Vehicle parts monitoring system and associated method

• US 20030055812A1
• Filed: 11/07/2001
• Published: 03/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Xccelerator Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Xccelerator Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Williams, Paul, Williams, Tony
• Application Number:
  US10/036,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20030055812A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957

Abstract

A graphical user interface comprising a tabular display and a tabular database. A user can access information from the tabular database. The tabular database is configured to store data relating to a vehicle system/group category table, a vehicle part category table, and a unique vehicle part identifier table, wherein the vehicle part category table is linked to the vehicle system/group category table and the unique vehicle part identifier table is linked to the vehicle part category table. Data for a prescribed part corresponding to the vehicle system/group category table, the vehicle part category table, and the unique vehicle part identifier table are displayed within the tabular display along a single row.

Claims

1. A graphical user interface comprising:

a tabular display; and

a tabular database, a user can access information from the tabular database, the tabular database is configured to store data relating to a vehicle system/group category table, a vehicle part category table, and a unique vehicle part identifier table, wherein the vehicle part category table is linked to the vehicle system/group category table and the unique vehicle part identifier table is linked to the vehicle part category table, and wherein data for a prescribed part corresponding to the vehicle system/group category table, the vehicle part category table, and the unique vehicle part identifier table is displayed within the tabular display along a single row.

2. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the tabular database further comprises a parts description table.

3. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the tabular database further comprises an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) number table.

4. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the tabular database further comprises a status field table.

5. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the tabular database further comprises an indicator table.

6. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the tabular database further comprises an industry reference number table.

7. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the tabular database further comprises an interchangeability table.

8. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the tabular database further comprises a part description table.

9. The graphical user interface of claim 1, further comprising a billboard portion wherein a user of the graphical user interface can access a web site of the producer of the part.

10. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the tabular database is located in the user'"'"'s computer.

11. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the data for the tabular database is stored in a CD-ROM for use in the user'"'"'s computer.

12. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the tabular database is located in a network to which the user'"'"'s computer is connected.

13. The graphical user interface of claim 12, wherein the network is the Internet.

14. The graphical user interface of claim 1, further comprising a vehicle pictorial display that displays the vehicle relating to the tabular database.

15. The graphical user interface of claim 14, further comprising a vehicle selection portion that selects the vehicle being displayed in the vehicle display.

16. The graphical user interface of claim 15, wherein the contents of the tabular database changes accordingly as a user selects a different vehicle to display in the vehicle display using the vehicle selection portion

17. A data structure configured to store data, the data structure comprising:

a tabular database, the tabular database including;

a vehicle system/group category table,

a vehicle part category table, and

a unique vehicle part identifier table, wherein the vehicle part category table is linked to the vehicle system/group category table and the unique vehicle part identifier table is linked to the vehicle part category table.

18. The data structure of claim 17, wherein the tabular database further comprises a part description table.

19. The data structure of claim 17, wherein the tabular database further comprises a original equipment manufacturer (OEM) table.

20. The data structure of claim 17, wherein the tabular database further comprises a status field table.

21. The data structure of claim 17, wherein the tabular database further comprises an indicator table.

22. The data structure of claim 17, wherein the tabular database further comprises an industry reference number table.

23. The data structure of claim 17, wherein the tabular database further comprises an interchangeability table.

24. The data structure of claim 17, wherein the tabular database further comprises a part description table.

25. The data structure of claim 17, further comprising a billboard portion wherein a user can access a web site of the producer of the part.

26. The data structure of claim 17, wherein the tabular database is located in the users computer.

27. The data structure of claim 17, wherein the data for the tabular database is stored in a CD-ROM included for use in the user'"'"'s computer.

28. The data structure of claim 17, wherein the tabular database is located in a network to which the user'"'"'s computer is connected.

29. The data structure of claim 28, wherein the network is the Internet.

30. The data structure of claim 17, further comprising a vehicle pictorial display that displays the vehicle relating to the tabular database.

31. The data structure of claim 30, further comprising a vehicle selection portion that selects the vehicle being displayed in the vehicle display.

32. The data structure of claim 31, wherein the contents of the tabular database change accordingly as a user selects a different vehicle to display in the vehicle display using the vehicle selection portion.

33. A method of building a catalog database configured to store catalog data, the method comprising:

creating the catalog database, the catalog database comprising a vehicle system/group category table, a vehicle part category table, and a unique vehicle part identifier table, wherein the vehicle part category table is linked to the vehicle system/group category table and the unique vehicle part identifier table is linked to the vehicle part category table;

ranking the reliability of data from each one of the plurality of catalogs;

determining where there is an inconsistency from different ones of the plurality of catalogs in the vehicle system/group category table;

inputting data from the plurality of catalogs into the vehicle system/group category table; and

discarding that data originating from one of the plurality of catalog with a relatively low reliability that is inconsistent with other data from another one of the plurality of catalog with a relatively high reliability.

34. The method of building a database as set forth in claim 33, further comprising allowing a human operator to select one from the plurality of inconsistent catalogs in the vehicle system/group category table to input.

35. A method of determining the identity of authentic vehicle parts for a target vehicle using a catalog database comprising:

establishing the fields for the catalog database, the catalog database comprising a vehicle system/group category table and a unique vehicle part identifier table, wherein the unique vehicle part identifier table is linked to the vehicle system/group category table;

querying the vehicle system and/or group to obtain a list of vehicle parts included in that vehicle system and/or group; and

storing the list of vehicle parts in the catalog database in response to query.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein substantially all of the vehicle parts are included in the catalog database.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein reverse engineering the parts of the target vehicle is allowed.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein the querying the vehicle system and/or group includes obtaining a list of supercede vehicle parts and superseding vehicle parts.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the list of vehicle parts in the catalog database includes storing the list of superseding vehicle parts and discarding the list of superceded vehicle parts.

40. A database that describes the identity of authentic vehicle parts for a vehicle parts monitoring system, the database comprising:

a first column that includes a vehicle system/group category description;

a second column that includes a part description as described by the original part manufacturer; and

a third field that describes a unique vehicle part identifier table part/detailed description column that more distinctly describes the part description than the part description.