KR20050071761A - Method of providing after service with network device, and system therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

A method and system for providing after-sales service for a network device are disclosed. The after-sales service providing method for a network device according to the present invention comprises the steps of: (a) receiving status information of each network device from a plurality of network devices; (b) determining a state of each network device based on state information of each network device; And (c) generating after-sales service information corresponding to the abnormal state when it is determined that there is an abnormality in the state of at least one of the network devices. According to the present invention, comprehensive management of the network to be managed and all the devices within the network is possible, and the network devices and network operations are optimized through the accurate analysis of the cause and the solution by analyzing the data generated by the network devices. Is possible.

Description

Method of providing after service for network device and system therefor {Method of providing after service with network device, and system therefor}

The present invention relates to a method for providing after-sales service for a network device, and more particularly, network device and network information including state data, customer behavior data, etc. of the network device are collected at a remote central management center, and the device and network Constantly monitor the status of the network, predict failures or failures through the correlated analysis of collected data, and derive the exact cause and solution of the failures or failures in the network through the above analysis in the event of failures or failures. It relates to a method and system for providing a pre- and / or post-sales after-sales service based on this.

As network technology advances and the performance of electronic products including home appliances increases, remote control and management is possible by providing network functions to home appliances such as refrigerators and air conditioners. As described above, electronic products having a network function are called network devices. The network device has a network function so that the user can control the operation of the network devices at a remote location, and the administrator of the network device can provide remote after-sales service of the network devices by performing remote control over the network.

1 to 3 are schematic diagrams of a system for providing after-sales services to network devices according to the prior art.

The after-sales service providing system according to the related art shown in FIG. 1 receives and stores data from the network device (100, 110) having the information collecting means 111, the information collecting means 111, and stores the device information and associated information. A / S integration server 130 integrating A / S provider information and providing to A / S providers, A / S integration server for A / S providers to provide services for network devices A / S performing company terminal 150 supplied with data provided from 130 and a user terminal 170 capable of viewing state and A / S relationship data of a network device.

The information collecting means 111 detects various sensors for detecting the state signals in the network device 100, communication means for identifying internal signals output from the sensors, and transferring them to the A / S integrated server through the Internet network, and sensors and communication means. It includes a processor or a control unit for controlling.

The A / S integration server 130 transmits a remote control service request for the network device 100 from the outside of the network by the customer using the user terminal 170 and transmits the contents to the network through the remote network, or the unit network. It comprehensively displays the current status, allows customers to view or download the necessary content through a browser on the web, and delivers service requests to the service provider.

In the after-sales service providing system according to the prior art, according to whether there is a unit network for each network device and whether there is a relay means such as an A / S integrated server, (1) as shown in FIG. 2, the network of the device, the unit network and the A System in which the relay means of the / S performer is present, (2) non-networking of the apparatus, as shown in FIG. 1, system in which the unit network and relay means of the A / S performer exist, and (3) FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the apparatus may be classified into three types, such as non-networking of a device, a unit network, and a system in which an A / S performing company's relay means does not exist.

In addition, when a unit network is composed of a plurality of devices, there may be a local server or a mobile pad in the unit network that provides partial control and user interface of the unit network, and a gateway for connecting the unit network to an external network. May be present separately.

Although a small capacity Micom is provided in a network device such as a refrigerator and a washing machine equipped with a network function, the microcomputer displays an error state through the self-diagnosis of the device, but the degree of diagnosis is limited, and the function of predicting error occurrence is limited. Lack. In addition, depending on the type of error, a limited level of self-repair is performed, but most of them only display self-diagnosis and failure determination on the display provided in the network equipment, and in the case of the need for business trip repair, a level or after-sales service provider Is staying at the level to notify the fact.

In addition, when an abnormality occurs in a network device, the cause of the abnormality may be caused by an unrelated factor of the network device, for example, another device in the network or a failure of the entire network.

However, the conventional after-sales service providing method is limited to providing remote control / remote management / remote after-sales service for a single device due to lack of unit network integration or lack of unit network integration. The analysis does not provide the cause of the fault, and only the corresponding customer information, device basic information, and device status information are simply delivered. Therefore, there is a limitation that the comprehensive response to the failure resulting from the network or other devices is impossible.

Therefore, the technical problem to be achieved by the present invention is to collect the network device and network information, including the network device status data, customer behavior data, etc. in a remote central management center, to constantly monitor the status of the device and network, Correlate analysis of collected data to predict failures or failures, and in the event of failures or failures, identify the exact cause and solution of failures or failures occurring on the network and proactive and / or follow-up based on them. It is to provide a method and system for providing after-sales service.

