System and method for direct communication of devices involving diagnostics and provisioning.

Abstract

A system and method for diagnostics and provisioning of mobile devices is provided. The system communicates directly with the mobile device hardware, providing connectivity for diagnostics and other functions such as device erasure, without requiring an application to first be installed on the mobile device. In this manner, information such as detailed product identification, merchant identification, and diagnostic information can be quickly obtained from the mobile device to perform diagnostics and erasure for efficiently returning used devices to the stream of commerce.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] [Cross - Reference to Related Applications] This application claims the full benefit and priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 899,616, filed on September 12, 2019, entitled "Systems and Methods for Direct Communication of Devices with Diagnosis and Provisioning", the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

[0002] This application relates to a system and method for diagnosing the operating state of a mobile device and for related provisioning for the mobile device. More particularly, the system and method of this application provide for the assessment of functional and performance parameters via a direct communication interface to mobile device components, and for the rapid and reliable erasure of information stored on such mobile devices.

Background Art

[0003] Today, mobile devices are widely used, and an increasing number of people utilize such devices in their daily lives. As used herein, the term “mobile device” generally refers to any electronic device capable of moving from place to place. Examples of such mobile devices include, but are not limited to, mobile phones (more commonly known as “cell phones”), smartwatches, smart jewelry, personal digital assistants (PDAs), digital cameras, intelligent devices for the “Internet of Things” (“IoT”), drone devices, mobile subscriber communication devices, tablet computers, media players, smart vehicles, laptop computers, and devices equipped with wireless intelligent agents such as Alexa®, Google Voice, Siri®, and Cortana®. Driven by a desire for improved equipment and functionality, consumers purchase millions of mobile devices, such as mobile phones, each year to replace worn-out, damaged, partially non-functional, or slow-performing devices, or simply to acquire the latest product based on consumer loyalty, or to show off new models to friends and acquaintances. On the other hand, as newly released mobile devices have been equipped with more features and performance, the prices of such devices have risen rapidly, creating a secondary market for used but still functional mobile devices. As a result, industries have developed to process and recycle used mobile devices, either by restoring them to a usable state and reselling them, or by separating non-functional devices into valuable components or waste materials.

[0004] Used mobile device processors (also known as "recyclers" in this specification) face the challenge of taking in mobile devices such as used cell phones, whose functionality and operational status are unknown, assessing the functional status of such devices, securely erasing all previous user data from the cell phones, and performing necessary repairs as needed. Due to the highly competitive market and the low profit margins resulting from the pricing of recycled mobile devices, efficiency in assessment, diagnosis, and erasure processes is paramount. Recyclers must quickly assess the type and operational status of the devices and perform necessary reprovisioning, such as flushing and erasing, in the most efficient way possible to ensure that recycled devices are returned to the trade as quickly as possible.

[0005] In previous mobile phone recycling processes, recyclers attempted to connect the mobile device to a power / data source such as a USB or Lightning port, and if the device was not password-protected and was protected via Mobile Device Management ("MDM") or a cloud-based remote activation lock scheme such as Find My iPhone® ("FMIP"), the recycler attempted to install an application on the mobile device that could be used for diagnosis and / or device erasure. However, simply assessing the type or status of the device (e.g., whether it is locked or subject to MDM) can be problematic for devices received in an unknown or partially functional state (and may require accessing expensive third-party databases to determine the activation lock status). Furthermore, installing such applications on used mobile devices is time-consuming and may be impossible if the used mobile device's display is cracked / broken or not functioning properly, making interaction with the device (e.g., to verify permission to run downloaded applications) impossible. Furthermore, some of the delivered mobile devices may have completely discharged batteries. To restore such discharged devices to their initial operational state, a time-consuming battery charging process may be required before the devices are processed by the device recycling company through their assessment / diagnosis / erasure process.

[0006] In addition to mobile device recyclers, retail organizations such as mobile carriers (also known as mobile phone service providers) face the need to quickly assess, diagnose, and / or erase mobile devices brought in by customers at their retail stores or kiosks. To provide such services, carriers face the challenge of purchasing and configuring expensive hardware to diagnose mobile phones at each retail store or kiosk. Furthermore, even with existing test systems or data transfer hardware, mobile devices needed to be unlocked and have a display with at least minimal functionality for carriers to perform diagnostics and other functions on them.

[0007] In short, there is a need to provide systems and methods for diagnosing and re-provisioning (such as re-flushing or securely erasing the device) mobile phones and other mobile devices without first installing an application on the device. Furthermore, there is a need for systems and methods that support the diagnosis and provisioning of mobile devices using hardware that is generally available in retail stores. [Overview of the Initiative] [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The following technical disclosures are representative and illustrative only, and do not necessarily limit the claimed invention.

