Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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LICENSE PLATE AND VIN SCAN/CODE CATALOG AND INFORMATION
LOOKUP
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates generally to providing access to
component
information/data using a portable electronic device, such as vehicle part
information/data,
provided by an identified component manufacturer from their personal database.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Currently when customers search the web for parts and associated
information for
their vehicle their search can yield incorrect product information,
counterfeit parts and also
parts sold by unauthorized dealers. Placing a call to a local auto parts store
in search for
specific manufacturer parts can result in several calls before the appropriate
part is found.
Moreover, the local auto parts store may not be able to identify a part for
the make, model,
year, and/or engine type of a vehicle with 100% accuracy or may be motivated
by other
market factors to recommend an alternate or inferior part.
[0003] When a vehicle is in need of repair or maintenance and requires a
specific part, some
vehicle owners may go to a local auto parts store to search for a specific
manufacturer's part.
However, there is no guarantee that the particular auto parts store carries
that manufacturer's
parts. The search for the desired part may require visits to several stores
before the part is
found. Such a process is time consuming and a waste of gas. There are other
means to look
up vehicle parts by manufacturer, including a paper catalog, an internal
electronic cataloging
system, or a licensed cataloging system.
100041 These available methods of locating a component by its manufacturer are
also
limited with respect to the information that accompanies the component. For
example, an
automotive component found in the local automotive part retailer may come in a
box with a
sheet of limited information about the component and/or its installation. The
purchaser may
likely benefit from having more information such as videos, technical
information, images,
and part specifications. The internal or licensed catalogs also suffer from
the expense and
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time lapse in updating the information. If the owner of the cataloging system
is not diligent in
requesting the up-dates, the information available may be inaccurate.
[0005] The above listed issues can be remedied if the process for obtaining
identification of
and information related to component parts was automated. Through the use of
personal
mobile devices, devices located at a point of service such as an auto repair
shop or an auto
parts store, or other electronic devices, customers and service providers can
obtain the needed
vehicle part information and at the same time receive additional instructions,
videos, technical
and other information, images and specifications directly from the
manufacturer. These
would make for a more informed customer and or service provider and prevent
the purchasing
of counterfeit parts and or purchasing parts from an unauthorized dealer.
SUMMARY
[0006] One aspect of the invention includes software for performing a
component lookup in
the database of an identified component manufacturer. The software is storable
in an
electronic device and includes a first instruction executable by the
electronic device to provide
a user a display from which to select a means for a component lookup in a
restricted access
database of an identified component manufacturer, an access code to the
restricted access
database, a second instruction executable by the electronic device to export
the access code
and any information provided in response to the selection of the means for the
component
lookup to an external source, a third instruction executable by the electronic
device to import
data from the restricted access database about a component found during the
user selected
component lookup, and a fourth instruction executable by the electronic device
to display the
data.
[0007] In one embodiment, the data from the restricted access data base may
include one or
more of a summary of the component, a description of the component, a picture
of the
component, a component number, instructions regarding installation, a video
regarding
installation, a video describing the component, a brochure about the
component, a
specification sheet regarding the component, availability of the component
including retail
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locations, price estimates for the component (such as an average retail
price), manuals related
thereto, and ordering instructions for the component.
[0008] In another aspect, electronic devices are disclosed that include a
device for importing
a vehicle identification number ("VIN") or license plate number or code
containing said VIN
or license plate number, communication circuitry comprising signal
transmitting and signal
receiving capability, an information processor to process the information
received by the
signal receiving capability of the communication circuitry into a displayable
form, and a
display to display the information once in a displayable form. The signal
transmitting
capability sends the VIN or license plate number to a database external to the
electronic
device to lookup component information related to the VIN or license plate
number and the
signal receiving capability receives information sent back to the electronic
device in response
to the lookup of component information, and the information received is from a
restricted
access database of component-related information from an identified component
manufacturer.
[00091 In another aspect, methods are disclosed for accessing the contents of
an identified
component manufacturer's database of part-related information. The methods
include
providing software that is storable in an electronic device, providing a
database of
component-related data specific to one component manufacturer stored on a
password
protected server, and providing a mobile site as a communication link between
the electronic
device and the database. The software enables a user to initiate a component
lookup by one
or more of browsing a catalog, scanning or reading a VIN or license plate,
entering a VIN or
license plate number, entering a part number, entering another manufacturer's
part number or
part name and the mobile site accesses the database in response to the user
initiated
component lookup. The method also includes the software instructing the
electronic device to
communicate with the database to use the user initiated component lookup to
lookup
component related data stored therein and to send said data to the electronic
device for
display.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] The above and other features of the invention, its nature and various
advantages will
be more apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description,
taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
[0011] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an illustrative electronic device for
providing an
application operative to interface with a database containing component part
information/data
in accordance with some embodiments of the invention.
