Integrated vehicle information system

• US 20020103577A1
• Filed: 01/30/2001
• Published: 08/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Archie L. Newport
• Original Assignee: Archie L. Newport
• Inventors: Newport, Archie L.
• Granted Patent: US 6,754,564 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/10 Registration, licensing, or like devices

Abstract

An integrated vehicle information system (10) which utilizes a vehicle identification number (12) having segments of vehicle identification number make (12A), vehicle identification number model (12B), vehicle identification number engine (12C), vehicle identification number year (12D), and vehicle identification number factory sequence number (12E) to identify information about a particular vehicle stored in a database.

Claims

1. An integrated vehicle information system (10) comprising:

A) a computer which comprises an operating system, random access memory, power means, processor, communication means, display, entry means , and storage means containing a database (14) which comprises the following fields;

place of vehicle purchase (14A), vehicle financing (14B), vehicle insurance (14C), maintenance schedule (14D), maintenance due from mileage calculation (14E), factory recall (14F), warranty (14G), place of manufacture (14H), model year (14I), make (14J), model (14L), engine size (14M), factory sequence number (14N), special features (14O), vehicle repair &

history (14P), parts description (14Q), parts identification numbers (14R), parts microfiche images and assembly (14S), parts wholesale cost (14T), parts retail cost (14U), step-by-step technician repair guide (14V), repair technician (14W), technician assignment (14X), technician actual repair time (14Y), technician flat rate repair time (14Z), vehicle image (14AA), current owner information (14AB), and previous owner information (14AC);

B) a vehicle identification number (12) which comprises indicia representing a vehicle identification number make (12A), vehicle identification number model (12B), vehicle identification number engine (12C), vehicle identification number year (12D), and vehicle identification number factory sequence number (12E); and

C) software contained within the computer, the software having the following steps;

I) first entering (112) in the vehicle identification number (12),

ii) separating (114) the vehicle identification number (12) into segments consisting of vehicle identification number make (12A), vehicle identification number model (12B), vehicle identification number engine (12C), vehicle identification number year (12D), and vehicle identification number factory sequence number (12E),

iii) comparing (116) the segments of the vehicle identification number (12) to the database (14), and

iv) first displaying (118) information selected from a group consisting of place of vehicle purchase (14A), vehicle financing (14B), vehicle insurance (14C), maintenance schedule (14D), maintenance due from mileage calculation (14E), factory recall (14F), warranty (14G), place of manufacture (14H), model year (14I), make (14J), model (14L), engine size (14M), factory sequence number (14N), special features (14O), vehicle repair &

history (14P), parts description (14Q), parts identification numbers (14R), parts microfiche images and assembly (14S), parts wholesale cost (14T), parts retail cost (14U), step-by-step technician repair guide (14V), repair technician (14W), technician assignment (14X), technician actual repair time (14Y), technician flat rate repair time (14Z), vehicle image (14AA), current owner information (14AB), and previous owner information (14AC).

2. The integrated vehicle information system (10) as described in claim 1, wherein the software comprises the following step:

A) third entering (120) information into the database (14), the information entered is from a group consisting of place of vehicle purchase (14A), vehicle financing (14B), vehicle insurance (14C), maintenance schedule (14D), maintenance due from mileage calculation (14E), factory recall (14F), warranty (14G), place of manufacture (14H), model year (14I), make (14J), model (14L), engine size (14M), factory sequence number (14N), special features (14O), vehicle repair &

history (14P), parts description (14Q), parts identification numbers (14R), parts microfiche images and assembly (14S), parts wholesale cost (14T), parts retail cost (14U), step-by-step technician repair guide (14V), repair technician (14W), technician assignment (14X), technician actual repair time (14Y), technician flat rate repair time (14Z), vehicle image (14AA), current owner information (14AB), and previous owner information (14AC).

3. The integrated vehicle information system (10) as described in claim 1, wherein the software further comprises an accounting software integrated with the database, the accounting software consisting of billing, payroll and part inventory,

4. The integrated vehicle information system (10) as described in claim 1, wherein the software further comprises diagnostic and repair software integrated with the database, the diagnostic and repair software reveals diagnostic codes and repair information that pertains to each vehicle make and model by displaying information contained within the database (14), the information is selected from a group consisting of maintenance schedule (14D), maintenance due from mileage calculation (14E), factory recall (14F), warranty (14G), vehicle repair &

history (14P), parts description (14Q), parts identification numbers (14R), parts microfiche images and assembly (14S), parts wholesale cost (14T), parts retail cost (14U), step-by-step technician repair guide (14V), repair technician (14W), technician assignment (1 4X), technician actual repair time (14Y), technician flat rate repair time (14Z), vehicle image (14AA), current owner information (I4AB), and previous owner information (14AC).

5. The integrated vehicle information system (10) as described in claim 1, wherein the software further comprises macro operation software integrated with the database, the macro operation software allows the user to enter customer request or complaint information into the vehicle repair &

history (14P) field of the database (14).

6. The integrated vehicle information system (10) as described in claim 1, wherein the software further comprises VIN —

Spec software integrated with the database, the VIN —

Spec software identifies the vehicle to which a particular part and/or labor item applies by querying the vehicle identification number (12) and displaying items from a group consisting of in parts description (14Q), parts identification numbers (14R), parts microfiche images and assembly (14S), parts wholesale cost (14T), parts retail cost (14U), step-by-step technician repair guide (14V), repair technician (14W), technician assignment (14X), technician actual repair time (14Y), and technician flat rate repair time (14Z).

7. The integrated vehicle information system (10) as described in claim 1, wherein the software further comprises automated parts department software integrated with the database, the automated parts department software consisting of the following steps:

A) fourth entering (122) the vehicle identification number (12),

B) first querying (124) the model year (14I), make (14J), model (14L), and engine size (14M) in the database (14),

C) second displaying (126) an in-house work order,

D) fifth entering (128) the parts description (14Q) or parts identification numbers (14R),

E) second querying (13O) the parts description (14Q) and parts identification numbers (14R) to determine if the part requested is in stock,

F) third displaying (132) that the part requested is in stock, if the part requested is not in stock, the automated parts department software sends a part order through the communications means to a parts distributor.