In order to achieve the above object, the after-sales service providing method for a network device according to the present invention,

An after-sales service providing method for a network device, comprising: (a) receiving status information of each network device from a plurality of network devices; (b) determining a state of each network device based on state information of each network device; And (c) generating after-sales service information corresponding to the abnormal state when it is determined that there is an abnormality in the state of at least one of the network devices.

In addition, the step (a) preferably further comprises the step of receiving the status information of the network to which the network devices are connected.

In the step (b), it is preferable to determine the state of each network device by analyzing the state information of each network device and the state information of the network.

In addition, the state information of the network device preferably includes the state information for each part of the network device and customer behavior data.

In addition, (d) if it is determined that there is no abnormality in the state of the network devices as a result of the determination in step (b), the method may further include predicting a failure that may occur in the network devices according to a predetermined failure prediction algorithm. desirable.

In order to achieve the above object, the after-sales service providing system for the network device according to the present invention,

An after-sales service providing system for a network device, comprising: a gateway configured to receive status information of each network device from a plurality of network devices; And receiving the state information of each network device from the gateway, determining the state of each network device based on the state information of each network device, and having an abnormality in the state of at least one of the network devices. And a central management center system for generating after-sales service information corresponding to the abnormal state.

The gateway may further receive status information of a network to which the network devices are connected, and the central management center system may correlate and analyze status information of each network device and status information of the network. It is desirable to determine the state of.

In addition, the state information of the network device preferably includes the state information for each part of the network device and customer behavior data.

In addition, when it is determined that there is no abnormality in the state of the network devices, the central management center system preferably predicts a failure that may occur in the network devices according to a predetermined failure prediction algorithm.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

4 is a diagram illustrating a schematic diagram of an after-sales service providing system for a network device according to the present invention. Referring to FIG. 4, the after-sales service providing system for a network device according to the present invention controls a unit network and controls a plurality of network devices 410 and 415 that are objects of a remote management service and generate device and network information. Gateway 430 connecting the external network with the external network, the central management center system 440 for managing the entire network and performing the after-sales service providing method according to the present invention, the central management center database for storing all data generated in the network After receiving the service information from the central management center system 440, and transmits the data generated during the performance of the service to the unit network or individual devices in the network to the central management system after service center system 460, after service Data, actions, and post-analysis The Internet corresponding to a communication network for communication between components of the service, such as an after-service center database 470 storing service information, a unit network and a remote central management center system 440, an after-service center system 460, etc. 480.

The central management center system 440 is a data analysis device 442 for analyzing data received from the central management center application 441 and network devices 410 and 415, which are applications for the operation of the central management center system 440. ).

Network devices 410 and 415 incorporate information collection devices 420 and 425 to collect and transmit device and network information. The information collecting devices 420 and 425 transmit the generated data of the device (or facility) and the network to the remote central management center 440 through the gateway 430 and the Internet 480, and receive the remote control command. It is applied to its own device.

Device and network information refers to various data that the central management center system 440 collects remotely from the unit network in order to achieve the object of the present invention. Examples of device and network information include device identification data, device status data (device operation data, device anomaly data, etc.) and customer behavior data, and include data from each network device and network components (network lines, hubs, etc.). Include all data from

Here, the customer behavior data is data indicating what kind of manipulation behavior the customer has performed on the network device. For example, when the network device is a refrigerator, information about the number of times a customer opens and closes the refrigerator door per predetermined time is provided.

The information collecting device 420 basically stores a sensor unit 423 for detecting an analog signal or a digital signal generated by a device, and device identification data of the corresponding device, and detects a detection signal input from the sensor unit 423. The controller 421 performs processing to generate state data (operation data and abnormal data) of the corresponding device, receives control commands from the outside, and performs individual control of the corresponding device, and the data generated by the network device 410 Communication unit 422 for transmitting to the gateway 430 with the identification data.

As an example, the network devices 410 and 415 may assume home devices constituting a home network, but are not limited thereto. The network devices 410 and 415 may be characterized by providing intensive remote management services through a central management center. In the method of obtaining information necessary for provision, such as the present invention, a building management network, a building, and a building of a building management network, which can be configured in a manner of collecting data generated by a remote device in a central management center and performing correlation analysis. It can be applied to all security management devices that constitute the security management network, and energy metering and control devices that make up the energy management network.

In addition, in the method of handling the device basic data, only the device identification data is stored in the device according to the configuration method, and detailed device basic data is stored in the database 450 of the central management system according to the configuration method. It is also possible to apply a method of extracting and using necessary data through matching through transmission, and also to store basic data of the corresponding device in a specific part of the information collection device in the device.