[0012] FIG. 2 is a front plan view of one embodiment of an electronic device
housing
downloaded software (an application) that provides a means for a component
lookup.
[0013] FIG. 3 is a front plan view of one embodiment of an electronic device
showing a
schematic view of functions available to a user to initiate a component
lookup.
[0014] FIG. 4A is a front plan view of one embodiment of an electronic device
showing a
schematic view of functions available to a user in response to a category
based component
lookup.
[0015] FIG. 4B is a front plan view of one embodiment of an electronic device
showing a
schematic view of functions available to a user in response to a VIN scanner
component
lookup.
[0016] FIG. 4C is a front plan view of one embodiment of an electronic device
showing a
schematic view of functions available to a user in response to a manual VIN
component
lookup.
[0017] FIGS. 4D and 4E are front plan views of two embodiments of an
electronic device
showing schematic views of functions available to a user in response to
various part number
component lookups.
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[0018] FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the communications between software
operable to
perform the component lookup and a restricted access database where the
desired
information/data is stored.
[0019] FIG. 6 is a front plan view of one embodiment of an electronic device
showing a
schematic view of functions available to a user in a learning center directed
to topics related
to the component manufacturer.
[0020] FIG. 7 is a front plan view of one embodiment of an electronic device
showing a
schematic view of functions available to a user to initiate a component
lookup.
[0021] FIG. 8A is a front plan view of one embodiment of an electronic device
showing a
schematic view of functions available to a user in response to a license plate
scanner
component lookup.
[0022] FIG. 8B is a front plan view of one embodiment of an electronic device
showing a
schematic view of functions available to a user in response to a manual
license plate
component lookup.
[0023] FIG. 9 is a front plan view of an embodiment of an electronic device
showing a
schematic view of functions available to a user to initiate a component lookup
that includes
two lookup options: a VIN lookup and a license plate lookup.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0024] The following detailed description will illustrate the general
principles of the
invention, examples of which are additionally illustrated in the accompanying
drawings. In
the drawings, like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally
similar elements.
[0025] The present inventions include downloadable software (i.e., a mobile
device
application) that provides access to component information/data using an
electronic device, in
particular component information/data stored in a personal database (also
known as original
source data) of a component manufacturer, electronic devices that include such
software,
methods of accessing the component information, and, optionally, acting upon
the
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information to order the component. In one embodiment, the component is a
vehicle part,
which is what will be used for exemplary purposes herein. However, the
invention is not
limited thereto and is applicable to any component of any mechanical device.
In some
instances, the component is a replacement part and the end user may be a do-it
yourselfer or
the retail store that sells the component. In other instances, the component
may be an original
equipment manufacturer ("OEM") component being installed at the factory level.
Here, the
OEM may use the database to coordinate proper installation in the correct
vehicle or device
and may acquire information about the availability of the components. The
component
manufacturer's database is typically the sort of information that is backed up
daily and
updated frequently to reflect the most accurate component related information.
[0026] A "vehicle" as used herein, is any device that is used for ground-
based, air, or water
transportation. For example, a vehicle may be an automobile, a car, a bus, a
truck, a tractor, a
riding lawn-mower, a tank, a motorcycle, a train, an airplane, a watercraft
such as a ship or
boat, an all-terrain vehicle, or a snow mobile.
[0027] "Vehicle identification number" as used herein means any format of
vehicle
identification affiliated with a vehicle for identification of one or more of
the make, model,
year, type and engine thereof. This information may be in various formats such
as, but not
limited to, a number sequence, a bar code, a quick reference code, or
hereinafter developed
computer readable media.
[0028] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an illustrative electronic device for
providing an
application operative to interface with automotive part information/data
stored in a database
of a single automotive part manufacturer. Electronic device 100 can include
control circuitry
102, storage 104, memory 106, input/output ("I/O") circuitry 108, and
communications
circuitry 110. In some embodiments, one or more of the components of
electronic device 100
can be combined or omitted (e.g., storage 104 and memory 106 may be combined).
In some
embodiments, electronic device 100 can include other components not combined
or included
in those shown in FIG. 1 (e.g., motion detection components, a power supply
such as a battery
or kinetics, a display, bus, a positioning system, an input mechanism, etc.),
or several
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instances of the components shown in FIG. 1. For the sake of simplicity, only
one of each of
the components is shown in FIG. 1.
