Method and system for providing assistance resource progress information along a route

• US 20120258737A1
• Filed: 06/20/2012
• Published: 10/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: HTI IP LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Bennett, Richard E. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 8,792,913 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

A user, either in a vehicle with a telematics device, at a home having a computer device, using a handheld wireless device, or other type of communication device, can request services such as to repair a flat tire, unlock a locked door, repair cable television service, etc. using the communication device. The user'"'"'s communication device sends a request message over the communication network to a second server. The second server creates a request for service record and forwards the message to a first server that determines a resource to dispatch to the user'"'"'s location. The first server sends resource information, including location information, to the user'"'"'s device, and either the device, or a device coupled to the user'"'"'s communication device, displays the current location of the service resource on a map as the resource makes its way toward the user'"'"'s location.

Claims

1-18. -18. (canceled)

19. A system for providing location information of a service provider resource on its way to a user location, comprising a server at a data center associated with a user device configured for:

receiving a request for assistance message from the user device at the user location, the message including information describing the location of the user device;

processing the request message at the data center associated with the user device to determine a services provider that can provide a type of services corresponding to the request for assistance message;

transmitting the request for assistance message to a data center associated with a provider of services that can provide the type of services requested in the request message, wherein the data center associated with the user device determines the provider of services to transmit the request for assistance message to based on the type of service requested in the request for assistance message;

receiving from the data center associated with the provider of services service resource information related to a service resource assigned by the services provider based on the information describing the location of the user device in response to the transmitted request for assistance message; and

transmitting a location message from the data center associated with the user device to the user device indicating the location of the service resource relative to the user device location.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the data center associated with the user device includes a consumer telematics operation center server.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein the data center associated with the services provider includes a fleet management telematics operation center server.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the processing step includes comparing a requested services type indicator contained in the request for assistance message with service provider entries in a database indexed according to a services type field, and determining a services provider to which to transmit the assistance request message to based on data in the services provider'"'"'s entry that indicates the type of services it offers.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the assistance request message is transmitted to the services provider referenced in the database entry having the data that matches the requested services type indicator according to an address also referenced in the database entry.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the data indicating the type of services of a provider referenced in its corresponding entry of the database is meta data.

25. A system for tracking progress of service personnel along a route, comprising a server at a second data center configured for:

receiving from a user device a request for assistance message;

creating a request record of the request for assistance message at the second data center;

transmitting the request for assistance message to a first data center, wherein the second data center determines the first data center to transmit the request for assistance message to based on the type of service requested in the request for assistance message;

receiving service resource information related to a service resource assigned in response to the transmitted request for assistance message;

updating the request record with a current location of the service resource; and

transmitting a location message to the user device indicating the location of the service resource relative to the user device.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the user device transmits the request for assistance over a wireless communication network.

27. The system of claim 25 wherein the user device includes a telematics control unit in a vehicle.

28. The system of claim 25 wherein the service resource is a truck.

29. The system of claim 25 further comprising displaying the location of the service resource on a display device substantially collocated with the user device.

30. The system of claim 28 wherein the truck includes a telematics control unit that transmits its GPS coordinates to the first data center.

31. A method for managing a service provider resource on its way to a user location, comprising:

receiving a request for assistance message transmitted from a user device at the user location, the message including information describing the user device;

processing the request for assistance message at a data center associated with the user device to determine a services provider that can provide a type of service corresponding to the request for assistance message;

transmitting the request for assistance message to a data center associated with a provider of services that can provide the type of services requested in the request message, wherein the data center associated with the user device determines the provider of services to transmit the request for assistance message to based on the type of service requested in the request for assistance message;

receiving from the data center associated with the provider of services service resource information related to a service resource assigned by the services provider based on the information describing the location of the user device in response to the transmitted request for assistance message; and

transmitting a notification to the data center associated with the provider of services that the service resource is no longer needed in response to the request for assistance message if the data center associated with the user device receives a transmission from the user device that it has moved from the user location from which it transmitted the request for assistance message.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the data center associated with the user device includes a consumer telematics operation center server.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein the data center associated with the services provider includes a fleet management telematics operation center server.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the processing step includes comparing a requested services type indicator contained in the request for assistance message with service provider entries in a database indexed according to a services type field, and determining a services provider to which to transmit the assistance request message to based on data in the services provider'"'"'s entry that indicates the type of services it offers.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the assistance request message is transmitted to the services provider referenced in the database entry having the data that matches the requested services type indicator according to an address also referenced in the database entry.