Methods and systems for providing an auto-generated repair-hint to a vehicle repair tool

• US 9,971,815 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2015
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Inventors: Merg, Patrick S., Lewis, Bradley R.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEUNG, CALVIN K
• Application Number:
  US14/931,472
• Publication Number:
  US 20160117368A1
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2455 Query execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2465 Query processing support for facilitating data mining operations in structured databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/367 Ontology
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/00 Registering or indicating the working of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005

Abstract

Methods and systems pertaining to auto-generated repair-hints are described. A processor can compare terms identified on a repair order (RO) to a taxonomy term database to determine standard terms associated with the terms on the RO, to store the standard terms as meta-data associated with the RO, to select pre-drafted text strings with gaps, and to insert the meta-data into the text string gaps to create a complete text string that forms at least part of an auto-generated repair-hint. The processor can receive a set of standard search terms to search for the auto-generated repair-hint from among multiple repair-hints. The processor can cause the auto-generated repair-hint to be transmitted to a vehicle repair tool for displaying the auto-generated repair-hint. A machine including the processor can receive a set of non-standard search terms (NSST) and identify a set of standard search terms associated with the NSST.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying, by at least one processor, a repair-hint attribute on an original repair order (RO), wherein the original RO includes a year, make, and model identifier of a first vehicle and a diagnostic trouble code (DTC) identifier of a DTC set in the first vehicle, and wherein the repair-hint attribute is indicative of a vehicle component and a diagnostic function performed to diagnose the first vehicle;

selecting, by the at least one processor from a database stored at a non-transitory computer-readable medium, at least one taxonomy term, wherein each selected taxonomy term is mapped to the DTC identifier, the vehicle component, or the diagnostic function performed to diagnose the first vehicle;

generating, by the at least one processor, meta-data representing the at least one taxonomy term and the year, make, and model identifier;

selecting, by the at least one processor, a text string including pre-drafted text and at least one gap;

generating, by the at least one processor, an auto-generated repair-hint, wherein generating the auto-generated repair-hint includes inserting meta-data representing a selected taxonomy term into at least a first gap of the selected text string;

storing, within the computer-readable medium, the auto-generated repair-hint and the meta-data;

receiving, by the at least one processor, a request from a vehicle repair tool, wherein the request comprises a search term indicative of the year, make, and model identifier and the DTC identifier;

selecting, by the at least one processor, the auto-generated repair-hint based on the search term and at least a portion of the meta-data; and

diagnosing a vehicle connected to the vehicle repair tool by providing the selected auto-generated repair-hint to the vehicle repair tool in order to cause the vehicle repair tool to execute program instructions to perform the diagnostic function.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein identifying the repair-hint attribute includes identifying at least one DTC contained with the original RO,

wherein the at least one DTC indicates a particular DTC set within the first vehicle, and

wherein selecting the text string includes selecting a text string with at least one gap for inserting text indicting the at least one DTC.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein identifying the repair-hint attribute includes identifying at least one labor operation code contained with the original RO, and

wherein the at least one labor operation code indicates a particular service or repair operation performed to the first vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, by the at least one processor, a presentable RO for displaying on a display of the vehicle repair tool,

wherein the presentable RO includes the selected auto-generated repair-hint and at least one of RO timing information pertaining to the original RO, a vehicle identifier, a vehicle service request, or a usage indicator of distance traveled by a vehicle, and

wherein providing the selected auto-generated repair-hint comprises providing, by the at least one processor, the presentable RO to the vehicle repair tool.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, by the at least one processor, a presentable RO for displaying on a display of the vehicle repair tool,

wherein the presentable RO includes the selected auto-generated repair-hint and at least one of;

RO timing information pertaining to the original RO, a vehicle identifier, a vehicle service request, or a usage indicator of distance traveled by a vehicle, and

wherein providing the selected auto-generated repair-hint comprises providing, by the at least one processor, the presentable RO to the vehicle repair tool.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the selected auto-generated repair-hint to the vehicle repair tool occurs prior to any human reading or reviewing the selected auto-generated repair-hint.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, by the at least one processor to the vehicle repair tool, at least one statistic associated with the selected auto-generated repair-hint for displaying with the selected auto-generated repair-hint on a display of the vehicle repair tool.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one statistic associated with the selected auto-generated repair-hint is based on a ratio of a number of computer-readable repair orders associated with the search term received from the vehicle repair tool and a number of computer-readable repair orders associated with a vehicle-year-make-model attribute combination.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one statistic associated with the selected auto-generated repair-hint pertains to geographical locations at which computer-readable repair orders associated with the search term were produced.

19. The method of claim 1,

wherein providing the selected auto-generated repair-hint includes transmitting, by a network interface onto a communication network, the auto-generated repair-hint for displaying on the vehicle repair tool, and

wherein the communication network comprises at least a portion of at least one of the following networks:

a wide area network, a local area network, a wired network, a wireless network, or the Internet.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle repair tool comprises (i) a smartphone, (ii) a tablet device, (iii) a laptop computer, (iv) a desktop computer, or (v) an embedded computing device including a processor, a network interface, a data storage device, and a user interface having a display.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one taxonomy term includes a taxonomy term mapped to a customer complaint.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, by the at least one processor to the vehicle repair tool for displaying with the auto-generated repair hint, at least one of;

an RO identifier, a repair time associated with the original RO, a model year associated with the first vehicle, a vehicle make associated with the first vehicle, a vehicle model associated with the first vehicle, an engine associated with the first vehicle, a vehicle service request, a customer complaint, a vehicle component identifier, a diagnostic trouble code identifier, a distance indicative of an amount of use of the first vehicle, an amount of time indicative of an amount of use of the first vehicle, or a diagnostic instruction.

