Providing status data for vehicle maintenance

• US 7,142,959 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2003
• Issued: 11/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Oesterling, Christopher L., Stefan, Jeffrey M., Beiermeister, Frederick J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US10/697,217
• Publication Number:
  US 20050096020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/30, 701/200, 701/207, 701/208, 701/210, 701/211, 701/213, 340/991, 340/992, 340/993, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/457, 455/458
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

The current invention provides a system and method for providing status data for vehicle maintenance. A GPS location trigger is monitored for at a telematics unit. Communication between the telematics unit and a call center is initiated responsive to the GPS location trigger. Status data is sent from the vehicle to the call center through the telematics unit. At least a portion of the status data is sent from the call center to a service center associated with the GPS location trigger. A computer usable medium with suitable computer program code is employed for providing status data for vehicle maintenance.

Claims

1. A method for providing status data for vehicle maintenance, the method comprising:

monitoring for a GPS location trigger at a telematics unit;

initiating communication between the telematics unit and a call center responsive to the GPS location trigger;

sending status data from the vehicle to the call center from the telematics unit; and

sending at least a portion of the status data from the call center to a service center associated with the GPS location trigger.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein monitoring for a GPS location trigger comprises:

determining a current GPS location; and

determining if the current GPS location matches a service center GPS location stored in the telematics unit.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein sending at least a portion of the status data comprises:

storing the status data to a call center database; and

extracting a predetermined data type from the call center database to send to the service center.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the GPS location trigger is an activation signal received at the telematics unit.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the vehicle is within a service center proximity; and

sending a service center location request based on the determination.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving a service center location request from a vehicle telematics unit at a call center; and

sending a service center GPS location from the call center to the telematics unit based on the service center location request.

7. A computer readable medium, including computer program code, for providing status data for vehicle maintenance, the computer program code comprising:

computer program code for monitoring for a GPS location trigger at a telematics unit;

computer program code for initiating communication between the telematics unit and a call center responsive to the GPS location trigger;

computer program code for sending status data from the vehicle to the call center from the telematics unit; and

computer program code for sending at least a portion of the status data from the call center to a service center associated with the GPS location trigger.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 7 wherein computer program code for monitoring for a GPS location trigger comprises:

computer program code for determining a current GPS location; and

computer program code for determining if the current GPS location matches a service center GPS location stored in the telematics unit.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein computer program code for sending at least a portion of the status data comprises:

computer program code for storing the status data to a call center database; and

computer program code for extracting a predetermined data type from the call center database to send to the service center.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the GPS location trigger is an activation signal received at the telematics unit.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 7, further comprising:

computer program code for determining whether the vehicle is within a service center proximity; and

computer program code for sending a service center location request based on the determination.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising:

computer program code for receiving a service center location request from a vehicle telematics unit at a call center; and

computer program code for sending a service center GPS location from the call center to the telematics unit based on the service center location request.

13. A system for providing status data for vehicle maintenance, the system comprising:

means for monitoring for a GPS location trigger at a telematics unit;

means for initiating communication between the telematics unit and a call center responsive to the GPS location trigger;

means for sending status data from the vehicle to the call center from the telematics unit; and

means for sending at least a portion of the status data from the call center to a service center associated with the GPS location trigger.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein means for monitoring for a GPS location trigger comprises:

means for determining a current GPS location; and

means for determining if the current GPS location matches a service center GPS location stored in the telematics unit.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein means for sending at least a portion of the status data comprises:

means for storing the status data to a call center database; and

means for extracting a predetermined data type from the call center database to send to the service center.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the GPS location trigger is an activation signal received at the telematics unit.

17. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

means for determining whether the vehicle is within a service center proximity; and

means for sending a service center location request based on the determination.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

means for receiving a service center location request from a vehicle telematics unit at a call center; and

means for sending a service center GPS location from the call center to the telematics unit based on the service center location request.