Cloud computed data service for automated reporting of vehicle trip data and analysis

• US 9,286,266 B1
• Filed: 05/06/2013
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Left Lane Network, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Left Lane Network, Inc.
• Inventors: Fleck, David, Harris, Don
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc-Coleman, Marthe
• Application Number:
  US13/887,832
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29.4, 701/31.4, 701/29.6, 701/33.4, 701/31.5, 701/24, 701/32.4, 701/33.3, 701/34.3, 701/36, 340/457, 342/419, 700/236, 700/237, 702/63, 709/203, 709/219, 709/225
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1091 Recording time for administrative or management purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/10 Tax strategies
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0825 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]

Abstract

This disclosure generally relates to systems and methods to receiving onboard diagnostic data associated with an operational state of a vehicle of a user and pushing a message to the user, the message including information associated with the onboard diagnostic data.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving onboard diagnostic data associated with an operational state of a vehicle of a user, the onboard diagnostic data including vehicle trip distance;

wirelessly communicating the onboard diagnostic data, including the vehicle trip distance, to an external service via a network;

at the external service, calculating;

vehicle-related trip expense information based on the vehicle trip distance included in the onboard diagnostic data, and

tax deductions based on tax rules of a vehicle location, the vehicle-related trip expense information, information manually entered by the user, and information monitored from the vehicle, and

wirelessly pushing a message to the user from the external service to a mobile device via the network, the message including the vehicle-related trip expense information calculated based on the vehicle trip distance included in the onboard diagnostic data and the calculated tax deductions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the onboard diagnostic data is compatible with the OBD-II standard.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the onboard diagnostic data includes at least one of a trouble code, and the external service is to provide a definition of the trouble code.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising providing information associated with the user from an external service.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein providing the information includes communicating the information from the external service communicates to the vehicle via an internet.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein providing the information includes relaying the information from an original equipment manufacturer, or a supplier thereto, to the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein providing the information includes relaying the information from an original equipment manufacturer or a supplier thereto to the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein pushing the message is enabled for a first set of data of the onboard diagnostic data upon initiation of the method, and for a second set of data, other than the first set of data, upon installing a device to the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the device is an OBD-II compatible device including an OBD-II compatible connector.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein pushing a message includes pushing at least one of vehicle-related cost information, vehicle tracking information, vehicle management information, lease payment amount, loan payment amount, lease start date, loan start date, annual miles allowed within lease payment, timing of lease payment, timing of loan payment, amount of a monthly lease or loan payment, fuel usage, monthly insurance payments for the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the trip expense information includes expense information provided by another device in communication with the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the trip expense information is associated with at least one of spending in a location, spending with a specific bank account, and time of operation.

13. The method of claim 10, comprising receiving the trip expense information from a point-of-sale device.

14. The method of claim 10, comprising inputting data associated with the message manually into the mobile device.

15. The method of claim 10, comprising keeping a log on the mobile device.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the vehicle tracking information includes GPS information or point of sale information.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein pushing a message includes displaying a maintenance reminder.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the maintenance reminder is associated with at least one of manually entered information and information monitored from a vehicle.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the external service includes information related to safety, recall, service bulletins and crash test scores, and the message is related to at least one of the safety, recall, service bulletins and crash test scores.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the message includes information from a social network related to another user of the social network.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the information includes a leaderboard, wherein the user and the another user are ranked in the leaderboard in association with respective onboard vehicle diagnostic data.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculating of the tax deductions is based on a segment of the vehicle trip distance, and the information manually entered by the user includes a purpose of the trip.

23. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when performed by a machine, cause the machine to:

receive onboard diagnostic data associated with an operational state of a vehicle of a user, the onboard diagnostic data including vehicle trip distance;

wirelessly communicate the onboard diagnostic data, including the vehicle trip distance, to an external service via a network; and

at the external service, calculate;

vehicle-related trip expense information based on the trip distance included in the onboard diagnostic data, and

tax deductions based on tax rules of a vehicle location, the vehicle-related trip expense information, information manually entered by the user, and information monitored from the vehicle, and

wirelessly push a message to the user from the external service to a mobile device via the network, the message including the vehicle-related trip expense information calculated based on the vehicle trip distance included in the onboard diagnostic data and the calculated tax deductions.

24. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the instructions are to cause the machine to communicate instructions to the mobile device to cause the mobile device to display a first set of data of the message upon communication of the data to the mobile device, and to communicate instructions to the mobile device to cause the mobile device to display a second set of data of the message, other than the first set of data, upon communication to the mobile device that a credit has been transferred to the external service.

25. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the second set of data includes a gauge to display the onboard diagnostic data.

26. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 25, including instructions to cause the machine to instruct the external service to communicate multiple gauges to the mobile device upon transfer of the credit to the external service.

27. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 25, including instructions to cause the machine to instruct the mobile device to display the gauge upon reception of an indication that a device has been coupled to the vehicle.