System for scheduling the servicing of equipment

• US 20040093134A1
• Filed: 07/18/2003
• Published: 05/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Motor Company Limited (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company Limited (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Parke, Philip John, Barber, Richard Antony
• Granted Patent: US 7,016,774 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063112 Skill-based matching of a person or a group to a task

Abstract

A computerised, Internet-based method and system for scheduling the servicing a set of items of equipment such as a fleet of motor vehicles each requiring the performance of service operations according to predetermined repair and maintenance schedules comprises compiling databases of information (1) relating to the items of equipment, the service operations (3) to be performed on them and service facilities (4) capable of performing the service operations, deriving by means of a searching and matching system (7) from the compiled information matches for an item, a required service operation and the availability of service facilities for performing the service operation; selecting from the matches a service facility capable of performing the service operation the item and scheduling by means of a notification system (9) the performance of the service operation on the item by the selected service operation.

Claims

1. A method for scheduling the servicing a set of items of equipment each requiring the performance of service operations according to predetermined repair and maintenance schedules comprising:

—

compiling information relating to the items of equipment, the service operations to be performed on the items and service facilities capable of performing the service operations;

deriving from the compiled information matches for an item, a required service operation and the availability of service facilities for performing the service operation;

selecting from the matches a service facility capable of performing the service operation the item; and

scheduling the performance of the service operation on the item by the selected service operation.

2. A method according to claim 1, in which the information relating to the items of equipment is compiled in an equipment database in which each item is assigned code that correlates with the service operations to be performed on the item

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the compiled information is accessible by providing information relating to any one of a plurality of different characteristics of the items of equipment

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the items of equipment are motor vehicles and information relating thereto may be accessed by supplying the vehicle identification number, the vehicle registration number or a list of features on the vehicle.

5. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the information relating to the service operations is compiled in service operations database in which service operations are coded according to the items of equipment on which they may be performed

6. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the information relating to the service facilities is compiled in a service facility database in which service operations capable of being performed by the service facility are coded according to the items of equipment on which they are to be performed.

7. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the information relating to the service facilities includes information on a plurality of selection criteria for the service facilities.

8. A method according to claim 10, wherein the selection criteria comprise one or more of the following categories of information, namely, periods of availability of facilities;

prices for performance of the service operation, and availability complementary equipment or services

9. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the compiled information is accessed by the user of the equipment through an internet user interface that enables the user to select and schedule the performance of the service operation.

10. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the items of equipment comprise mass-produced motor vehicles.

11. A computer program comprising computer program code adapted to perform the method of claim 1.

12. A computer program according to claim 12 embodied on a computer-readable medium.