Systems, methods, apparatus, and computer program products for providing mobile device support services

Abstract

To provide a system, a method, an apparatus and a computer program product for providing mobile device support services.SOLUTION: In a system for providing a mobile device support service, configured with a mobile device support device, a customer service center device, a plurality of mobile devices, and a user terminal connected to a network, a method includes receiving a registration for the mobile device support service, determining registration information, and providing the mobile device support service according to the determined registration information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to computer technology, and more particularly, to systems, methods, devices, and computer program products for providing mobile device support services.

Background Art

[0002] As computer technology continues to rapidly develop, the use of mobile computing devices has become virtually ubiquitous among consumers of all socioeconomic classes. Today's mobile computing devices, including smartphones, tablet computing devices, and the like, have capabilities and functions that were previously only available on the most powerful personal computers. In particular, a number of mobile computing platforms, such as Apple iOS (registered trademark), Android (registered trademark), Windows (registered trademark) Phone, Blackberry (registered trademark), and the like, now enable users to install various applications on their mobile devices. In some cases, these applications can be supervised through an application store, but the review of the quality and completeness of applications available from the application store may not fully guarantee the security and interoperability of mobile applications. Furthermore, in many cases, users can download and install applications on their mobile devices from sources other than the supervised application store. Therefore, there are doubts about the quality and relative security of using any mobile application.

[0003] Furthermore, as mobile computing devices approach the processing power and functionality of personal computers, the phenomenon of acquiring a factory-fresh device that works as advertised and then rendering it a low-performing device is becoming increasingly frequent. In this regard, users can load too many applications that malfunction or are malicious, turning their previously working devices into seemingly non-functional ones. Another example is users installing incompatible combinations of applications, which can severely impact the device's performance. As a result, there is a growing trend of mobile device owners reporting hardware failures in their devices where there are no actual problems.

[0004] Manufacturers, carriers, mobile operators, retailers, wholesalers, and other industry providers often bear the financial and customer satisfaction burden resulting from returning mobile devices on a "No Fault Found" (NFF) basis. In most cases, even if there is no hardware failure and the problem experienced by the consumer is entirely due to an application(s) installed on the device, the device should be replaced with a new or repaired device if the customer is still protected by a warranty, extended warranty, insurance, or similar. In North America and Europe alone, this issue is estimated to cost around $1 billion. The exorbitant costs of the NFF return problem result not only in increased costs for consumers for mobile devices and mobile device services as industry providers pass on the cost of NFF returns to consumers, but also in reduced profit margins for industry providers. [Overview of the Initiative]

[0005] This specification describes systems, methods, and apparatus for providing mobile device support services. and computer program products are provided. In this regard, some embodiments reduce the occurrence of NFF returns by performing diagnostics and providing solutions for non-hardware problems affecting mobile device performance. Some embodiments additionally facilitate the diagnosis of hardware problems and provide proposed solutions to hardware problems. Some such embodiments include a mobile device support device configured to provide remote monitoring and / or diagnostics of mobile devices. Thus, the mobile device support device provided by some embodiments provides proactive device monitoring to give mobile device users advance notification of potential problems identified on their mobile devices and solutions therefor. Additionally or alternatively, the mobile device support device of some embodiments provides a portal that users can access to facilitate the diagnosis of problems encountered on their mobile devices.

[0006] Some embodiments provide a mobile application which may be implemented on a mobile device. Some embodiments of the mobile application provide a standalone application configured to diagnose and provide solutions for problems that may potentially affect the performance of the mobile device. Additionally or alternatively, some embodiments of the mobile application are configured to work in conjunction with a mobile device support device by monitoring mobile device performance and transmitting the monitored data to the mobile device support device, in order to facilitate remote analysis and diagnosis of any problems that may potentially affect the performance of the mobile device.

[0007] Some embodiments further provide the identification and elevation of problems that are not easily diagnoseable and / or cannot be easily resolved without involving customer service personnel and / or may require physical equipment repair. In this regard, such embodiments can facilitate the elevation of support issues to a customer service center so that a human expert who is more capable of resolving the problem can assist the mobile device user. As a result, some embodiments use a combination of remote diagnostic tools, a knowledge base, and customer service experts that all work in harmony. The system in such embodiments provides an intelligent engine capable of automatically identifying equipment performance problems and / or determining the cause of a consumer's dissatisfaction with the behavior and performance of their equipment, and, if possible, automatically repairing the equipment so that the consumer does not need to return the recognized faulty equipment. If the equipment cannot be automatically repaired using the self-help tool, the system in some embodiments recommends to the user that the session be escalated to a human expert who is potentially more capable of resolving the problem.

[0008] Some embodiments also provide backup and restore functionality for mobile devices. In this regard, some embodiments provide a mobile device support device configured to maintain a record of applications installed on a mobile device, facilitating the restoration of the mobile device to the last known operating state based on that record, and / or to use the record of applications installed on the user's mobile device to configure a new or replacement mobile device acquired by the user. The backup and restore functionality provided by some such embodiments additionally provides, in addition to application installation / reinstallation, restoration of modifications made to the application by the user after the original application download and / or application configuration settings made by the user, as well as / or device configuration settings made by the user.

[0009] Some embodiments additionally provide a destruction process that can be triggered to lock a lost or stolen mobile device and / or wipe its memory. As a result, such embodiments facilitate the protection of personal data from theft or misuse by unauthorized third parties who may be able to obtain lost or stolen equipment.

[0010] The above-mentioned summary of the invention is provided solely for the purpose of summarizing some embodiments of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. As a result, it will be understood that the above-mentioned embodiments are merely examples and should not be construed as narrowing the scope or spirit of the disclosure in any way. It will be understood that the scope of the disclosure encompasses a number of potential embodiments, some of which are described further below in addition to those summarized herein.

[0011] While embodiments of the present invention have been described using general terminology, please refer to the attached figures, which are not necessarily drawn to a specific scale. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] A diagram illustrating a system for providing mobile device support services according to several embodiments. [Figure 2] This diagram shows a block diagram of a mobile device support device according to several embodiments. [Figure 3] A diagram showing a block diagram of a mobile device according to several embodiments. [Figure 4] Figure showing an example of a diagnostic alert interface that may be provided according to several embodiments. [Figure 5] Figure showing examples of diagnostic and solution user interfaces that may be provided according to several embodiments. [Figure 6]This figure shows an example of a user interface that allows a user to access equipment support services, according to several embodiments. [Figure 7] A diagram showing an example user interface for a mobile device support portal provided according to several embodiments. [Figure 8] A diagram showing an example user interface for a mobile device support portal provided according to several embodiments. [Figure 9] A diagram showing an example user interface for a mobile device support portal provided according to several embodiments. [Figure 10] A diagram showing an example user interface for a mobile device support portal provided according to several embodiments. [Figure 11] Flowchart illustrating a method for providing mobile device support services according to several embodiments. [Figure 12] Flowchart showing an example method for performing equipment diagnostics according to several embodiments. [Figure 13] Flowchart illustrating an example method for providing backup and restore services according to several embodiments. [Figure 14] Flowchart of an example method for providing a support session according to several embodiments [Figure 15] Flowchart of a method example for providing equipment assessment and buyback or insurance proposal generation according to several embodiments. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Some embodiments of the present invention are described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings, although the drawings show only some, and not all, embodiments of the present invention. In practice, various embodiments of the present invention can be carried out in numerous different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described herein, but rather these embodiments are provided to satisfy the legal requirements to which this disclosure is applicable. Similar reference numerals refer to similar elements throughout the drawings.

[0014] In this specification, the terms “data,” “content,” “information,” and similar terms may be used interchangeably to refer to data that can be captured, transmitted, received, displayed, and / or stored, according to various embodiments. Therefore, any use of such terms should not be considered to limit the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, where this specification describes a computing device receiving data from another computing device, it will be understood that the data may be received directly from the other computing device or indirectly via one or more relay computing devices, such as one or more servers, repeaters, routers, network access points, base stations, and / or similar devices. Similarly, where this specification describes a computing device transmitting data to another computing device, it will be understood that the data may be transmitted directly to the other computing device or indirectly via one or more relay computing devices, such as one or more servers, repeaters, routers, network access points, base stations, and / or similar devices.

[0015] [System Overview] FIG. 1 shows a system 100 for providing mobile device support services according to some example embodiments. The examples in system 100 as well as in other figures are each provided as examples of embodiments and it will be understood that they should not be construed in any way as narrowing the scope or spirit of the present disclosure. In this regard, the scope of the present disclosure includes a number of potential embodiments in addition to those illustrated and described herein. Thus, while FIG. 1 shows one example configuration of a system for providing mobile device support services, a number of other configurations may also be used to implement embodiments of the present invention.

[0016] System 100 may include a mobile device support apparatus 102, which may be configured to provide mobile device support services to one or more mobile devices 104 via a network 106 according to one or more example embodiments disclosed herein. The mobile device support apparatus 102 may include one or more servers, server clusters, one or more network nodes, cloud computing infrastructure, one or more desktop computers, one or more laptop computers, any combination thereof, or the like.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, system 100 may include one or more mobile devices 104. Although three such mobile devices 104 are shown in FIG. 1, it will be understood that this illustration is by way of example and not limitation, as system 100 may include additional mobile devices 104 or fewer mobile devices 104. The mobile devices 104 may be implemented as any mobile computing device, such as, by way of non-limiting examples, mobile phones, smartphones, mobile communication devices, tablet computing devices, digital cameras / camcorders, mobile music / video players, mobile digital video recorders, any combination thereof, or the like.

[0018] In various embodiments, the mobile device 104 may be configured to connect to the network 106 via various wireless and / or wired connections. For example, the mobile device 104 may be configured to access the network 106 via a mobile communication connection, a wireless local area network connection, an Ethernet connection, and / or the like. Thus, the network 106 may include a wired network, a wireless network (e.g., a mobile communication network, a wireless local area network, a wireless wide area network, some combination thereof, or the like), or a combination thereof, and in some embodiments, includes at least a portion of the Internet.

[0019] In some embodiments, the mobile device support apparatus 102 and the mobile device 104 may be configured to communicate with each other through the network 106 to facilitate the provision of mobile device support services by the mobile device support apparatus 102 to the mobile device 104 according to one or more embodiments. The mobile device support apparatus 102 may be maintained, for example, by a wireless carrier, a mobile device manufacturer, a mobile device warranty provider, a mobile device insurance company, and / or other entities that may provide support services to mobile device users.

[0020] In some embodiments, System 100 may include one or more user terminals 108. A user terminal 108 may include any computing device that can be used to communicate with a mobile device support device 102 via the network 106. In this regard, in some embodiments, a user terminal 108 may be used to access websites and / or other support portals that can be remotely delivered to the user terminal 108 via the network 106 by the mobile device support device 102 in some embodiments, in order to allow the user to access support services for a mobile device 104. Examples that are not limited to this include a desktop computer, laptop computer, mobile device, workstation, or similar.

[0021] In some embodiments, System 100 may additionally include a Customer Service Center device 110. The Customer Service Center device may include any or more computing devices that can be used by wireless carriers, mobile device manufacturers, mobile device warranty providers, mobile device insurance companies, and / or other entities to facilitate the provision of live customer service to mobile device users. For example, the Customer Service Center device 110 may be implemented in a call center or other support center where one or more customer service representatives may be assigned, and the customer service representatives may communicate with mobile device users via telephone, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), web chat, text chat, email, video calls, and / or other communication technologies that can be used to facilitate communication between mobile device users and customer service representatives.

[0022] In some embodiments including a customer service center device 110, the mobile device support device 102 may be configured to communicate with the customer service center device 110, for example, via a network 106. In another example, in some embodiments, the mobile device support device 102 and the customer service center device 110 may be located in the same location on a common computing device or group of computing devices so that they can communicate directly with each other. In embodiments including the customer service center device 110, the mobile device support device 102 may be configured to communicate with the customer service center device 110 to escalate a device support session to a human customer service representative, to provide the customer service center device 110 with records of device diagnostic information previously collected for the mobile device 104 so that it can be accessed by the customer service representative during a live device support session, to provide records of corrective actions already taken by the user of the mobile device 104, and / or similarly. In some embodiments, the customer service center device 110 may be further configured to communicate with a mobile device 104 and / or a user terminal 108 to facilitate communication between customer service personnel and mobile device users during live device support sessions.

