Managing telecommunications or network device installation

Abstract

First and second encoded data 106,108, corresponding to respective telecommunications or network components 102,104, is received and decoded. Respective data is compared to determine whether the two

Description

FIELD

[001] The disclosure relates generally to the field of telecommunications or network device installation. More particularly, the disclosure relates to a method for managing telecommunications or network device management and a system for telecommunications or network device installation management. BACKGROUND

[002] Telecommunications and / or network devices often need to be installed or maintained by end users, who may have little to no technical expertise. Such devices that need to be installed or maintained by end users are commonly referred to as Customer-Premises Equipment (CPE). CPE includes telephones, routers, network switches, residential gateways, set-top boxes, fixed mobile convergence equipment, home networking adapters, Internet access gateways, analogue telephone adapters, xDSL-splitters and so on.

[003] As the end users may have little to no technical expertise, they often do not understand the intricate physical configurations and settings required for these devices to function correctly. Common issues include the incorrect setup of cables, inappropriate power supplies or misconfigured settings. Diagnosing these issues in device installation often requires the end users to navigate complex user manuals, seek external help and / or contact customer support. This can be time-consuming and frustrating.

[004] For example, in the cases of external help or customer support, technical experts may not be available to help the user in a timely manner, which may result in the user being unable to use the device for a period of time. Furthermore, even when external help or customer support is available, the help or support may be remote (for example, via a call or messages). This can make diagnosis of the installation issue difficult, as the user may not be able to explain the configuration of the device accurately or may have overlooked a relevant part of the configuration and then not describe this to the expert at all. In other words, the troubleshooting may be reliant on the user’s interpretation of the issue and / or device setup. Without accurate information, the technical expert may not be able to accurately or reliably identify whether there is a device installation issue.

[005] Furthermore, a user may not have sufficient network coverage or be able to connect to the Internet (for example, where the device experiencing issues is a router). This may mean that seeking help for device issues is made more difficult. Users may in such cases attempt to solve the issue by themselves and may inadvertently cause additional issues.

[006] Misdiagnosis can lead to intermittent or unreliable network performance, or even hardware damage. Thus, troubleshooting and diagnosing issues in device installation is desirable.

[007] UniFi (RTM) Gen2 network switches include a built-in touchscreen on the device which can display a QR code. A user can use a mobile device with a camera to scan the QR code using a UniFi augmented reality application. Scanning the code links the mobile device to the tagged network switch to provide an augmented reality overlay via a display of the mobile device. The overlay includes information regarding the device, including the device ID, IP address and ports included in the device. The overlay further includes an indication if a cable is plugged in to a port and a name of the device plugged in via that cable. This is achieved via an internal table that maps an IP address to a device name. Thus, the augmented reality display can indicate that the device plugged into port 4 is, for example, “Ewan’s computer”, based on the IP address. In other words, the UniFi device provides a visualisation of network information. It cannot diagnose issues with a device installation or assist with device installation.

[008] Overcoming the issues noted above is desirable. SUMMARY

[009] Against this background, there is provided a method for managing telecommunications or network device installation and a system for telecommunications or network device installation management. Additional aspects appear in the description and claims.

[010] At least two telecommunications or network components are labelled or tagged with data. The telecommunications or network components may be Customer-Premises Equipment. For example, one component may be a network switch and another component may be a cable or wire. An electrical cable may be an assembly of one or more wires extending along each other or otherwise bundled together. Examples of such cables include twisted pair cables, coaxial cables and other cables. In another example, both components may be wires or cables that may require inserting into a CPE.

[011] The data, once converted into another form, describes features of the respective tagged component such as, for example, a type of connector on the component for inserting into or receiving another component, a power (wattage) supplied by the component or a maximum wattage that can be received by the component. The data may be converted from machine-readable data to human-readable data, for example. In another example, the data may be converted from one type of machine-readable data to another type of machine-readable data, or from one type of human-readable data to another type of human-readable data.

[012] The data is converted into the another form to allow the data describing the two components to be compared. When the data is compared, the compatibility of the features of the tagged components can thus be assessed. For example, if one component requires a 90 W power supply and a cable provides more than 90 W of power, the components can be determined to be incompatible. Following a determination that the components are compatible or incompatible, appropriate installation information can be given to the user (for example, via a display). For instance, in cases where it is determined that the components are incompatible, the user can be informed that the components are incompatible and that, for example, they should disconnect the cable from the component (if already installed) or avoid installing the cable in the first place. In cases where it is determined that the components are compatible, the user can be given a set of instructions to install the components.

[013] The data is converted into the another form to allow the data describing the two components to be compared. When the data is compared, the compatibility of the features of the tagged components can thus be assessed. For example, if one component requires a 90 W power supply and a cable provides more than 90 W of power, the components can be determined to be incompatible. Following a determination that the components are compatible or incompatible, appropriate installation information can be given to the user (for example, via a display). For instance, in cases where it is determined that the components are incompatible, the user can be informed that the components are incompatible and that, for example, they should disconnect the cable from the component (if already installed) or avoid installing the cable in the first place. In cases where it is determined that the components are compatible, the user can be given a set of instructions to install the components.

[014] In accordance with a first aspect, there is provided a method for managing telecommunications or network device installation, the method comprising: receiving and decoding first encoded data corresponding to a first telecommunications or network component and second encoded data corresponding to a second telecommunications or network component; comparing first and second data derived from the respective first and second encoded data to determine whether the first telecommunications or network component and the second telecommunications or network component are compatible; and based on the determination, providing installation information to a user.

[015] This method may provide an efficient way of managing telecommunications or network device installation. This may in turn allow telecommunications or network device issues to be identified more easily or reduce, limit or prevent issues occurring during device installation. This may improve the lifetime of the telecommunications or network devices.

[016] As used herein, the terms “telecommunications device” and “telecommunications component” may include the terms “network device” and “network component”, respectively, and vice versa.

[017] Optionally, the first and second derived data indicate one or more of: a power supply requirement, a data rate requirement, a connector type, a type of component, an indication of one or more types of component suitable for use with the first and / or second telecommunications or network component, information indicating a correctly installed first and / or second telecommunications or network component, and sequential steps to install the first and / or second telecommunications or network component.

[018] These features may allow telecommunications or network component compatibility to be determined in a straightforward manner. For instance, this data may relate to common or among the most troublesome issues. For example, using an inappropriate power supply can be a common issue with device installation management. An incorrect power supply can cause hardware damage to a device or may otherwise not provide a correct sustained power level to ensure correct operation. Therefore, including a power supply requirement in the derived data may allow issues to be identified in a simple manner or to identify the most pressing or common issues more quickly when managing device installation.

[019] In one implementation, the method may further comprise determining that the first and second telecommunications or network components are incompatible when one or more of: the power supply requirement and / or the data rate requirement of the first and second derived data differ by more than a threshold amount; the connector type of the first and second derived data are different; and the type of component of the first derived data and / or second derived data is not included in the indication of the one or more types of component.

[020] These may be straightforward and / or quick methods of identifying incompatible components. This may mean that fewer, limited or not significantly increased computer and / or network resources are used during device installation management.

[021] Optionally, receiving the first and second encoded data may comprise receiving one or more images including the first and second encoded data and the method may further comprise: deriving a real-world coordinate system based on the one or more images; and determining, based on the derived real-world coordinate system, whether a configuration of the first and second telecommunications or network components is correct.

[022] Deriving a real-world coordinate system based on images may allow component incompatibility (or compatibility) to be more easily identified, as well as allow the determination of whether a configuration of components is correct. For example, the components may be compatible but incorrectly configured.

[023] The method may further comprise determining that the configuration of the first and second telecommunications or network components is incorrect when the configuration differs from the information indicating the correctly installed first and / or second telecommunications or network component by more than a minimum amount.

[024] In some cases, the component configuration may differ slightly from the information indicating the correct installation, but this may be for superfluous or inconsequential reasons. For example, the information may indicate an ideal or preferred installation setup, but some tolerance may be allowed for using different (also acceptable) ports or wires. In other examples, it may be determined that, whilst an incorrect component has been used, the features of the component are such that it cannot be causing the issues experienced by the user. Only identifying that a configuration is incorrect when a minimum difference is exceeded may allow key configuration issues to be identified more clearly and avoid or reduce excessive notifications to the user for matters that are of limited or no consequence.

[025] In some implementations, it may be determined that the configuration differs from the information indicating a correctly installed first and / or second telecommunications or network component by more than a minimum amount when the information comprises a threshold distance between the first telecommunications or network component and the second telecommunications or network component and a distance between the first and second telecommunications or network components is greater or less than the threshold distance. This may be a straightforward manner of determining that at least one component has been placed into an incorrect port, for example. Where both components are wires or cables, this may allow such a determination without requiring each port to be labelled.

[026] In addition or alternatively, the information may comprise an expected position of the first telecommunications or network component relative to the second telecommunications component and a position of the first telecommunications or network component relative to the second telecommunications or network component differs from the expected position by more than a threshold amount. This may be a straightforward manner of determining that at least one component has been placed into an incorrect port, for example. For instance, it may be expected that the telecommunications or network components are next to each other (side-by-side) along a first axis. If the components are determined to be arranged along a second axis, even if they are still side-by-side, the configuration can be determined as being incorrect in a straightforward manner. Where both components are wires or cables, this may allow such a determination without requiring each port to be labelled.

