ODOMETER VERIFICATION AND REPORTING USING A TELEMATICS-EQUIPPED VEHICLE

• US 20120262283A1
• Filed: 04/12/2011
• Published: 10/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company), GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company), GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Biondo, William A., Baker, George, Proefke, David T., Fondaw, Kevin E., McCormick, Catherine L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,653,953 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/425.5
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

A system and method for providing an odometer verification for a vehicle. The method carried out by the system includes the steps of: (a) receiving authorization from a customer to periodically store odometer information obtained from the customer'"'"'s vehicle; (b) configuring at least one processing device such that it automatically stores odometer readings and associated correlation parameter values for the vehicle; (c) receiving a request for an odometer verification; (d) analyzing the odometer readings and associated correlation parameter values in response to the request; (e) determining a verification result based on the analysis; and (f) sending the verification result to a recipient in response to the determination.

Claims

1. A method of providing an odometer verification result for a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

(a) periodically receiving an odometer reading for a vehicle indicative of the total mileage traveled by the vehicle;

(b) storing the odometer readings after they are received;

(c) receiving a request for an odometer verification;

(d) verifying a current odometer reading in response to the request using the previously-stored odometer readings; and

(e) providing an odometer verification notification in response to the verification in step (d).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises receiving at least some of the odometer readings at a call center in conjunction with telematics services being provided via a wireless connection between the vehicle and call center.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the mileage is associated with a correlation parameter and wherein step (b) further comprises storing each odometer reading in association with a value for the correlation parameter, and wherein step (d) further comprises verifying the current odometer reading by analysis of the odometer readings and their associated correlation parameter values.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the correlation parameter values indicate the temporal order in which the odometer readings were received and wherein step (d) further comprises verifying the current odometer reading at least in part by comparing the stored odometer readings based on their temporal order.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the correlation parameter values comprise date information indicative of when their associated odometer reading was received.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the correlation parameter values comprise vehicle runtime information indicative of the cumulative amount of time that the vehicle has been operated.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the steps (a)-(e) are carried out at the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein steps (a)-(e) are carried out at a call center using vehicle information that includes the odometer readings.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises receiving the odometer readings serially and wherein (d) further comprises verifying the current odometer reading if each successive odometer reading is greater than its preceding odometer reading.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) further comprises verifying the current odometer reading only if the stored odometer readings are determined to be temporally increasing and the stored odometer readings are determined to have a desired correlation with at least one other type of vehicle information.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) further comprises using at least two correlation parameters to determine an expected mileage and then comparing the expected mileage with the current odometer reading.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of creating a history log of odometer readings and wherein the method further comprises the step of electronically transmitting the history log to a recipient in response to a request.

13. A method of providing an odometer verification result for a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

(a) periodically receiving an odometer reading for a vehicle indicative of the total mileage traveled by the vehicle;

(b) storing the odometer readings after they are received;

(c) determining a negative mileage accumulation based on at least two of the stored odometer readings;

(d) determining the vehicle'"'"'s location; and

(e) sending from the vehicle a notification indicating the negative mileage accumulation along with the vehicle location;

wherein steps (a)-(e) are carried out automatically by the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein step (e) further comprises sending a verification failed notification to a recipient.

15. A method of providing an odometer verification result for a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving authorization from a customer to periodically store odometer information obtained from the customer'"'"'s vehicle;

(b) configuring at least one processing device such that it automatically stores odometer readings and associated correlation parameter values for the vehicle;

(c) receiving a request for an odometer verification;

(d) analyzing the odometer readings and associated correlation parameter values in response to the request;

(e) determining a verification result based on the analysis; and

(f) sending the verification result to a recipient in response to the determination.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the correlation parameter values indicate the temporal order in which the odometer readings were stored and wherein step (d) further comprises comparing the stored odometer readings based on their temporal order.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the correlation parameter values comprise date information indicative of when their associated odometer reading was received.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the correlation parameter values comprise vehicle runtime information indicative of the cumulative amount of time that the vehicle has been operated.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein steps (a)-(f) are carried out at a call center using vehicle information that includes the odometer readings.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein step (d) further comprises using at least two correlation parameters to determine an expected mileage and then comparing the expected mileage with the current odometer reading.