MAINTENANCE SHOP

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to a device and a method for searching for a vehicle maintenance shop.

BACKGROUND

[0002] In daily life, if there is something wrong with a vehicle, a driver may not know which component has a problem and would blindly go to a vehicle maintenance shop for help. However, it may happen that the vehicle maintenance shop can not provide a maintenance service the vehicle needs, for example because the maintenance shop is short of a necessary replacement component.

[0003] Therefore, in order to avoid waste of time, a device and a method for searching for a vehicle maintenance shop are needed.

SUMMARY

[0004] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a system for providing address information of a vehicle maintenance shop capable of providing a maintenance service a vehicle needs is provided. The system includes: a storage device storing therein a vehicle maintenance shop database which includes address information and inventory information of a plurality of vehicle maintenance shops; and a processing device configured to: determine a maintenance service a vehicle needs based on a piece of fault information received from the vehicle through a wireless network and a model number of the vehicle; search in the vehicle maintenance shop database for candidate vehicle maintenance shops capable of providing the maintenance service at least partly based on the inventory information and the maintenance service; and control a communication device to send address information of the candidate vehicle maintenance shops to the vehicle through the wireless network.

[0005] In some embodiments, the vehicle maintenance shop database is updated in real-time. In some embodiments, the vehicle maintenance shop database is updated periodically.

[0006] In some embodiments, the piece of fault information may be a trouble code. The system may further include a trouble code database including correspondence between trouble codes and maintenance services. In some embodiments, the processing device may be configured to determine the maintenance service based on the trouble code and the trouble code database.

[0007] In some embodiments, the vehicle maintenance shop database may further include information of available maintenance equipments of the plurality of maintenance shops. In some embodiments, the processing device may be configured to search for the candidate vehicle maintenance shops at least partly based on the information of available maintenance equipments.

[0008] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a system for providing address information of a vehicle maintenance shop capable of providing a maintenance service a vehicle needs is provided. The system includes: a storage device storing therein a vehicle maintenance shop database which includes address information and inventory information of a plurality of vehicle maintenance shops; and a processing device configured to: search in the vehicle maintenance shop database for candidate vehicle maintenance shops capable of providing a maintenance service at least partly based on the inventory information and the needed maintenance service; and control a communication device to send address information of the candidate vehicle maintenance shops to the vehicle through the wireless network.

[0009] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a system for obtaining address information of a vehicle maintenance shop capable of providing a maintenance service a vehicle needs is provided. The system includes: a communication device to communicate through a wireless network with a server which stores therein a vehicle maintenance shop database including address information and inventory information of a plurality of vehicle maintenance shops; and a processing device, configured to control the communication device to send a piece of fault information of a vehicle to the server to request the server to provide address information of candidate vehicle maintenance shops capable of providing a maintenance service associated with the piece of fault information; and after the communication device receives address information of a vehicle maintenance shop capable of providing the maintenance service, control a display device to present the received address information to a user.

[0010] In some embodiments, the processing device may be further configured to control the communication device to send a model number of the vehicle to the server such that the server may determine what replacement parts are needed in the maintenance service. In some embodiments, a client may have an ID, and some basic information of the client such as the client's car model number may be stored in a client database which can be accessed by the server. As a result, when the system owned by the client communicates with the server, the server may obtain the basic information of the client from the client database automatically.

[0011] In some embodiments, the processing device may control the display device to present the received address information in text. In some embodiments, the processing device may control the display device to present the received address information by marking the positions of the candidate vehicle maintenance shops on a digital map.

[0012] In some embodiments, the piece of fault information may be a trouble code. The processing device may receive the trouble code from a trouble code generating system mounted on the vehicle.