[027] Additionally or alternatively, the information may comprise a representation of a correctly installed first and / or second telecommunications or network component and the one or more images differ from the representation by more than a required amount. In other words, image processing may be used as part of the determination. Image processing has made many improvements in recent years and may be useful for assisting in complex device installation management cases (for example, where tens or more cables are connected to a device or multiple devices are connected together).

[028] In another example, the expected relative position may comprise an expected ordering of the first and second telecommunications or network components. For example, it may be known that the first telecommunications or network component should be to the left of the second telecommunications or network component from a particular viewpoint. Where it is determined that this ordering is not present, it can be determined in a straightforward manner (that is, with relatively low processing power and / or requiring relatively few network or computer resources) that the configuration is incorrect. Accordingly, it can be determined that the incorrect configuration is the source of at least some of the experienced network or telecommunications issues without requiring significantly increased network or computer resources (or at least limiting any additional required network or computer resources).

[029] Additionally or alternatively, the expected relative position may comprise the first and second telecommunications or network components being arranged along a common axis. Again, this may be a straightforward manner of determining that a configuration is incorrect.

[030] In some implementations, receiving the one or more images comprises receiving one or more a machine-readable images. Machine-readable images may be straightforward to generate and able to store large amounts of information. Furthermore, machine-readable images may be able to store such information in a relatively small space and still be able to be read by a computer. Thus, machine-readable images may be a convenient way of applying data to a telecommunications or network component. Machine-readable images may also allow for error correction that may not be possible (or more difficult to achieve) for human-readable data. This may mean that usual wear and tear (for example, due to frequent use and / or checking of components) may not impact, or have limited impact on, providing installation information to a user. This may increase the lifetime of network or telecommunications components.

[031] In some implementations, at least one of the one or more machine-readable images may comprise an augmented reality marker and the real-world coordinate system is derived based on the position of the augmented reality marker, and wherein providing installation information to the user comprises outputting, based on the derived real-world coordinate system, an augmented representation of the installation information to the user. Implementing an augmented reality system for providing installation information to a user may allow a non-technical user to more easily fix an incorrect installation and / or correctly install a device. In other words, the augmented reality may more effectively assist the user in performing a technical task.

[032] In further implementations, outputting the augmented representation may comprise displaying a representation of an expected configuration of the first and second telecommunications or network components, displaying a representation of an action required to correct a configuration of the first and second telecommunications or network components. Displaying a representation of an action required to correct the configuration may allow a non-technical user to even more easily fix an incorrect installation and / or correctly install a device. In another example, displaying the representation of the expected configuration may also or instead comprise displaying one or more reasons for a configuration of the first and second telecommunications or network components being incorrect. Understanding the reasons why the configuration has been determined to be incorrect may allow a user to more easily correct an incorrect installation and / or correctly install a device.

[033] In some implementations, the machine-readable image comprises a two-dimensional matrix barcode. This may be a straightforward manner of corresponding the data to the telecommunications or network component. Optionally, the two-dimensional matrix barcode comprises a QR code. QR codes are familiar to many people and most mobile devices include sensing devices configured to decode QR codes.

[034] In some implementations, one of the first and second telecommunications or network components may comprise customer-premises equipment. The customer-premises equipment preferably comprises a telephone, router, network switch, residential gateway, set-top box, fixed mobile convergence equipment, home networking adapter and / or Internet access gateway.

[035] In some implementations, at least one of the first and second telecommunications or network components may comprise a wire or cable. Different wires can often look similar but have certain features (which may not be visible to the user or indicated in a manner understood by a layperson) that limit how the wire or cable can or should be used. Furthermore, where a large number of wires is being used, the configuration of the wires can be difficult to determine. The method can assist a user with setting up or fixing issues with numerous wires that may be difficult to otherwise distinguish.

[036] Optionally, the installation information may comprise one or more of: an indication to insert the first telecommunications or network component into the second telecommunications or network component, an indication to remove the first telecommunication or network component from the second telecommunications or network component, an indication to change or replace one or both of the first and second telecommunications or network components, an indication of a device installation error, an indication of an expected configuration of the first and second telecommunications or network components, and an indication that a configuration of the first and second telecommunications or network components is correct. Any of these may allow a user to more easily fix an incorrect installation and / or correctly install a device. As discussed herein, this may in turn prolong a lifetime of the device or resolve device issues.

[037] In some implementations, the indication to change or replace one or both of the first and second telecommunications or network components may comprise sending a communication including a uniform resource locator that enables the user to order a different or replacement component. This may enable a user to obtain the correct component without relying on the user to identify the correct component.

[038] The method may further comprise sending the one or more images to a remote device to retrieve the installation information. For example, the images may be transmitted to a device owned or controlled by a technician who can assess the images to identify any issues. In another example, the images may be transmitted to a database that comprises or can derive the installation information. A remote device may be capable of storing larger amounts of data or may allow more regular data updates (for example, not reliant on a user updating a mobile device operating system or application). This may so allow more accurate identification device installation issues.

[039] Optionally, the steps of receiving and decoding the first and second encoded data, comparing the first and second derived data and providing installation information to the user are performed by a mobile device. In other words, the method can be performed locally, without the need for an internet connection. This may be useful in locations where cellular and / or network signalling is poor and may even be necessary when a user is aiming to install a network device to provide network connectivity. The mobile device may be any device comprising a sensing device (for example, a camera) and a display.

[040] In accordance with a second aspect, there is provided system for telecommunications or network device installation management, the system comprising: a first telecommunications or network component labelled with first encoded data corresponding to the first telecommunications or network component and a second telecommunications or network component labelled with second encoded data corresponding to the second telecommunications or network component; at least one sensing device configured to read the first and second encoded data to decode the data; and at least one processor configured to compare first and second data derived from the respective first and second encoded data to determine whether the first telecommunications or network component and the second telecommunications or network component are compatible and, based on the determination, provide installation information to a user. [041 ] Optionally, the sensing device may comprise a camera configured to capture one or more images and the processor is further configured to derive a real-world coordinate system based on the one or more images.

[042] In some implementations, at least one of the one or more machine-readable images may comprise an augmented reality marker and the real-world coordinate system is derived based on the position of the augmented reality marker, and wherein the system further comprises a display configured to output, based on the derived real-world coordinate system, an augmented representation of the installation information to the user.

[043] Optionally, the processor may be configured to generate one or more of: a representation of an expected arrangement of the first and second telecommunications or network components; a representation of an action required to correct an arrangement of the first and second telecommunications or network components; and a representation indicating one or more differences between requirements of the first telecommunications or network component and the second telecommunications or network component.

[044] In some implementations, at least one of the first and second telecommunications or network components may comprise a wire or cable.

[045] Optionally, the system comprises a mobile computing device and the sensing device and the processor are included in the mobile computing device.

[046] Optionally, the display may be provided by the mobile device. The user may thus be able to receive the installation information in a convenient and straightforward manner.

[047] A processor may be configured to perform any of the method steps above.

[048] The methods described above may be implemented as a computer program comprising instructions to operate a computer or computer system (or other hardware and / or software configured to implement the method). The computer program may be stored on a computer-readable medium (for example, a non-transitory computer-readable medium). When executed, the instructions of the computer program may cause the computer (or a processor of the computer) to carry out the method steps above.

[049] It should be noted that any feature described herein may be used with any particular aspect or embodiment of the invention. Moreover, the combination of any specific apparatus, structural or method features is also provided, even if that combination is not explicitly disclosed.

[050] The invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings depicting different embodiments thereof, the drawings being provided purely by way of example and not limitation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[051] The invention may be put into practice in a number of ways, and preferred embodiments will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[052] Figure 1 illustrates a device installation management system;

[053] Figure 2 shows diagnostic initiation using a device installation management system;

[054] Figure 3A illustrates performance of diagnostics using a device installation management system;

[055] Figure 3B depicts a diagnostics or installation resolution using a device installation management system;

[056] Figure 4 illustrates a flow chart of a method for device installation management;

[057] Figure 5 shows a flow chart of a method for determining whether a configuration of telecommunications or network components is correct;

[058] Figure 6 illustrates an augmented reality system for device installation management;

[059] Figure 7 shows a system for device installation management;

[060] Figure 8 shows a further system for device installation management; and

[061] Figure 9 illustrates an implementation of a system that can be used for device installation management.

[062] It should be noted that the Figures are illustrated in schematic form for simplicity and are not necessarily drawn to scale. Like features are provided with the same (or similar) reference numerals. DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[063] With reference to Figure 1, there is illustrated a system 100 for network or telecommunications device installation management. Device installation management may refer to installing a device and / or identifying that a device has been incorrectly installed. The system 100 in this example comprises a network or telecommunications device 110 having two sockets or ports 112, 114 for wires. Wires 102 and 104 are inserted into ports 112 and 114, respectively. The system 100 further comprises a sensing device 120.

[064] Each of the wires 102, 104 is labelled or tagged with encoded data. In Figure 1, the encoded data is illustrated as a QR code 106, 108, but other machine-readable data may be used. For instance, the encoded data may be a barcode and may be a two-dimensional matrix barcode. Two-dimensional matrix barcodes include Aztec codes, data matrix codes, JAB codes, and other codes. However, it will be appreciated that any data encoding may be used. In other words, the encoded data may be any data that can be converted to another form by a computer and need not be an image or barcode.

