Technique for effectively providing services to vehicles

• US 7,142,844 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2005
• Issued: 11/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Silver State Intellectual Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: American Calcar, Inc.
• Inventors: Obradovich, Michael L., White, Philip E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ewart, James D.
• Application Number:
  US11/274,239
• Publication Number:
  US 20060079251A1
• Time in Patent Office: 379 Days
• Field of Search: 455/96, 455/99, 455/344, 455/345, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/422, 455/426, 455/466, 455/507, 455/556, 455/557, 340/7.52, 340/7.31, 340/7.35, 340/286.14, 340/425.5, 340/426.1, 340/438, 340/457, 340/825.72, 340/825.52, 340/426.28, 340/426.29, 340/539.16, 340/998, 701/24, 701/29, 701/36
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/137 the indicator being in the form of a map
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1845 broadcast or multicast in a specific location, e.g. geocast protocols for adapting network applications to user terminal location H04L67/52; services specially adapted for wireless communication networks making use of the location of users or terminals H04W4/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• 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 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 : for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]

Abstract

In an automobile, communications to and from the automobile are in the form of messages. Such messages are referred to as “electronic car-mail” or “C-mail” messages as each message has a destination or origination address which includes an identifier, e.g., a vehicle identification number (VIN), identifying the automobile. The messages may be delivered to the automobile from a remote server through a communications network, e.g., the Internet. One such message may contain a recall notice to the automobile. Another message may contain just-in-time map information for navigation, depending on the current location of the automobile. Yet another message may contain advertising information concerning selected entities, e.g., restaurants, gas stations, department stores, etc., also depending on the current location of the automobile. The messages transmitted from the automobile to the remote server may contain, e.g., GPS information identifying the location of the automobile, dynamic data furnished by sensors in the automobile for analysis, an odometer reading and a speedometer reading for records, etc.

Claims

1. A method for use in a system for maintaining vehicles, comprising:

receiving information concerning maintenance of vehicles;

based on the information, identifying at least one selected vehicle having a certain condition, the selected vehicle being identified by identifying data;

providing a message about the certain condition, over a communications network, to the selected vehicle based on the identifying data; and

providing, to a database, selected data from a vehicle service provider rectifying the certain condition of the selected vehicle, the selected data including at least data which indicates whether the certain condition is rectified in response to a service program of a manufacturer of the selected vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the message is electronically provided to the vehicle at an address based on the identifying data.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifying data includes a type of the selected vehicle.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the type of the selected vehicle is specified by at least a vehicle model.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the type of the selected vehicle is specified by at least a vehicle year.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the selected data also includes data concerning one or more vehicle parts replaced by the vehicle service provider.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifying data includes a vehicle identification number (VIN).

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the information is received from the vehicles.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the information is received from one or more providers of services for the vehicles.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the service program includes a recall.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising monitoring for rectification of the certain condition of the selected vehicle.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the communications network includes at least part of the Internet.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the selected data also includes a description of a service rendered by the vehicle service provider to rectify the certain condition.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the selected data also includes time of a service rendered by the vehicle service provider to rectify the certain condition.

15. A system for maintaining vehicles, comprising:

an interface for receiving information concerning maintenance of vehicles;

a processor configured to identify, based on the information, at least one selected vehicle having a certain condition, the selected vehicle being identified by identifying data;

a device for providing a message about the certain condition, over a communications network, to the selected vehicle based on the identifying data; and

a mechanism for providing, to a database, selected data from a vehicle service provider rectifying the certain condition of the selected vehicle, the selected data including at least data which indicates whether the certain condition is rectified in response to a service program of a manufacturer of the selected vehicle.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the message is electronically provided to the vehicle at an address based on the identifying data.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the identifying data includes a type of the selected vehicle.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the type of the selected vehicle is specified by at least a vehicle model.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the type of the selected vehicle is specified by at least a vehicle year.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein the selected data also includes data concerning one or more vehicle parts replaced by the vehicle service provider.

21. The system of claim 15 wherein the identifying data includes a VIN.

22. The system of claim 15 wherein the information is received from the vehicles.

23. The system of claim 15 wherein the information is received from one or more providers of services for the vehicles.

24. The system of claim 15 wherein the service program includes a recall.

25. The system of claim 15 wherein the communications network includes at least part of the Internet.

26. The system of claim 15 wherein the selected data also includes a description of a service rendered by the vehicle service provider to rectify the certain condition.

27. The method system of claim 15 wherein the selected data also includes time of a service rendered by the vehicle service provider to rectify the certain condition.