[0009] In one embodiment, one embodiment of the present invention can communicate directly with the hardware of a mobile device via a serial or USB type connection and obtain relevant information from the device without initial installation of an application on the mobile device. In various embodiments of the present invention, which are described in more detail below, detailed information about the product, vendor, and status can be quickly obtained from the mobile device even when the mobile device's display is not functioning or the mobile device's battery is discharged. Furthermore, diagnostic and certain provisioning operations can be performed by a host system connected to the mobile device without requiring the installation of an application on the mobile device. Furthermore, in various embodiments, a mobile carrier can perform analysis and mobile device provisioning in a retail store without requiring the purchase of additional hardware other than a computer system configured to operate the method of the present invention together with the interface cable described herein. In a retail store or kiosk, a mobile device can be connected to a test system via a USB cable, a web browser configured using a plug-in can be run on the retailer / kiosk's computer or tablet, and diagnostic testing and / or provisioning of the connected mobile device can be performed according to embodiments of the invention described herein.

[0010] In additional embodiments of the present invention, advanced analysis, diagnostic, and erasure provisioning functions can be performed via a serial connection established between a mobile device and a host system without requiring the user or test system to first install an application on the mobile device. Furthermore, in various embodiments, diagnostics and provisioning of a mobile device can be performed from its factory default state without rooting or jailbreaking the mobile device.

[0011] In one implementation, the electronic system is interfaced to the mobile unit under test via a cable, more preferably a USB-enabled cable. In an additional embodiment, the interconnect cable may utilize an element intended to alter the voltage / current characteristics flowing between the cable and the mobile device under test in order to activate a specific function within the circuitry constituting the mobile device (e.g., within the chipset or controller). In yet another embodiment, the interconnect cable is a USB On-The-Go (OTG) enabled cable, and the element is connected between the identification (ID) pin and the ground (GND) pin. In yet another embodiment, the element has a fixed resistance value. In yet another embodiment, the resistance value of the element may be variable via manual techniques, such as manually adjusting a potentiometer, or via automated techniques, such as changing the resistance value by interface to a digital potentiometer or by interface to an analog semiconductor component integrated with the cable. As described above, these embodiments utilizing elements with fixed or variable resistance values ​​are additional to preferred embodiments of a standard USB cable (including those with pull-up resistors, if present).

[0012] The present invention provides a method comprising: electrically connecting a mobile device to a USB port of a host system; uniquely identifying the USB port and the type of mobile device attached to the USB port; adjusting the electrical performance of the USB port based on the identified device type and desired functionality; identifying the current state of the mobile device; establishing a serial connection between the mobile device and the host system; and performing diagnostic and device provisioning functions on the mobile device. The electrical performance of the USB port may be modified, for example, by adjusting the resistance in the USB cable between the mobile device and the host system. The device state of the mobile device may be switched in response to the identification that the current device state of the mobile device is not one of recovery mode or download mode. In another embodiment, the method of the present invention further comprises providing power to the mobile device via a USB cable connected between the host system and the mobile device. Further in yet another embodiment, identifying the current state of the mobile device further comprises determining the type of data connection available to the mobile device. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the serial connection between the mobile device and the host system comprises one of the USB protocol and the RS-232 protocol. In addition, aspects of the present invention may include obtaining the serial numbers of components installed in a mobile device from the mobile device and determining whether the components are components originally installed in the mobile device. Identification information of any number and type may be obtained for any number of components installed in the mobile device. One embodiment includes obtaining a list of serial numbers of components installed in the mobile device and determining, for each such installed component, whether each component was originally installed at the time of manufacture of the mobile device (e.g., by a database lookup).An additional embodiment includes determining the resale value of a mobile device based on whether each component was originally installed at the time of manufacture of the mobile device, and in yet another embodiment, includes planning for repair or upgrade of the mobile device based on whether each component was originally installed at the time of manufacture of the mobile device.

[0013] Other embodiments of the present invention may include a host system having a processor, a memory electrically coupled to the processor, a storage device coupled to the processor, a user interface electrically coupled to the processor, and a USB port connection coupled to the processor. The memory may further be configured by software, which, when executed, performs the steps of: electrically connecting a mobile device to the USB port of the host system; uniquely identifying the USB port and the type of mobile device attached to the USB port; adjusting the electrical performance of the USB port based on the identified device type and desired functionality; identifying the current state of the mobile device; establishing a serial connection between the mobile device and the host system; and performing diagnostic and device provisioning functions on the mobile device. The electrical performance of the USB port may be changed, for example, by adjusting the resistance in the USB cable between the mobile device and the host system. The device state of the mobile device may be switched in response to the identification that the current device state of the mobile device is not one of recovery mode or download mode. In other embodiments, the steps performed by the system of the present invention further include providing power to the mobile device via a USB cable connected between the host system and the mobile device. Furthermore, in another embodiment, identifying the current state of the mobile device further includes determining the type of data connection available to the mobile device. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the serial connection between the mobile device and the host system includes one of the USB protocol and the RS-232 protocol. In addition, aspects of the present invention may include obtaining from the mobile device the serial number of a component installed in the mobile device and determining that the component is the original component installed in the mobile device. Identification information of any number and type of components installed in the mobile device may be obtained.One embodiment includes obtaining a list of serial numbers of components installed in a mobile device and determining, for each such installed component, whether each component was originally installed at the time of manufacture of the mobile device (e.g., by a database lookup). An additional embodiment includes determining the resale value of the mobile device based on whether each component was originally installed at the time of manufacture of the mobile device, and yet another embodiment includes planning for repair or upgrade of the mobile device based on whether each component was originally installed at the time of manufacture of the mobile device.

