METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR INTEGRATED SATELLITE ASSISTANCE SERVICES

• US 20090227280A1
• Filed: 03/04/2008
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DBSD Corporation (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DBSD Satellite Services GP (Dish Network Corporation)
• Inventors: Raab, Stefan Bernard
• Granted Patent: US 8,457,682 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/550.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

A method and an apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention includes a controller to process a travel assistance request for communication through a satellite and terrestrial mobile communication network. Data related to multiple assistance providers can be received in response to the request. At least one criterion can be processed for the assistance providers based on, for example, historical trip data. The assistance providers can be graphically represented for user selection based on the criterion. Data related to a selected assistance provider can be displayed, including navigation data to and/or from the assistance provider. In another embodiment, the travel assistance request can be communicated to a service center through the network. The service center can communicate data related to an assistance provider, including navigation data to and/or from the assistance provider. A rating of the assistance provider can be communicated to a specified community-of-interest through the network.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor operable to process a travel assistance request for communication to a satellite and terrestrial mobile communications network, the processor operable to process data related to a plurality of assistance providers, the data related to the plurality of assistance providers being received from the satellite and terrestrial mobile communications network in response to the travel assistance request;

a display coupled to the processor, the display operable to graphically represent the data related to the plurality of assistance providers; and

an input device coupled to the processor, the input device operable to detect a selection of one of the plurality of assistance providers.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to process a criterion for each of the plurality of assistance providers based on the data related to the plurality of assistance providers and historical trip data, the historical trip data including route segment data and destination area data.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to process a criterion for one of the plurality of assistance providers based on one or more of the following:

a distance from a location of the one of the plurality of assistance providers to a current location of a vehicle from which travel assistance request originated; and

an estimated travel time from the location of the one of plurality of service providers to the current location of the vehicle from which the travel assistance request originated.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to process a criterion for one of the plurality of assistance providers based on a rating provided by a community-of-interest.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data related to the plurality of assistance providers includes one or more of the following:

a location in a navigation map of the assistance provider;

a telephone number;

an address;

a website;

a hyperlink;

a multimedia feed;

an email address;

an estimated time for a service vehicle to arrive to a current location of a vehicle from which the travel assistance request originated; and

an estimated time for the vehicle from which the travel assistance request originated to arrive at the location of the one of the plurality of assistance providers.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input device includes a touch screen display.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input device is operable to communicate the travel assistance request to the processor.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to communicate with a diagnostics system for reception of the travel assistance request.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a modem coupled to the processor, the modem operable to communicate with the satellite and terrestrial mobile communication network.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor operable to process a travel assistance request for communication to a service center through a satellite and terrestrial mobile communications network, the processor operable to receive data related to a assistance provider from the service center through the satellite and terrestrial mobile communication network; and

a display coupled to the processor, the display operable to graphically represent the data related to the assistance provider.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising an input device and an output device, the input device and the output device being coupled to the processor, the input device, the output device, and the processor collectively operable to communicate with an operator at the service center.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising an input device and an output device, the input device and the output device being coupled to the processor, the input device, the output device, and the processor collectively operable to communicate with the assistance provider.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is operable to process data for communication with the service center through the satellite and terrestrial mobile communication network using voice-over-IP protocol.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is operable to process data for communication with the assistance provider through the satellite and terrestrial mobile communication network using voice-over-IP protocol.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a modem coupled to the processor, the modem operable to communicate with the satellite and terrestrial mobile communication network.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the data related to the assistance provider includes one or more of the following:

a location in a navigation map of the assistance provider;

a location in a navigation map of a dispatched service vehicle;

a telephone number;

an address;

a website;

a hyperlink;

a multimedia feed;

an email address;

an estimated time for the dispatched service vehicle to arrive at a current location of a vehicle from which the travel assistance request originated; and

an estimated time for the vehicle from which the travel assistance request originated to arrive at the location of the assistance provider.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising an input device coupled to the processor, the input device operable to communicate the travel assistance request to the processor.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is operable to communicate with a diagnostics system for reception of the travel assistance request.

19. A method, comprising:

receiving data related to a plurality of assistance providers from a satellite and terrestrial mobile communications network upon communication of a travel assistance request to the satellite and terrestrial mobile communications network;

graphically representing the plurality of assistance providers based on the data related to the plurality of assistance providers and a criterion for each of the plurality of assistance providers; and

detecting a selection of one of the graphically represented plurality of assistance providers.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising determining the criterion for one of the plurality of assistance providers based on one or more of the following:

historical trip data, the historical trip data including route segment data and destination area data;

a distance from a location of the one of the plurality of assistance providers to a current location of a vehicle from which the travel assistance request originated; and

an estimated travel time from a location of the one of the plurality of service providers to the current location of the vehicle from which the travel assistance request originated.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising communicating with the selected assistance provider.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising tracking a service vehicle dispatched by the selected assistance provider.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising receiving the travel assistance request from a vehicle diagnostics system.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising communicating a rating for the selected assistance provider to a community-of-interest through the satellite and terrestrial mobile communications network.

25. A method, comprising:

communicating data related to a travel assistance request to a service center through a satellite and terrestrial mobile communications network;

receiving data related to a assistance provider from the service center through the satellite and terrestrial mobile communications network; and

tracking a service vehicle dispatched from the assistance provider.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising communicating with an operator at the service center through the satellite and terrestrial mobile communications network

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising communicating with the assistance provider through the satellite and terrestrial mobile communications network.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the data related to the assistance provider includes one or more of the following:

a location in a navigation map of the assistance provider;

a location in a navigation map of the dispatched service vehicle;

a telephone number;

an address;

a website;

a hyperlink;

a multimedia feed;

an email address; and

an estimated time for the dispatched service vehicle to arrive at a current location of a vehicle from which the travel assistance request originated.

29. The method of claim 25, further comprising communicating a rating for the assistance provider to a community-of-interest through the satellite and terrestrial mobile communications network.

30. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor operable to process a travel assistance request for communication to a satellite and terrestrial mobile communications network, the processor operable to process data related to a plurality of assistance providers for graphical representation, the data related to the plurality of assistance providers being received from the satellite and terrestrial mobile communications network in response to the travel assistance request, the processor operable to process a selection of one of the graphically represented plurality of assistance providers.

31. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor operable to process a travel assistance request for communication to a service center through a satellite and terrestrial mobile communications network, the processor operable to receive data related to a assistance provider from the service center through the satellite and terrestrial mobile communication network, the processor operable to process the data related to the assistance provider for graphical representation.

32. A method, comprising:

accessing data related to a plurality of assistance providers and a criterion for each of the plurality of assistance providers upon detection of a travel assistance request, the criterion is based on historical trip data, the historical trip data including route segment data and destination area data;

graphically representing the plurality of assistance providers based on the data related to the plurality of assistance providers and the criterion for each of the plurality of assistance providers; and

detecting a selection of one of the graphically represented plurality of assistance providers.