CUSTOMIZED INSTRUMENT EVALUATION AND ORDERING TOOL

• US 20110208339A1
• Filed: 02/23/2010
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PACCAR Incorporated
• Original Assignee: PACCAR Incorporated
• Inventors: Crowe, Paul Stephen, Tarte, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 8,577,487 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/98
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/20 Configuration CAD, e.g. designing by assembling or positioning modules selected from libraries of predesigned modules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/15 Vehicle, aircraft or watercraft design
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A tool is provided to allow a user to customize the components of a vehicle instrument panel from an Internet-enabled Web site. A user can navigate to a Web site and select a vehicle for configuration. From the Web site, input may be obtained regarding the components and appearance of an instrument panel such as selecting particular types of components (e.g., display panels, gauges, etc.) and arranging where the selected components are to be located. The input generated by a user is translated into a build specification for assembling the instrument panel at the manufacturer. Accordingly, the system and method serve as an interface between the Web site that obtains user configuration data and a manufacturer'"'"'s system that manages assembly of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating a configuration service of an instrument panel, the system comprising:

a memory component for storing information about vehicles and information about an instrument panel of each vehicle;

a computing device, communicatively connected with the memory component, the computing device operative to;

obtain information about configurable attributes of an instrument panel for a vehicle, wherein a user of a remote computing device selects the vehicle for customizing thereof;

receive input from the user regarding a desired configuration of the instrument panel that includes at least one hardware instrument and at least one virtual instrument, wherein the input from the user is directed to the configurable attributes;

generate a visual representation of the instrument panel based on the received input;

render the generated visual representation of the instrument panel on the remote computing device, wherein the rendered visual representation of the instrument panel includes depictions of the hardware and virtual instruments;

generate a build specification that is designed to be used by a manufacturer for assembling an instrument panel that corresponds to the generated visual representation; and

provide the build specification to a manufacturer system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the build specification identifies the instruments, including the at least one hardware instrument to assemble into the instrument panel, and the at least one virtual instrument to be displayed on the instrument panel.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the build specification defines characteristics and placements of the identified instruments.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the manufacturer system includes an assembly application that is configured to assemble the instrument panel in accordance with the build specification.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the obtained information about configurable attributes of the instrument panel is presented to the user to assist the user in customizing the configuration of the instrument panel.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein a hardware cover of the instrument panel is customized.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the user is able to replace a hardware instrument with a virtual instrument that is a visual image of the corresponding hardware instrument.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the user is allowed to replace a virtual instrument with a hardware instrument that provides the same functionality.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein prior to generating the build specification, the computing device is operable to allow the user to evaluate the rendered visual representation.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein if the evaluation is not satisfactory, the user is able to modify the configuration.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein if the evaluation is satisfactory, the user confirms the configuration, which causes the computing system to generate the build specification.

12. A method implemented in computer-executable instructions for configuring an instrument panel based on received user input, the method comprising:

receiving input from a user regarding desired configurations of an instrument panel of a vehicle;

generating a visual representation of the instrument panel based on the received input;

causing the generated visual representation of the instrument panel to be rendered on the remote computing device;

receiving from the user a review regarding the visual representation of the instrument panel; and

if the review is satisfactory;

generating a build order that is designed to be used for assembling the instrument panel that corresponds to the generated visual representation, wherein the build order identifies instruments that will be displayed on the instrument panel and specifies characteristics and locations of the identified instruments; and

providing the build order to a manufacturer system that includes an assembly application configured to assemble the instrument panel in accordance with the build order.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

if the review is not satisfactory;

receiving, from the user, input to change the configuration of the instrument panel;

updating the visual representation of the instrument panel based on the input to change the configuration of the instrument panel; and

causing the updating visual representation of the instrument panel to be rendered on the remote computing device.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the build order identifies the instruments, including the at least one hardware instrument to assemble into the instrument panel, and the at least one virtual instrument to be displayed on the instrument panel.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the build order specifies characteristics and placements of the identified instruments.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the assembly application is operable to correlate the build order with the instrument panel to be installed in the vehicle.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

obtaining information about configurable attributes of the instrument panel for the vehicle; and

presenting the obtained information about available configurations of an instrument to the user to assist the user in customizing the configuration.

18. A system for facilitating a configuration service between a user and a manufacturer of a vehicle over a communication network, the system comprising:

a memory component for storing information about vehicles and information about an instrument panel of each vehicle;

a user interface component configured to obtain input from a user and render a graphical display in a Web page; and

a configuration component operable to;

generate a visual representation of an instrument panel based on the obtained input, wherein the obtained input is the desired configuration of the instrument panel;

cause the user interface component to render the generated visual representation of the instrument panel on the remote computing device, wherein the user interface component is further configured to receive from the user a review regarding the visual representation of the instrument panel; and

determine whether the user'"'"'s review is satisfactory;

if the user'"'"'s review is satisfactory;

generate a build order that is designed to be used for assembling the instrument panel that corresponds to the generated visual representation, wherein the build order identifies instruments that will be displayed on the instrument panel and specifies characteristics and locations of the identified instruments; and

provide the build order to a manufacturer system, the build order including an assembly application that is configured to assemble the instrument panel in accordance with the build order.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein if the user'"'"'s review is not satisfactory, the configuration component is operative to:

receive, from the user, input to change the configuration of the instrument panel;

update the visual representation of the instrument panel based on the input to change the configuration of the instrument panel; and

cause the updated visual representation of the instrument panel to be rendered on the remote computing device.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the instrument panel includes at least one hardware instrument and at least one virtual instrument.