Method and Apparatus for In-Vehicle Consumer Information Gathering

• US 20130197973A1
• Filed: 01/31/2012
• Published: 08/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Liu, Yimin, MacNeille, Perry Robinson, Pierucci, Joe Phillip, Gusikhin, Oleg Yurievitch, Klampfl, Erica
• Granted Patent: US 10,332,126 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.32
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A computer implemented method includes receiving vehicle location information. The method also includes delivering a survey to one or more vehicle occupants, over a vehicle audio system, the survey related to a business having some correlation to the location information. Further, the method includes collecting survey results. Also, the method includes relaying the survey results to a remote server for processing. The method additionally includes providing a digital reward to the one or more occupants participating in the survey.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

receiving vehicle location information;

delivering a survey to one or more vehicle occupants, over a vehicle audio system, the survey related to a business having some correlation to the location information;

collecting survey results;

relaying the survey results to a remote server for processing; and

providing a digital reward to the one or more occupants participating in the survey.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving further includes receiving driver demographic information, and wherein the survey delivery is further based at least in part on the demographic information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information includes GPS coodinates and the business is proximate to the GPS coordinates within a predefined distance.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information includes a route.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the business is proximate to some portion of the route within a predefined distance.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital reward is an electronically transferred coupon.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital reward is sent as a coupon embedded in a text message.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the survey is related to a business proximate to a location where a vehicle was recently parked.

9. A computer implemented method comprising:

receiving vehicle route information;

offering a survey to a vehicle occupant;

upon election to complete a survey by an occupant, calculating an amount of time remaining in a vehicle route;

selecting a survey having an estimated taking time less than the amount of time remaining in the vehicle route; and

delivering the selected survey to one or more vehicle occupants, over a vehicle audio system.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

collecting survey results;

relaying the survey results to a remote server for processing; and

providing a digital reward to the one or more occupants participating in the survey.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the digital reward is an electronically transferred coupon.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the digital reward is sent as a coupon embedded in a text message.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the digital reward is an extension of a premium service.

14. A computer implemented method comprising:

detecting achievement of a vehicle metric condition;

providing a survey relating to a driver'"'"'s satisfaction with some aspect of the vehicle;

collecting survey results;

delivering the survey results to a remote server for processing; and

providing a reward for completion of the survey.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the reward is an extension of a vehicle premium service.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the reward is an extension of a vehicle warranty.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the metric condition is a new-purchase condition and the survey is a purchase satisfaction survey.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the metric condition is a time after purchase condition and the survey is a vehicle satisfaction survey.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the metric condition is a driven distance after purchase condition and the survey is a vehicle satisfaction survey.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the metric condition is a post-repair condition and the survey is a repair satisfaction survey.