[0029] Electronic device 100 can include any suitable type of electronic
device. For
example, electronic device 100 can include a portable electronic device that
the user may hold
in his or her hand, such as a digital media player (e.g., an iPodTM made
available by Apple
Inc. of Cupertino, Calif.), a personal e-mail device (e.g., a BlackberryTM
made available by
Research in Motion of Waterloo, Ontario), a personal data assistant ("PDA"), a
cellular
telephone, a handheld gaming device, and a digital camera. As another example,
electronic
device 100 can include a larger portable electronic device, such as a laptop
computer. As yet
another example, electronic device 100 can include a substantially fixed
electronic device,
such as a desktop computer.
[0030] Control circuitry 102 can include any processing circuitry or processor
operative to
control the operations and performance of electronic device 100. For example,
control
circuitry 102 can be used to run operating system applications, firmware
applications, media
playback applications, media editing applications, or any other application.
In some
embodiments, control circuitry 102 can drive a display and process inputs
received from a
user interface.
[0031] Storage 104 can include, for example, one or more storage mediums
including a
hard-drive, solid state drive, flash memory, permanent memory such as ROM, any
other
suitable type of storage component, or any combination thereof Storage 104 can
store, for
example, media data (e.g., music and video files), application data (e.g., for
implementing
functions on electronic device 100), firmware, user preference information
data (e.g., media
playback preferences), authentication information (e.g. libraries of data
associated with
authorized users), lifestyle information data (e.g., food preferences),
exercise information data
(e.g., information obtained by exercise monitoring equipment), transaction
information data
(e.g., information such as credit card information), wireless connection
information data (e.g.,
information that can enable electronic device 100 to establish a wireless
connection),
subscription information data (e.g., information that keeps track of podcasts
or television
shows or other media a user subscribes to), contact information data (e.g.,
telephone numbers
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and email addresses), calendar information data, and any other suitable data
or any
combination thereof.
[0032] Memory 106 can include cache memory, semi-permanent memory such as RAM,
and/or one or more different types of memory used for temporarily storing
data. In some
embodiments, memory 106 can also be used for storing data used to operate
electronic device
applications, or any other type of data that can be stored in storage 104. In
some
embodiments, memory 106 and storage 104 can be combined as a single storage
medium.
[0033] I/O circuitry 108 can be operative to convert (and encode/decode, if
necessary)
analog signals and other signals into digital data. In some embodiments, I/O
circuitry 108 can
also convert digital data into any other type of signal, and vice-versa. For
example, I/O
circuitry 108 can receive and convert physical contact inputs (e.g., from a
multi-touch screen),
physical movements (e.g., from a mouse or sensor), analog audio signals (e.g.,
from a
microphone), or any other input. The digital data can be provided to and
received from
control circuitry 102, storage 104, memory 106, or any other component of
electronic device
100. Although I/O circuitry 108 is illustrated in FIG. 1 as a single component
of electronic
device 100, several instances of I/O circuitry 108 can be included in
electronic device 100.
[0034] Electronic device 100 can include any suitable interface or component
for allowing a
user to provide inputs to I/O circuitry 108. For example, electronic device
100 can include
any suitable input mechanism, such as for example, a button, keypad, dial, a
click wheel, or a
touch screen. In some embodiments, electronic device 100 can include a
capacitive sensing
mechanism, or a multi-touch capacitive sensing mechanism.
[0035] In some embodiments, electronic device 100 can include specialized
output circuitry
associated with output devices such as, for example, one or more audio
outputs. The audio
output can include one or more speakers (e.g., mono or stereo speakers) built
into electronic
device 100, or an audio component that is remotely coupled to electronic
device 100 (e.g., a
headset, headphones or earbuds that can be coupled to communications device
with a wire or
wirelessly).
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[0036] In some embodiments, I/O circuitry 108 can include display circuitry
(e.g., a screen
or projection system) for providing a display visible to the user. For
example, the display
circuitry can include a screen (e.g., an LCD screen) that is incorporated in
electronic device
100. As another example, the display circuitry can include a movable display
or a projecting
system for providing a display of content on a surface remote from electronic
device 100
(e.g., a video projector). In some embodiments, the display circuitry can
include a
coder/decoder (Codec) to convert digital media data into analog signals. For
example, the
display circuitry (or other appropriate circuitry within electronic device
100) can include
video Codecs, audio Codecs, or any other suitable type of Codec.
[0037] The display circuitry also can include display driver circuitry,
circuitry for driving
display drivers, or both. The display circuitry can be operative to display
content (e.g., media
playback information, application screens for applications implemented on the
electronic
device, information regarding ongoing communications operations, information
regarding
incoming communications requests, or device operation screens) under the
direction of
control circuitry 102. Alternatively, the display circuitry can be operative
to provide
instructions to a remote display.
