SYSTEM FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTERS FOR MANAGING MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES

Description

PRAXI Intellectual Property SpA PF / GZ / 117p2024 Description of the invention entitled: “TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTERS SYSTEM FOR MANAGEMENT OF MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES” in the name of: DE ANGELIS MATTEO Inventor: DE ANGELIS Matteo _________________________________________________________________ Description Field of technology The invention relates to the field of assistance, maintenance and repair centers Repair of electronic devices. The invention provides assistance to technicians. responsible for maintaining or repairing the electronic device and through a totem multimedia or a web application, allows customers to follow the various stages of processing. Known art A problem felt by customers who bring their device for repair electronic at a repair center, is to be able to follow the activity performed on your electronic device. Companies, which entrust in maintain your electronic devices at a technical assistance center, they feel the need to verify which checks have been carried out and any interventions carried out. Another aspect on which customers of technical assistance centers ask guarantees is to have justified the real need for the replacement of a component. Traditional management software for technical assistance centers for devices electronics are limited to managing the administrative part of maintenance and repair of electronic devices. Some of them provide customers with access remotely to check whether your device has been repaired or not. Some PRAXI Intellectual Property SpA PF / GZ / 117p2024 systems integrate messaging via SMS or other types of notifications to communicate customers the completion of the work, or provide them with a quote repair. In addition to these management software, there are some inventions that address the diagnostic aid problem, but are mostly aimed at device testing electronic before their trade, or semi-automatic systems that detect basic malfunctions, such as speakers, microphones, buttons, video camera integrated, etc. Patent US2016187876 relates to an automatic testing system for mobile devices and is aimed at both points of sale and production plants. The patented system provides a tool by which non-personnel qualified person from an electronic device sales point, is able to carry out tests of operation on devices and identify any problems. It provides a automated tester system capable of performing hardware and functional tests software on a smartphone. It consists of a box-shaped device containing an arm robotic, which is able to move the smart device in various directions. In addition, the device includes a stylus that can also move in the x, y and z directions and be used to operate buttons on the device intelligent. The tests are specific to smartphones and are basic functionality tests. Many existing electronic device test systems are aimed at manufacturers of devices and are used to perform both hardware and software stress tests. for the invention described above, there are other systems that use a robotic arm to simulate human intervention. A significant example is the US patent 138896. There are other testing aids, but they are specific to detecting certain types. of specific malfunctions. PRAXI Intellectual Property SpA PF / GZ / 117p2024 There are patents that test some specific components of the devices. for example, US20160178707 patent is specific to determine whether the battery of a device is working properly or if the battery is out of tolerance, while There are patents for testing radio equipment, rather than the correct speaker operation. These systems therefore do not fully resolve the above-mentioned needs of the clients. The invention appears to be innovative and original because, in the state of art, there is no complete solution, which in addition to providing assistance to the electronic device maintenance and repair laboratory technician, provides real-time information on the processing status to the customer, device owner: the entire system is innovative in itself, as contrived. From a comparative examination between the aim of the invention, the profiles of emerge innovativeness and originality of the present invention. Description of the invention According to the present invention, a management system is provided maintenance and repairs of electronic devices, assisted by a specific software and hardware, providing diagnostic support to the center staff technical assistance and allowing the customer to control the various phases of processing. A problem felt by customers who bring their device for repair electronic at a repair center, is to have an update in real-time tracking of maintenance or repair interventions performed on your electronic device. Companies that entrust their devices for maintenance electronic devices to a technical assistance center, they feel the need to verify which checks have been carried out and any interventions carried out. Another aspect on which customers of technical assistance centers ask PRAXI Intellectual Property SpA PF / GZ / 117p2024 guarantees is to have justified the real need for the replacement of a component. The present invention provides assistance to the technician of the technical assistance center, in identifying the tasks he must perform on the electronic device and makes transparent to customers the activities that are carried out on their device, entrusted to the technical assistance centre for its maintenance or repair. A technician, before starting the diagnosis, inserts the device under a stand to which a camera is connected and which performs an acquisition