Vehicle maintenance manager

Abstract

A method and system are provided for managing maintenance services performed on a vehicle. A service provider system receives a request from an on-board vehicle diagnostic system for charging or replacement of a battery of a rechargeable electric vehicle. Based on a set of rules from one or more databases, the service provider selects a charging facility to perform the battery charging or replacement. The service provider system, based on dynamic pricing parameters, determines a value for the battery charging or replacement and provides to the vehicle the selected charging facility location and value for the battery charging or replacement.

1 - 19  (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A method for managing maintenance services performed on a vehicle, the method comprising:
 receiving, at a service provider system and over a communications network, a request for charging or replacement of a battery of one or more rechargeable electric vehicles associated with one or more users, the request received by the service provider system from an on-board diagnostic system on one of the one or more rechargeable electric vehicles;   reading, by the service provider system, a set of rules from one or more databases;   selecting, by the service provider system and based on the set of rules, a charging facility to perform the battery charging or replacement;   determining, by the service provider system and based on the set of rules, a value for the battery charging or replacement, the set of rules comprising one or more dynamic pricing parameters, the one or more dynamic pricing parameters selecting a value based on one or more of a location of the charging facility, a time of day when the battery charging or replacement is to be performed, a current demand of other rechargeable electric vehicles for battery charging or replacement, a current availability of the battery charging or replacement, a historic customer charging behavior associated with the one or more rechargeable electric vehicles, and a customer rating of a user associated with the one or more rechargeable electric vehicles; and   providing, from the service provider system to the one or more rechargeable electric vehicles over the communications network, the selected charging facility location and value for the battery charging or replacement.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the set of rules comprise at least one dynamic pricing parameter defining a value for the battery charging or replacement based on the location of the battery charging facility, the location of the battery charging facility being selected from a plurality of battery charging facility locations, and wherein the maintenance management rules define at least one first battery charging facility location of the plurality of battery charging facility locations as having a higher value than a value of at least one second battery charging facility location of the plurality of battery charging facility locations. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the set of rules comprise at least one rule defining a value for the battery charging or replacement based on a time of day when the battery charging or replacement is to be performed, the time of day when the battery charging or replacement is to be performed falling within one of a plurality of time periods, and wherein the set of rules define at least one first time period of the plurality of time periods as having a higher value than a value of at least one second time period of the plurality of time periods. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the one or more dynamic pricing parameters causes the service provider system to select a value for the battery charging or replacement based on a historic customer charging behavior associated with the one or more rechargeable electric vehicles. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the request comprises a charge level of the battery and a geographic location of the one or more vehicles and wherein the one or more dynamic pricing parameters relate to one or more of a current demand of other rechargeable electric vehicles for battery charging or replacement and a current availability of the battery charging or replacement. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the one or more dynamic pricing parameters causes the service provider system to select a value for the battery charging or replacement based on the customer rating and wherein the customer rating is based on user loyalty information associated with the service provider associated with the service provider system. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the set of user or vehicle specific maintenance and use information comprises historical information related to use of the battery charging or replacement by the one or more rechargeable electric vehicles. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising adjusting the determined value for the battery charging or replacement based on feedback from the user, wherein adjusting the determined value for the battery charging or replacement based on feedback from the user comprises performing an automatic negotiation for the value of the battery charging or replacement, and wherein performing the automatic negotiation comprises:
 receiving, by the service provider system, a response regarding the determined value;   determining, by the service provider system, whether the received response indicates an acceptance of the determined value of the battery charging or replacement;   in response to determining the response indicates an acceptance of the determined value of the battery charging or replacement, recording, by the service provider system, an acceptance of the determined value; and   in response to determining the response does not indicate an acceptance of the determined value of the battery charging or replacement, further determining, by the service provider system, whether the received response indicates a counteroffer for the determined value for the battery charging or replacement.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising:
 in response to determining the received response indicates a counteroffer for the determined value for the battery charging or replacement, further determining, by the service provider system, whether the counteroffer is acceptable;   in response to determining, by the service provider system, the counteroffer is acceptable, recording an acceptance of the determined value;   in response to determining, by the service provider system, the counteroffer is not acceptable, further determining whether the determined value is negotiable; and   in response to determining, by the service provider system, the determined value is negotiable, updating the determined value and providing the updated determined value.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising:
 in response to determining the received response does not indicate a counteroffer for the determined value for the battery charging or replacement, further determining, by the service provider system, whether the determined value is negotiable; and   in response to determining the determined value is negotiable, updating, by the service provider system, the determined value and providing the updated determined value to the one or more rechargeable electric vehicles.   
     
