METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MAKING AUTOMATED APPOINTMENTS

• US 20090106036A1
• Filed: 10/22/2007
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Harris, Harry, Tamura, Kazuya, Uyeki, Robert
• Application Number:
  US11/876,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20090106036A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/305
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance

Abstract

Methods and systems for scheduling vehicle service appointments from a remote site via an onboard system are provided. For example, there is provided a method for broadcasting vehicle event information to a plurality of vehicles that can include product update information and vehicle maintenance reminders. The user is able to respond to the vehicle event by requesting a service appointment from a desired dealer using the onboard system to communicate with a remote site using a cellular data line over a wireless communication network. In one embodiment, a proposed service appointment date and time is presented to the user. The proposed appointment date and time is based on the vehicle user'"'"'s preference setting and a dealer'"'"'s schedule corresponding to the dealer selected by the user. Proposed service appointment dates and times are released to other users when the user has not confirmed the appointment during a predetermined response time.

Claims

1. A method for scheduling vehicle service appointments for a vehicle user, comprising:

receiving information about a vehicle event;

identifying a dealer to service the vehicle event;

accessing a dealer schedule of the identified dealer;

determining whether the user has provided scheduling preferences in a user profile;

selecting a preference-based appointment time in the dealer schedule according to the scheduling preferences when the user profile includes the scheduling preferences;

selecting a first available appointment time in the dealer schedule when the user profile does not include the scheduling preferences; and

sending a proposed appointment time to a vehicle user, the proposed appointment time comprising one of the preference-based appointment time and the first available appointment time.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a priority rank of the vehicle event; and

selecting the first available appointment time in the dealer schedule when the priority rank of the vehicle event meets a predefined priority level, regardless of whether the user profile includes the scheduling preferences.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising reserving the proposed appointment time when the user selects the proposed appointment time.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising releasing the proposed appointment time when the user does not select the proposed appointment time during a predetermined response period.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving information about the vehicle event comprises receiving vehicle identification information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving information about the vehicle event comprises receiving a diagnostic trouble code.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving information about the vehicle event comprises receiving a product update message.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the dealer to service the vehicle event comprises retrieving data from the user profile.

9. A method for scheduling vehicle service appointments for a vehicle user, comprising:

detecting a vehicle event;

sending vehicle information to a remote site; and

receiving a proposed appointment time with a dealer from the remote site, comprising;

receiving a preference-based appointment time in a dealer schedule according to scheduling preferences of the user when the user has provided the scheduling preferences in a user profile; and

receiving a first available appointment time in the dealer schedule when the user profile does not include the scheduling preferences.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving the first available appointment time in the dealer schedule when a priority rank of the vehicle event meets a predefined priority level, regardless of whether the user profile includes the scheduling preferences.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising sending a command to the remote site to reserve the proposed appointment time when the user selects the displayed appointment time.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising sending a command to the remote site to release the proposed appointment time when the user does not select the displayed appointment time during a predetermined response period.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein detecting the vehicle event comprises detecting a mileage-based event.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein detecting the vehicle event comprises detecting a condition-based event.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein detecting the vehicle event comprises receiving a diagnostic trouble code.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein detecting the vehicle event comprises receiving a product update message.

17. A system for scheduling vehicle service appointments for a vehicle user, comprising:

a receiver unit for receiving information about a vehicle event;

a processor unit that is operatively coupled to the receiver unit and programmed to;

identify a dealer to service the vehicle event;

access a dealer schedule of the identified dealer;

determine whether the user has provided scheduling preferences in a user profile;

select a preference-based appointment time in the dealer schedule according to the scheduling preferences when the user profile includes the scheduling preferences; and

select a first available appointment time in the dealer schedule when the user profile does not include the scheduling preferences; and

a transmitter unit that is operatively coupled to the processor unit for sending a proposed appointment time to a vehicle user, the proposed appointment time comprising one of the preference-based appointment time and the first available appointment time.

18. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the processor unit is further programmed to:

determine a priority rank of the vehicle event; and

select the first available appointment time in the dealer schedule when the priority rank of the vehicle event meets a predefined priority level, regardless of whether the user profile includes the scheduling preferences.

19. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the processor unit is further programmed to reserve the proposed appointment time when the user selects the proposed appointment time.

20. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the processor unit is further programmed to release the proposed appointment time when the user does not select the proposed appointment time during a predetermined response period.

21. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the receiver unit receives vehicle identification information.

22. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the receiver unit receives a diagnostic trouble code.

23. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the receiver unit receives a product update message.

24. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the processor identifies the dealer by retrieving data from the user profile.

25. A system for scheduling vehicle service appointments, comprising:

a detector for detecting a vehicle event;

a transmitter unit;

a processor unit that is operatively coupled to the detector and transmitter unit, the processor unit being programmed to instruct the transmitter unit to send vehicle information to a remote site when the detector detects the vehicle event;

a receiver unit that receives a proposed appointment time with a dealer from the remote site, wherein the receiver unit receives a preference-based appointment time in a dealer schedule according to scheduling preferences of the user when the user has provided the scheduling preferences in a user profile, and wherein the receiver unit receives a first available appointment time in the dealer schedule when the user profile does not include the scheduling preferences; and

a display unit for displaying the proposed appointment time for the user.

26. The system as recited in claim 25, wherein the receiver unit receives the first available appointment time in the dealer schedule when a priority rank of the vehicle event meets a predefined priority level, regardless of whether the user profile includes the scheduling preferences.

27. The system as recited in claim 25, wherein the transmitter unit sends a command to the remote site to reserve the proposed appointment time when the user selects the displayed appointment time.

28. The system as recited in claim 25, wherein the transmitter unit sends a command to the remote site to release the proposed appointment time when the user does not select the displayed appointment time during a predetermined response period.

29. The system as recited in claim 25, wherein the detector detects a mileage-based event.

30. The system as recited in claim 25, wherein the detector detects a condition-based event.

31. The system as recited in claim 25, wherein the transmitter unit sends a diagnostic trouble code to the remote site.

32. The system as recited in claim 25, wherein the receiver unit receives a product update message.