[065] Some data encodings may provide specific advantages. For example, a data matrix code may be useful to include on small components, as the data matrix code can encode fifty characters in a symbol that is readable at 2 or 3 mm2 and can be read with only a 20% contrast ratio.

[066] The encoded data may include information corresponding to the respective component (in this example, an electrical wire). This data is received via a sensing device 120 that is configured to read the encoded data and decode it (that is, convert it into another form). For example, the sensing device 120 may comprise a camera that is configured to scan a QR code to extract data from patterns of the QR code.

[067] The QR codes 106, 108 may directly encode data corresponding to the respective wires 102, 104. For example, the decoded data may be provided as a text file or another file that includes a list, table or description of attributes of the wires 102, 104.

[068] In another example, the QR codes 106, 108 may indirectly encode the data corresponding to the respective wires. For the example, one or both of the QR codes 106, 108, when decoded may provide a uniform resource locator, URL, that when followed provides the data corresponding to the wires 102, 104.

[069] In other words, whilst the encoded data corresponds to the telecommunications or network component, the telecommunications or network device installation management may be provided by data may be derived from the encoded data (for example, by following a URL) rather than the decoded data itself. Thus, the retrieved or derived data may include the information corresponding to the respective component, rather than the encoded data including this information.

[070] The URL may be a URL that, when followed, directly provides the data corresponding to the wires 102, 104 or may be a redirect or forwarding URL that, when an application (for example, a web browser) on a computing device attempts to follow the redirect URL, a resource having a different URL is opened. For example, the redirect URL may a short URL that redirects to a longer URL to reduce the size or complexity of the encoded data. In another example, the redirect URL may be used to prevent broken links when a resource is moved or updated. For example, when a telecommunications or network component is decommissioned or otherwise is no longer supported by a company that used or produced it, the redirect URL may be updated to direct to a resource including data indicating that the component should be removed or replaced instead of, for example, providing a file that includes attributes of the component.

[071] Referring still to Figure 1, one wire may be a power supply cable and the derived, retrieved or decoded data (also referred to herein simply as “derived data”) may specify attributes of the power supply. The attributes may include, for example, an input voltage type (AC or DC) and / or an amount of input power, voltage and / or current the wire is configured to provide. In another example, the wire may be a data cable (a cable configured to provide data) or telecommunications cable. The derived data may in this case specify, for example, a maximum data rate. The maximum data rate may be a data rate above which the rate of data transmission is reduced.

[072] The derived data may also or instead include an indication of the type of component. For example, where the component is a wire, the derived data may specify that the wire is a power cable or data or telecommunications cable. Examples of data or telecommunications cables include Ethernet cables (including, for example, Cat 5, Cat 5e, Cat 6 and Cat 6A cables), token ring cables, coaxial cables, optical fibre cables, serial cables, parallel cables, twisted pair cables for telephone and data communications (for example, Cat2 cables) and USB cables. This information (for example, that the data cable is an optical fibre cable) may also be specified in the derived data.

[073] The derived data may also or instead include a connector type of the wire. For example, the derived data may specify that the wire has a USB-type connector, Ethernet-type connector, an optical fibre connector, an RF connector, coaxial power connector, or has another connector type.

[074] The derived data may further or alternatively include an indication of one or more types of component suitable for use with the tagged component. For example, the derived data may include a list of devices known to use a particular wire or components that have been tested and confirmed to operate correctly with each other.

[075] The derived data may also or alternatively include information indicating a correctly installed component. This may be a drawing or image of a correctly installed component. The drawing or image may be augmented to real-world information to display to a user how to install the component. This will be discussed in further detail below with reference to Figures 5 and 6. Similarly, the derived data may include sequential steps to install the component. The steps may be illustrated and may be shown as an augmented representation of the component.

[076] In other examples, the information indicating a correctly installed component may comprise default and optional configurations of a component. For example, where one component is a device, the default settings may specify which sockets must be filled, any switches or buttons that must be pressed, or other configuration settlings. It may be determined that the device installation is incorrect when it is determined that one or more of the default settings has not been implemented. A configuration may refer to a spatial relationship, an arrangement or other settings configurations.

[077] A combination of derived data may be used to provide installation information to a user. For example, it may be determined that a wire has a correct connector type for connecting to a device but that the power requirement, data requirement or another feature of the wire is incorrect. The system 100 may thus determine that the wire should be removed or not used and provide appropriate installation information to the user.

[078] Although the illustrated telecommunications device 110 only includes two ports 112, 114 and two wires 102, 104, it will be appreciated that there may be more ports. For example, a network switch may include tens of ports. Furthermore, whilst the telecommunications system 100 is shown as including a single telecommunications device 110, it will be appreciated that the system 100 may include multiple devices. For example, there may be a plurality of network switches.

[079] Although it has been described above that the derived data includes information corresponding to a component such as, for example, a power supply requirement, it will be appreciated that this information may be considered as being included in the encoded data as well (albeit in encoded form).

[080] Furthermore, although the tagged items illustrated in Figure 1 are wires 102, 104, other elements may be tagged with encoded data. This will be discussed further detail in relation to Figures 2 and 3.

[081] With reference to Figure 2, there is shown a system for network device installation management 200. The system 200 in Figure 2 shares many similarities with the system 100 discussed above with reference to Figure 1. The system 200 comprises a network device 210 having a plurality of sockets or ports 212 for cables. Cables 202 and 204 are inserted into two of the plurality of ports 212. The system 200 further comprises a sensing device which, in this example, comprises a camera 222 configured to capture one or more images, the camera being included in a mobile computing device 220 that further comprises a display 230.

[082] The network device 210 is tagged with encoded data in the form of a QR code 207. In other examples, other machine-readable data may be used as described above with reference to Figure 1. The QR code 207 encodes data corresponding to the network device 310. Although not shown in Figure 2, at least one further component is labelled with encoded data, which may be in the form of a QR code.

[083] As illustrated in Figure 2, the camera 222 of the mobile computing device 220 is directed towards the network device 210 to obtain one or more images 232 including the QR code 207. The one or more images 232 may be displayed on the display 230 (the QR code 207 is omitted in the image 232 for simplicity). The one or more images 232 on the display 230 may be a real-time series of images that update on the display 230 as the mobile computing device 220 is moved. In other examples, the one or more images 232 may be captured images (e.g. one or more still images or a video). That is, the user may have selected a GUI element on the display 230 or otherwise interacted with the mobile computing device 220 to obtain the one or more images 232. Separate images may be captured or obtained for each component labelled with encoded data, one image may include every component labelled with encoded data or one image may include some, but not all, components labelled with encoded data.

[084] The encoded data is decoded by the sensing device or by a device in communication with the sensing device (for example, a processor). Following decoding of the data, a message 234 may be provided on the display 230 to provide a user with installation information. The message 234 may initiate or be part of chat-based feedback, which may be provided from a remote device. For instance, the message 234 may be sent by a technician or expert who has received the one or more images 342 or the message 234 may be automatically generated in response to the comparison result.

[085] The message 234 may initially indicate to a user that diagnosis of installation issues has begun or that installation information for the network device 210 will be provided. In cases where the one or more images include partially obscured encoded data (for example, the image contains only part of the encoded data or another component covers part of the encoded data) or only includes the encoded data of one component, the message 234 may include an indication to provide one or more additional images.

[086] Still referring to Figure 2, the decoded or derived data may indicate a power supply requirement of the network device 210. For example, the power supply requirement may include one or more of: a threshold (for example, minimum and / or maximum) input power, voltage and / or current, an input voltage type (AC or DC), and one or more types of power cable suitable for use with the network device 210.

[087] An inappropriate power supply can be a common issue with device installation management. An incorrect power supply can cause hardware damage, for instance. In other cases, an incorrect power supply may fit and even intermittently power a network device but not provide a correct sustained power level to ensure correct operation. This can cause reoccurring network issues that a user may be unable to identify, as other network configuration settings and wires may be correctly installed.

[088] Additionally or alternatively, the derived data may indicate a data rate requirement of the network device 210. For instance, the data rate requirement may include one or more of: a threshold (for example, minimum and / or maximum) bit rate or bandwidth, a maximum cable length and a threshold (for example, minimum and / or maximum) data loss.

[089] The derived data may also or instead include an indication of one or more types of component that the network device 210 is configured for use with. For example, the derived data may specify types of wire or cable that can be used with the network device 210 such as, for example, Ethernet cables (including, for example, Cat 5, Cat 5e, Cat 6 and Cat 6A cables), token ring cables, coaxial cables, optical fibre cables, serial cables, parallel cables, twisted pair cables for telephone and data communications (for example, Cat2 cables) and USB cables.

[090] The derived data may also or instead include an indication of one or more connector types of the network device 210. For example, the derived data may specify that the network device includes one or more ports for USB-type cables, Ethernet-type cables, has an optical fibre connector, an RF connector or coaxial power connector, or has another connector type.

[091] The derived data may further or alternatively include an indication of one or more types of component suitable for use with the network device 210.

[092] The derived data may also or alternatively include information indicating a correctly installed component. This may be a drawing or image of a correctly installed component. The drawing or image may be augmented to real-world information to display to a user how to install the component. This will be discussed in further detail below with reference to Figures 5 and 6. Similarly, the derived data may include sequential steps to install the component. The steps may be illustrated and may be shown as an augmented representation of the component.

