SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO UTILIZE AN ELECTRONIC GARAGE SHELF

• US 20160189114A1
• Filed: 12/31/2014
• Published: 06/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Cattone, Jeremy Leigh
• Granted Patent: US 11,093,905 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance

Abstract

Systems and methods to utilize an electronic garage shelf are described. The system includes an electronic garage shelf which may be a metaphor for a shelf in a garage that is used to store parts for a vehicle. For example, the electronic garage shelf may store a token part that signifies a part or smart component such as an oil filter on a garage shelf in the user'"'"'s garage. Further, the metaphor for a shelf in the garage may be expanded to include a virtual part to signify a part or smart component the user wants to acquire. Accordingly, the system may include garage shelf information comprised of virtual part information and token part information where the virtual part information may store virtual parts signifying parts that are desirable for acquisition and the token part information may store token parts signifying parts that are in the possession of the user.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a receiving module, implemented by one or more processors, that is configured to receive a maintenance message, over a network, from a mobile device, the maintenance message being received by a network-based marketplace, the maintenance message being associated with a first user and including part log information including a timestamp and characterization information, the characterization information is received by the mobile device from a component in a vehicle, the component including a sensor that senses a first part that is assembled into the vehicle, the component to generate the characterization information based on a sense of the first part, as sensed by the sensor, and to communicate the characterization information to the mobile device; and

a processing module, implemented by the one or more processors, that is configured to identify a first user profile information, at the network-based marketplace, based on the maintenance message, the first user profile information being associated with the first user on the network-based marketplace and the mobile device, the processing module further configured to store the part log information in the first user profile information at the network-based marketplace, the processing module further configured to identify service level information in the part log information associated with the first user, the service level information indicating the first part requires replacement, the service level information being identified based on the part log information, the processing module further configured to communicate an alert to the first user to create a first virtual part for the first part in garage shelf information included in the first user profile information for the first user, the receiving module further configured to receive a command from the first user to create the first virtual part for the first part in the garage shelf information included in the first user profile information for the first user, the first virtual part being utilized to initiate a communication of at least one alert to the first user to facilitate a replacement of the first part.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing module is further configured to communicate an alert to the first user that includes a link to recall information for the first part that is identified based on the first virtual part.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing module is further configured to communicate an alert to the first user that includes an opportunity to purchase a second part responsive to the processing module further configured to identify the first virtual part in the garage shelf information in the first user profile information for the first user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second part is a replacement for the first part.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the opportunity to purchase the second part includes at least one of a link to a listing on the network-based marketplace that describes an item for sale that is identified based on the first virtual part and a link to a second user profile information that describes a second user including garage shelf information including a second token part that is identified based on the first virtual part.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the receiving module is further configured to receive a command from the first user to change the first virtual part to a first token part, wherein the first token part corresponds to the second part, and wherein the first token part indicates the first user has possession of the second part.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the processing module is further configured to communicate an alert of a sale opportunity to the second user based on the first token part, wherein the alert offers a part for sale, wherein the part for sale corresponds to the first token part.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing module is further configured to communicate an alert to the first user that includes a warning to replace the first part in a vehicle responsive to the processing module further configured to identify the first token part in the garage shelf information in the first user profile information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing module is further configured to communicate an alert to the first user that includes at least one link to an installation manual based on the garage shelf information in the first user profile information for the first user, wherein the installation manual facilitates a replacement of the part.

10. A method comprising:

receiving a maintenance message, over a network, from a mobile device, the maintenance message being received by a network-based marketplace, the maintenance message being associated with a first user and including part log information including a timestamp and characterization information, the characterization information being received by the mobile device from a component in a vehicle, the component including a sensor that senses a first part that is assembled into the vehicle, the component to generate the characterization information based on a sense of the first part, as sensed by the sensor, and to communicate the characterization information to the mobile device;

identifying a first user profile information, at the network-based marketplace, based on the maintenance message, the first user profile information being associated with the first user on the network-based marketplace and the mobile device;

storing the part log information in the first user profile information at the network-based marketplace;

identifying service level information in the part log information associated with the first user, the service level information indicating the first part requires replacement, the service level information being identified based on the part log information;

communicating an alert to the first user to create a first virtual part for the first part in garage shelf information included in the first user profile information for the first user; and

receiving a command from the first user to create the first virtual part for the first part in the garage shelf information included in the first user profile information for the first user, the first virtual part being utilized to initiate a communication of at least one alert to the first user to facilitate a replacement of the first part.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising communicating an alert to the first user that includes a link to recall information for the first part that is identified based on the first virtual part.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising communicating an alert to the first user that includes identifying an opportunity to purchase a second part responsive to identifying the first virtual part in the garage shelf information in the first user profile information for the first user.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the second part is a replacement for the first part.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the opportunity to purchase the second part includes an alert that includes at least one of a link to a listing on the network-based marketplace that describes an item for sale that is identified based on the first virtual part and a link to a second user profile information that describes a second user including garage shelf information including a second token part that is identified based on the first virtual part.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising receiving a command from the first user to change the first virtual part to a first token part, wherein the first token part corresponds to the second part, and wherein the first token part indicates the first user has possession of the second part.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising communicating an alert of a sale opportunity to the second user based on the first token part, wherein the alert offers a part for sale, wherein the part for sale corresponds to the first token part.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising communicating an alert to the first user that includes a warning to replace the first part in the vehicle responsive to identifying the first token part in the garage shelf information in the first user profile information.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising communicating an alert to the first user including at least one link to an installation manual based on the garage shelf information in the first user profile information for the first user, wherein the installation manual facilitates a replacement of the part.

19. A machine-readable hardware storage device having no transitory signals storing a set of instructions that, when executed by a processor of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving a maintenance message, over a network, from a mobile device, the maintenance message being received by a network-based marketplace, the maintenance message being associated with a first user and including part log information including a timestamp and characterization information, the characterization information being received by the mobile device from a component in a vehicle, the component including a sensor that senses a first part that is assembled into the vehicle, the component to generate the characterization information based on a sense of the first part, as sensed by the sensor, and to communicate the characterization information to the mobile device;

identifying a first user profile information, at the network-based marketplace, based on the maintenance message, the first user profile information being associated with the first user on the network-based marketplace and the mobile device;

storing the part log information in the first user profile information at the network based marketplace;

identifying service level information in the part log information associated with the first user, the service level information indicating the first part requires replacement, the service level information being identified based on the part log information;

communicating an alert to the first user to create a first virtual part for the first part in garage shelf information included in the first user profile information for the first user; and

receiving a command from the first user to create the first virtual part for the first part in the garage shelf information included in the first user profile information for the first user, the first virtual part being utilized to initiate a communication of at least one alert to the first user to facilitate a replacement of the first part.

20. The machine-readable hardware storage device of claim 19, further comprising communicating an alert to the first user that includes a warning to replace the first part in the vehicle responsive to identifying a first token part in the garage shelf information in the first user profile information.