[0014] A more complete understanding of the present invention can be derived by referring to the detailed description and claims, when considered in relation to the following illustrative figures. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the system of the present invention. [Figure 1A] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the system of the present invention, which includes a resistive element electrically coupled to the serial cable of the present invention. [Figure 1B] Figure 1B is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the present invention, which allows a large number of mobile devices to be processed simultaneously by a host system. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows an example of a flowchart of steps used to implement an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0016] One embodiment of the present invention can be understood in the context of Figures 1, 1A, 1B, and 2 as follows. System 100 (or alternatively, 100A in Figure 1A) shown in Figure 1 performs steps for diagnosing a device under test (hereinafter also referred to as "mobile device 120") that is electrically connected to a host system 105 via cable 110 (or 110A in Figure 2). Cable 110 or 110A may consist of a USB cable, or may further comprise a USB cable. Cable 110, 110A, or 110B may optionally also comprise a customized cable to accommodate various features required for serial communication in the present invention. Figure 1B shows System 100B in which a plurality of mobile devices 120B1-120B2 are each connected to a USB hub 106 shown as part of the host system 105 via cables 110B1-110B5. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the USB hub 106 may be internally connected within the host system 105, or, after being interfaced with the host system 105, may be another component connected to the mobile devices 120B1-120B5 as shown in the figure. Those skilled in the art will also recognize that, although five mobile devices are shown connected to the host system 105, fewer or more devices may be interfaced depending on the intended size of the processing organization running the host system 105. The host system 105 may comprise a computing device having custom or conventional components such as a processor, local memory such as RAM, non-volatile memory such as flash memory, long-term memory such as a hard disk or solid-state drive, a network adapter, and any number of input and / or output devices such as a keyboard, mouse, monitor, touchscreen, microphone, speaker, motion sensor, compass sensor, infrared sensor, temperature sensor, humidity sensor, current sensor, light sensor, voltage sensor, current sensor, USB hub as shown in Figure 1B, etc.In one embodiment, the host system 105 may include a laptop or tablet computer configured to communicate with a mobile device 120 (such as a mobile phone) via telecommunications through a cable 110 (such as a USB cable).

[0017] Various memories in a computing device can easily store one or more computer instructions, such as software code and / or software programs, that can be executed by a processor to perform the method of the present invention. The computing device may include a personal computer, server, mobile phone, smartphone, tablet computer, kiosk, portable computer, vehicle-mounted computer, etc., and may contain a processor embedded within it. Furthermore, the databases, systems, and / or components of this technology may include any combination of databases, systems, and / or components located in one or more locations. Each database, system, and / or component of this technology may be equipped with any appropriate security features such as firewalls, access codes, encryption, decryption, compression, and decompression.

[0018] This technology may be embodied, for example, in a mobile device diagnostic and provisioning system, as a method, system, device, and / or computer program product. Therefore, this technology may take the form of a completely software embodiment, a completely hardware embodiment, or a combination of both software and hardware embodiments. Furthermore, this technology may take the form of a computer program product in a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable non-temporary program code embodied in a storage medium. Any suitable computer-readable storage medium may be utilized, including any combination of hard disks, solid-state drives, CD-ROMs, flash memory, optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, USB memory devices, and any suitable temporary or non-temporary memory systems. This technology may include downloadable and / or cloud-based non-downloadable computer program products and / or methods.

[0019] Software and / or software elements in various aspects of this technology may be implemented using any programming, scripting, or computer language or standard, whether software or firmware, such as AJAX, C, C++, Java®, JavaScript®, FORTRAN, COBOL, assembly, binary machine code, PERL, Python, Ruby, Extensible Markup Language (XML), PHP, CSS, etc., or other programming and / or scripting languages, whether currently known or to be developed in the future. Furthermore, this technology may be used in conjunction with any operating system, such as any version of Windows®, MacOS®, OS / 2®, BeOS, Linux®, UNIX®, Symbian®, RaspbianOS, OSX®, tvOS®, watchOS, Tizen®OS, Android®, iOS®, AndroidWear®, etc., or with computing devices running other operating systems, whether currently known or to be developed in the future.