[093] In line with the examples described above, in one implementation, the encoded information may comprise the following information: Router name: ABG346; Required: Power: AN3 PS; ONT port: 1 Gbps or higher CAT6E; Optional: Ethernet 1, Ethernet 2; and so on.

[094] The decoded data or derived data may be sent to a remote device. The decoded or derived data may be transmitted to a device of a technician. Accordingly, a communication channel between the user device and the technician device may be opened. For example, the user may be enabled to send messages to the technician and vice versa. In some examples, the one or more images may be sent in addition or instead of the derived or decoded data. In such cases, the remote device may decode the encoded data based on the one or more images.

[095] The technician may determine the installation information to provide to the user based on the derived or decoded data and / or the one or more images. The installation information may include, for example, information describing how to install a device or how to rectify an issue in the installation of the device. This installation information may be provided as a message to the user from the technician. In some examples, the message may include one or more images that may indicate a correct installation. For example, the technician may annotate the one or more images received from the user device and the one or more annotated images may be transmitted to the user device. In some implementations, the one or more annotated images may be real-time images generated based on the one or more real-time images received from the user. In other words, the user may experience a live-feed response from the technician.

[096] In some examples, the encoded data and / or one or images may only be transmitted to a remote device in response to determining that there is no incompatibility between the network and / or telecommunications components but an indication is received from a user that a network and / or telecommunications device is not functional or experiencing issues. In such cases where no incompatibility is found but the device is not working correctly, escalation to a technician may facilitate more effective use of technician time. For example, cases that can be solved in a straightforward manner can be dealt with without involving a technician, allowing the technician to assist with more complex installations and / or installation issues.

[097] With reference to Figure 3A, there is shown a system for telecommunications or network device installation management 300. The system 300 is similar to the systems 100, 200 discussed above with reference to Figures 1 and 2, respectively. The system 300 comprises a telecommunications or network device having a plurality of sockets or ports 312 for cables. Cable 304 has been inserted into a port 312 and cable 302 is in the process of being inserted into a port 312. The system 300 further comprises a sensing device which, in this example, comprises a camera 322 configured to capture one or more images, the camera being included in a mobile computing device 320 that further comprises a display 330.

[098] In the example illustrated in Figure 3A, cables 302 and 304 are labelled with encoded data in the form of QR codes 306 and 308. In addition, each port 312 is labelled with encoded data in the form of QR codes 309a-c. This may be useful in cases where wires to be installed have a same (or similar) but other features (for example, a power supply requirement) are different. For instance, one port 309b may be a Power over Ethernet (PoE) port, whilst another port 903c may be a standard Ethernet port. Inserting a standard Ethernet cable into the PoE port may result in a device being powered that is not configured to receive power. This may result in network or telecommunications issues or, in a worst case scenario, hardware failure.

[099] It will be appreciated that not all ports 312 may be labelled. For example, ports of the same type may be collectively labelled by a single machine-readable code. It will also be appreciated that fewer or more sockets 312 and / or cables 302, 304 may be present than is shown in Figure 3. Additionally, other forms of data encoding may be used, including but not limited to (one-dimensional) barcodes, other two-dimensional barcodes, or a radio-frequency or near-field communication tag (as will be discussed with reference to Figure 4).

[0100] As discussed above with reference to Figure 3A, the camera 322 of the mobile computing device 320 is directed towards the network device to capture one or more images 332 including a QR code. At least two QR codes (or other encoded data) may be present in a single image or a first image may include first encoded data and a second image may include second encoded data. The one or more images 332 may be output on the display 330.

[0101] The encoded data is decoded by the sensing device or by a device in communication with the sensing device (for example, a processor). Following decoding of the data, a message 334 may be output on the display 330. The message 334 may provide installation information to a user. In the example illustrated in Figure 3A, the chat-based feedback 334 includes installation information indicating that there is a device installation error and that one of the cables 302, 304 should be changed or replaced to remedy the issue.

[0102] Figure 3B illustrates another example of chat-based feedback 334. This chat-based feedback 334 may be provided following the chat-based feedback 334 shown in Figure 3A. For example, the user may respond to the message 334, indicating that they do not have or cannot find another cable, and the message 334 shown in Figure 3B may be sent in response. However, the message 334 shown in Figure 3B may be provided in other situations. For example, the diagnosis may determine that the required cable is not present in the one or more images 342. This may be the case where it is determined that an appropriate cable or wire suitable for use in port 312 is not present in the one or more images 342 based on the QR code 309c associated with the port 312, for example.

[0103] The message 334 includes installation information that one of the cables 302, 304 should be changed or replaced. In response to the feedback 334, a user may request that a replacement cable is ordered. This request may be in the form of a chat message that is transmitted to a remote device or a user may select a GUI element to indicate that a replacement cable is requested (for example, yes and no options for user selection may be provided following the message 334 illustrated in Figure 3B). In response to receiving a user request for a replacement, the system may submit an order for a replacement cable on behalf of the user or may provide a URL to user to allow the user to order a replacement.

[0104] As will be understood from Figures 1,2, 3A and 3B, there may be one or more of any number of component labelling combinations. For example, in some cases, only cables or wires may be labelled with encoded data. In other cases, a device and at least one cable or wire may be labelled. In yet further cases, at least one wire and at least one port may be labelled. These options may be combined in any manner. For instance, a device, at least one cable and at least one port may be labelled. Other labelling combinations are also possible. For instance, two or more devices (for example, devices that should or could be in communication with each other in a correct installation) may be labelled with encoded data. Yet further labelling combinations not explicitly described are also possible.

[0105] With this understanding and with reference to Figure 4, there is illustrated a flow chart of a method for managing telecommunications or network device installation. The method may be used in connection with the systems 100, 200 and 300 illustrated in Figures 1,2, 3A and 3B, respectively, but it will be appreciated that the method may be implemented with other network or telecommunications systems.

[0106] In step 401, first and second encoded data corresponding to, respectively, first and second network and / or telecommunications components (which may also be termed simply “components” herein) is received and decoded. The encoded data may be provided by a QR code or another machine-readable code. In other examples, the encoded data may be stored on a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag or a near-field communication (NFC) tag. Other forms of encoded data may also be used.

[0107] The data may be received and decoded by a sensing device. The sensing device may comprise one or more of the following: a camera device (which may be a video camera), an RFID scanner device, an NFC device, a barcode scanner device (which may be, for example, a laser scanner or reader device), a detector of electronic signals, or a visual detection system. The sensing device may provide information to a processor device and / or an output device through a wired or wireless communication system. The sensing device may be powered by a wired connection (power supply), a powered data cable (for example, a USB cable), a battery, and / or wireless power sources. The sensing device may also include or be in communication with other systems, as will be discussed in further detail with reference to Figures 7 to 9.

[0108] In one example, the encoded data may be encoded as a one-dimensional barcode and the sensing device may be a barcode scanner device. This may be a straightforward manner of using existing encoded data to manage device installation, since items often are associated with barcodes to assist with item inventory. Since one-dimensional barcodes have relatively low data density, the barcode may only encode a product identification number and the barcode reader may transmit the product identification number to an external device (e.g., a database that stores data correlating the product identification number to information about the component) to enable a determination of whether components are compatible.

[0109] In another example, when the encoded data is stored on an RFID tag, the sensing device may accordingly comprise an RFID scanning device. An RFID tag comprises an integrated circuit configured to store and process information and modulate and demodulate radio-frequency (RF) signals, an antenna configured to receive RF signals and a substrate. Advantages of using an RFID tag include that an RFID tag can be read by an RFID reader or scanner device, even if the RFID tag is not visible or covered. Furthermore, multiple RFID tags can be read simultaneously (or near-simultaneously), whilst barcodes can only be read one at a time with current devices. Thus, in devices having many elements or components, RFID tags may offer an advantage over barcodes.

[0110] Near-field communication standards are based on RFID standards and so similarly, an NFC tag may store the encoded data and an NFC reader or sensor may be used to receive and decode the encoded data. NFC chips are often included in mobile computing devices, which may make this form of data encoding convenient for use in a device installation management system.

[0111] As discussed above, the encoded data may be encoded in any number of ways. The encoded data may also be provided with the corresponding component in any of a number of manners. For example, the encoded data may be attached to, printed on, engraved on, displayed on or otherwise applied to the corresponding component. As one example, a QR code could be printed on a label which is attached to the component, the QR code could be presented on a display of the component, or the QR code could be engraved on the component. In another example, a display may be provided on the component to provide the encoded data. This may enable the encoded data to be remotely updated as device specifications or limitations change. In other words, the encoded data may be variable. Other possibilities of associating or marking the component with the encoded data may be used.

[0112] At step 402, the first and second decoded data (or derived data, which may be the case where the encoded data encodes a URL that enables data to be derived or retrieved) is compared to determine whether the first telecommunications and / or network component is compatible with the second network and / or telecommunications network component. The comparison may be performed based on information stored in a database. For example, the decoded data may indicate a storage location of information corresponding to the respective components. The sensing device may then send a request to a database for the information based on the decoded data. In another example, decoding the data may cause the sensing device to send the request to the database. The database may be a local or remote database. The retrieved information can then be compared to determine whether the components are compatible. The comparison may be performed by the sensing device (for example, by a processor of the sensing device) or by one or more external processors.

