Obtaining customer support for electronic system using first and second cameras
View Patent ↗A customer support technique for an electronic system includes engaging in a video chat with a remote customer support device using a first camera of a computerized apparatus while simultaneously acquiring images of the electronic system using a second camera and sending the images to the customer support device. A user of the computerized apparatus can thus engage in a face-to-face video chat with a customer support agent operating the customer support device while the customer support agent simultaneously sees both images of the user and images of the electronic system or portion thereof to which the user is pointing the second camera. The disclosed technique thus provides a near-hands-on support experience from a remote customer support agent regardless of the customer support agent's physical location.
1. A method of obtaining customer support for an electronic system, comprising:
sending, from a computerized apparatus, images acquired from a first camera of the computerized apparatus to a customer support device; and
sending, from the computerized apparatus and simultaneously with sending the images from the first camera, images of the electronic system acquired from a second camera of the computerized apparatus to the customer support device,
wherein the first camera and the second camera point in different directions relative to the computerized apparatus.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, from customer support device and simultaneously with sending the images from the first camera, images from a camera of the customer support device; and
displaying the images received from the camera of the customer support device on a display of the computerized apparatus.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein sending the images acquired from the first camera and receiving the images from the camera of the customer support device are performed as part of a video chat between a user of the computerized apparatus and a customer support agent operating the customer support device, and wherein the method further comprises acquiring images from the second camera of particular components of the electronic system.
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising acquiring an image from the second camera of a barcode label applied to a component of the electronic system.
5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising converting the image of the barcode label acquired from the second camera to equivalent text, and sending the equivalent text to the customer support device separate from the images acquired from the first camera and the second camera.
6. A computerized apparatus, comprising:
a processor; and
memory, coupled to the processor, the memory storing executable instructions, which when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform a method of obtaining customer support for an electronic system, the method comprising:
sending, from a computerized apparatus, images acquired from a first camera of the computerized apparatus to a customer support device;
sending, from the computerized apparatus and simultaneously with sending the images from the first camera, images of the electronic system acquired from a second camera of the computerized apparatus to the customer support device,
wherein the first camera and the second camera point in different directions relative to the computerized apparatus.
7. The computerized apparatus of claim 6 ,
wherein the computerized apparatus comprises a mobile tablet computing device having a touch screen,
wherein the touch screen and the first camera face forward,
wherein the second camera faces backward, and
wherein the method further comprises:
receiving, from the customer support device and simultaneously with sending the images from the first camera, images from a camera of the customer support device; and
displaying the images received from the camera of the customer support device on a display of the computerized apparatus.
8. The computerized apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the computerized apparatus further comprises a wireless network interface constructed and arranged to connect to the electronic system over a network.
9. The computerized apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) reader constructed and arranged to read an RFID tag provided with the electronic system to obtain identifying information of a component of the electronic system.
10. The computerized apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising geographical location circuitry constructed and arranged to compute a geographical location of the computerized apparatus.
11. A non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions which, when executed by a processor of a computerized apparatus, cause the processor to perform a method of obtaining customer support for an electronic system, the method comprising:
sending, from a computerized apparatus, images acquired from a first camera of the computerized apparatus to a customer support device;
sending, from the computerized apparatus and simultaneously with sending the images from the first camera, images of the electronic system acquired from a second camera of the computerized apparatus to the customer support device,
wherein the first camera and the second camera point in different directions relative to the computerized apparatus.
12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:
receiving, from the customer support device and simultaneously with sending the images from the first camera, images from a camera of the customer support device; and
displaying the images received from the camera of the customer support device on a display of the computerized apparatus.
13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the method further comprises acquiring images from the second camera of particular components of the electronic system.
14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises acquiring images from the second camera of barcode labels applied to components of the electronic system.
15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the method further comprises converting the images of barcode labels acquired from the second camera to equivalent text and sending the equivalent text to the customer support device separate from the images acquired from the first camera and the second camera.
16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the method further comprises:
executing a program on the computerized apparatus, the program supporting video communication over a video channel of the program and data communication over a data channel of the program;
gathering, by the program, diagnostic information from the electronic system, the diagnostic information indicating an improper condition of the electronic system;
transmitting, by the program while sending images of the electronic system acquired from a second camera over the video channel, the gathered diagnostic information to the customer support device over a data channel of the program; and
receiving, by the program while sending images of the electronic system acquired from the second camera over the video channel and after transmitting the gathered diagnostic information, remedial information from the customer support device over the data channel of the program, the remedial information addressing the improper condition of the electronic system,
wherein sending images acquired from the first camera, sending images of the electronic system acquired from the second camera, and receiving images from the camera of the customer support device are performed over the video channel under direction of the program.
17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 ,
wherein the diagnostic information transmitted to the customer support device indicates an improper firmware component of the electronic system,
wherein the remedial information received from the customer support device identifies another firmware component to replace the improper firmware component, and
wherein the method further comprises installing the other firmware component on the electronic system.
18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 ,
wherein the diagnostic information transmitted to the customer support device further indicates an improper software component of the electronic system,
wherein the remedial information received from the customer support device further identifies another software component to replace the improper software component, and
wherein the method further comprises installing the other software component on the electronic system.
19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises executing a program on the computerized apparatus, the program supporting video communication over a video channel of the program and data communication over a data channel of the program,
wherein sending images acquired from the first camera, sending images of the electronic system acquired from the second camera, and receiving images from the camera of the customer support device are performed over the video channel under direction of the program.
20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein sending the images acquired from the first camera and receiving the images from the camera of the customer support device are performed as part of a video chat between a user of the computerized apparatus and a customer support agent operating the customer support device, and wherein the method further comprises acquiring images from the second camera of particular components of the electronic system.