Vehicle transportation tracking

• US 20080021714A1
• Filed: 07/07/2006
• Published: 01/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Diversified Automotive, Inc. (Portfolio Holding, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Diversified Automotive, Inc. (Portfolio Holding, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kraez, Dennis A., O'Donnell, John H., Kraez, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US11/482,389
• Publication Number:
  US 20080021714A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

When transporting a vehicle, a hand-held wireless device is used to scan vehicle identifying information from the vehicle, information about the delivery is entered to the device, and the identifying information and the information about the transportation are sent to a server. The identifying information and the information about the transportation are received. Upon receiving the information, a record about the transportation is transmitted.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

when transporting a vehicle, using a hand-held wireless device to

scan vehicle identifying information from the vehicle,

enter to the device information about the transportation, and

send the identifying information and the information about the transportation to

a server;

receiving the identifying information and the information about the transportation; and

upon receiving the information, transmitting a record about the transportation.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the identifying information comprises a Vehicle Identification Number associated with the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1 in which obtaining the identifying information comprises scanning a bar code on the vehicle with a scanner in the device.

4. The method of claim 1 in which obtaining the identifying information comprises receiving information from an RFID tag associated with the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1 in which the information about the transportation comprises one or more of:

information identifying damage to the vehicle, information identifying parts that the vehicle is missing, information describing inconsistencies between the vehicle and a description of the vehicle associated with the vehicle identifying information, an indication that the vehicle has been picked up for transportation, an identification of a dealership where the vehicle is to be or was delivered, an identification of a person who was present at a delivery, and information about whether the vehicle was inspected upon delivery.

6. The method of claim 1 in which transmitting the record comprises:

transmitting information about the transportation of the vehicle to another party.

7. The method of claim 6 also comprising:

after transmitting information to the other party, receiving payment from the other party for the transportation of the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1 also comprising:

at a manufacturer,

receiving the record; and

generating a payment order and rendering payment to a transporter of the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1 also comprising:

at the manufacturer,

receiving the record; and

generating an invoice and transmitting the invoice to a recipient of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9 in which generating the invoice comprises:

determining, from the information about the transportation, whether any adjustments should be made to an amount of money owed for the vehicle;

determining the amount of money owed for the vehicle; and

determining who is accountable for the amount of money.

11. The method of claim 1 in which the record comprises one or more of:

information identifying the vehicle, information about damage to the vehicle, information about the transportation of the vehicle, and information about a delivery of the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 1 also comprising:

when delivering the vehicle, using the hand-held wireless device to select the vehicle from a list provided by the device,

enter to the device information about exceptions, and

send the identifying information for the selected vehicle and the information about exceptions to the server.

13. The method of claim 1 in which the hand-held wireless device comprises a wireless telephone.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a wireless communications interface,

a first input device comprising one or more of a bar code scanner and an RFID tag reader,

a second input device,

a display,

a processor, and

a memory;

in which the memory contains instructions that cause the processor to;

receive first data from the first input device that identifies a vehicle,

interpret the first data as a vehicle identification number (VIN),

retrieve information relating the VIN to information associated with the vehicle,

display the VIN and the information on the display,

receive second data from the second input device relating to the vehicle, and

use the wireless communications interface to transmit the first and second data.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 in which the wireless communications interface comprises a radio configured to communicate using a cellular telephone data network.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 in which the wireless communications interface comprises a radio configured to communicate using a satellite data network.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 in which the wireless communications interface comprises a radio configured to communicate using a voice communications network.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 in which the wireless communications interface comprises a radio configured to communicate using a wireless broadband network.

19. The apparatus of claim 14 in which the wireless communications interface comprises a radio configured to communicate using a wireless local area network.

20. A computer readable medium containing instructions to cause a computer to

receive from a first network interface first information comprising an identification of a vehicle and a destination,

transmit on a second network interface at least a part of the first information,

receive on the second network interface second information comprising an identification of the vehicle, an indication that the vehicle has been received for shipment, and an indication of whether the vehicle has any damage,

receive on the second network interface third information comprising an identification of the vehicle and indication that the vehicle has been delivered, and

transmit on the first network interface information comprising an indication that the vehicle has been delivered.