Interactive symptomatic recording system and method utilizing symptomatic memory

Abstract

The Internet provides communication between a plurality of service sites and a plurality of equipment sites at which equipment needing periodic service and emergency service are operated. Each piece of equipment includes a sensor array and a manual actuator that is activated when an abnormal mode of operation of the equipment is experienced. When the manual actuator on a piece of equipment is actuated, the equipment's operating conditions that are sensed by the sensor array are stored in memory. Later, when a request to service the equipment is sent from an equipment site to a service site, the service site queries the equipment site as to equipment symptoms. Upon receiving this query, an operator at the equipment site causes the symptoms stored in memory to be transmitted to the service site. Based upon the symptoms received at the service site, a service plan for the equipment is formulated.

1 - 20 . (canceled)  
   
   
       21 . An equipment operating condition recording device to record operating conditions during abnormal equipment operations sensed by a lay person to allow a service provider to reproduce operating conditions substantially identical to operating conditions during an abnormality sensed a lay person, comprising: 
 at least one actuator, the at least one actuator is responsive to an action by a lay person;    at least one sensor to monitor at least one operating condition of the equipment and to provide at least one output indicative of the at least one operating condition being monitored; and    at least one memory for recording the at least one output, such that when the at least one actuator is actuated by the lay person during when the lay person senses the abnormality, the at least one memory records the operating condition of the equipment during the abnormality, such that the abnormality can be recreated from the at least one output stored in the at least one memory.    
   
   
       22 . The device of  claim 21 , wherein the recorded operating condition is the instantaneous operating condition.  
   
   
       23 . The device of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one sensor is at least two sensors.  
   
   
       24 . The device of  claim 21 , further comprising: 
 a read out module capable of downloading the recorded operating conditions to a service site such that the service site can duplicate the operating conditions that prompted the lay person to actuate the at least one actuator.    
   
   
       25 . The device of  claim 24 , wherein the read out module downloads operating conditions to the service site using a protocol, the protocol comprises at least one of wireless protocols, internet protocols, radio frequency protocols, and telephoney protocols.  
   
   
       26 . A device for recording operating conditions of a piece of equipment when a lay person senses an abnormality, comprising: 
 means for actuating at least one sensor, the means for actuating responsive to an action of the lay person;    means for sensing the operating conditions of the piece of equipment during the abnormality;    means for storing the sensed operating conditions during the abnormality; and    means for downloading the stored operating conditions to a service site, whereby the operating conditions of the piece of equipment when the lay person sensed the abnormality can be substantially duplicated.