[0038] Communications circuitry 110 can include any suitable communications
circuitry
operative to connect to a communications network and to transmit
communications (e.g.,
voice or data) from electronic device 100 to other devices within the
communications
network. Communications circuitry 110 can be operative to interface with the
communications network using any suitable communications protocol such as, for
example,
Wi-Fi (e.g., a 802.11 protocol), BluetoothTM, radio frequency systems (e.g.,
900 MHz, 1.4
GHz, and 5.6 GHz communication systems), infrared, GSM, GSM plus EDGE, CDMA,
quadband, and other cellular protocols, VOIP, or any other suitable protocol.
[0039] In some embodiments, communications circuitry 110 can be operative to
create a
communications network using any suitable communications protocol. For
example,
communications circuitry 110 can create a short-range communications network
using a
short-range communications protocol to connect to other devices. For example,
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communications circuitry 110 can be operative to create a local communications
network
using the BluetoothTM protocol to couple electronic device 100 with a
BluetoothTM headset.
10040] Electronic device 100 can include one or more instances of
communications circuitry
110 for simultaneously performing several communications operations using
different
communications networks, although only one is shown in FIG. 1 to avoid
overcomplicating
the drawing. For example, electronic device 100 can include a first instance
of
communications circuitry 110 for communicating over a cellular network, and a
second
instance of communications circuitry 110 for communicating over Wi-Fi or using
BluetoothTM. In some embodiments, the same instance of communications
circuitry 110 can
be operative to provide for communications over several communications
networks.
[0041] In some embodiments, electronic device 100 can be coupled a host device
for data
transfers, synching the communications device, software or firmware updates,
providing
performance information to a remote source (e.g., providing riding
characteristics to a remove
server) or performing any other suitable operation that can require electronic
device 100 to be
coupled to a host device. Several electronic devices 100 can be coupled to a
single host
device using the host device as a server. Alternatively or additionally,
electronic device 100
can be coupled to several host devices (e.g., for each of the plurality of the
host devices to
serve as a backup for data stored in electronic device 100).
[0042] FIG. 2 illustrates one embodiment of an electronic device, generally
designated 200,
that has a software program 150 stored therein (see FIG. 1) that provides a
means for a
component lookup such as an automotive part. The software program 150 may be
downloadable into the electronic devices 100, 200. The electronic device 200
includes a
display or screen 202 and input mechanism 204. While the input mechanism 204
is illustrated
as a button, it is not limited thereto. The software 150 may include
introductory instructions
(not shown) that direct the I/O circuitry 108 (shown in FIG. 1) to display the
manufacturer's
name 208 so the user knows the source of the information to be returned and
displayed during
the component lookup. Optionally, the display may also include a trademark or
brand name
210 for the service provided.
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[0043] As schematically illustrated in FIG. 5, the software 150 may include a
plurality of
instructions 152, 154, 156, 158, and 162 and an access code that enable the
systems within
electronic device 200 to interact with a user such that the user can look up
vehicle part
information specific to one vehicle part manufacturer by accessing the
contents of that
particular vehicle part manufacturer's database 180. The information stored in
the database is
a compilation of data and information that coordinates vehicle parts to the
vehicles they are
operable in, what competitor's part it is a replacement for, and for each
vehicle part
information regarding how to maintain the part, a description thereof, a
picture thereof, its
part number and/or name, instructions regarding installation, a video
regarding installation, a
video describing the part, a brochure about the part, a specification sheet,
availability of the
vehicle part including retail locations, pricing, manuals, direct customer
pricing, and/or
ordering instructions. This data and information is valuable to the vehicle
part manufacturer
and is not available to the general public. Accordingly, the database is a
restricted access
database.
[0044] The access code may be a username and/or password. In one embodiment,
each
electronic device has its own username and/or password associated with the
software
downloaded therein and the restricted access database authenticates the
username and
password before data is released therefrom. In another embodiment only the
password is
required. In one embodiment the password is unique to the software stored on
each electronic
device. In these embodiments, the restricted access database may include a
table coordinating
the username and/or passwords with the id of the electronic device from which
the username
and/or password was received. In this manner the password and electronic
device can be
verified and/or authenticated. The authentication of the access code typically
occurs before
the third instruction 156, explained below, is executed. In another
embodiment, the access
code is one code stored in each version of the software, that may be the same
in each version.