[0020] Furthermore, this technology may employ any number of prior arts for data transmission, signal transmission, data processing, network control, etc. Computing devices according to various embodiments of this technology can communicate with each other via one or more telecommunications networks. The telecommunications network may comprise a set of terminal nodes, links, and any intermediate nodes connected to enable communication (including data transmission) over the distance between terminal nodes. In some embodiments, terminal nodes may include computing devices. The telecommunications network may include any suitable communication system such as the Internet, intranet, extranet, WAN, LAN, WiFi®, Bluetooth®, Zigbee®, Z-Wave®, satellite communications, cellular radio networks, wireless networks, telephone networks, cable networks, etc. Furthermore, computing devices according to various embodiments of this technology can communicate over telecommunications networks using TCP / IP, HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, IPX®, AppleTalk®, IP-6, NetBIOS, OSI, serial communication protocols (including RS-232), and / or any number of existing or future protocols. Telecommunications networks are sometimes simply referred to as networks.

[0021] Cable 110 may comprise a USB cable having a connector conforming to version 2.0, 3.x (i.e., any desired implementation of USB3), or other industry standard USB implementations, or may comprise any desired cable for establishing a connection with the mobile device 120. Furthermore, cable 110 may incorporate an interface compatible with the mobile device 120 to establish telecommunications between the host system 105 and the mobile device 120. This interface includes, but is not limited to, a USB miniport, USB microport, Lightning port, Thunderbolt® port, Apple 30-pin port, serial port, or any desired port. In various embodiments, as shown in Figure 2, a fixed or variable resistor 130A may be integrated with or electrically coupled to cable 110A to enable a specific protocol within the hardware of the mobile device 120. In some embodiments, the host system 105 may control the resistor 130A applied to cable 110A by changing a signal applied to control line 133A.

[0022] The mobile device 120 may be electrically connected to the host system 105 at any convenient time, such as during step 295 shown in Figure 2. Since the mobile device 120 is powered via cable 110 (or 110A or 110B depending on the configuration), diagnostics and provisioning can still be performed even if the mobile device 120's battery state is a combined discharge state. In a preferred embodiment, no application is installed on the mobile device 120, although it may be desirable to install an application on the mobile device 120 if necessary to perform certain functions. However, in various embodiments of the present invention, a comprehensive set of diagnostic, provisioning, and erase functions are implemented without requiring application installation at any step of the process.

[0023] Referring to FIG. 2, in the host system 105, the host system is scanned 201 to seek available USB ports. If the USB port of the host system 105 is damaged and there is no response, such a faulty port can be identified by this process and reported to the end user of the system 100. In this way, the end user can be made aware that there is a problem with a particular USB port, thereby reducing the end user's guesswork and avoiding unnecessary calls to technical support. Next, the host system 105 scans 202 any USB hubs that may be attached. This is because if the USB hub is not properly identified before configuration and testing are performed, it may cause problems. As a result of this step 202, data corruption and restore errors (in addition to other faults) can be avoided. Embodiments of the present invention then scan 203 the host system to determine whether the host system has a USB2.0 port or a USB3.x port. This is because certain device types may require one or the other USB type to establish and operate a serial connection, as defined in the examples described below. Next, the host system 105 uniquely identifies 205 to which specific USB port the mobile device to be tested is attached. This is particularly important when an operation is set to process multiple mobile devices simultaneously in a manner similar to that shown in FIG. 1B (where multiple mobile devices 120B1-120B5 are connected to the host system 105).

[0024] As a next step, the host system 105 uniquely identifies 206 all attached mobile devices, including a specific operating system, for example, the Android (registered trademark) operating system. In other embodiments, all attached iOS (registered trademark) mobile devices can be uniquely identified. In still other embodiments, any device having a desired type of operating system is uniquely identified. By identifying mobile devices configured by a specific operating system configuration, subsequent processing steps can be adjusted according to the requirements of the specific operating system for each attached mobile device, so that even hundreds or thousands of devices can be processed simultaneously.

[0025] In one aspect, the electrical characteristics of each mobile device connected to the host system 105 are profiled 207, and if necessary, the electrical performance of the USB port to which each mobile device is connected is adjusted within a desired range based on the type of the device and the desired function. For example, the amount of available current flowing between the mobile device and the connected host system can be measured to ensure that the mobile device receives the appropriate amount of current (and appropriate supply voltage) in amperes required by the mobile device to perform the requested function. In various embodiments, the specific electrical operating characteristics of the USB port of the present invention may be adjusted by a program to maintain electrical parameters (e.g., amperes, volts, watts) within a desired range. Alternatively, or in addition, the resistor in the USB cable 110A may be adjusted manually or via a control signal 133A supplied from the host system 105A. As a further example, in a USB-C device, excessive power consumption often occurs, and this excessive power consumption needs to be controlled programmatically when processing a large number of devices at once or when only one mobile device is connected to the host system but the port is not properly electrically coupled.

[0026] In embodiments of the present invention, the current device state / boot state of the connected mobile device 120 is identified 208 without interacting with the operating system installed on the mobile device 120. Such states may include, for example, a charge-only state, DFU, recovery mode, boot OS, demo mode, or other states. Depending on the current state (or mode) of the mobile device 120, various actions can be taken to switch the state of the mobile device 120, continue processing, or report to the system user. For example, if the device is in recovery mode or download mode, this step can identify the device mode and trigger software to be executed by the host system 105 to perform the next task without human intervention. Step 208, and the steps performed in subsequent steps, can be tailored to the operating system installed on a particular mobile device 120. For example, if the mobile device 120 is a device with iOS® installed and is in device firmware update mode ("DFU"), in embodiments of the present invention, certain actions may be taken to exit DFU mode. Furthermore, once the mode of the mobile device 120 is identified, the startup state of the mobile device 120 is then determined, and part of this determination is based on the type of device.

