Method and system of managing service reminders using mileage estimates

• US 7,672,984 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2003
• Issued: 03/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CDK Global Incorporated
• Original Assignee: The Cobalt Group Incorporated (Automatic Data Processing Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kelly, John, Supra, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Mahmoudi; Tony
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim; Paul
• Application Number:
  US10/453,904
• Publication Number:
  US 20040243619A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,465 Days
• Field of Search: 705/10, 705/400, 707/10, 707/104.1, 707/200, 707/3
• US Class Current: 707/632
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and system for integrating a shop management system with a system for generating and sending service reminders based on the estimated mileage the vehicle. The mileage of the vehicle can be estimated based on the age of the vehicle, or it can be based on the last known mileage of the vehicle and estimating the additional mileage using average vehicle mileage statistics. The mileage of the vehicle may be estimated based on actual vehicle history, and may be adjusted based on the characteristics of the vehicle, the driver, or the geographic location of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of generating mileage based service reminders, the method comprising the steps of:

retrieving vehicle information from a shop management system database,

downloading the retrieved vehicle information to a computer system for generating mileage based service reminders,

the computer system calculating the average mileage per time factor using the retrieved vehicle information,

the computer system calculating the estimated current vehicle mileage using the average mileage per time period factor,

the computer system adjusting the estimated current vehicle mileage based on seasonal variation,

the computer system updating a service reminder database with the retrieved vehicle information and estimated current vehicle mileage, and

the computer system determining, using the retrieved information and estimated current vehicle mileage, whether there is a mileage based service reminder corresponding to the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the computer system adjusting the estimated current vehicle mileage by multiplying by an extraneous factor multiplier.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the computer system adjusting the estimated current vehicle mileage by adding an extraneous factor adder.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the computer system determining whether the mileage based service reminder is mileage additive or mileage specific, wherein a mileage additive service reminder allows for a reminder to be sent when the vehicle has put on an additional mileage, and wherein a mileage specific service reminder allows for a reminder to be sent when vehicle has put on a specific total mileage.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the computer system determining which method of estimating the vehicle'"'"'s current mileage should be used by:

checking the retrieved vehicle information for data specifying a method to be used.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the estimated current vehicle mileage comprises multiplying the age of the vehicle by the average mileage per time period factor.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the average mileage per time period factor comprises dividing the last known mileage of the vehicle by the age of the vehicle at the time of the last known mileage of the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the average mileage per time period factor comprises calculating the incremental mileage during a period of time between two previously known mileages and dividing the incremental mileage by the duration of the period of time.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the average mileage per time factor comprises retrieving a value from a database containing average mileage per time factor information, wherein the value is retrieved from the database by utilizing the information retrieved about the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the information utilized to retrieve the value from the database comprises vehicle statistics.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the information utilized to retrieve the value from the database comprises demographic information of a driver of the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the estimated current vehicle mileage comprises:

estimating additional mileage by determining the number of time periods elapsed since the date of the last known mileage and multiplying the time periods elapsed by the average mileage per time factor; and

adding the estimated additional mileage to the last known mileage.

6. A computer-implemented method of generating mileage based service reminders, the method comprising the steps of:

retrieving vehicle information from a shop management system database,

downloading the retrieved vehicle information to a computer system for generating mileage based service reminders,

the computer system calculating the average mileage per time factor using the retrieved vehicle information,

the computer system determining which method of estimating the vehicle'"'"'s current mileage should be used by checking for the existence of the vehicle'"'"'s last known mileage and, if present, using a method incorporating the last known mileage and, if not present, using a method based solely on the age of the vehicle,

the computer system calculating the estimated current vehicle mileage using the average mileage per time period factor,

the computer system updating a service reminder database with the retrieved vehicle information and estimated current vehicle mileage, and

the computer system determining, using the retrieved information and estimated current vehicle mileage, whether there is a mileage based service reminder corresponding to the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the mileage based service reminder corresponds to the vehicle type.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the mileage based service reminder corresponds to a specific component of the vehicle.

16. The method of claim 6, wherein calculating the estimated current vehicle mileage comprises multiplying the age of the vehicle by the average mileage per time period factor.

17. The method of claim 6, wherein calculating the average mileage per time period factor comprises dividing the last known mileage of the vehicle by the age of the vehicle at the time of the last known mileage of the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 6, wherein calculating the average mileage per time period factor comprises calculating the incremental mileage during a period of time between two previously known mileages and dividing the incremental mileage by the duration of the period of time.

19. The method of claim 6, wherein calculating the average mileage per time factor comprises retrieving a value from a database containing average mileage per time factor information, wherein the value is retrieved from the database by utilizing the information retrieved about the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the information utilized to retrieve the value from the database comprises vehicle statistics.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the information utilized to retrieve the value from the database comprises demographic information of a driver of the vehicle.

22. The method of claim 6, wherein calculating the estimated current vehicle mileage comprises:

estimating additional mileage by determining the number of time periods elapsed since the date of the last known mileage and multiplying the time periods elapsed by the average mileage per time factor; and

adding the estimated additional mileage to the last known mileage.