[0045] In another embodiment, the username and/or password are associated with
a direct
customer of the component manufacturer such as a distributor, retailer, or
original equipment
manufacturer, and the data from the restricted access database includes at
least one of the
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direct customer's current price for the component and the availability of the
component from
the component manufacturer or a secondary source.
[0046] As part of accessing the restricted access database 180, the software
150, referring
again to FIG. 5, includes a first instruction 152 executable by the electronic
device 200
(typically through the I/O circuitry 108 (FIG. 1)) to provide a user a
display, for example
display 212 as shown in FIG. 3 or display 312 in FIG. 7 or FIG. 9, from which
he/she may
select a means for a vehicle part lookup 214, 314 from the restricted access
database 180. The
software 150 includes a second instruction 154 executable by the electronic
device 200
(typically through the communications circuitry 110 (FIG. 1)) to export the
access code 156
from memory 106 (FIG. 1) and any information provided in response to the
selection of the
means for the vehicle part lookup 214, 314 to an external source 178. The
third instruction
156 of the software 150 is executable by the electronic device 200 to import
data from the
restricted access database 180 about a vehicle part found during the user
selected vehicle part
lookup. The fourth instruction 158 is executable by the electronic device to
display the data
returned from the restricted access database 180 on screen 202 of the
electronic device 200.
[0047] After execution of the first instruction 152, the display 202 is of the
means for the
component lookup 214, for example as seen in FIG. 3, FIG. 7, and FIG. 9. The
means for the
component lookup 214 may include any one or more of the following: a browse by
category
option, a scan VIN option, an option to manually enter the VIN, and an option
to search by
the component manufacturer's part number and/or the part number of an original
equipment
manufacturer as seen in FIG. 3, but is not limited thereto. In the embodiment
of FIG. 7, the
means for the component lookup is generally referred to by reference number
314, is
displayed on screen 302 on device 300 and may include any one or more of the
following: a
browse by category option 316, a scan vehicle license plate option 318, an
option to manually
enter the license plate number 320, and an option to search by the component
manufacturer's
part number 322 and/or the part number of an original equipment manufacturer
324, but is not
limited thereto.
[0048] In the embodiment of FIG. 9, the means for the component lookup is
generally
referred to by reference number 314, is displayed on screen 302 on device 300
and may
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include any one or more of the following: a browse by category option 316, a
scan vehicle
license plate option 318, an option to manually enter the license plate number
320, a scan VIN
option 330, an option to manually enter the VIN 332, and an option to search
by the
component manufacturer's part number 322 and/or the part number of an original
equipment
manufacturer 324, but is not limited thereto. Once this screen is displayed,
the user may
select one of these means for component lookup 214. The particular means for
component
lookup selected will result in the software 150 executing a fifth instruction
162 (FIG. 5)
executable by the electronic device 200 to display prompts requesting
information related to
the means for the component lookup. Example screen displays for each of the
means for
component lookup listed above are provided in FIGS. 4A - 4E, and FIGS. 8A-8B.
The added
capability of entering a license plate number or scanning a license plate is
beneficial for heavy
duty vehicles because a VIN is not always included on these types of vehicles.
[0049] When the user responds to one of the prompts requesting information
related to the
means for the component lookup by inputting information, a "user input" is
created and may
be temporarily saved in the memory 106 (FIG. 1) of the electronic device 100,
200. With
respect to one or more of the means for component lookup 214, 314 (FIG. 3 or
FIGS. 7 and
9), the software 150 optionally includes a sixth instruction 164, represented
in FIG. 5,
executable by the electronic device 200, after the fifth instruction 158, to
display the user
input along with a prompt for the user to verify that said user input is
correct.
[0050] In one embodiment, the second instruction 154 includes a route or URL
to an
external decoder 182 to convert the user input, such as the VIN or the license
plate number,
into vehicle identification information. The second instruction 154 may also
include a
seventh instruction 166 therein that directs the decoder 182 to send the
vehicle identification
information to the restricted access database 180 for use in the component
lookup. The
vehicle identification information may include one or more of, but preferably
two or more of,
the make, model, year, type, and engine of a vehicle.
[0051] In the embodiments of FIG. 3 or 9, the user input may be a VIN. This
user input
may be entered after either selection of the "scan VIN" or the "manual enter
VIN" options as
the means for component lookup 214, see FIG. 3. The "manual enter VIN" option
prompts
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the software to display on screen 202 a field 216 for entering the VIN (see
FIG. 4C). The user
may use an alpha numeric keyboard of the electronic device 200 to enter the
VIN The VIN is
then sent to the external decoder 182 per second instruction (and seventh
instruction) as
discussed above.
