Inspection reporting including a 3D vehicle model

• US 8,443,301 B1
• Filed: 09/26/2011
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mobile Productivity, Inc. (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mobile Productivity, Inc. (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Daley, Marcus Isaac, Silver, Leslie J., Easterly, Darek, Boyle, David A., Preece, David Leland, Real, Jennifer Ada
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, THANH T
• Application Number:
  US13/245,760
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: 715/575, 715/772, 715/848, 715/849, 715/850, 715/852
• US Class Current: 715/848
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/007 Wheeled or endless-tracked vehicles G01M17/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance

Abstract

In one embodiment, a visual reporting system generates a 3-dimensional (3D) interactive vehicle inspection report comprising 3D model data and inspection data for a particular vehicle. The inspection data, such as recommended repair items, are associated with graphical vehicle sections in the 3D model. Further, additional inspection data, such as instructional videos or inspection photographs, can be provided to a user desiring additional detail. By providing an interactive visual representation of inspection data, the 3D inspection report provides a report that can be customized to provide different levels of detail to different users. In addition, the 3D model can provide a visually compact summary of the inspection data by marking on the 3D model the repair items for the vehicle. Use of the 3D inspection report can raise the likelihood that the vehicle owner understands the need for repair, leading to more repair orders for repair facilities.

Claims

1. A method of generating an interactive user interface associated with a vehicle inspection for presentation to a user, the method comprising:

receiving, by a computing system, vehicle inspection data for a particular vehicle, the vehicle inspection data including one or more recommended repairs for the vehicle;

generating a 3D graphical image of a vehicle that is representative of the particular vehicle, wherein the 3D graphical image of the vehicle includes a plurality of vehicle sections;

associating, by the computing system, respective recommended repairs with one or more vehicle sections;

transmitting, by the computing system, to a user computing device, an interactive user interface including an inspection report listing at least some of the recommended repairs, the 3D graphical image of the vehicle, and indications on the 3D graphical image of the vehicle of vehicle sections having associated recommended repairs,

updating the 3D graphical image to depict different orientations of the vehicle in response to input from the user computing device;

in response to updating the 3D graphical image to depict a first orientation of the vehicle, updating the inspection report to include a first subset of recommended repairs associated with a first subset of vehicle components viewable in the 3D graphical image at the first orientation; and

in response to updating the 3D graphical image to depict a second orientation of the vehicle, updating the inspection report to include a second subset of recommended repairs associated with a second subset of vehicle components viewable in the 3D graphical image at the second orientation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating related inspection data to at least one repair item included in the inspection report, wherein a selection on the user computing device of the at least one repair item causes the related inspection data to be presented on the user computing device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the related inspection data comprises at least one of an instructional video about the at least one repair item and an inspection image of the at least one repair item.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the related inspection data further comprises at least one of a repair estimate and an item status.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the input from the user computing device comprises a selection of a vehicle section.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the input from the user computing device comprises a selection of a repair item from the inspection report listing at least some of the recommended repairs.

7. A method of providing an interactive user interface associated with a vehicle inspection to a user, the method comprising:

receiving on a computing device, from a reporting system, an interactive user interface including an inspection report listing at least some recommended repairs and a 3D graphical image of a vehicle that is representative of an inspected vehicle;

updating the 3D graphical image to depict different orientations of the vehicle in response to input received on the user computing device;

in response to a first input updating the 3D graphical image to depict a first orientation of the vehicle, updating the inspection report to include a first subset of recommended repairs associated with a first subset of vehicle components viewable in the 3D graphical image at the first orientation; and

in response to updating the 3D graphical image to depict a second orientation of the vehicle, updating the inspection report to include a second subset of recommended repairs associated with a second subset of vehicle components viewable in the 3D graphical image at the second orientation.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein in response to receiving a selection of a repair item on the user interface, displaying a popup window having inspection data related to the selected repair item, the inspection data comprising at least one of an instructional video about the repair item and an inspection image of the selected repair item.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the inspection data further comprises a repair estimate or a status of the selected repair item.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein repair items are indicated on the 3D graphical image using a plurality of indicators, wherein a first indicator indicates a low priority repair and a second indicator indicates a high priority repair.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first indicator is a first color and the second indicator is a second color.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the user input comprises a selection of a repair item on the 3D graphical image.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the first input or second input comprises a selection of a repair item on a repair list associated with the 3D graphical image, wherein the repair list includes one or more repair items associated with the 3D graphical image.

14. A system for generating an interactive user interface associated with a vehicle inspection, the system comprising:

a 3D modeling module configured to generate an interactive user interface including an inspection report listing at least some of the recommended repairs and a 3D graphical image of a vehicle that is representative of an inspected vehicle, the 3D graphical image having a plurality of graphical vehicle sections corresponding to physical vehicle sections of the inspected vehicle;

an inspection interface configured to receive inspection data for the inspected vehicle, the inspection data comprising recommended repair items corresponding to vehicle components of the inspected vehicle; and

an association module configured to associate the repair items with the graphical vehicle sections, wherein a repair item is associated with a graphical vehicle section based on the proximity of the vehicle component corresponding with the repair item to the physical vehicle section corresponding to the graphical vehicle section;

wherein the 3D graphical image is configured to depict different orientations of the vehicle in response to input from a user computing device;

wherein a first input causes the 3D graphical image to depict a first orientation of the vehicle and causes the inspection report to update by including a first subset of recommended repairs associated with a first subset of vehicle components viewable in the 3D graphical image at the first orientation;

wherein a second input causes the 3D graphical image to depict a second orientation of the vehicle and causes the inspection report to update by including a second subset of recommended repairs associated with a second subset of vehicle components viewable in the 3D graphical image at the second orientation.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein graphical vehicle sections on the 3D graphical image having associated repair items are indicated on the 3D model.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising the interactive user interface, wherein the interactive user interface is configured to receive a repair order specifying one or more repair items selected by a user for repair.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein graphical vehicle sections having associated repair items are configured to display inspection data related to the associated repair items in a popup window upon selection.

18. Physical computer storage having stored thereon instructions that, in response to execution by a computing system having one or more hardware processors, cause the computing system to:

receive vehicle inspection data for a particular vehicle, the vehicle inspection data including one or more recommended repairs for the vehicle;

generate a 3D graphical image of a vehicle that is representative of the particular vehicle, wherein the 3D graphical image of the vehicle includes a plurality of vehicle sections;

associate respective recommended repairs with one or more vehicle sections; and

transmit to a user computing device, an interactive user interface including an inspection report listing at least some of the recommended repairs, the 3D graphical image of the vehicle, and indications on the 3D graphical image of the vehicle of vehicle sections having associated recommended repairs,

wherein the 3D graphical image is configured to depict different orientations of the vehicle in response to input from the user computing device;

wherein a first input causes the 3D graphical image to depict a first orientation of the vehicle and causes the inspection report to update by including a first subset of recommended repairs associated with a first subset of vehicle components viewable in the 3D graphical image at the first orientation;

wherein a second input causes the 3D graphical image to depict a second orientation of the vehicle and causes the inspection report to update by including a second subset of recommended repairs associated with a second subset of vehicle components viewable in the 3D graphical image at the second orientation.