[0023] Figure 2 shows a block diagram of a mobile device support device 102 according to several embodiments. However, the components, devices, or components shown in Figure 2 and described below are not included. It should be noted that the elements are not essential, and therefore some may be omitted in certain embodiments. In addition, some embodiments may include additional or different components, devices, or elements other than those shown and described in Figure 2.

[0024] Referring here to Figure 2, the mobile device support device 102 may include a processing circuit 210 configured to perform operations according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein, or otherwise be able to communicate with the processing circuit 210. In this regard, the processing circuit 210 may be configured to perform one or more functions of the mobile device support device 102 and / or control their performance according to various embodiments, and thus may provide means for performing the functions of the mobile device support device 102 according to various embodiments. The processing circuit 210 may be configured to perform data processing, application execution and / or other processing and management services according to one or more embodiments. In some embodiments, the mobile device support device 102 or part(s) or component(s), including the processing circuit 210, may be implemented as a chip or chipset, or may include a chip or chipset. That is, the mobile device support device 102 or the processing circuit 210 may include one or more physical packages (e.g., chips) that include materials, components and / or wires on a structural assembly (e.g., a baseboard). The structural assembly can provide physical strength, size retention, and / or limitations on electrical interaction to the component circuits contained thereon. The mobile device support device 102 or processing circuit 210 can therefore, in some cases, be configured to implement embodiments of the present invention on a single chip or as a single “system on a chip”. Thus, in some cases, the chip or chipset can constitute means for performing one or more operations to provide the functions described herein.

[0025] In some embodiments, the processing circuit 210 may include a processor 212, and in some embodiments, such as those shown in Figure 2, it may further include a memory 214. The processing circuit 210 may communicate with, or otherwise control, a communication interface 218 and / or a support service controller 220. Therefore, the processing circuit 210 may be implemented as a circuit chip (e.g., an integrated circuit chip) configured (e.g., in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software) to perform the operations described herein.

[0026] The processor 212 can be implemented in several different ways. For example, the processor 212 can be implemented as one or more of various processing means, such as a microprocessor or other processing element, a coprocessor, a controller, or various other computing devices or processing units, including an integrated circuit such as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or the like. Although shown as a single processor, it will be understood that the processor 212 may include multiple processors. Multiple processors may communicate functionally with one another as described herein and may be configured together to perform one or more functions of the mobile device support device 102. Multiple processors may be implemented on a single computing device or may be distributed across multiple computing devices configured together to function as the mobile device support device 102. In some embodiments, the processor 212 may be configured to execute instructions stored in memory 214 or otherwise accessible to the processor 212. Therefore, whether configured by hardware or by a combination of hardware and software, the processor 212 may represent an entity (for example, physically implemented in a circuit—in the form of a processing circuit 210) capable of performing operations according to embodiments of the present invention while configured accordingly. If the processor 212 is implemented as an ASIC, FPGA, or similar, the processor 212 may be hardware specifically configured to perform the operations described herein. Alternatively, as another example, if the processor 212 is implemented as a software instruction executor, the instructions may explicitly configure the processor 212 to perform one or more operations described herein.

[0027] In some embodiments, memory 214 may include one or more persistent memory devices, such as volatile and / or non-volatile memory, which may be fixed or removable. In this regard, memory 214 may include a persistent computer-readable storage medium. Although memory 214 is shown as a single memory, it will be understood that memory 214 may include multiple memories. Multiple memories may be implemented on a single computing device or distributed across multiple computing devices configured together to function as the mobile device support device 102. Memory 214 may be configured to store information, data, applications, instructions and / or similar things to enable the mobile device support device 102 to perform various functions, according to one or more embodiments. For example, memory 214 may be configured to buffer input data for processing by the processor 212. As an addition or alternative, memory 214 may be configured to store instructions for execution by the processor 212. As yet another alternative, memory 214 may include one or more databases that can store various files, content or datasets. Within the contents of memory 214, applications may be stored for execution by the processor 212 to perform the functions associated with each application. In some cases, memory 214 may communicate via a bus(s) with one or more of the processor 212, communication interface 218, or support device controller 220 to convey information between components of the mobile device support device 102.

[0028] The communication interface 218 may include one or more interface mechanisms for enabling communication with other devices and / or networks. In some cases, the communication interface 218 may be any means, such as a device or circuit implemented in either hardware or a combination of hardware and software, configured to receive data from and / or transmit data to a network and / or any other device or module communicating with the processing circuit 210. For example, the communication interface 218 may be configured to enable the mobile device support device 102 to communicate with mobile devices 104, user terminals 108, customer service center equipment 110, and / or other computing devices via the network 106. Accordingly, the communication interface 218 may include, for example, an antenna (or more antennas) and supporting hardware and / or software for enabling communication with wireless communication networks (e.g., wireless local area networks, mobile communication networks, and / or similar), as well as a communication modem or other hardware / software for supporting communication via cable, digital subscriber line (DSL), universal serial bus (USB), Ethernet, or other methods.

[0029] In some embodiments, the processor 212 (or processing circuit 210) may be implemented as a support service controller 220, include a support service controller 220, or be controlled in other ways. Therefore, the support service controller 220 may be a variety of components, such as a circuit, hardware, a computer program product containing computer-readable program instructions stored on a computer-readable medium (e.g., memory 214) and executed by a processing unit (e.g., processor 212), or any combination thereof. This can be implemented by means of such means. The support service controller 220 may communicate with one or more of the memory 214 or the communication interface 218 to access, receive, and / or transmit data as necessary to perform one or more of the functions of the support service controller 220 as described herein.

[0030] Figure 3 shows a block diagram of a mobile device 104 according to several embodiments. However, it should be noted that the components, devices, or elements shown in Figure 3 and described therein are not essential, and therefore some may be omitted in certain embodiments. In addition, some embodiments may include additional or different components, devices, or elements other than those shown in Figure 3 and described therein.

[0031] Referring here to Figure 3, the mobile device 104 may include a processing circuit 310 configured to perform operations according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein, or otherwise be able to communicate with the processing circuit 310. In this regard, the processing circuit 310 may be configured to perform and / or control the performance of one or more functions of the mobile device 104 according to various embodiments, and thus may provide means for performing functions of the mobile device 104 according to various embodiments. The processing circuit 310 may be configured to perform data processing, application execution and / or other processing and management services according to one or more embodiments. In some embodiments, the mobile device 104 or part(s) or component(s), including the processing circuit 310, may be implemented as a chip or chipset, or may include a chip or chipset. That is, the mobile device 104 or the processing circuit 310 may include one or more physical packages (e.g., chips) that include materials, components and / or wires on a structural assembly (e.g., a baseboard). A structural assembly can provide physical strength, size retention, and / or limitations on electrical interaction to the component circuits contained thereon. The mobile device 104 or processing circuit 310 may, in some cases, be configured to implement embodiments of the present invention on a single chip or as a single “system on a chip”. Thus, in some cases, the chip or chipset may constitute means for performing one or more operations to provide the functions described herein.

[0032] In some embodiments, the processing circuit 310 may include a processor 312, and in some embodiments, such as those shown in Figure 3, it may further include a memory 314. The processing circuit 310 may communicate with, or otherwise control, a user interface 316, a communication interface 318, and / or a mobile application controller 320. Therefore, the processing circuit 310 may be implemented as a circuit chip (e.g., an integrated circuit chip) configured (e.g., in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software) to perform the operations described herein.

[0033] The processor 312 can be implemented in several different ways. For example, the processor 312 can be implemented as one or more of various processing means, such as a microprocessor or other processing element, a coprocessor, a controller, or various other computing devices or processing units, including an integrated circuit such as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or the like. Although shown as a single processor, it will be understood that the processor 312 may include multiple processors. Multiple processors may communicate functionally with one another as described herein and be configured together to perform one or more functions of the mobile device 104. In some embodiments, the processor 312 may be stored in memory 314 or otherwise accessible to the processor 312. It can be configured to execute instructions. Therefore, whether it is configured by hardware or by a combination of hardware and software, the processor 312 may represent an entity (for example, physically implemented in a circuit—in the form of a processing circuit 310) that is capable of performing operations according to embodiments of the present invention while configured accordingly. Thus, for example, if the processor 312 is implemented as an ASIC, FPGA or similar, the processor 312 may be hardware configured specifically to perform the operations described herein. Alternatively, as another example, if the processor 312 is implemented as a software instruction executor, the instructions may explicitly configure the processor 312 to perform one or more operations described herein.

[0034] In some embodiments, memory 314 may include one or more persistent memory devices, such as volatile and / or non-volatile memory, which may be fixed or removable. In this regard, memory 314 may include a persistent computer-readable storage medium. Although memory 314 is shown as a single memory, it will be understood that memory 314 may include multiple memories. Memory 314 may be configured to store information, data, applications, instructions and / or similar things to enable the mobile device 104 to perform various functions, according to one or more embodiments. For example, memory 314 may be configured to buffer input data for processing by processor 312. As an addition or alternative, memory 314 may be configured to store instructions for execution by processor 312. As yet another alternative, memory 314 may include one or more databases that can store various files, content or datasets. Among the contents of memory 314, applications may be stored for execution by processor 312 to perform the functions associated with each respective application. In some cases, the memory 314 may communicate via a bus (or more) with one or more of the processor 312, user interface 316, communication interface 318, or mobile application controller 320 in order to transmit information between components of the mobile device 104.

[0035] The user interface 316 may communicate with the processing circuit 310 to receive user input instructions and / or to provide the user with audible, visual, mechanical or other outputs. Therefore, the user interface 316 may include, for example, a keyboard, mouse, joystick, display, touchscreen display, microphone, speaker, and / or other input / output mechanisms. Thus, in some embodiments, according to various embodiments, the user interface 316 may provide a means for the user to access and interact with mobile device support services provided by the mobile device support device 102.

[0036] The communication interface 318 may include one or more interface mechanisms to enable communication with other devices and / or networks. In some cases, the communication interface 318 may be any means, such as a device or circuit implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and software, configured to transmit data to and / or receive data from a network and / or any other device or module that communicates with the processing circuit 310. For example, the communication interface 318 may be configured to enable the mobile device 104 to communicate with the mobile device support device 102 and / or other computing devices via the network 106. Accordingly, the communication interface 318 may include, for example, an antenna (or multiple antennas) to enable communication with a wireless communication network (e.g., a wireless local area network, a mobile communication network, and / or similar). (N) and supporting hardware and / or software, and / or communication modems or other hardware / software to support communication via cable, digital subscriber line (DSL), universal serial bus (USB), Ethernet or other means.

[0037] In some embodiments, the processor 312 (or processing circuit 310) may be implemented as a mobile application controller 320, include a mobile application controller 320, or be controlled in other ways. Thus, the mobile application controller 320 may be implemented by various means, such as circuits, hardware, a computer program product containing computer-readable program instructions stored on a computer-readable medium (e.g., memory 314) and executed by a processing unit (e.g., processor 312), or any combination thereof. The mobile application controller 320 may be capable of communicating with one or more of the memory 314, user interface 316, or communication interface 318 to access, receive, and / or transmit data, as required to perform one or more of the functions of the mobile application controller 320, as described herein. According to some embodiments, the mobile application controller 320 may provide means for implementing and controlling functions of a mobile application that may be configured to provide mobile device support services, perform diagnostics on a mobile device 104, and / or interact with a mobile device support device 102 and / or a customer service center device 110, according to various embodiments.

[0038] Having broadly described several embodiments of System 100, the mobile device support services that can be provided by System 100 will now be described according to some examples of embodiments.