of one or multiple images of the device. The technician, using the camera, can acquire images of the external body of the electronic device such as, for example by way of example but not limited to or binding, the screen of a smartphone, or its internal components. The technician can decide to acquire the images of individual components of the device, which present to the view characteristics considered important such as, by way of example but not limited to or binding, components deemed not original, components that present the view probable malfunctions, or components that the technician identifies as possibly faulty and therefore requiring specific diagnostic tests. The technician, by means of a management software at his disposal, has access to a catalog of electronic device models. From this catalog, select the personal data sheet relating to the specific electronic device being serviced and connects the acquired images of the electronic device to it. The personal data sheet is previously created by an operator, normally present at the reception of the technical assistance center. In some versions of the present invention, the management software provides the technician a list of checks to be carried out on the device to be maintained or repaired. This checklist in some versions is arranged in such a way as to highlight the any problems detected by AI software. PRAXI Intellectual Property SpA PF / GZ / 117p2024 The management software manages different work progress states, otherwise referred to as SAL, relating to the maintenance or repair of the device electronic. For each SAL the technician can acquire one or more images of the electronic device or some of its components, in order to document the different stages of processing progress. For example but not limited to restrictive or binding, the technician performs an image acquisition, after having unsoldered a component and then a further image after having welded the replacement component, or before and after a cleaning operation. The customer can check the status of the repair, also by means of the various images acquired during the manufacturing process in real time, using of a multimedia totem present in the technical assistance center, or using a web application. Using the multimedia kiosk or the application web, the customer can consult a list of repair costs and can also by accessing one or more external e-commerce programs, carry out purchases of new and / or used electronic devices, offered by the same centre maintenance and repair. External programs means one or more e-commerce software on where a virtual store is created and one or more devices are inserted into it electronics that the assistance center sells. In some versions of the application the system includes an AI software module (Artificial intelligence), which by comparing the acquired images by the technician during the assistance process and one or more reference figures relating to the particular model of the device, provides assistance to the technician in identifying any malfunctions of the electronic device. The assistance to the technician consists in showing him, through the management software, a list of checks to be carried out on the electronic device, ordered in such a way as to give priority to those components that present a probability of malfunction. PRAXI Intellectual Property SpA PF / GZ / 117p2024 Some versions of the application include a thermal camera, which allows the technician to identify overheated components and which can therefore be malfunctioning. With regards to the infrastructure part, the system includes: - a camera stand; - a camera attached to the said stand to acquire one or more images of the entire electronic device or parts of it; - a management software installed on one or more personal computers present within the said maintenance and repair center; - an image software for camera management and processing of the acquired images. In some versions of the invention such software It also operates a thermal camera. - a multimedia kiosk on which client software is installed. The kiosk multimedia is connected to a server. The main features of this client software are: display a price list of maintenance and repairs, show images of the components to be replaced or repair, show the progress of the repair or maintenance, provide a link to a trading software electronic; - said server connected to the Internet network that hosts the back-end component end of the management software, the back-end component of the software images, the back-end component of the multimedia totem client. In some versions of the present invention the server hosts a software TO THE; - a router / modem that connects the server to the Internet; - in some versions of the present invention, the customers of the center are provided technical support, a web application through which such customers can consult a price list for maintenance and repairs. PRAXI Intellectual Property SpA PF / GZ / 117p2024 This web application displays images related to the components to be replace or repair and shows the progress of the repair or of maintenance. In addition, the web application is connected to one or more external e-commerce applications; by connected we mean that inside the web application contains external links that point to one or more e-commerce programs, on which a virtual shop containing the price list of products that the assistance center puts on the market.; - in some versions of the present invention there is a software module of AI, which compares the acquired images with the figures relating to the model of the electronic device, identify any components malfunctioning or non-original; - in some versions of this invention there is a camera thermal, used by AI software to