Managing service logistics

Abstract

According to one embodiment, managing services performed on a vehicle can comprise receiving, at a service provider system and over a communications network, a request for maintenance of one or more vehicles. The request can be received from an on-board diagnostic system of the one or more vehicles or one or more servers of a third-party system. The service provider system can read a set of management rules, a set of service configuration information, and/or a set of user or vehicle specific maintenance and use information for the one or more vehicles from one or more databases. Logistics for the service can be determined based on applying the management rules and using the set of service configuration information and the set of user or vehicle specific maintenance and use information. Instructions related to the service can be provided to the one or more vehicles based on the determined logistics.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method for managing services performed on a vehicle, the method comprising:
 receiving, at a service provider system and over a communications network, a request for maintenance of a vehicle, wherein the service provider system is associated with a vehicle power source replacement service and/or power source recharging service, wherein the vehicle is one or more of an electric vehicle, rechargeable electric vehicle, and hybrid-electric vehicle, wherein the vehicle comprises a rechargeable power storage comprising one or more of batteries, capacitors, accumulators, supercapacitors, ultrabatteries, and superconducting magnets, wherein the request received by the service provider system is from an on-board diagnostic system on the vehicle or one or more servers of a third-party service provider system monitoring the vehicle, and wherein the service is related to replacing and/or recharging the rechargeable power storage;   reading, by the service provider system, a set of management rules from one or more databases, the set of management rules defining one or more of a type and location of a selected service facility associated with the service provider system for performing the service on the vehicle;   reading, by the service provider system, a set of pricing rules, the set of pricing rules defining a price to be charged by the selected service facility;   reading, by the service provider system, a set of user and/or vehicle specific maintenance and use information for the vehicle from one or more databases, the user and/or vehicle specific maintenance and use information comprising one or more of a vehicle user preference for the service, a descriptor of the rechargeable power storage, and a service history of the vehicle;   based on the set of management rules, set of pricing rules, and set of user and/or vehicle specific maintenance and use information, selecting, by the service provider system, a service facility, from among multiple service facilities associated with the service provider system, for providing the service to the vehicle; and   providing, from the service provider system to the vehicle over the communications network, one or more instructions related to the selected service facility to provide the service to the vehicle, the instructions comprising one or more of a price to be charged by the selected service facility for providing the service to the vehicle, a location of the selected service facility to provide the service to the vehicle, a time for the service to be provided by the selected service facility to the vehicle, and what service is to be provided by the selected service facility.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 reading, by the service provider system, a set of service configuration parameters, wherein a value of one or more service configuration parameters is varied based on one or more of a current demand for the service at the selected service facility and a current availability of the service at the selected service facility and wherein the set of management rules and/or pricing rules comprise a variable that is a function of the one or more service configuration parameters.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the set of management rules comprise at least one rule based on the service facility location at which the service is to be delivered, the location being selected from a plurality of possible service facility locations and further comprising:
 assigning, by the service provider system, a rank for each of the multiple service facilities, wherein the rank assigned to a service facility is determined by one or more of the set of management rules, set of pricing rules, and set of user and/or vehicle specific maintenance and use information and indicates a suitability of the respective service facility to provide the service to the vehicle and wherein the selected service facility has the highest rank of the multiple service facilities.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the set of management rules comprise at least one rule based on the type of service facility at which the service is to be delivered, the type being selected from a plurality of service facility types, wherein the plurality of service facility types comprises a plurality of an emergency charging vehicle system, aerial vehicle charging system, roadway vehicle charging system, robotic vehicle charging system, rechargeable power storage replacement system, and overhead vehicle charging system. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the set of management rules comprise at least one rule having as a condition a predetermined value of a parameter, the predetermined value being based on selected information in one or more of a user profile associated with an occupant of the vehicle, a vehicle profile of the vehicle, and a profile of the service provider system capabilities. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the set of pricing rules comprise at least one rule based on one or more of a current demand for the service at the selected service facility and a current availability of the service at the selected service facility the service facility location at which the service is to be delivered, the price for the selected service facility being selected from a plurality of possible service facility prices. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 assigning, by the service provider system, a rank for each of the multiple service facilities, wherein the rank assigned to a service facility is determined by one or more of the set of management rules, set of pricing rules, and set of user and/or vehicle specific maintenance and use information and indicates a suitability of the respective service facility to provide the service to the vehicle and wherein the selected service facility has the highest rank of the multiple service facilities, wherein the rank is based on one or more of a current demand for the service at a respective service facility and a current availability of the service at a respective service facility.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the set of user or vehicle specific maintenance and use information comprises historical information related to use of the vehicle or the service, wherein the service facility is selected based on a plurality of travel time from a current location of the vehicle to a respective service facility location, availability of a charging pad at the respective service facility location, a type of service offered by the respective service facility, a compatibility of the respective service facility with a type of the rechargeable power storage, a time required by the respective service facility to deliver the service, and a current price of the service at the respective service facility, and wherein multiple service facilities charge a different current prices for a common service. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein a frame of the vehicle comprises a slide, receptacle, cavity, and/protrusion to enable the rechargeable power storage to be removed from the vehicle and replaced with a different rechargeable power storage, wherein the rechargeable power storage comprises a first drive power source and a second driver power source, wherein the first and second drive power sources are each independently operable from each other, and wherein one of the first and second drive power sources is removable from the vehicle without disabling the vehicle from operating solely from the other one of the first and second drive power sources. 
     
