Use of automotive diagnostics console to diagnose vehicle

• US 20030138475A1
• Filed: 01/10/2003
• Published: 07/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innova Electronics Corporation (Innova Telematics Solutions)
• Original Assignee: Innova Electronics Corporation (Innova Telematics Solutions)
• Inventors: Chen, Ieon C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,376,497 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 424/435
• CPC Class Codes: C05F 11/08 Organic fertilisers containing added bacterial cultures, mycelia or the like
• CPC Class Codes: C05F 17/20 using specific microorganisms or substances, e.g. enzymes, for activating or stimulating the treatment use of invertebrates C05F17/05
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 1/20 Bacteria; Culture media therefor
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 39/00 Processes involving microorganisms of different genera in the same process, simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2205/02 using a vehicle scan tool
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/145 the feedstock being materials of biological origin
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/40 Bio-organic fraction processing; Production of fertilisers from the organic fraction of waste or refuse

Abstract

A customer driven process of diagnosing and repairing a vehicle. The process involves temporarily providing a customer with a diagnostic tool that can receive vehicle diagnostic signals from a vehicle on-board computer. The customer then uses the tool to upload diagnostic signals from the car, and returns the tool to the automotive parts/service facility. The vehicle diagnostic signals are communicated to a console, which then accesses a database(s). The database(s) includes information relating to the vehicle malfunction, the repairs needed, and the parts required to complete those repairs. The process also allows automatic scheduling of repairs and purchasing of parts from the automotive parts/service facility. Upon payment of any prescribed fees, the process outputs report information to the customer.

Claims

1. A customer driven process of diagnosing and repairing a vehicle comprising:

a) temporarily providing a customer with an automotive diagnostic tool at an automotive parts/service faility;

b) connecting a diagnostic tool to a vehicle on-board computer;

c) uploading vehicle diagnostic signals from the on-board computer to the diagnostic tool;

d) returning the diagnostic tool to the automotive parts/service facility;

e) uploading the vehicle diagnostic signals from the diagnostic tool to a console at the automotive parts/service facility;

f) accessing a diagnostic database;

g) correlating the vehicle diagnostic signals to vehicle defect information in the diagnostic database;

h) generating a vehicle defect report based on the correlation between the vehicle diagnostic signals and vehicle defect information;

i) accessing a service database;

j) correlating the vehicle defect report with service information in the service database, the service information including data relating to the cost and ability of the automotive parts/service facility to provide services to correct vehicle defect conditions;

k) generating a service report based on the correlation between the vehicle defect report and the service information;

l) accessing a parts database;

m) correlating the vehicle defect report with parts information in the parts database, the parts information including data relating to the cost and availability of vehicle parts needed to correct vehicle defect conditions at the automotive parts/service facility; and

n) generating a parts report based on the correlation between the vehicle defect report and the parts information.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the parts report includes information of a type chosen from a group consisting of needed parts, pricing of parts, availability of parts, location for obtaining parts, advertising materials, and discounts for purchasing parts.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein the service report includes information of a type chosen from a group consisting of needed repairs, availability of service, scheduling of services, pricing for services, service procedure details, time estimates for service, advertising materials, and discounts on service.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein instructions are obtained via the console as to how the customer needs to properly connect the diagnostic tool to the on-board computer.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein customer identification information is provided in order to temporarily obtain the diagnostic tool.

6. The process of claim 5, wherein the customer information includes customer credit card billing information entered into the console by the customer.

7. The process of claim 1, further comprising storing the vehicle defect report, the service report, and the parts report and generating a customer identifier useful to access at least one of the vehicle defect report, the parts report, and the service report from the automotive parts/service facility.

8. The process of claim 5, wherein the customer information is utilized to bill payment for at least one of the vehicle defect report, the parts report, and the service report.

9. The process of claim 5 or 6, wherein the customer information is utilized to bill payment for a part needed to correct a vehicle defect.

10. The process of claim 5 or 6, wherein the customer information is utilized to bill payment for service needed to correct a vehicle defect.

11. The process of claim 5 or 6, wherein the customer information is utilized to schedule services needed to correct a vehicle defect.

12. The process of claim 6, wherein at least one of the vehicle defect report, the parts report, and the service report is outputted to the customer via the console.

13. The process of claim 6, wherein the parts database communicates with an inventory, and an inventory number is reduced after the part is paid for using the customer credit card billing information.

14. The process of claim 1, wherein at least one of the diagnostic database, the service database, and the parts database is associated with a web site that is remote to the console, accessible from the console via the Internet.

15. The process of claim 14, wherein the parts database communicates with an auction to competitively buy vehicle parts needed to correct vehicle defects.

16. The process of claim 1, wherein the console includes a payment mechanism.

17. The process of claim 16, wherein the payment mechanism is at least one of a magnetic data reader, an optical data reader, a plurality of buttons used to input a credit card number, and a cash machine.

18. The process of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic tool is provided to the customer upon payment of a rental fee.

19. An automotive care communications console for communicating between a diagnostic tool that receives vehicle trouble codes from an on-board computer of a vehicle and database(s) correlating the trouble codes to repair activities, the console comprising:

a) a connection port engageable to the diagnostic tool for uploading the vehicle trouble codes from the diagnostic tool-to the console;

b) at least one database including information selected from the group of vehicle defect information, vehicle service information, and parts information;

c) a first communications module for communicating vehicle trouble codes from the connection port to the database(s) to access vehicle defect information correlated to the vehicle trouble codes;

d) a payment mechanism for charging a customer for the selected information; and

e) an output terminal for outputting the selected information.

20. The console of claim 19, wherein the database(s) correlates vehicle defect information with vehicle service information.

21. The console of claim 19, wherein the database(s) correlates the vehicle defect information and the parts information.

22. The console of claim 19, wherein the payment mechanism is chosen from a group consisting of a magnetic data reader, an optical data reader, a plurality of buttons used to input a credit card number, and a cash machine.

23. The console of claim 21, wherein the parts information is information chosen from a group consisting of needed parts, pricing of parts, availability of parts, location for obtaining parts, advertising materials, discounts for purchasing parts, an auction, and an inventory record.

24. The console of claim 20, wherein the vehicle service information is information chosen from a group consisting of needed repairs, location for obtaining repairs, availability of service, scheduling of services, pricing for services, service procedure details, time estimates for service, advertising materials, and discounts on service.

25. The console of claim 19, wherein the database(s) is disposed within the console.

26. The console of claim 19, wherein the database(s) is disposed remote from the console.