[0027] An advantage over previous methods is that the state / mode identification step 208 enables proper identification of mobile devices that were previously considered broken or malfunctioning, or mobile devices that could not be identified in mass-scale device recycling. As a result of this step, all types of available data connections to the mobile device 120 are identified for subsequent processing. After step 208, diagnostic operations may be performed at any desired time, such as in step 211A described later.

[0028] In another embodiment of the present invention, access to the connected mobile device 120 is established using a serial communication protocol such as the USB protocol or the RS-232 protocol.209 For certain device types, in order to perform the steps of the present invention, a serial connection must be established so that a device configured with an AOS, Tizen® OS, MacOS®, Windows® OS, BBOS, WindowsPhone® OS, Pebble OS, FireOS®, or Symbian® OS operating system can interact with the host system 105. Those skilled in the art will recognize that a number of serial protocols exist and any desired serial protocol may be used for any desired purpose in the implementation of the present invention.Furthermore, in a more recent embodiment, once the serial connection is established, electronic access to the mobile device 120 is established210 so that the mobile device 120 can be scanned and controlled by the host system 105 regardless of the operating system installed on the mobile device 120, and thus data can be extracted from the mobile device 120 without requiring any special means or prior installation of applications on the mobile device 120. In the following embodiment of Figure 2, the higher-order logic validation step 211 is performed, and it becomes possible to verify that all previous steps have been successfully completed, that data from the mobile device 120 is properly accessible, and that the mobile device 120 is ready to accept commands from the host system 105 and the corresponding steps in the software being executed in the application running on the host system 105.

[0029] Get initial information and pairing status.

[0030] After higher-order logic validation 211 is performed, embodiments of the present invention corresponding to diagnostics and device provisioning may be performed 211A, or such diagnostics and device provisioning may be performed after the completion of process 200 or at any other desired time relating to process 200. For example, the values ​​of the vendor ID and product ID may first be read from the mobile device 102. The data obtained from the mobile device 120 via cable 110 (or 110A or 110B) must be further decoded to extract and identify product ID information. The carrier ID (i.e., the identifier of the mobile service provider that provided services to the mobile device) may be obtained from the mobile device 120 during or after this step. In addition, since some mobile devices, such as smartwatches, may not be repairable and recyclable if they have been previously paired with a particular mobile device and that pairing has not been undone, a “pairing status” determination may be obtained from the mobile device 120. As part of the pairing status assessment, embodiments of the present invention determine what kind of SIM card is installed in the mobile device 120 and / or whether an eSIM is being used. In this step, information can be obtained from the SIM / eSIM card, and a determination can be made regarding the last active network. From this determination, an aspect of the present invention determines which SIM the device was last operating through. Knowing the carrier is valuable information for recyclers (and retailers) because if the mobile device 120 was previously associated with a particular carrier, it may be of higher value.

[0031] Determine the lock state

[0032] In aspects of the present invention, the lock state of the mobile device 120 can also be determined. In various embodiments, the mobile device 120 is examined to determine all possible lock states of the device, whether they are PIN lock, passcode lock, Mobile Device Management ("MDM") lock, Find My iPhone® ("FMIP") activation lock, or other types of locks. In various embodiments, aspects of the present invention can be diagnosed and provisioned even if some lock states are still present on the mobile device. On the other hand, some lock states may indicate that subsequent processing of a particular mobile device should be immediately interrupted. For example, if an iOS®-based mobile device is locked by an FMIP activation lock, the device may be quickly identified and the test may be stopped (potentially saving extensive diagnostics and lookups through a third-party database to determine FMIP states). Also as part of this step, a determination may be made as to whether the mobile device 120 has been jailbroken (for iOS®) or rooted (for Android®). In many situations, recyclers do not want to repair previously jailbroken or rooted phones because they may have residual malware. Therefore, early identification of a jailbroken and / or rooted state can save recycling companies time when diagnosing and attempting data erasure.

[0033] Get general information from your mobile device

[0034] In yet another embodiment, general information is obtained from the mobile device and logged in the host system 105, provided that the device remains accessible based on its locked state. Such general information may include, among other things, the device's registered model number, color, product name, IMEI, operating system version number, firmware version number, serial number, memory size, rooted / jailbroken status (as described above), and information valuable to device recyclers or retailers, such as carrier ID / carrier code. In one embodiment, a first set of information may be obtained from an Android®-based mobile device 120 in which ADB is not activated, and if ADB is activated on the mobile device 120 according to embodiments of the present invention, a larger second set of information may be obtained. In another embodiment, complete identification of more than 20,000 parameters on an iOS®-based mobile device may be obtained according to embodiments of the present invention without first installing an application on the iOS®-based mobile device. Once the general information is obtained from the mobile device 120 by the host system 105, it is stored for presentation to the end user or for use in further processing of specific diagnostic or provisioning steps.