[0013] In some embodiments, the processing device may be further configured to receive a user's instruction to select a vehicle maintenance shop from the candidate vehicle maintenance shops.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a navigation system for generating a route to a vehicle maintenance shop capable of providing a maintenance service a vehicle needs is provided. The navigation system includes : a communication device to communicate through a wireless network with a server which stores therein a vehicle maintenance shop database including address information and inventory information of a plurality of vehicle maintenance shops; a positioning device to provide a current position of a vehicle; and a processing device configured to: control the communication device to send a piece of fault information of the vehicle to the sever, to request the server to provide address information of candidate maintenance shops capable of providing a maintenance service associated with the piece of fault information; and after the communication device receives from the server address information of a vehicle maintenance shop capable of providing the maintenance service, generate a route to the vehicle maintenance shop based on the received address information and the current position of the vehicle.

[0015] In some embodiments, the processing device may be further configured to : control the communication device to receive address information of a plurality of candidate vehicle maintenance shops; control a display device to present the address information of the plurality of candidate vehicle to a user; receive a user instruction of selecting a candidate vehicle maintenance shop; and generate the route to the selected vehicle maintenance shop.

[0016] In some embodiments, the processing device may be further configured to calculate distances between the candidate vehicle maintenance shops and the vehicle based on the received address information of the candidate vehicle maintenance shops and the current position of the vehicle, such that a user may select a vehicle maintenance shop based on their distances from the current position of the vehicle.

[0017] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for providing address information of a vehicle maintenance shop capable of providing a maintenance service a vehicle needs is provided. The method includes: receiving from a vehicle through a wireless network a piece of fault information of the vehicle; determining a maintenance service the vehicle needs based on the piece of fault information and a model number of the vehicle; searching in a vehicle maintenance shop database including address information and inventory information of a plurality of vehicle maintenance shops for candidate vehicle maintenance shops capable of providing the required maintenance service at least partly based on the inventory information; and sending address information of the candidate vehicle maintenance shops to the vehicle through the wireless network.

[0018] In some embodiments, the vehicle maintenance shop database is updated in real-time or periodically.

[0019] In some embodiments, the piece of fault information may be a trouble code, and the maintenance service the vehicle needs may be determined using a trouble code database which includes correspondence between trouble codes and maintenance services.

[0020] In some embodiments, the vehicle maintenance shop database may further include information of available maintenance equipments of the plurality of vehicle maintenance shops, and searching for the candidate vehicle maintenance shops may be partly based on the information of available maintenance equipments.

[0021] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for obtaining address information of a vehicle maintenance shop capable of providing a maintenance service a vehicle needs is provided. The method includes: sending from a vehicle, through a wireless network, a piece of fault information of the vehicle to a sever which stores therein a vehicle maintenance shop database including address information and inventory information of a plurality of vehicle maintenance shops, to request the server to provide address information of candidate vehicle maintenance shops capable of providing a maintenance service associated with the fault information ; receiving address information of a vehicle maintenance shop capable of providing the maintenance service through the wireless network; and presenting the received address information to a user. [0022] In some embodiments, the received address information may be presented in text. In some embodiments, the received address information may be presented by marking the positions of the candidate vehicle maintenance shops on a digital map.

[0023] In some embodiments, the piece of fault information may be a trouble code. In some embodiments, the trouble code may be generated by a trouble code generating system mounted on the vehicle.

[0024] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a navigation method for generating a route to a vehicle maintenance shop capable of providing a maintenance service a vehicle needs is provided. The navigation method includes: sending from a vehicle a piece of fault information of the vehicle through a wireless network, to a sever which stores therein a vehicle maintenance shop database including address information and inventory information of a plurality of vehicle maintenance shops, to request the server to provide address information of candidate vehicle maintenance shops capable of providing a maintenance service associated with the fault information ; receiving from the server address information of a vehicle maintenance shop capable of providing the maintenance service through the wireless network; obtaining a current position of the vehicle using a positioning device; and generating a route to the vehicle maintenance shop based on the received address information and the current position of the vehicle.

[0025] In some embodiments, the navigation method may further include: receiving address information of a plurality of candidate vehicle maintenance shops; presenting the address information of the plurality of candidate vehicle to a user; receiving a user instruction of selecting a candidate vehicle maintenance shop; and generating the route to the selected vehicle maintenance shop.