[0039] [Diagnostic and repair services] Several embodiments provide mobile device diagnostic and repair services that easily reduce the occurrence of NFF returns. According to various embodiments, these services may be provided, for example, by a mobile device support device 102 under the control of a support service controller 220, by a mobile application operating under the control of a mobile application controller 320, and / or any combination thereof.

[0040] In some embodiments, a user may register for or opt in to receive mobile device support services, as may be provided according to some embodiments. Registration in some embodiments may include, for example, registration via a web portal provided by the mobile device support device 102 and accessible via the mobile device 104 and / or via the user terminal 108, registration via a mobile application that may be implemented on the mobile device 104, and / or an active user action of the same. In another example, in some embodiments, registration may occur automatically in response to user registration for a device protection plan for the mobile device 104, purchase of a device warranty for the mobile device 104, purchase of the mobile device 104, and / or the same.

[0041] In some embodiments, registration information may be provided by the user and / or otherwise determined during the registration process, such as by the support service controller 220 and / or the mobile application controller 320. Depending on various embodiments, this registration information may include information that enables the provision of equipment support services, and / or otherwise constitutes the provision of equipment support services, such as diagnostic and repair services. The registration information may include, for example, information from the manufacturer of the mobile device 104, mobile The registration information may include information about the mobile device 104, such as the model of the device 104, the operating system running on the mobile device 104, and / or similar information. Additionally or alternatively, the registration information may include user consent to the performance of one or more services, such as monitoring the status of the mobile device 104, collecting status data captured through monitoring, and / or similar information. The registration information may also include configuration settings to control the provision of device support services. The support service controller 220 and / or mobile application controller 320 may be configured to determine the registration information and to provide one or more device support services disclosed herein in accordance with the registration information. Following registration, the user may be allowed to later update the registration information, such as configuration settings and / or permissions, which can control the provision of device support services.

[0042] In some embodiments, the mobile application controller 320 may be configured to monitor the status of the mobile device 104 in order to collect device status data related to the status of the mobile device 104. Monitoring may be performed, for example, periodically, continuously, irregularly, according to a schedule, on request, and / or similarly. In this regard, the mobile application controller 320 may be configured to monitor the status of the mobile device 104 in advance and automatically, and / or to monitor the status of the mobile device 104 as needed in response to user requests. In some embodiments, monitoring by the mobile application controller 320 may be performed under the control of and / or with the assistance of the mobile device support device 102. Monitoring may be performed with the assistance of one or more sensors, for example, which may be implemented on the mobile device 104 and / or which may otherwise be queried by the mobile device 104. These sensors may include, but are not limited to, touchscreen sensors, key actuation sensors (e.g., for keypads / keyboards), Global Positioning System (GPS) sensors, accelerometers, battery level sensors, battery capacitance sensors, battery temperature sensors, network signal strength sensors, and / or similar.

[0043] In some embodiments, monitoring of the status of the mobile device 104 may be performed according to user-configured and / or automatically defined configuration settings, such as during registration for a device support service. For example, the configuration settings may define the type(s) of device status data captured during the monitoring process. In this regard, in some embodiments, monitoring may be adjusted to capture only specified device status data. As another example, the configuration settings may guide the timing of status monitoring, the frequency of status monitoring, and / or similar. In some embodiments, monitoring may be configured according to user-defined configuration settings to occur automatically and / or during periods of low utilization of the mobile device 104, such as overnight, through heuristic analysis. In this regard, by avoiding the execution of device monitoring concurrently with user use of the mobile device and / or during periods when device resources may be used by other applications, the potential burden of using or conflict with the use of device resources during periods when the mobile device 104 is in use can be reduced or even eliminated. In some embodiments, monitoring may be configured to be performed during periods when the mobile device 104 is connected to an external power resource, such as when the battery of the mobile device 104 may be charging, and / or when there is at least a threshold amount of power remaining in the battery capable of supplying power to the mobile device 104 in some embodiments.

[0044] In various embodiments, various device status data can be captured through monitoring the status of the mobile device 104. For example, an application profile can be determined, which is the application installed on the mobile device 104, and the installed applications. This may include configuration settings for an application, processor and / or memory usage of installed applications, crash logs, execution and / or usage data, and / or similar information. In this regard, an application profile may provide a snapshot of an application installed on the mobile device 104 and / or its state at a given point in time. In some embodiments, a set of application profiles may be determined over a long period of time, and these application profiles may be maintained in memory 214 and / or memory 314, etc. A set of application profiles may be used to facilitate device diagnostics, such as identifying newly installed applications, modified application settings, and / or similar information that may be affecting device performance. As another example, application profiles may be used to facilitate restoring the mobile device to the last known operating state or other previous state, according to some embodiments and as further described below herein.

[0045] In some embodiments, the device status that can be captured through device status monitoring may include data relating to the hardware implemented on the mobile device 104. For example, information relating to hardware usage, such as memory usage, processor usage, and / or similar, may be captured. Hardware usage data may include snapshots of hardware usage showing usage at one or more points in time and / or usage trends showing usage over a period of time. As a further example, captured status information may include information relating to power consumption, battery usage, battery, battery discharge rate, and / or similar, which may define, for example, instantaneous power consumption rate, instantaneous battery discharge rate, power consumption rate over time, battery discharge rate over time, and / or similar. As another example, information relating to hardware health may be captured, such as information relating to the health of the battery, memory device, device sensors, accelerometer, global positioning service sensor, and / or other hardware that may be implemented on the mobile device 104. Information relating to hardware health may include, for example, hardware inspection results that may provide information indicating hardware health.

[0046] According to some embodiments, the captured device status data may, in addition or alternatively, include information about device settings, system log content, application log content, and / or other data elements. In yet another example, the captured device status data may include information about the use of the mobile device 104. For example, information about network usage (e.g., use of network 106), call history information, text message history information, data about the amount of data transmitted over a long period of time, and / or similar may be captured through device status monitoring according to some embodiments. As yet another example, the captured device status data may include: information about radio signals associated with the mobile device (e.g., transmitted or received); information about the occurrence of events associated with the mobile device; information about the battery usage of the mobile device; information about data usage of the mobile device as a whole or per application; and information about user-implemented corrective actions, such as support content accessed by the user and / or corrective actions performed by the user.

[0047] In some embodiments, the captured device status data may be stored locally on the mobile device 104, at least temporarily, in memory 314. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, at least a portion of the device status data captured for the mobile device 104 may be transmitted to the mobile device support device 102, where it is stored in memory 214. The device status data transmitted to the mobile device support device 102 may, in some embodiments, be preprocessed to remove personal data and / or other highly confidential data that could specifically identify a user. In embodiments maintained by the mobile device support device 102, device status data may be maintained in a record, such as a database, in relation to each mobile device 104 that it is captured, the device user, and / or other identifiers that may be used to facilitate correlation between the device and / or device user of the device status data.

[0048] In embodiments where captured device status data is transmitted to the mobile device support device 102, the device status data may be transmitted according to a configuration setting that can define the period during which the data is transmitted to the mobile device support device 102. For example, device status data may be provided to the mobile device support device 102 during periods of low utilization of the mobile device 104, such as overnight. As another example, device status data may be provided to the mobile device support device 102 during periods when the mobile device 104 is connected to an external power resource, such as when the battery of the mobile device 104 may be charging, and / or when at least a threshold amount of power remains in the battery capable of supplying power to the mobile device 104 in some embodiments. As yet another example, device status data may be provided to the mobile device support device 102 during periods of low utilization of the network 106 in order to manage the data load on the network 106. As yet another example, in embodiments where the operator of the network 106 may charge for data transfer, device status data may be provided to the mobile device support device 102 during periods of low data rates.

[0049] In some embodiments, such as those in which a user registers to receive equipment support services, periodic messages indicate the types of equipment status data to be captured through monitoring to ensure that the user is aware of and consents to the capture settings. The periodic messages may include a re-opt-in option so that the user can reconfirm his or her consent and / or an option to adjust configuration settings to tailor the status monitoring and equipment status data capture settings to his or her preference.

[0050] In some embodiments, captured device status data may be used to perform device diagnostics on the mobile device 104 to identify potential failures that may affect the mobile device 104. The device diagnostics are used, for example, to determine predicted failures that have a non-zero probability of affecting the device in the future, or current failures that may already be affecting the device. In some embodiments, the diagnostics may be performed entirely on the mobile device 104, such as by an application running under the control of the mobile application controller 320. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the device diagnostics may be performed by the support service controller 220, at least in part, based on device status data for the mobile device 104 that may be provided to the mobile device support device 102 by the mobile device 104, through the performance of remote diagnostics on the mobile device 104. In yet another example, in some embodiments, the device diagnostics may be performed both onboard the mobile device 104 and on the mobile device support device 102.

[0051] In performing device diagnostics, various analytical techniques, heuristic techniques, and / or similar methods may be used to analyze the collected device status data. In some embodiments, device diagnostics may be performed based on a knowledge base that is stored on and / or otherwise accessible on the mobile device support device 102 and / or the mobile device 104. In some embodiments, device diagnostics may be performed based on device status data, failure history data, and / or other data that can be collected from multiple mobile devices by the mobile device support device 102. In this regard, some embodiments may identify issues that indicate trends, such as improperly functioning and malicious applications, applications that frequently crash, frequently encountered application-device incompatibility issues, inter-application conflicts, and / or similar issues. The issue is identified. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the support service controller 220 may be configured to integrate device status data collected from multiple mobile devices and analyze the collected data to identify trends that can be used when performing device diagnostics on a particular mobile device 104. In this regard, some embodiments may provide an intelligent learning function that enables improved diagnostics based on device status data collected from mobile devices and diagnostics performed on the mobile devices within the system 100. As a result, device diagnostics may be performed based on individual device datasets and / or integrated data to identify potential failures such as trending issues, improperly functioning applications, malicious applications (e.g., malware), conflicting applications, and / or similar.

[0052] In another embodiment, one or more failure profiles may be determined based on collected device status data. Each failure profile may include information about the device configuration, such as installed applications, device settings, usage characteristics, or similar, which are determined to cause or increase the likelihood of causing one or more device failures, based on the aforementioned integrated data, etc. Accordingly, such failure profiles may additionally include statistical information, such as the probability that a particular device configuration or particular aspect of a device configuration may cause one or more specific failures, or identified incompatibilities between one or more installed applications. These failure profiles may be stored in records, such as in a database. Thus, in an embodiment employing such failure profiles, potential failures can be determined for a particular mobile device based at least in part on a comparison between device status data received from the mobile device and one or more failure profiles. In a further embodiment, potential failures can be determined for a particular mobile device based at least in part on a comparison between one or more application profiles for the mobile device and one or more failure profiles.

[0053] In some embodiments, the device diagnostic may be performed based on at least part of one or more characteristics associated with the mobile device 104. For example, the diagnostic may take into account the device type (e.g., device manufacturer, device model, and / or similar), the device's operating system (e.g., operating system type, operating system version, and / or similar), and / or other device characteristics that may be included in the performance of the device diagnostic. In this regard, in some embodiments, a device diagnostic tailored to specific characteristics of the mobile device 104 may be performed. In embodiments where integrated device status data and / or knowledge base data from multiple devices are used to perform the device diagnostic, the device diagnostic may be performed based on data associated with devices having the same or at least substantially similar characteristics.

[0054] Various potential problems can be identified through the execution of device diagnostics according to various embodiments. For example, applications loaded on a mobile device that contribute to the observation of poor device performance and behavior can be identified. In this regard, some embodiments can identify applications that consume excessive resources over a long period of time, such as network bandwidth, messaging, processing resources, memory resources, file system resources, and / or similar. Additionally or alternatively, some embodiments can identify applications with a history of instability, which can be determined through scanning system logs for errors / exceptions and / or which may be determined to crash frequently and / or require frequent restarts. As a further example, poor-performing applications can be identified at least in part based on the application of a rules engine that identifies applications exhibiting undesirable behavior. As yet another example, resource access history, resource access permissions, and / or resource access requests may be analyzed to identify insecure resources It is possible to identify applications that may be accessing resources that the source and / or application should not have access to. As a further example, competing applications may be identified by any of the operations described above, and additionally or alternatively, based on a comparison of changes between two consecutive application profiles, as described below.