The gateway 430 is connected to all the devices that are recognized as management targets in the network internally, and externally connects the unit network and the remote center, and the central management center system 440 through the external communication network for all data generated in the unit network. ) To control the various devices to be managed in the unit network by receiving data such as a control command from the central management system 440 through the unit network, and individually controlling the home network according to the configuration method. It can also serve as a user interface.

An after-service providing method for a network device according to the present invention will be described based on the structure of the after-service providing system according to the present invention shown in FIG.

5A and 5B are flowcharts illustrating a method for providing after-sales service to a network device according to the present invention.

First, the central management center system 440 generates a collection target data list for each device (step 501), and then extracts customer information (customer IP, customer holding device list) from the central management center database 450, The gateway 430 of the unit network is called and the corresponding data list is transmitted (step 502).

The gateway 430 receiving the data list transmits the data list for each corresponding network device. After receiving the data list, each network device checks the received data list (step 504), generates a device and network information (step 505), and transmits the information to the gateway 430 (step 506). The gateway 430 transmits the received device and network information to the central management center system 440 (step 507).

Upon receiving the device and network information, the central management center system 440 confirms the network device 410 or the network that has transmitted the corresponding data by mapping with the customer information extracted from the database 450 (operation 509). The data is classified by customer, device, and data usage purpose (status data, customer pattern data) and stored in the database 450 (steps 510 to 513).

The central management center system 440 maps the received state data codes of the network devices 410 and 415 and the state data codes for the device parts with the code table on the central management center system 440 (step 515 and In operation 516, the operation of the unit network and the network devices 410 and 415 may be determined.

If a failure or failure of the network devices 410 or 415 is detected, the service information including the cause and solution of the phenomenon are first generated through the correlation analysis on the extracted data according to a predetermined failure diagnosis algorithm. (Step 520).

The service information generated by the central management center system 440 includes descriptions of the phenomena in the unit network to be managed, the causes and solutions of the phenomena, and the service history and the related customers that have already been taken as necessary. Information including additional information and device information.

However, if a failure or failure of the network devices 410 and 415 is not detected, the status data codes of the network devices 410 and 415 received and the state data codes for each device parts may be centralized according to a predetermined failure prediction algorithm. The failure is predicted by mapping with a code table on the management center system 440 (step 518).

If a failure or failure of the network devices 410, 415 is found or anticipated, whether the response is necessary through remote control by generating service information including the cause and solution of the failure or failure, and whether the response is required by dispatching a service technician. Make a judgment on.

According to the nature of the cause of the failure or failure, if the remote service through the communication network or notification to the customer after the customer's after-sales service request is transferred to the after-sales service center to perform a visit repair (steps 521 to 530)

In the case of action through the central management center system 440, the network devices 410 and 415 and the status of the network are identified and updated in the database 450, and, if necessary, satisfaction and additional measures through wired contact with the customer. In operation 530, a check is performed to determine whether the device is needed.

The central management center system 440 performs a correlation analysis on the states of the network devices 410 and 415 through the aforementioned steps 515 to 520 illustrated in FIG. 5B. The after-sales service system and method according to the present invention concentrates the data generated by the network devices 410 and 415 included in the network to be managed by the central management center system 440 on the central management center system 440. It maintains a predefined code table for symptom and abnormal situation by device, parts by part, and device and parts group according to device characteristics.

The central management center system 440 maps the code held by the collected data to the code table to identify the phenomenon by the data source device or the unit of the network, to analyze the cause of the phenomenon, to identify the cause of the phenomenon, or to identify a method or solution for the cause. By performing the correspondence for each structural unit.

Furthermore, through analysis of the data generated by the data source device or network constituent unit, it is possible to identify the cause of the problem when the entire network occurs, and if the problem occurs in the single device, whether the cause exists in the single device or the network. The exact cause of the problem, the cause analysis, the response to the cause, or the solution can be derived.

Hereinafter, two embodiments of the correlation analysis on the state of the network device will be described. In these two embodiments, the network configuration device is limited to a home network device of a refrigerator, an air conditioner, and a home electrical control panel, and the home network configuration network-related device includes only a home gateway, a network line, and a PLC (Power Line Communication modem). Assuming a home network to be described.

The first embodiment relates to the process of identifying the cause of the failure when all devices and components in the network are identified as a failure and the service information generation process according to the second embodiment. The information generation process.

I. First embodiment

6 is a more detailed flowchart of step 520 shown in FIG. 5B. First, a mapping between a state data code for each network device and a code table included in the central management center system 440 is performed (step 520a), and the state of the network and the general devices is checked.