[0113] The first and second components may be determined to be incompatible based on one or more conditions. For example, the first and second components may be determined to be incompatible when the power supply requirement and / or the data rate requirement of the first and second decoded data differ by more than a threshold amount. The threshold amount may be provided by either or both of the first and second decoded data and may have been determined based on component testing. Component testing may

[0114] In another example, the components may be determined to be incompatible when the connector type indicated by the first data and the second data are different. For instance, the first data may indicate that a device includes an AN3 PS power socket, an ONT socket and Ethernet sockets, whilst the second data may indicate that a component includes two USB connectors. Thus, the data indicates that there is no suitable port for the second component to be inserted into or connected to the first component.

[0115] In another example, the type of component of the first data and / or second data may not be included in an indication of the one or more types of component suitable for use with the other component. For example, the first data and / or second data may include a list, table or other form of data of components that the respective components are suitable or approved for use with. The suitability of the components for use may have been determined based on component testing or may be assumed based on the same or similar component parts or operation. Where the component is not included in the indication of suitable component types for the other component, this may indicate that the components are incompatible.

[0116] In step 403, installation information is provided to a user based on the determination. The installation information be provided by one or more images, which may show correctly installed components or illustrate steps to insert the first component into the second component. In other examples, the indication may also or instead be textual and / or audiobased.

[0117] The installation information may include one or more types or forms of information. For example, the installation information may include an indication to insert the first telecommunications or network component into the second telecommunications or network component. The insertion indication may be provided as part of an installation procedure (for example, before a user has begun installation or during installation) and / or may be provided as part of a fault diagnosis procedure (for example, to indicate that a user has not attached or inserted a necessary component for correct function of a device).

[0118] In some examples, the installation information may also or instead include an indication to remove the first telecommunication or network component from the second telecommunications or network component. Such an indication may be provided when it is determined that an incompatible component has been used or that a component has been inserted into an incorrect socket or otherwise connected to a device in an inappropriate manner.

[0119] In further examples, an indication to change or replace one or both of the first and second telecommunications or network components may be provided. This may be the case where the derived or decoded data indicates that at least one of the components has been decommissioned and / or was produced more than a threshold duration of time prior to the decoding. In other examples, the indication to change or replace at least one of the components may be provided in response to a determination that the at least one component is faulty. In yet further examples, the indication to change or replate the at least one component may be provided when it is determined that an incompatible component has been used or that a component has been inserted into an incorrect socket or otherwise connected to a device in an inappropriate manner. For example, as will be discussed in further detail with reference to Figure 5, it may be determined that components have been assembled in an incorrect order. The components may therefore be compatible and only need their ordering or positioning reversed. The indication to change or replace one or both of the first and second telecommunications or network components may comprise sending a communication including a uniform resource locator that enables the user to order a different or replacement component.

[0120] In yet further examples, the installation information may comprise an indication of a device installation error. The device installation error may include one or more reasons for determining that there is a device installation error. Similarly, the installation information may comprise an indication that a configuration of the first and second telecommunications or network components is correct. This may be provided at the end of an installation procedure or as part of a fault diagnosis procedure to indicate, for example, that any problems experienced by a user are not due to misconfiguration of a device.

[0121] In some examples, the installation information may include an indication of an expected configuration of the first and second telecommunications or network components. The indication of the expected configuration may include one or more images and may show correctly installed components. For example, providing the installation information may comprise outputting an augmented representation of the installation information to a user, as will be discussed in more detail with reference to Figures 5 and 6.

[0122] The installation information may be retrieved from a remote device by sending one or more images including the first and second data or the derived or decoded first and second data to a remote device. For example, the decoded data may indicate a storage location of information corresponding to the respective components. The sensing device may then send a request to a database for the information based on the decoded data. In another example, decoding the data may cause the sensing device to send the request to the database. The database may be a local or remote database. The retrieved information can then be compared to determine whether the components are compatible. The comparison may be performed by the sensing device (for example, by a processor of the sensing device) or by one or more external processors.

[0123] After providing installation information to the user (following step 403), one or more additional images indicating a change with respect to either or both of the first and second components may be received. For example, a user may have plugged in a wire that the previous installation information indicated to plug in. In response to receiving the one or more additional images, additional installation information may be provided to the user. The additional installation information may provide a next step of an installation procedure (for example, where a user has correctly inserted the wire) or an indication of an incorrect installation (for instance, where the user inserted the wire into an incorrect socket).

[0124] Steps 401-403 (and / or the optional steps following step 403) may be each performed by a mobile device. That is, the method can be performed locally, without the need for an internet connection (in other words, offline). This may assist users experiencing network and / or internet connection issues, which may be caused as a result of incorrect or incomplete device installation.

[0125] Figure 5 depicts a flow chart of a method for determining whether a configuration of telecommunications or network components is correct. The method may be used in connection with any one of the systems 100, 200 and 300 illustrated in Figures 1,2, 3A and 3B, but it will be appreciated that the method may be implemented with other network or telecommunications systems. The steps in the flow chart illustrated in Figure 5 may be performed in connection with the steps of the flow chart illustrated in Figure 4 or may be performed separately.

[0126] As step 501, one or more images including the first and second encoded data are received. The one or more images may be received during step 401 as part of receiving the first and second encoded data.

[0127] In step 502, a real-world coordinate system is derived based on the one or more images. Whilst an image can show positions of objects relative to each other, the distances between the objects in the image does not directly correspond to the distances in the physical world (although they will be related in some mathematical manner). Thus, real-world coordinates refers to coordinates that correspond to positions and / or relative distances in the physical world, as opposed to image coordinates, which may depend on the camera and specific images captured. For example, two images may depict a scene from two different angles and deriving a real-world coordinate system may allow the two sets of image coordinates to be transformed into one coordinate system that directly corresponds to the real world. The process of deriving a real-world coordinate system is known as image registration and involves the use of computer vision.

[0128] Usually, deriving a real-world coordinate system involves two main stages. The first stage is to detect interest points or features, fiducial markers and / or optical flow in one or more images. A feature is a piece of information about the content of an image and may be particular structures in the image such as points, edges (a boundary between two image regions), blobs (regions of interest points) or objects. Other examples of features include information relating to motion in sequences of images or shapes defined in terms of curves or boundaries between different image regions. Detecting interest points or features can involve feature detection methods such as, for example, corner detection, blob detection, edge detection or thresholding and / or another image processing method.

[0129] The second stage comprises generating a real-world coordinate system based on the data obtained in the first stage. For example, where one or more fiducial markers are present in the one or more images, these can be used as a point of reference or measure to facilitate generation of the real-world coordinate system. The one or more fiducial marker may be a machine-readable image, such as the two-dimensional barcodes discussed herein. In some cases, the fiducial marker may be an augmented reality marker. An augmented reality marker is an image or object that can be recognised by an augmented reality device and used to generate augmented sensory information. It may be, but need not be, a machine-readable image. For example, a feature-rich image can be used as an augmented reality marker.

[0130] In some examples, the sensing device may comprise or be in communication with a device to facilitate generation of the real-world coordinate system. For instance, the sensing device may comprise a Global Positioning System device, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and so on.

[0131] In cases where part of the scene is unknown, simultaneous localisation and mapping (SLAM) techniques can map relative positions. If no information about geometry of the scene is available, other method can be used such as, for example, structure from motion techniques, in which depth information provided by motion parallax is used to generate a three-dimensional representation of the real-world.

[0132] At step 503, it is determined, based on the derived real-world coordinate system, whether a configuration of the first and second telecommunications or network components is correct. It may be determined that the configuration is incorrect when the configuration differs from the information indicating a correctly installed first and / or second telecommunications or network component by more than a minimum amount. For example, the configuration may be referenced against a setup document or procedure. The setup document or procedure may include one or more images of a correct installation (or correct, partially installed device - for example, where a user is in the process of following an installation procedure) that can be compared against the one or more images received by the sensing device. In other examples, the setup document or procedure may include a description of a correct installation (or correct, partially installed device) that can be used as a reference.

[0133] It may be determined that the configuration differs by more than a minimum amount when the information indicating a correct installation comprises a threshold (for example, maximum and / or minimum) distance between the first and second components and a distance between the first and second components is greater than or less than the threshold distance. This may indicate that a component is, for example, inserted into an incorrect port. The threshold distance may include a tolerance, which may be an absolute or percentage value. For example, the threshold distance may be 20 cm ± 2 cm or 10 cm ± 5%.

[0134] In another example, the information indicating correctly installed components may comprise an expected position of the first telecommunications or network component relative to the second telecommunications component. It may be determined that this information differs by more than a minimum amount when a position of the first telecommunications or network component relative to the second telecommunications or network component differs from the expected position by more than a threshold amount.

[0135] The expected relative position may comprise an expected ordering of the first and second telecommunications or network components. For example, most or all sockets of a customer-premises equipment may be provided along a single axis. This may mean that labelled ports (for example, as shown in Figures 3A and 3B) may not be needed, since only the relative positions of the wires or cables can be used to determine whether the configuration is correct. For example, it may be known that the wires should be arranged in the order AB rather than BA. Thus, determining that cable A is positioned to the left of cable B may be sufficient to identify a device installation issue. Identifying device installation issues based on expecting positionings or orderings may be a relatively low resource and / or computationally intense manner to identify device installation issues.

