Online simultaneous/altering-audio/video/voice data based service and support for computer systems

An online computer support system comprising:

• a user computer operated by a user and coupled to a communication line;
• hardware components coupled to the user computer;
• a customer service center including a customer service representative and electronic equipment coupled to the communication line;
• means, coupled to the user computer and to the electronic equipment, for transferring digital data over the communication line;
• means, coupled to the user computer and the electronic equipment, for transferring audio data and image data over the communication line so that the user and the customer representative can interact;
• and
• means for transferring information about the hardware from the user computer to the customer service center over the communication line for identifying operating characteristics of the hardware to the customer service representative.

An online computer support system for diagnosing a problem with a user computer, said system comprising:

• a communication line coupled to the user computer;
• software residing in the user computer, wherein the software includes a version number associated with the software, wherein the means for transferring information about the software includes means for transferring the version number;
• a customer service center including electronic equipment coupled to the communication line;
• means, coupled to the user computer and to the electronic equipment, for transferring digital data over the communication line;
• and
• means for transferring diagnostic information about the software from the user computer to the customer service center over the communication line.

An online computer support system comprising:

• a communications link, having a first end and a second end, capable of transferring audio, image, and computer information;
• a user computer comprising:
• one or more devices, each device having one or more associated designators among index, description, interrupt request line, direct memory access location, input/output range, and memory range;
• means for interrogating the user computer for an assessment of the one or more designators;
• means for interrogating the user computer for a status of executable processes;
• a connection to the first end of the communications link;
• means for communicating the assessment and the status as computer information through the communications link;
• means for receiving audio, image, and computer information from the communications link;
• and
• means for interpreting the computer information received from the communications link;
• a user telephone connected to the first end of the communications link;
• a communications and data processing server system connected to the second end of the communications link comprising:
• means for physically storing and retrieving data;
• a data base system for systematically storing, retrieving, and modifying the data, the data base system linked to the means for storing and retrieving data;
• means for routing the data among one or more customer service representative stations and the data base system;
• means for routing audio, image, and computer information received from the second end of the communications link among the one or more customer service representative stations;
• means for routing audio, image, and computer information received from the one or more customer service representative stations to the second end of the communications link;
• and
• means for forwarding computer information from the second end of the communications link to the data base system;
• and the one or more customer service representative stations comprising:
• a computer station linked to the means for routing data;
• the computer station linked to the means for routing audio, image, and computer information;
• the computer station including means for assembling the data, audio, image, and computer information for presentation to a computer station user;
• the computer station including means for collecting data, audio, image, and computer information for routing to the communications and data processing server system;
• and
• a station telephone linked to the means for routing audio information.

A method for providing online computer support for diagnosing a fault in a user computer operated by a user and coupled to a communication line comprising:

• collecting data about the user computer;
• collecting audio information;
• steps for transmitting the data and the audio information over the communication line, so that a customer representative and the user interact via the transferred data and audio information;
• and
• steps for transferring diagnostic information about the user computer from the user computer to the customer service representative over the communication line, so that the customer service representative can diagnose the fault in the user computer.

A method for providing online computer support for diagnosing a fault in a user computer operated by a user and coupled to a communication line comprising:

• running interrogation software on the user computer to collect data about the user computer;
• transferring the data over the communication line to a communications and data processing server;
• storing the data on physical data storage associated with the server;
• running a system diagnostic program on the user computer;
• detecting the fault on the user computer via the system diagnostic program;
• notifying the user of the fault;
• steps for transferring system information about the user computer and user audio information over the communication line, so that a customer representative and the user interact via the transferred system information and audio information;
• linking the system information to the data stored on the physical data storage;
• steps for transferring the linked data stored on the physical data storage to the customer service representative;
• steps for transferring commands from the customer service representative to the user computer over the communications line;
• and
• steps for transferring diagnostic information about the user computer from the user computer to the customer service representative over the communication line, so that the customer service representative can diagnose the fault in the user computer.

A method for providing online computer support for diagnosing a fault in a user computer operated by a user and coupled to a communication line comprising:

• running interrogation software on the user computer to collect data about the user computer;
• transferring the data over the communication line to a communications and data processing server;
• storing the data on physical data storage associated with the server;
• steps for transferring user audio information over the communication line, so that a customer representative and the user interact via the audio information;
• linking the audio information to the data stored on the physical data storage;
• steps for transferring the linked data stored on the physical data storage to the customer service representative;
• steps for transferring commands from the customer service representative over the communication line to the user computer, so that the customer service representative directs the running of a system diagnostic program on the user computer;
• and
• steps for transferring diagnostic information about the user computer from the user computer to the customer service representative over the communication line, so that the customer service representative can diagnose the fault in the user computer.