[0055] In one embodiment, device diagnostics may be used to determine one or more performance metrics for a mobile device. These performance metrics may then be provided to the mobile device, for example, along with benchmark performance metrics, to enable comparison. For example, one or more benchmark performance metrics may be determined for one or more new mobile devices of a particular model, and these benchmark performance metrics may be provided to mobile devices of the same model. In another embodiment, benchmark performance metrics may be determined for one or more mobile devices that are configured with the same operating system or belong to the same device ecosystem. In this way, information about potential failures may be provided in a way that shows how the performance of a particular device compares to a certain benchmark performance metric.

[0056] According to several embodiments, indicia of various application characteristics can be determined for an application loaded on a mobile device. For example, indicia of the application's security characteristics can be determined, such as whether the application is attempting to access root-level commands or is capable of writing to external storage. Alternatively, indicia of the application's privacy characteristics can also be determined, or alternatively, such as whether the application can access the user's contacts or upload log information. Yet another example is indicia of the application's performance characteristics, such as the application's memory requirements or whether the application runs one or more processes or services at startup. These indicia may include, for example, scores, ratings, or similar, and according to the embodiments, may be provided to the mobile device.

[0057] In some embodiments, the identification of malware or other imperfectly functioning applications may be performed, for example, by comparing changes between two consecutive application profiles captured for a mobile device (e.g., an application profile captured before a problem was observed and an application profile captured after a problem was observed). In some embodiments, system logs and / or application logs may be analyzed to identify applications that frequently crash, have memory leaks, and / or cause other problems. In embodiments where integrated data from multiple mobile devices is utilized to perform device diagnostics, diagnostics performed based on datasets for individual devices may be checked and / or compared against other devices running the same application(s) to determine whether the application is causing performance issues or other failures on the device. In some embodiments, hardware failures may be identified that may require physical repair or replacement of the mobile device or its components.

[0058] In some embodiments, if a potential fault is identified from performing a device diagnostic on the mobile device 104, instructions for the identified fault may be provided to the user of the mobile device 104. For example, an alert notification indicating the identified fault, such as a graphical notification and / or an audible notification, may be provided via the user interface 316, under the direction of the support service controller 220 and / or the mobile application controller 320. Examples of alert notifications that may be provided via the mobile device application are shown in Figures 4, 5, and 10, which are described further below in this specification. In addition or alternatively, an alert indicating the identified fault may be provided. The alerts may be provided by the mobile device support device 102 and to the user via a web portal accessible to the user through the mobile device 104 and / or user terminal 108. Examples of alerts that may be provided via the web portal are shown in Figures 9 and 10, which are described further below in this specification.

[0059] In some embodiments, the support service controller 220 and / or mobile application controller 320 may be configured to determine a solution, for example, a possible solution, for an identified fault. As understood, the determined solution may vary based on the type of fault identified. For example, a solution may include removing a malicious or incompatible application that may affect equipment performance. Another example may include installing an application or application update that can resolve the issue by patching or otherwise resolving it. Yet another example may include, in cases where the fault cannot be easily resolved through remote repair or user action, the proposed solution may include instructing the user to return the equipment to a dealer or service center for repair or replacement.

[0060] According to an example embodiment, a solution may be determined based at least in part on solution implementation result information. Solution implementation results may include, for example, information on whether implementing a particular solution on a particular mobile device resolved one or more defects associated with that mobile device. Solution implementation results received from multiple mobile devices, such as device status data, may be integrated, and this integrated data may be used for device diagnostics and / or solution determination. Thus, one or more solutions may be determined based at least in part on the collected device status data.

[0061] In another embodiment, one or more failure profiles may be determined based on information about solution implementation results received from one or more mobile devices. Each failure profile may include information about the device configuration, such as installed applications, device settings, usage characteristics, or similar, which are determined to cause or increase the likelihood of causing one or more device failures, based on the integrated data described above. Accordingly, such failure profiles may additionally include probabilistic information, such as the probability that a particular device configuration or a particular aspect of a device configuration may cause one or more specific failures. These failure profiles may be stored in records, such as in a database. Thus, in an embodiment employing such failure profiles, potential failures can be determined for a particular mobile device based at least in part on a comparison between device status data received from the mobile device and one or more failure profiles. In a further embodiment, potential failures can be determined for a particular mobile device based at least in part on a comparison between one or more application profiles for the mobile device and one or more failure profiles.

[0062] In some cases, the solution may be executed automatically to fix the fault. For example, in some embodiments, identified malware may be automatically removed from the mobile device 104. Additionally or alternatively, the user may be prompted to input from a list of one or more identified solutions and asked to confirm that he or she wishes for the identified solution to be executed. For example, a mobile application operating under the control of a mobile application controller 320 may, via the user interface 316, prompt the user for input from identified solutions and provide the user with the option to implement a solution. As another example, the user may... One may choose to implement a solution identified through a web portal interface, which may be provided by the mobile device support device 102 in several embodiment examples.

[0063] Figure 4 shows an example of a diagnostic alert interface that may be provided according to several embodiments. In this regard, Figure 4 shows an example of a user interface that may be provided on a user's mobile device 104 that displays device diagnostic results according to several embodiments. However, it will be understood that the user interface examples shown in Figure 4, as well as those shown in Figures 5 to 10, are provided as examples, not as limitations. In this regard, embodiments disclosed herein may provide user interfaces having alternative selections, arrangements, and / or representations of elements compared to those shown in the user interface screen capture examples of Figures 4 to 10.

[0064] Referring to Figure 4, the representation of the device diagnostic results may include an alert instruction 402 regarding a potential fault identified through the execution of the device diagnostic. In embodiments where the user interface is shown on a touchscreen display, the user may choose to view and investigate the alert, for example, by touching instruction 402. In this regard, the user may be presented with further details regarding the identified potential fault and / or proposed solutions for the identified fault. The user interface may also provide, in addition, a summary of the items analyzed through the execution of the device diagnostic, along with an indication of whether the item passed the diagnostic (e.g., a checkmark, a text description of the result, and / or other indication) or failed (e.g., "X", a text description of the result, and / or other indication). In the example in Figure 4, instructions 404 and 406 indicate that the health of "Device 1" and "Device 2" is "Good," respectively. It will be understood that "Device 1" and "Device 2" may each include any devices that can be implemented on a mobile device, including a processor, memory device, universal serial bus port, network adapter, and / or similar. Instruction example 408 indicates the network connection strength (e.g., "medium"). Instruction example 410 indicates the remaining power level in the battery (e.g., "70%").

[0065] Figure 5 shows an example of a diagnostic and solution user interface that may be provided according to several embodiments. In this regard, Figure 5 shows an example of a user interface that may be provided on a user's mobile device 104. The example user interface in Figure 5 shows an alert instruction 502 regarding a potential fault identified through the performance of a device diagnostic. In embodiments where the user interface is shown on a touchscreen display, the user may choose to view and investigate the alert, for example, by touching instruction 402. In this regard, the user may be presented with further details regarding the identified potential fault and / or a proposed solution for that identified fault. The example user interface in Figure 5 may also include support information to enable the user to resolve a problem or fault that may have been identified through the performance of a device diagnostic. In the example in Figure 5, support information is provided to enable the user to set up a WiFi connection. This support information may include an instructional video 504. The video 504 may be provided to the user's mobile device via the network 106 by the mobile device support device 102, for example, by streaming. The support information may also include instruction 506, which may provide step-by-step instructions for resolving the problem.

[0066] Figure 6 shows an example of a user interface for enabling a user to access a device support service according to several embodiments. The user interface in Figure 6 can be accessed, for example, via a web interface that may be implemented on a mobile device 104 and / or provided by a mobile device support device 102. This may be provided by a mobile application. The example user interface in Figure 6 may include a form 602 that allows the user to enter a question or help topic. In response to the user inquiry entered into form 602, the support service controller 220 and / or the mobile application controller 320 may be configured to search a knowledge base and / or perform equipment diagnostics in order to provide information and / or solutions in response to the user inquiry.

[0067] As described, in some embodiments, the mobile device support device 102 may be configured to provide a mobile device support portal, such as a web portal, which may be accessed by the mobile device 104 and / or user terminal 108, such as through a web browser, a mobile browser application (e.g., a wireless application protocol browser), and / or similar. In some embodiments, the portal may be made visible on the mobile device 104 through a dedicated client application. The portal may provide notifications of unresolved issues, such as unresolved alerts regarding faults that may be diagnosed on the user's mobile device 104. For example, in some embodiments, the user may be notified of unresolved issues upon incoming calls or upon logging into the portal. In some embodiments, the portal may provide recommended solutions for identified unresolved issues. In some cases, the solutions may include instructions that the user can use to manually correct the fault. As an addition or alternative, in some cases, the solutions may include recommendations that, if selected, can automatically resolve the fault.

[0068] In some embodiments, the portal may provide the user with customized content for a personalized session for the user and their mobile device(s). In some embodiments, the portal may enable the user to initiate diagnostics, have the device health checked, check the status of previously identified problems, instruct the system to automatically load software, request a backup of the mobile device, remotely control the mobile device, and / or perform other support services. For example, the portal may provide customer support personnel with the ability to remotely control the mobile device by giving them the ability to: reboot the mobile device, power off the mobile device, install an application on the mobile device, uninstall an application from the mobile device, change the settings of the mobile device, run diagnostic routines on the mobile device, back up the mobile device, restore the backup to the mobile device, and / or similar actions. The support service controller 220 may then be configured to communicate with the mobile device 104 in accordance with user commands received via the portal to perform actions on the mobile device 104. Actions performed in accordance with user commands received via the portal may be executed, for example, by a client application implemented on the mobile device 104, which may operate under the control of the mobile application controller 320. In this regard, the mobile device 104 may be locked incrementally via the portal through a client application implemented on the mobile device. As a result, an end user may be able to control and investigate his or her mobile device 104 via the portal. Furthermore, according to an example embodiment, a copy of the current display of the mobile device, such as a copy of a portion of the mobile device's display screen.

[0069] The portal may also provide users with the ability to register for or otherwise opt in to various support services and / or adjust configuration settings for those services. For example, users may choose to receive advance notifications of various equipment error / warning / information scenarios that may require user intervention.

[0070] Figures 7 to 10 show examples of user interfaces for a mobile device support portal provided according to several embodiments. As shown in Figure 7, the portal may provide users with device support and troubleshooting information, including device setup information, device operation information, and / or similar, which may be tailored to the user's specific mobile device.

[0071] In some embodiments, the portal may provide an interface for users and / or authorized customer service representatives to review applications installed on their devices. The interface may include an indication of the threat level of the installed applications (e.g., low security risk, medium security risk, high security risk, or similar). The threat level may be determined based on, for example, known characteristics of the application, resource access permissions granted to the application, whether the application developer is trustworthy, and / or other factors. Additionally or alternatively, the portal may provide an interface for users to reject, blacklist, or designate specific applications as similar to prevent the designated applications from being installed on their devices and / or uninstall installed applications from their devices. In this regard, Figure 8 shows an interface having a list of applications along with status indicators such as “Installed,” “Blocked,” “High Security Risk,” “Medium Security Risk,” or other status indications. For example, “Blocked” applications may include applications that can be blocked from a mobile device by a user or other entity. “Installed” applications may include installed applications that do not pose a security risk. Applications labeled as "High / Medium / Low Security Risk" may be installed applications that are known to or have been determined to pose some level of security risk.

[0072] In some embodiments, the portal may include a log of equipment events, such as those collected through monitoring of equipment status over a period of time. This log may be accessible to users and / or authorized customer service personnel. As shown in the example in Figure 9, the event log may contain information about the event type (e.g., configuration change, installed application, forced equipment reboot, and / or similar), along with any available event details and the time / date the logged event occurred.