[0052] If the "scan VIN" option is selected the software will display prompts
regarding first
time instructions and start scan. An example screen display is illustrated in
FIG. 4B. The
selection of start scan activates a reader, scanner, camera, or other input
device 112 (FIG. 1)
of the electronic device 100, 200 to input an image of or data contained in a
VIN. The image
of the VIN is then analyzed by the electronic device 100, 200 using the
software 150 to
extract the VIN data therefrom (i.e., a number sequence or code). Now, the
second
instruction 154 can send the VIN data (i.e., the user input) to the decoder
182 as explained
above. The decoder 182 will decode the VIN data into one or more of the make,
model, year,
type, and engine of a vehicle, hereinafter referred to as the "decoded vehicle
information."
[0053] In the embodiments of FIG. 7 and 9, the user input may be a license
plate number.
This user input may be entered after either selection of the "scan license
plate" or the "enter
license plate number" options as the means for component lookup 314. The
"enter license
plate" option prompts the software to present a display 312 having a field 316
for entering the
VIN (see FIG. 8B for an example) or a prompt to speak the license plate
number. In one
embodiment, the user may use an alpha numeric keyboard of the electronic
device 300 to
enter the license plate number. The license plate number is then sent to the
external decoder
182 per second instruction (and seventh instruction) as discussed above. In
one embodiment,
the external decoder 182 is a publically available database of vehicle
registrations, which
includes the license plate number and at least the VIN. The VIN is retrieved
and sent to a
second external decoder that operates as described above to retrieve decoded
vehicle
information, which is then sent to the electronic device 100 and displayed for
the user to
verify the accuracy of the information. In another embodiment, the external
decoder 182 may
be able to directly decode the license plate number into decoded vehicle
information.
100541 If the "scan license plate" option is selected, the software will
display prompts
regarding first time instructions and "start scan." An example display 312 on
devise 3000 is
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illustrated in FIG. 8A. The selection of the scan screen can direct the user
to a second display
with instructions to start the scan, which activates a reader, scanner,
camera, or other input
device 112 (FIG. 1) of the electronic device 100, 200 to input an image of or
data contained in
a license plate or the scan screen option may be a start scan option instead.
The image of the
license plate is then analyzed by the electronic device 300 using the software
150 to extract
the license plate number therefrom (i.e., a number/letter sequence). Now, the
second
instruction 154 (FIG. 5) can send the license plate number as data to the
external decoder 182
as explained above. The decoder 182 will decode the data comprising the
license plate
number into one or more of the make, model, year, type, and engine of a
vehicle, hereinafter
referred to as the "decoded vehicle information" directly or through first
identifying a VIN
number affiliated with the license plate number as discussed above.
[0055] The decoded vehicle information whether as a result of the scan or
entry of the VIN
or license plate number, may be sent back to the electronic device 200, 300
for verification of
its correctness by the user. Entry of the VIN or license plate number
includes, but is not
limited to, typing the information and speaking the information (i.e., a voice
activated entry
326 in FIG. 8B). The software may also include instructions to display the
decoded vehicle
information along with a prompt asking the user if he/she would like to store
the decoded
vehicle information in the electronic device (in memory 106 (FIG. 1)). Thus,
in the future the
user can recall the decoded vehicle information from memory 106 to look up
additional parts
for that particular vehicle.
[0056] If the user selects "browse by category" as the means for component
lookup, the
electronic device may display a screen as shown in FIG. 4A, listing the
available categories.
If the component manufacturer is a vehicle part manufacturer the categories
may be directed
to different vehicle parts, for example, in the case of Dayco Products, LLC
the categories may
be timing belts, serpentine belts, pulleys, tensioners, hoses, etc.
Alternately, the categories
may have a two-tiered approach, where tier 1 is whether the user is interested
in light duty,
heavy duty, AT mobile, industrial, lawn and garden, or hydraulics and then
within
each selected tier 1 a category of specific parts such as timing belts,
serpentine belts, pulleys,
tensioners, hoses, etc. represents tier 2. For other component manufacturers,
the categories
CA 02868670 2014-10-28
can be tailored to the types of components manufactured and/or the systems in
which such
components are used. Once a category is selected the software instructs the
restricted access
database to send back a with a list of parts therein, which are then displayed
for user review.
Each part within a list may be individually selectable to learn more about
that particular part
and upon selection of a desired part, data specific to that part may be
retrieved from the
database and displayed to the end user.
