US 10,848,567 B1 · Remote support for IoT devices

Abstract

A support agent uses a user interface within a web browser to support a remote internet of things (IoT) device in proximity to a user operating a smartphone having a proxy app installed thereon. The agent establishes a peer to peer connection between the smartphone proxy app and the agent user interface, such as with WebRTC. The proxy app scans for the IoT device and establishes a wireless connection between the smartphone and the IoT device. The agent by issuing instructions from the agent user interface to the smartphone proxy app is able to solicit or receive data from the IoT device, and to thereby adjust, configure, or diagnose the status of the IoT device. The proxy app may also establish video, voice or chat peer to peer communications with the agent, allowing the user to assist the agent in diagnosing the status of the IoT device.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A system for facilitating the remote support by a support agent user of an internet of things (IoT) device in proximity to a remote user, comprising:

an IoT device, having the capacity to send and receive wireless communications including data regarding the status of the IoT device;
a smartphone having the capacity to receive the wireless communications from the IoT device, and to send wireless communications to the IoT device, and further having the capacity to communicate with a wireless network, wherein the smartphone is within 100 yards of the IoT device;
an agent computer running a web browser which displays an agent user interface on a video display visible to the agent user, the agent user interface displaying the status data of the IoT device on the video display for observation by the agent user, wherein the agent computer is remote from the IoT device and the web browser running on the agent computer is connected to communicate with the smartphone over the wireless network;
and
wherein a proxy app is installed on the smartphone, the proxy app being configured to receive the status data from the IoT device and to transmit said data to the agent computer web browser for display on the agent user interface to the agent user, and wherein the web browser agent user interface takes control of the proxy app under the control of the agent user to send commands to the IoT device from the agent computer web browser agent user interface, to thereby adjust, configure, or diagnose the status of the IoT device.

2 more elements

A method for servicing a remote internet of things (IoT) device in proximity to a remote user operating a smartphone having a proxy app installed thereon, the method comprising:

receiving a communication from the remote user indicating that the remote user requires assistance with the proper functioning of the IoT device which is within 100 yards of the remote user;
in response to the received communication, establishing voice communication between a support agent user and the remote user over the remote user's smartphone;
establishing a peer to peer connection between the smartphone with proxy app and a support agent browser under the control of the support agent user, and displaying to the support agent user on the browser a user interface particularly arranged to display values output by the IoT device;
under the control of the agent user interface, after receiving permission from the remote user, causing the smartphone with proxy app to scan for the IoT device and establish a wireless connection between the smartphone with proxy app and the IoT device;
and
issuing instructions from the support agent user interface under the control of the agent user to the smartphone proxy app to solicit or receive data from the IoT device;
and
issuing instructions from the support agent user interface under the control of the agent user to the user smartphone with proxy app which adjust or configure the IoT device under the direction of the support agent user through the support agent user interface for the proper functioning of the user's IoT device.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Remote support for IoT devices

Life of this patent

Remote support for IoT devices

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17