Customized instrument evaluation and ordering tool

• US 8,577,487 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2010
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PACCAR Incorporated
• Original Assignee: PACCAR Incorporated
• Inventors: Tarte, Christopher, Crowe, Paul Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): SHECHTMAN, SEAN P
• Application Number:
  US12/711,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20110208339A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,351 Days
• Field of Search: 700 95- 98, 700/105, 703/8, 715/738, 715/739, 715/771, 705/26.5, 705/27.1, 705/27.2
• US Class Current: 700/97
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/20 Configuration CAD, e.g. designing by assembling or positioning modules selected from libraries of predesigned modules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/15 Vehicle, aircraft or watercraft design
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A tool is provided to allow a user to customize the components of a vehicle instrument panel from an Internet-enabled Web site. A user can navigate to a Web site and select a vehicle for configuration. From the Web site, input may be obtained regarding the components and appearance of an instrument panel such as selecting particular types of components (e.g., display panels, gauges, etc.) and arranging where the selected components are to be located. The input generated by a user is translated into a build specification for assembling the instrument panel at the manufacturer. Accordingly, the system and method serve as an interface between the Web site that obtains user configuration data and a manufacturer'"'"'s system that manages assembly of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating configuration of an instrument panel, the system comprising:

a memory component configured to store information about vehicles and information about an instrument panel of each vehicle; and

a first computing device, communicatively connected with the memory component, the first computing device configured to;

activate an instrument panel configuration service;

obtain information about configurable attributes of an instrument panel for a vehicle;

receive first user input via the instrument panel configuration service regarding a desired configuration of the instrument panel that includes at least one hardware instrument and at least one virtual instrument, wherein the first user input is received from a remote computing device and is directed to at least one of the configurable attributes, and wherein the at least one configurable attribute comprises a visual attribute of the at least one virtual instrument;

store information representing the desired configuration of the instrument panel;

stop the instrument panel configuration service responsive to second user input;

resume the instrument panel configuration service responsive to third user input;

obtain the stored information representing the desired configuration of the instrument panel;

receive fourth user input via the instrument panel configuration service regarding a modification to the desired configuration of the instrument panel;

generate a visual representation of the instrument panel based on the received first and fourth user input, wherein the visual representation of the instrument panel includes depictions of the hardware and virtual instruments; and

generate a build specification that is designed to be used by a manufacturer for assembling an instrument panel that corresponds to the generated visual representation.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the build specification identifies the instruments, including the at least one hardware instrument to assemble into the instrument panel, and the at least one virtual instrument to be displayed on the instrument panel.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the build specification defines characteristics and placements of the identified instruments.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first computing device is further configured to provide the build specification to a manufacturer system, and wherein the manufacturer system includes an assembly application that is configured to assemble the instrument panel in accordance with the build specification.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the obtained information about configurable attributes of the instrument panel is configured to be presented to a user to assist the user in customizing the configuration of the instrument panel.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein a hardware cover of the instrument panel is customized.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first or fourth user input indicates replacement of a hardware instrument with a virtual instrument that is a visual image of the corresponding hardware instrument.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first or fourth user input indicates replacement of a virtual instrument with a hardware instrument that provides the same functionality.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first computing device is further configured to cause the generated visual representation to be rendered on the remote computing device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first computing device is further configured to receive user input that indicates modification of the configuration after the visual representation is generated.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the first computing device is further configured to receive user input that confirms the configuration, which causes the computing system to generate the build specification.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the first computing device is further configured to:

receive further user input regarding configuration of a second instrument panel;

generate a second visual representation based on the further user input, wherein the second visual representation includes a depiction of the second instrument panel; and

generate a second build specification that is designed to be used by the manufacturer for assembling the second instrument panel.

13. A computer implemented method for facilitating configuration of an instrument panel, the method comprising:

activating an instrument panel configuration service;

obtaining information about configurable attributes of an instrument panel for a vehicle;

receiving first user input via the instrument panel configuration service regarding a desired configuration of the instrument panel that includes at least one hardware instrument and at least one virtual instrument, wherein the first user input is received from a remote computing device and is directed to at least one of the configurable attributes, and wherein the at least one configurable attribute comprises a visual attribute of the at least one virtual instrument;

storing information representing the desired configuration of the instrument panel;

stopping the instrument panel configuration service responsive to second user input;

resuming the instrument panel configuration service responsive to third user input;

obtaining the stored information representing the desired configuration of the instrument panel;

receiving fourth user input via the instrument panel configuration service regarding a modification to the desired configuration of the instrument panel;

generating a visual representation of the instrument panel based on the received first and fourth user input, wherein the visual representation of the instrument panel includes depictions of the hardware and virtual instruments; and

generating a build specification that is designed to be used by a manufacturer for assembling an instrument panel that corresponds to the generated visual representation.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving further user input after the visual representation is generated and prior to generating the build specification.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein generating the build specification is based at least in part on the further user input.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising rendering the generated visual representation of the instrument panel on the remote computing device.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing the build specification to a manufacturer system.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the first or fourth user input indicates removal of an instrument from the instrument panel.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the first or fourth user input indicates addition of a new instrument to the instrument panel.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the first or fourth user input indicates replacement of an instrument on the instrument panel by a new instrument on the instrument panel.