End-user portal system for remote technical support

• US 9,495,666 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2011
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Liu, Xingxin, Vera, Roy, Duffy, Michael P., Hall, William C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pan, Yongjia
• Application Number:
  US13/326,613
• Publication Number:
  US 20130159881A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,797 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance

Abstract

A controller provides information regarding end-user dictated content for a plurality of technical support topics to an end-user device prior to the controller receiving any indication of specific technical support required by the end-user. Additionally, the controller provides information regarding available automated technical support to the end-user device prior to the controller receiving any indication of specific technical support required by the end-user. The end-user device provides an indication of selection of at least a portion of the either the information regarding end-user dictated content for a plurality of technical support topics or the information regarding available automated technical support. By providing such information prior to receiving any indication of the specific technical support required by the end-user, the likelihood that the end-user can successfully resolve his/her issue without further intervention is increased.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing, by a device to an end-user device and prior to the device receiving an indication of specific technical support required by the end-user device, information regarding end-user dictated content for a plurality of technical support topics,

the end-user dictated content being based on information regarding the plurality of technical support topics,

the information regarding the plurality of technical support topics being based on information received from a plurality of end-user devices during a particular period of time;

providing, by the device to the end-user device and prior to the device receiving the indication of the specific technical support required by the end-user device, information regarding available automated technical support,

the available automated technical support being selected by the device based on information regarding usage patterns of particular resources of the end-user device and based on information regarding similar usage patterns between an end-user, of the end-user device, and a group of other end-users,

the particular resources of the end-user device including particular hardware of the end-user device, and

the group of other end-users having at least one characteristic in common with the end-user,

the at least one characteristic including a geographic location;

receiving, by the device from the end-user device, an indication of a selection of at least a portion of at least one of;

information regarding end-user dictated content for at least one technical support topic of the plurality of technical support topics, or

the information regarding the available automated technical support;

determining, by the device and based on the received indication of the selection, the specific technical support required by the end-user device; and

providing, by the device and based on determining the specific technical support required by the end-user device, the specific technical support required by the end-user device.

2. The method of claim 1, where, when providing the information regarding the end-user dictated content, the method includes:

providing information regarding at least one frequently selected technical support topic of the plurality of technical support topics.

3. The method of claim 1, where, when providing the information regarding the end-user dictated content, the method includes:

providing information regarding frequently searched keywords.

4. The method of claim 1, where the available automated technical support is selected by the device based on the information regarding the usage patterns of particular resources of the end-user device and based on the information regarding the similar usage patterns between the end-user and the group of other end-users, and

where, when providing the information regarding the end-user dictated content, the method includes:

providing content regarding the plurality of technical support topics, the content being editable by the end-user device.

5. The method of claim 1, where, when providing the information regarding the available automated technical support, the method includes:

providing information regarding automated processing that may be performed on the end-user device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, by the device to the end-user device and prior to the device receiving the indication of the specific technical support required by the end-user device, information regarding a mechanism to initiate communication with a technical support technician.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, by the device from the end-user device, an indication of a selection of the mechanism to initiate communication with the technical support technician.

8. A method comprising:

receiving, by an end-user device from a device prior to the device receiving an indication of specific technical support required by the end-user device, information regarding end-user dictated content for a plurality of technical support topics,

the end-user dictated content being based on information regarding the plurality of technical support topics,

the information regarding the plurality of technical support topics being based on information received from a plurality of end-user devices during a particular period of time;

receiving, by the end-user device from the device prior to the device receiving the indication of the specific technical support required by the end-user device, information regarding available automated technical support,

the available automated technical support being selected by the device based on information regarding usage patterns of particular resources of the end-user device and based on information regarding similar usage patterns between an end-user, of the end-user device, and a group of other end-users,

the particular resources of the end-user device including particular hardware of the end-user device, and

the group of other end-users having at least one characteristic in common with the end-user,

the at least one characteristic including a geographic location;

providing, by the end-user device and to the device, an indication of a selection of at least a portion of at least one of;

information regarding end-user dictated content for at least one technical support topic of the plurality of technical support topics, or

the information regarding the available automated technical support; and

receiving, by the end-user device, from the device, and based on the device determining the specific technical support required by the end-user device, the specific technical support required by the end-user device.

9. The method of claim 8, where, when receiving the information regarding the end-user dictated content, the method includes:

receiving information regarding at least one frequently selected technical support topic of the plurality of technical support topics.

10. The method of claim 8, where, when receiving the information regarding the end-user dictated content, the method includes:

receiving information regarding frequently searched keywords.

11. The method of claim 8, where, when receiving the information regarding the end-user dictated content, the method includes:

receiving content regarding the plurality of technical support topics, the content being editable by the end-user device.

