Method and apparatus for improving the efficiency of remote diagnosis of electronic and other equipment

Abstract

This disclosure describes methods and systems for providing instructions automatically to a user that return the status of an electronic device to a preferred functioning state. In a training stage, imagery of electronic devices with known device states are acquired and stored in a database, along with instructions to return the state of each electronic device to a preferred functioning state. In a diagnostic stage, imagery of a first electronic device is acquired and compared to imagery of the electronic devices in different states in the database. A proximity measure between each of the electronic devices in different states in the database, and the first electronic device is computed. The most likely states of the first device are determined based on the proximity measure. The instructions to return the state of the electronic device to a preferred functioning state are then displayed to a user on a screen display module.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for diagnosing the status of an electronic device comprising:
 acquiring, by a camera connected to a processor, first imagery of a first electronic device;   retrieving, from a database, previously-acquired imagery of a plurality of electronic devices and their corresponding electronic device status;   determining, by the processor, a plurality of difference vectors between the first imagery of the first electronic device and each set of imagery in the database corresponding to the plurality of electronic devices;   selecting, by the processor, one or more records in the database based on the plurality of difference vectors; and   displaying, on a screen display, a set of resolution instructions based on the electronic device statuses of the selected records.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determination of the plurality of difference vectors comprises determining the difference between the electronic display or device status illuminators or cable connections on the first electronic device and the electronic display or device status illuminators corresponding to each of the plurality of electronic devices in the database. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein determining the difference between the electronic display or device status illuminators or cable connections on the first electronic device and the electronic display or device status illuminators corresponding to each of the plurality of electronic devices in the database comprises:
 registering images acquired over a time period of the first electronic device to a common coordinate system using a processor;   registering, for each set of imagery in the database, the previously-acquired images of an electronic device to a common coordinate system using a processor; and   determining, using a processor, for each set of imagery in the database, a proximity measure between the registered images corresponding to the first electronic device and the registered previously-acquired images of electronic devices.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the method of determining the proximity measure comprises; a determination, using the processor, a distance metric between the colors of the device status illuminators on the first electronic device, and the colors of the device status illuminators of the electronic device in the database. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the method of determining the proximity measure comprises; determining, using the processor, a distance metric between the temporal sequencing of the device status illuminators on the first electronic device, and the temporal sequencing of the device status illuminators of the electronic device in the database. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the method of determining the proximity measure comprises; determining, using the processor, a distance metric between the temporal sequencing of the device status illuminators on the first electronic device, and the temporal sequencing of the device status illuminators of the electronic device in the database. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method of selecting one or more records in the database comprises; determining, using the processor, the minimum difference vector. 
     
     
         8 . A system for diagnosing the status of an electronic device, the system comprising:
 a camera, a processor, a screen display and a database configured to:
 acquire, by the camera connected to a processor, first imagery of a first electronic device; 
 retrieve, by the processor from the database, previously-acquired imagery of a plurality of electronic devices and their corresponding electronic device status; 
 determine, by the processor, a plurality of difference vectors between the first imagery of the first electronic device and each set of imagery in the database corresponding to the plurality of electronic devices; 
 select, by the processor, one or more records in the database based on the plurality of difference vectors; and 
 display, on a screen display, a set of resolution instructions based on the electronic device statuses of the selected records.