Method and System for Generic and Secure Troubleshooting of Appliances Using Wireless and Mobile Network

摘要

An appliance which includes a Bluetooth® module which is used to communicate with an appliance app on a smartphone. The appliance app connects with the appliance and with the appliance manufacturer to provide a connection path from the appliance to the manufacturer's diagnosis computer system. The appliance and the manufacturer's diagnosis computer system can then interact and perform information transfers and diagnostic operations as desired. In some cases the appliance app is also involved and is used to request user operations, both for information and to assist in the diagnosis if needed.

主权项

1. A system comprising:
an appliance including:
a processor;a Bluetooth module connected to said processor;a memory connected to said processor and containing firmware for managing appliance functions and for performing diagnostics, said diagnostics including communicating with a remote diagnostics system over a Bluetooth link and performing diagnostic operations; anda user interface coupled to said processor; and an appliance app for execution on a portable computer, the portable computer including a processor, a Bluetooth module connected to the processor, a memory connected to the processor and storing software for performing portable computer functions and said appliance app, at least one of a WiFi interface and a cellular interface, and a user interface coupled to the processor, said appliance app, when executed, causing the portable computer to communicate with said appliance over a Bluetooth link, to communicate with the remote diagnostics system using the at least one of a WiFi interface and a cellular interface, and to relay information between said appliance and the remote diagnostics system.