Method and system for providing assistance resource progress information along a route

• US 8,229,462 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2009
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Htiip LLC
• Inventors: Bennett, Richard E. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): OLIVER, GERALD L
• Application Number:
  US12/630,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20100136954A1
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-457, 4554141-4144, 701/1, 701/24, 701/28, 701206-209, 701211-213, 701/300, 340989-99519, 340/539.13, 340/539.14, 340/539.16, 340/539.17, 340/539.2, 340/539.23
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

A user, either in a vehicle with a telematics device, at a home having a computer device, using a handheld wireless device, or other type of communication device, can request services such as to repair a flat tire, unlock a locked door, repair cable television service, etc. using the communication device. The user'"'"'s communication device sends a request message over the communication network to a second server. The second server creates a request for service record and forwards the message to a first server that determines a resource to dispatch to the user'"'"'s location. The first server sends resource information, including location information, to the user'"'"'s device, and either the device, or a device coupled to the user'"'"'s communication device, displays the current location of the service resource on a map as the resource makes its way toward the user'"'"'s location.

Claims

1. A method for providing location information of a service provider resource on its way to a user location, comprising:

receiving a request for assistance message from a user device at a user location, the message including information describing the location of the user device;

processing the request message at a data center associated with the user device to determine a services provider that can provide a type of services corresponding to the request for assistance message;

transmitting the request for assistance message to a data center associated with a provider of services that can provide the type of services requested in the request message, wherein the data center associated with the user device determines the provider of services to transmit the request for assistance message to based on the type of service requested in the request for assistance message;

receiving from the data center associated with the provider of services service resource information related to a service resource assigned by the services provider based on the information describing the location of the user device in response to the transmitted request for assistance message; and

transmitting a location message from the data center associated with the user device to the user device indicating the location of the service resource relative to the device location.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the data center associated with the user device includes a consumer telematics operation center server.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the data center associated with the services provider includes a fleet management telematics operation center server.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the processing step includes comparing a requested services type indicator contained in the request for assistance message with service provider entries in a database indexed according to a services type field, and determining a services provider to which to transmit the assistance request message to based on data in the services provider'"'"'s entry that indicates the type of services it offers.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the assistance request message is transmitted to the services provider referenced in the database entry having the data that matches the requested services type indicator according to an address also referenced in the database entry.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the data indicating the type of services of a provider referenced in its corresponding entry of the database is meta data.

7. A method for tracking progress of service personnel along a route, comprising:

receiving from a user device a request for assistance message at a second data center;

creating a request record of the request message at the second data center;

transmitting the request for assistance message to a first data center, wherein the second data center determines the first data center to transmit the request for assistance message to based on the type of service requested in the request for assistance message;

receiving service resource information related to a service resource assigned in response to the transmitted request for assistance message;

updating the request record with a current location of the service resource; and

transmitting a location message to the user device indicating the location of the service resource relative to the user device.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the user device transmits the request for assistance over a wireless communication network.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the user device includes a telematics control unit in a vehicle.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the service resource is a truck.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising displaying the location of the service resource on a display device substantially collocated with the user device.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the truck includes a telematics control unit that transmits its GPS coordinates to the first data center.

13. A telematics services central server configured to provide location information of a service provider resource on its way to a user location, comprising:

receiver circuitry configured to receive a request for assistance message from a user device at a user location;

a processor coupled to the receiver circuitry configured to determine a services provider that can provide a type of services corresponding to the request for assistance message;

transmitter circuitry coupled to the processor configured to transmit the request for assistance message to a data center associated with a provider of services that can provide the type of services requested in the request message, wherein the processor determines the provider of services to transmit the request for assistance message to based on the type of service requested in the request for assistance message;

the receiver circuitry further configured to receive from the data center associated with the provider of services service resource information related to a service resource assigned by the services provider in response to the transmitted request for assistance message; and

the transmitter further configured to transmit a location message from the data center associated with the user device to the user device indicating the location of the service resource relative to the device location.

14. The central server of claim 13 wherein the receiver and transmitter circuitry include physical layer circuitry for interfacing with a communication internetwork.

15. The central server of claim 13 further including a storage device coupled to the processor configured with a database that associates addresses corresponding to a plurality of services providers'"'"' data centers with a type of services offered by each of the services providers.

16. The central server of claim 15 wherein the addresses corresponding to the services providers are internet addresses of servers operated by, or for, the services providers.

17. The database of claim 15, indexed according to a services type field, having an entry for each of a plurality of services providers, wherein each services provider'"'"'s entry includes data that indicates the type of services it offers in the services type field and wherein each provider'"'"'s entry indicates an address for contacting its corresponding data center.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the data indicating the type of services of a provider referenced in its corresponding entry of the database is meta data.