AUTOMATIC CONNECTED VEHICLE DEMONSTRATION PROCESS

• US 20180060807A1
• Filed: 11/02/2017
• Published: 03/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aeris Communications Inc.
• Original Assignee: Aeris Communications Inc.
• Inventors: Avary, Michelle Lynne, Plager, Henry
• Granted Patent: US 10,586,207 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0185 Product, service or business identity fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/71 Hardware identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]

Abstract

The present invention is directed toward an automatic connected vehicle demonstration method and system for automatically designating any registered vehicle as a demonstrator vehicle, and further allowing for the demonstrator vehicle to also have one or more subscription-based events based on demonstrator vehicle status. In one more embodiments, a computer implemented method provides for registering, deregistering, and managing a dealer'"'"'s inventory of demonstration vehicles.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for registering a demonstration vehicle via a secure vehicle registration network;

the method comprising;

providing an interactive interface for registering the vehicle,

receiving via an interactive interface predetermined dealer information of a dealer and vehicle information of a vehicle requested to be registered as a demonstration vehicle, from a registered user,

transmitting the received predetermined dealer information and vehicle information to an authentication engine,

receiving verification of registration qualification of the vehicle by the registered user from the authentication engine, and

activating the registration of the vehicle as a demonstration.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the verified registration qualification of the vehicle to be registered includes positive comparison of at least one or more predetermined characteristics of the dealer information and one or more predetermined characteristics of the vehicle information with associated data in one or more authorized databases having known dealer information and known vehicle information vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one or more predetermined characteristics of the dealer information is a dealer identification code and the one or more predetermined characteristics of the vehicle information is the vehicle identification number (VIN).

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the associated data in one or more authorized databases having known dealer information and known vehicle information vehicle includes a secure dealer information database having an active list of approved dealer identification codes and includes a secure vehicle information database having an active list of available vehicles identifiable by VIN for approval or rejection for registry as a demonstration vehicle.

5. The method of claim 3 further including generating a report of data associated with the dealer'"'"'s demonstration vehicle registrations including at least one of a report of detailed dealer usage of demonstration vehicles, listing of demonstration vehicles used by dealership over a predetermined period of time, and listing of sales time to sell demonstration vehicles of the dealership over a predetermined period of time.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the interactive interface includes a user interface for an in-vehicle computer, a user interface for a smart phone, a shared messaging service, a web page, a web-based hyperlink, and an email requiring a response.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the secure vehicle registration network includes one or more networked resources having at least one data source with vehicle information, dealer information, marketing information, and customer information, accessible by the authentication engine.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the authentication engine is a remote server configured to provide secure communication with the vehicle to be registered and the registered user.

9. The method of claim 8 further including registering a predetermined level of subscription services with the vehicle to be registered after activation of the registration of the vehicle as a demonstration vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9 further including managing a dealer'"'"'s demonstration vehicle inventory by one or more of adding, subtracting or temporarily suspending predetermined vehicles of the dealer through the interactive interface.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the registered user is an authorized representative of the dealer.

12. A system for use in an automotive sales network for registering one or more demonstration vehicles to a dealership via a secure vehicle registration network, comprising:

an interactive interface engine to provide an interactive interface for user to register one or more vehicles as a demonstration vehicle, the interactive interface engine being capable of receiving and transmitting messages,

an authentication engine configured to;

receive dealer information and vehicle information from the interactive interface engine and one or more authorized databases, and

verify predetermined dealer information and predetermined vehicle information obtained from the interactive interface engine with the one or more authorized databases,

a registration engine to register the one or more vehicles as a registered demonstration vehicle,

a computer-based secure communication system capable of communications with the one or more authorized databases, the vehicle and dealer, and

a reporting engine to generate one or more reports in response to data from one or more of the authentication engine and the registration engine.

13. The system of claim 12, further including an activation engine for activating one or more subscription-based events in association with a level of service to be activated for the vehicle when registered as a demonstration vehicle.

14. The system of claim 12, further including a deactivation engine for deactivating a registered demonstration vehicle to be removed from the list of dealer demonstration inventory.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the interactive interface engine includes one or more of an in-vehicle computer touch screen, an application for a smart phone having an input capability, a shared messaging service, a web page, a web-based hyperlink, and an email requiring a response.

16. The system of claim 12, further including an activation engine for activating a plurality of subscription-based events in association with a level of service to be activated for the vehicle when registered as a demonstration vehicle, wherein the subscription-based events include one or more of a for-fee application, for-free application, music service, emergency service, safety and notification service, diagnostic service, reporting service, maintenance service, in-car application, mobile application, and remote application.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for use in an automotive sales network for registering, deregistering and managing a dealer'"'"'s vehicles as demonstration vehicles;

the instructions, in response to execution, cause one or more processors to perform operations;

receiving, via an interactive interface, an instruction for registering, deregistering and managing vehicles of a dealer as demonstration vehicles;

receiving predetermined dealer information of a dealer and vehicle information of one or more vehicles requested to be registered, registered, deregistered or managed as a demonstration vehicle, from a registered user;

transmitting the received predetermined dealer information and vehicle information to an authentication engine;

receiving verification of registration, de-registration and management qualification of the vehicle by the registered user from the authentication engine; and

activating, deactivating or otherwise amending registration of the one or more vehicles as a demonstration vehicle.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the interactive interface includes a user interface for an in-vehicle computer running an application on which at least some of the computer-executable instructions are executed, a user interface for a smart phone running an application on which at least some of the computer-executable instructions are executed, a shared messaging service, a web page running the application on which at least some of the computer-executable instructions are executed, a web-based hyperlink, and an email requiring a response, and wherein the one or more networked resources includes at least one data source having vehicle information or customer information accessible by the vehicle registration network.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the interactive interface includes registered subscription services options available for remote utilization on the one or more vehicles once registered as a demonstration vehicle.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the interactive interface resides on a device which comprises any type of computer-based device, appliance, terminal, remote controlling device, or wireless asset.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the authentication engine is a remote server configured to provide secure communication with the vehicle to be registered and an application on which at least some of the computer-executable instructions are executed, the registered user being logged onto the application.