On-board automotive vehicle control system for tracking vehicle operational data and maintenance and repair data, entered through reading visual code representing such maintenance and repair data

• US 6,819,988 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2003
• Issued: 11/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Quiller, Marques Benjamin, Dietz, Timothy Alan, Holloway, Lane Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc-Coleman, Marthe Y.
• Application Number:
  US10/422,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20040210360A1
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/33, 340/438, 340/425.5
• US Class Current: 701/29
• 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

An on-board control system in an automotive vehicle for tracking vehicle maintenance and operational data to determine further necessary maintenance and repair comprising standard apparatus for tracking and storing operational data for each of a selected set of vehicle operational parameters and the combination of visible digital code reading apparatus for reading a set of visible digital codes, such as bar-codes, each representative of a maintenance or repair function performed on the vehicle; storage apparatus for storing said visible digital code readings representative of maintenance and repair functions performed on said vehicle; and apparatus for analyzing and coordinating said stored operational data with said stored maintenance and repair visible code readings to provide recommendations for further maintenance and repair.

Claims

1. In an automotive vehicle, an on-board control system for tracking vehicle maintenance and operational data to determine further necessary maintenance and repair comprising:

apparatus for tracking and storing operational data for each of a selected set of vehicle operational parameters;

visible digital code reading apparatus for reading a set of visible digital codes, each representative of a maintenance or repair function performed on the vehicle;

storage apparatus for storing said visible digital code readings representative of maintenance and repair functions performed on said vehicle; and

apparatus for analyzing and coordinating said stored operational data with said stored maintenance and repair visible code readings to provide recommendations for further maintenance and repair.

2. The automotive vehicle control system of claim 1 wherein said visible digital code is bar-code.

3. The automotive vehicle control system of claim 2 wherein said bar-code reading apparatus includes a wireless scanning device connected to the on-board reading apparatus.

4. The automotive vehicle control system of claim 2 wherein said storage apparatus includes an on-board disc storage drive apparatus.

5. A system for tracking vehicle maintenance and operational data to determine further necessary maintenance and repair for an automotive vehicle including the on-board control system for said vehicle of claim 2, and further including:

a plurality of readable bar-code indicia, each respectively associated with an element providing a maintenance or repair function whereby said bar-code reading apparatus is enabled to read such bar-code indicia when said maintenance or repair function is being provided.

6. The system for tracking automotive vehicle maintenance of claim 5 wherein said element providing one of said maintenance or repair functions associated with one of said bar-code indicia is a part being installed into said automotive vehicle.

7. The system for tracking automotive vehicle maintenance of claim 5 wherein said element providing one of said maintenance or repair functions associated with one of said bar-code indicia is a gasoline pump depositing gasoline into said automotive vehicle.

8. The system for tracking automotive vehicle maintenance of claim 5 wherein said element providing one of said maintenance or repair functions associated with one of said bar-code indicia is a chart setting forth a listing of automotive vehicle repair functions offered by an automotive service provider.

9. A method for tracking vehicle maintenance and operational data in an automotive vehicle, to determine and control further necessary maintenance and repair comprising:

tracking and storing operational data for each of a selected set of vehicle operational parameters;

enabling the reading of each of a set of visible digital codes, each representative of a maintenance or repair function performed on the vehicle;

storing, on-board said vehicle, said visible digital code readings representative of maintenance and repair functions performed on said vehicle; and

analyzing and coordinating said stored operational data with said stored maintenance and repair visible digital code readings to provide recommendations for further maintenance and repair.

10. The automotive vehicle tracking and control method of claim 9 wherein said visible digital code is bar-code.

11. The automotive vehicle tracking and control method of claim 10 wherein said bar-code reading step includes wireless scanning of the bar-code being read.

12. The automotive vehicle tracking and control method of claim 10 wherein said stored bar-code and operational data is stored on disc storage drive apparatus in said automotive vehicle.

13. A method for tracking vehicle maintenance and operational data to determine further necessary maintenance and repair for an automotive vehicle of claim 10 further including:

the step of associating each of a plurality of readable bar-code indicia, respectively with an element providing a maintenance or repair function whereby said bar-code reading apparatus is enabled to read such bar-code indicia when said maintenance or repair function is being provided.

14. The method for tracking automotive vehicle maintenance of claim 13 wherein said element providing one of said maintenance or repair functions associated with one of said bar-code indicia is a part being installed into said automotive vehicle.

15. The method for tracking automotive vehicle maintenance of claim 13 wherein said element providing one of said maintenance or repair functions associated with one of said bar-code indicia is a gasoline pump depositing gasoline into said automotive vehicle.

16. The method for tracking automotive vehicle maintenance of claim 13 wherein said element providing one of said maintenance or repair functions associated with one of said bar-code indicia is a chart setting forth a listing of automotive vehicle repair functions offered by an automotive service provider.

17. A computer program having code recorded on a computer readable medium for tracking vehicle maintenance and operational data to determine further necessary maintenance and repair in an automotive vehicle having an on-board control system for tracking said data comprising:

means for tracking and storing operational data for each of a selected set of vehicle operational parameters;

means for reading a set of visible digital codes, each representative of a maintenance or repair function performed on the vehicle;

means for storing said visible digital code readings representative of maintenance and repair functions performed on said vehicle; and

means for analyzing and coordinating said stored operational data with said stored maintenance and repair visible code readings to provide recommendations for further maintenance and repair.

18. The computer program of claim 17 wherein said visible digital code is bar-code.

19. The computer program of claim 18 wherein said bar-code reading means includes a wireless scanning means.

20. The computer program of claim 18 further including:

means for associating each of a plurality of readable bar-code indicia with an element providing a maintenance or repair function whereby said bar-code reading means is enabled to read such bar-code indicia when said maintenance or repair function is being provided.

21. The computer program of claim 20 wherein said element providing one of said maintenance or repair functions associated with one of said bar-code indicia is a part being installed into said automotive vehicle.

22. The computer program of claim 20 wherein said element providing one of said maintenance or repair functions associated with one of said bar-code indicia is a gasoline pump depositing gasoline into said automotive vehicle.

23. The computer program of claim 20 wherein said element providing one of said maintenance or repair functions associated with one of said bar-code indicia is a chart setting forth a listing of automotive vehicle repair functions offered by an automotive service provider.