Method and system of managing service reminders and scheduling service appointments using mileage estimates and recommended recall bulletins

• US 20040249531A1
• Filed: 06/02/2004
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CDK Global Incorporated
• Original Assignee: The Cobalt Group Incorporated (Automatic Data Processing Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kelly, John, Supra, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,636,623 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/30
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/007 Wheeled or endless-tracked vehicles G01M17/08 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and system for sending recall bulletins and mileage based service reminders. The mileage of the vehicle can be estimated based on the age of the vehicle, or it can be based on the last known mileage of the vehicle and estimating the additional mileage using average vehicle mileage statistics. The mileage of the vehicle may be estimated based on actual vehicle history, and may be adjusted based on the characteristics of the vehicle, the driver, or the geographic location of the vehicle. Service reminders sent to a recipient include a link to a scheduling server. A service bulletin update server queries a service bulleting server for government mandated recalls and manufacturer recommended serve bulletins. The reminder server screens the updated recall and serve bulletins against the vehicles in the system and sends service reminders to the owners or drivers of matching vehicles.

Claims

1. A method of generating a service reminder for a vehicle, comprising:

retrieving information on a particular vehicle from a database,

estimating the current mileage of the particular vehicle,

updating a list of service reminders by querying a database containing at least one of vehicle recall bulletins or vehicle recommended service bulletins,

comparing the current mileage to the list of service reminders,

in the event the estimated current mileage matches a mileage window for a service reminder, generating a service reminder, and

including a promotion in said service reminder.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of sending the service reminder as an e-mail message to a recipient responsible for the care of the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the recall bulletins are government mandated vehicle recall bulletins.

4. A method of generating a service reminder for a vehicle, comprising:

retrieving information on a particular vehicle from a database,

estimating the current mileage of the particular vehicle using the last known mileage of the vehicle, wherein the days elapsed since the recording of the last known mileage of the vehicle is multiplied by an average mileage per time period factor to estimate the vehicle'"'"'s current mileage,

updating a list of service reminders by querying a database containing vehicle recall bulletins and vehicle recommended service bulletins,

comparing the current mileage estimate to the list of service reminders,

in the event the estimated current mileage matches a mileage window for a service reminder, generating a service reminder.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of sending the service reminder as an e-mail message to a recipient responsible for the care of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the recall bulletins are government mandated vehicle recall bulletins.

11. A method of generating a service reminder for a vehicle, comprising:

retrieving information on a particular vehicle from a database,

determining the process of estimating the vehicle'"'"'s mileage, then;

(i) in the event the determination indicates the vehicle age should be used,

estimating the current mileage of the particular vehicle using the age of the vehicle, wherein the age of the vehicle is multiplied by an average mileage per time period factor to estimate the vehicle'"'"'s current mileage,

(ii) in the event the determination indicates the vehicle'"'"'s last known mileage should be used,

estimating the current mileage of the particular vehicle using the last known mileage of the vehicle, wherein the days elapsed since the recording of the last known mileage of the vehicle is multiplied by an average mileage per time period factor to estimate the vehicle'"'"'s current mileage,

updating a list of service reminders by querying a database containing vehicle recall bulletins and vehicle recommended service bulletins,

comparing the current mileage estimate to the list of service reminders,

in the event the estimated current mileage matches a mileage window for a service reminder, generating a service reminder.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of sending the service reminder as an e-mail message to a recipient responsible for the care of the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the recall bulletins are government mandated vehicle recall bulletins.

14. A system for generating a service reminder for a vehicle, comprising:

a reminder server;

a database including information relating to vehicles, vehicle owners and drivers, vehicle service reminders, and vehicle recall and service bulletins; and

a service bulletin update server,

wherein the reminder server retrieves information on a particular vehicle from a database, and, based on the information retrieved, determines the process of estimating the vehicle'"'"'s mileage, then;

(i) in the event the determination indicates the vehicle age should be used,

estimating the current mileage of the particular vehicle using the age of the vehicle, wherein the age of the vehicle is multiplied by an average mileage per time period factor to estimate the vehicle'"'"'s current mileage,

(ii) in the event the determination indicates the vehicle'"'"'s last known mileage should be used,

estimating the current mileage of the particular vehicle using the last known mileage of the vehicle, wherein the days elapsed since the recording of the last known mileage of the vehicle is multiplied by an average mileage per time period factor to estimate the vehicle'"'"'s current mileage,

comparing the current mileage estimate to a list of service reminders,

in the event the estimated current mileage matches a mileage window for a service reminder, generating a service reminder, and

wherein the service bulletin update server queries a serve bulletin server through a communication network to receive updates to at least one of a recall bulletin or a recommended service bulletin.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the reminder server sends the service reminder as an e-mail message to a recipient responsible for the care of the vehicle.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the service bulletin update server periodically and automatically updates the at least one of recall bulletin or recommended service bulletins.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the reminder server screens the updated at least one of recall bulletins or recommended service bulletins, and, upon finding at least one updated recall bulletin or recommended service bulletin matching a vehicle, generates and sends a service reminder to the vehicle'"'"'s owner or driver.