As a result, it is assumed that a failure situation of the entire network device, that is, all devices in the network are abnormal on the central management center application 441, and all of the network connection elements are also displayed abnormally. This excludes the offline state due to the communication failure due to an abnormality of the network connection element, and assumes only the online state where the connection state is maintained and the abnormal signal can be continuously received.

7 is a diagram illustrating a status code call result of a network component according to the first embodiment.

In this case, 1) there is a problem with the whole device, as shown, 2) a failure situation with each part affects the network as a whole, and 3) there is no problem with the network connection elements and all devices in the network. Due to the above, there may be a case where an abnormality is displayed on the central management center application. In order to accurately determine the situation, through step 520c, detailed device status (per device and part) is individually checked for all components of the network.

8 is a diagram illustrating a state code for each part of the air conditioner, FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a state code for each part of the refrigerator, and FIG. 10 is a diagram for a state code for each part of the home gateway.

8 to 10, it can be seen that there is no abnormality in each network device which is a network component. Therefore, this case can be determined in the same situation as described above 3). At this time, if there is a problem with the device-specific data code and the system code table mapping algorithm during the operation of step 520a, or if there is a problem with the display device of the central management center system 440, The AS staff is dispatched to the network location for due diligence and inspection of the central management center system application 441.

If, as a result of performing step 520a, an abnormal situation occurred in each part affects the entire network, the cause of the failure may be derived by reanalyzing the status codes of each part of the corresponding abnormal device through step 520c. Through step 521, any abnormalities for each device can be properly handled.

For example, in more detail, the state data that is not requested by the refrigerator information collecting device is continuously sent to the gateway, which causes the gateway to be overloaded, which causes the gateway controller to be down so that the status signal of the corresponding network can be properly applied. Describes the case where it can not be handled.

First, the device state database 451 and the customer behavior database 452 call back the state data for each device and part in the network. 11 is a diagram illustrating another example of status codes of network components.

Referring to FIG. 11, although no abnormality occurred in the air conditioner, the home electrical control panel, and other network components, it is understood that there is an abnormality in the states of the refrigerator and the home gateway.

12 is a diagram illustrating another example of a state code for each part of a refrigerator, and FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating another example of a state code for each part of a home gateway.

12 and 13, the status data transmission log test result of the information collecting device of the refrigerator indicates that the number of transmissions exceeds the prescribed range, that the control unit of the home gateway is not operating, and that the home gateway communication unit is normally operated. You can check it. In addition, customers can open and close the refrigerator door more than three times the average value, and the average duration of one open and close also exceeds twice the average value.

As a result of combining the codes shown in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, an abnormal increase due to software overload of the refrigerator information collecting device occurred in the process of processing the temperature increase in the temperature refrigerating compartment and extreme change due to abnormal opening and closing of the door of the user. Occurrence and origination command is repeatedly generated, and accordingly, the home gateway controller is overloaded and the home gateway is down, and it can be confirmed that it is no longer able to send status data.

II. Second embodiment

In the second embodiment, the status data codes of each device and the code table mapping on the system are performed to check the status of the network and various devices. As a result, the power shortage of the refrigerator is displayed, but no abnormality is found in related parts such as the electric processing system in the refrigerator. Imagine if you do not.

In this case, there is a problem of lack of external incoming power actually connected to the refrigerator, a) if there is a problem with the external voltage coming into the home, b) there is no problem with the home incoming voltage, but overvoltage is consumed by other devices in the network. If there is, c) there may be a problem with the power plug connected to the refrigerator.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of a flowchart for correlated analysis of a shortage of inflow of refrigerator power according to a second embodiment of the present invention. According to the correlation analysis algorithm as shown in FIG. 14, the status can be determined by mapping the current status of the refrigerator by performing a status check on the corresponding device or parts defined as affecting the electrical system of the refrigerator. .

The combination of status codes corresponding to the situation is as follows.

① Insufficient refrigerator inlet voltage, Insufficient other parts of refrigerator, Insufficient other equipment, Inner power plug, Insufficient power consumption of other equipment such as air conditioner

② Insufficient refrigerator input voltage, no abnormality of other parts of refrigerator, no abnormality of other equipment, no abnormality of internal power plug, overload detection of air conditioner

③ Insufficient refrigerator input voltage, no abnormality of other parts of the refrigerator, no abnormality of other equipment, abnormality of power supply of the refrigerator, power consumption of other equipment such as air conditioner

FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of a code combination table for correlation analysis according to states of internal parts of a refrigerator.

