Methods and systems for providing an auto-generated repair-hint to a vehicle repair tool

• US 20160117368A1
• Filed: 11/03/2015
• Published: 04/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Inventors: Merg, Patrick S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,971,815 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2455 Query execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2465 Query processing support for facilitating data mining operations in structured databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/367 Ontology
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/00 Registering or indicating the working of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005

Abstract

Methods and systems pertaining to auto-generated repair-hints are described. A computer-readable processor can compare terms identified on a repair order (RO) to a taxonomy term database to determine standard terms associated with the terms on the RO, to store the standard terms as meta-data associated with the RO, to select pre-drafted text strings with gaps, and to insert the meta-data into the text string gaps to create a complete text string that forms at least part of an auto-generated repair-hint. The processor can receive a set of standard search terms to search for the auto-generated repair-hint from among multiple repair-hints. The processor can cause the auto-generated repair-hint to be transmitted to a vehicle repair tool for displaying the auto-generated repair-hint. A machine including the processor can receive a set of non-standard search terms (NSST) and identify a set of standard search terms associated with the NSST.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A method comprising:

identifying, by at least one processor, repair-hint attributes on an original repair order (RO), wherein the repair-hint attributes includes at least one text term;

selecting, by the at least one processor from at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium, at least one taxonomy term based on the at least one text term;

generating, by the at least one processor, meta-data indicating the repair-hint attributes;

selecting, by the at least one processor, a text string for generating an auto-generated repair-hint associated with the presentable RO;

inserting, by the at least one processor, the meta-data associated with the presentable RO into the selected text string; and

storing, within the at least one computer-readable medium, the auto-generated repair-hint and the meta-data associated with the presentable RO.

22. The method of claim 21,

wherein identifying the repair-hint attributes includes identifying at least one diagnostic trouble code (DTC) contained with the original RO,

wherein the at least one DTC indicates a particular DTC set within a vehicle, and

wherein selecting the text string includes selecting a text string with at least one gap for inserting text indicting the at least one DTC.

23. The method of claim 21,

wherein identifying the repair-hint attributes includes identifying at least one labor operation code contained with the original RO, and

wherein the at least one labor operation code indicates a particular service or repair operation performed to a vehicle.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the presentable RO includes the auto-generated repair-hint and at least one of RO timing information pertaining to the original RO, a vehicle identifier, a vehicle service request, and a usage indicator of distance traveled by a vehicle.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the presentable RO includes the auto-generated repair-hint and RO timing information pertaining to the original RO, a vehicle identifier, a vehicle service request, and a usage indicator of distance traveled by a vehicle.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

transmitting, by a network interface onto a communication network, the auto-generated repair-hint for displaying on a vehicle repair tool.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein transmitting the auto-generated repair-hint onto the communication network occurs prior to any human reading or reviewing the auto-generated repair-hint.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

providing, by the at least one processor, at least one statistic associated with the auto-generated repair-hint to the communication network for transmission of the at least one statistic to the vehicle repair tool.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the at least one statistic associated with the selected auto-generated repair-hint is based on a ratio of a number of computer-readable repair orders associated with a set of search terms received from the vehicle repair tool and a number of computer-readable repair orders associated with a vehicle-year-make-model attribute combination.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the at least one statistic associated with the auto-generated repair-hint pertains to geographical locations at which computer-readable repair orders associated with the set of search terms were produced.

41. The method of claim 26, wherein the communication network comprises at least a portion of at least one of the following networks:

a wide area network, a local area network, a wired network, a wireless network, and the Internet.

43. The method of claim 26, wherein the vehicle repair tool comprises (i) a smartphone, (ii) a tablet device, (iii) a laptop computer, (iv) a desktop computer, or (v) an embedded computing device including a processor, a network interface, a data storage device, and a user interface having a display.

31. A computing system comprising:

at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon an original repair order (RO) and a database of taxonomy terms;

at least one processor connected to the at least one computer-readable medium and programmed to;

identify repair-hint attributes on an original repair order (RO), wherein the repair-hint attributes includes at least one text term;

select, from the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium, at least one taxonomy term based on the at least one text term;

generate meta-data indicating the repair-hint attributes;

select a text string for generating an auto-generated repair-hint associated with the presentable RO;

insert the meta-data associated with the presentable RO into the selected text string; and

store, within the at least one computer-readable medium, the auto-generated repair-hint and the meta-data associated with the presentable RO.

32. The computing system of claim 31,

wherein identifying the repair-hint attributes includes identifying at least one diagnostic trouble code (DTC) contained with the original RO,

wherein the at least one DTC indicates a particular DTC set within a vehicle, and

wherein selecting the text string includes selecting a text string with at least one gap for inserting text indicting the at least one DTC.

33. The computing system of claim 31,

wherein identifying the repair-hint attributes includes identifying at least one labor operation code contained with the original RO, and

wherein the at least one labor operation code indicates a particular service or repair operation performed to a vehicle.

34. The computing system of claim 31, wherein the presentable RO includes the auto-generated repair-hint and at least one of RO timing information pertaining to the original RO, a vehicle identifier, a vehicle service request, and a usage indicator of distance traveled by a vehicle.

35. The computing system of claim 31, wherein the presentable RO includes the auto-generated repair-hint and RO timing information pertaining to the original RO, a vehicle identifier, a vehicle service request, and a usage indicator of distance traveled by a vehicle.

36. The computing system of claim 31, wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to cause a network interface to transmit onto a communication network the auto-generated repair-hint for displaying on a vehicle repair tool.

37. The computing system of claim 36, wherein transmitting the auto-generated repair-hint onto the communication network occurs prior to any human reading or reviewing the auto-generated repair-hint.

38. The computing system of claim 36, wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to provide at least one statistic associated with the auto-generated repair-hint to the communication network for transmission of the at least one statistic to the vehicle repair tool.

39. The computing system of claim 38, wherein the at least one statistic associated with the selected auto-generated repair-hint is based on a ratio of a number of computer-readable repair orders associated with a set of search terms received from the vehicle repair tool and a number of computer-readable repair orders associated with a vehicle-year-make-model attribute combination.

40. The computing system of claim 39, wherein the at least one statistic associated with the auto-generated repair-hint pertains to geographical locations at which computer-readable repair orders associated with the set of search terms were produced.

42. The computing system of claim 36, wherein the communication network comprises at least a portion of at least one of the following networks:

a wide area network, a local area network, a wired network, a wireless network, and the Internet.

44. The computing system of claim 36, wherein the vehicle repair tool comprises (i) a smartphone, (ii) a tablet device, (iii) a laptop computer, (iv) a desktop computer, or (v) an embedded computing device including a processor, a network interface, a data storage device, and a user interface having a display.