Patent Application
20060141428
The present invention generally relates to systems for networking a plurality of mobile service devices, and more particularly relates to monitoring applications executed in the mobile devices.
Wireless networks are deployed in retail, transportation, logistics, manufacturing, warehousing, and numerous other industries. Wireless networks often include several mobile devices that are configured to carry out numerous transactions by executing suitable applications. Information that pertains to executed transactions can be immediately transmitted from the mobile device to a network appliance for review or further processing. Alternatively, the information can be stored on the mobile device and transmitted to the network appliance at a later time.
As mentioned previously, the mobile devices are typically configured to execute numerous applications. A worker that is assigned to a task using a mobile device may find it difficult to learn to carry out the applications or to troubleshoot problems associated with executing the applications. The mobile devices are often utilized in a place where a technical expert can not immediately assist a worker that is experiencing difficulty. The worker may consequently have difficulty describing a problem that the worker is experiencing with a mobile device once an expert is available to help. Further, the worker may be too busy to ask for help from an expert, and an expert may be too busy to train and monitor the worker to make sure that the problem is solved.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide ways to accurately monitor performance of a mobile device in a wireless network. In addition, it is desirable to keep track of a plurality of applications executed by the mobile device and to provide training and instructions that detail the proper manner by which the applications should be executed. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.
A method is provided for training a mobile device user, the mobile device being a component of a network that includes at least one mobile device in communication with a network appliance. The method includes the steps of transmitting data from the mobile device to a policy service module in the network appliance that is configured to determine from the data whether the mobile device user needs training, and supplying training data from the network appliance to the mobile device if the policy service module determines that the mobile device user needs training.
A system is also provided for networking a plurality of user-operated mobile devices. The system includes an integrated wireless management system that communicates data to and from a mobile device, a network appliance that includes a policy service module that is configured to determine from the data whether the mobile device user needs training, and a job service module that is configured to marshal training data if the policy service module determines that the mobile device user needs training.
A program product is also provided for training a mobile device user, the mobile device being a component of a network that includes at least one user-operated mobile device in communication with a network appliance. The program product includes computer readable instructions stored on the network appliance and executable to evaluate data from the mobile device and determine from the data whether the mobile device user needs training, marshal training data if the mobile device user needs training, and transmit the training data to the mobile device.
The present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the following drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements, and
The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the invention or the application and uses of the invention. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, brief summary or the following detailed description.
A plurality of mobile devices 31-33 are wirelessly connected to the network 100 by way of the access point 30. The mobile devices 31-33 may be any type of computing or processor-based device including desktop or laptop computers, personal digital assistants, mobile phones, pagers, and scanners. The mobile devices 31-33 and the access point 30 are operable within any type of wireless networking environment such as a wireless local area network (WLAN), and a wireless wide area network (WWAN). Communication between the mobile devices 31-33 and the access point 30 can be accomplished using any wireless protocol such as IEEE 802.11, and Bluetooth. Similarly, mobile devices 41-43 are wirelessly connected to the network 100 via the wireless switch 40. It is understand that the network 100 is only one exemplary embodiment that can be implemented in any wireless arrangement.
The wireless agent 55 is a software component that includes functionality for the integrated wireless device and network management system. The wireless agent 55 resides on each of the mobile devices in the network 100 and collects information about the mobile device 31 and its performance. The wireless agent 55 can receive inputs from a variety of sources within a mobile device 31 in order to collect information. In one example, the wireless agent 55 monitors the battery level by either querying the operating system or receiving an input from the operating system to determine the current state of the battery life. In a further example the wireless agent 55 queries or receives an input from the wireless protocols 53 that indicates the current transmission bandwidth of the mobile device 31. The wireless agent 55 is consequently the central information conduit in the mobile device 31.
The network appliance 10 includes an integrated wireless management (IWM) system 60, the features and functionality of which will now be described in detail. According to an exemplary embodiment, the information that is collected by the wireless agent 55 is communicated to the IWM system 60 on the network appliance 10. The frequency of the transmitted information may vary based on the information that is being transmitted. For example, one of the monitored attributes can be the version of each software application 51 resident on the mobile device 31, and such information may only need to be transmitted when there is a change in the version number. Information regarding other attributes such as battery level and transmission bandwidth typically changes more frequently and the wireless agent 55 can consequently transmit such information almost continuously to the IWM system 60.