detect components of said electronic devices that are overheated and could therefore be damaged malfunctioning; - in some versions of the present invention the management software shows a checklist containing checks that the center staff maintenance and repair must be carried out. In some versions of the present invention, this checklist highlights those components that the AI software has identified as having a higher probability of being malfunctioning (of being broken and / or requiring checking). AI software normalizes and classifies device model related figures with the images of the electronic device acquired in assistance with the said camera and using a neural network structure, makes a comparison of similarity between the various components of the image. The software uses methods of Machine Learning, otherwise known as ML, which uses a learning supervised type. Supervised ML algorithms learn to solve the PRAXI Intellectual Property SpA PF / GZ / 117p2024 problems using labeled input and output data values. In this implementation, for each model of electronic device and for each of its component, the ML algorithm through the image software interface Show the technician pairs of images, highlighting the differences. He is the operator same which indicates that the difference could indicate a problem. In the following assistance interventions on electronic devices of the same model, the software AI assigns an increasingly precise probability that the component identified as having a malfunction. For example, the presence of dirt on the display of a device control can be, in a first training phase, identified by the AI ​​as a Broken display. One or more manual inputs provided by the operator regarding the fact that a certain image (acquired by the camera) is related to the presence of dirt on the display and not fractures / cracks, allows the AI ​​to learn and refine your subsequent assessments on the matter. In the version of the invention that uses the thermal camera, the images thermals are further used by AI algorithms, providing them with additional input information. This probability is used by the management software to present the technician with a list of malfunctions, sorted in decreasing order of probability of component malfunction. The advantages offered by the present invention are evident in light of the description given so far and will be even clearer thanks to the attached figures and to the relevant detailed description. Description of the figures The invention will be described below in at least one embodiment. preferred for explanatory and non-limiting purposes with the aid of the attached figures, in which: - FIGURE 1 shows a hardware and software architectural diagram of a system PRAXI Intellectual Property SpA PF / GZ / 117p2024 according to the present invention; - FIGURE 2 shows a hardware and software architectural diagram of a system according to the present invention including thermal camera and AI software module; - FIGURE 3 shows a schematic view of how the various components of the system are divided between the various areas of the technical assistance centre maintenance and repair of electronic devices; - FIGURE 4 shows a representative block diagram of a method 100 of exploitation of a system according to the present invention. Detailed description of the invention The present invention will now be illustrated by way of example only but non-limiting or binding, using figures 2 and 3 which illustrate some embodiments relating to the present inventive concept. With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, an embodiment of the system is shown. An operator 13, by means of a personal computer 10, on which a management software 11 adds to the list of electronic device models that the technical assistance center 1 maintains or repairs, a new model of electronic device. Enters said electronic device model into the IT system using the management software 11, adding a new technical data sheet and inserting the technical figures of this device. This Insertion can also be done through a file import procedure. This is said management software 11 connects to one or more external trading software electronic, where external software means one or more commercial software electronic on which a virtual shop is created and on which one or more are inserted more electronic devices 6 that the service center 1 sells. The customer, who goes to the technical assistance centre 1, delivers a electronic device 6, which requires repair, to an operator 13 of the reception. Operator 13 records, using management software 11, the card PRAXI Intellectual Property SpA PF / GZ / 117p2024 customer profile and the device profile card. At the end of the registration process, provides the customer with the credentials to access a totem multimedia 8 present at the technical assistance center, connected to a server 7, and the credentials to access the web application 15. Server 7 is connected to the network via a router / modem 9. Specifically, FIG. 3 shows three environments which are a reception area 18, a 19 server environment and a 20 laboratory environment foreseen in some forms of embodiment of the present invention. Technician 17 who is in laboratory 20 inserts electronic device 6 from repair under a stand 2 to which a camera 3 is connected, and perform a acquisition of one or more images of said electronic device 6. The technician 17, using an image software 12, installed in the personal computer 10 at its arrangement, can acquire images of the external body of the electronic device, as an example but not limited to or binding, the screen of a smartphone, or one or more internal components of the electronic device 6. The said software 12 acquires one or more images through the said