Method and apparatus enabling live troubleshooting of devices in energy distribution industry or other industry using mobile devices

A mobile device comprising:

• a communication unit configured to communicate with a field device when the mobile device is proximate to the field device;
• and
• at least one processing device configured to:
• initiate a chat session between a first user of the mobile device and a second user remote from the field device;
• receive, via the chat session, one or more commands for the field device from a computing device used by the second user;
• initiate transmission of the one or more commands to the field device for execution by the field device;
• receive information from the field device indicating results of the one or more commands;
• and
• initiate transmission of the information to the computing device via the chat session of the information indicating the results of the one or more commands.

A method comprising:

• receiving a request to create a chat session between a first user of a mobile device in proximity to a field device and a second user remote from the field device;
• sending, from a computing device used by the second user via the chat session, one or more messages from the second user to the mobile device;
• sending, from the computing device via the chat session, one or more commands for the field device to the mobile device;
• and
• receiving, at the computing device via the chat session, information from the field device.

An apparatus comprising:

• at least one processing device configured to:
• receive a request to create a chat session between a first user of a mobile device in proximity to a field device and a second user remote from the field device;
• initiate transmission of one or more messages from the second user to the mobile device via the chat session;
• initiate transmission of one or more commands for the field device to the mobile device via the chat session;
• and
• receive information from the field device via the chat session.