Method and System for Verifying Information Handling System Hardware Component Failure Diagnosis

Abstract

Hardware component failure diagnosis of an information handling system is verified with a hardware diagnostics code generated by a diagnostics module integrated with an information handling system and sent from the information handling system to a diagnostics engine of a service center. The hardware diagnostics code includes a unique identifier for the information handling system and a hardware component failure code that identifies the type of hardware and type of failure. The diagnostics engine analyzes the hardware diagnostics code to confirm that diagnostics were run on the information handling system and, for authentic hardware failures, automatically initiates the sending of a replacement hardware component to the information handling system.

1 . A system for verifying an information handling system hardware component failure diagnosis, the system comprising:
 a diagnostics module integrated with the information handling system and operable to detect a hardware component failure, to generate a hardware diagnostics code and to communicate the hardware diagnostics code to a support center, the hardware diagnostics code unique to the information handling system;   a communication module associated with support center and operable to receive the hardware diagnostics code; and   a diagnostics engine interfaced with the communication module and operable to verify failure of the hardware component with the hardware diagnostics code.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the hardware diagnostics code comprises an identifier of the failed hardware component type, an identifier of the type of failure for the hardware component type, and a unique identifier for the information handling system. 
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the hardware diagnostics code comprises numeric values and the diagnostics module is further operable to display the numeric hardware diagnostics code through the information handling system for communication by a user through a telephone. 
   
   
       4 . The information handling system of  claim 3  wherein the communication module is further operable to accept the numeric hardware diagnostics code through communication of DTMF tones over a telephone interface. 
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 3  wherein the diagnostics module is further operable to communicate the numeric hardware diagnostics code through an Internet interface. 
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the diagnostics engine verifies failure of the hardware component by verifying that the identifier of the failed hardware component type, the identifier of the type of failure for the hardware component type and the unique identifier for the information handling system match an expected output of the diagnostics module. 
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the diagnostics engine is further operable to look-up the configuration of the information handling system from a database of information handling system unique identifiers. 
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the diagnostics engine is further operable to automatically order replacement hardware components sent to an information handling system having a verified hardware component failure at a replacement location, the replacement location determined from the unique identifier. 
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the diagnostics engine is further operable to send a message to the diagnostics module with an estimated delivery time for the replacement hardware component. 
   
   
       10 - 16 . (canceled) 
   
   
       17 . A method for verifying compliance with information handling system service procedures, the method comprising:
 receiving service calls at a service center, the service calls associated with information handling system failures;   generating requests for one or more hardware components to correct information handling system failures associated with one or more of the service calls;   requiring input of a hardware diagnostics code for each hardware component request, the hardware diagnostics codes generated by the running of diagnostics on information handling systems, the hardware diagnostics code having information unique to the information handling system; and   verifying the authenticity of each hardware diagnostics code before authorizing shipment of the associated hardware component to the information handling system by determining that the diagnostics code unique information is associated with a unique identifier of the information handling system.   
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein each hardware diagnostics code comprises a unique identifier for an associated information handling system and wherein verifying the authenticity of each hardware diagnostics code further comprises comparing the hardware diagnostics code with a database of unique identifiers to confirm the authenticity of the information handling system identified by the hardware diagnostics code. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17  wherein each hardware diagnostics code comprises a hardware component failure code that identifies the type of hardware component and type of hardware component failure and wherein verifying the authenticity of each hardware diagnostics code further comprises comparing the hardware component failure code with the requested hardware component to confirm that the diagnostics were run on the information handling system. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising:
 determining that the requested hardware component is a repeat request; and   uploading diagnostics from the information handling system for analysis of the failure.   
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the diagnostics engine is further operable to automatically initiate shipment of a replacement hardware component for the failed hardware component. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising automatically initiating shipment of a replacement hardware component for the failed hardware component. 
   
   
       23 . A method for verifying an information handling system component failure diagnosis, the method comprising:
 running diagnostics on an information handling system to determine a component failure;   generating a diagnostics code with the diagnostics, the diagnostics code indicating the component failure and having unique information that verifies the running of the diagnostics on the information handling system;   sending the diagnostics code to a support center; and   analyzing the diagnostics code unique information at the support center to verify the running of the diagnostics on the information handling system.   
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising:
 determining that the diagnostics code is not authentic; and   forwarding the diagnostics code to a support representative.   
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising:
 determining that the diagnostics code is authentic; and   automatically initiating shipment of a component associated with the diagnostics code.   
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the diagnostics code comprises an information handling system unique identifier and a hardware component failure code. 
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising:
 receiving a service request at the support center from a user of the information handling system;   analyzing the service request to determine that the user has not run diagnostics of the information handling system; and   directing the user to run the diagnostics to generate the diagnostics code.