     
         30 . A service provider 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, cause the processor to manage services performed on a vehicle by:   receiving, over a communications network, a request for maintenance of the vehicle, wherein the service provider system is associated with a vehicle power source replacement service and/or power source recharging service, wherein the vehicle is one or more of an electric vehicle, rechargeable electric vehicle, and hybrid-electric vehicle, wherein the vehicle comprises a rechargeable power storage comprising one or more of batteries, capacitors, accumulators, supercapacitors, ultrabatteries, and superconducting magnets, wherein the request received by the service provider system is from an on-board diagnostic system on the vehicle or one or more servers of a third-party service provider system monitoring the vehicle, and wherein the service is related to replacing and/or recharging the rechargeable power storage;   reading a set of management rules from one or more databases, the set of management rules defining one or more of a type and location of a selected service facility associated with the service provider system for performing the service on the vehicle;   reading a set of pricing rules, the set of pricing rules defining a price to be charged by the selected service facility;   reading a set of user and/or vehicle specific maintenance and use information for the vehicle from one or more databases, the user and/or vehicle specific maintenance and use information comprising one or more of a vehicle user preference for the service, a descriptor of the rechargeable power storage, and a service history of the vehicle;   based on the set of management rules, set of pricing rules, and set of user and/or vehicle specific maintenance and use information, selecting a service facility, from among multiple service facilities associated with the service provider system, for providing the service to the vehicle; and   providing to the vehicle over the communications network, one or more instructions related to the selected service facility to provide the service to the vehicle, the instructions comprising one or more of a price to be charged by the selected service facility for providing the service to the vehicle, a location of the selected service facility to provide the service to the vehicle, a time for the service to be provided by the selected service facility to the vehicle, and what service is to be provided by the selected service facility.   
     
     
         31 . The service provider system of  claim 30 , wherein the processor further reads a set of service configuration parameters, wherein a value of one or more service configuration parameters is varied based on one or more of a current demand for the service at the selected service facility and a current availability of the service at the selected service facility and wherein the set of management rules and/or pricing rules comprise a variable that is a function of the one or more service configuration parameters. 
     
     
         32 . The service provider system of  claim 30 , wherein the set of management rules comprise at least one rule based on the service facility location at which the service is to be delivered, the location being selected from a plurality of possible service facility locations and wherein the processor further assigns a rank for each of the multiple service facilities, wherein the rank assigned to a service facility is determined by one or more of the set of management rules, set of pricing rules, and set of user and/or vehicle specific maintenance and use information and indicates a suitability of the respective service facility to provide the service to the vehicle and wherein the selected service facility has the highest rank of the multiple service facilities. 
     
     
         33 . The service provider system of  claim 30 , wherein the set of management rules comprise at least one rule based on the type of service facility at which the service is to be delivered, the type being selected from a plurality of service facility types, wherein the plurality of service facility types comprises a plurality of an emergency charging vehicle system, aerial vehicle charging system, roadway vehicle charging system, robotic vehicle charging system, rechargeable power storage replacement system, and overhead vehicle charging system. 
     
     
         34 . The service provider system of  claim 30 , wherein the set of management rules comprise at least one rule having as a condition a predetermined value of a parameter, the predetermined value being based on selected information in one or more of a user profile associated with an occupant of the vehicle, a vehicle profile of the vehicle, and a profile of the service provider system capabilities. 
     