[0057] Similarly to the manually entered V1N or license plate number, the user
may select
to manually enter and search by the manufacturer's part number and/or the part
number of an
original equipment manufacturer, see FIG. 3. For either type of part number
lookup, the
software 150 instructs the electronic device to display a field 216 for
entering the number as
illustrated in FIGS. 4D and 4E. The user may enter the number using an alpha
numeric
keyboard of the electronic device 200. Example screen displays are illustrated
in FIGS. 4D
and 4E. The part numbers via the second instruction 154 of the software 150
can be sent
directly to the restricted access database 180 along with the access code.
There is no need for
the part number to be sent to decoder 182. The restricted access database 180,
after
verification of the access code, will send data related to the part number to
the electronic
device 100, 200, 300 for display per the software's third and fourth
instructions 156, 158
(FIG. 5).
[0058] The fourth instruction 158 to display the vehicle data may include a
displayable
prompt to place an order. This prompt may be displayable only when the
availability of the
component indicates said components are available. If the part is not
available, the display
may display an out-of-stock message, a not found message, or a discontinued
message,
whichever is appropriate. If the user is a direct customer, the prompt to
order may include the
component's price at the direct customer price. Alternatively, the fourth
instruction 158 may
include a displayable list of the component's availability at local
vendors/authorized
distributors. If the component is not found in the database, the database will
send a message
that tells the communications circuitry to have the I/O circuitry display a
message regarding
the unavailability of the component.
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[0059] The software 150 may also include additional options for the user. The
options may
include a "Where to Buy" lookup, "a Learning Center" and an "Information"
screen. Where
to Buy includes a lookup of retail locations where the products of the
identified component
manufacturer are sold. The list of retail locations may include information
regarding the retail
location, driving instructions, phone numbers, store hours, etc. The Learning
Center may
include general technical information relative to the various components made
by the
identified component manufacturer. An example display for a Learning Center
relative to
Dayco Products, LLC is provided in FIG. 6. Here, the topics for the Learning
Center include
timing belts, serpentine belts, belt noise, hose, and tensioners and pulleys.
The Information
screen may provide the option to call or e-mail the identified component
manufacturer or visit
their website from the electronic device.
[0060] Referring to FIG. 6, the software 150 may also include instructions for
the I/O
circuitry 108 (FIG. 1) to display a ribbon 220 on the screen 202 comprising
prompts for
navigating between the various features of the component lookup program. The
ribbon may
include prompts to navigate to "Part Finder" (the screen with the list of
means for component
lookup, such as FIG. 3), the "Where to Buy" described above, the "Learning
Center"
described above, and "Information" described above.
[0061] In one aspect, the inventions herein include electronic devices having
the capability
to store and implement the software 150 described above. In one embodiment,
the electronic
device 100, as illustrated in FIG. 1, includes a device 112 such as a scanner,
reader, or camera
(or a plurality thereof) for importing a VIN, license plate number, or code
containing the VIN
or license plate number (or both) into the electronic device 100,
communication circuitry
comprising signal transmitting and signal receiving capability, an information
processor to
process the information received by the signal receiving capability of the
communication
circuitry into a displayable form, and a display to display the information
once in a
displayable form. The signal transmitting capability sends the VIN, license
plate number, or
both to a restricted access database external to the electronic device 100 to
lookup component
information related thereto and the signal receiving capability receives
information sent back
to the electronic device in response to the lookup of component information.
The electronic
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device 100 includes software 150, which includes an access code that the
restricted access
database will verify before allowing the retrieval of information stored
therein. In one
embodiment, a license plate number is entered or a license plate is scanned
and the data
comprising the license plate number is sent to the decoder, which may decode
the license
plate number into a VIN and then use the VIN to lookup the vehicle
identification
information. Here, the VIN may be returned to the display for user
verification before
returning the vehicle identification information. In another embodiment, the
data comprising
the license plate number is sent to the decoder and directly returns the
vehicle identification
information for verification by the user.
[0062] The information stored in the restricted access database and
retrievable in response
to a VIN, license plate number, or both includes one or more of photographs,
videos,
documents, audio recordings, individual data points, and combinations thereof,
including the
example types of information disclosed above, for components associated with
the decoded
vehicle information. The database may also include any other types of
information discussed
above.
[0063] The communication circuitry 110 (FIGS. 1 and 5) sends the VIN, license
plate
number, or both to a decoder 182 external to the electronic device to decode
the VIN, license
plate number, or both into one or more of the make, model, year, type and
engine of the
vehicle (referred to as "vehicle identification information" or "decoded
vehicle information"),
receives the vehicle identification information from the decoder 182, and the
information
processor displays said vehicle identification information along with a prompt
for the user of
the electronic device to verify the correctness thereof. Then, in response to
a favorable
response to the prompt to verify the correctness of the vehicle identification
information, the
information processor instructs the communication circuitry to send the
vehicle identification
information to the restricted access database to retrieve component
information relative
thereto. The component information is then received by the electronic device,
more
specifically the communications circuitry, and is displayed on the screen for
the user. The
component information typically includes one or more of part numbers, part
names, and
images of the part. If the user verifies that the decoded vehicle information
is incorrect, the
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device will return to the initial display of means for entering vehicle
information for the user
to try again.
