Related parts identification and sales tool

• US 8,423,419 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2008
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Robinson, Gary A., Wiggers, David W., Reeb, Rollin G., Gashaw, Kent A., Wirth, Brian J., England, Bobby L., Bumgarner, Kelly R., Joseph, Elango G.
• Primary Examiner(s): STOPP, COURTNEY L
• Application Number:
  US12/078,425
• Publication Number:
  US 20090248545A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,842 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/26.1, 705/27.1, 705/305
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A method of identifying related parts is disclosed. The method includes receiving a selection of a product, receiving a selection of at least one part of a product, and identifying at least one related part structurally associated with the selected at least one part. The method further includes generating a parts list containing the selected at least one part and the identified at least one related part, and presenting the parts list.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium device having stored thereon computer-readable instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method of identifying related parts, the method comprising:

receiving a selection of a product;

receiving a selection of at least one part of the product;

identifying, based on at least one of repair logic or stored expert knowledge, a repair that involves the selected at least one part;

determining a repair level of the repair that involves the selected at least one part, wherein the repair level includes a first repair level indicating parts required to replace a group of structurally-related parts including the selected at least one part or a second repair level indicating parts required to recondition a group of structurally-related parts including the selected at least one part, and the first repair level is greater than the second repair level;

identifying at least one additional related part, different from the selected at least one part, that is also involved in the identified repair and that has an associated repair level equal to or below the repair level of the selected at least one part;

generating a parts list, wherein the parts list includes the selected at least one part and a recommendation of the identified at least one additional related part; and

presenting the parts list.

2. The computer-readable medium device of claim 1, wherein the method further includes:

identifying a parts manual for the product;

determining whether the identified at least one related part is included in the parts manual; and

removing from the parts list the identified at least one related part when it is determined that the identified at least one related part is not included in the parts manual.

3. The computer-readable medium device of claim 1, wherein the method further includes:

determining a parentage of the selected at least one part;

determining a parentage of the identified at least one related part; and

removing from the parts list the identified at least one related part if the parentage of the identified at least one related part is not the same as the parentage of the selected at least one part.

4. The computer-readable medium device of claim 3, wherein:

the parentage of the selected at least one part includes at least one part hierarchically above the selected at least one part within a structure of the product, and

the parentage of the identified at least one related part includes at least one part hierarchically above the identified at least one part within the structure of the product.

5. A computer-implemented method of identifying related parts, the method comprising:

receiving a selection of a product;

receiving a selection of at least one part of the product;

identifying, by at least one processor and based on at least one of repair logic or stored expert knowledge, a repair that involves the selected at least one part;

determining a repair level of the repair that involves the selected at least one part, wherein the repair level includes a first repair level indicating parts required to replace a group of structurally-related parts including the selected at least one part or a second repair level indicating parts required to recondition a group of structurally-related parts including the selected at least one part, and the first repair level is greater than the second repair level;

identifying at least one additional related part, different from the selected at least one part, that is also involved in the identified repair and that has an associated repair level equal to or below the repair level of the selected at least one part;

generating a parts list, wherein the parts list includes the selected at least one part and a recommendation of the identified at least one additional related part; and

presenting the parts list.

6. The method of claim 5, further including:

identifying a parts manual for the product;

determining whether the identified at least one related part is included in the parts manual; and

removing from the parts list the identified at least one related part when it is determined that the identified at least one related part is not included in the parts manual.

7. The method of claim 5, further including:

determining a parentage of the selected at least one part;

determining a parentage of the identified at least one related part; and

removing from the parts list the identified at least one related part if the parentage of the identified at least one related part is not the same as the parentage of the selected at least one part.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the parentage of the selected at least one part includes at least one part hierarchically above the selected at least one part within a structure of the product, and

the parentage of the identified at least one related part includes at least one part hierarchically above the identified at least one part within the structure of the product.

9. The method of claim 5, further including ordering, by the user, parts listed in the parts list.

10. A computer system, comprising:

a memory storing at least one of repair logic or expert knowledge;

at least one input device; and

a processor in communication with the memory and the at least one input device, wherein the processor;

receives, via the input device, a selection of a product;

receives, via the input device, a selection of at least one part of the product;

identifies, based on the stored at least one of repair logic or expert knowledge, a repair that involves the selected at least one part;

determines a repair level of the repair that involves the selected at least one part, wherein the repair level includes a first repair level indicating parts required to replace a group of structurally-related parts including the selected at least one part or a second repair level indicating parts required to recondition a group of structurally-related parts including the selected at least one part, and the first repair level is greater than the second repair level;

identifies at least one additional related part, different from the selected at least one part, that is also involved in the identified repair and that has an associated repair level equal to or below the repair level of the selected at least one part;

generates a parts list containing the selected at least one part and a recommendation of the identified at least one additional related part; and

presents the parts list.

11. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the processor further:

identifies a parts manual for the product;

determines whether the identified at least one related part is included in the parts manual; and

removes from the parts list the identified at least one related part when it is determined that the identified at least one related part is not included in the parts manual.

12. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the processor further:

determines a parentage of the selected at least one part;

determines a parentage of the identified at least one related part; and

removes from the parts list the identified at least one related part if the parentage of the identified at least one related part is not the same as the parentage of the selected at least one part.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein:

the parentage of the selected at least one part includes at least one part hierarchically above the selected at least one part within a structure of the product, and

the parentage of the identified at least one related part includes at least one part hierarchically above the identified at least one part within the structure of the product.

14. A computer-implemented method of identifying related parts, the method comprising:

receiving a selection of a product;

receiving a selection of at least one part of the product;

identifying, by at least one processor and based on at least one of repair logic or stored expert knowledge, a repair that involves the selected at least one part;

determining at least one additional related part, different from the selected at least one part, that is also involved in the identified repair;

generating a parts list, wherein the parts list includes the selected at least one part and a recommendation of the identified at least one additional related part;

filtering the parts list, including;

determining a repair level of each of the parts in the parts list, wherein the repair level is determined to be one of;

(1) a first repair level designating parts that are visually inspected and replaced only if damaged, (2) a second repair level designating parts, that if removed, are to be replaced, and (3) a third repair level designating parts that are required to replace a collection of parts of the product, wherein the third repair level is greater than the second repair level, and the second repair level is greater than the first repair level; and

removing from the parts list any part having a determined repair level that is greater than the determined repair level of the selected at least one part; and

presenting the parts list.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the filtering further includes:

determining a parentage of each of the parts in the parts list, wherein the parentage represents a hierarchical position of the part within a predetermined collection of parts of the product; and

removing from the parts list any part having a different parentage than the selected at least one part.