Methods and Systems for Providing Vehicle Repair Information

• US 20130317694A1
• Filed: 05/23/2012
• Published: 11/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Inventors: Merg, Patrick S., Brozovich, R. Steven
• Granted Patent: US 8,977,423 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/31.6
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0216 Human interface functionality, e.g. monitoring system providing help to the user in the selection of tests or in its configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0283 Predictive maintenance, e.g. involving the monitoring of a system and, based on the monitoring results, taking decisions on the maintenance schedule of the monitored system; Estimating remaining useful life [RUL] preventive maintenance, i.e. planning maintenance according to the available resources without monitoring the system G06Q10/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0739 in a data processing system embedded in automotive or aircraft systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0766 Error or fault reporting or storing
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing. In an example, the computing device may be configured to receive vehicle information including identification information of a vehicle and/or information describing condition of the vehicle. The computing device also may be configured to match the vehicle information to content of a vehicle repair database so as to identify repair information relating to the vehicle. The computing device further may be configured to receive geographic information identifying a geographic location relating to the vehicle. The computing device also may be configured to provide, to a communication network, a subset of the identified repair information based on the geographic information. The service advisor may be able to access the subset of the identified repair information on a display device coupled to the computing device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a computing device, vehicle information comprising one or more of (i) identification information of a vehicle, and (ii) information describing condition of the vehicle;

matching, by the computing device, the vehicle information to content of a vehicle repair database so as to identify repair information relating to the vehicle;

receiving, at the computing device, geographic information identifying a geographic location relating to the vehicle; and

providing, from the computing device to a communication network, a subset of the identified repair information based on the geographic information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification information includes one or more of:

(i) year in which the vehicle was made, (ii) model year, (iii) make of the vehicle, (iv) model of the vehicle, (v) engine type of the vehicle, and (vi) vehicle identification number, and wherein the information describing condition of the vehicle includes one or more of;

(vii) odometer reading of the vehicle, (viii) a diagnostic trouble code (DTC), (ix) a symptom of a malfunction of the vehicle, (x) Parameter IDs (PIDs) and PID values, (xi) sensor data, and (xii) freeze frame data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic information includes an altitude of the geographic location relating to the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving information associated with a region with an altitude similar to a given altitude at a given location of the vehicle, wherein providing the subset of the identified repair information is based on the information associated with the region.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic information includes information identifying an original sale location of the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic information includes historical geographic information identifying locations at which the vehicle was driven.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic location relating to the vehicle is a location with weather conditions similar to given weather conditions at a given location of the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic information includes information identifying a location of a repair shop where the vehicle is being repaired.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic location relating to the vehicle is a location with weather conditions similar to given weather conditions at a given location of the vehicle on a date on which:

(i) the vehicle experienced a given malfunction, or (ii) the vehicle is being repaired.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the subset of repair information comprises providing a ranking of top replaced parts for the vehicle based on the vehicle information and the geographic location, wherein the ranking is indicative of successful fix count associated with replacing each part of the top replaced parts.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle information includes the information describing condition of the vehicle, and wherein providing the subset of the identified repair information comprises providing a ranking of potential vehicle fixes to a given malfunction based on a number of vehicles reported to have a condition similar to the condition of the vehicle, wherein the ranking is indicative of successful fix count of each fix of the potential vehicle fixes.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein providing the ranking comprises providing a given ranking of replaced components based on one or more of:

(i) odometer reading, (ii) engine type of the vehicle, (iii) transmission type of the vehicle, (iv) body type of the vehicle, (v) year in which the vehicle was made, (vi) a model year, (vii) the geographic location relating to the vehicle, (viii) diagnostic trouble code (DTC), (ix) Parameter IDs (PIDs), (x) sensor data, and (xi) freeze frame data.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle information includes the information describing condition of the vehicle, and wherein providing the subset of the identified repair information comprises providing data representing a percentage of vehicles, based on a number of vehicles reported to have a condition similar to the condition of the vehicle, that replaced a failed part associated with the condition as a function of miles driven.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing in the data an indication of a current odometer reading of the vehicle.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

receiving, from a communication network, vehicle information comprising one or more of (i) identification information of a vehicle, and (ii) information describing condition of the vehicle;

matching the vehicle information to content of a vehicle repair database so as to identify repair information relating to the vehicle;

receiving, from the communication network, geographic information identifying a geographic location relating to the vehicle; and

providing, to the communication network, a subset of the identified repair information based on the geographic information.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the function of providing the subset of repair information comprises:

providing data representing a proportion of vehicles, based on a number of vehicles reported to have a condition similar to the condition of the vehicle, that replaced a failed component associated with the condition as a function of miles driven; and

providing in the data an indication of miles driven by the vehicle.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein receiving the geographic information includes receiving information associated with a geographic region with weather conditions similar to given weather conditions at a given location of the vehicle.

