Method and system for providing a service resource to a user location

• US 20140364080A1
• Filed: 06/23/2014
• Published: 12/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: HTI IP LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Bennett, Richard E. Jr.
• Application Number:
  US14/312,579
• Publication Number:
  US 20140364080A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• 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 a service resource 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, wherein the user device automatically generated the request for assistance message based on at least one of an occurrence of a condition, situation, or accident, and wherein the request for assistance message includes information representative of the condition, situation, or accident that triggered the generation of the request for assistance message; and

transmitting the request for assistance message to a data center associated with a provider of services that can provide services according to the information in the request message representative of the condition, situation, or accident that triggered the generation of the request for assistance 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 information in the request message representative of the condition, situation, or accident that triggered the generation of the request for assistance message.

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 information representative of the condition, situation, or accident contained in the request for assistance message with service provider entries in a database and determining a services provider to which to transmit the assistance request message to based on data in the services provider'"'"'s entry that matches at least in part the at least one of the condition, situation, or accident.

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

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the data information representative of at least one of a condition, situation, or accident is meta data.

25. A system comprising a server at a second data center configured for:

receiving from a user device a request for assistance message, wherein the user device automatically generated the request for assistance message based on at least one of an occurrence of a condition, situation, or accident, and wherein the request for assistance message includes information representative of the condition, situation, or accident that triggered the generation of the request for assistance message;

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

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 information representative of the condition, situation, or accident that triggered the generation of the request for assistance message.

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 server at the second data center is further configured to perform steps comprising 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;

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

displaying the location of the service resource on a display device substantially collocated with the user device.

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

30. The system of claim 29 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 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, wherein the user device automatically generated the request for assistance message based on at least one of an occurrence of a condition, situation, or accident, and wherein the request for assistance message includes information representative of the condition, situation, or accident that triggered the generation of the request for assistance message;

transmitting the request for assistance message to a data center associated with a provider of services that can provide services according to the information in the request message representative of the condition, situation, or accident that triggered the generation of the request for assistance 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 information in the request message representative of the condition, situation, or accident that triggered the generation of 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 information representative of the condition, situation, or accident contained in the request for assistance message with service provider entries in a database and determining a services provider to which to transmit the assistance request message to based on data in the services provider'"'"'s entry that matches at least in part the at least one of the condition, situation, or accident.

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