     
         30 . A system comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory coupled with and readable by the processor and storing therein a set of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to manage battery charging or replacement services performed on a rechargeable electric vehicle by:   receiving, over a communications network, a request for charging or replacement of a battery of one or more rechargeable electric vehicles associated with one or more users, the request received by the service provider system from an on-board diagnostic system on one of the one or more rechargeable electric vehicles;   reading a set of rules from one or more databases;   selecting, based on the set of rules, a charging facility to perform the battery charging or replacement;   determining, based on the set of rules, a value for the battery charging or replacement, the set of rules comprising one or more dynamic pricing parameters, the one or more dynamic pricing parameters selecting a value based on one or more of a location of the charging facility, a time of day when the battery charging or replacement is to be performed, a current demand of other rechargeable electric vehicles for battery charging or replacement, a current availability of the battery charging or replacement, a historic customer charging behavior associated with the one or more rechargeable electric vehicles, and a customer rating of a user associated with the one or more rechargeable electric vehicles; and   providing, from the service provider system to the one or more rechargeable electric vehicles over the communications network, the selected charging facility location and value for the battery charging or replacement.   
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the set of rules comprise at least one dynamic pricing parameter defining a value for the battery charging or replacement based on the location of the battery charging facility, the location of the battery charging facility being selected from a plurality of battery charging facility locations, and wherein the maintenance management rules define at least one first battery charging facility location of the plurality of battery charging facility locations as having a higher value than a value of at least one second battery charging facility location of the plurality of battery charging facility locations. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the set of rules comprise at least one rule defining a value for the battery charging or replacement based on a time of day when the battery charging or replacement is to be performed, the time of day when the battery charging or replacement is to be performed falling within one of a plurality of time periods, and wherein the set of rules define at least one first time period of the plurality of time periods as having a higher value than a value of at least one second time period of the plurality of time periods. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the one or more dynamic pricing parameters causes the processor to select a value for the battery charging or replacement based on a historic customer charging behavior associated with the one or more rechargeable electric vehicles. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the request comprises a charge level of the battery and a geographic location of the one or more vehicles and wherein the one or more dynamic pricing parameters relate to one or more of a current demand of other rechargeable electric vehicles for battery charging or replacement and a current availability of the battery charging or replacement. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the one or more dynamic pricing parameters causes the processor to select a value for the battery charging or replacement based on the customer rating and wherein the customer rating is based on user loyalty information associated with the service provider associated with the service provider system. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the set of user or vehicle specific maintenance and use information comprises historical information related to use of the battery charging or replacement by the one or more rechargeable electric vehicles. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the processor adjusts the determined value for the battery charging or replacement based on feedback from the user, wherein adjusting the determined value for the battery charging or replacement based on feedback from the user comprises the processor performing an automatic negotiation for the value of the battery charging or replacement, and wherein the processor performs the automatic negotiation by:
 receiving a response regarding the determined value;   determining whether the received response indicates an acceptance of the determined value of the battery charging or replacement;   in response to determining the response indicates an acceptance of the determined value of the battery charging or replacement, recording an acceptance of the determined value; and   in response to determining the response does not indicate an acceptance of the determined value of the battery charging or replacement, further determining whether the received response indicates a counteroffer for the determined value for the battery charging or replacement.   
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein the processor:
 in response to determining the received response indicates a counteroffer for the determined value for the battery charging or replacement, further determines whether the counteroffer is acceptable;   in response to determining that the counteroffer is acceptable, records an acceptance of the determined value;   in response to determining that the counteroffer is not acceptable, further determines whether the determined value is negotiable; and   in response to determining that the determined value is negotiable, updates the determined value and providing the updated determined value.   
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 38 , wherein the processor:
 in response to determining that the received response does not indicate a counteroffer for the determined value for the battery charging or replacement, further determines whether the determined value is negotiable; and   in response to determining that the determined value is negotiable, updates the determined value and providing the updated determined value to the one or more rechargeable electric vehicles.   
     
     
         40 . A vehicle, comprising:
 a rechargeable electrical storage unit to provide an electrical energy to an electric motor to propel the vehicle;   a charging device, in electrical communication with the electrical storage unit, to charge the electrical storage unit;   a geographical location system to provide a geographic location of the vehicle;   a user interface to provide output to an occupant and receive and translate user input;   a communications subsystem to communicate, by a wireless network, with a remote service provider system;   a diagnostics subsystem to determine a charge level of the rechargeable electrical storage unit;   a processor; and   a computer readable medium, coupled to the processor to store vehicle and occupant information and instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:   determine that the charge level is low;   in response, transmit, to a service provider system associated with a plurality of charging facilities and over a communications network, a request for charging or replacement of the rechargeable electrical storage unit, the request comprising a charge level of the rechargeable electrical storage unit and a current geographic location of the vehicle;   receive, from the service provider system, a charging facility location selected from among the plurality of charging facilities and value for the charging or replacement of the rechargeable electrical storage unit, wherein the value is based on one or more dynamic pricing parameters, the one or more dynamic pricing parameters selecting a value based on one or more of a location of the charging facility, a time of day when the battery charging or replacement is to be performed, a current demand of other rechargeable electric vehicles for battery charging or replacement, a current availability of the battery charging or replacement, a historic customer charging behavior associated with the one or more rechargeable electric vehicles, and a customer rating of the occupant associated with the one or more rechargeable electric vehicles; and   in response to receiving the charging facility location and value, determining a counteroffer to change one or more of the charging facility location and value; and   transmitting the counteroffer to the service provider system.