[0073] As shown in Figure 10, in some embodiments, the portal may provide an interface accessible to users and / or authorized customer service personnel that displays equipment alerts that may have been identified through equipment diagnostics. Alerts may include indications of identified blacklisted applications, rejected applications, and / or other issues that may cause failures on the mobile device. Additionally, users may be able to review solutions for identified failures and / or choose to have those solutions implemented. In some embodiments, users may be proactively notified of identified failures and / or other alerts on their mobile device, while additional details about the alerts may be accessible through the portal.

[0074] In some embodiments, if a solution to a failure or other problem cannot be identified, the system 100 may provide escalation to a contact center so that the user can interact with a customer service representative. For example, the support service controller 220 and / or mobile application controller 320 may identify The system may be configured to trigger an escalation to a customer service center device if a solution to a malfunction or other problem cannot be automatically determined. According to another embodiment, an escalation may be triggered by a mobile device user, for example, by selecting an escalation option displayed via a support portal. Triggering an escalation may include automatically connecting the user to a customer service representative to contact the user, scheduling a support session with the customer service representative, and / or sending the request to the customer service center device 110.

[0075] According to various embodiments, any of the following communication technologies may be used to facilitate communication between mobile device users and customer service representatives for escalated support sessions. For example, VoIP sessions, public switched telephone network (PSTN) voice sessions, web chat sessions, text chat sessions, email communications, video calls, and / or other communication technologies may be used to facilitate communication between mobile device users and customer service representatives.

[0076] Some embodiments employ a booking protocol to ensure that users do not have to wait for a customer service representative and that the scheduled customer service representative is not diverted to another task. For example, in some embodiments where an appointment for a customer service representative is scheduled, the user's mobile device 104 may be configured to initiate a session (chat, voice, etc.) with the customer service center in response to the appointment. The contact may be intelligently routed to the scheduled customer service representative. In another example, the user may choose the means by which the customer service representative will contact the user according to the appointment. In this regard, the appointment may specify the time and / or method of contact, such as a designated phone number or contact method (e.g., chat, voice, email, etc.).

[0077] In some embodiments, calls or other communications initiated by a mobile device 104, such as under the control of a mobile application implemented on a mobile device, can be automatically routed directly to a scheduled customer service representative, with the session intelligently routed to the scheduled customer service representative. In this regard, known information regarding user identification, unresolved issues, device profile information, and / or similar may be leveraged without requiring the user to participate in a screening process, such as an interactive voice response (IVR) screening process, or otherwise used to determine user identification, details of unresolved issues, and / or similar before routing the user to a live customer service representative. For example, computer telephony may be used to notify customer service center equipment 110 of details to facilitate addressing the user's issue without requiring a screening process. In some embodiments, a call initiated from mobile device 104 to a customer service representative may be connected directly without the user even experiencing a pre-connection "ringing" period.

[0078] In some embodiments, the mobile device support device 102 and / or the customer service center device 110 may be configured to select a customer service representative suitable for resolving a problem. In this regard, various pieces of information about multiple customer service representatives may be tracked and used to determine which customer service representative is suitable to assign to a support session. For example, an embodiment may attempt to assign a customer service representative who has experience resolving an unresolved problem, or a problem of at least similar characteristics. In this regard, an embodiment may store one or more experience ratings for each particular customer service representative. These experience ratings may, for example, indicate that a given customer service representative has experience resolving a variety of problems. This may correspond to a specific device configuration, such as by representing the amount of experience a mobile device has in resolving problems arising from that particular device configuration, or by representing a specific device configuration, as indicated by various problems or device status data related to the mobile device. Accordingly, according to one embodiment, assigning a customer service representative to a support session may include comparing one or more predicted failures with one or more experience metrics that correspond to those predicted failures and are each associated with multiple customer service representatives. According to another embodiment, any number of other characteristics of a customer service representative may be tracked and used to determine which customer service representative to assign to a support session. For example, information such as the language a customer service representative speaks, the number of failures resolved, the failure resolution success rate, and customer feedback may be tracked and used, at least in part, to determine which customer service representative to assign to a given support session.

[0079] In some embodiments, the support service controller 220 and / or mobile application controller 320 may be configured to evaluate factors other than the determination that a solution to the identified fault or other problem may not be automatically determined when evaluating whether to escalate the problem to a customer service representative. For example, the cost of escalation compared to the cost of simply instructing the user to return his or her device for replacement, the nature of the problem, the likelihood that a customer service representative can resolve the problem, and / or other factors may be considered. In some embodiments, the evaluation of whether to escalate the problem to a customer service representative may, additionally or alternatively, be based at least in part on probabilistic information. For example, the evaluation may be based at least in part on the probability that the fault will be successfully resolved in response to the implementation of one or more solutions, and such probabilistic information may be determined at least in part on received information regarding the solution implementation results, as described above.

[0080] In some embodiments, customer service personnel may have access to captured device status data, session data relating to automated attempts to resolve the problem in question, device diagnostic data, and / or other data that may be captured according to various embodiments. For example, this data may be provided to the customer service center device 110 by the mobile device support device 102 and / or made accessible to the customer service center device 110 in other ways. As a result, customer service personnel may use the data to assist in support sessions. In this regard, the data may be used to avoid burdening the user with the need to explain the problem and to avoid repeating previously attempted and unsuccessful solutions.

[0081] In some embodiments, captured device status information may be used to assess the health of the mobile device 104 (including the device history) for the purpose of determining the current value of the mobile device. For example, one or more potential failures associated with the mobile device may be determined based at least in part on mobile device status data received from the mobile device. In one embodiment, the current value may then be determined based at least in part on these potential failures. In a further embodiment, the current value may also be determined based at least in part on probabilistic information. For example, the determination may be based at least in part on the probability that at least one potential failure will be successfully resolved in response to the implementation of one or more solutions, and such probabilistic information is determined at least in part on received information regarding the solution implementation results, as described above. Thus, the current value of the device is not reduced by failures that are relatively likely to be corrected through the application of a given solution, for example. On the other hand, failures that are unlikely to be resolved may adversely affect the value of the device. This evaluation may be performed, for example, by one or more of the support service controller 220 or the mobile application controller 320, and / or with their assistance.

[0082] In one embodiment, the current value may then be used, for example, to determine a buyback offer for a mobile device (e.g., asset recovery) or to determine a trade-in or upgrade offer for a mobile device. For example, the current value may be used in determining whether to generate a buyback offer for a mobile device. In a further embodiment, both the current value and the aforementioned probability information, for example, the probability of resolving at least one potential defect, may be used to determine whether to generate a buyback offer for a mobile device. For example, a buyback score may be determined based at least in part on the current value and the aforementioned probability information, and this buyback score may then be compared to a threshold so that a buyback offer for a mobile device is generated only if the threshold is satisfied. In another embodiment, the current value may include the current insured value. In a further embodiment, whether a mobile device is eligible for inclusion in a particular insurance policy may be determined based at least in part on information regarding potential defects and / or the current value. Given known information about the device's health, such as one or more potential failures, entities such as device manufacturers, wireless service providers, insurance companies, warranty providers, or other entities can thus make "on the spot" offers to users. As a result, offers can be based on prior knowledge of the device's health, without the need to make conditional offers where payment depends on the device passing inspection after return. According to other embodiments, the risk of such conditional offers can be reduced, for example, by considering the aforementioned probabilistic information. Thus, embodiments as described above can enable mobile service providers to make more informed decisions about whether to buy back a device, and if so, for how much.

[0083] Furthermore, proposals that can generally be tied to a limited actuarial time window in which a device is considered to have a defined level of health status may be extended beyond the defined actuarial time window so that the proposal may be available outside the window based on knowledge of the health of the mobile device. Thus, for example, if a device is known to be in good condition for 180 days after purchase, the customer may be able to purchase device insurance even if there is a restriction that the insurance proposal must normally be received within 90 days of the device purchase.

[0084] In some embodiments, the support service controller 220 and / or mobile application controller 320 may be configured to evaluate wireless voice and / or data usage using captured device status information. Based on the evaluation of wireless voice and / or data usage, the support service controller 220 and / or mobile application controller 320 may be further configured to make decisions and recommendations regarding wireless data plans available from various compatible carriers. For example, if the system determines that a user habitually exhibits high data usage and very low voice usage (e.g., VoIP dialer is preferred over carrier minutes), the system may suggest switching to another carrier that offers preferential rates for low voice minutes and high data rates / permitted amounts. In some such embodiments, a portal that may be provided by the mobile device support device may aggregate transactions for various voice and data plans from one or more carriers and provide recommended plans based on evaluations of historical voice and / or data usage.

[0085] Referring now to Figure 11, Figure 11 shows a flowchart of an example method for providing mobile device support services according to several embodiments. In this regard, Figure 11 shows operations that can be performed in and by the mobile device support device 102 and / or mobile device 104. Operations shown and described in Figure 11 include, for example, processing Operation 1100 may be performed with the assistance of and / or under the control of one or more of the following: processing circuit 210, processor 212, memory 214, communication interface 218, support service controller 220, processing circuit 310, processor 312, memory 314, user interface 316, communication interface 318, or mobile application controller 320. Operation 1100 may include receiving registration for a mobile device support service. The processing circuit 210, processor 212, memory 214, communication interface 218, support service controller 220, processing circuit 310, processor 312, memory 314, user interface 316, communication interface 318, and / or mobile application controller 320 may, for example, provide means for performing operation 1100. Operation 1110 may include determining registration information. Registration information may be provided as part of the registration and / or determined from the registration, or otherwise inferred. In this regard, registration information may include configuration settings for mobile device support services, information about the types of mobile devices to which support services are provided, and / or similar. Processing circuit 210, processor 212, memory 214, communication interface 218, support service controller 220, processing circuit 310, processor 312, memory 314, user interface 316, communication interface 318, and / or mobile application controller 320 may provide means for performing operation 1110, for example. Operation 1120 may include providing mobile device support services in accordance with the determined registration information. Processing circuit 210, processor 212, memory 214, communication interface 218, support service controller 220, processing circuit 310, processor 312, memory 314, user interface 316, communication interface 318, and / or mobile application controller 320 may provide means for performing operation 1120, for example.

[0086] Figure 12 shows a flowchart illustrating an example method for performing device diagnostics according to several embodiments. In this regard, Figure 12 shows operations that may be performed in and by the mobile device support device 102 and / or mobile device 104. The operations shown and described in Figure 12 may be performed with the assistance and / or under the control of one or more of the following: processing circuit 210, processor 212, memory 214, communication interface 218, support service controller 220, processing circuit 310, processor 312, memory 314, user interface 316, communication interface 318, or mobile application controller 320. Operation 1200 may include monitoring the mobile device status. The processing circuit 210, processor 212, memory 214, communication interface 218, support service controller 220, processing circuit 310, processor 312, memory 314, communication interface 318, and / or mobile application controller 320 may provide means for performing, for example, operation 1200. Operation 1210 may include performing a device diagnostic based at least in part on captured device status data to identify a potential fault that may affect the functionality of the mobile device. The processing circuit 210, processor 212, memory 214, communication interface 218, support service controller 220, processing circuit 310, processor 312, memory 314, communication interface 318, and / or mobile application controller 320 may provide means for performing, for example, operation 1210.

