Vehicle inventory and customer relation management system and method

• US 10,387,826 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2014
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Directed, LLC (VOXX International Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Directed, LLC (VOXX International Corporation)
• Inventors: Simmons, Michael S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Goyea, Olusegun
• Application Number:
  US14/148,725
• Publication Number:
  US 20150193726A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,051 Days
• Field of Search: 705 712, 705 28, 705 64, 705 1464, 701 293, 701 314, 701 315, 701 1, 340 564, 340 572, 340 573, 340 521
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2018 Central base unlocks or authorises unlocking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration

Abstract

In one embodiment of the present invention, provided is a system and methods for managing vehicles on a car dealer lot and for customer relation management after the time of sale of the vehicle, the system having a first mode, where the system tracks the location of vehicles on the dealer'"'"'s lot so that vehicles can be easily found by make, model, trim level, price and other distinguishing vehicle features, the system further providing vehicle access authorization and reporting of any access or status change to the vehicle. In a second mode, data is collected from the vehicle data bus network regarding vehicle performance, driving behavior, history, and similar parameters and is analyzed and packaged so it may be usefully be communicated to the vehicle owner or others.

Claims

1. A management system for managing a plurality of vehicles, the management system comprising:

a first processor associated with a memory for storing instructions, and a database server storing staff user accounts, vehicle owner accounts, and vehicle accounts for the plurality of vehicles, the first processor accessible through the internet;

the staff user accounts providing for entry of staff user identification data and configuring a plurality of user access authorization levels for vehicles associated with the vehicle accounts, said access authorization levels providing permissions for vehicle door locks, ignition start and device configurations;

the vehicle owner accounts providing for vehicle owner identification and transaction data associated with sales of the vehicles;

the vehicle accounts providing for vehicle identification data and device configuration and vehicle location data;

a second data processor proximal to a car dealer lot of a car dealer, for providing secure access to said first processor and to configure within the database server the staff user accounts, the vehicle owner accounts and the vehicle accounts;

a plurality of handheld modules configured for wireless communication with the second data processor, each handheld module of said plurality of handheld modules being associated with a unique staff user account of the staff user accounts, wherein said each handheld module is capable of receiving and displaying data from the second data processor related to vehicle characteristics and the location of a vehicle of the plurality of vehicles matching said vehicle characteristics, and said each handheld module is capable of wirelessly receiving from the second data processor user access authorizations associated with the staff user account associated with said each handheld module; and

a plurality of vehicle installed modules installed in the plurality of vehicles, a vehicle installed module of the plurality of vehicle installed modules being installed in and associated with a vehicle of the plurality of vehicles, one vehicle installed module of the plurality of vehicle installed modules per vehicle of the plurality of vehicles at a time, each respective vehicle installed module of the plurality of vehicle installed modules having a memory and being in communication with the vehicle data bus system of the vehicle in which said each respective vehicle installed module is installed, said each respective vehicle installed module having a first operating mode for managing the vehicle in which said each respective vehicle installed module is installed on the car dealer lot before sale of the vehicle in which said each respective vehicle installed module is installed by the car dealer, and a second operating mode for communicating after the sale, wherein when said each respective vehicle installed module is in said first operating mode, said each respective vehicle installed module is in wireless communication with the second data processor and is configured to communicate wirelessly with the plurality of handheld modules, said each respective vehicle installed module providing access to at least one item selected from the group consisting of door locks of the vehicle in which said each respective vehicle installed module is installed, ignition system of the vehicle in which said each respective vehicle installed module is installed, and device configuration system of the vehicle in which said each respective vehicle installed module is installed if a proper authorization signal is received by said each respective vehicle installed module from a handheld module of the plurality of handheld modules matching an authorization configuration provided by the second data processor, and wherein further when in said first operating mode said each respective vehicle installed module wirelessly communicates vehicle location data to the second data processor, and when said each respective vehicle installed module is placed in said second operating mode, the first operating mode is permanently disabled in said each respective vehicle installed module and said each respective vehicle installed module collects vehicle performance data from the vehicle data bus of the vehicle in which said each respective vehicle installed module is installed and wirelessly communicates the vehicle performance data to the first processor through an uplink from a cellphone.

2. The management system according to claim 1, wherein said each respective vehicle installed module of the plurality of vehicle installed modules is configured to communicate wirelessly with the second data processor directly and using radio frequency (RF) relaying through other vehicle installed modules of the plurality of vehicle installed modules.

3. The management system according to claim 1, wherein said each respective vehicle installed module is configured to obtain Global Positioning System (GPS) data from GPS capability contained in the vehicle in which said each respective vehicle installed module is installed and transmit the GPS data to a wireless communication hub connected to the second data processor.

4. The management system according to claim 1, wherein:

said each respective vehicle installed module is configured to communicate with a Bluetooth®

-enabled handheld module of the plurality of handheld modules using Bluetooth®

communication standard, and to respond to location queries made by the Bluetooth®

-enabled handheld module using the Bluetooth®

communication standard; and

the Bluetooth®

-enabled handheld module is configured to transmit Global Positioning System (GPS) location data of the Bluetooth®

-enabled handheld module to the second data processor in response to Bluetooth®

communication between said each respective vehicle installed module and the Bluetooth®

-enabled handheld module, whereby the second data processor has access to the GPS location data of the Bluetooth®

-enabled handheld module when the Bluetooth®

-enabled handheld module is in proximity of the vehicle in which said each respective vehicle installed module is installed.

