METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PERSONALIZED DEALERSHIP CUSTOMER SERVICE

• US 20140227980A1
• Filed: 02/14/2013
• Published: 08/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Esselink, Chad Evert, Rao, Jayanthi, Boes, Chad Christopher, Hentschel, Jeffrey Lee, Shaffer, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 9,184,777 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/73
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/00 Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/00 Registering or indicating the working of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3822 specially adapted for use in vehicles H04B1/3827 takes precedence

Abstract

A vehicle computing system enables one or more processers to communicate with a service center and present service instructions to an output device at the vehicle. The output device presenting information may include, but is not limited to, a vehicle occupant'"'"'s cell phone device. The vehicle computing system may include a wireless transceiver for communicating wireless signals to and from the vehicle computing system. The vehicle computing system may establish wireless communication with a service center communication system through the transceiver and transmit vehicle identification to the service center communication system. The vehicle computing system may receive data from the service center communication system including service instructions in response to the vehicle identification transmission, and present the service instructions on the output device.

Claims

1. A system for communicating with a vehicle service center, the system comprising:

a vehicle computing system having one or more processors and an output device for presenting information to an occupant of a vehicle;

a wireless transceiver for communicating wireless signals to and from the vehicle computing system;

wherein the vehicle computing system is configured to;

establish wireless communication with a service center communication system through the transceiver;

transmit a vehicle identification to the service center communication system;

receive data from the service center communication system including service instructions in response to the vehicle identification transmission; and

present the service instructions on the output device.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the wireless transceiver is additionally configured to:

communicate with the service center communication system with a handheld mobile device.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the wireless communication with the handheld mobile device includes Bluetooth technology.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the service instructions includes vehicle drop-off directions.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the service instructions includes loaner vehicle information.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the loaner vehicle information includes a keypad code allowing access to a loaner vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the output device includes an LCD screen.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle computing system is additionally configured to:

receive a keypad reset code from the service center communication system if the vehicle identification is recognized as a loaner vehicle.

9. A dealership system for communicating service information to one or more vehicles, the system comprising:

a transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate information between a vehicle computing system and a service center computing system, wherein the service center computing system is configured to;

receive input defining service instructions corresponding to one or more of a plurality of vehicle identifiers;

receive a present vehicle identifier from the transceiver identifying a vehicle present for service, wherein the present vehicle identifier is among the plurality of vehicle identifiers; and

using the transceiver, output to the vehicle present for the service instructions corresponding to the present vehicle identifier.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the service instructions include drop-off parking instructions.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the service instructions include loaner vehicle information.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the present vehicle identifier includes a media access control address.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the dealership system is additionally configured to:

determine an arrival of a loaner vehicle based on that vehicle'"'"'s identifier; and

transmit to the loaner vehicle a keypad reset code, and return instructions.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the keypad reset code includes a new authorization code for the loaner vehicle.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the return instructions includes messages to clean up personal belongings out of the loaner vehicle.

16. A method for receiving vehicle service instructions, the method comprising:

establishing wireless communication with a service center communication system through a transceiver;

transmitting a vehicle identification to the service center communication system;

receiving data from the service center communication system including service instructions corresponding to the vehicle identification transmission; and

presenting the service instructions on an output device at the vehicle.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the wireless communication includes WiFi.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the vehicle identification includes a media access control address.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the service instructions includes an overview of scheduled maintenance and service.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the output device includes vehicle speakers.