12. The method of claim 8, where, when receiving the information regarding the available automated technical support, the method includes:

receiving information regarding automated processing that may be performed on the end-user device.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving, by the end-user device, from the device, and prior to the device receiving the indication of the specific technical support required by the end-user device, information regarding a mechanism to initiate communication with a technical support technician.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

providing, by the end-user device and to the device, an indication of a selection of the mechanism to initiate communication with the technical support technician.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a memory to store instructions; and

a processor to execute the instructions to;

provide, to an end-user device prior to receiving an indication of specific technical support required by the end-user device, information regarding end-user dictated content for a plurality of technical support topics,

the end-user dictated content being based on information regarding the plurality of technical support topics,

the information regarding the plurality of technical support topics being based on information received from a plurality of end-user devices during a particular period of time;

provide, to the end-user device and prior to receiving the indication of the specific technical support required by the end-user device, information regarding available automated technical support,

the available automated technical support being selected by the apparatus based on information regarding usage patterns of particular resources of the end-user device and based on information regarding similar usage patterns between an end-user, of the end-user device, and a group of other end-users,

the particular resources of the end-user device including particular hardware of the end-user device, and

the group of other end-users having at least one characteristic in common with the end-user,

 

the at least one characteristic including a geographic location;

receive, from the end-user device, an indication of selection of at least a portion of at least one of;

information regarding end-user dictated content for at least one technical support topic of the plurality of technical support topics, or

the information regarding the available automated technical support;

determine, based on the received indication of the selection, the specific technical support required by the end-user device; and

provide, based on determining the specific technical support required by the end-user device, the specific technical support required by the end-user device.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, where the processor, when providing the information regarding the end-user dictated content, is to:

provide information regarding at least one frequently selected technical support topic of the plurality of technical support topics.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, where the processor, when providing the information regarding the end-user dictated content, is to:

provide information regarding frequently searched keywords.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, where the processor, when providing the information regarding the end-user dictated content, is to:

provide content regarding the plurality of technical support topics,

the content being editable by the end-user device.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, where the processor, when providing the information regarding the available automated technical support, is to:

provide information regarding automated processing that may be performed on the end-user device.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, where the processor is further to:

provide, to the end-user device and prior to receiving the indication of the specific technical support required by the end-user device, information regarding a mechanism to initiate communication with a technical support technician.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, where the processor is further to:

receive, from the end-user device, an indication of a selection of the mechanism to initiate communication with the technical support technician.

22. An end-user device comprising:

a memory to store instructions; and

a processor to execute the instructions to;

receive, from a device prior to the device receiving an indication of specific technical support required by the end-user device, information regarding end-user dictated content for a plurality of technical support topics,

the end-user dictated content being based on information regarding the plurality of technical support topics,

the information regarding the plurality of technical support topics being based on information received from a plurality of end-user devices during a particular period of time;

receive, from the device prior to the device receiving the indication of the specific technical support required by the end-user device, information regarding available automated technical support,

the available automated technical support being selected by the device based on information regarding usage patterns of particular resources of the end-user device and based on information regarding similar usage patterns between an end-user, of the end-user device, and a group of other end-users,

the particular resources of the end-user device including particular hardware of the end-user device, and

the group of other end-users having at least one characteristic in common with the end-user,

 

the at least one characteristic including a geographic location;

provide, to the device, an indication of a selection of at least a portion of at least one of;

information regarding end-user dictated content for at least one technical support topic of the plurality of technical support topics, or

the information regarding the available automated technical support; and

receive, from the device and based on the device determining the specific technical support required by the end-user device, the specific technical support required by the end-user device.

23. The end-user device of claim 22, where the processor, when receiving the information regarding the end-user dictated content, is to:

receive information regarding at least one frequently selected technical support topic of the plurality of technical support topics.

24. The end-user device of claim 22, where the processor, when receiving the information regarding the end-user dictated content, is to:

receive information regarding frequently searched keywords.

25. The end-user device of claim 22, where the processor, when receiving the information regarding the end-user dictated content, is to:

receive content regarding the plurality of technical support topics,

the content being editable by the end-user device.

26. The end-user device of claim 22, where the processor, when receiving the information regarding the available automated technical support, is to:

receive information regarding automated processing that may be performed on the end-user device.

27. The end-user device of claim 22, where the processor is further to:

receive, from the device and prior to the device receiving the indication of the specific technical support required by the end-user device, information regarding a mechanism to initiate communication with a technical support technician.

28. The end-user device of claim 27, where the processor is further to:

provide, to the device, an indication of a selection of the mechanism to initiate communication with the technical support technician.