Methods and systems for mapping repair orders within a database

• US 9,633,340 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2015
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Inventors: Merg, Patrick S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stevens, Robert
• Application Number:
  US14/880,228
• Publication Number:
  US 20160034857A1
• Time in Patent Office: 563 Days
• Field of Search: 707802
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/316 Indexing structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance

Abstract

Methods and systems for mapping repairs orders within a database are described. Mapping a repair order can include generating a searchable data record with multiple data record fields. Each data record field can include a term located on the repair order or a standard term associated with the term on the repair order. In order to retrieve repair orders from the database, the data records can be searched using search criteria that match standard terms storable in the data record fields. Although the repair orders can be searched to find repair orders with terms that match the search criteria, the search may be carried our more efficiently (e.g., quicker) by searching the data records instead of the repair orders. One or more repairs orders can be associated with real-fix tips. Phrases of the real-fix tips can be selected automatically based, for example, or RO terms recited on the repair orders.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing, at a database, a first repair order (RO) and phrase data separate from the first RO, wherein the phrase data comprises multiple multi-word phrases and for each phrase;

at least one matchable RO term and a real-fix tip field identifier that associates the phrase with a real-fix tip field from among a set of real-fix tip fields, wherein the set of real-fix tip fields comprises a complaint field, a cause field, and a correction field, and wherein the first RO contains a vehicle identifier of a first individual vehicle;

determining, by at least one processor, multiple RO terms based on RO terms contained in the first RO, wherein the multiple RO terms pertain to a service procedure already performed to the first individual vehicle;

determining, by the at least one processor from the phrase data, a first multi-word phrase, wherein the first multi-word phrase is associated with a first real-fix tip field identifier, wherein the at least one matchable RO term associated with the first multi-word phase matches at least one of the received multiple RO terms, wherein the first multi-word phrase includes at least a first word that differs from both the at least one matchable RO term associated with the first multi-word phrase and the received multiple RO terms, and wherein the first real-fix tip field identifier identifies the complaint field, the cause field, or the correction field;

generating, by the at least one processor, a real-fix tip by populating a first field of the real-fix tip with the first multi-word phrase determined from the phrase data separate from the first RO, wherein the first multi-word phrase is indicative of a complaint listed on the first RO if the first real-fix tip field identifier identifies the complaint field, a cause listed on the first RO if the first real-fix tip field identifier identifies the cause field, or a correction listed on the first RO if the first real-fix tip field identifier identifies the correction field; and

transmitting the real-fix tip.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the real-fix tip includes at least one of transmitting the real-fix tip to a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and transmitting the real-fix tip to a data processing machine with a display configured to display the real-fix tip.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

linking, by the at least one processor, the real-fix tip to a group of RO,

wherein the group of RO includes the first RO and at least one other RO identified during a search of a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium in which the first RO was discovered.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

providing, by the at least one processor for displaying on a display, a number indicating a quantity of repair orders within the group of RO.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple RO terms comprise one or more of a diagnostic trouble code (DTC), a vehicle component name, and a customer complaint.

6. The method of claim 5,

wherein the first multi-word phrase comprises the one or more of the DTC, the vehicle component name, and the customer complaint.

7. The method of claim 5,

wherein generating the real-fix tip includes adding the one or more of the DTC, the vehicle component name, and the customer complaint to the first multi-word phrase.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing, within a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, computer-readable program instructions executable by the at least one processor to determine the first multi-word phrase and to generate the real-fix tip,

wherein determining the first multi-word phrase comprises the at least one processor executing the computer-readable program instructions to determine the first multi-word phrase,

wherein generating the real-fix tip comprises the at least one processor executing the computer-readable program instructions to generate the real-fix tip, and

wherein determining the first multi-word phrase and generating the real-fix tip occurs before the first RO is selected for displaying on a display at a data processing machine.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing, within a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, computer-readable program instructions executable by the at least one processor to determine the first multi-word phrase and to generate the real-fix tip,

wherein determining the first multi-word phrase comprises the at least one processor executing the computer-readable program instructions to determine the first multi-word phrase,

wherein generating the real-fix tip comprises the at least one processor executing the computer-readable program instructions to generate the real-fix tip, and

wherein selecting the first multi-word phrase and generating the real-fix tip occurs after the first RO is selected for displaying on a display at a data processing machine.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle identifier includes at least one of a vehicle identification number, a vehicle year identifier, a vehicle make identifier, a vehicle model identifier, a vehicle engine identifier, and a vehicle system identifier.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, by the at least one processor, a graphical user interface (GUI);

displaying, by a display connected to the at least one processor, the GUI, wherein the displayed GUI includes a selection interface for selecting at least one of a diagnostic trouble code number, a component name, and a symptom identifier.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing, at the database, one or more other repair orders and one or more other real-fix tips generated by the at least one processor selecting one or more phrases from the phrase data.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the multiple RO terms comprises a standard RO term mapped to a non-standard term contained in the the first RO.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the multiple RO terms is identical to one of the RO terms contained in the first RO.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the at least one processor from the phrase data, a second multi-word phrase, wherein the second multi-word phrase is associated with a second real-fix tip field identifier different than the first real-fix tip field identifier, wherein the at least one matchable RO term associated with the second multi-word phase matches at least one of the received multiple RO terms, wherein the second multi-word phrase includes at least one word that differs from both the at least one matchable RO term associated with the second multi-word phrase and the received multiple RO terms, and wherein the second real-fix tip field identifier identifies a first of the complaint field, the cause field, and the correction field not identified by the first real-fix tip field identifier,

wherein generating the real-fix tip comprises populating a second field of the real-fix tip with the second multi-word phrase determined from the phrase data separate from the first RO, wherein the second multi-word phrase is indicative of a complaint listed on the first RO if the second real-fix tip field identifier identifies the complaint field, a cause listed on the first RO if the second real-fix tip field identifier identifies the cause field, or a correction listed on the first RO if the second real-fix tip field identifier identifies the correction field.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining, by the at least one processor from the phrase data, a third multi-word phrase, wherein the third multi-word phrase is associated with a third real-fix tip field identifier different than both the first real-fix tip field identifier and the second real-fix tip identifier, wherein the at least one matchable RO term associated with the third multi-word phase matches at least one of the received multiple RO terms, wherein the third multi-word phrase includes at least one word that differs from both the at least one matchable RO term associated with the third multi-word phrase and the received multiple RO terms, and wherein the third real-fix tip field identifier identifies a second of the complaint field, the cause field, and the correction field not identified by the first real-fix tip field identifier,

wherein generating the real-fix tip comprises populating a third field of the real-fix tip with the third multi-word phrase determined from the phrase data separate from the first RO, wherein the third multi-word phrase is indicative of a complaint listed on the first RO if the third real-fix tip field identifier identifies the complaint field, a cause listed on the first RO if the third real-fix tip field identifier identifies the cause field, or a correction listed on the first RO if the third real-fix tip field identifier identifies the correction field.