Custom scanning device and automated car auction facility management

• US 8,393,541 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2011
• Issued: 03/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Key Control Holding Incorporated (Reynolds & Reynolds Company)
• Original Assignee: Key Control Holding Incorporated (Reynolds & Reynolds Company)
• Inventors: Naumovsky, Sergey
• Primary Examiner(s): WALSH, DANIEL I
• Application Number:
  US13/155,384
• Publication Number:
  US 20110297741A1
• Time in Patent Office: 644 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.13, 235/375, 235/487, 235/492, 235/493, 235/462.01, 235/435, 235/454, 235/462.31, 705/14.71, 705/26.1, 705/26.3
• US Class Current: 235/462.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

An automobile auction system to receive scanned automobile bar codes and function bar codes along with location data and to process the scanned bar codes. The system includes a first interface for receiving scanned bar codes, GPS coordinates, scanner ID, and time of scan from a custom scanning device. A second interface is to receive a map of an auto auction facility from a map source. A server is to process the bar codes and the GPS coordinates received from the scanning device and to associate the GPS coordinates to the map of the auto auction facility received from the map source. The system may process bar codes associated with functions, such as employees, shops or staging operations, specific tasks, and work orders. The function bar codes may, for example, assign scanners to employees, record tasks being performed, record employee performing the tasks, and record shop or staging operations opened/completed.

Claims

1. An automobile auction system for determining locations of automobiles at an automobile auction facility comprising a plurality of vehicles, the automobile auction system comprising:

one or more custom scanning devices, wherein each custom scanning device comprises a bar code scanner configured to scan bar codes on the automobiles and a GPS sensor configured to record corresponding GPS coordinates associated with locations of the automobiles obtained at the time of the scanning, and wherein each custom scanning device does not have a user interface that enables users to enter data therein;

a captured data interface configured to receive captured data from the one or more custom scanning devices, wherein the captured data comprises the scanned bar codes, the corresponding GPS coordinates associated with the locations of the automobiles, scanner ID, and times of scans;

a map interface configured to receive mapping data from a map source, wherein the mapping data comprises a map of the automobile auction facility; and

a server configured to process the scanned bar codes and the corresponding GPS coordinates associated with the locations of the automobiles, wherein the server associates the scanned bar codes and the corresponding GPS coordinates associated with the locations of the automobiles to the map and displays the location of the GPS coordinates on the map wherein the location of the GPS coordinates on the map comprise specific physical locations at the automobile auction facility where the barcodes on the automobiles were scanned and where the corresponding GPS coordinates associated with the automobiles were recorded at the time of the scanning, said system operable to determine the location of a plurality of automobiles at the facility.

2. The automobile auction system of claim 1, wherein each custom scanning device comprises a scan button to initiate scanning and a bar code scanning engine for reading the scanned bar codes.

3. The automobile auction system of claim 1, further comprising one or more WiFi access points located throughout the automobile auction facility that provide the captured data to the server, wherein each custom scanning device further comprises a WiFi module for, transmitting the captured data to the one or more WiFi access points.

4. The automobile auction system of claim 3, wherein each custom scanning device further comprises a processor and memory;

wherein the processor controls operations of the custom scanning device; and

wherein the captured data is stored in the memory if the captured data cannot be transmitted to the server via the WiFi module or if transfer of the captured data is not successful.

5. The automobile auction system of claim 1, further comprising a database, wherein the server writes the captured data and the mapping data onto the database.

6. The automobile auction system of claim 1, further comprising a management server that interacts with the server, wherein the management server controls operations of the automobile auction facility.

7. The automobile auction system of claim 1, wherein the server is able to plot areas on the map and define the GPS coordinates associated with the areas;

wherein the server utilizes the GPS coordinates for each of the areas to determine which areas the automobiles are located in; and

wherein if a particular automobile needs to be found the server highlights a location of the particular automobile on the map, identifies the GPS coordinates and an approximate location of the particular automobile on the map, or combinations thereof.

8. The automobile auction system of claim 7, wherein a grid is overlaid on the map and used to draw locations of the areas on the map;

wherein GPS markers for the GPS coordinates of the automobiles are illustrated on the map when the bar codes are scanned and the GPS coordinates are received; and

wherein the GPS coordinates of the automobiles are compared to the GPS coordinates associated with the areas to determine the location of the automobiles.

9. The automobile auction system of claim 8, wherein the automobile auction system is able to identify a capacity of each of the areas based on the location of each of the automobiles in the automobile auction facility.

10. The automobile auction system of claim 1, wherein the bar codes are associated with functions, specific tasks, and work orders;

and

wherein the bar codes associated with functions have a prefix that the server recognizes.

11. The automobile auction system of claim 10, wherein the bar codes associated with functions assign the custom scanning devices to employees, record tasks being performed, record employees performing the tasks, and record shop or staging operations that are opened or completed.

12. The automobile auction system of claim 10, wherein the work orders are opened the first time the associated bar code is scanned and are closed the second time the associated bar code is scanned.

13. The automobile auction system of claim 1, wherein bar code stickers identifying the automobile are on each automobile;

and

wherein work orders defining tasks to be performed on the automobiles are secured to the automobiles or placed within the automobiles.

14. The automobile auction system of claim 1, wherein the automobile auction system utilizes the captured data to track inventory and management of operations of the automobile auction facility.

15. The automobile auction system of claim 1, wherein the automobile auction system communicates data related to inventory and automobiles processed to a management system via a communications network.

16. A method for tracking an automobile at an automobile auction facility comprising a plurality of vehicles using an automobile auction system, the method comprising:

scanning bar codes on the automobile and recording corresponding GPS coordinates associated with a location of the automobile at the time of the scanning using one or more custom scanning devices, wherein each custom scanning device comprises a bar code scanner and a GPS sensor, and wherein each custom scanning device does not have a user interface that enables users to enter data therein;

receiving captured data from the one or more custom scanning devices, wherein the captured data comprises the scanned bar codes, the corresponding GPS coordinates associated with the location of the automobile, scanner ID, and times of scans;

receiving mapping data from a map source, wherein the mapping data comprises a map of the automobile auction facility; and

processing the scanned bar codes from the automobile and the corresponding GPS coordinates associated with the location of the automobile using a server, associating the scanned bar codes and the corresponding GPS coordinates associated with the automobile location to the map, and displaying the location of the GPS coordinates on the map wherein the location of the GPS coordinates on the map comprise specific physical locations at the automobile auction facility where the barcodes on the automobiles were scanned and where the corresponding GPS coordinates associated with the automobile were recorded at the time of the scanning, said facility comprising a plurality of automobiles operable to be tracked by said method.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

providing information to the automobile auction system by using the custom scanning device to record various tasks performed on the automobile, who performed the tasks, the location where the tasks occurred, and the time of each scan associated with the tasks;

wherein the automobile auction system utilizes the information to assist in tracking inventory and management of operations of the automobile auction facility, including determining potential bottlenecks or efficiencies in the operations.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

plotting areas on the map;

defining GPS coordinates associated with the areas;

determining which areas the automobile is located in; and

highlighting a location of the automobile on the map, identifying the GPS coordinates and an approximate location of the automobile on the map, or combinations thereof.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

overlaying a grid on the map used to draw locations of the areas on the map;

illustrating the GPS marker on the map when the bar codes are scanned and the GPS coordinates are received; and

comparing the GPS coordinates the GPS coordinate associated with the areas to determine the location of the automobile.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising identifying a capacity of each of the areas based on the location of automobiles in the automobile auction facility.