System and method for the distribution of automotive services

• US 6,339,736 B1
• Filed: 03/31/2000
• Issued: 01/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GlobalFoundries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Yu, Philip Shi-Lung, Moskowitz, Paul Andrew, Dinkin, Sam, Boies, Stephen J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US09/539,897
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 701/33, 701/29, 701/30, 701/31, 701/32, 701/200-215, 705/28, 705/13, 705/400, 705/22, 705/413, 705/29, 340/990, 340/988, 340/995, 340/992, 340/993, 342/457, 342/357.13
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching

Abstract

A system for the distribution of services, includes a computer device within a vehicle, a vehicle monitoring system coupled to the computer device, a communication system coupled to the computer device for outputting a signal with vehicle monitoring system data, and a remote service center computer device for receiving a signal with vehicle monitoring system data. The method of distributing vehicle maintenance services includes monitoring, by a sensor, a maintenance parameter of the vehicle, communicating the service parameter to a controller, the controller triggering a communications device, sending, by the communications device, a message to a service center, and dispatching, by the service center, a service vehicle based on receiving the signal. In another method, a method of providing service to a vehicle, includes subscribing, by a vehicle owner, to a service, performing the service based on one of an as-needed basis and automatically at any of a home of the vehicle owner, an office of the vehicle owner, and a location specified by the vehicle owner, and billing the vehicle owner for the service rendered to the vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for distribution of routine maintenance services to a vehicle, comprising:

a computer device within said vehicle;

a vehicle monitoring system coupled to said computer device;

a communication system coupled to said computer device for outputting a signal representing vehicle monitoring system data;

a remote service center computer device for receiving said signal with said vehicle monitoring system data; and

a service vehicle for being dispatched by said remote service center to said vehicle,

wherein said service vehicle provides routine maintenance services to said vehicle, and

wherein said vehicle is selectively located at any of a vehicle owner'"'"'s home, a vehicle owner'"'"'s office, and a vehicle owner'"'"'s specified location.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said remote service center computer analyzes said vehicle monitoring system data and provides an output.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein a service is provided to said vehicle based on said output.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said vehicle monitoring system comprises at least one sensor for sensing a maintenance parameter.

5. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein a plurality of sensors, for sensing maintenance parameters, are provided at predetermined positions of said vehicle.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said system comprises an electronic control unit (ECU) for processing said output signal from said at least one sensor.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said system comprises a vehicle communication bus for carrying data to said computer device.

8. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said maintenance parameter comprises at least one of fuel level, engine coolant level, washer fluid level, oil level, oil condition, oil pressure, transmission fluid level, tire air pressure, battery voltage, battery current.

9. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein at least one sensor for sensing a maintenance parameter outputs a fuel level in a vehicle fuel tank.

10. The system according to claim 7, wherein said bus comprises one of a Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) J1850 and a Controller Area Network bus.

11. A system for distribution of routine maintenance services to a vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle monitoring system;

a controller coupled to said monitoring system;

a communication system coupled to said controller for outputting a signal;

a remote service center for receiving said signal; and

a service vehicle for being dispatched by said remote service center to said vehicle,

wherein said service vehicle provides routine maintenance services to said vehicle, and

wherein said vehicle is selectively located at any of a vehicle owner'"'"'s home, a vehicle owner'"'"'s office, and a vehicle owner'"'"'s specified location.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said controller comprises one of a computer device and an electronic control unit (ECU).

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said remote service center comprises a computer for receiving said signal.

14. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein said remote service center computer analyzes said vehicle monitoring system data and provides an output.

15. The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein a service is provided to said vehicle based on said output.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein said vehicle monitoring system comprises at least one sensor for sensing a maintenance parameter.

17. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein a plurality of sensors, for sensing maintenance parameters, are provided at predetermined positions of said vehicle.

18. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein said system comprises an electronic control unit (ECU) for processing said output signal from said at least one sensor.

19. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said system comprises a vehicle communication bus for carrying data to said controller.

20. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein said maintenance parameter comprises at least one of fuel level, engine coolant level, washer fluid level, oil level, oil condition, oil pressure, transmission fluid level, tire air pressure, battery voltage, and battery current.

21. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein at least one sensor for sensing a maintenance parameter outputs a fuel level in a vehicle fuel tank.

22. The system according to claim 19, wherein said bus comprises one of a Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) J1850 and a Controller Area Network bus.

23. The system of claim 11, wherein said message contains a maintenance parameter, a vehicle location, and a vehicle registration information.

24. A method for providing routine maintenance service, comprising:

monitoring, by a sensor, a maintenance parameter of said vehicle;

communicating said service parameter to a controller, said controller triggering a communications device;

sending, by said communications device, a message to a service center; and

dispatching, by said service center, a service vehicle based on receiving said signal,

wherein said service vehicle provides routine maintenance service to said vehicle a location selected by a vehicle owner.

25. The method according to claim 24, further comprising:

performing, by said service vehicle maintenance, for which a need is indicated by said service parameter.

26. A method of providing routine maintenance service to a vehicle owner, comprising:

subscribing, by a vehicle owner, to a routine maintenance service;

performing said routine maintenance service based on one of an as-needed basis and automatically on a vehicle selectively located at any of a home of said vehicle owner, an office of said vehicle owner, and a location specified by said vehicle owner; and

billing said vehicle owner for said routine maintenance service rendered to said vehicle.

27. The method according to claim 26, further comprising:

monitoring the vehicle for at least one of a maintenance condition and a service condition.

28. The method according to claim 26, wherein said performing of said routine maintenance service includes at least one of replenishing said vehicle with necessary components and performing maintenance on said vehicle.

29. A system for providing routine maintenance service to a vehicle owner, comprising:

means for performing a routine maintenance service for a vehicle based on one of an as-needed basis and automatically, said vehicle being under a service subscription by said vehicle owner, and said vehicle being selectively located at any of a home of said vehicle owner, an office of said vehicle owner, and a location specified by said vehicle owner; and

means for billing said vehicle owner for said routine maintenance service rendered to said vehicle.

30. The system according to claim 29, further comprising:

means for monitoring said vehicle for at least one of a maintenance condition and a service condition.

31. The system according to claim 29, wherein said means for performing said routine maintenance service includes at least one of means for replenishing said vehicle with necessary components and means for performing maintenance on said vehicle.