Mobile Support Diagnostics for No-Fault-Found Device Returns
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Solution Overview
Problem
The issue of 'No Fault Found' (NFF) returns in mobile devices due to non-hardware issues, such as poorly behaving or incompatible applications, results in significant financial and customer satisfaction burdens for industry providers and increased costs for consumers, estimated to cost nearly $1 billion annually in North America and Europe.
Innovation Solution
A mobile device support system that provides remote monitoring and diagnostics, including a mobile application and a support apparatus, to identify and resolve non-hardware issues, facilitate device restoration, and escalate issues to human experts when necessary, while offering backup and security features to protect user data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If users install applications from various sources including non-curated sources, then application availability and user freedom increase, but device safety and performance reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of applications before they are fully executed on the device. The application analysis module scans applications for malicious code, performance issues, and compatibility problems before they can cause harm, preventing problematic applications from running while still allowing users to install them if desired.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary application analysis module that acts as a mediator between the user's application installation choices and the device's performance. This module analyzes applications and provides recommendations without completely blocking installation, thus mediating between user freedom and device reliability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If users load multiple applications to maximize device functionality, then device capability increases, but device performance and stability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs more than basic security scanning by conducting comprehensive performance and compatibility analysis. It proactively identifies potential performance degradation from application combinations before they occur, going beyond traditional virus scanning to include performance optimization recommendations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors device performance and provides feedback to users about application compatibility and performance impact. When performance degradation is detected, the system notifies users and suggests corrective actions, creating a feedback loop that maintains device stability while allowing functional versatility.
3Ease of operation
If manufacturers replace devices with NFF returns to maintain customer satisfaction, then customer service quality improves, but operational costs and financial burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary diagnostics and application analysis before the device is physically returned to the manufacturer. Remote analysis identifies the root cause of performance issues, allowing targeted solutions to be provided before device return, thereby preventing unnecessary replacements and reducing costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables self-service through automated application analysis and remote diagnostics. The system can automatically identify problematic applications and even remotely remove them, allowing users to resolve issues without physical device returns, thus reducing manufacturer operational costs while maintaining service quality.
4Reliability
If comprehensive application analysis and remote monitoring are implemented, then device performance reliability improves, but system complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the analysis functionality into distinct modules: application analysis module, performance monitoring module, and communication module. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in specific tasks and makes the overall system more manageable and maintainable while providing comprehensive analysis capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
A method is provided for providing mobile device support services. The method may include monitoring a mobile device status. The method may additionally include performing device diagnostics based at least in part on captured deice status data to identify potential faults that may affect mobile device functionality. A corresponding system, apparatus, and computer program product are also provided.