Methods of conducting vehicle business transactions

• US 20030040979A1
• Filed: 08/07/2002
• Published: 02/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Shabana, Mohsen D., Chernoff, Adrian B., Borroni-Bird, Christopher E., Vitale, Robert Louis
• Application Number:
  US10/213,933
• Publication Number:
  US 20030040979A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 13/14 having dampers accumulating utilisable energy, e.g. compressing air fluid springs with an accumulator B60G11/30
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/015 the regulating means comprising electric or electronic elements B60G17/002, B60G17/005 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0195 characterised by the regulation being combined with other vehicle control systems conjoint control of vehicle sub-units including control of suspension systems B60W10/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/10 Independent suspensions
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/144 with two lateral arms forming a parallelogram
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/18 Multilink suspensions, e.g. elastokinematic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/44 steerable
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/46 camber angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/462 Toe-in/out
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/40 Type of actuator
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/42 Electric actuator
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/10 Mounting of suspension elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/11 Mounting of sensors thereon
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/14 Mounting of suspension arms
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/16 Mounting of vehicle body on chassis
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/20 Mounting of accessories, e.g. pump, compressor
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/202 of cables
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/011 Modular constructions
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/0114 Independent suspensions on subframes
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/50 Constructional features of wheel supports or knuckles, e.g. steering knuckles, spindle attachments
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/99 : Suspension element selection procedure depending on loading or performance requirements, e.g. selection of damper, spring or bush
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/45 : Rolling frame vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/50 : Electric vehicles; Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/60 : Vehicles using regenerative power
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/21 : Traction, slip, skid or slide control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/802 : Diagnostics
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/90 : System Controller type
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/91 : Suspension Control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/92 : ABS - Brake Control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/963 : Steer-by-wire
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 3/18 : with two or more pivoted arms, e.g. parallelogram
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 7/003 : of adjustable length
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/00 : Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00; electric transmission arrangements B60K17/12; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles per se B60L; current-collectors for power supply lines of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/04 : of the electric storage means for propulsion exchanging batteries for electric propulsion of vehicles B60L53/80; for auxiliary purposes only B60R16/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/07 : of gas tanks
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/001 : one motor mounted on a propulsion axle for rotating right and left wheels of this axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/005 : the electric storage means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 7/0007 : the motor being electric
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 1/065 : employing disc B60T1/062 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 1/10 : by utilising wheel movement for accumulating energy, e.g. driving air compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/66 : Electrical control in fluid-pressure brake systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/662 : characterised by specified functions of the control system components
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/74 : with electrical assistance or drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2270/82 : Brake-by-Wire, EHB
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/00 : Brake-action initiating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/042 : by electrical means, e.g. using travel or force sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/00 : Arrangements for adjusting wheel-braking force to meet varying vehicular or ground-surface conditions, e.g. limiting or varying distribution of braking force by changing number of effective brake cylinders in power brake systems B60T17/10
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 24/02 : Vehicle body, not intended to move relatively to the vehicle frame, and mounted on vibration absorbing mountings, e.g. rubber pads
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 35/02 : Streamlining the undersurfaces B62D35/005, B62D35/007, B62D35/008 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/00 : Power-assisted or power-driven steering for non-deflectable wheels B62D11/00; fluid-pressure servomotors in general F15B
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 7/18 : Steering knuckles; King pins
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 : Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 : Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/88 : Optimized components or subsystems, e.g. lighting, actively controlled glasses

Abstract

Methods are provided for conducting a vehicle business transaction with a customer. Possession of a vehicle chassis is offered and/or granted to a customer in a first financial transaction for consideration. Possession of a vehicle body for engagement with the chassis is offered and/or granted in a second financial transaction for consideration independently of the vehicle chassis, wherein the chassis and body are separately priced. The body may be selected from an inventory of vehicle bodies each having a chassis attachment interface engageable with the chassis. The chassis may be financed for an extended period of time, such as 20 years, while various bodies are interchanged with the chassis.

Claims

1. A method of conducting a vehicle business transaction with a customer, comprising:

granting possession of a vehicle chassis to the customer in a financial transaction for consideration independently of a vehicle body, wherein the chassis includes;

a structural frame;

a suspension system mounted with respect to the structural frame;

at least three wheels rotatably mounted with respect to the suspension system;

an energy conversion system mounted with respect to the structural frame, operably connected to at least one wheel, and controllable by wire;

a by-wire braking system mounted with respect to the frame and operably connected to at least one wheel; and