camera 3 images of a part, the whole and / or a component of said device electronic 6 to be maintained or repaired; said software images 12 stores furthermore said images acquired in said processing registry card of the electronic device 6 to be maintained or repaired. Said software images 12 further acquires said images for each progress status of the works maintenance or repair. Technician 17 can decide to acquire images of individual components of the electronic device 6, which present visual characteristics deemed important such as, by way of example but not limited to or binding, components considered non-original, components that appear to be probable malfunctions, or identified as possibly faulty and to be submitted then to specific diagnostic tests. PRAXI Intellectual Property SpA PF / GZ / 117p2024 Technician 17, using the management software 11 at his disposal, connects to the electronic device 6 personal data sheet created during the registration phase at reception 18 and connects to it the images of the electronic device 6 acquired before starting maintenance or repair work. An AI 16 (Artificial intelligence) software module compares the images acquired by technician 17 with the reference figures stored in the card device model technique and identify those components of the device electronic 6 on which it assigned a probability of malfunction. management software 11 shows technician 17 a list of checks to be carried out, ordered so as to give precedence to those relating to components to which the software of AI 16 assigned a probability of malfunction. During the various stages of processing - otherwise described as states of Work progress abbreviated in SAL - technician 17 acquires one or more images of the electronic device 6 or some of its components. As a exemplary but not limiting or binding a SAL can be the moment after unsoldering a component and another SAL can be represented by the moment after having welded the replacement component, or after having carried out a weld, or before and after a cleaning operation. The customer using the access credentials provided during the delivery phase of the own electronic device at reception 18, access via totem 8 or using the web application 15, to the personal data sheet of your device electronic 6, which card shows the progress of the work of the repair and related real-time images. In some embodiments of the present invention, the system comprises further: - an integration to the said management software 11, allowing the staff of the maintenance and repair center 1 to insert a catalog of models of electronic devices 6; said management software 11 associating each PRAXI Intellectual Property SpA PF / GZ / 117p2024 electronic device model 6 a technical data sheet; said technical data sheet containing a technical description of the electronic device model 6; said technical data sheet containing one or more figures of the said model electronic device 6; said technical data sheet containing one or more figures of one or more components of the model of said electronic device 6; - an integration to the said management software 11, allowing the import of said technical data sheets from external files; - an AI 16 software; said AI 16 software comparing said figures relating to the model of said electronic device 6, stored in the technical data sheet of the model of the said electronic device 6, with the image acquired by said electronic device 6 in maintenance or repair during a state of progress of maintenance or repair work; said AI 16 software allowing you to spot the differences between said figures relating to the model of said electronic device 6 and the acquired image from said camera 3 of said electronic device 6 under maintenance or repair; said AI 16 software by assigning to components of said electronic device 6 a probability of malfunction; called software of AI 16 by assigning to components of the electronic device 6 a probability of being unoriginal. In some embodiments of the present invention, the system comprises further: - a stand 4 for a thermal camera 5; said thermal camera 5 captures one or more thermal images of the electronic device 6; said images thermal combining contrast and color gradation of the components of said electronic device 6 with their temperature; - an integration to the AI ​​16 software by processing said thermal images for locate overheated components of said electronic device 6. In some embodiments of the present invention, the system comprises PRAXI Intellectual Property SpA PF / GZ / 117p2024 further: - an integration to the said management software 11, showing a checklist of check that the 17 technical staff of the maintenance and repair center 1 must carry out; this checklist being customized for each model and commercial version of said electronic device 6; said checklist allowing you to check off a single item when its control has been checked done. In some embodiments of the present invention, the system comprises further: - an integration to the said AI 16 software, showing the said checklist in reverse order of probability of malfunction; called checklist analyzing and comparing said figures relating to the device model electronic 6 with the image acquired by the camera 3 during the maintenance or repair of the electronic device 6. The present invention further relates to a method 100 of exploiting the system. With reference to FIG. 4 a block diagram is shown representative of a method 100 of the present invention. FIG. 4 will be described below with reference to FIG. 2. The 100 method includes the following steps: - loading phase 101 of a catalog of models of said devices electronic 6; said loading phase 101 being carried out by said management software 11; said loading phase 101 being carried out through