[0035] Extract and identify automated diagnoses

[0036] Many types of mobile devices perform periodic internal diagnostics and store the results of these diagnostics within the mobile device in various ways, including diagnostic logs. These “automatic diagnostic” test result logs are typically inaccessible to the end user and may be difficult to understand in their encoded format, but once read and decoded, they contain information that can quickly indicate the functional status of the mobile device to the device recycler or end user. Furthermore, such information can indicate components that require repair or adjustment, thereby guiding the refurbishment plan of the recycler. In various embodiments of the present invention, information obtained from logs stored within the mobile device 120 is acquired and decoded by the host system 105, and these logs are used to determine whether various features of the mobile device 120 are operating within normal parameters based on expected operating criteria stored within the mobile device 120's operating system.

[0037] In embodiments where the iOS® operating system is installed on the mobile device 120, a list of device "authorizations" is obtained by the host system 105 from the firmware of the mobile device 120, and the "authorizations" provide a list of information, features, and commands that a particular mobile device 120 may be instructed to perform or report. In this way, a list of potential capabilities is determined by examining the firmware of the mobile device 120, thereby providing preparation for a set of diagnostic and provisioning functions to be used by the mobile device. Efficiency in the diagnostic process is achieved by analyzing the list of possible commands and reports available for a particular mobile device 120, thereby limiting the operation and information gathering to available capabilities and reports based on the specific configuration of the mobile device 120. In various embodiments, data can be extracted, decoded, and decompiled based on certain mapping information obtained from the firmware of the mobile device 120. Such extracted and decoded information can identify an acceptable diagnostic range of device performance, enabling the configuration of diagnostic software. Without such information, in many cases, the person performing the diagnostic test would have to make guesses within an acceptable performance range, which could result in an incomplete or incomplete device test. Furthermore, by early identification of "hard stop" conditions, such as a boot lock state that prevents access to device 120 for further diagnosis, provisioning, or recycling, the efficiency of recyclers and retailers is improved.

[0038] Depending on the device type / operating system type, certain custom operations may be performed according to aspects of the present invention. For example, in the case of an Android®-based device 120, certain diagnostic information and commands may be optionally obtained and / or executed by invoking the Android® Debug Bridge ("ADB") via commands sent from the host system 105 over a serial connection (such as via cable 110) between the host system 105 and the mobile device 120, thereby enabling the mobile device 120 to obtain operating system-based information and execute commands without installing an application on the mobile device 120. In various embodiments described later, the ADB may be manually initiated by a user of the host system 105, or, for certain types of mobile devices 120, the ADB may be autonomously initiated by software on the host system 105.

[0039] Device Provisioning

[0040] Commands can be executed on the mobile device 120 to prepare it for resale or reuse, or otherwise to process it for final disposal. One such function may include device erasure, which can be achieved by activating a built-in erasure algorithm used by the operating system to completely erase the mobile device. In conventional methods, recyclers or retailers typically installed an application on the mobile device 120 to perform erasure, but this process can be extremely time-consuming compared to native device erasure activated by the host system 105 via the host system 105 interface to the mobile device 120. Erasure of the mobile device 120 can be authenticated by any desired technique, for example, taking a fingerprint of the mobile device's memory, activating the device's native erasure software to perform the erasure, then re-pairing the mobile device 120 with the host system 105 to confirm that the fingerprinted memory no longer exists within the mobile device 120.

[0041] Presentation of diagnostic data

[0042] Information acquired from the mobile device 120 is processed and presented to the operator of the host system 105, for example, via a user interface. In various embodiments, the operator of the host system 105 can select how much information is presented, in what arrangement, and in what content and order.

[0043] The processing steps described above in the present invention may be performed directly, partially, or after the illustrated processing 200 has finished 212. Before completion 212, in various embodiments of the present invention, a device data cleanup process 212 may be performed to quickly and administratively clean up the host system 105 to remove unnecessary data, logs, or information. This process 212 can be performed after each completion of mobile device processing or at the end of a batch device processing session.

[0044] Embodiments of the present invention: Feature set 1

[0045] As described above, various diagnostic functions and provisioning processes can be performed on the mobile device 120. In the first embodiment, the set of features provided by the embodiment of the present invention includes, but is not limited to, the following six features.

[0046] 1. Serial connection for advanced diagnostics and provisioning: In one embodiment of the present invention, a serial connection is established between a host system 105 and a mobile device 120, which provides a mechanism for low-level access to hardware components and firmware. By establishing such a serial connection, it becomes possible to access a rich set of device diagnostic information and built-in commands on the mobile device without requiring the initial installation of an application on the mobile device.

