Integrated automated analysis and repair

• US 6,070,155 A
• Filed: 01/30/1998
• Issued: 05/30/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aaron F. Cherrington, John K. Cherrington
• Original Assignee: Automated Vehicle Analysis, Inc.
• Inventors: Cherrington, John K., Cherrington, Aaron F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cosimano, Edward R.
• Application Number:
  US09/016,261
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 73/117.2, 73/117.3, 73/121, 340/870.28, 345/173, 701/19, 705/1, 705/16, 705/28, 705/29, 705/400, 702/127, 702/157, 702/158
• US Class Current: 705/400
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 15/05 by combined monitoring of two or more different engine parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/007 Wheeled or endless-tracked vehicles G01M17/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination

Abstract

An integrated highly automated analysis system employs a technician terminal for displaying a plurality of inspection screens, and for entering inspection results. The technician terminal generates an inspection report after the inspection results have been input. A point-of-sale terminal is used to generate a cost estimate report in response to the generation of the inspection report and also generates an invoice report. The system includes a plurality of databases, including an inspection guideline database, a specifications database (containing specifications), a customer/inspection database (containing prior inspection records), and a parts catalog database (containing part numbers and part costs).

Claims

1. An integrated diagnosis, repair and invoicing system comprising:

a technician terminal including means for displaying a plurality of inspection screens, means for inputting inspection results, and means for generating an inspection report;

a point-of-sale terminal coupled to the technician terminal, the point-of-sale terminal including means for generating a cost estimate report in response to the generation of the inspection report;

a printer coupled to the point-of-sale terminal for printing the cost estimate report; and

a database system coupled to the technician terminal and to the point-of-sale terminal, the data base system comprising;

a specifications database comprising specifications;

the technician terminal including means for comparing the specifications with the inspection results, and means for generating the inspection report in response to the means for comparing.

2. The integrated diagnosis, repair and invoicing system of claim 1 further comprising:

a measuring device coupled to the technician terminal, the measuring device including means for taking measurements from a system being inspected and means for communicating the measurements to the technician terminal.

3. The integrated diagnosis, repair and invoicing system of claim 2 wherein said means for communicating includes an electrical conductor coupled between said technician terminal and said measuring device.

4. The integrated diagnosis, repair and invoicing system of claim 1 wherein the point of sale terminal further comprises means for generating an invoice report.

5. The integrated diagnosis, repair and invoicing system of claim 4 wherein said point-of-sale terminal comprises:

a second video display, and

a second computer coupled to the second video display, the second computer being modified with a point-of-sale program comprising means for generating said invoice report.

6. The integrated diagnosis, repair and invoicing system of claim 1 wherein said database system further comprises:

a customer/inspection database, the technician terminal including means for storing an inspection record into the customer/inspection database in response to the generating of the inspection report.

7. The integrated diagnosis, repair and invoicing system of claim 6 wherein said database system further comprises:

a parts catalog database comprising part costs, the means for generating the cost estimate report generating the cost estimate report in response to the part costs.

8. The integrated diagnosis, repair and invoicing system of claim 6 wherein said data base system further comprises:

an inspection guidelines database comprising inspection guidelines, said technician terminal including means for selectively displaying the inspection guidelines.

9. The integrated diagnosis, repair and invoicing system of claim 1 wherein said technician terminal comprises:

a first video display; and

a first computer coupled to the first video display, the first computer being modified with an inspection program.

10. The integrated diagnosis, repair and invoicing system of claim 9 wherein said technician terminal further comprises:

a housing enclosing said first computer; and

a plurality of wheels mounted to said housing.

11. The integrated diagnosis, repair and invoicing system of claim 9 wherein said technician terminal further comprises:

a touch screen interface coupled to said first video display, said touch screen interface including means for detecting an approximate location on the first video display at which touching of the first video display occurs.

12. The integrated diagnosis, repair and invoicing system of claim 9 wherein said technician terminal further comprises:

a first transceiver coupled to the first computer;

a second transceiver coupled to the first video display; and

a communications channel coupled between the first and second transceivers, wherein the first video display is coupled to the first computer through the communications channel.

13. The integrated diagnosis, repair and invoicing system of claim 12 wherein said communications channel includes air.

14. The integrated diagnosis, repair and invoicing system of claim 13 wherein said first and second transceivers are radio frequency transceivers and wherein said communications channel is a radio frequency communications channel.

15. In an integrated diagnosis, repair and invoicing system, a method including:

selecting a make and model of a system being inspected using a first computer system;

retrieving a measurement/specification for the system being inspected, having been selected, from a measurements/specifications database;

prompting a user of the first computer system to conduct an inspection of the system being inspected and to enter an inspection result into the first computer system;

comparing the inspection result with the measurement/specification, having been retrieved, so as to determine whether the inspection result is outside a first prescribed tolerance of the measurement/specification, having been retrieved;

generating an inspection report that indicates whether the inspection result is outside the first prescribed tolerance of the measurement/specification;

communicating the inspection report to a second computer system; and

generating, within the second computer system, a cost estimate report in the event the inspection result is outside the first prescribed tolerance of the measurement/specification, the cost estimate report indicating an expected cost of repair.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said selecting of said make and model includes touching a first video display having a touch screen interface.

17. The method of claim 15 including:

entering said inspection result using a digital measuring instrument.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein said comparing of said inspection result with said measurement/specification having been retrieved includes comparing said inspection result with said measurement/specification having been retrieved so as to determine whether the inspection result is outside a second prescribed tolerance of the measurement/specification having been retrieved, the second prescribed tolerance being indicative of a repair that is required, and said first prescribed tolerance being indicative of a repair that is suggested.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said generating of said inspection report includes generating said inspection report having an indication of whether a repair is required or suggested.