Patent ID: 8514431

Claim:
A method for automated call assistance for malfunctions in an image production device, comprising: receiving a signal from a user interface requesting automated call assistance; transmitting the call assistance request to an automated call assistance processing unit along with customer and image production device identification information; receiving a signal from the automated call assistance processing unit to identify one or more malfunctions in the image production device, the signal being sent from the automated call assistance processing unit to a call assistance module of the image production device, after and in response to the call assistance request; identifying one or more malfunctions, the identifying being performed by the call assistance module in response to the signal to identify one or more malfunctions received from the automated call assistance processing unit; sending a prompt to a user to confirm the one or more identified malfunctions; determining if the confirmation of the one or more identified malfunctions from the user has been received, wherein if it is determined that the confirmation of the one or more identified malfunction from the user has been received, transmitting the one of more identified malfunctions to the automated call assistance processing unit after the determining if the confirmation of the one or more identified malfunctions has been received; receiving a signal from the automated call assistance processing unit to perform one or more diagnostic tests on the image production device after the transmitting the one or more identified malfunctions to the automated call assistance processing unit; performing the one or more diagnostic tests; transmitting results of the one or more diagnostic tests to at least one of the user interface and the automated call assistance processing unit; receiving instructions from the automated call assistance processing unit concerning one or more remedies for the one or more malfunctions; implementing the received instructions concerning one or more remedies for the one or more malfunctions, and providing, by the automated call assistance processing unit, a check mark for field service cost reporting functions indicating reduced service time by the implementing the received instructions concerning one or more remedies for the one or more malfunctions in the image production device.