Applet-Based Remote Troubleshooting for Customer Premise Equipment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for telecommunications networks lack the ability to effectively troubleshoot and monitor customer premise equipment, requiring costly and time-consuming on-site visits to diagnose and resolve issues.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that utilize applets to be pushed or pulled between a host device and customer premise equipment for troubleshooting, performance monitoring, and data gathering, allowing remote control and maintenance of customer premise equipment and user devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If service personnel perform on-site visits to troubleshoot customer premise equipment, then problem diagnosis and resolution capability is improved, but time loss and operational cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables customer premise equipment to perform self-diagnosis and self-monitoring by executing applets locally. The equipment automatically detects its own status, runs diagnostic tests, and generates reports without requiring service personnel presence, thereby resolving the contradiction between reliable problem diagnosis and time loss from on-site visits
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary system consisting of a host device, applet repository, and communication interface that enables remote troubleshooting. This intermediary layer allows service providers to send diagnostic applets to customer equipment and receive results remotely, eliminating the need for physical on-site visits while maintaining effective problem diagnosis capability
2Reliability
If monitoring systems focus on service provider network equipment, then network infrastructure monitoring is improved, but customer premise equipment monitoring capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal monitoring system where the same applet-based architecture can monitor both service provider network equipment and customer premise equipment. The host device can push monitoring applets to any device in the network, making the system adaptable to different equipment types and locations, thereby resolving the contradiction between focused infrastructure monitoring and versatile customer equipment monitoring
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the monitoring function into independent applets that can be selectively deployed to different parts of the network. This segmentation allows the system to monitor specific customer premise equipment without interfering with overall network infrastructure monitoring, enabling both specialized and comprehensive monitoring capabilities simultaneously
3Measurement precision
If troubleshooting requires physical access to customer sites, then diagnostic accuracy is improved, but operational efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical process of physical on-site visits with an electronic/applet-based diagnostic system. Service providers can send troubleshooting applets remotely through the communication network, eliminating the need for physical access while maintaining diagnostic accuracy through automated testing and measurement, thereby resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and operational efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
System and method for providing applets to remote devices in a communications network. A preferred embodiment includes a host device, which is the device from which the applet will be transferred, and a target device, which is the device to which the applet will be transferred. In one embodiment, the host device autonomously determines that an applet is to be pushed to the target device. The host device then determines the address of the target device and transmits the applet to the target device. Instructions and commands may be sent to the target device form the host, and the target device may transmit results to the host device. In another embodiment, the target device is customer premise equipment and/or a user device that requests an applet from the host device. The target device requests applets, for example, to perform service parameter verification, performance monitoring, troubleshooting, or the like.