[0087] In cases where a fault is identified in operation 1210, the method in Figure 12 may optionally further include operations 1220, 1225, 1230, and / or 1235. Operation 1220 may include providing instructions for the identified fault. These instructions may be provided, for example, through the user interface of the user's mobile device and / or through a mobile device support portal. Processing circuit 210, processor 212, memory 21 4. The communication interface 218, support service controller 220, processing circuit 310, processor 312, memory 314, user interface 316, communication interface 318, and / or mobile application controller 320 may provide means for performing, for example, operation 1220. Operation 1225 may include receiving information regarding solution implementation results. As previously stated, solution implementation results may include, for example, information regarding whether one or more solutions were successful in resolving a given failure. Operation 1230 may include determining a solution for an identified failure. In some cases, the determined solution may be executed automatically. Alternatively, the determined solution may be provided for user review and approval before execution. Operation 1235 may include determining the probability that a solution implementation will resolve one or more of the identified failures. According to some embodiments, the solution determination (operation 1230) may involve using probability information, such as determining the solution with the highest probability of resolving a given failure. According to another embodiment, probability information may be provided to the user, for example, along with providing the determined solution to the user for review and approval. This probability information may be updated, for example, when additional solution implementation results are received. As a further alternative, if the determined solution requires user action, such as in the case of returning a mobile device for return or exchange, instructions for achieving the solution may be provided to the user. Processing circuit 210, processor 212, memory 214, communication interface 218, support service controller 220, processing circuit 310, processor 312, memory 314, user interface 316, communication interface 318, and / or mobile application controller 320 may provide means for performing actions 1225, 1230, and 1235, for example.

[0088] Figure 14 shows a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for providing a support session between a customer service representative and a mobile device, according to several embodiments. In this regard, Figure 14 shows the operations that can be performed in, and by, the customer service center device 110, the mobile device support device 102, and / or the mobile device 104.

[0089] The operations shown and described in Figure 14 may be performed with the assistance and / or under the control of, for example, one or more of the following: processing circuit 210, processor 212, memory 214, communication interface 218, support service controller 220, processing circuit 310, processor 312, memory 314, user interface 316, communication interface 318, or mobile application controller 320.

[0090] Operation 1400 may include receiving device status data from the mobile device. The status data may include, for example, any type of status data as described above. According to an example embodiment, the status data may, in addition or alternatively, include information about actions taken by the user of the mobile device prior to the support session, as described below. For example, information about actions taken by the user may include information about support information accessed by the user. Support information may include, for example, setup information or information about one or more potential failures, which may be provided through an interface shown in any of Figures 5 to 10. According to another example embodiment, information about actions taken by the user may include information about corrective actions taken by the user. Such information about corrective actions taken by the user may include, for example, information about self-help tools used by the user; such as instructions, guides, troubleshooting steps, walkthroughs, videos, and / or similar. Information regarding actions taken by the user in accordance with the provided support information; and / or any other corrective actions taken by the user, such as any actions taken in an attempt to resolve the fault. These steps or actions may include, for example, rebooting the mobile device, installing or uninstalling an application, replacing the battery, changing settings, and / or similar actions. Processing circuit 210, processor 212, memory 214, communication interface 218, support service controller 220, processing circuit 310, processor 312, memory 314, communication interface 318, and / or mobile application controller 320 may provide means for performing, for example, operation 1400.

[0091] Operation 1410 may include determining one or more anticipated failures related to the mobile device based on at least some of the received state data. Processing circuits 210, processor 212, memory 214, communication interface 218, support service controller 220, processing circuits 310, processor 312, memory 314, communication interface 318, and / or mobile application controller 320 may provide means for performing operation 1430, for example.

[0092] Operation 1420 may include determining the degree of sophistication of a mobile device user, for example, their technical knowledge, skills, interests, patience, or aptitude, based at least in part on mobile device status data. For example, the degree of user sophistication (also referred to herein as “user sophistication”) may be determined based at least in part on mobile device status data, such as application profiles, crash history, support content accessed by the mobile device user, the mobile device user’s ratings of the support content accessed, an indicator of how often the mobile device user accessed support content or participated in a support session, and / or any other device status data that may be directly or indirectly related to the degree of user sophistication of the mobile device user.

[0093] Operation 1430 may include providing support information to the mobile device. As previously stated, the support information may include, for example, information about one or more potential failures determined in Operation 1410, such as anticipated or existing failures. The support information may also include, additionally or alternatively, information about one or more solutions to one or more potential failures, and determinations of such solutions as previously described. For example, the support information may include instructions, guides, troubleshooting steps, walkthroughs, videos, and / or similar, as previously stated. According to an example embodiment, the support information may include probabilistic information, such as one or more probabilities that the implementation of one or more solutions fixes the potential failure, as previously stated. According to a further example embodiment, the support information provided for access by the mobile device user may be determined based at least in part on the user's determined level of sophistication. For example, more complex or obscure support information may be provided to a more sophisticated user, while simpler or easier-to-understand or follow support content may be provided to a less sophisticated user.

[0094] Operation 1440 may include determining whether to escalate to a support session assisted by a customer service representative. According to an example embodiment, this determination may include determining whether an escalation request has been received relating to a mobile device. An escalation request may be received, for example, from a mobile device or via a web portal, and such request may involve the user of the mobile device selecting an escalation option (which may be presented, for example, in a dropdown menu of a graphical user interface) that is presented, for example, via the mobile device or web portal. It is generated in response to an action. Therefore, a user who has not been successful in resolving one or more issues with their device, for example by referring to support information that may be provided in action 1430, may select the escalation option, thereby triggering the generation of an escalation request.

[0095] In another embodiment, the decision to escalate may be made by the mobile device support device 102, etc., based on the determination that the solution cannot be implemented automatically, or that the failure may be too complex or too difficult for the user to resolve on their own. In yet another embodiment, the decision to escalate may be based on the received device status data or one or more determined potential failures. Thus, for example, if a particularly complex or serious failure is determined, or if particularly troublesome device status data is received, the decision to escalate may be made automatically. In yet another embodiment, the decision to escalate may be made based at least in part on the user's sophistication or technical knowledge, as determined in operation 1420. For example, users of less sophisticated mobile devices may be escalated more quickly, for instance, immediately, automatically, or be presented with the option to escalate more quickly (for example, a mobile device support device may display a "Escalate Now" button on the mobile device's graphical user interface or support portal that the user can click to initiate escalation), while more sophisticated mobile device users may not be presented with the option to escalate, or may not be automatically escalated. Thus, in accordance with operations 1430 and 1440, less sophisticated users may be provided with less complex support information and be more easily escalated to customer service personnel, while more sophisticated users may be provided with more sophisticated or complex support content instead of being automatically escalated or presented with the option to escalate.

[0096] The processing circuit 210, processor 212, memory 214, communication interface 218, support service controller 220, processing circuit 310, processor 312, memory 314, communication interface 318, and / or mobile application controller 320 may provide means for performing operation 1410, for example.

[0097] Operation 1450 may include initiating a support session with a mobile device. The support session may be initiated in response to a decision to escalate, for example, in response to the receipt of an escalation request. According to another embodiment, the receipt of an escalation request or otherwise a decision that escalation should occur may cause the mobile device to be placed in a support session queue, preventing a support session from being initiated on that mobile device until it is the mobile device's turn. Processing circuits 210, processor 212, memory 214, communication interface 218, support service controller 220, processing circuits 310, processor 312, memory 314, communication interface 318, and / or mobile application controller 320 may provide means for performing operation 1420, for example.

[0098] Operation 1460 may include assigning a customer service representative to a support session. Assigning a customer service representative to a support session may include determining the appropriate customer service representative to handle that support session. The determination of the appropriate customer service representative may be based at least in part on information about multiple customer service representatives. For example, as mentioned above, the customer service representative's experience level in supporting a particular equipment configuration may be taken into consideration, which may be determined based on the resolution of one or more anticipated faults or the status data received. Languages ​​spoken, number of fault resolutions, fault resolution success rate In addition, other information, such as customer feedback, may also be taken into consideration, or alternatively, when determining the appropriate customer service representative. According to other embodiments, information about multiple customer service representatives may be as simple as group assignments, schedules, availability, and / or similar.

[0099] The determination of an appropriate customer service representative may, in addition to or alternative to, be based on at least part of any of the aforementioned mobile device status data, according to another embodiment. For example, actions performed by the user of the mobile device before the support session begins, such as support information accessed by the user and / or corrective actions taken by the user, may be taken into consideration. According to a further embodiment, one or more user ratings, such as user satisfaction with the support information accessed by the user, may also be received as part of the device status data and used in the determination. Thus, the user's relative satisfaction or disappointment in their self-help experience before the call may be evaluated and taken into consideration when determining a customer service representative. According to a further embodiment, the user's level of sophistication or technical knowledge may be used when determining a customer service representative, for example, by correlating the user's level of sophistication with information on multiple customer service representatives. For example, a customer service representative may be skilled at handling support sessions with less sophisticated users, as indicated by various metrics and / or statistics collected for a particular customer service representative, and as a result, such a representative may be preferred when assigned to support sessions involving such users. Processing circuit 210, processor 212, memory 214, communication interface 218, support service controller 220, processing circuit 310, processor 312, memory 314, communication interface 318, and / or mobile application controller 320 may provide means for performing, for example, operation 1460.

[0100] Operation 1470 may include providing previously received status data to an assigned customer service representative. The assigned customer service representative may then have access to any data collected from the device, which may eliminate or reduce the need to collect additional information from the mobile device user. As previously stated, this status data may include information about actions taken by the mobile device user before the start of the support session, such as information about support information accessed by the user or information about corrective actions taken by the user. Processing circuit 210, processor 212, memory 214, communication interface 218, support service controller 220, processing circuit 310, processor 312, memory 314, communication interface 318, and / or mobile application controller 320 may provide means for performing operation 1470, for example.

[0101] Operation 1480 may include providing a customer service representative with an indicator of the user's level of sophistication, as can be determined in Operation 1420. In this way, the customer service representative can predict how to communicate most effectively with the user and what actions may need to be performed on the user's equipment, for example, via remote control. Processing circuit 210, processor 212, memory 214, communication interface 218, support service controller 220, processing circuit 310, processor 312, memory 314, communication interface 318, and / or mobile application controller 320 may provide means for performing Operation 1480, for example.

[0102] Operation 1490 may include providing remote control of a mobile device. In this regard, this operation may include enabling a customer service representative to remotely control various operations on the mobile device. For example, a customer service representative may enable the mobile device to reboot The system may be provided with the ability to perform one or more of the following actions: turning off the mobile device, installing an application on the mobile device, uninstalling an application from the mobile device, changing the settings of the mobile device, starting a backup of the mobile device (e.g., storing files, data, applications, settings, configurations, etc., in remote memory or on a server), or restoring a backup (e.g., previously stored files, data, applications, configurations, etc.) to the mobile device. The processing circuit 210, processor 212, memory 214, communication interface 218, support service controller 220, processing circuit 310, processor 312, memory 314, communication interface 318, and / or mobile application controller 320 may provide means for performing, for example, operation 1490.

[0103] [Backup and Restore Services] Some embodiments also provide backup and restore services for mobile devices. In particular, the support service controller 220 may be configured to maintain backups of records of applications and / or other data installed on the mobile device 104. These records may be determined based on application profiles that can be captured based on monitoring the status of the mobile device 104, for example, according to one or more previously described embodiments.

[0104] In some embodiments, backup may be an ongoing process that can continuously back up applications and / or other data installed on the mobile device 104. In this regard, in some embodiments, monitoring may be performed continuously (e.g., as a background process), periodically, irregularly, and / or similarly, to capture information about applications and / or other data installed on the device, updates or changes since the previous monitoring cycle, and / or other information that can be captured to facilitate backup and restore services provided by some embodiments. In addition or alternatively, in some embodiments, monitoring and backup may be performed on demand.

[0105] Device status information, which can be captured through monitoring according to several embodiment examples, may be used as a background process that may be substantially transparent to the user to provide activity interruption, updates, device changes, storage of new data on the device, and / or similar. Changes may be recorded and used for the purpose of obtaining restore backup records for mobile devices. Users may opt in to the backup service through a registration process, etc. Registration and configuration of the backup process may be performed, for example, through a mobile device service portal provided by the mobile device support device 102. Additionally or alternatively, backup may be an on-demand process that can be started in response to a user request, such as before the user discards an old device for a new or replacement device.

[0106] In some embodiments, the user may be able to configure the types of data that can be backed up. For example, the user may choose whether to back up applications, application configuration settings, device configuration settings, contacts, photos, videos, documents, and / or other types of data that may be installed on the mobile device or otherwise stored.

