Method and apparatus for conducting a support and diagnostic session on a remote computer
OwnerMarton B. Ankainventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a remote support and diagnostic system, the supported computer is automatically identified via a computer identifier that is stored with the support history in the gateway servers. The computer identifier is generated from several pieces of information concerning the hardware and the operating system of the host computer which are collected during a support session. This information is combined and applied to a one-way cryptographic hash function to produce a computer identifier. The identifier is then stored with, and used to retrieve, the support history. This identifier has a very high likelihood to be unique to a particular computer system, yet it does not expose any potentially sensitive data that is used to make up the identifier.
Claims20
A method for conducting a support and diagnostic session on a supported computer from a remote technician computer via an intervening gateway server, the method comprising:
- (a) downloading an applet from the gateway server to the supported computer;
- (b) using the applet to collect a plurality of pieces of system information from the supported computer;
- (c) combining the pieces of system information and passing the combined system information through a one-way cryptographic hash function to generate a computer ID;
- and
- (d) using the computer ID to access the gateway server and to retrieve information saved during a previous support session.
Apparatus for conducting a support and diagnostic session on a supported computer from a remote technician computer via an intervening gateway server, the apparatus comprising:
- a mechanism that downloads an applet from the gateway server to the supported computer;
- a mechanism in the applet that collects a plurality of pieces of system information from the supported computer;
- a combiner that combines the pieces of system information;
- a one-way cryptographic hash function that receives combined system information and generates a computer ID;
- and
- a mechanism that uses the computer ID to access the gateway server and to retrieve information saved during a previous support session.
Apparatus for conducting a support and diagnostic session on a supported computer from a remote technician computer via an intervening gateway server, the apparatus comprising:
- means for downloading an applet from the gateway server to the supported computer;
- means in the applet for collecting a plurality of pieces of system information from the supported computer;
- means for combining the pieces of system information and passing the combined system information through a one-way cryptographic hash function to generate a computer ID;
- and
- means for using the computer ID to access the gateway server and to retrieve information saved during a previous support session.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.