Method and system for providing a service resource to a user location

Abstract

A user, either in a vehicle with a telematics device, at a home having a computer device, using a handheld wireless device, or other type of communication device, can request services such as to repair a flat tire, unlock a locked door, repair cable television, service, etc. using the communication device. The user's communication device sends a request message over the communication network to a second server. The second server creates a request for service record and forwards the message to a first server that determines a resource to dispatch to the user's location. The first server sends resource information, including location information, to the user's device, and either the device, or a device coupled to the user's communication device, displays the current location of the service resource on a map as the resource makes its way toward the user's location.

1 .- 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . A system for providing a service resource to a user location, comprising a server at a data center associated with a user device configured for:
 receiving a request for assistance message from the user device at the user location, the message including information describing the location of the user device;   processing the request message at the data center associated with the user device to determine a services provider that can provide a type of services corresponding to the request for assistance message, wherein the user device automatically generated the request for assistance message based on at least one of an occurrence of a condition, situation, or accident, and wherein the request for assistance message includes information representative of the condition, situation, or accident that triggered the generation of the request for assistance message; and   transmitting the request for assistance message to a data center associated with a provider of services that can provide services according to the information in the request message representative of the condition, situation, or accident that triggered the generation of the request for assistance message, wherein the data center associated with the user device determines the provider of services to transmit the request for assistance message to based on the information in the request message representative of the condition, situation, or accident that triggered the generation of the request for assistance message.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19  wherein the data center associated with the user device includes a consumer telematics operation center server. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 19  wherein the data center associated with the services provider includes a fleet management telematics operation center server. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21  wherein the processing step includes comparing information representative of the condition, situation, or accident contained in the request for assistance message with service provider entries in a database and determining a services provider to which to transmit the assistance request message to based on data in the services provider's entry that matches at least in part the at least one of the condition, situation, or accident. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22  wherein the assistance request message is transmitted to the services provider referenced in the database entry having the matching data according to an address also referenced in the database entry. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 22  wherein the data information representative of at least one of a condition, situation, or accident is meta data. 
     
     
         25 . A system comprising a server at a second data center configured for:
 receiving from a user device a request for assistance message, wherein the user device automatically generated the request for assistance message based on at least one of an occurrence of a condition, situation, or accident, and wherein the request for assistance message includes information representative of the condition, situation, or accident that triggered the generation of the request for assistance message;   creating a request record of the request for assistance message at the second data center; and   transmitting the request for assistance message to a first data center, wherein the second data center determines the first data center to transmit the request for assistance message to based on information representative of the condition, situation, or accident that triggered the generation of the request for assistance message.   
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25  wherein the user device transmits the request for assistance over a wireless communication network. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 25  wherein the user device includes a telematics control unit in a vehicle. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 25  wherein the server at the second data center is further configured to perform steps comprising receiving service resource information related to a service resource assigned in response to the transmitted request for assistance message;
 updating the request record with a current location of the service resource; 
 transmitting a location message to the user device indicating the location of the service resource relative to the user device; and 
 displaying the location of the service resource on a display device substantially collocated with the user device. 
 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 28  wherein the service resource is a truck. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 29  wherein the truck includes a telematics control unit that transmits its GPS coordinates to the first data center. 
     
     
         31 . A method for managing a service provider resource on its way to a user location, comprising:
 receiving a request for assistance message from the user device at the user location, the message including information describing the location of the user device;   processing the request message at the data center associated with the user device to determine a services provider that can provide a type of services corresponding to the request for assistance message, wherein the user device automatically generated the request for assistance message based on at least one of an occurrence of a condition, situation, or accident, and wherein the request for assistance message includes information representative of the condition, situation, or accident that triggered the generation of the request for assistance message;   transmitting the request for assistance message to a data center associated with a provider of services that can provide services according to the information in the request message representative of the condition, situation, or accident that triggered the generation of the request for assistance message, wherein the data center associated with the user device determines the provider of services to transmit the request for assistance message to based on the information in the request message representative of the condition, situation, or accident that triggered the generation of the request for assistance message;   receiving from the data center associated with the provider of services service resource information related to a service resource assigned by the services provider based on the information describing the location of the user device in response to the transmitted request for assistance message; and   transmitting a notification to the data center associated with the provider of services that the service resource is no longer needed in response to the request for assistance message if the data center associated with the user device receives a transmission from the user device that it has moved from the user location from which it transmitted the request for assistance message.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31  wherein the data center associated with the user device includes a consumer telematics operation center server. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31  wherein the data center associated with the services provider includes a fleet management telematics operation center server. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33  wherein the processing step includes comparing information representative of the condition, situation, or accident contained in the request for assistance message with service provider entries in a database and determining a services provider to which to transmit the assistance request message to based on data in the services provider's entry that matches at least in part the at least one of the condition, situation, or accident. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34  wherein the assistance request message is transmitted to the services provider referenced in the database entry having the matching data according to an address also referenced in the database entry.