import procedure from external files; said catalogue containing said technical data sheets of the electronic device models 6; this technical data sheet containing said figures of said electronic devices 6; - insertion phase 102 of said electronic device personal data sheet 6 under maintenance or repair; - image acquisition phase 103, with said camera 3 of the device PRAXI Intellectual Property SpA PF / GZ / 117p2024 electronic 6 to be maintained or repaired and its components; - identification phase 104, using AI software 16 of non-components originals and components that have a probability of not working correctly; this probability is assigned by the AI ​​16 software by means of a supervised machine learning algorithm, having as input said figures of said models of electronic devices and said images of said electronic device 6; - control phase 105 of the individual components following the order of a check list; this checklist depends on the model of the electronic device 6 and processed by an AI 16 software by comparing the figures stored in the data sheet of the electronic device model 6 with images of said electronic device 6 captured by camera 3; - image acquisition phases 106 of the electronic device 6; repeated phase for each progress of the maintenance or repair of the electronic device 6; - processing phase 107 in which said web application 15 and said totem multimedia 8 show the progress of maintenance or electronic device repair 6. Finally, it is clear that the invention described up to now can be made subject to modifications, additions or variations that are obvious to a technician in the field, without this go beyond the scope of protection provided by the attached claims.

Claims

1. Management system for maintenance and repairs of electronic devices characterised by the fact that it comprises: - a stand (2) for a video camera (3); said video camera (3) acquiring the image of an electronic device (6) for one or more progress statuses of maintenance or repair work; - a management software (11) for maintenance and repair centres (1) of electronic devices (6); said management software (11) installed on one or more personal computers (10) present within said maintenance and repair centre (1); said management software (11) suitable for managing customer records and managing maintenance and repairs; said management software (11) comprising the management of one or more maintenance and repair price lists of said electronic devices (6); said management software (11) comprising one or more sales price lists of said electronic devices (6);said management software (11) associating a processing registry card to said electronic device (6) under maintenance or repair; said management software (11) connecting to one or more external e-commerce software; - an imaging software (12) installed on one or more personal computers (10) present within said maintenance and repair centre (1); said imaging software (12) acquiring through said camera (3) one or more images of said electronic device (6) to be maintained or repaired; said imaging software (12) acquiring through said camera (3) one or more images of a part or component of said electronic device (6) to be maintained or repaired; said imaging software (12) storing said acquired images in said processing registry card of the electronic device (6) to be maintained or repaired;said software images (12) acquiring said images for each state of progress of the maintenance or repair work; - a multimedia totem (8); said multimedia totem (8) connected to a server (7); said multimedia totem (8) comprising a client software (14) connected to said management software (11) and connected to said software images (12); said client software (14) showing a price list of the maintenance and repairs; said client software (14) showing said images relating to the components to be replaced or repaired; said client software (14) showing the progress of the repair or maintenance; said client software (14) showing said images relating to the progress of the maintenance or repair of the electronic device (6); - said server (7) connected to the internet network;said server (7) suitable for hosting a back-end component of said management software (11) for repair and maintenance centres (1); said server (7) connecting to said management software (11) installed on one or more personal computers (10) present within the maintenance and repair centre (1); said server (7) suitable for hosting a back-end component of said image software (12); said server (7) suitable for hosting a back-end component of said client software (14) installed in said multimedia totem (8); - a router / modem (9) connecting the server (7) to the internet network.; 2. Management system for maintenance and repairs of electronic devices, according to the previous claim, characterised by the fact that it comprises: - a web application (15) available remotely via the internet, for use by customers of the maintenance and repair centre (1) of electronic devices; said web application (15) showing the progress of the maintenance or repair of the electronic device (6) entrusted to the maintenance and repair centre (1); said application PRAXI Intellectual Property SpAPF / GZ / 117p2024 web (15) showing said images relating to the components to be replaced or repaired; said web application (15) showing said images relating to the progress of the maintenance or repair of the electronic device (6); said web application (15) showing one or more technical data sheets of one or more electronic devices (6) on sale; said web application (15) connecting to one or more external e-commerce applications; - said server (7) hosting said web application (15) for use by the customers of the electronic device maintenance and repair centre.