[0107] If a user wishes to restore backup records to a mobile device, the user may request that the backup records, which may be held by the mobile device support device 102, be restored to a specified mobile device 104. The request may be made, for example, by a mobile application that may be operating under the control of the mobile application controller 320. This can be done via [a specific method]. As another example, a user may use a mobile device, user terminal 108, or other computing device to access a mobile device support portal which may be provided by the mobile device support device 102, and submit a request to restore backup records through that portal. In response to the request, the support service controller 220 and / or mobile application controller 320 may be configured to restore the backup records to the mobile device 104.

[0108] In some embodiments, an application or service portal interaction may allow the user to walk through an automated self-reinstallation / restore process. In this regard, in some embodiments, the user may walk through an automated self-reinstallation / restore of a mobile device, which may include, for example, the restoration of applications (with settings, preferences, and changes made over time to the user's basic / originally downloaded applications), sensitive information such as user identifiers and passwords, and / or other data. In some embodiments, the user may be connected to a customer service representative, help desk, or similar via a customer service center device 110, etc., so that the user can be provided with assistance in engaging with the restore process.

[0109] Restoring backup records can be used for various purposes according to various embodiments. For example, backup records can be used to facilitate the restoration of a mobile device to its last known working state. Thus, for instance, if a user's mobile device is inoperable due to a failure, as may be determined according to the embodiments disclosed herein, the user can use backup records to restore the mobile device to a previous state, excluding destructive or malicious applications, data, or programs. Additionally or alternatively, backup records can be used to restore a copy of the device state of a lost, stolen, or inoperable mobile device to a new or replacement mobile device. Consequently, if a user is deemed eligible for an upgrade, backup records can be used to replicate the old device state onto the new device.

[0110] In some embodiments, the backup and restore service may do more than reinstall a previously installed application. For example, some embodiments provide, in addition to installing / reinstalling the application, the restoration of customizations, add-ons, and / or other modifications made to the application by the user after the original application was downloaded, as well as application configuration settings, device configuration settings, and / or similar settings made by the user.

[0111] Furthermore, in some embodiments, actions performed by an application can be monitored so that any modifications made in conjunction with those actions can be backed up. For example, an application may store files and / or other data in a location local to the application space. In some embodiments, the application storing the data can be monitored, and accordingly, the stored data, along with its storage location, can be backed up. As a result, data that may be stored in a location specific to a particular application can be backed up without requiring prior notification of the underlying file structure.

[0112] For example, a user might download and install an application that allows them to turn still images into videos. The user could then import photos, use the application to turn those photos into videos, and add sound to the videos so that the photos appear to come to life and speak. The video-converted photos may be stored by the application in a location local to that application. The backup and restore services provided by some embodiments may not only restore the application but also back up and restore the video-converted photos in addition to the application.

[0113] As a further example, a user may download and install a game application. The game may track the user's high scores, which may be stored in a local space within the application. Some embodiments may provide backup and restore of the user's high scores along with the application itself.

[0114] As another example, a user may download and install a magazine application that allows them to read magazines on their mobile device. Some embodiments provide backup and restore of the user's magazine subscriptions, bookmarks, and other settings, in addition to the magazine application itself.

[0115] Some embodiments further provide mobile wallet backup and restore. Mobile wallet backup and restore may include backing up and restoring the mobile wallet application, mobile wallet content, security element provisioning, credentialing, associated contact information, and / or similar, thereby enabling the restored mobile wallet to be authenticated / certified, provisioned, and usable. Some such embodiments enable the restoration of Near Field Communication (NFC) enabled mobile wallets. Thus, the backup and restore service of such embodiments can quickly restore the mobile wallet, eliminating an otherwise laborious process by saving the user the trouble of having to perform the laborious credentialing and authentication process again. In some embodiments, the provision of mobile wallet reinstallation / restoration, mobile wallet credentialing, and reprovisioning may be automated steps, thereby being performed automatically on behalf of the user with little or no behind-the-scenes involvement. As another example, mobile wallet restoration may be a user-facilitated process, thereby providing the user with step-by-step instructions, a telephone number or other means of contact from which the user can reach a customer service representative for assistance, and / or similar.

[0116] Some embodiments that provide mobile wallet backup and restore eliminate the need for users to remember the steps required to completely reinstall their mobile wallet and, otherwise, the individual companies that need to be contacted to make the mobile wallet fully functional for desired transactions. In this regard, depending on the mobile wallet provider, the mobile carrier, mobile wallet provider, financial institution, trusted service manager providing security elements (e.g., NFC security elements), and / or other parties may need to be contacted to fully enable the mobile wallet functionality. Some embodiments reduce the burden on the user by contacting the appropriate entities to facilitate the reprovisioning of the device's security elements for restoring the mobile wallet. In this regard, for example, some embodiments track the entities that need to be contacted to restore the mobile wallet and contact the appropriate entities automatically, semi-automatically, and / or under user instruction.

[0117] Referring now to Figure 13, Figure 13 shows a flowchart of an example method for providing backup and restore services according to several embodiments. In this regard, Figure 13 shows operations that may be performed in and by the mobile device support device 102 and / or mobile device 104. The operations shown and described in Figure 13 are, for example, The operation 1300 may be performed with the assistance of and / or under the control of one or more of the following: processing circuit 210, processor 212, memory 214, communication interface 218, support service controller 220, processing circuit 310, processor 312, memory 314, user interface 316, communication interface 318, or mobile application controller 320. Operation 1300 may include maintaining backup records of applications and / or other data installed on the mobile device. In some embodiments, operation 1300 may include maintaining backup records through the execution of a monitoring process that can monitor device changes. The monitoring process may be performed always, periodically, irregularly, on demand, and / or similarly. The processing circuit 210, processor 212, memory 214, communication interface 218, support service controller 220, processing circuit 310, processor 312, memory 314, user interface 316, communication interface 318, and / or mobile application controller 320 may, for example, provide means for performing operation 1300. Operation 1310 may include receiving a request to restore a backup record to a mobile device. The request may be to restore the backup record to the mobile device from which the backup record was taken, or to restore the backup record to another mobile device, such as a new or replacement device. Processing circuit 210, processor 212, memory 214, communication interface 218, support service controller 220, processing circuit 310, processor 312, memory 314, user interface 316, communication interface 318, and / or mobile application controller 320 may, for example, provide means for performing operation 1310. Operation 1320 may include restoring the backup record in response to a request. In some embodiments, operation 1320 may be fully automated. As an addition or alternative, in some embodiments, operation 1320 may include providing a guided restore process to the user.The processing circuit 210, processor 212, memory 214, communication interface 218, support service controller 220, processing circuit 310, processor 312, memory 314, user interface 316, communication interface 318, and / or mobile application controller 320 may provide means for performing operation 1320, for example.

[0118] [Data destruction service] Some embodiments further provide a destruction process that can be triggered by locking a mobile device and / or wiping its memory, such as a lost or stolen mobile device, a mobile device being replaced for an upgrade, a mobile device being sold, and / or similar. Data destruction may be performed, for example, by and under the control of the support service controller 220 and / or the mobile application controller 320.

[0119] In some embodiments, the mobile device support device 102 may provide a mobile device support portal that allows a user to trigger the remote destruction of data on their mobile device. For example, the user may access the portal via a user terminal 108, or even directly via the mobile device 104 whose data will be wiped. In some embodiments, the mobile device 104 may be synchronized with the portal so that the mobile device support device 102 may cleanly wipe or otherwise destroy the information stored on the device. As an addition or alternative, the mobile device support device 102 may transmit a signal over the network 106 that can trigger the mobile device to perform a destruction process to destroy the data stored on the mobile device.

[0120] As an addition or alternative, in some embodiments, the destruction process is a user interface It can be triggered directly via the mobile device 104, such as via the face 316. In this regard, the user can trigger a destruction process that can be performed directly on the mobile device.

[0121] Some embodiments may facilitate data destruction in the case of lost or stolen equipment, even if the equipment is unreachable via the network 106 by the mobile device support device 102. For example, when a user attempts to remotely destroy data stored on mobile device 104, and the equipment is not operational or receiving signals, the user may choose that the data be wiped when the equipment is next booted, provided that a specified passcode is not provided. Thus, the destruction process may be performed during the next equipment boot in response to a predetermined number of failures by the user (e.g., a potentially malicious user who found or stole the equipment) to enter the correct passcode.

[0122] In some embodiments, the mobile application controller 320 may be configured to automatically destroy data stored on a device in response to predetermined criteria indicating that the device has been lost or stolen. For example, if a passcode is required to unlock or boot the mobile device and an incorrect passcode is entered a predetermined number of times, the mobile application controller 320 may destroy data stored on the device, even if it does not receive a command from the mobile device support device 102 or other devices via the network 106. In another example, the mobile application controller 320 may be configured to perform the destruction process after a predetermined idle period (e.g., a predetermined number of days).

[0123] In some embodiments, the destruction process can completely wipe and destroy personal information that may be stored on the device (e.g., photographs, text messages, images, music, contacts, financial account information, and / or similar). Data can be wiped from any memory partition of the mobile device, whether hidden or exposed to a third party who may be handling the device while the mobile device is being transported for return, repair, adjustment, sale, or in the hands of an unwanted person. In some embodiments, the destruction process can render memory chips, secure digital (SD) cards, and / or other storage mechanisms unusable and unrecoverable. Rather than purging the memory in a way that data can still be extracted based on data remnants left in the memory, in some embodiments, the memory, chips, SD cards, and / or similar are made completely inaccessible and / or unreadable. For example, in some embodiments, the memory is “shocked” or “burned” to ensure that no one can extract any data remnants. As a result, users can avoid leaving traces of private data that could later be accessed by unauthorized individuals.

[0124] [Equipment Assessment] Figure 15 shows a flowchart illustrating an example method for providing equipment assessment and repurchase or insurance offer generation. In this regard, Figure 15 shows operations performed in, and / or by, the customer service center device 110, the mobile device support device 102, and / or the mobile device 104.

[0125] figure 15The operations shown and described therein may be performed with the assistance and / or under the control of, for example, one or more of the following: processing circuit 210, processor 212, memory 214, communication interface 218, support service controller 220, processing circuit 310, processor 312, memory 314, user interface 316, communication interface 318, or mobile application controller 320.

[0126] Operation 1500 may include receiving device status data from the mobile device. The status data may include, for example, any type of status data as described above. In an example embodiment, the status data may, additionally or alternatively, include solution implementation result information as described above. Operation 1510 may include determining one or more potential, for example, anticipated or existing failures related to the mobile device, based at least in part on the received status data. One or more failures may be determined according to any of the processes, operations, or similar described above. Operation 1520 may include determining one or more possible solutions for one or more potential failures, based at least on one or more potential failures, as described above. Operation 1530 may include determining the probability of resolving at least one failure, based at least in part on the solution implementation result information. Such probability information may be determined according to any of the processes, operations, or similar described above. The processing circuit 210, processor 212, memory 214, communication interface 218, support service controller 220, processing circuit 310, processor 312, memory 314, communication interface 318, and / or mobile application controller 320 may provide means for performing operations 1500, 1510, 1520, and 1530, for example.

