Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.p.

Christophe Le-Rouzo

Eric Owhadi

Mahmoud Bouchemoua

A support system enables a support agent to assist a client to resolve a problem with a client electronic device provided with an Internet capability enabling communication between the device and a support service web application. A two-way communications link is provided between the agent and the same web application. Communication between the client and support agent is provided by a telephone link. Accessible by the device is a diagnostic and/or data harvesting engine which can diagnose and/or harvest data for transfer to the web application and which has access to a LAN software stack which enables the engine itself to establish communication with the web application without requiring user intervention and without requiring communication via a web server provided in the client's device. Thus, as long as it is still possible for the device to communicate via the Internet, the diagnostic/data harvesting engine has the ability to carry out such communication to provide the required data to the web application. The support agent has access to the collected data stored in the application to be able to diagnose and resolve problems with the device.

Method and apparatus for providing support for an electronic device

A support system is provided by which a support agent () can assist a user () to resolve a problem with a device (). The support service provides a telephone link () between the user () and a support agent (), a call initially being handled by an automated answering service () which invites the user () to prepare for the call by visiting a support website to run a preparation routine () which determines the configuration and state of the client's device (). Once the data has been harvested,the web application () carries out a plurality of sub-routines to determine the operating conditions of the device (). Where the problem can be corrected automatically, the web application () performs this directly. Where this cannot be done, the web application () stores the harvested data in memory () and provides the user () with a location code for that data. The user () can then contact the support agent () and provide the agent with the location code. Support can thus be provided efficiently without the agent needing to waste time on data harvesting tasks.

System for providing support for an electronic device

An electronic apparatus is described with a power provisioning system for powering the apparatus from an external power source, a power button connected to the power management control circuit for enabling a user to initiate transitions of the power provisioning system between at the first and second states, and an LED for providing a visual feedback to the user of the powered state of the computer; in which the LED is wired in series with a transistor to the standby supply output, the conducting state of the transistor being controlled directly by the power button so that the LED provides a direct visual feedback as to the state of the standby power supply output when the power button is actuated.

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Houston, TX, United States of America

Christophe Le-Rouzo