[0136] In another example, the expected relative position may also or instead comprise the first and second telecommunications or network components being arranged along a common axis. For example, a device may include multiple rows of sockets and the installation information may indicate that the correct installation requires the first component to be arranged above or below the second component on the same axis (that is, not arranged diagonally above or below). It will be appreciated that similar considerations may be used for devices including multiple columns of sockets or a plurality of rows and columns of sockets.

[0137] It may be determined that the components are not arranged along a common axis when the encoded data is not arranged along a common axis or corresponding features of the components (for example, where the components are both wires, connectors of the wires) may be identified using computer vision when generating the real-world coordinate system and it may be determined that the components are not arranged along a common axis when the corresponding features are not arranged along the common axis.

[0138] In a further example, the information indicating correctly installed components may comprise a representation of a correctly installed first and / or second telecommunications or network component. The representation (which may itself comprise one or more images representative of a correct installation) may be compared to the one or more images including the encoded data to identify differences in the configuration or setup of the components. It may be determined that the configuration differs from the correct installation by more than a minimum amount when the one or more images differ from the representation by more than a required amount. The differences may be identified using one or more computer vision techniques. The required amount may comprise a maximum number of features that may be different or not present in the one or more images compared to the representation.

[0139] In other examples, the representation may comprise a written (for example, textual) representation of the ordering or positioning of components (for example, in a table or in .csv format). Illustrative examples of such a textual representation are provided below. It will be appreciated that more or fewer components may be present in the representation and that other forms of textual representation are possible.

[0140] Example 1 Component A Component B Component C

[0141] The representation illustrated in Example 1 may be used to demonstrate a correct relative positioning and / or ordering of wires or other components.

[0142] Example 2 Component A Component B Component C Component D

[0143] The representation illustrated in Example 2 may be used to include information about a component (for example, component A) into which other components are to be inserted or attached (components B, C and D, for instance), such as for a network router and Ethernet cables, for example. In other examples, the representation of Example 2 may be used to illustrate a correct relative positioning and / or ordering of components where one component port is larger than other component ports (for example, a scart port compared to an HDMI port).

[0144] It will be appreciated that other written or illustrative representations may be used to represent a correct arrangement such as, for example, a matrix.

[0145] In one example, optional components may be indicated by an empty cell in a table: Component 1 Component 2 Component 3

[0146] In another example, optional components may be indicated as optional by text: Component Component Component Component Component Component A B (optional) C (optional) D E (optional) F

[0147] Components may be indicated as optional in other manners. For example, symbols, colours (for instance, optional components may have a different colour text or a cell in a table may be filled with a certain colour), or other indications may be used. Where a matrix representation is provided, a particular value may indicate an optional component (for example, a null value).

[0148] With reference to Figure 6, there is illustrated a system 600 for network or telecommunications device installation management in which installation information is provided to a user via a display 630 on a mobile computing device 620 as an augmented representation. The system 600 comprises a network or telecommunications system 601 and a sensing device 620.

[0149] As used herein, the term “augmented reality” or “augmented representation” in relation to a device or system refers to a system or device capable of providing computergenerated sensory information to a user in addition to real-world sensory information. In other words, an augmented reality device is allows a user to sense (for example, visualise or touch) an object in the real world, as well as an object or information that is not present in the real world (that is, an object or information that cannot be sensed by the user without the device) but which relates the object in the real world, usually via a display but this sensory information may be provided in another manner by the augmented reality device (for example, via haptics or sound).

[0150] Similarly, augmented reality or augmented representation as used herein refers to a real-time view of a physical (real-world) environment that is enhanced or augmented by computer-generated sensory information (also referred to herein as “augmented sensory information”). The computer-generated sensory or perceptual information may include visual, auditory, haptic, tactile and / or somatosensory components.

[0151] The augmented sensory information is overlaid onto the physical environment so that it is perceived as being part of or related to the real-world environment. For example, augmented visual information may be displayed relative to one or more physical objects (that is, objects that can be perceived without an augmented reality device in the real world), and augmented sounds may be perceived as originating from a particular source or location in the physical world. Some examples of such information may include distance markers between real objects or grid lines output on a display of an augmented reality device, sounds or tactile outputs relating to physical objects. The overlaid sensory information can be constructive (that is, adding to the real-world environment) or destructive (that is, masking or removing part of the real-world environment).

[0152] The network or telecommunications system 601 illustrated in Figure 6 is similar to that discussed above with reference to Figure 1. It will be appreciated that the installation management illustrated with reference to Figure 6 may be performed with any other network or telecommunications device, including but not limited to the network or telecommunications devices discussed herein.

[0153] The system 601 in this example has already been partially installed, with a wire 604 having been inserted into a port 614. Encoded data 608 corresponding to the wire 604 is attached to the wire 604. The encoded data 608 may comprise one or more machine-readable images and may include an augmented reality marker. An augmented reality marker may be an object or image that contains any necessary information to generate an augmented reality. It may generate the augmented reality via a dedicated application on a mobile computing device or without a dedicated application. Other devices such as a headmounted display (HMD), a head-up display (HUD), a handheld display or wearable lens technology (for example, eyeglasses or contact lenses) may be used to display the augmented sensory information.

[0154] Cable 602A, also having encoded data 606 attached, has not yet been installed into port 612. The encoded data 606 may comprise one or more machine-readable images and may include an augmented reality marker. In other examples, neither encoded data 606 nor encoded data 608 may include an augmented reality marker, which may instead be provided with the network or telecommunications system 601. Either or both of encoded data 606 and 608 may still include a fiducial marker to assist with deriving a real-world coordinate system.

[0155] As described above with reference to Figures 1,2, 3A and 3B, a sensing device 620 receives one or more images 632 including the encoded data 606, 608. The one or more images 632 are displayed on display 630. In this example, the one or more images 632 are a series of real-time images. The encoded data 606, 608 is decoded to compare and determine whether the wires 602A and 604 are compatible. In addition, as described with reference to Figure 5, the one or more images are used to derive a real-world coordinate system. In this example, the real-world coordinate system is derived based on the position of the augmented reality marker. The steps of determining whether the wires 602A and 604 are compatible and deriving the real-world coordinate system may be performed in any order.

[0156] Following the determination of the real-world coordinate system and a determination that the wires 602A and 604 are compatible, the system 600 provides installation information to the user as an augmented representation on the display 630 the sensing device 620. It will be appreciated that in other examples, the display 630 may be provided by a device distinct from the sensing device 630. For example, the user may use a mobile computing device having a camera to retrieve the encoded data but the installation information may be provided on a display of a different computing device, which may be a HUD or HMD, for example.

[0157] The augmented representation may be provided by adapting the one or more images 232 (that is, augmenting the one or more images 232 with sensory installation information) to display a representation of an expected configuration of the wires, as shown in Figure 6. In this example, the augmented representation comprises a representation 602B of the wire 602A in the expected correct position.

[0158] The augmented representation may comprise further installation information such as, for example, optional arrow 624 to indicate to a user how to move the real world wire 602A, or optional text (for instance, providing one or more reasons for the configuration being incorrect). The further installation information may also be provided instead of the representation of the expected configuration. That is, the augmented representation may indicate steps to install a device or fix a device installation without illustrating the completed step. Other augmented sensory information may be provided to indicate to the user when the step has been completed. For example, haptic feedback may be provided when the component is correctly positioned.

[0159] Other optional installation information may be provided. Furthermore, whilst the augmented representation has been described with reference to Figure 6, in which the components are determined to be compatible, the augmented representation may be provided to facilitate fixing of an incorrect or otherwise sub-optimally functioning system. For example, the augmented representation may comprise providing (for example, displaying) a representation of an action required to correct a configuration of components.

[0160] As noted above, the augmented representation may be provided in other manners, which may be in addition to or instead of the augmented one or more images 232. For example, haptic information may be provided to the user to indicate that the wire 602A has been positioned in a correct or incorrect location or that wire 602A is compatible or incompatible with the wire 604 and / or the device 61OA. For example, the augmented reality device may vibrate when the wire is in a correct or incorrect location and / or is compatible or incompatible. Similarly, auditory information may be provided to indicate that the wire 602A is in a correct or incorrect position and / or compatible or incompatible. The auditory information may comprise a sound (for example, a chime or buzzer) and / or may comprise spoken words. The spoken words may be computer-generated and / or pre-recorded by a real person. It will be appreciated that other implementations of augmented sensory information may be used.

[0161] Figure 7 illustrates a system 700 for telecommunications or network device installation management. The system 700 comprises a sensing device 720, an output device 730, and one or more processors 740.

[0162] The sensing device 720 is in communication with the one or more processors 740 such that, once the sensing device 720 has decoded encoded data received by the sensing device 720, the derived or decoded data can be compared by the one or more processors 740 to determine whether components are compatible. The one or more processors 740 may, for example, be part of the sensing device 720. In other examples, the sensing device 720 may transmit the data to an external device (for instance, a computer or mobile computing device) that comprises the one or more processors 720. The data may be transmitted via a wired or wireless connection.

[0163] The one or more processors 740 are in turn in communication with the output device 730, which is configured to provide installation information to a user. The output device may be or comprise a display, an audio output device (for example, a speaker, headphones or earphones), a haptic output device (for example, a mobile computing device or wearable technology) or another output device. Once the one or more processors 740 have determined whether the components are compatible, the one or more processors 740 retrieve or determine the installation information to transmit to the output device 730 for providing to the user. For example, the one or more processors 740 may retrieve the installation information from a remote (external) device, which may comprise a server.

