System and method for providing diagnostic services

US9361637B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Sears Brands, L.L.C. · US

Inventors

• Michael Thomas Coon · Crystal Lake, US
• Randy L. Menefee · Round Rock, US
• David Newman Hutchinson · Oviedo, US
• Timothy Ray Adkisson · Chicago, US
• Michael Kozlowski · Barrington, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 5, 2010
• Grant date: Jun 7, 2016
• Expiry date: Dec 17, 2032

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06Q10/00
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A request to diagnose a problem with an appliance is provided to a diagnostic system whereupon the diagnostic system functions to interpret the information indicative of the problem with the appliance to thereby normalize the information indicative of the problem with the appliance. The normalized information indicative of the problem with the appliance is then used to select from a knowledge base in which is maintained a plurality of solutions each having associated tags that function to identify concepts and values in a domain model a set of possible solutions for the problem with the appliance. As necessary, information within the set of possible solutions for the problem with the appliance is used to dynamically generate additional questions to thereby obtain further information indicative of the problem with the appliance. The further information indicative of the problem with the appliance may then be used to identify from with the set of possible solutions for the problem with the appliance a subset of best possible solutions for the problem with the appliance. This subset of best possible solutions for the problem with the appliance may then be presented to an end user to t…