[0047] 2. Implementation of DFU Eraser: In the case of iOS®-based devices, the host system 105 can instruct the mobile device 120 to enter DFU mode and activate an erase algorithm on the mobile device 120 to trigger an improved erase process. Such an erase provides a faster and more complete mode of erasure, after which the mobile device 120 may be paired and registry events may be searched to determine if there are any recorded “delete” events, and the result of the erase validation may be presented in an erase certificate uniquely associated with the specific erased mobile device 120.

[0048] 3. MDM Detection: An aspect of the present invention provides Mobile Device Management ("MDM") detection that enables early identification of devices that may have an MDM lock enabled. If such a device is in an inaccessible or other unreconfigurable mode, early identification of the MDM mode enables rapid completion of diagnostic tests, saving recyclers time and improving efficiency by identifying devices for reprocessing.

[0049] 4. eSIM erasure: Mobile devices (especially those using the iOS® operating system) are increasingly incorporating embedded subscriber information modules for network authentication. An aspect of the present invention allows a host system 105 to command a mobile device 120 to begin erasing its eSIM (or alternatively, a SIM), configure the device for use by a new purchaser, and remove previous user information (and potentially personally identifiable information, i.e., "PII") from the mobile device 120 before it is returned to the trade.

[0050] 5. Skipping iOS® UI Setup: In some mobile devices, particularly those using the iOS® operating system, certain functions, such as installing and starting an application on the mobile device, require the application to be "trusted" via user input. To provide such trust input, the mobile device 120 must typically be accessible to the user. Furthermore, setup processes for newly configured / flushed devices are often lengthy and require user input of information such as WiFi® authentication, operating region, and user trust input. In various embodiments of the present invention, the host system 105 saves considerable time during diagnostic and provisioning processes by performing a function to skip the normal iOS® UI setup process on the mobile device 120 via its connection to the mobile device 120. This also allows further operations, such as indicating application trust, to be performed with minimal delay.

[0051] 6. Serial Component Identification and OEM Component Configuration: Embodiments of the present invention enable obtaining a list of serial numbers of components installed in the mobile device 120 via a connection of the host system 105 to the mobile device 120, and determining by database lookup whether such components are original OEM components or aftermarket components installed after the initial manufacture. This information allows mobile recyclers to more accurately determine the value of devices for resale, particularly devices with iOS® configurations, and to plan for any necessary upgrades or repairs to the components currently installed in the mobile device 120. Along with serial component identification, a carrier ID may be obtained and verified for a particular mobile device 120.

[0052] Embodiments of the present invention: Feature set 2

[0053] As described above, various diagnostic functions and provisioning processes can be performed on the mobile device 120. In a second embodiment, the set of features provided by the embodiment of the present invention includes, but is not limited to, the following four features.

[0054] 1. Android® Rapid Erase with Validation: In the case of an Android®-configured mobile device, in embodiments of the present invention, “native” Android® commands are remotely executed by first activating the ADB mode of operation of the mobile device via user input. By executing an erase algorithm already present on the mobile device 120, the erase process is completed much faster than previous processes that first require the installation of an application on the mobile device 120. Connectivity between the host system 105 and the mobile device 120 is maintained during the erase, and after the erase is complete, the storage on the mobile device 120 is read by the host system 105 to verify whether the erase was successful. In embodiments of the present invention, if it is determined that the erase was successful, an erase certificate uniquely associated with the mobile device 120 can be generated to confirm the erase to the next user of the mobile device 120.

[0055] 2. Automated ADB Rapid Erase with Validation: Similar to the Android® Rapid Erase with validation described above, in this embodiment of the present invention, the Android® Debug Bridge is first activated without user input, allowing the native erase tool on the mobile device 120 to erase data from the mobile device 120. For devices that support this option, this embodiment provides a more efficient method because the user does not need to manually activate ADB before the native erase algorithm is executed on the mobile device 120. As described above, after the erase is complete, the host system 105 reads the storage on the mobile device 120 to verify whether the erase was successful. In this embodiment of the present invention, if it is determined that the erase was successful, an erase certificate uniquely associated with the mobile device 120 can be generated to confirm the erase to the next user of the mobile device 120.

[0056] 3. Extracting a Device Configuration Fingerprint: In various situations, it may be useful for a particular recycler, mobile carrier, or other entity to understand the precise configuration of the hardware and software installed on a particular mobile device. In embodiments of the present invention, the connection between the host system 105 and the mobile device 120 is used to generate a comprehensive manifest, or "fingerprint," of the mobile device hardware and software. This configuration manifest / fingerprint can then be compared, for example, to a desired "golden" manifest to determine whether the mobile device meets the minimum requirements for operating within a particular network, or whether the device meets other minimum functional performance indicators. In various embodiments, details and information of the core device can be obtained without first installing an application on the mobile device 120.

[0057] 4. Android® Diagnostics: In various embodiments, an automated diagnostic similar to that described above is first performed on the Android® device. Simultaneously, the host system 105 can perform a rapid diagnostic on the mobile device 120, regardless of whether an application was initially installed on the mobile device 120.