[0127] Operation 1540 may include determining the current value of a mobile device. In an example embodiment, the determination may be based at least in part on potential defects determined in operation 1510. In an example embodiment, the value may further be based at least in part on received mobile device status data, such as information about the manufacturer and / or model of the mobile device, the years of use of the mobile device, and / or other mobile device status data that may be useful in determining the value of the mobile device. In a further example embodiment, the current value may further be determined at least in part on probabilistic information. For example, the determination may be based at least in part on the probability that at least one potential defect will be successfully resolved in response to the implementation of one or more solutions, and such probabilistic information is determined at least in part on received information regarding the results of solution implementation, as described above. Thus, the current value of the device will not be (at least significantly) reduced by defects that are relatively likely to be corrected through the application of routine solutions, for example. On the other hand, defects that are unlikely to be resolved may adversely affect the value of the device. In an example embodiment, the value determined in operation 1540 may include the insurable value. In a further embodiment, operation 1540 may comprise two steps instead of one. For example, a first step of determining whether a mobile device is eligible for assessment may precede a determination of the mobile device's value. Eligibility may be determined based on probabilistic information, such as received device status data, one or more determined defects, one or more determined solutions, and / or, as previously stated, the probability that the defect will be corrected by the implementation of the solution. In specific examples, devices with particularly serious defects, such as a severely damaged display, devices that have been seriously compromised through "rooting" or similar means, or devices that have been water damaged may be determined to be ineligible for assessment. If the device is determined to be ineligible for assessment, the assessment step is not performed; on the other hand, if the device is determined to be eligible, the assessment step may be performed.The processing circuit 210, processor 212, memory 214, communication interface 218, support service controller 220, processing circuit 310, processor 312, memory 314, communication interface 318, and / or mobile application controller 320 may provide means for performing, for example, operation 1540.

[0128] Operations 1545 and 1550 determine whether to generate an insurance offer, e.g., an insurance quote for a mobile device, and whether to generate a buyback offer, e.g., to buy back a mobile device. This may include determining whether to generate a proposal. With respect to operation 1550, current value may be used when determining whether to generate a proposal to buy back the mobile device. According to a further embodiment, both current value and the aforementioned probability information, for example, the probability of resolving at least one potential obstacle, may be used to determine whether to generate a proposal to buy back the mobile device. For example, a buyback score may be determined based at least in part on the current value and the aforementioned probability information, and this buyback score may then be compared to a threshold so that a buyback proposal to the mobile device is generated only if the threshold is satisfied.

[0129] With respect to operation 1545, whether a mobile device is eligible for inclusion in one or more insurance policies may be determined based at least in part on information regarding potential failures and / or current value. Thus, if it is determined that the mobile device is indeed eligible for one or more insurance policies (e.g., it satisfies a sufficient insurance period based on device condition data or information derived from device condition data), a proposal for compensation for the device's covered losses, e.g., an insurance quote, may be generated and presented to the user.

[0130] In a further embodiment, both the current value and the aforementioned probability information, for example, the probability of resolving at least one potential failure, may be used to determine whether to generate an insurance estimate for insurance against the subject loss of the equipment. For example, an insuranceability score may be determined based at least in part on the aforementioned current value and probability information, which may then be compared to a threshold so that an estimate is generated only if the threshold is satisfied. Processing circuits 210, processor 212, memory 214, communication interface 218, support service controller 220, processing circuits 310, processor 312, memory 314, communication interface 318, and / or mobile application controller 320 may provide means for performing operations 1545 and 1550, for example.

[0131] Operation 1560 may include generating a proposal. As previously stated, the proposal may include a proposal to buy a mobile device, for example, a dollar value with a suitable period (e.g., the proposal lasts for 24 hours). According to another embodiment, the proposal may include an insurance quote for a specific insurance policy. Processing circuit 210, processor 212, memory 214, communication interface 218, support service controller 220, processing circuit 310, processor 312, memory 314, communication interface 318, and / or mobile application controller 320 may provide means for performing operation 1560, for example.

[0132] [Conclusion] Figures 12 to 15 each show flowcharts of systems, methods, and computer program products according to several embodiments. It will be understood that each block in the flowchart, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart, can be implemented by various means, such as hardware and / or computer program products, which include one or more computer-readable media on which computer-readable program instructions are stored. For example, one or more procedures described herein can be performed by computer program instructions of a computer program product. In this regard, a computer program product (or more) that performs the procedures described herein may include one or more memory devices (e.g., memory 214 and / or memory 314) of the computing device that store instructions executable by processors in the computing device (e.g., by processor 212 and / or processor 312). In some embodiments, the computer program instructions of a computer program product (or more) that performs the aforementioned procedures may be stored in memory devices of multiple computing devices. As will be understood, any such computer program product may, in order to generate a machine, The computer program product, which includes instructions to be executed on the computer or other programmable device, can be loaded onto a computer or other programmable device (e.g., mobile device support device 102, mobile device 104 and / or other devices) to create means for the computer program product to perform the functions specified in the blocks(or blocks) of the flowchart. Furthermore, the computer program product may include one or more computer-readable memories on which the computer program instructions can be stored, so as to instruct one or more computer-readable memories to function on the computer or other programmable device in a particular way, and thus the computer program product may include products that implement the functions specified in the blocks(or blocks) of the flowchart. The computer program instructions of one or more computer program products can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable device (e.g., mobile device 104 and / or other devices) to cause the computer or other programmable device to perform a series of operations in order to generate a computer implementation process so that the instructions to be executed on the computer or other programmable device implement the functions specified in the blocks(or blocks) of the flowchart.

[0133] As a result, the blocks in the flowchart support combinations of means for performing a specified function and combinations of actions for performing a specified function. It will also be understood that one or more blocks in the flowchart, as well as combinations of blocks within the flowchart, can be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based computer system or a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions to perform a specified function.

[0134] Accordingly, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments of the present invention provide a substantial technical contribution to the prior art, and in particular, solve technical problems, namely, how to analyze and resolve malfunctions related to mobile devices in an accurate and intuitive manner. Furthermore, the embodiments may provide further technical advantages, such as improving device performance, reliability, and stability by providing an intuitive tool for resolving potential device malfunctions.

[0135] Numerous modifications and other embodiments of the invention described herein will be conceivable to those skilled in the art who benefit from the technology presented in the foregoing description and associated figures. It is understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, while the foregoing description and associated figures illustrate exemplary embodiments in the context of certain combinations of elements and / or functions, it should be understood that different combinations of elements and / or functions may be provided by alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In this regard, for example, other combinations of elements and / or functions, different from those explicitly described above, may be expressed in some of the appended claims. Certain terms are used herein, but they are used only in a general and descriptive sense and not for restrictive purposes.

Claims

1. This involves displaying the portal via the support device's display, The portal provides a display of application sets installed on external devices located away from the support device, device status data associated with each application in the application set, and threat levels corresponding to each application in the application set. The threat level for one or more applications in the application set is at least in part based on the required characteristics corresponding to the one or more applications and an integrated dataset associated with multiple other external devices. To display the portal, In order to perform a remote diagnostic operation on the external device, the determination of a fault in the external device arising from at least one application, The portal includes at least one device alert identified using device diagnostics indicating an identified blacklisted application, a rejected application, or other application problem. The at least one application is selected based at least in part on the at least one device alert. Determining the disability and, Receiving a display of a solution to resolve the problem selected via the portal, The aforementioned solution is determined based at least in part on solution implementation results received from one or more other external devices. At least part of the results of the solution implementation include a previous solution implementation that resolved a previous failure of at least one of the one or more other external devices, Receiving and The process involves generating and transmitting a computer executable instruction, which includes at least the designation of one of the aforementioned applications, to the external device. The computer executable instructions are configured to cause the external device to resolve the fault based on the solution by sending at least one executable instruction configured to modify the external device or a system associated with the external device in order to prevent the installation of the at least one application on the external device. To generate and transmit to the external device, Methods that are performed on a computer, including [specific examples].

2. The portal is further configured to provide a display of the current designation for each application in the application set. The method performed on a computer according to claim 1.

3. The portal is further configured to provide a display of device permissions for each application in the application set. The method performed on a computer according to claim 1.

4. Generating and transmitting a computer executable instruction that includes at least the designation of the at least one application is, This includes sending at least one executable command configured to cause the external device to uninstall the at least one application from the external device, The method performed on a computer according to claim 1.

5. Displaying the aforementioned portal is The support device displays the portal via its display, further including the display of the portal which provides access to an event log associated with at least one configuration change of the external device. The event log is automatically transmitted from the external device or external monitoring device to the support device. The method performed on a computer according to claim 1.

6. Based at least part of the event log, the system receives an indication of at least one equipment failure via the portal. Receiving selected response correction measures associated with at least one of the equipment failures via the portal, The support device transmits a computer executable instruction corresponding to the selected response modification measure to the external device, wherein the computer executable instruction causes the external device to automatically initiate the selected response modification measure. This also includes, The method performed on a computer according to claim 5.

7. A device comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, The at least one memory is used in the device when it is run by at least one processor. This involves displaying the portal via the support device's display, The portal provides a display of application sets installed on external devices located away from the support device, device status data associated with each application in the application set, and threat levels corresponding to each application in the application set. The threat level for one or more applications in the application set is at least in part based on the required characteristics corresponding to the one or more applications and an integrated dataset associated with multiple other external devices. To display the portal, In order to perform a remote diagnostic operation on the external device, the determination of a fault in the external device arising from at least one application, The portal includes at least one device alert identified using device diagnostics indicating an identified blacklisted application, a rejected application, or other application problem. The at least one application is selected based at least in part on the at least one device alert. Determining the disability and, Receiving a display of a solution to resolve the problem selected via the portal, The aforementioned solution is determined based at least in part on solution implementation results received from one or more other external devices. At least part of the results of the solution implementation include a previous solution implementation that resolved a previous failure of at least one of the one or more other external devices, Receiving and The process involves generating and transmitting a computer executable instruction, which includes at least the designation of one of the aforementioned applications, to the external device. The computer executable instructions are configured to cause the external device to resolve the fault based on the solution by sending at least one executable instruction configured to modify the external device or a system associated with the external device in order to prevent the installation of the at least one application on the external device. To generate and transmit to the external device, Having a computer-coded instruction stored in at least one memory that causes the operation to be performed, Device.

8. The portal is further configured to provide a display of the current designation for each application in the application set. The apparatus according to claim 7.

9. The portal is further configured to provide a display of device permissions for each application in the application set. The apparatus according to claim 7.

10. To generate and transmit a computer executable instruction that includes at least the designation of the at least one application to the external device, the device shall The process involves sending at least one executable command configured to cause the external device to uninstall at least one of the aforementioned applications from the external device. The apparatus according to claim 7.

11. In order to display the aforementioned portal, the device shall The display of the portal is made available via the display of the support device, and the portal further displays the portal, which provides access to an event log associated with at least one configuration change of the external device. The event log is automatically transmitted from the external device or external monitoring device to the support device. The apparatus according to claim 7.

12. Based at least part of the event log, the system receives an indication of at least one equipment failure via the portal. Receiving selected response correction measures associated with at least one of the equipment failures via the portal, The support device transmits a computer executable instruction corresponding to the selected response modification measure to the external device, wherein the computer executable instruction causes the external device to automatically initiate the selected response modification measure. To do further, The apparatus according to claim 11.

13. A computer program, which, when executed on at least one processor, provides to the at least one processor, This involves displaying the portal via the support device's display, The portal provides a display of application sets installed on external devices located away from the support device, device status data associated with each application in the application set, and threat levels corresponding to each application in the application set. The threat level for one or more applications in the application set is at least in part based on the required characteristics corresponding to the one or more applications and an integrated dataset associated with multiple other external devices. To display the portal, In order to perform a remote diagnostic operation on the external device, the determination of a fault in the external device arising from at least one application, The portal includes at least one device alert identified using device diagnostics indicating an identified blacklisted application, a rejected application, or other application problem. The at least one application is selected based at least in part on the at least one device alert. Determining the disability and, Receiving a display of a solution to resolve the problem selected via the portal, The aforementioned solution is determined based at least in part on solution implementation results received from one or more other external devices. At least part of the results of the solution implementation include a previous solution implementation that resolved a previous failure of at least one of the one or more other external devices, Receiving and The process involves generating and transmitting a computer executable instruction, which includes at least the designation of one of the aforementioned applications, to the external device. The computer executable instructions are configured to cause the external device to resolve the fault based on the solution by sending at least one executable instruction configured to modify the external device or a system associated with the external device in order to prevent the installation of the at least one application on the external device. To generate and transmit to the external device, A computer program configured to perform a certain action.

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