[0026] In some embodiments, the navigation method may further include: calculating distances between the candidate shops and the vehicle based on the received address information and the current position of the vehicle, such that a user may select a candidate maintenance shop based on the distances.

[0027] By employing the methods and devices of the present application, a user can conveniently obtain address information of candidate vehicle maintenance shops capable of providing a maintenance service the vehicle needs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The foregoing and other features of the present disclosure will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only several embodiments in accordance with the disclosure and are, therefore, not to be considered limiting of its scope, the disclosure will be described with additional specificity and detail through use of the accompanying drawings.

[0029] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a system for searching for a vehicle maintenance shop capable of providing a maintenance service a vehicle needs according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] FIG. 2 is a schematic flow chart of a method for providing address information of a vehicle maintenance shop capable of providing a maintenance service a vehicle needs according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0031] FIG. 3 is a schematic flow chart of a method for providing address information of a vehicle maintenance shop capable of providing a maintenance service a vehicle needs according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. In the drawings, similar symbols typically identify similar components, unless context dictates otherwise. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented here. It will be readily understood that the aspects of the present disclosure, as generally described herein, and illustrated in the Figures, can be arranged, substituted, combined, and designed in a wide variety of different configurations, all of which are explicitly contemplated and make part of this disclosure.

[0033] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a system 1 0 for searching for a vehicle maintenance shop capable of providing a maintenance service a vehicle needs according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 1 , the system 1 0 includes a first system 100, and a second system 200. In some embodiments, the first system 1 00 may be mounted on a vehicle. In some embodiments, the second system 200 may be a server which manages a plurality of vehicles, such as a Telematics Service Provider (TSP).

[0034] In some embodiments, the system 1 0 may further include a third system 300, and the third system 300 may be a client terminal belonging to a vehicle maintenance shop. In some embodiments, the system 10 may include any number of the first system 1 00 and third system 300.

[0035] The first system 1 00 includes a processing device 1 01 , a communication device 1 02, and a positioning device 1 03.

[0036] In some embodiments, the first system 1 00 may further include a display device (not shown in the dawning).

[0037] The second system 200 includes a processing device 201 , a communication device 202, and a storage device 203.

[0038] The first system 1 00 and the second system 200 communicate with each other through a wireless network.

[0039] The third system 300 includes a processing device 301 and a communication device 302.

[0040] In some embodiments, a processing device may be a central processing unit. In some embodiments, a processing device may be a group of computing devices that work together, such as combination of a CPU and a GPU (graphic processing unit), combination of a CPU and an APU (audio processing unit), or combination of a CPU, a GPU, and an APU etc.

[0041] FIG. 2 is a schematic flow chart of a method S1 0 for providing address information of a vehicle maintenance shop capable of providing a maintenance service a vehicle needs according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0042] In S1 01 , the processing device 1 01 of the first system 1 00 controls the communication device 1 02 to send a model number of a vehicle to the second system 200 through the wireless network. Correspondingly, in S201 , the communication device 202 of the second system 200 receives the model number through the wireless network.

[0043] In S1 02, the processing device 1 01 controls the communication device 102 to send a piece of fault information of the vehicle to the second system 200 after a fault is detected. Accordingly, in S202, the communication device 202 of the second system 200 receives the piece of fault information.

[0044] In some embodiments, the piece of fault information may be a trouble code which represents a fault on the vehicle, and the processing device 1 01 may receive the trouble code from a trouble code generating system mounted on the vehicle.

[0045] In some embodiments, the model number and the piece of fault information may be sent together. In some embodiments, the model number and the piece of fault information may be sent separately.

[0046] In S203, the processing device 201 of the second system 200 determines a maintenance service the vehicle needs based on the fault information and the model number.