The code table shown in FIG. 15 may be provided from the development department of the device manufacturer and requires continuous updating and management. In addition, by accumulating and analyzing customer behavior data for each device, customer usage patterns that directly affect the status of the device or network are accumulated and code tables are taken into account to consider customer usability affecting devices and networks. Three-dimensional cause analysis is possible.

The after-service center system 460 receives service information (description of the phenomenon, the cause of the phenomenon, possible solutions to the phenomenon) from the central management center system 440, and assigns a service engineer who performs the actual after-service. To perform the service action result, and feed back the central management center system 440.

The invention can also be embodied as computer readable code on a computer readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium includes all kinds of recording devices in which data that can be read by a computer system is stored. Examples of computer-readable recording media include ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disks, optical data storage devices, and the like, and may also be implemented in the form of a carrier wave (for example, transmission over the Internet). It includes being. The computer readable recording medium can also be distributed over network coupled computer systems so that the computer readable code is stored and executed in a distributed fashion.

So far I looked at the center of the preferred embodiment for the present invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention can be implemented in a modified form without departing from the essential features of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is shown in the claims rather than the foregoing description, and all differences within the scope will be construed as being included in the present invention.

As described above, the present invention provides the following effects.

First, comprehensive management of the network to be managed and all the devices in the network is possible. In other words, it is possible to centralize status data of all network devices, real-time management and continuous management of service history.

Second, it is possible to optimize network devices and network operations by responding to phenomena occurring on the network by deciding the exact cause and solution according to the centralized, continuous accumulation of data generated by the network devices, and the correlation analysis of the phenomenon. Do.

Third, it is possible to reduce the cost of providing after-sales service and to improve service accuracy. Fault prediction and diagnosis based on accurate service information provides service before failure, so that the device and network can be managed at a lower cost than when post-failure is handled. Based on the service response can improve service accuracy.

Fourth, it is possible to maximize user convenience and improve satisfaction by optimizing the state of network devices and providing proactive services.

1 to 3 are schematic diagrams of a system for providing after-sales services to network devices according to the prior art;

4 is a view showing a schematic diagram of an after-sales service providing system for a network device according to the present invention;

5A and 5B are flowcharts illustrating a method for providing after-sales service to a network device according to the present invention;

6 is a more detailed flow chart of step 520 shown in FIG. 5B;

7 is a diagram illustrating a status code call result of a network component according to the first embodiment;

8 is a diagram illustrating a status code for each part of an air conditioner;

9 is a view illustrating a status code for each part of a refrigerator;

10 is a diagram illustrating a status code for each part of a home gateway;

11 illustrates another example of status codes of network components;

12 is a view showing another example of a status code for each part of a refrigerator;

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating another example of a part code of a home gateway; FIG.

14 is a view showing an example of a flow chart for the correlation analysis for the lack of refrigerator intake power according to a second embodiment of the present invention,

FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of a code combination table for correlation analysis according to states of internal parts of a refrigerator.

Claims (11)

In the after-sales service providing method for a network device, (a) receiving status information of each network device from a plurality of network devices; (b) determining a state of each network device based on state information of each network device; And and (c) generating after-sales service information corresponding to the abnormal state when it is determined that there is an abnormality in the state of at least one of the network devices. According to claim 1, The step (a) further comprises the step of receiving the status information of the network to which the network devices are connected. The method of claim 2, The step (b) is characterized by determining the state of each network device by correlating state information of each network device and the state information of the network. According to claim 1, The status information of the network device comprises the status information for each part of the network device and customer behavior data. According to claim 1, (d) if it is determined that there is no abnormality in the state of the network devices as a result of the determination in step (b), further comprising predicting a failure that may occur in the network devices according to a predetermined failure prediction algorithm. How to. In the after-sales service providing system for a network device, A gateway for receiving status information of each network device from the plurality of network devices; And The state information of each network device is received from the gateway, the state of each network device is determined based on the state information of each network device, and the state of at least one of the network devices is abnormal. If it is determined that the system comprises a central management center system for generating after-sales service information corresponding to the abnormal state. The method of claim 6, And the gateway further receives state information of a network to which the network devices are connected. The method of claim 7, wherein And the central management center system determines the state of each network device by correlating state information of each network device and state information of the network. The method of claim 6, The state information of the network device includes the state information for each part of the network device and customer behavior data. The method of claim 6, And the central management center system predicts a failure that may occur in the network devices according to a predetermined failure prediction algorithm when it is determined that there is no abnormality in the state of the network devices. (a) receiving status information of each network device from a plurality of network devices; (b) determining a state of each network device based on state information of each network device; And and (c) generating after-sales service information corresponding to the abnormal state if it is determined that there is an error in at least one of the network devices. A computer-readable recording medium that records a program for implementing the method.