3. Management system for maintenance and repairs of electronic devices, according to any of the preceding claims, characterised by the fact that it comprises: - an integration to said management software (11), allowing the personnel of the maintenance and repair centre (1) to enter a catalogue of electronic device models (6); said management software (11) associating a technical sheet to each electronic device model (6); said technical sheet containing a technical description of the electronic device model (6); said technical sheet containing one or more figures of the model of said electronic device (6); said technical sheet containing one or more figures of one or more components of the model of said electronic device (6); - an integration to said management software (11), allowing the import of said technical sheets from external files; - an AI software (16);said AI software (16) comparing said figures relating to the model of said electronic device (6), stored in the technical data sheet of the model of said electronic device (6), with an image acquired by said electronic device (6) under maintenance or repair during a state of progress of maintenance or repair work; said AI software (16) allowing to identify the differences between said figures relating to the model of said electronic device (6) and an image acquired by said camera (3) of said electronic device (6) under maintenance or repair; said AI software (16) assigning to components of said electronic device (6) a probability of malfunction; said AI software (16) assigning to components of the electronic device (6) a probability of being non-original.; 4. Electronic device maintenance and repair management system, according to any of the preceding claims, characterised by comprising: - a stand (4) for a thermal camera (5); said thermal camera (5) capturing one or more thermal images of the electronic device (6); said thermal images associating contrast and colour gradation of the components of said electronic device (6) with their temperature; - an integration to the AI ​​software (16) processing said thermal images to identify overheated components of said electronic device (6).

5. Management system for maintenance and repairs of electronic devices, according to any of the preceding claims, characterised by the fact that it comprises: - an integration to said management software (11), showing a checklist of controls that the technical staff (17) of the maintenance and repair centre (1) must carry out; said checklist being personalised for each model and commercial version of said electronic device (6); said checklist allowing a single item to be ticked when the relevant control has been carried out. PRAXI Intellectual Property SpA PF / GZ / 117p2024 6. Maintenance and repair management system for electronic devices, according to the previous claim 5 and any of the previous claims 3, 4, characterised by the fact that it comprises: - an integration to said AI software (16), showing said check list in reverse order of probability of malfunction; said check list analysing and comparing said figures relating to the model of electronic device (6) with the image acquired by the camera (3) during the maintenance or repair of the electronic device (6).

7. Method (100) for using the system, according to any of the previous claims 3-6, characterised by comprising the following phases: - loading phase (101) of a catalogue of the models of said electronic devices (6); said loading phase (101) being carried out by means of said management software (11); said loading phase (101) being carried out by means of an import procedure from external files; said catalogue containing said technical data sheets of the models of the electronic devices (6); said technical data sheet containing said figures of said electronic devices (6); - insertion phase (102) of said personal data sheet of the electronic device (6) undergoing maintenance or repair; - image acquisition phase (103), with said camera (3), of the electronic device (6) to be maintained or repaired and of its components;- identification phase (104), by means of AI software (16) of non-original components and of components which present a probability of malfunction; said probability is assigned by the AI ​​software (16) by means of a supervised machine learning algorithm, having as input said figures of said models of electronic devices (6) and said images of said electronic device (6) acquired by said camera PRAXI Intellectual Property SpA PF / GZ / 117p2024 (3); - control phase (105) of the individual components following the order of a check list; such check list depends on the model of the electronic device (6) and is elaborated by an AI software (16) by comparing the figures stored in the technical data sheet of the model of the electronic device (6) with the images of said electronic device (6) captured by the camera (3); - image acquisition phases (106) of the electronic device (6);phase repeated for each progress status of the maintenance or repair of the electronic device (6); - processing phase (107) in which said web application (15) and said multimedia totem (8) show the progress status of the maintenance or repair of the electronic device (6).;