Methods and Systems for Assigning Service Advisor Accounts for Vehicle Systems and Cloud Processing

• US 20180025328A1
• Filed: 09/06/2017
• Published: 01/25/2018
• 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.
• Granted Patent: US 9,928,488 B2
• Time in Patent Office: 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 define an advisor account for a vehicle associated with a user account. The request identifies an advisor entity, a vehicle aspect to be assigned to the advisor entity, and privileges assigned to the advisor entity for the vehicle aspect. The method further includes generating the advisor account for the advisor entity as a sub-account of the user account that is associated with the vehicle. The method includes sending instruction data to the vehicle from the server, wherein the instruction data defines that the vehicle aspect is associated with the advisor account. The method also includes receiving data updates, at the server, from the vehicle for the vehicle aspect, from time to time. The data updates are displayable on a user interface that is accessible to the advisor entity, the user interface being rendered by the server that provides access to the advisor account.

Claims

1. A method for generating service advice for a user account based on remotely collected 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 collected diagnostics data of the vehicle;

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

sending, by the server, instruction data to the vehicle, the instruction data used to program the vehicle to save diagnostics data regarding the vehicle service and to save information that associates the service entity as associated with the advisor account; and

receiving, by the server, updates regarding the diagnostics data from the vehicle regarding the vehicle service, the updates being accessible for viewing or processing by a system of the service entity, the service entity is configured to use the updates to communicate with the user account regarding vehicle health in regard to the vehicle service that is associated with the advisor account.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user account includes a plurality of advisor accounts, each advisor account is associated with the vehicle and assigned to different service entities for different vehicle services, each of the different vehicle services being assigned with privileges.

3. 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.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the updates 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.

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

6. 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 diagnostics data, the advice based on a predicted repair to be needed by the vehicle based on analysis of historical failures or repairs required for other vehicles having similar circumstances.

7. 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.

8. 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 friend, or an Internet service.

9. 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 regarding the user account.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle service is 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.

11. Computer readable media for facilitating delivery of service advice to a user account based on remotely collected diagnostics data from a vehicle, the computer readable media being non-transitory, comprising:

program instructions for receiving a request 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 collected diagnostics data of the vehicle;

program instructions for associating the advisor account to the service entity;

program instructions for sending instruction data to the vehicle, the instruction data used to program the vehicle to save diagnostics data regarding the vehicle service and to save information that associates the service entity as associated with the advisor account; and

program instructions for receiving updates regarding the diagnostics data from the vehicle regarding the vehicle service, the updates being accessible for viewing or processing by a system of the service entity, the service entity is configured to use the updates to communicate with the user account regarding vehicle health in regard to the vehicle service that is associated with the advisor account, and the vehicle service is related to a vehicle feature, or a vehicle function, or a vehicle operation, and the updates identify characteristics or changes in characteristics of the vehicle service that occur from time to time.

12. The computer readable media of claim 11, wherein the 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 friend, or an Internet service.

13. The computer readable media of claim 11, wherein the advisor account enables remote access to the diagnostics data of the vehicle, the diagnostics data being analyzed to determine if a service appointment is required for handling vehicle service or notification should be sent to the user account providing additional information or advice regarding the diagnostics data.

14. The computer readable media of claim 11,

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 diagnostics data;

and

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.

15. The computer readable media of claim 11,

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 regarding the user account;

and

wherein the vehicle service is 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.

16. A method executed by a server of a cloud service, the method is configured for providing service advice to a user via a user account registered with the cloud service, and said service advice is based on remotely collected diagnostics data from a vehicle of the user, comprising:

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

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

sending, by the server, instruction data to the vehicle, the instruction data used to program the vehicle to save diagnostics data regarding the vehicle aspect and to save information for contacting and sending data the service entity as associated with the advisor account; and

receiving, by the server, updates regarding the diagnostics data from the vehicle regarding the vehicle aspect, the updates being accessible for viewing or processing by a system of the service entity, the service entity is configured to use the updates to communicate with the user account regarding vehicle health in regard to the vehicle aspect that is associated with the advisor account.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the advisor account enables remote access to the diagnostics data of the vehicle, the diagnostics data being analyzed to determine if a service appointment is required for handling vehicle aspect or notification should be sent to the user account providing additional information or advice regarding the diagnostics data.

18. The method of claim 16,

wherein the advisor account includes a communication protocol to enable a user of the advisor account to provide advice regarding the vehicle aspect based on the diagnostics data;

and

wherein the advisor account is assigned with privileges that enable remote diagnostic of specific aspects of the vehicle that relate to the vehicle aspect, said remote diagnostics enabling remote advice regarding the vehicle aspect by the service entity.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the 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 friend, or an Internet service.

20. The method of claim 16,

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 regarding the user account;

and

wherein the vehicle aspect is 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.