Vehicle information collection system and module therefor

• US 8,907,816 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2012
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: B & G Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: B & G Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Ramseyer, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fan, Hongmin
• Application Number:
  US13/545,785
• Publication Number:
  US 20120296513A1
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• Field of Search: 340/989, 340/933, 701/31.4, 701/29.1, 701/34.3, 701/33.2
• US Class Current: 340/933
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/10 Services
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2205/02 using a vehicle scan tool
• 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: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

A method for managing vehicle check in at an automotive service center comprising the steps of connecting a device to the diagnostic port of an unknown vehicle and, without user input to the device, automatically downloading vehicle identification data and odometer data from the vehicle, transferring the vehicle identification data and odometer data from the device to work station at the service center, wherein the work station include a database, programmatically populating the vehicle identification data and odometer data into the database, the work station retrieving information based on one or both of the vehicle identification data and the odometer; and displaying the retrieved data on one or both of a computer and a paper printout.

Claims

1. A method for managing vehicle check in at an automotive service center and identifying a procedure to retrieve specific information including vehicle identification data and odometer data related to one or more unknown vehicles at the automotive service center, the method comprising the steps of:

connecting a device to the diagnostic port of one of the one or more unknown vehicles;

without user input to the device, automatically downloading the vehicle identification data and odometer data from the vehicle, wherein the procedure to retrieve the specific information including the vehicle identification data and the odometer data is unknown to the device prior to this connection step and is automatically identified during this connection step by the device;

without user intervention, automatically transferring the vehicle identification data and odometer data from the device to work station, wherein the work station include a database;

without user intervention, automatically programmatically populating the vehicle identification data and odometer data into the database;

the work station, without user intervention, automatically retrieving information based on one or both of the vehicle identification data and the odometer; and

displaying the automatically-retrieved data on one or both of a computer and a paper printout.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the retrieved information contains the recommended service and dealer specific pricing for that service.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein retrieving information further comprises:

the work station obtaining data representing one, some or all of warranty information, recommended maintenance information and service contract, or marketing information for the vehicle from a remote computer.

4. A method as set forth in claim 3, wherein retrieving information further comprises:

communicating between the work station and the device over the World Wide Web.

5. A method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

updating the service records for the vehicle.

19. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein one or a combination of the items consisting of the vehicle identification data, the odometer data and the retrieved information is programmatically populated into a work order.

6. A method for managing vehicle check in at an automotive service center comprising the steps of:

connecting a device to the diagnostic port of an unknown vehicle;

automatically downloading vehicle identification data and odometer data, vehicle, wherein the specific method to access the vehicle identification data and the odometer data are unknown to the device prior to this connection step and is automatically identified by the device;

without user intervention, automatically transferring the vehicle identification data and the odometer data from the device to a programmed computer at the service center; and

without user intervention, automatically programmatically entering one or both of the vehicle identification information and the odometer into the service center business software on said programmed computer.

7. A method for managing vehicle check in at an automotive service center for one or more vehicles having a diagnostic port, vehicle identification data and odometer data, the method comprising:

connecting a device to the diagnostic port of a vehicle;

automatically, and without user input, determining a protocol to retrieve the vehicle odometer information;

without user intervention, automatically downloading the vehicle identification data and the odometer data to the device;

without user intervention, automatically transferring the vehicle identification data and the odometer data to a computer for processing.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the computer includes service center software, the method further comprising:

programmatically populating the vehicle identification data and the odometer data into appropriate fields in the service center software.

9. A method according to claim 7, further comprising:

the service center computer retrieving vehicle-specific information based on the vehicle identification data and the odometer data from one or both of a local database or a remote computer.

10. A method according to claim 7, further comprising:

outputting the data in human readable format.

11. A method according to claim 9, further comprising:

outputting the retrieved vehicle-specific information in human readable format.

20. A method as set forth in claim 9, wherein one or a combination of the items consisting of the vehicle identification data, the odometer data and the vehicle specific retrieved data is programmatically populated into a work order.

12. A system for managing a fleet of automotive vehicles, wherein on or more of the vehicles include a diagnostic port connected to an OEM computer, the system comprising:

a programmed control circuit including means for electrically, and, without user intervention, automatically acquiring information from the OEM computer of a vehicle, wherein the automatically-acquired information is selected from the group consisting of an odometer report, a fuel level report and a combination thereof, and wherein the information acquiring means includes a database that includes a plurality of predetermined procedures and an information collection means for electrically, and, without user intervention, automatically identifying a procedure from the predetermined procedures that handshakes with a procedure specific to the vehicle such that the information collector can automatically obtain the information without manual input.

13. The system as defined in claim 12 further comprising:

a GPS receiver having a location output signal connected as an input signal to said control circuit, said control circuit programmed to transmit said location output signal through a radio transmitter.

14. The system as defined in claim 13, wherein said control circuit comprises an RFID receiver which provides an output signal to said control circuit indicative of the absence or presence of a preset RFID tag, said control circuit selectively activates said radio transmitter to transmit a signal to a remote station to facilitate communication between the control circuit and the remote station.

15. The system as defined in claim 12, wherein said control circuit comprises a processor.

16. An information collection module for acquiring information from a vehicle and automatically identifying a procedure to acquire vehicle specific information from the vehicle, the tool comprising:

a connector for connecting the tool to a vehicle; and

means for electrically, and, without user intervention, automatically acquiring without user input the vehicle specific information from the vehicle, wherein the vehicle specific information is selected from the group consisting of a an odometer report, a fuel level report and a combination thereof,

wherein the procedure to retrieve the specific information is unknown to the tool prior to the step for electrically, and, without user intervention, automatically acquiring the information and wherein the procedure is automatically identified during this connection step by the device.

17. The information collection module as set forth in claim 16, wherein the information acquiring means includes a database having a plurality of predetermined procedures and the information acquiring means further includes means for identifying a procedure from the predetermined procedures that handshakes with a procedure specific to the vehicle such that the information collection module can automatically obtain the information without manual input.

18. A scan tool for collecting data from a vehicle having an odometer and where the scan tool receives no user input for configuring the scan tool to the unknown vehicle, comprising:

a connector that interfaces with a vehicle'"'"'s data link connector;

a signal translator coupled to the connector that, without user intervention, automatically communicates with the vehicle in at least one protocol;

a processor that, without user intervention, automatically communicates with the vehicle via the signal translator;

a software controlled by the processor that is programmed with an algorithm to, without user intervention, automatically determine the odometer without manual input.

21. A method for managing vehicle check in at an automotive service center for one or more vehicles having a diagnostic port, vehicle identification data and odometer data, the method comprising:

connecting a device to the diagnostic port of a random vehicle from a group of vehicles;

automatically and without user input determining the protocol parameters to retrieve the vehicle odometer information;

without user intervention, automatically downloading the vehicle identification data and the odometer data to the device; and

without user intervention, automatically transferring the vehicle identification data and the odometer data to a computer for processing.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein the computer includes service center software, the method further comprising:

programmatically populating the vehicle identification data and the odometer data into appropriate fields in the service center software.

23. A method according to claim 21, further comprising:

the service center computer retrieving vehicle-specific information based on the vehicle identification data and the odometer data from one or both of a local database or a remote computer.

24. A method according to claim 21, further comprising:

outputting the data in human readable format.

25. A method according to claim 23, further comprising:

outputting the retrieved vehicle-specific information in human readable format.