[0047] Specifically, in some embodiments, the processing device 201 may determine which component of the vehicle has a problem by analyzing the piece of fault information, and then determine the model number of the faulty component based on the model number of the vehicle.

[0048] The required maintenance service may be repairing, adjusting and replacing services.

[0049] In some embodiments, the fault information may be a trouble code, and the processing device 201 may determine the maintenance service the vehicle needs using a trouble code database including correspondence between trouble codes and maintenance services.

[0050] In some embodiments, the trouble code database may be stored in the storage device 203 of the second system 200.

[0051] In some embodiments, the communication device 202 may send information of the maintenance service the vehicle needs to the first system 1 00 in S204, and accordingly the processing device 1 01 may control the communication device 1 02 to receive the information of the maintenance service in S1 03.

[0052] In some embodiments, the information of the maintenance service may be displayed by the display device of the first system 1 00 so that a user can clearly know which component has a problem and what kind of maintenance service the vehicle needs.

[0053] In some embodiments, after receiving the information of the maintenance service, if a user wants a vehicle maintenance shop to fix the vehicle, the processing device 1 01 may be configured to control the communication device 1 02 to send a request for address information of candidate vehicle maintenance shops capable of providing the maintenance service the vehicle needs to the second system 200 in S1 04, and accordingly the communication device 202 receives the request in S205.

[0054] In S206, after receiving the request for address information of candidate vehicle maintenance shops, the processing device 201 searches in a vehicle maintenance shop database including address information and inventory information of vehicle maintenance shops for candidate vehicle maintenance shops capable of providing the maintenance service the vehicle needs, at least partly based on the inventory information and the maintenance service the vehicle needs. In some embodiments, the vehicle maintenance shop database may be stored in the storage device 203.

[0055] Specifically, in some embodiments, when searching for the candidate vehicle maintenance shops, the processing device 201 may find out vehicle maintenance shops which meet both of the following two requirements based on the vehicle maintenance shop database: 1 ) capable of fixing the fault; and 2) having necessary replacement components. In some embodiments, the processing device 201 may determine whether a vehicle maintenance shop has necessary replacement components based on inventory information of the vehicle maintenance shops.

[0056] The vehicle maintenance shop database includes address information of vehicle maintenance shops, so the processing device 201 can obtain address information of candidate vehicle maintenance shops from the vehicle maintenance shop database after finding out the candidate vehicle maintenance shops.

[0057] In some embodiments, the vehicle maintenance shop database may be updated in real-time. In some embodiments, the vehicle maintenance shop database may be updated periodically.

[0058] In some embodiments, the vehicle maintenance shop database may further include information of available maintenance equipments of the plurality of vehicle maintenance shops, and the processing device 201 may be further configured to search in the vehicle maintenance shop database for the candidate vehicle maintenance shops at least partly based on the information of available maintenance equipments. For example, for certain maintenance services, certain maintenance equipments are required. When a maintenance service the vehicle needs requires a specific maintenance equipment, then the processing device 201 may filter out a vehicle maintenance shop if it does not have the equipment.

[0059] In some embodiments, the vehicle maintenance shop database may further include price information of the maintenance service of vehicle maintenance shops. The processing device 201 may send related price information together with address information of a candidate maintenance shop to the vehicle, such that a user may select a shop at least partly based on price.

[0060] It should be noted that, in some embodiments, S204 and S205 are optional.

[0061] In S21 0, the processing device 201 controls the communication device 202 to send the address information of the candidate vehicle maintenance shops to the first system 1 00.

[0062] Accordingly, in some embodiments, the communication device 102 receives address information of one candidate vehicle maintenance shop capable of providing the maintenance service in S1 05, and the processing device 1 01 may also control a display device (not shown) of the first system 1 00 to present the received address information.

[0063] In some embodiments, there may be more than one candidate vehicle maintenance shops, and the communication device 1 02 may receive address information of a plurality of candidate vehicle maintenance shops capable of providing the maintenance service in S1 05, and the processing device 1 01 may control the display device of the first system 1 00 to present the received address information.

