Roadside assistance

• US 9,881,268 B1
• Filed: 01/06/2016
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Inventors: Briggs, Ryan M., Kozlowski, Tara Cavallaro, Iqbal, Imran
• Primary Examiner(s): Kelly, Rafferty
• Application Number:
  US14/989,390
• Time in Patent Office: 755 Days
• Field of Search: 235375
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3223 Realising banking transactions through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3274 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being displayed on the M-device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0967 Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/15 Information service where the information is dependent on the location of the subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/487 Arrangements for providing information services, e.g. recorded voice services or time announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

A mobile computerized apparatus configured to provide membership status in a roadside assistance program after occurrence of a roadside event is disclosed. The apparatus executes instructions that cause/allow the apparatus to receive input related to an electronic membership card, retrieve from a data store membership information associated with the vehicle, and dynamically update the electronic membership card for display on the apparatus.

Claims

1. A method for providing information for roadside service, the method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, at least one request for a roadside job for a requested service type, the requested service type being one of a plurality of service types and being selected from a service list comprising the plurality of service types;

generating, by the computing device, a listing for the at least one roadside job for a roadside technician;

retrieving an association indicator from a data structure, wherein the association indicator is indicative of a previous interaction with the roadside technician for the requested service type, wherein a customer requests one of the roadside jobs in the listing for the roadside technician, and wherein the roadside technician previously handled a roadside occurrence with the requested service type for the customer;

adjusting an ordering of the listing based on the association indicator to obtain an ordered listing;

receiving, by the computing device, an acceptance indication whether the roadside technician accepts a selected roadside job from the ordered listing; and

sending, by the computing device, a first notification for the selected roadside job.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending an estimated time of arrival of the roadside technician in the first notification.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

sending an updated estimate of arrival of the roadside technician in a second notification.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the adjusting comprises:

ordering the ordered listing based on the estimated time of arrival.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising

determining traffic conditions and a distance between the roadside technician and the selected roadside job;

and

adjusting the estimated time of arrival from the determined traffic conditions and the distance.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending technician information about the roadside technician, wherein the technician information is indicative of an identification of the roadside technician.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a level of confidence for the estimated time of arrival in the first notification.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting comprises:

ordering the ordered listing based on a grade of service of the customer wherein the grade of service is based on a subscription plan.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting comprises:

ordering a plurality of roadside jobs based on at least one of a time of occurrence, a proximity to the roadside technician, and a priority of a roadside job.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a degree of separation between the customer and the roadside technician for a social network; and

ordering the ordered listing based on the determined degree of separation.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the customer and the roadside technician had a prior dealing; and

ordering the ordered listing based on the determining, wherein the listing is moved to a top of the ordered listing after the ordering step.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the previous interaction is indicative of the customer being connected with the roadside technician through social networking.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the previous interaction is indicative of the customer being connected with the roadside technician within a predetermined degree of separation.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the previous interaction is indicative of a prior dealing between the customer and the roadside technician.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a communications interface connecting the apparatus with a first communication device of a roadside technician and a second communication device of a customer;

at least one memory; and

at least one device processor coupled to the at least one memory and configured to perform, based on instructions stored in the at least one memory;

receiving, from the second communication device of the customer via the communications interface, at least one request for a roadside job for the roadside technician for a requested service type, the requested service type being one of a plurality of service types and being selected from a service list comprising the plurality of service types;

obtaining a listing for the at least one roadside job;

retrieving an association indicator from a data structure, wherein the association indicator is indicative of a previous interaction with the roadside technician for the requested service type, wherein the customer requests one of the roadside jobs in the listing for the roadside technician, and wherein the roadside technician previously handled a roadside occurrence with the requested service type for the customer;

adjusting an ordering of the listing based on the association indicator to obtain an ordered listing;

receiving, from the first communication device of the roadside technician via the communications interface, an acceptance indication whether the roadside technician accepts a selected roadside job from the ordered listing; and

sending a notification for the selected roadside job to the second communication device via the communications interface.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one device processor is further configured to perform:

sending an estimated time of arrival of the roadside technician in the notification.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one device processor is further configured to perform:

sending technician information about the roadside technician, wherein the technician information is indicative of an identification of the roadside technician.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one device processor is further configured to perform:

sending a level of confidence for the estimated time of arrival in the notification.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one device processor is further configured to perform:

ordering the ordered listing based on a grade of service of the customer wherein the grade of service is based on a subscription plan.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one device processor is further configured to perform:

determining a degree of separation between the customer and the roadside technician for a social network; and

ordering the ordered listing based on the determined degree of separation.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause a device processor at least to perform operations comprising:

receiving at least one request for a roadside job for a roadside technician for a requested service type, the requested service type being one of a plurality of service types and being selected from a service list comprising the plurality of service types;

generating a listing for the at least one roadside job;

retrieving an association indicator from a data structure, wherein the association indicator is indicative of a previous interaction with the roadside technician for the requested service type, wherein a customer requests one of the roadside jobs in the listing for the roadside technician, and wherein the roadside technician previously handled a roadside occurrence with the requested service type for the customer;

adjusting an ordering of the listing based on the association indicator to obtain an ordered listing;

receiving an acceptance indication whether the roadside technician accepts a selected roadside job from the ordered listing; and

sending a notification for the selected roadside job.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, cause the device processor to perform:

sending an estimated time of arrival of the roadside technician in the notification.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, cause the device processor to perform:

sending technician information about the roadside technician, wherein the technician information is indicative of an identification of the roadside technician.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, cause the device processor to perform:

sending a level of confidence for the estimated time of arrival in the notification.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, cause the device processor to perform:

ordering the ordered listing based on a grade of service of the customer wherein the grade of service is based on a subscription plan.