[0164] Figure 8 illustrates a system 800 for telecommunications or network device installation management. The system 800 comprises two telecommunications components 802, 804 labelled with encoded data, a mobile device 821 comprising a sensing device 820, an output device (display) 830 and a processor 840, and a remote device 850.

[0165] As described with reference to Figures 1,2, 3A, 3B, 4 and 6, the encoded data is read and decoded by sensing device 820. The derived or decoded data is then transmitted to the processor 840, which is configured to compare the derived or decoded data and provide installation information and optionally is further configured to derive a real-world coordinate system and generate an augmented representation. The processor 840 may send one or more images received from the sensing device 820 to the remote device 850 for processing to retrieve the installation information. In other examples, the processor 840 may derive or determine the installation information itself. In either case, the installation information (which may optionally include the augmented representation) may then be sent by the processor 840 to the display 830 to output the installation information, which may optionally comprise displaying the augmented representation.

[0166] Figure 9 illustrates a prototype system for telecommunications or network device installation management. In this example, the system is implemented as a gamified system for positioning QR codes provided to users (the “players”) into a correct order, but it will be appreciated that the system of Figure 9 could be adapted to implement any of the systems for telecommunications or network device installation management described herein or another system for telecommunications or network device installation management.

[0167] The system comprises a single-board computer (SBC) manufactured by Raspberry Pi Ltd in communication with one or more input devices (in this case, a button and a camera), a text-to-speech (TTS) processor and one or more output devices (in this case, an indicator light and a speaker). Each game player holds a QR code (or another machine-readable code) to identify the player and can move about the area, such that the order or positioning of the QR codes can change.

[0168] The SBC is configured to interface with the Internet for TTS operation. The SBC comprises a computer program (which may be written in Python) configured to receive from the camera one or more images comprising the QR codes and decode the data contained in the QR codes, compare the first and second data derived from the QR codes and determine whether the order or positioning of the QR codes is correct. The computer program may implement open-source tools for QR code processing, OpenAI API integration (for example, to provide computer-generated responses to provide the correct order or positioning of the QR codes, one or more reasons for an incorrect order or positioning of the QR codes and / or other information related to the ordering or positioning of the QR codes), and ElevenLabs API integration (for TTS processing).

[0169] Comparison: Prototype vs. Applied

[0170] Prototype: • Users are playing a game where the ordering of QR code tagged elements is important. • SBC system with a camera and software is set up to view the users. • Element order is locally identified by software developed to guide the user through the game.

[0171] Applied: • User has internet problems with a router device and other QR code tagged elements provided by a network or Internet service provider for providing network or Internet access. • Has mobile phone system with a camera and software (for example, the MyVodafone App or Vodafone Broadband App Software). • User uses the system to locally order / identify elements using the Software to guide the user through setup or diagnostics.

[0172] Initiation

[0173] System (offline or online) guides user to perform visual diagnostics.

[0174] Alternative: the user scans back of an element (for example, a router) with the system. The Primary QR Code launches the mobile application and diagnostic process automatically.

[0175] Camera interface on system opens showing live feed, constantly scanning for QR code inputs.

[0176] User directed to point the system at the back of the router.

[0177] Primary QR code located, provides immediate context to the system regarding the router default and optional configuration.

[0178] Example: Encoded information - Router name: ABG346, Required: Power: AN3 PS, ONT port: 1 Gbps or higher CAT6E, Optional: Ethernet 1, Ethernet 2, etc.

[0179] Diagnostics

[0180] Diagnostics and Setup would follow similar patterns towards resolution - for example, ensuring that users plug in the correct components or elements before they can be expected to have internet connectivity.

[0181] Tagged elements (for example, power cables, fibre line cables, and so on) are discovered by QR code or other machine-readable data.

[0182] Tagged elements are checked against expected configuration elements.

[0183] For example, an incorrect power supply may be identified. The power supply may fit and even intermittently power the router, but not provide a correct sustained power level to ensure correct operation. For example, an ONT cable may be plugged into the wrong port.

[0184] Visual feedback is overlaid on the live view on the System to highlight problems identified. The visual feedback is aligned with the problem area for context.

[0185] Resolution

[0186] An image (snapshot) may be captured for out-of-place feedback or remote analysis (for example, by a technician).

[0187] Chat-based feedback may be aligned with the visual feedback to help remedy the issue or installation. For example, the feedback may locate and indicate to use the correct power supply, or provide a URL to order a replacement.

[0188] Although the methods and systems described herein have been described primarily with reference to wire and cable components, it will be appreciated that other component types may be implemented to identify device installation issues and / or facilitate device installation. For example, one or more switches may be tagged with encoded data and the system may determine a misconfiguration of switch settings (or other settings) in similar manner to described herein with reference to wires and cables. For example, a user may not have pressed a switch or may have a switch in an incorrect position (for example, in an off-position) and this may be determined by comparing the derived data for the switch and the device including the switch. Misconfigured settings, including switch settings, are a common issue in device installation.

[0189] Similarly, although the methods and systems described herein have been described with reference to network and / or telecommunications components, it will be appreciated the methods and systems described herein could be used for any device that requires plugging in or arranging a plurality of components (for instance, cables, hoses, pipes, tubes, and so on). For example, the device could be a fluid storage device and the components could include tubes, or the device could comprise a vehicle and the components could include wires, cables and / or pipes. The derived data in the case of tubes, pipes, hoses and so on may include an indication of substances that can be used in connection with the component, suitable temperatures of the component, a composition of the component, and so on. For example, the pipes may only be suitable for gas supply, or may suffer damage at low temperatures (and so may not be suitable for use with cryogenic coolers, for example), or the composition of the component may mean it is not suitable for use with certain substances.

[0190] In another example, the device may be an electrically powered device. For instance, the device could comprise part of an electrical power distribution system. For instance, the device may comprise a distribution board (also known as a breaker board or fuse box). Fuse boxes are often installed in domestic settings and may be confusing for an uninformed user to operate or fix. In another example, the electrically powered device may comprise part of a vehicular power system - for example, a vehicle battery. Again, a user whose vehicle breaks down may not have sufficient mechanics knowledge to identify or fix the issue themselves. Furthermore, a mechanic may not be available to help for a significant period of time, which can be frustrating for the user or even dangerous - for instance, in situations where the breakdown has occurred on a motorway or other high speed road, or where the issue is time critical.

[0191] It will be appreciated that the methods and systems described herein could be used or adapted to be used with such non-network and non-telecommunications components. For instance, there may be provided a method for managing device installation, the method comprising: receiving and decoding first encoded data corresponding to a first component and second encoded data corresponding to a second component; comparing first and second data derived from the respective first and second encoded data, wherein at least one of the first and second derived data comprises information indicating a correctly installed first and / or second component; and determining whether a configuration of the first and second components is correct based on the information indicating the correctly installed first and / or second component.

[0192] It may be determined that the configuration is incorrect when the configuration differs from the information indicating the correctly installed first and / or second component by more than a minimum amount. Similarly, the configuration may be determined to be correct when the configuration is the same as or is sufficiently similar to (differs by less than a minimum amount from) the information indicating the correctly installed first and / or second component. The configuration may be determined to differ by more than a minimum amount as described herein with reference to Figure 5, for example. For instance, the information may comprise a threshold distance between the first component and the second component and a distance between the first and second components is greater or less than the threshold distance.

[0193] A corresponding system may also be provided. For example, there may be provided a system for device installation management that comprises a first component labelled with first encoded data corresponding to the first component and a second component labelled with second encoded data corresponding to the second component; at least one sensing device configured to read the first and second encoded data to decode the data; and at least one processor configured to: compare first and second data derived from the respective first and second encoded data, wherein at least one of the first and second derived data comprises information indicating a correctly installed first and / or second component; and determine whether a configuration of the first and second components is correct based on the information indicating the correctly installed first and / or second component

[0194] In another example, the component may not be a telecommunications or network component (that is, may be any component for a device) and the derived data includes a power supply and / or a data rate requirement. As discussed herein, inappropriate power supply can be a common issue with device installation management. An incorrect power supply can cause hardware damage to a device or may otherwise not provide a correct sustained power level to ensure correct operation.

[0195] In a further example, the component may not be a telecommunications or network component (that is, may be any component for a device) but at least one of the components comprises or is a wire or cable. Wires and cables can often look similar but have certain features (which may not be visible to the user or indicated in a manner understood by a layperson) that limit how the wire or cable can or should be used. This may not be the case for other types of components such as, for example, hoses or tubes, which may not pose any issue for use with various different devices as long as the connector type is appropriately matched to the device.

[0196] The methods described herein may be implemented with computer system configurations including hand-held devices, microprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, minicomputers, mainframe computers and the like. The embodiments can also be practiced in distributed computing environments, where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a network.

[0197] The computer system may include a processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU). The processor may execute logic in the form of a software program. The computer system may include a memory including volatile and non-volatile storage medium. The different parts of the system may be connected using a network (e.g. wireless networks and wired networks). The computer system may include one or more interfaces. The computer may contain a suitable operating system such as UNIX (including Linux) or Windows (RTM), for example.