[0064] In some embodiments, the received address information may be presented in text. In some embodiments, the received address information may be presented by marking positions of the candidate vehicle maintenance shops on a digital map.

[0065] In S107, the positioning device 1 03 of the first system 1 00 obtains a current position of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the positioning device 1 03 may be a (global positioning system) GPS device.

[0066] In some embodiments, if a user wants to select one of the candidate vehicle maintenance shops, the processing device 101 may be further configured to receive a user's instruction to select a vehicle maintenance shop from the candidate vehicle maintenance shops in S1 08.

[0067] In some embodiments, the processing device 1 01 of the first system 100 may calculate distances between the candidate vehicle maintenance shops and the vehicle based on the received address information of candidate vehicle maintenance shops and the current position of the vehicle, so that the user may select a shop based on the distances.

[0068] In S1 09, the processing device 1 01 generates a route to a vehicle maintenance shop selected by a user based on the received address information of the selected shop and the current position of the vehicle.

[0069] In some embodiments, the route may be presented by the display device of the first system 1 00 on a digital map.

[0070] In some embodiments, if the user wants to book the maintenance service the vehicle needs, the processing device 1 01 may control the communication device 1 02 to send a booking request for the maintenance service the vehicle needs to a vehicle maintenance shop selected by a user in S1 10, and accordingly the communication device 302 of the selected vehicle maintenance shop receives the request in S303.

[0071] In S304, the processing device 301 of the selected vehicle maintenance shop may generate a booking response and control the communication device 302 to send the booking response to the first system 1 00, and accordingly the communication device 1 02 receives the booking response in S11 1 .

[0072] FIG. 3 is a schematic flow chart of a method S20 for providing address information of a vehicle maintenance shop capable of providing a maintenance service a vehicle needs based on the system 1 0 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0073] It should be noted that, different from the case of the method S1 0 that inventory information and address information are stored in the vehicle maintenance shop database, in the method S20 each vehicle maintenance shop may store and update it's own inventory information and address information in its own third system.

[0074] In FIG. 3, the candidate vehicle maintenance shops are found out by S207, S208 and S209.

[0075] In S207, the processing device 201 controls the communication device 202 to send an inquiry to third systems 300 of vehicle maintenance shops, for checking whether a vehicle maintenance shop is capable of providing the maintenance service the vehicle needs. Accordingly, the processing devices 301 of the third systems 300 control the communication devices 302 to receive the inquiry in S301 . For brevity, only one third system 300 is shown in FIG. 3.

[0076] In S302, the processing device 301 of the third system 300 generates an inquiry response at least partly based on inventory information of a vehicle maintenance shop the third system 300 belongs to, and controls the communication device 302 to send the inquiry response to the second system 200.

[0077] In some embodiments, the processing device 301 of the third system 300 may generate an inquiry response based on both inventory information and information of available maintenance equipments of the vehicle maintenance shop the third system 300 belongs to.

[0078] Accordingly, the communication device 202 receives the inquiry responses from the third systems 300 in S208.

[0079] In some embodiments, the inquiry response may include address information of a vehicle maintenance shop if the vehicle maintenance shop is capable of providing the maintenance service the vehicle needs. In some embodiments, the inquiry response may further include price information of the maintenance service in the vehicle maintenance shop if the vehicle maintenance shop is capable of providing the maintenance.

[0080] In S209, the processing device 201 obtains address information of candidate vehicle shops capable of providing the maintenance service the vehicle needs by analyzing the inquiry response.

[0081] In some embodiments, the obtained candidate vehicle maintenance shops may be one or more than one.

[0082] In S21 0, the processing device 201 controls the communication device 201 to send the address information of candidate vehicle maintenance shops to the first system 1 00.

[0083] The rest operations in FIG.3 are the similar to the corresponding ones in FIG. 2 and will not be described here in detail.

[0084] It should be noted that the order of the operations described above may be changed in different embodiments.

[0085] While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.