Multiple-platform estimating and automatic quoting for network-based parts resale with transferable reports

• US 8,732,032 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2013
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Claims Services Group LLC (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Claims Services Group, Inc. (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Scruton, Jay F., Davis, Orson P., Davis, Deathe
• Primary Examiner(s): Airapetian, Mila
• Application Number:
  US13/925,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20130290129A1
• Time in Patent Office: 330 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26.1
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0611 Request for offers or quotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A part location system is described that utilizes computer-based techniques for bringing together repair facilities and suppliers to increase the efficiency of locating recycled, used or aftermarket parts using a computer network, such as the Internet. The part location system receives an estimate from a first user over a communication network. The part location system then parses the estimate to extract information that identifies a list of parts needed by the first user and automatically generates a request for quote (RFQ) using the information extracted from the estimate. The part location system then sends the RFQ to suppliers via the communication network. Subsequently, the part location system receives quotations from at least one of the suppliers via the communication network in response to the RFQ and presents the quotations received in response to the RFQ to a repair facility via the communication network.

Claims

1. A system for preparing an estimate for a claim to repair an automobile, the system comprising:

a part location system having one or more computing devices, wherein the part location system presents a user interface to receive input specifying a set of rules;

a plurality of supplier computing systems, each of the plurality of supplier computing systems maintaining a respective inventory database of recycled parts, wherein the plurality of supplier computing systems are coupled to the part location system by a communication network, and

an estimating platform comprising one or more computing devices coupled to the part location system via the communication network,

wherein the estimating platform presents a user interface to receive an initial estimate from a user to repair an automobile, wherein the initial estimate includes a list of parts needed to repair the automobile,

wherein the estimating platform provides the initial estimate to a part location system via the communication network,

wherein, in response to receiving the initial estimate, the part location system automatically generates an a request for quote (RFQ) using information extracted from the initial estimate and sends the RFQ to the supplier computing systems,

wherein, in response to the sending RFQ, the part location system receives one or more electronic quotations from the supplier computing systems for recycled parts needed to repair the automobile,

wherein the part location system applies the rules to filter the electronic quotations to identify ones of the electronic quotations that comply with criteria specified by the set of rules and sends the identified one of the electronic quotations to the estimating platform,

wherein the estimating platform receives the identified ones of the electronic quotations from the part location system, and

wherein the estimating platform automatically incorporates one or more of the identified electronic quotations received from the part location system into the initial estimate to form a final estimate.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of rules comprise one or more insurance rules that defines conditions for allowing repair facilities to use recycled parts to repair automobile.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the estimating platform receives the quotations from the part location system as one or more extensible markup language (XML) documents.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the estimating platform performs the compliance check by accessing one or more databases to check whether parts specified by the quotations are optimal parts to repair the automobile.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the estimating platform presents the final estimate to the user for review and, upon receiving approval from the user, communicates the final estimate to one or more of repair facilities via the communication network.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the part location system processes the list of parts extracted from the estimate to identify a combination of two or more the parts that may be purchased as a single aggregate part, and generates the RFQ to specify the aggregate part instead of the identified combination of the two or more parts.

7. A device comprising:

a communication interface to couple the device to a computer network; and

a processor configured to present a user interface to receive input specifying a set of rules that specify conditions for allowing repair facilities to use recycled parts to repair automotive vehicles,

wherein the processor receives an estimate over the computer network, parses the estimate to extract information that identifies a list of parts needed to repair an automotive vehicle, automatically generates an RFQ using the information extracted from the estimate and outputs the RFQ to supplier computers via the computer network, each of the supplier computers having a respective inventory database of recycled parts,

wherein, in response to outputting the RFQ, processor receives electronic quotations from the suppliers via the communication network and applies the set of rules to the quotations to identify the quotations that comply with criteria specified by the rules; and

wherein the processor outputs the identified quotations via the communication network to provide an estimate for repairing the automotive vehicle.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the set of rules comprise one or more insurance rules.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the quotations comprise one or more extensible markup language (XML) documents.

10. The device of claim 7,

wherein the processor processes the list of parts extracted from the estimate to identify a combination of two or more the parts that may be purchased as a single aggregate part, and

wherein the processor generates the RFQ to specify the aggregate part instead of the identified combination of the two or more parts.

11. A method comprising:

receiving, with a part location computing system, input specifying a set of rules that specify conditions for allowing repair facilities to use recycled parts to repair automotive vehicles;

receiving, with a part location computing system over a communication network, a list of parts needed to repair an automotive vehicle;

automatically, with the part location computing system, generating a request for quote (RFQ) for the list of parts;

sending, with the part location computing system, the RFQ to a plurality of supplier computing systems via the communication network; and

receiving, with the part location computing system, electronic quotations from at least one of the suppliers via the communication network in response to the RFQ;

applying, with the part location computing system, the set of rules to the electronic quotations to identify the quotations that comply with criteria specified by the rules; and

outputting the identified electronic quotations via the communication network.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein outputting the identified electronic quotations comprises outputting the identified electronic quotations to a computing device within a repair facility.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein outputting the identified electronic quotations comprises outputting the identified electronic quotations to estimating software executing on a computing device.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the set of rules comprise one or more insurance rules.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the electronic quotations comprise one or more extensible markup language (XML) documents.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

processing, with the part location computing system, the list of parts extracted from the estimate to identify a combination of two or more the parts that may be purchased as a single aggregate part, and

generating, with the part location computing system, the RFQ to specify the aggregate part instead of the identified combination of the two or more parts.