Method and system for tracking vehicle services

• US 7,610,120 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2005
• Issued: 10/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Christensen, Paul M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli; Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US11/223,712
• Publication Number:
  US 20070061069A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,509 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A method of tracking vehicle services includes receiving a telematics unit unique identifier and associating a vehicle unique identifier with the telematics unit unique identifier. The method further includes associating a user with at least one unique identifier of a telematics unit and a unique identifier of a vehicle, associating an account with at least one user identifier; and tracking at least one vehicle service to a user based on the associated telematics unit, vehicle, user identifier, and account.

Claims

1. A method of tracking vehicle services, the method comprising:

receiving a telematics unit unique identifier;

associating a vehicle unique identifier with the telematics unit unique identifier;

associating a user with at least one unique identifier of a telematics unit and a unique identifier of a vehicle;

associating an account with at least one user identifier; and

tracking at least one vehicle service to a user based on the associated telematics unit, vehicle, user identifier, and account.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the associated telematics unit unique identifier, vehicle unique identifier, user identifier, and account are associated in a single database.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the telematics unit unique identifier is the serial number of the telematics unit.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the vehicle unique identifier is the serial number of the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the account comprises subscription information.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein tracking at least one vehicle service to a user based on the associated telematics unit, vehicle, user identifier, and account comprises receiving a request for the service at a call center from at least one of the user and telematics unit;

determining an associated account based on the request; and

authorizing provision of the service based on the associated account.

7. A computer usable medium comprising computer readable code for tracking vehicle services, the medium comprising:

computer readable code for receiving a telematics unit unique identifier;

computer readable code for associating a vehicle unique identifier with the telematics unit unique identifier;

computer readable code for associating a user identifier with at least one unique identifier of a telematics unit and a unique identifier of a vehicle;

computer readable code for associating an account with at least one user; and

computer readable code for tracking at least one vehicle service to a user based on the associated telematics unit, vehicle, user identifier, and account.

8. The medium of claim 7 wherein the associated telematics unit unique identifier, vehicle unique identifier, user identifier, and account are associated in a single database.

9. The medium of claim 7 wherein the telematics unit unique identifier is the serial number of the telematics unit.

10. The medium of claim 7 wherein the vehicle unique identifier is the serial number of the vehicle.

11. The medium of claim 7 wherein the account comprises subscription information.

12. A system for tracking vehicle services, the system comprising:

means for receiving a telematics unit unique identifier;

means for associating a vehicle unique identifier with the telematics unit unique identifier;

means for associating a user identifier with at least one unique identifier of a telematics unit and a unique identifier of a vehicle;

means for associating an account with at least one user identifier; and

means for tracking at least one vehicle service to a user based on the associated telematics unit, vehicle, user identifier, and account.