Remote diagnostics for a computing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9535816-B2
Application number	US-201314144157-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 30, 2013
Priority date	Dec 30, 2013
Publication date	Jan 3, 2017
Grant date	Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

For remote diagnostics of a computing device, a method is disclosed that includes collecting failure information from a computing device, wherein the computing device has an error, encapsulating the failure information into a file, and transmitting the file from the computing device to a remote device using a low level file transfer protocol.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a processor;
a memory that stores code executable by the processor to:
collect failure information in response to an error at a computing device;
encapsulate the failure information into an information file, the failure information relating to the error;
transmit the information file to a remote device using a low level file transfer protocol; and
receive a diagnostic file from the remote device, the diagnostic file being generated by the remote device in response to the information file, wherein the diagnostic file comprises instructions to correct the error at the computing device, wherein the instructions to correct the error are selected from the group consisting of: configuration parameters to correct the error, human readable instructions for correcting the error, and computer readable instructions for correcting the error.

2. The application of claim 1 , wherein the error comprises a boot error and the processor transmits the information file without assistance from an operating system.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions to correct the error at the computing device comprise instructions to disable a component.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the diagnostic file contains configuration parameters for correcting the error and wherein the processor further reconfigures the computing device based on the configuration parameters in the diagnostic file.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the low level file transfer protocol is selected from the group consisting of a media transfer protocol and a universal serial bus mass storage protocol.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is a personal computer, and the remote device is selected from the group consisting of a storage device, and a mobile device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the file module encapsulates the information file using object notation.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions to correct the error at the computing device comprises computer-readable instructions and wherein the memory further comprises code executable by the processor to execute the computer-readable instructions in the diagnostic file to correct the error.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the diagnostic file contains human readable instructions for correcting the error, and wherein the processor further displays the human readable instructions.

10. A method comprising:
collecting, by use of a processor, failure information from a computing device, wherein the computing device has an error;
encapsulating the failure information into an information file, the failure information relating to the error;
transmitting the information file from the computing device to a remote device using a low level file transfer protocol; and
receiving a diagnostic file from the remote device, the diagnostic file being generated by the remote device in response to the information file, wherein the diagnostic file comprises instructions to correct the error at the computing device, wherein the instructions to correct the error are selected from the group consisting of: configuration parameters to correct the error, human readable instructions for correcting the error, and computer readable instructions for correcting the error.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the error comprises a boot error and transmitting comprises transmitting the information file without assistance from an operating system.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the instructions to correct the error at the computing device comprise instructions to a controller of the computing device to disable a component of the computing device.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the instructions to correct the error at the computing device comprise instructions to a controller of the computing device to reconfigure a basic input output system of the computing device.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising executing instructions in the diagnostic file to correct the error.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the computing device is a personal computer, and the remote device is selected from the group consisting of a storage device and a mobile device.

16. The method of claim 10 , further comprising uploading the information file to a remote server, the remote server generating the diagnostic file.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein a format of the information file is based on object notation.

18. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium that stores code executable by a processor to perform:
collecting failure information from a computing device, wherein the computing device has an error;
encapsulating the failure information into an information file, the failure information relating to the error;
transmitting the information file from the computing device to a remote device using a low level file transfer protocol; and
receiving a diagnostic file from the remote device, the diagnostic file being generated by the remote device in response to the information file, wherein the diagnostic file comprises instructions to correct the error at the computing device, wherein the instructions to correct the error are selected from the group consisting of: configuration parameters to correct the error, human readable instructions for correcting the error, and computer readable instructions for correcting the error.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 , wherein the low level file transfer protocol is selected from the group consisting of a media transfer protocol and a universal serial bus mass storage protocol.

20. The computer program product of claim 18 , wherein the instructions to correct the error at the computing device comprises computer-readable instructions, the code further to perform: executing the computer-readable instructions in the diagnostic file to correct the error.

Assignees

• Lenovo Singapore Pte Ltd
• Lenovo (Singapore)

Inventors

• Young Bryan L
• Peterson Nathan J
• Pamley Marc Richard

Classifications

• G06F11/0709 Primary

  in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems · CPC title

• G06F11/366 Primary

  using diagnostics (G06F11/0703 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F11/0784

  Routing of error reports, e.g. with a specific transmission path or data flow · CPC title