[0058] Embodiments of the present invention: Feature set 3

[0059] As described above, various diagnostic functions and provisioning processes can be performed on the mobile device 120. In a third embodiment, the set of features provided by embodiments of the present invention includes, but is not limited to, the following two features:

[0060] 1. Automatic activation of Android® Debug Bridge (ADB) mode for certain devices: In various embodiments of the present invention, the host system 105 can be instructed to automatically activate ADB mode for certain types of mobile devices without user intervention to support advanced diagnostic and provisioning capabilities. By providing rapid access to the ADB activation function, aspects of the present invention significantly streamline the diagnostic process by enabling diagnostic and provisioning functions with minimal or no user intervention and without first installing an application on the mobile device.

[0061] 2. Mitigation of Apple Watch® Error Indicators: When an error occurs during an Apple Watch® update, the watch's operating system may display a red exclamation mark, in which case the watch cannot perform normal operations. For mobile device recyclers, this error condition previously indicated a hard stop in the recycling process, and the watch was typically disassembled or discarded. In various embodiments of the present invention, an Apple Watch® displaying a red exclamation mark is interfaced to a connection fixture connected to a test system such as a host system 105, and in embodiments of the present invention, functions such as clearing the red exclamation error condition, reading the watch's memory to determine whether data was previously stored in the watch, and obtaining diagnostic information regarding watch components such as the watch's crown or battery can be performed on the mobile watch.

[0062] The specific implementations shown and described herein are illustrative of the present invention and its best mode, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way. In fact, for the sake of brevity, conventional data storage, data transmission, and other functional aspects of systems may not be detailed. The methods shown in various figures may include more, fewer, or other steps. Furthermore, the steps may be performed in any suitable order without departing from the scope of the invention. Furthermore, the connection lines shown in various figures are intended to represent typical functional relationships and / or physical connections of various components. In practical systems, many alternative or additional functional relationships or physical connections may exist.

[0063] Modifications and alterations to the disclosed embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. These and other modifications are intended to be within the scope of the invention, as expressed in the following claims which illustrate non-limiting embodiments of the invention.

Claims

1. Electrically connecting a mobile device to the USB port of a host system, Uniquely identifying the USB port and the device type of the mobile device attached to the USB port, Adjusting the electrical performance of the USB port based on the identified device type and the specific function to be activated, Identifying the current device state of the aforementioned mobile device, To establish a serial connection between the mobile device and the host system, To perform diagnostic and device provisioning functions on the aforementioned mobile device, Obtaining a list of serial numbers of components installed in the aforementioned mobile device, For each of the installed components, it is determined whether the respective component was originally installed when the mobile device was manufactured. A method that includes this.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method includes, in response to identifying that the current device state of the mobile device is not one of recovery mode or download mode, switching the device state of the mobile device from the identified device state to an operable device state.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing power to the mobile device via a USB cable connected between the host system and the mobile device.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein identifying the current device state of the mobile device further includes determining the types of data connections available to the mobile device.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the serial connection between the mobile device and the host system includes one of the USB protocol and the RS-232 protocol.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining the resale value of the mobile device based on whether each component was originally installed at the time of manufacture of the mobile device.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising planning the repair or upgrade of the mobile device based on whether each component was originally installed at the time of manufacture of the mobile device.

8. A host system comprising a processor, a memory electrically coupled to the processor, a storage device coupled to the processor, a user interface electrically coupled to the processor, and a USB port connection coupled to the processor, wherein the memory is further configured with software, and the software, when executed, The steps include electrically connecting the mobile device to the USB port of the host system, The steps include: uniquely identifying the USB port and the device type of the mobile device attached to the USB port; A step of adjusting the electrical performance of the USB port based on the identified device type and the specific function to be activated, The steps include identifying the current device state of the mobile device, The steps include establishing a serial connection between the mobile device and the host system, The steps include performing diagnostic and device provisioning functions on the aforementioned mobile device, The steps include obtaining a list of serial numbers of components installed in the mobile device, The steps include determining whether each of the installed components was originally installed during the manufacturing of the mobile device, A system characterized by performing the following actions.

9. The system according to claim 8, further comprising switching the device state of the mobile device from the identified device state to an operable device state in response to identifying that the current device state of the mobile device is not one of recovery mode or download mode.

10. The system according to claim 8, further comprising providing power to the mobile device via a USB cable connected between the host system and the mobile device.

11. The system according to claim 8, wherein identifying the current device state of the mobile device further includes determining the types of data connections available to the mobile device.

12. The system according to claim 8, characterized in that the serial connection between the mobile device and the host system includes one of the USB protocol and the RS-232 protocol.

13. The system according to claim 8, further comprising determining the resale value of the mobile device based on whether at least each component was originally installed at the time of manufacture of the mobile device.

14. The system according to claim 8, further comprising planning for the repair or upgrade of the mobile device based on whether each component was originally installed at the time of manufacture of the mobile device.

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