Vehicle-repair support system, server, and computer program

• US 10,210,264 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2014
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Morimoto, Hiroaki, Yamada, Masakazu, Muramatsu, Naoki, Ukai, Hiroki
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomas, Ashish
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mahmood, Rezwanul
• Application Number:
  US14/785,254
• Publication Number:
  US 20160085864A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,771 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance

Abstract

A vehicle-repair support system including a communication terminal and a server is provided. The communication terminal obtains vehicle information from a vehicle. The server receives vehicle information from the communication terminal and supports repair of the vehicle. The server comprises an inquiry unit, a search unit and a search result notification unit. The inquiry unit makes an inquiry to a repair requester about a vehicle condition. Based on a result of the inquiry made by the inquiry unit, the search unit makes a search for information about similar cases which involve a symptom similar to a symptom of the vehicle targeted for the repair. The search result notification unit notifies a result of the search made by the search unit to the communication terminal.

Claims

1. A vehicle-repair support system, comprising:

a communication terminal that obtains vehicle information from a vehicle; and

a server that receives the vehicle information from the communication terminal and supports a repair of the vehicle,

wherein the server comprises a controller configured to;

make an inquiry to a repair requester about a vehicle condition;

based on a result of the inquiry, make a search for information about similar cases which involve a symptom similar to a symptom of the vehicle targeted for the repair; and

notify a result of the search made to the communication terminal,

and wherein

the controller transmits screen data to the communication terminal to make the inquiry about an inquiry item as to whether or not the repair is attributable to an accident or disaster, and

based on a result of the inquiry as to whether or not the repair is attributable to an accident or disaster, the controller makes the search for the information about the similar cases which involve the symptom similar to the symptom of the vehicle targeted for the repair,

a first communication path in which the server acquires the vehicle information from the communication terminal is different from a second communication path in which the server transmits the screen data to the communication terminal, and

wherein the controller is further configured to transmit instruction screen data to the communication terminal, the instruction screen data configuring the communication terminal to display an instruction to start an engine of the vehicle upon completion of a countdown, a timing for the completion of the countdown being synchronized with when the controller will be ready to receive data related to starting the engine from the communication terminal.

2. The vehicle-repair support system according to claim 1, wherein

the controller makes the inquiry about inquiry items proceeding from a major inquiry item toward a minor inquiry item.

3. The vehicle-repair support system according to claim 2, wherein

the controller makes the inquiry about an inquiry item concerning product category and then makes the inquiry about an inquiry item concerning a symptom corresponding to the product category.

4. The vehicle-repair support system according to claim 1, wherein the screen data additionally includes an inquiry item configuring the communication terminal to display and receive a selection of a product category for the repair.

5. The vehicle-repair support system according to claim 4, wherein the selection of the product category for the repair includes at least one of a gasoline engine, a diesel engine, a battery/charger, a transmission, a chassis, a body, an air-conditioner, and an info/AV device.

6. The vehicle-repair support system according to claim 1, wherein

the controller notifies a list of the similar cases to the communication terminal as the result of the search.

7. The vehicle-repair support system according to claim 6, wherein

the controller notifies details of one of the similar cases in the list to the communication terminal as the result of the search.

8. The vehicle-repair support system according to claim 1, wherein

the controller notifies, as the result of the search, the communication terminal of a main-cause part causing a trouble that is to be repaired.

9. The vehicle-repair support system according to claim 8, wherein

the server includes a storage controller that stores at least one of the result of the inquiry made by the controller, the information about the similar cases, and the information about the main-cause part.

10. The vehicle-repair support system according to claim 9, wherein

the controller statistically analyzes at least one of the information about the similar cases and the information about the main-cause part both stored by the storage controller.

11. The vehicle-repair support system according to claim 10, wherein

the controller can change a manner of notifying the result of the search made by the controller to the communication terminal according to a result of analysis made by the controller.

12. The vehicle-repair support system according to claim 1, wherein

the controller performs linkage with another vehicle-repair support system.

13. The vehicle-repair support system according to claim 1, wherein

the controller provides the result of the search so that the communication terminal can display the result of the search via a communication network.

14. A vehicle-repair support system, comprising:

a communication terminal that obtains vehicle information from a vehicle; and

a server that receives the vehicle information from the communication terminal and supports a repair of the vehicle,

wherein the server comprises a controller configured to;

make an inquiry to a repair requester about a vehicle condition;

based on a result of the inquiry, make a search for information about similar cases which involve a symptom similar to a symptom of the vehicle targeted for the repair;

notify a result of the search to the communication terminal; and

make a diagnosis of the vehicle by analyzing the vehicle information obtained from the vehicle,

wherein

the controller transmits screen data to the communication terminal to make the inquiry about an inquiry item as to whether or not the repair is attributable to an accident or disaster,

based on the result of the inquiry and a result of the diagnosis, the controller makes the search for information about the similar cases which involve the symptom similar to the symptom of the vehicle targeted for the repair,

a first communication path in which the server acquires the vehicle information from the communication terminal is different from a second communication path in which the server transmits the screen data to the communication terminal, and

wherein the controller is further configured to transmit instruction screen data to the communication terminal, the instruction screen data configuring the communication terminal to display an instruction to start an engine of the vehicle upon completion of a countdown, a timing for the completion of the countdown being synchronized with when the controller will be ready to receive data related to starting the engine from the communication terminal.

