Patent ID: 8209732

Claim:
An arrangement for managing set-top boxes used by customers of a content service provider after the set-top boxes have been disconnected by the customers from their equipment, returned by the customers to the content service provider such that the set-top boxes are no longer in possession of the customers, and moved to a common testing facility maintained by the content service provider, comprising: at least one automated tester each arranged to couple to at least one set-top box, after having been returned by a customer to the content service provider and moved to the common testing facility, and subject each set-top box, when coupled to said at least one automated tester and not to the customer's equipment, to a series of automated tests to determine whether each set-top box is functioning properly or requires subsequent repair, said at least one automated tester being arranged to categorize each tested set-top box into one of a plurality of different categories, the categories including one in acceptable working order, one having a problem that can be resolved at the testing facility and one having a problem that requires subsequent shipment to a repair facility; and a processor unit coupled to said at least one automated tester for receiving test results from said at least one automated tester and monitoring testing of set-top boxes via said at least one automated tester, said processor unit being arranged to: coordinate shipment of the set-top boxes, after having been returned by customers to the content service provider, moved to the common testing facility and categorized as having a problem that requires shipment to the repair facility by the at least one automated tester, by the content service provider from the testing facility, at which the set-top boxes have been categorized as having a problem that requires shipment to the repair facility by the at least one automated tester, to the repair facility, repair of these set-top boxes at the repair facility, and return of repaired set-top boxes to the testing facility, whereby said at least one automated tester is located at the testing facility maintained by the content service provider and the testing facility is situated separate and apart from locations at which the customers use the set-top boxes with their equipment such that categorization of each tested set-top box is performed separate and apart from the locations at which the customers use the set-top boxes, and whereby each set-top box categorized as being in acceptable working order being redeployable, each set-top box categorized as having a problem that can be resolved at the testing facility is corrected at the site of said at least one automated tester, each set-top box categorized as having a problem requiring subsequent shipment to a repair facility is shipped to the repair facility.