     
         35 . The service provider system of  claim 30 , wherein the set of pricing rules comprise at least one rule based on one or more of a current demand for the service at the selected service facility and a current availability of the service at the selected service facility the service facility location at which the service is to be delivered, the price for the selected service facility being selected from a plurality of possible service facility prices. 
     
     
         36 . The service provider system of  claim 30 , wherein the processor further assigns a rank for each of the multiple service facilities, wherein the rank assigned to a service facility is determined by one or more of the set of management rules, set of pricing rules, and set of user and/or vehicle specific maintenance and use information and indicates a suitability of the respective service facility to provide the service to the vehicle and wherein the selected service facility has the highest rank of the multiple service facilities, wherein the rank is based on one or more of a current demand for the service at a respective service facility and a current availability of the service at a respective service facility. 
     
     
         37 . The service provider system of  claim 30 , wherein the set of user or vehicle specific maintenance and use information comprises historical information related to use of the vehicle or the service, wherein the service facility is selected based on a plurality of travel time from a current location of the vehicle to a respective service facility location, availability of a charging pad at the respective service facility location, a type of service offered by the respective service facility, a compatibility of the respective service facility with a type of the rechargeable power storage, a time required by the respective service facility to deliver the service, and a current price of the service at the respective service facility, and wherein multiple service facilities charge a different current prices for a common service. 
     
     
         38 . The service provider system of  claim 30 , wherein a frame of the vehicle comprises a slide, receptacle, cavity, and/protrusion to enable the rechargeable power storage to be removed from the vehicle and replaced with a different rechargeable power storage, wherein the rechargeable power storage comprises a first drive power source and a second driver power source, wherein the first and second drive power sources are each independently operable from each other, and wherein one of the first and second drive power sources is removable from the vehicle without disabling the vehicle from operating solely from the other one of the first and second drive power sources. 
     
     
         39 . A service provider 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, cause the processor to manage services performed on a vehicle by:   receiving, over a communications network, a request for maintenance of the vehicle, wherein the service provider system is associated with a vehicle power source replacement service and/or power source recharging service, wherein the vehicle is one or more of an electric vehicle, rechargeable electric vehicle, and hybrid-electric vehicle, wherein the vehicle comprises a rechargeable power storage comprising one or more of batteries, capacitors, accumulators, supercapacitors, ultrabatteries, and superconducting magnets, wherein the request received by the service provider system is from an on-board diagnostic system on the vehicle or one or more servers of a third-party service provider system monitoring the vehicle, and wherein the service is related to replacing and/or recharging the rechargeable power storage;   reading a set of management rules from one or more databases, the set of management rules defining one or more of a type and location of a selected service facility associated with the service provider system for performing the service on the vehicle;   reading a set of pricing rules, the set of pricing rules defining a price to be charged by the selected service facility;   reading a set of user and/or vehicle specific maintenance and use information for the vehicle from one or more databases, the user and/or vehicle specific maintenance and use information comprising one or more of a vehicle user preference for the service, a descriptor of the rechargeable power storage, and a service history of the vehicle;   based on the set of management rules, set of pricing rules, and set of user and/or vehicle specific maintenance and use information, assigning a rank for each of the multiple service facilities, wherein the rank indicates a suitability of the respective service facility to provide the service to the vehicle;   selecting a service facility, from among multiple service facilities associated with the service provider system, for providing the service to the vehicle, the selected service facility having the highest rank of the multiple service facilities; and   providing to the vehicle over the communications network, one or more instructions related to the selected service facility to provide the service to the vehicle, the instructions comprising one or more of a price to be charged by the selected service facility for providing the service to the vehicle, a location of the selected service facility to provide the service to the vehicle, a time for the service to be provided by the selected service facility to the vehicle, and what service is to be provided by the selected service facility.   
     
     
         40 . The service provider system of  claim 39 , wherein the set of management rules comprise at least one rule based on the type of service facility at which the service is to be delivered, the type being selected from a plurality of service facility types, wherein the plurality of service facility types comprises a plurality of an emergency charging vehicle system, aerial vehicle charging system, roadway vehicle charging system, robotic vehicle charging system, rechargeable power storage replacement system, and overhead vehicle charging system.