On-road vehicle service handling method

• US 9,792,738 B1
• Filed: 07/15/2016
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Adderly, Darryl M., Jackson, Jonathan W., Jariwala, Ajit, Libow, Eric B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nolan, Peter D
• Application Number:
  US15/211,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20170316622A1
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0234 related to maintenance or repairing of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3605 Destination input or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005

Abstract

A computerized, on-road, vehicle service handling method involves, while a user is driving a vehicle between first and second locations, receiving a fault condition signal from an on-board diagnostic system; automatically transmitting information to multiple vehicle service locations ahead of the vehicle, including vehicle and fault information and an individual estimated time of arrival (ETA) based upon current location and speed; receiving individual service responses including at least a parts and labor cost estimate, and at least one appointment time after the ETA; receiving a selection by the user of at least two of the provided vehicle service locations and an order of preference thereof; sending payment information to the first vehicle service location; receiving a communication either accepting or rejecting, and, if accepted, automatically directing the user to the first vehicle service location, but if rejected, sending the payment information to a next preferred vehicle service location.

Claims

1. A computerized, on-road, vehicle service handling method comprising:

I) while a user is driving a vehicle traveling between a first location and a second location, receiving a fault condition signal from an on-board diagnostic system, at a processor within the vehicle, indicating that service is urgently required for a part of the vehicle;

II) while the vehicle is continuing to travel, automatically transmitting information to computer systems of multiple vehicle service locations in a direction ahead of the vehicle, taking into account location, speed and direction of travel towards the second location, the information including vehicle and fault information and an individual estimated time of arrival at the respective multiple vehicle service locations based upon current location and speed;

III) receiving at the processor, from the computer systems of at least a few of the vehicle service locations, individual service responses including at least a cost estimate for parts and labor, and at least one appointment time within a specified time after the estimated time of arrival during which servicing can be performed;

IV) using the processor, causing at least the vehicle service location, the cost estimate and at least one appointment time, from each of the received individual service responses to be provided to the user for potential selection;

V) receiving, at the processor, a selection by the user of at least two of the provided vehicle service locations and an order of preference thereof;

VI) replying to a first of the vehicle service locations in the order of preference, as a first service request, by sending payment information, retrieved from non-transient storage in the vehicle, to the computer system of the first of the vehicle service locations;

VII) receiving a communication from the first of the vehicle service locations either accepting or rejecting the first service request, and

VIII) if the communication is that first service request was accepted, automatically directing the user, using a GPS navigation system, from the current location to the first of the vehicle service locations, but if the communication is that the first service request was rejected, sending the payment information to a next preferred vehicle service location as a next service request.