Computer-based technology for aiding the repair of motor vehicles

• US 9,990,662 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2015
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Manheim Investments Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Manheim Investments Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Inventors: Couch, William Henry, Warpool, Julie Elizabeth, Humble, Mark, Haegelin, Marc, Krise, Stephen, Chastain, Michael, St. Denis, Ronald, Mitchell, Terry
• Primary Examiner(s): Song, Daeho D
• Application Number:
  US14/868,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20160019616A1
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• Field of Search: 705305
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06313 Resource planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/168 Driving aids for parking, e.g. acoustic or visual feedback on parking space

Abstract

A computer-assisted inspection system provides computer architectures and software controlled algorithms to automatically provide vehicle inspections and repair recommendations including estimated repair time and cost of depression type damage such as dents. Features provided by a handheld wireless touchscreen based inspection device include flat car part picking, auto grading including seller grading, and automatic calculation of body and bumper dent repair parameters and directions.

Claims

1. A computer-assisted process for allowing a seller to disclose parameterized condition information to potential purchasers by using a handheld device comprising at least one processor and at least one non-transitory storage device storing executable code, the at least one processor executing the stored executable code to provide a visually-perceptible display on a touch screen display, the process comprising:

(1) automatically requesting, with the processor, an inspector to input condition information referring to the condition of a motor vehicle by guiding the inspector through a virtual walk around of the motor vehicle using pre-defined on-screen instructions of the handheld device, resulting in data collection including at least one inspection item and damage values of the motor vehicle;

(2) automatically requesting, with the at least one processor of the handheld device the inspector to capture images of the motor vehicle including damaged areas with a camera operatively connected to the handheld device and store the images of the motor vehicle in the at least one non-transitory storage device;

(3) automatically wirelessly transmitting, from the handheld device processor, at least the input condition information referring to the motor vehicle condition to a web service on an external server;

(4) receiving from the web service of the external server a mapping the input condition information to a seller parameterized grade, including mapping a higher precision grade parameter to a lower precision seller grade value, wherein the web service of the external server automatically performs the mapping of the at least one inspection item and the damage values of the motor vehicle to at least three parameters of severity, item description, item code, damage description, damage code, severity description, action description, and action code; and

(5) based on the information received from the web service of the external server, automatically displaying, on the touch screen display of the handheld device, the lower precision seller grade value and the mapped information regarding the at least one inspection item, the damage values, and the at least three parameters to the inspector for inclusion in a human-and-machine readable seller condition report including a grade for the condition of the motor vehicle and at least the captured and stored images of the motor vehicle.