18. A system, comprising:

a vehicle repair database including one or more of (i) information relating to prior experience of repairing vehicles, and (ii) original equipment manufacturer vehicle information including component-specific information; and

a computing device coupled to the vehicle repair database, wherein the computing device includes a non-transitory computer readable storage device storing computer readable instructions, a processor configured to execute the computer readable instructions, and a communication device configured to transmit data to a communication network and to receive given data from the communication network, and wherein the computing device is configured to;

receive, from the communication network, vehicle information comprising one or more of (i) identification information of a vehicle, and (ii) information describing condition of the vehicle;

identify repair information relating to the vehicle based on matching of the vehicle information to content of the vehicle repair database;

receive, from the communication network, geographic information identifying a geographic location relating to the vehicle; and

provide, to the communication network, a subset of the identified repair information based on the geographic information.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the geographic location relating to the vehicle has one or more of (i) an altitude similar to a given altitude at a given location of the vehicle, and (ii) weather conditions similar to given weather conditions at the given location of the vehicle or similar to respective weather conditions on a date on which the vehicle experienced a given malfunction or is being repaired.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the computing device is further configured to provide data representing a ranking of failed components based on a number of vehicles reported to have a similar condition to the condition of the vehicle, wherein the ranking is indicative of successful fix count associated with replacing each component of the failed components, and wherein the ranking is based on one or more of:

(i) odometer reading, (ii) engine type of the vehicle, (iii) transmission type of the vehicle, (iv) body type of the vehicle, (v) year in which the vehicle was made, (vi) a model year, (vii) the geographic location relating to the vehicle, (viii) diagnostic trouble code (DTC), (ix) Parameter IDs (PIDs), (x) sensor data, and (xi) freeze frame data.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the computing device is further configured to:

receive repair order information for the vehicle;

determine the geographic location relating to the vehicle from the repair order information;

transmit, to the communication network, a request for weather information for the determined geographic location;

receive, from the communication network, the weather information for the determined geographic location, based on the request;

associate the weather information with the repair order information; and

store the repair order information with the associated weather information.

22. A method, comprising:

providing to a communication network, by a computing device, vehicle information comprising one or more of (i) identification information of a vehicle, and (ii) information describing condition of the vehicle;

providing to the communication network, by the computing device, geographic information identifying a geographic location relating to the vehicle; and

receiving from the communication network, at the computing device, repair information based on the vehicle information and the geographic information.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the identification information includes one or more of:

(i) year in which the vehicle was made, (ii) model year, (iii) make of the vehicle, (iv) model of the vehicle, (v) engine type of the vehicle, (vi) vehicle identification number, and wherein the information describing the condition of the vehicle includes one or more of;

(vii) odometer reading of the vehicle, (viii) diagnostic trouble codes (DTC), (ix) a symptom of a malfunction of the vehicle, (x) Parameter IDs (PIDs) and PID values, (xi) sensor data, and (xii) freeze frame data.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising visually presenting the repair information on a display device coupled to the computing device.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein receiving the repair information comprises receiving a ranking of top replaced parts for the vehicle based on the vehicle information and the geographic location, wherein the ranking is indicative of successful fix count associated with replacing each part of the top replaced parts, the method further comprising visually presenting the ranking on a display device coupled to the computing device.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein receiving the repair information comprises receiving a ranking of replaced components based on a number of vehicles reported to have a condition similar to the condition of the vehicle, wherein the ranking is indicative of successful fix count associated with replacing each component of the replaced components.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the ranking is based on one of:

(i) odometer reading, (ii) engine type of the vehicle, (iii) transmission type of the vehicle, and (iv) body type of the vehicle, (v) year in which the vehicle was made, (vi) a model year, (vii) the geographic location relating to the vehicle, (viii) diagnostic trouble code (DTC), (ix) Parameter IDs (PIDs),

(x) sensor data, and (xi) freeze frame data.

28. A system, comprising:

a display device; and

a computing device coupled to the display device, wherein the computing device includes a non-transitory computer readable storage device storing computer readable instructions, a processor configured to execute the computer readable instructions, and a communication device configured to transmit data to a communication network and to receive given data from the communication network, and wherein the computing device is configured to;

provide, to the communication network, vehicle information comprising one or more of (i) identification information of a vehicle, and (ii) information describing condition of the vehicle;

provide, to the communication network, geographic information identifying a geographic location relating to the vehicle;

receive, from the communication network, repair information based on the vehicle information and the geographic information; and

generate a display of the repair information on the display device.

29. The system of claim 28, further comprising a Global Positioning System (GPS) sensor coupled to the computing device and configured to provide to the computing device the geographic information identifying the geographic location of the vehicle or the computing device.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the computing device is configured to receive the repair information as data representing a percentage or a proportion of vehicles, based on a number of vehicles reported to have a condition similar to the condition of the vehicle, that replaced a failed part associated with the condition as a function of miles driven.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the computing device is further configured to:

generate a display of a graph depicting the data on the display device; and

visually present an indication of a current odometer reading of the vehicle overlaying the graph.