[0198] Certain embodiments can also be embodied as computer-readable code on a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The computer readable medium may be any data storage device than can store data, which can thereafter be read by a computer system. Examples of the computer readable medium include hard drives, network attached storage (NAS), read-only memory, random-access memory, CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, CD-RWs, magnetic tapes, and other optical and non-optical data storage devices. The computer readable medium can also be distributed over a network coupled computer systems so that the computer readable code is stored and executed in a distributed fashion. Although embodiments according to the disclosure have been described with reference to particular types of devices and applications (particularly augmented reality devices) and the embodiments have particular advantages in such case, as discussed herein, approaches according to the disclosure may be applied to other types of device and / or application. Each feature disclosed in this specification, unless stated otherwise, may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose. Thus, unless stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

[0199] All of the aspects and / or features disclosed in this specification may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and / or steps are mutually exclusive. In particular, the preferred features of the disclosure are applicable to all aspects and embodiments of the disclosure and may be used in any combination. Likewise, features described in non-essential combinations may be used separately (not in combination).

[0200] It will be appreciated that there is an implied “about” prior to voltages, currents, and other measurable values discussed in the present teachings, such that slight and insubstantial deviations are within the scope of the present teachings. Furthermore, values referred to as being “equal” may in fact differ by less than a threshold amount. The threshold amount may be 5%, for example. The threshold may also be greater than 5% (e.g., 10%, 20% or 50%) or less than 5% (for example, 2% or 1 %). depending on the context.

[0201] As used herein, including in the claims, unless the context indicates otherwise, singular forms of the terms herein are to be construed as including the plural form and vice versa. For instance, unless the context indicates otherwise, a singular reference herein including in the claims, such as “a” or “an” (such as a component) means “one or more” (for instance, one or more components).

[0202] Throughout the description and claims of this disclosure, the words “comprise”, “including”, “having” and “contain” and variations of the words, for example “comprising” and “comprises” or similar, mean “including but not limited to”, and are not intended to (and do not) exclude other components. Also, the use of “or” is inclusive, such that the phrase “A or B” is true when “A” is true, “B is true”, or both “A” and “B” are true.

[0203] The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (“for instance”, “such as”, “for example” and like language) provided herein, is intended merely to better illustrate the disclosure and does not indicate a limitation on the scope of the disclosure unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the disclosure.

[0204] The terms “first” and “second” may be reversed without changing the scope of the invention. That is, an element termed a “first” element (e.g., a first component) may instead be termed a “second” element (e.g., a second component) and an element termed a “second” element (e.g., a second component) may instead be considered a “first” element (e.g. a first component).

[0205] Any steps described in this specification may be performed in any order or simultaneously unless stated or the context requires otherwise. Moreover, where a step is described as being performed after a step, this does not preclude intervening steps being performed.

[0206] It is also to be understood that, for any given component or embodiment described herein, any of the possible candidates or alternatives listed for that component may generally be used individually or in combination with one another, unless implicitly or explicitly understood or stated otherwise. It will be understood that any list of such candidates or alternatives is merely illustrative, not limiting, unless implicitly or explicitly understood or stated otherwise.

[0207] In this detailed description of the various embodiments, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments disclosed. One skilled in the art will appreciate, however, that these various embodiments may be practiced with or without these specific details. Furthermore, one skilled in the art can readily appreciate that the specific sequences in which methods are presented and performed are illustrative and it is contemplated that the sequences can be varied and still remain within the scope of the various embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

25Claims:

1. A method for managing telecommunications or network device installation, the method comprising:receiving and decoding first encoded data corresponding to a first telecommunications or network component and second encoded data corresponding to a second telecommunications or network component, wherein receiving the first and second encoded data comprises receiving one or more images including the first and second encoded data;comparing first and second data derived from the respective first and second encoded data to determine whether the first telecommunications or network component and the second telecommunications or network component are compatible; andbased on the determination, providing installation information to a user.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second derived data indicate one or more of: a power supply requirement, a data rate requirement, a connector type, a type of component, an indication of one or more types of component suitable for use with the first and / or second telecommunications or network component, information indicating a correctly installed first and / or second telecommunications or network component, and sequential steps to install the first and / or second telecommunications or network component.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining that the first and second telecommunications or network components are incompatible when one or more of:the power supply requirement and / or the data rate requirement of the first and second derived data differ by more than a threshold amount;the connector type of the first and second derived data are different; and the type of component of the first derived data and / or second derived data is not included in the indication of the one or more types of component.

4. The method of any previous claim, wherein and at least one of the first and second derived data includes information indicating a correctly installed first and / or second telecommunications or network component and the method further comprises:deriving a real-world coordinate system based on the one or more images; and determining, based on the derived real-world coordinate system, whether a configuration of the first and second telecommunications or network components is correct.08 05 255. The method of claim 4 when dependent on claim 2, further comprising determining that the configuration of the first and second telecommunications or network components is incorrect when the configuration differs from the information indicating the correctly installed first and / or second telecommunications or network component by more than a minimum amount.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the configuration differs from the information indicating a correctly installed first and / or second telecommunications or network component by more than a minimum amount when one or more of:the information comprises a threshold distance between the first telecommunications or network component and the second telecommunications or network component and a distance between the first and second telecommunications or network components is greater or less than the threshold distance; andthe information comprises an expected position of the first telecommunications or network component relative to the second telecommunications component and a position of the first telecommunications or network component relative to the second telecommunications or network component differs from the expected position by more than a threshold amount; andwherein the information comprises a representation of a correctly installed first and / or second telecommunications or network component and the one or more images differ from the representation by more than a required amount.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the expected relative position comprises an expected ordering of the first and second telecommunications or network components and / or the expected relative position comprises the first and second telecommunications or network components being arranged along a common axis.

8. The method of any of claims 4 to 7, wherein receiving the one or more images comprises receiving one or more a machine-readable images.

9. The method of any claim 8, wherein at least one of the one or more machine-readable images comprises an augmented reality marker and the real-world coordinate system is derived based on the position of the augmented reality marker, andwherein providing installation information to the user comprises outputting, based on the derived real-world coordinate system, an augmented representation of the installation information to the user.08 05 2510. The method of claim 9, wherein outputting the augmented representation comprises displaying a representation of an expected configuration of the first and second telecommunications or network components, displaying a representation of an action required to correct a configuration of the first and second telecommunications or network components and / or displaying one or more reasons for a configuration of the first and second telecommunications or network components being incorrect.

11. The method of any of claims 8 to 10, wherein the machine-readable image comprises a two-dimensional matrix barcode, wherein the two-dimensional matrix barcode preferably comprises a QR code.

12. The method of any previous claim, wherein one of the first and second telecommunications or network components comprises customer-premises equipment, wherein the customer-premises equipment preferably comprises a telephone, router, network switch, residential gateway, set-top box, fixed mobile convergence equipment, home networking adapter and / or Internet access gateway.

13. The method of any previous claim, wherein at least one of the first and second telecommunications or network components comprises a wire or cable.

14. The method of any previous claim, wherein the installation information comprises one or more of: an indication to insert the first telecommunications or network component into the second telecommunications or network component, an indication to remove the first telecommunication or network component from the second telecommunications or network component, an indication to change or replace one or both of the first and second telecommunications or network components, an indication of a device installation error, an indication of an expected configuration of the first and second telecommunications or network components, and an indication that a configuration of the first and second telecommunications or network components is correct.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the indication to change or replace one or both of the first and second telecommunications or network components comprises sending a communication including a uniform resource locator that enables the user to order a different or replacement component.

16. The method of any previous claim, further comprising sending the one or more images to a remote device to retrieve the installation information.08 05 2517. The method of any previous claim, wherein the steps of receiving and decoding the first and second encoded data, comparing the first and second derived data and providing installation information to the user are performed by a mobile device.

18. A computer program comprising instructions which, when the computer program is executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the method of any of claims 1 to 17.

19. A computer-read able storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the methods of any of claims 1 to 17.

20. A system for telecommunications or network device installation management, the system comprising:a first telecommunications or network component labelled with first encoded data corresponding to the first telecommunications or network component and a second telecommunications or network component labelled with second encoded data corresponding to the second telecommunications or network component;at least one sensing device comprising a camera configured to capture one or more images to obtain the first and second encoded data, the sensing device configured to read the first and second encoded data to decode the data; andat least one processor configured to compare first and second data derived from the respective first and second encoded data to determine whether the first telecommunications or network component and the second telecommunications or network component are compatible and, based on the determination, provide installation information to a user.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the processor is further configured to derive a real-world coordinate system based on the one or more images.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the one or more images comprise one or more machine-readable images and at least one of the one or more machine-readable images comprises an augmented reality marker and the real-world coordinate system is derived based on the position of the augmented reality marker, and wherein the system further comprises a display configured to output, based on the derived real-world coordinate system, an augmented representation of the installation information to the user.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the processor is configured to generate one or more of: a representation of an expected arrangement of the first and second telecommunications or network components; a representation of an action required to correct an arrangement of the first and second telecommunications or network components; and a representation indicating one or more differences between requirements of the first telecommunications or network component and the second telecommunications or network component.

24. The system of any of claims 20 to 23, wherein at least one of the first and second telecommunications or network components comprises a wire or cable.

25. The system of any of claims 20 to 24, wherein the system comprises a mobile computing device and the sensing device and the processor are included in the mobile computing device.

26. The system of claim 25 when dependent on claim 22, wherein the display is provided by the mobile device.08 05 25

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