The mobile devices 31-33 and 41-43 may only have intermittent connectivity to the network 100. Intermittent connectivity can be the result of various factors including use of the mobile device out of range of its access point or wireless switch, bandwidth limitations, or loss of power to the mobile device. When a mobile device 31 loses contact with the network 100 the wireless agent 55 can store the attributes in a buffer or other storage mechanism for later communication when the mobile device 31 re-establishes connectivity with the network 100. When connectivity is established, the IWM system 60 receives communications from the wireless agent 55 residing on a mobile device 31 and stores information from the communication into a memory in the network appliance 10. A processor is also included in the network appliance 10 and can be configured to compile and present information to a user automatically or as prompted.
Having provided an overview of the network 100, the following is a brief description of an exemplary network operation in the context of a retail outlet having an on- site warehouse. This example provides a general description of interactions between the various network devices. The access point 30 is located in the retail space, and the mobile devices 31-33 are portable check out devices used by clerks in the retail space. The wireless switch 40 is located in the warehouse space with the mobile devices 41-43 being handheld computing devices used by the warehouse personnel.
According to the present example, the network server 20 contains information about products that are sold by the retail outlet. The network server 20 is in contact with the mobile devices 31-33 and 41-43 to keep the information current. For example, the network server contains the current quantity of product A in the retail space and an inventory rule that states a minimum quantity for product A in the retail space. When a clerk uses a mobile device 31 to identify a quantity of product A being purchased the mobile device 31 transmits a message to the access point 30 indicating that the quantity of product A has been sold. The access point 30 then relays this message to the network server 20, which then updates its records by removing that quantity from the current quantity of product in the retail space.
After updating its records, the network server 20 compares the current quantity to the minimum quantity from the inventory rule. If the current quantity is less than the minimum quantity, the network server 20 formats and sends a message to the mobile device 41 via the wireless switch 40. The message indicates to the user of the mobile device 41 that additional quantities of product A need to be moved from the warehouse to the retail space. The user of the mobile device 41 sends an acknowledgment to the message after transferring the additional quantity of product A from the warehouse to the retail space. The network server 20 then updates the information regarding the product A quantities in both the retail space and the warehouse space. Again, it is understood that these network functions are only exemplary and are described to illustrate a set of issues that may be presented in just one setting that involves network control and management.
Continuing with the previously-discussed example, an exemplary method of monitoring an application executed by the mobile device, and providing training and instructions that detail the proper manner by which the application should be executed will be discussed with reference to the flow chart of
At step 62, the wireless agent 55 that is included in the check out device 31 collects information about the bar code scanning application. The wireless agent 55 includes a set of profiles to determine the types of information to be collected and transmitted to the IWM system 60, and when such information is to be transmitted. Each profile can indicate the specific attributes to be collected, and the attributes can generally include current AC power line status, main battery level, main battery status, backup battery level, backup battery status, device IP address, device MAC address, DHCP server address, gateway address, network health, network state, memory load, free program memory, total program memory, free storage memory, and total storage memory. Profiles can also indicate static information to be collected from the mobile device 31. Examples of static information include boot loader version, host name, OEM model, OEM version, OS build number, OS version, owner, platform OS model, and device identifier. Furthermore, profiles can also indicate system boot and performance information to be collected such as boot count, total device on seconds, CPU usage, performance measurement interval, performance samples, average thread latency, and average UI-thread latency. Wireless association information to be collected can include wireless BSSID, wireless channel, wireless ESSID, and wireless association status. Profiles can also indicate applications, attributes of the applications, and subsystems executing within the applications that are to be monitored. Exemplary applications and attributes include item shipping confirmations, item receipt confirmations, inventory checks, price checks, battery level, available memory, receiving/transmission bandwidth, wireless signal attributes (e.g., signal quality, signal strength), and wireless throughput attributes (e.g., average link speed, bytes sent, bytes received, current link speed). Exemplary subsystems include a bar code symbol reader module, a smart card reader module, a digital sensor module, a biometric sensor module, a magnetically encoded data reader module, an RFID reader module, and an optical code reader module. These are merely exemplary profiles, and any number of profiles can be implemented to indicate what type of information to collect, and the frequency for each collection.
