System and Method for Vehicle Service Scheduler

Abstract

Methods and systems pertaining to generating a set of appointments for a vehicle shop schedule are described. A method can comprise outputting a first vehicle shop schedule for displaying on a display. The first vehicle shop schedule comprises a first set of appointments. The method further comprises receiving a first new appointment that comprises first temporal data and first customer data. Furthermore, the method comprises generating a second set of appointments by aggregating the first new appointment with the first set of appointments and outputting a second vehicle shop schedule for displaying on the display instead of displaying the first vehicle shop schedule. The second vehicle shop schedule comprises the second set of appointments. One or more appointments can include technician data and shop resource data, such as a vehicle bay or scan tool identifier, for providing schedule views based on technicians or shop resources.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 adding, by a processor, an identifier into a first vehicle shop schedule for a repair shop, wherein:
 the identifier is indicative of a particular object, 
 the particular object is a technician or a particular shop resource usable to perform a specific job on a vehicle, 
 the particular shop resource includes a piece of equipment and/or a service shop bay at the repair shop, 
 the first vehicle shop schedule includes a first set of appointments, 
 the first set of appointments includes a first appointment, and 
 the first appointment includes first temporal data and first customer data; 
   displaying, on a display, at least a portion of the first vehicle shop schedule in a graphical user interface, wherein:
 the graphical user interface includes a schedule matrix having multiple first elements and multiple second elements, 
 each first element of the schedule matrix is a respective column or row of the schedule matrix and each second element of the schedule matrix is a respective row of the schedule matrix if each first element of the schedule matrix is a respective column or each second element of the schedule matrix is a respective column if each first element of the schedule matrix is a respective row, 
 each first element of the schedule matrix other than a first particular first element of the schedule matrix represents a date and a technician or shop resource, 
 the technician or shop resource for a second particular first element of the schedule matrix is the particular object, 
 each second element of the schedule matrix represents a different time, 
 the first particular first element of the schedule matrix includes a respective appointment element for each of one or more unassigned appointments, and 
 the one or more unassigned appointments include the first appointment; 
   receiving, by the processor, an input to modify the first appointment, wherein:
 the input to modify the first appointment results from dragging an appointment element corresponding to the first appointment from the first particular first element of the schedule matrix to the second particular first element of the schedule matrix, and 
 the input to modify the first appointment includes data indicative of the particular object; 
   generating, by the processor in response to receiving the input to modify the first appointment, a modified first appointment that includes the first temporal data, the first customer data, and the data indicative of the particular object;   generating, by the processor, a second set of appointments and a second vehicle shop schedule by modifying the first set of appointments to include the modified first appointment in place of the first appointment; and   displaying, on the display, at least a portion of the second vehicle shop schedule in the graphical user interface, wherein the second vehicle shop schedule includes the second set of appointments.   
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein generating the modified first appointment is conditioned on the processor confirming that the modified first appointment does not conflict with any other appointment in the first set of appointments. 
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 displaying at least a portion of the first vehicle shop schedule in the graphical user interface or displaying at least a portion of the second vehicle shop schedule in the graphical user interface includes displaying a particular appointment in the graphical user interface,   the graphical user interface is a first graphical user interface,   the method further includes displaying a second graphical user interface upon the first graphical user interface in response to a computing pointing device hovering above or in proximity to the particular appointment, and   the second graphical user interface includes additional information about the particular appointment not shown in the particular appointment displayed in the first graphical user interface.   
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating, by the processor, a third set of appointments by modifying the second set of appointments, wherein modifying the second set of appointments includes:
 adding at least one other appointment to the second set of appointments, 
 removing at least one other appointment from the second set of appointments, and/or 
 modifying at least one other appointment of the second set of appointments. 
   
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first temporal data includes a first start time, a first end time and a first calendar date,   the input to modify the first appointment includes at least second temporal data,   the second temporal data includes a second start time, a second end time, and/or a second calendar date, and   generating the modified first appointment includes:
 replacing the first start time with the second start time if the second temporal data includes the second start time, 
 replacing the first end time with the second end time if the second temporal data includes the second end time, and/or 
 replacing the first calendar date with the second calendar date if the second temporal data includes the second calendar date. 
   
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the input to modify the first appointment includes at least second customer data, and   generating the modified first appointment includes replacing the first customer data with the second customer data or adding the second customer data to the first customer data.   
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first temporal data includes a first start time and a first end time, and   the first end time is based on the first start time and an amount of time associated with one or more service procedures associated with the first appointment.   
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the particular object is the particular shop resource, and   displaying at least a portion of the first vehicle shop schedule in the graphical user interface includes displaying the graphical user interface in response to selection of a view mode input at a view mode selector while the displaying the first vehicle shop schedule in a view mode other than a resource view mode.   
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 8 , wherein selection of the view mode input at the view mode selector occurs via a touch display. 
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the particular object is the technician, and   displaying at least a portion of the first vehicle shop schedule in the graphical user interface includes displaying the graphical user interface in response to selection of a view mode input at a view mode selector while the displaying the first vehicle shop schedule in a view mode other than a technician view mode.   
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 10 , wherein selection of the view mode input at the view mode selector occurs via a touch display. 
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the processor, an input indicating multiple schedule setup parameters, wherein the multiple schedule setup parameters include at least one shop resource parameter for multiple different selectable shop resource identifiers and/or at least one technician setup parameter for multiple different selectable technician identifiers; and   outputting, by the processor, the multiple different selectable shop resource identifiers and/or the multiple different selectable technician identifiers for displaying on the display.   
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 12 , wherein the multiple schedule setup parameters further include at least one regular business hours parameter, at least one visible hours parameter, and/or at least one appointment state parameter. 
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 13 , wherein:
 the multiple schedule setup parameters further includes at least one holiday setup parameter for generating the first vehicle shop schedule and/or the second vehicle shop schedule based on a change to the regular business hours parameter, and   the change to regular business hours parameter is based on the at least one holiday setup parameter.   
     
