Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
  • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
  • G06F9/00—Arrangements for program control, e.g. control units
  • G06F9/06—Arrangements for program control, e.g. control units using stored programs, i.e. using an internal store of processing equipment to receive or retain programs
  • G06F9/44—Arrangements for executing specific programs
  • G06F9/451—Execution arrangements for user interfaces
  • G06F9/453—Help systems

Definitions

• This invention pertains generally to providing remote computing assistance, and more specifically to providing image-based guidance for remote component configuration assistance.
• a remote administrator is not present at the user site, and thus cannot connect cables, plug- in printers, and otherwise physically configure components for the user.
• Voice or email guidance directing users through the physical configuration of computer components is often too vague or unfamiliar to the user. For example, instructing a user to "plug that end of the cable into the USB port" does not help a user who does not know what a USB port is. For example, consider an experienced computer expert trying to help his/her mother (over the telephone) to connect her printer to her PC. The conversation would typically sound something like this:
• Visual images of computer components are provided to remotely guide users through the process of setting up physical connections. Component identifying information is automatically gleaned and provided from a user's computer to a remote administrator.
• the administrator provides visual images of the components to the user, and remotely annotates them to guide the user through the configuration process.
• Image annotation can include pointing to a specific section of the image (e.g., the plug into which a cable is to be inserted) and/or drawing or writing on or otherwise marking-up the image to direct the user's attention.
• the visual image-based guidance can be supplemented by voice communication with the user.
• Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system in which a remote assistance manager enables robust remote computer component configuration assistance, according to some embodiments of the present invention.
• Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating using a webcam to identify components, according to another embodiment of the present invention.
• Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating a remote assistance manager providing remote configuration assistance for a plurality of components on a user's home network, according to some embodiment of the present invention.
• Figure 1 illustrates a system 100 in which a remote assistance manager 101 enables robust remote computer component configuration assistance within a remote management and administration context, according to some embodiments of the present invention.
• a remote assistance manager 101 enables robust remote computer component configuration assistance within a remote management and administration context, according to some embodiments of the present invention.
• each illustrated component represents a collection of functionalities which can be implemented as software, hardware, firmware or any combination of these.
• a component can be implemented as a standalone program, but can also be implemented in other ways, for example as part of a larger program, as a plurality of separate programs, as a kernel loadable module, as one or more device drivers or as one or more statically or dynamically linked libraries .
• a component identification agent 103 running on a user's 104 computer 105 strongly identifies (e.g., exact make and model number, etc.) the components 106 on the local system 105, and transmits component identification information 107 to the remote assistance manager 101.
• the component identification agent 103 can poll both the operating system 189 running on the user's 104 computer 105 and/or the components 106 themselves to obtain this information 107.
• the implementation mechanics of such polling operations is known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art, and the usage thereof within the context of embodiments of the present invention will be readily apparent to those of such a skill level in light of this specification. In most instances, these polling operations will be sufficient to obtain component identification information 107.
• Other techniques for identifying difficult components 106 are discussed below.
• the remote assistance manager 101 uses the component identification information 107 to retrieve images 109 of the components in question.
• the administrator 111 e.g., the sophisticated party who is providing the technical help
• the remote assistance manager 101 can run, for example, on a central computer (not illustrated) or on the administrator's computer 113, as desired.
• the remote assistance manager 101 has access to a collection of images 109 of components 106, e.g., via the internet or a component image database 115, stored locally or remotely.
• the remote assistance manager 101 also has network connectivity access to the user's 104 computer 105, via. e.g., the internet, another type of wide area network, or a dedicated connection.
• the administrator 111 While the administrator 111 is in voice or electronic communication with the user 104 (e.g., via telephone, voice over internet, instant messaging, email, etc.), s/he can remotely push the images 109 to the user's 104 screen, along with visual cues 117.
• the administrator 111 can not only display images 109 of specific components 106 to the user 104, but can also point to specific areas and parts of the components 106, e.g., with a mouse pointer, and annotate the images 109 with a drawing tool or the like.
• Annotating the image 109 can include, for example, highlighting sections of the image, or drawing or writing on or otherwise marking-up the image 109 to direct the user's 104 attention. This provides much more tangible assistance to the user 104.
• a webcam 201 can be used as a feedback interface. For example, suppose the component identification agent 103 running on the user's 104 computer
• the user 104 could point the web camera 201 at the device 106, and the resulting digital image 109 could be used by the administrator 111 for offering configuration help, or for selecting an image 109.
• the webcam 201 could scan serial numbers or bar codes and the like, to provide strong identification information of components 106 that cannot otherwise be identified. Where a webcam 201 is not available, the user
• the component identification agent 103 running on the user's 104 computer 105 can identify not only computer peripherals 106 such as printers, display and audio devices, network connectivity devices, etc., but also any component 106 on the user's home network 301, such as other desktop computing devices 303, mobile computing devices 305, digital television recorders 307 (e.g., TIVO® devices), smart appliances 309, etc.
• computer peripherals 106 such as printers, display and audio devices, network connectivity devices, etc.
• any component 106 on the user's home network 301 such as other desktop computing devices 303, mobile computing devices 305, digital television recorders 307 (e.g., TIVO® devices), smart appliances 309, etc.
• a component of the present invention is implemented as software
• the component can be implemented as a script, as a standalone program, as part of a larger program, as a plurality of separate scripts and/or programs, as a statically or dynamically linked library, as a kernel loadable module, as a device driver, and/or in every and any other way known now or in the future to those of skill in the art of computer programming.
• the present invention is in no way limited to implementation in any specific programming language, or for any specific operating system or environment.
• the software components thereof can be stored on computer readable media as computer program products.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Software Systems (AREA)
• Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
• Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Computer And Data Communications (AREA)
• Information Transfer Between Computers (AREA)
• Selective Calling Equipment (AREA)
• Accessory Devices And Overall Control Thereof (AREA)

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Citations (3)

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• 2007
  • 2007-12-21 US US11/963,694 patent/US8151193B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2008
  • 2008-12-19 WO PCT/US2008/087780 patent/WO2009082707A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2008-12-19 CN CN2008801198192A patent/CN101918938B/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2008-12-19 EP EP08864518.9A patent/EP2238543B1/en active Active
  • 2008-12-19 JP JP2010539897A patent/JP5264931B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related

Patent Citations (3)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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