15. A server constituting a vehicle-repair support system in cooperation with a communication terminal that obtains vehicle information from a vehicle, wherein the server receives the vehicle information from the communication terminal and supports a repair of the vehicle,

the server comprising a controller configured to:

make an inquiry to a repair requester about vehicle condition;

based on a result of the inquiry, make a search for information about similar cases which involve a symptom similar to a symptom of the vehicle targeted for the repair;

notify a result of the search to the communication terminal; and

transmit screen data to the communication terminal to make the inquiry about an inquiry item as to whether or not the repair is attributable to an accident or disaster,

wherein

based on a result of the inquiry as to whether or not the repair is attributable to an accident or disaster, the controller makes the search for the information about the similar cases which involve the symptom similar to the symptom of the vehicle targeted for the repair,

a first communication path in which the server acquires the vehicle information from the communication terminal is different from a second communication path in which the server transmits the screen data to the communication terminal, and

wherein the controller is further configured to transmit instruction screen data to the communication terminal, the instruction screen data configuring the communication terminal to display an instruction to start an engine of the vehicle upon completion of a countdown, a timing for the completion of the countdown being synchronized with when the controller will be ready to receive data related to starting the engine from the communication terminal.

16. A server constituting a vehicle-repair support system in cooperation with a communication terminal that obtains vehicle information from a vehicle, wherein the server receives the vehicle information from the communication terminal and supports repair of the vehicle,

the server comprising a controller configured to:

make an inquiry to a repair requester about vehicle condition;

based on a result of the inquiry make a search for information about similar cases which involve a symptom similar to a symptom of the vehicle targeted for the repair;

notify a result of the search made by the controller to the communication terminal; and

make a diagnosis of the vehicle by analyzing the vehicle information obtained from the vehicle,

wherein

based on the result of the inquiry and a result of the diagnosis, the controller searches for the information about the similar cases which involve the symptom similar to the symptom of the vehicle targeted for the repair, and

wherein the controller is further configured to transmit instruction screen data to the communication terminal, the instruction screen data configuring the communication terminal to display an instruction to start an engine of the vehicle upon completion of a countdown, a timing for the completion of the countdown being synchronized with when the controller will be ready to receive data related to starting the engine from the communication terminal.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that causes a computer provided in a server, which constitutes a vehicle-repair support system in cooperation with a communication terminal that obtains vehicle information from a vehicle and which receives the vehicle information from the communication terminal to support repair of the vehicle, to execute:

making an inquiry to a repair requester about vehicle condition;

based on a result of the inquiry, making a search for information about similar cases which involve a symptom similar to a symptom of the vehicle targeted for the repair; and

notifying the communication terminal of a result of the search,

wherein

the computer transmits screen data to the communication terminal to make the inquiry about an inquiry item as to whether or not the repair is attributable to an accident or disaster,

the inquiry is made about an inquiry item as to whether or not the repair is attributable to an accident or disaster,

based on a result of the inquiry as to whether or not the repair is attributable to an accident or disaster, the search for the information about the similar cases which involve the symptom similar to the symptom of the vehicle targeted for the repair is made,

a first communication path in which the server acquires the vehicle information from the communication terminal is different from a second communication path in which the server transmits the screen data to the communication terminal, and

wherein the computer program further causes the computer provided in the server to transmit instruction screen data to the communication terminal, the instruction screen data configuring the communication terminal to display an instruction to start an engine of the vehicle upon completion of a countdown, a timing for the completion of the countdown being synchronized with when the computer will be ready to receive data related to starting the engine from the communication terminal.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that causes a computer provided in a server, which constitutes a vehicle-repair support system in cooperation with a communication terminal that obtains vehicle information from a vehicle and which receives the vehicle information from the communication terminal to support repair of the vehicle, to execute:

making an inquiry to a repair requester about vehicle condition;

based on a result of the inquiry, making a search for information about similar cases which involve a symptom similar to a symptom of the vehicle targeted for the repair;

notifying the communication terminal of a result of the search; and

making a diagnosis of the vehicle using the vehicle information obtained from the vehicle,

wherein

the computer transmits screen data to the communication terminal to make the inquiry about an inquiry item as to whether or not the repair is attributable to an accident or disaster,

based on the result of the inquiry and a result of the diagnosis, the search for the information about the similar cases which involve the symptom similar to the symptom of the vehicle targeted for the repair is made,

a first communication path in which the server acquires the vehicle information from the communication terminal is different from a second communication path in which the server transmits the screen data to the communication terminal, and

wherein the computer program further causes the computer provided in the server to transmit instruction screen data to the communication terminal, the instruction screen data configuring the communication terminal to display an instruction to start an engine of the vehicle upon completion of a countdown, a timing for the completion of the countdown being synchronized with when the computer will be ready to receive data related to starting the engine from the communication terminal.