Before continuing with the method set forth in
A second information collection pathway enables monitoring of particular functions executed within an application, and an example of such a pathway is illustrated in
If the discriminating API 38 determines that data will be monitored, the monitoring API 39 stores the data in a memory 44 in the mobile device 31. The API 38 is, like the discriminating API 38, a module that is executable within the application 51. The memory 44 is the central information repository in the mobile device 31 for all the attributes of application-specific information that is monitored from numerous applications. Any particular monitored data set can be collected from the memory 44 and transferred to the network appliance 10 using the wireless agent 55. The wireless agent 55 is configured, or supplemented with various plug-in modules 46, to collect and interpret the information from the memory 44 and to translate and communicate that information to the network appliance 10. Since a user may only want to review as little as one particular application execution, it is advantageous to have the memory 44 disposed within the mobile device 31 in direct communication with the monitoring API 39 rather than having all the application-specific data automatically transferred to the network appliance 10.
Returning now to the method outlined in
After the network appliance 10 stores information from the check out device 31, a policy service module 94 determines at step 66, based on a predefined policy 96, whether the clerk operating the check out device needs training. For instance, the policy service module 94 may determine that a suboptimal condition exists, such as a barcode scanning rate dropping below a predetermined threshold. If it is determined that all conditions are at an acceptable level, then no further action is required with regard to training. If a suboptimal condition does exist, the policy service module 94 determines the appropriate training that are to be invoked from the database at step 68, and a job service module 98 marshals the training materials for their transmission to the check out device 31 at step 70. In an exemplary embodiment the training materials are relatively large files such as video clips that show the clerk the appropriate procedure for operating the check out device. Since many mobile devices do not have a large memory, it is not practical for numerous training clips to be stored on the mobile device itself. Consequently, the method and assembly of the present invention are beneficial for their ability to allow a mobile device to temporarily access specifically tailored training clips and messages while using little memory.
As soon as the training materials are marshaled by the job service module 98, a decision module 72 determines whether conditions are suitable to transmit the training materials to the check out device 31. Factors that define suitable transmission conditions include whether the check out device 31 is in use or idle, whether communication is or can be established between the network appliance 10 and the check out device 31, and whether there is currently sufficient bandwidth for the transmission to be efficiently carried out. Further, the decision module 72 can be configured to only make the determination that the check out module 31 is idle if a predetermined amount of non-use time has elapsed. The amount of time can vary depending on the type of mobile device and its usage. If conditions are not sufficient for transmission, the training materials remain marshaled and ready for transmission when conditions improve. Transmission occurs at step 74 once conditions are sufficient for transmission to be efficiently carried out.
At this point, either of two pathways can be executed, as indicated with arrows “A” and “B” extending from step 74 in
In the embodiment depicted with arrow “B” a message or other prompt is transmitted to the check out device 31 at step 76, indicating that training materials are transmitted to the check out device 31 and ready for viewing. When the clerk operating the check out device 31 is ready, the clerk can enter an acceptance command to invoke the training materials from the check out device memory at step 78. In one embodiment, step 76 of prompting the user can be carried out only one time, every time that a user repeats a function in a manner that caused the initial prompt to be transmitted, or in a periodic sequence over a set time interval until the user enters an acceptance command to invoke the training materials. The training materials are then shown to the user at step 80.
After the clerk completes the training, the clerk logs verification that the training has been completed at step 82. As mentioned previously, an exemplary training procedure is completed by viewing a video clip or a message using a display on the check out module 31, although numerous types of possible training procedures can be executed. Upon logging the verification the check out device 31, immediately or at an appropriate time, removes the training materials from its memory to clear space for other application data or subsequent training materials at step 84.
Finally, additional check out device monitoring can be carried out by restarting the method at step 62. The network appliance 10 can continue to monitor the check out device 31 using this feedback loop to dynamically identify and correct a variety of training issues. Thus, the methods and systems previously described utilize the capabilities of the wireless network 100 to overcome the problem of inadequately trained mobile device users, and optimizes the practicality, applicability, and timeliness of the training delivered to the users. The methods and systems make the network appliance 100 more useful and productive by enhancing the capabilities of the mobile device, as well as the users operating the mobile device, while allowing an administrator to track and enhance training program effectiveness.
While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that various changes can be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims and the legal equivalents thereof.