10. A computing system comprising:

at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon an original repair order (RO) and a database of taxonomy terms;

at least one processor connected to the at least one computer-readable medium and programmed to;

identify a repair-hint attribute on the original RO, wherein the original RO includes a year, make, and model identifier of a first vehicle and a diagnostic trouble code (DTC) identifier of a DTC set in the first vehicle, and wherein the repair-hint attribute is indicative of a vehicle component and a diagnostic function performed to diagnose the first vehicle;

select, from the database, at least one taxonomy term, wherein each selected taxonomy term is mapped to the DTC identifier, the vehicle component, or the diagnostic function performed to diagnose the first vehicle;

generate meta-data data representing the at least one taxonomy term and the year, make, and model identifier;

select a text string including pre-drafted text and at least one gap;

generate an auto-generated repair-hint, wherein generation of the auto-generated repair-hint includes inserting meta-data representing a selected taxonomy into at least a first gap of the selected text string; and

store, within the at least one computer-readable medium, the auto-generated repair-hint and the meta-data;

receive a request from a vehicle repair tool, wherein the request comprises a search term indicative of the year, make, and model identifier and the DTC identifier;

select the auto-generated repair-hint based on the search term and at least a portion of the meta-data; and

diagnose a vehicle connected to the vehicle repair tool by providing the selected auto-generated repair-hint to the vehicle repair tool in order to cause the vehicle repair tool to execute program instructions to perform the diagnostic function.

11. The computing system of claim 10,

wherein the at least one processor being programmed to identify the repair-hint attribute comprises the at least one processor being programmed to identify at least one DTC contained with the original RO,

wherein the at least one DTC indicates a particular DTC set within the first vehicle, and

wherein the at least one processor being programmed to select the text string comprises the at least one processor being programmed to select a text string with at least one gap for inserting text indicting the at least one DTC.

12. The computing system of claim 10,

wherein the at least one processor being programmed to identify the repair-hint attribute comprises the at least one processor being programmed to identify at least one labor operation code contained with the original RO, and

wherein the at least one labor operation code indicates a particular service or repair operation performed to the first vehicle.

13. The computing system of claim 10,

wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to generate a presentable RO for displaying on a display of the vehicle repair tool,

wherein the presentable RO includes the selected auto-generated repair-hint and at least one of RO timing information pertaining to the original RO, a vehicle identifier, a vehicle service request, or a usage indicator of distance traveled by a vehicle, and

wherein the at least one processor being programmed to provide the selected auto-generated repair-hint comprises the at least one processor being programmed to provide the presentable RO to the vehicle repair tool.

14. The computing system of claim 10,

wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to generate a presentable RO for displaying on a display of the vehicle repair tool,

wherein the presentable RO includes the selected auto-generated repair-hint and at least one of:

RO timing information pertaining to the original RO, a vehicle identifier, a vehicle service request, or a usage indicator of distance traveled by a vehicle, and

wherein the at least one processor being programmed to provide the selected auto-generated repair-hint comprises the at least one processor being programmed to provide the presentable RO to the vehicle repair tool.

15. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor being programmed to provide the selected auto-generated repair-hint comprises the at least one processor being programmed to provide the selected auto-generated repair-hint to the vehicle repair tool prior to any human reading or reviewing the repair-hint.

16. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to provide to the vehicle repair tool at least one statistic associated with the selected auto-generated repair-hint for displaying with the selected auto-generated repair-hint on a display of the vehicle repair tool.

17. The computing system of claim 16, wherein the at least one statistic associated with the selected auto-generated repair-hint is based on a ratio of a number of computer-readable repair orders associated with the search term received from the vehicle repair tool and a number of computer-readable repair orders associated with a vehicle-year-make-model attribute combination.

18. The computing system of claim 17, wherein the at least one statistic associated with the selected auto-generated repair-hint pertains to geographical locations at which the number of computer-readable repair orders associated with the search term were produced.

20. The computing system of claim 10,

wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to cause a network interface to transmit onto a communication network the auto-generated repair-hint for displaying on the vehicle repair tool, and

wherein the communication network comprises at least a portion of at least one of the following networks:

a wide area network, a local area network, a wired network, a wireless network, or the Internet.

22. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the vehicle repair tool comprises (i) a smartphone, (ii) a tablet device, (iii) a laptop computer, (iv) a desktop computer, or (v) an embedded computing device including a processor, a network interface, a data storage device, and a user interface having a display.

24. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the at least one taxonomy term includes a taxonomy term mapped to a customer complaint.

26. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to provide, to the vehicle repair tool, for displaying with the auto-generated repair hint, at least one of:

an RO identifier, a repair time associated with the original RO, a model year associated with the first vehicle, a vehicle make associated with the first vehicle, a vehicle model associated with the first vehicle, an engine associated with the first vehicle, a vehicle service request, a customer complaint, a vehicle component identifier, a diagnostic trouble code identifier, a distance indicative of an amount of use of the first vehicle, an amount of time indicative of an amount of use of the first vehicle, or a diagnostic instruction.