point of service, said first point of service used by the first service technician to report the first selected historical information.

12. The distributed service system of claim 11 wherein said first point of service is further used by the first service technician to access the repair guide assembled by said troubleshooting engine.

13. The distributed service system of claim 12 wherein said first point of service comprises a user interface including a user display, the user display including text displayable in a selected one of the first and at least second selected spoken languages.

14. The distributed service system of claim 13 wherein the first service technician selects the selected one of the first and at least second selected spoken languages in which to display the text on the user display.

15. A method comprising:

collecting first data related to reported defects in products that the service technicians are expected to repair and storing the first data at a first database in a first selected spoken language;

collecting second data also related to reported defects in products that the service technicians are expected to repair and storing the second data at a second database in a second selected spoken language; and

providing a troubleshooting engine for receiving repair-related information from the service technicians and using the repair-related information to prepare a multimedia repair guide for transmission to the service technicians, wherein the repair guide is at least in part based upon at least a selected one of the first data and the second data and wherein the troubleshooting engine further comprises a translator configured to translate between the first selected spoken language and a different language comprising the second selected spoken language.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the repair-related information provided to the troubleshooting engine includes at least one PPC count and wherein said method further comprises generating a PPC profile using the PPC count, and using the PPC profile to prepare the repair guide.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the first database at which the first data collected and stored during said first operation of collecting is embodied at a first location, and wherein the second database at which the second data collected and stored during said second operation of collecting is embodied at a second location, the second location distributed apart from the first location.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the first location at which the first database is embodied is positioned within boundaries of a first geographical area and wherein the second location at which the second database is embodied is positioned within boundaries of a second geographical area.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising the operation of translating the repair guide formed during said operation of providing between the first selected spoken language and the at least the second selected spoken language.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the first selected data collected during said first operation of collecting is provided by a first service technician positioned at a first location.