a body interface having a plurality of body connection components, the body connection components including a plurality of load-bearing body-retention couplings and at least one control signal receiving electrical connector.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the customer is an end-user of the vehicle chassis.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising granting possession of a vehicle body to the customer in a second financial transaction for consideration independently of the vehicle chassis, the vehicle body selected from an inventory of vehicle bodies each having a chassis attachment interface with chassis-connection components complementary to the body-connection components and a control signal transmitting electrical connector complementary to the control signal receiving electrical connector.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said financial transactions for the chassis and body are defined by a single contract establishing different terms for the chassis and body.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle chassis is configured for a passenger vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising financing the consideration for the chassis in exchange for a security interest in the chassis.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising offering separate repayment plans for the chassis and body.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising offering separate repayment durations for the chassis and body.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the repayment duration for the chassis exceeds 10 years.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the repayment duration for the chassis exceeds 15 years.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the repayment duration for the chassis exceeds 19 years.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein repayment terms for the chassis include a balloon payment.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing financing terms which include scheduled hardware or software upgrades.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of granting possession of the chassis comprises leasing or renting.

15. A method of conducting, a vehicle business transaction with a customer, comprising:

granting possession of a vehicle chassis to the customer in a consumer transaction for consideration, the vehicle chassis having a body-attachment interface, at least three wheels, a suspension system, a controllable energy conversion system, a controllable steering system, and a controllable braking system;

wherein the body-attachment interface comprises body connection components engageable with complementary couplings, the body connection components including at least one body-retention coupling and at least one control signal receiving electrical connector;

wherein each of the energy conversion system, the steering system, and the braking system is operably connected to a control signal receiving electrical connector; and

wherein the body-connection components have a predetermined, standardized positional relationship relative to one another;

granting possession of a vehicle body to the customer in a consumer transaction for consideration, the vehicle body selected from an inventory of vehicle bodies each having a chassis-attachment interface comprising chassis-connection components complementary to the body-connection components, including at least one chassis-retention coupling and at least one control signal transmitting electrical connector, the chassis-connection components of each chassis-attachment interface having a predetermined, standardized positional relationship relative to one another that is compatible with the predetermined, standardized positional relationship of the body-connection components such that each chassis connection component has a corresponding body connection component; and

financing for a first period of time the consideration for the chassis in exchange for a security interest in the chassis.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising financing for a second period of time the consideration for the vehicle body for a security interest in the body.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first period of time and the second period of time are different.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the chassis comprises a programmable electronic computer, operably connected to the control signal receiving electrical connector and each of the energy conversion system, the steering system, and the braking system, configured to receive, process, and transmit control signals, and having a port through which programs may be updated, modified, added, or deleted, and further comprising adding, modifying, updating, or deleting a program to or from the computer at a time subsequent to the granting of possession of the chassis to the customer.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising installing new components to the chassis at a time subsequent to the granting of possession of the chassis to the customer.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the chassis and body are priced separately.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the chassis and body are priced together.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the body is leased for a second period of time that is substantially shorter than the first period of time.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the first period of time exceeds 10 years and the second period of time is less than or equal to 1 year.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the second period of time is less than or equal to 6 months.

25. The method of claim 15, further comprising leasing or selling individual body components to the customer.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said body components are selected from the group consisting of seats, consoles, entertainment systems, door panels and hood panels.

27. A method of conducting a vehicle business transaction with a customer, comprising:

granting possession of a vehicle chassis to the customer in a consumer transaction for consideration, the vehicle chassis having a body-attachment interface, at least three wheels, a suspension system, a controllable energy conversion system, a controllable steering system, and a controllable braking system;

wherein the body-attachment interface comprises body connection components engageable with complementary couplings, the body connection components including at least one body-retention coupling and at least one control signal receiving electrical connector;

wherein each of the energy conversion system, the steering system, and the braking system is operably connected to a control signal receiving electrical connector; and

wherein the body-connection components have a predetermined, standardized positional relationship relative to one another;

granting possession of a vehicle body to the customer in a consumer transaction for consideration, the vehicle body selected from an inventory of vehicle bodies each having a chassis-attachment interface comprising chassis-connection components complementary to the body-connection components, including at least one chassis-retention coupling and at least one control signal transmitting electrical connector, the chassis-connection components of each chassis-attachment interface having a predetermined, standardized positional relationship relative to one another that is compatible with the predetermined, standardized positional relationship of the body-connection components such that each chassis connection component has a corresponding body connection component;

financing for a first period of time the consideration for the chassis in exchange for a security interest in the chassis;

financing for a second period, different from the first period of time, the consideration for the vehicle body for a security interest in the body; and

wherein the chassis includes a programmable electronic computer, operably connected to the control signal receiving electrical connector and each of the energy conversion system, the steering system, and the braking system, configured to receive, process, and transmit control signals, and having a port through which programs may be updated, modified, added, or deleted, and further comprising adding, modifying, updating, or deleting a program to or from the computer at a time subsequent to the granting of possession of the chassis to the customer.