Service advisor accounts for remote service monitoring of a vehicle

• US 10,282,708 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2018
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emerging Automotive, LLC
• Original Assignee: Emerging Automotive, LLC
• Inventors: Penilla, Angel A., Penilla, Albert S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nha T
• Application Number:
  US15/928,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20180211231A1
• Time in Patent Office: 412 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/007 Wheeled or endless-tracked vehicles G01M17/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06314 Calendaring for a resource
• 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 30/0282 Rating or review of business operators or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0611 Request for offers or quotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided. One method includes receiving a request, at a server, to establish an advisor account for a vehicle associated with a user account. The request identifies a service entity and a vehicle service to be assigned to the service entity. The service entity is configured to receive said diagnostics data of the vehicle. The advisor account is associated to the service entity. Programming data is sent to the vehicle for use by a computer of the vehicle to identify select diagnostics data that relates to the vehicle service and to make accessible said select diagnostics data to the advisor account. The advisor account is made accessible to the service entity subsequent to establishing of the advisor account. The server receives select diagnostics data from the vehicle regarding the vehicle service, and the select diagnostics data is accessible for viewing and/or processing by a device of the service entity. The select diagnostics data produces updates that identify characteristics or changes in characteristics that relate to the vehicle service, and the server uses the identified characteristics or changes in characteristics to trigger a notification to the service entity regarding a problem or potential problem regarding the vehicle service.

Claims

1. A method for generating service advice for a user account based on remotely obtained diagnostics data from a vehicle, comprising:

receiving a request, at a server, to establish an advisor account for the vehicle associated with the user account, the request identifying a service entity and a vehicle service to be assigned to the service entity, the service entity is configured to receive said diagnostics data of the vehicle;

associating, by the server, the advisor account to the service entity;

sending, by the server, programming data to the vehicle, the programming data used by a computer of the vehicle to capture or collect select diagnostics data that relates to the vehicle service and said server is configured to make accessible said select diagnostics data to the advisor account for the service entity, the advisor account is made accessible to the service entity subsequent to establishing of the advisor account; and

receiving, by the server, the select diagnostics data from the vehicle regarding the vehicle service, the select diagnostics data being accessible for viewing and/or processing by a device of the service entity,

wherein the service entity is configured to use the select diagnostics data to send a message to the user account regarding a vehicle repair or a suggested vehicle repair determined using the select diagnostics data;

wherein the user account is configured to establish a plurality of advisor accounts, each advisor account is associated with the vehicle and assigned to different aspects of the vehicle, each aspect of the vehicle is configured to receive select diagnostics data that relates to the aspect.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle service is related to a vehicle feature, or a vehicle function, or a vehicle operation or combinations thereof;

and wherein the advisor account enables remote access to the select diagnostics data of the vehicle, the select diagnostics data being analyzed to determine if a service appointment is suggested for handling vehicle service or notification should be sent to the user account providing additional information or advice regarding the select diagnostics data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the select diagnostics data produces updates that identify characteristics or changes in characteristics of the vehicle service that occur from time to time, and the server uses the identified characteristics or changes in characteristics to trigger a notification to the service entity regarding a problem or potential problem regarding the vehicle service.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the advisor account enables remote access to the select diagnostics data of the vehicle, the select diagnostics data being analyzed to determine if a service appointment is suggested for handling vehicle service or notification should be sent to the user account providing additional information or advice regarding the select diagnostics data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the advisor account includes a communication protocol to enable a user of the advisor account to provide advice regarding the vehicle service based on the select diagnostics data, the advice based on analysis of historical failures or repairs for other vehicles having similar circumstances.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the advisor account is assigned with privileges that enable remote diagnostic of specific aspects of the vehicle that relate to the vehicle service, said remote diagnostics enabling remote advice regarding the vehicle service by the service entity, wherein said remote diagnostics implements one or more application programming interfaces (APIs).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein advisor account defines a role that limits or enables access to one or more aspects of the vehicle, the advisor account may be for one of a dealer service entity, a dealership, a repair shop, a mechanic, a car service center, a private service, a tire service, an oil service, a friend, or an internet service.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein access to said advisor account is enabled via a website or an application, the website or application provides user interfaces for creating accounts, or editing accounts, or viewing activity or history, or combinations thereof.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle service is for one or more of engine oil, engine light, oil pressure, battery status, electric powertrain status, phone lists, temperature, cooling system, charging system, radio settings, geo-location data, advisor history, tire rotation, tire heath, oil filter, battery, brake pads, brake systems, wipers, coolant, brake oil, transmission fluid, air filter, recall condition, broken part, service cycle, maintenance updates, part updates, advertisements regarding the vehicle, suggestions, or combinations of two or more thereof.

10. A method for generating service advice for a user account based on remotely obtained diagnostics data from a vehicle, comprising:

receiving a request, at a server, to establish an advisor account for the vehicle associated with the user account, the request identifying a service entity and a vehicle service to be assigned to the service entity, the service entity is configured to receive said diagnostics data of the vehicle;

associating, by the server, the advisor account to the service entity;

sending, by the server, programming data to the vehicle, the programming data used by a computer of the vehicle to store select diagnostics data that relates to the vehicle service and said server is configured to make accessible said select diagnostics data to the advisor account for the service entity, the advisor account is made accessible to the service entity subsequent to establishing of the advisor account; and

receiving, by the server, the select diagnostics data from the vehicle regarding the vehicle service, the select diagnostics data being accessible for viewing and/or processing by a device of the service entity,

wherein the select diagnostics data is used to identify characteristics or changes in characteristics that relate to the vehicle service, and the server uses the identified characteristics or changes in characteristics to trigger a notification to the service entity regarding a problem or potential problem regarding the vehicle service;

wherein the user account is configured to establish a plurality of advisor accounts, each advisor account is associated with the vehicle and assigned to different aspects of the vehicle, each aspect of the vehicle is configured to receive select diagnostics data that relates to the aspect.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the vehicle service is related to a vehicle feature, or a vehicle function, or a vehicle operation or combinations thereof.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the advisor account enables remote access to the select diagnostics data of the vehicle, the select diagnostics data being analyzed to determine if a service appointment is suggested for handling vehicle service or notification should be sent to the user account providing additional information or advice regarding the select diagnostics data.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the advisor account includes a communication protocol to enable a user of the advisor account to provide advice regarding the vehicle service based on the select diagnostics data, the advice based on analysis of historical failures or repairs for other vehicles having similar circumstances.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the advisor account is assigned with privileges that enable remote diagnostic of specific aspects of the vehicle that relate to the vehicle service, said remote diagnostics enabling remote advice regarding the vehicle service by the service entity, wherein said remote diagnostics implements one or more application programming interfaces (APIs).

15. The method of claim 10, wherein advisor account defines a role that limits or enables access to one or more aspects of the vehicle, the advisor account may be for one of a dealer service entity, a dealership, a repair shop, a mechanic, a car service center, a private service, a tire service, an oil service, a friend, or an Internet service.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein access to said advisor account is enabled via a website or an application, the website or application provides user interfaces for creating accounts, or editing accounts, or viewing activity or history, or combinations thereof.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the vehicle service is for one or more of engine oil, engine light, oil pressure, battery status, electric powertrain status, phone lists, temperature, cooling system, charging system, radio settings, geo-location data, advisor history, tire rotation, tire heath, oil filter, battery, brake pads, brake systems, wipers, coolant, brake oil, transmission fluid, air filter, recall condition, broken part, service cycle, maintenance updates, part updates, advertisements regarding the vehicle, suggestions, or combinations of two or more thereof.