Remote live support tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10749912-B2
Application number	US-201715727298-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 6, 2017
Priority date	Oct 6, 2016
Publication date	Aug 18, 2020
Grant date	Aug 18, 2020

Abstract

To facilitate remote support, a live remote support tool providing versatile information exchange between an apparatus at a site and another apparatus in a remote support site is disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
starting in a first apparatus a remote support application, the remote support application containing address information to a remote support site;
establishing a first connection for a first remote support session between the first apparatus and a second apparatus in the remote support site;
detecting, while the first remote session is active between the first apparatus and the second apparatus, by the remote support application in the first apparatus an input requesting a live support session;
causing sending, from the first apparatus to the second apparatus, within the first remote support session over the first connection between the first apparatus and the second apparatus, a request for the live support session;
causing establishing, while maintaining the first connection between the first apparatus and the second apparatus and continuing to run the remote support application and the first remote support session, a second connection for the live support session between the first apparatus and a third apparatus in the remote support site, wherein the first remote support session and the live support session are parallel remote support sessions to and from the remote support application in the first apparatus and the first connection and the second connection are separate connections to the first apparatus, the first connection existing at least as long as the second connection exists;
using the second connection for the live support session to exchange information over the live support session between the first apparatus and the third apparatus;
establishing a third connection from the first apparatus to a fourth apparatus in a site in which the first apparatus is;
receiving by the first apparatus in the live support session from the third apparatus a request to establish a fourth connection from the third apparatus to the fourth apparatus via the first apparatus;
prompting a user of the first apparatus in the live support session to accept the fourth connection from the third apparatus to the fourth apparatus to be established via the first apparatus, wherein the fourth connection is a direct connection between the third apparatus and the fourth apparatus for information exchange without involvement of the user of the first apparatus; and
allowing, in response to receiving a user input accepting the fourth connection, by the first apparatus, establishment of the fourth connection between the third apparatus and the fourth apparatus via the first apparatus.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
outputting in the first apparatus first information received from the third apparatus over the live support session and second information sent to the third apparatus over the live support session as an aggregate information regardless of a media type of the first information and a media type of the second information.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information exchanged includes one or more of a chat message, video call, image, video clip, audio clip and file.

4. A method comprising:
establishing a first connection for a first remote support session between a first apparatus and a second apparatus in a remote support site;
receiving over the first connection, from the first apparatus, by the second apparatus, a live support session request within the first remote support session;
causing sending, by the second apparatus, in response to receiving the live support session request, session establishment requests for the live support session to a plurality of third apparatuses connected to the second apparatus in the remote support site;
causing, by the second apparatus, in response to at least one third apparatus of the plurality of third apparatuses accepting a session establishment request for the live support session, establishing a second connection for the live support session between the first apparatus and one of the at least one third apparatus in the remote support site while maintaining the first remote support session, wherein the first remote support session and the live support session are parallel remote support sessions to and from a remote support application in the first apparatus and the first connection and the second connection are separate connections, the first connection existing at least as long as the second connection exists;
sending to the first apparatus in the live support session a request received from one of the at least one third apparatus of the plurality of third apparatuses to establish a fourth connection from the one third apparatus to a fourth apparatus in a site in which the first apparatus is via the first apparatus using a third connection established between the first apparatus and the fourth apparatus, wherein the fourth connection is a direct connection between the one third apparatus and the fourth apparatus for information exchange without involvement of a user of the first apparatus; and
establishing, in response to the first apparatus allowing after receiving a user input accepting the fourth connection, the fourth connection between the one third apparatus and the fourth apparatus via the first apparatus.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
using the second connection for the live support session to exchange information over the live support session between the first apparatus and the third apparatus;
outputting in the third apparatus first information received from the first apparatus over the live support session and second information sent to the first apparatus over the live support session as an aggregate information regardless of a media type of the first information and a media type of the second information.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the information exchanged includes one or more of a chat message, video call, voice call, image, video clip, audio clip and file.

7. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer program instructions which, when run by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
establish, when a remote support application, the remote support application containing address information to a remote support site, is started in a first apparatus comprising the at least one processor, a first connection for a first remote support session between the first apparatus and a second apparatus in the remote support site;
cause sending, in response to detecting by the remote support application an input requesting a live support session, from the first apparatus to the second apparatus within the first remote support session over the first connection a request for a second connection for the live support session;
cause establishing, while maintaining the first connection and continuing to run the remote support application and the first remote support session, a second connection for the live support session between the first apparatus and a third apparatus in the remote support site wherein the first remote support session and the live support session are parallel remote support sessions to and from the remote support application in the first apparatus and the first connection and the second connection are separate connections to the first apparatus, the first connection existing at least as long as the second connection exists;
use the second connection for the live support session to exchange information over the live support session between the first apparatus and the third apparatus;
cause establishing a third connection from the first apparatus to a fourth apparatus in a site in which the first apparatus is;
cause prompting, in response to receiving by the first apparatus in the live support session from the third apparatus a request to

Assignees

• Abb Technology Oy
• Abb Schweiz Ag

Inventors

• Hu Zhongliang
• Tanila Teemu

Classifications

• G06Q10/20 Primary

  Administration of product repair or maintenance · CPC title

• H04L67/025

  for remote control or remote monitoring of applications · CPC title

• H04L65/1069 Primary

  Session establishment or de-establishment · CPC title

• H04L41/5061

  characterised by the interaction between service providers and their network customers, e.g. customer relationship management · CPC title

• Y02P90/30

  Computing systems specially adapted for manufacturing · CPC title