[0064] The electronic device as seen in FIG. 1 also includes memory 106. The
information
processor may display the vehicle identification information with a prompt for
the user of the
electronic device to save the vehicle identification information in the
electronic device (i.e.,
memory 106).
[0065] Referring again to FIG. 1, the electronic device 100 is a point-of-sale
(PUS) device
equipped with a component lookup software 150 and a VIN and/or license plate
input device
112 discussed above. The point-of-sale device operates similarly to the
electronic devices
described above. The difference is the intended user. Here, the user is meant
to be a retail
establishment, such as an automotive parts store (in particular, its
employees) or a distributor.
In response to any of the means for component lookup discussed above, the
information sent
to the POS device from the restricted access database or password protected
server (described
in detail below) can include the availability of the component from the
component
manufacturer (i.e., how many parts are in stock and date parts could ship),
the particular
retailer's or distributor's price for the component, and an option to place an
order.
Additionally, if the component manufacturer does not have the component in
stock, the
database may send information to the electronic device regarding other
distributors or retailers
that may have the component in their inventories, along with their contact
information.
[0066] In another aspect, the invention encompasses methods for accessing the
contents of a
component manufacturer's database of component-related information. The
methods include
the steps of providing software that is storable in an electronic device,
providing a database of
component-related data specific to the component manufacturer stored on a
password
protected server, and providing a mobile site as a communication link between
the electronic
device and the database. The software enables a user to initiate a component
lookup by a
plurality of options. The options may include one or more of browsing a
catalog, scanning or
reading a VIN, manually entering a VIN, scanning or reading a license plate
number,
manually entering a license plate number, entering a part number of the
component
manufacturer, entering another manufacturer's part number or part name, and
entering
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dimensions of a component within a category of components. The electronic
device and the
restricted access database communicate by having the electronic device
communicate with the
mobile site and the mobile site accesses the database in response to the user
initiated
component lookup (in response to the user's selection of one of the options
listed above). The
software instructs the electronic device to communicate with the database to
use the user
initiated component lookup to lookup component related data stored therein and
to send said
data to the electronic device for display.
[0067] In one embodiment, the password protected server is at least a
webserver having the
database stored as a web service. For this embodiment, the method includes a
step where the
mobile site calls the web service for each user initiated component lookup and
provides a
password to the web service. The web service then authenticates the password
and thereafter
sends data related to the component(s) selected during the user initiated
component lookup to
the mobile site, which relays the data to the electronic device.
[0068] In another embodiment, the password protected server is at least a File
Transport
Protocol (FTP) server having the database stored as comma-separated value
files. Here, the
method may include the step of accessing the database, once daily, with a
password and
copying the database to a cloud server. With the data stored in the cloud
server, the mobile
site can call the cloud server for each user initiated component lookup
without using a
password. This method will increase the speed of the component lookup.
[0069] In either of these embodiments, the mobile site may include a VIN
decoder or be in
communication with a VIN decoder, and/or include a license plate decoder or be
in
communication with a license plate decoder. When a user initiates a component
lookup by
importing a VIN or license plate image or code or by manually entering a VIN
or license plate
number, the method also includes the step of decoding the VIN or license plate
number (using
the decoder) into vehicle identification information and then sending the
vehicle identification
information to the electronic device for display and verification by the user.
When the
decoder is external to the mobile site, the mobile site sends the VIN or
license plate number
(or both) to the external decoder and receives therefrom the vehicle
identification information.
The mobile site will thereafter send the vehicle identification information to
the electronic
CA 02868670 2014-10-28
device for display and verification by the user. Once verified, the electronic
device, as
explained above, will send the vehicle identification information to the
database to lookup
component information/data related thereto.
[0070] The embodiments of this invention shown in the drawings and described
above are
exemplary of numerous embodiments that may be made within the scope of the
appended
claims. It is contemplated that numerous other configurations of the software,
electronic
devices, and methods of component lookup in a restricted access database of an
identified
component manufacturer may be created by taking advantage of the disclosed
approach. In
short, it is the applicant's intention that the scope of the patent issuing
herefrom will be
limited only by the scope of the appended claims.
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