5. The management system according to claim 1, wherein at least one handheld module of the plurality of handheld modules comprises a smart phone application.

6. The management system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle characteristics include make, model, year, trim level, and price.

7. A management system for managing a plurality of vehicles on a lot of a car dealer, the management system comprising:

a first computer system comprising a database server storing staff user accounts of staff users of the car dealer, vehicle owner accounts of buyers of the vehicles, and vehicle accounts of the plurality of vehicles, the first computer system being accessible through a network;

a second computer system configured to provide secure access to the first computer system and to enable configuring within the database server of the staff user accounts, the vehicle owner accounts, and the vehicle accounts;

a plurality of handheld units, each handheld unit of the plurality of handheld units being configured for wireless communications with the second computer system, said each handheld unit of the plurality of handheld units being associated with a unique staff user account of the staff user accounts; and

a plurality of modules installed in the plurality of vehicles, one module of the plurality of modules per vehicle of the plurality of vehicles, each module of the plurality of modules being in communication with a vehicle data bus system of the vehicle in which said each module is installed;

wherein;

the staff user accounts comprise staff user identification data and a plurality of user access authorization levels for the plurality of vehicles, the access authorization levels providing permissions for vehicle door locks, ignition start, and feature configurations of the plurality of vehicles;

the vehicle owner accounts comprise vehicle owner identifications and transaction data associated with sales of the vehicles of the plurality of vehicles;

the vehicle accounts comprise vehicle identification data of the plurality of vehicles, the feature configurations of the plurality of vehicles, and vehicle location data of the plurality of vehicles;

said each handheld unit is configured to

send wirelessly to the second computer system one or more vehicle criteria inputted into said each handheld unit,

receive wirelessly from the second computer system location of a vehicle of the plurality of vehicles matching the one or more vehicle criteria and one or more user access authorizations for accessing the vehicle matching the one or more vehicle criteria using said each handheld unit;

said each module has a first operating mode for managing the vehicle in which said each module is installed on the lot before sale of the vehicle in which said each module is installed, and a second operating mode for communicating after sale by the car dealer of the vehicle in which said each module is installed;

when said each module is in the first operating mode,

said each module is configured to communicate wirelessly with the second computer system and to communicate wirelessly with the plurality of handheld units,

said each module is further configured to provide access to at least one item selected from the group consisting of door locks of the vehicle in which said each module is installed, ignition system of the vehicle in which said each module is installed, and device configuration system of the vehicle in which said each module is installed, if a proper authorization signal is received by said each module from a handheld unit of the plurality of handheld units matching an authorization configuration provided to said each module by the second computer system, and

said each module is further configured to communicate wirelessly vehicle location data to the second computer system; and

when said each module is placed in the second operating mode, the first operating mode is permanently disabled in said each module and said each module collects vehicle performance data from the vehicle data bus of the vehicle in which said each module is installed and communicates through a cellphone the vehicle performance data to the first computer system.

8. The management system according to claim 7, wherein when said each module is in the second operating mode, said each module further collects driving behavior and history data from the vehicle data bus of the vehicle in which said each module is installed and communicates through the cellphone the driving behavior and history data to the first computer system.

9. The management system according to claim 7, wherein when said each module is in the second operating mode, said each module is configured to send one or more notifications.

10. The management system according to claim 9, wherein the one or more notifications comprise extraordinary event notifications caused by vehicle shock or tilt.

11. The management system according to claim 7, wherein when said each module is in the second operating mode, the module is further configured to detect the cellphone using proximity detection capability and unlock doors of the vehicle in which the module is installed in response to detection of the cellphone.

12. The management system according to claim 7, wherein when said each module is in the second operating mode, the module is further configured to detect the cellphone using Bluetooth®

proximity detection capability and unlock doors of the vehicle in which the module is installed in response to detection of the cellphone.

13. The management system according to claim 7, wherein said each handheld unit comprises a smart phone application.

14. The management system according to claim 7, wherein said each handheld unit comprises a dedicated piece of hardware.

15. The management system according to claim 7, wherein said each module comprises a short term data buffer for buffering the vehicle performance data over a period of less than about ten seconds and a longer-term log buffer, wherein said each module is further configured periodically to compress the vehicle performance data in the short term buffer and store the compressed vehicle performance data in the longer-term log buffer.

16. The management system according to claim 15, wherein the longer-term data buffer is sufficient to store the compressed vehicle performance data accumulated during two weeks of driving.

17. The management system according to claim 7, wherein said each module is configured to communicate wirelessly with the second computer system directly and using radio frequency (RF) relaying through other modules of the plurality of modules.

18. The management system according to claim 7, wherein the one or more vehicle criteria comprise at least one criterion selected from the group consisting of vehicle make, vehicle model, vehicle year, vehicle trim level, and vehicle price.