     
         15 . A computing system comprising:
 a processor;   a display; and   a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing executable instructions, wherein execution of the executable instructions by the processor causes the computing system to perform functions comprising:   adding, by the processor, an identifier into a first vehicle shop schedule for a repair shop, wherein:
 the identifier is indicative of a particular object, 
 the particular object is a technician or a particular shop resource usable to perform a specific job on a vehicle, 
 the particular shop resource includes a piece of equipment and/or a service shop bay at the repair shop, 
 the first vehicle shop schedule includes a first set of appointments, 
 the first set of appointments includes a first appointment, and 
 the first appointment includes first temporal data and first customer data; 
   displaying, on the display, at least a portion of the first vehicle shop schedule in a graphical user interface, wherein:
 the graphical user interface includes a schedule matrix having multiple first elements and multiple second elements, 
 each first element of the schedule matrix is a respective column or row of the schedule matrix and each second element of the schedule matrix is a respective row of the schedule matrix if each first element of the schedule matrix is a respective column or each second element of the schedule matrix is a respective column if each first element of the schedule matrix is a respective row, 
 each first element of the schedule matrix other than a first particular first element of the schedule matrix represents a date and a technician or shop resource, 
 the technician or shop resource for a second particular first element of the schedule matrix is the particular object, 
 each second element of the schedule matrix represents a different time, 
 the first particular first element of the schedule matrix includes a respective appointment element for each of one or more unassigned appointments, and 
 the one or more unassigned appointments include the first appointment; 
   receiving, by the processor, an input to modify the first appointment, wherein:
 the input to modify the first appointment results from dragging an appointment element corresponding to the first appointment from the first particular first element of the schedule matrix to the second particular first element of the schedule matrix, and 
 the input to modify the first appointment includes data indicative of the particular object; 
   generating, by the processor in response to receiving the input to modify the first appointment, a modified first appointment that includes the first temporal data, the first customer data, and the data indicative of the particular object;   generating, by the processor, a second set of appointments and a second vehicle shop schedule by modifying the first set of appointments to include the modified first appointment in place of the first appointment; and   displaying, on the display, at least a portion of the second vehicle shop schedule in the graphical user interface, wherein the second vehicle shop schedule includes the second set of appointments.   
     
     
         16 . The computing system of  claim 15 , wherein generating the modified first appointment is conditioned on the processor confirming that the modified first appointment does not conflict with any other appointment in the first set of appointments. 
     
     
         17 . The computing system of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 a computing pointing device, wherein:   displaying at least a portion of the first vehicle shop schedule in the graphical user interface or displaying at least a portion of the second vehicle shop schedule in the graphical user interface includes displaying a particular appointment in the graphical user interface,   the graphical user interface is a first graphical user interface,   the functions further include displaying a second graphical user interface upon the first graphical user interface in response to the computing pointing device hovering above or in proximity to the particular appointment, and   the second graphical user interface includes additional information about the particular appointment not shown in the particular appointment displayed in the first graphical user interface.   
     
     
         18 . The computing system of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the display includes a touch display; and   the input to modify the first appointment is entered via the touch display.   
     
     
         19 . The computing system of  claim 18 , wherein the touch display includes a capacitive touch display or a resistive touch display. 
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a processor to cause a computing system to perform functions comprising:
 adding, by the processor, an identifier into a first vehicle shop schedule for a repair shop, wherein:
 the identifier is indicative of a particular object, 
 the particular object is a technician or a particular shop resource usable to perform a specific job on a vehicle, 
 the particular shop resource includes a piece of equipment and/or a service shop bay at the repair shop, 
 the first vehicle shop schedule includes a first set of appointments, 
 the first set of appointments includes a first appointment, and 
 the first appointment includes first temporal data and first customer data; 
   displaying, on a display, at least a portion of the first vehicle shop schedule in a graphical user interface, wherein:
 the graphical user interface includes a schedule matrix having multiple first elements and multiple second elements, 
 each first element of the schedule matrix is a respective column or row of the schedule matrix and each second element of the schedule matrix is a respective row of the schedule matrix if each first element of the schedule matrix is a respective column or each second element of the schedule matrix is a respective column if each first element of the schedule matrix is a respective row, 
 each first element of the schedule matrix other than a first particular first element of the schedule matrix represents a date and a technician or shop resource, 
 the technician or shop resource for a second particular first element of the schedule matrix is the particular object, 
 each second element of the schedule matrix represents a different time, 
 the first particular first element of the schedule matrix includes a respective appointment element for each of one or more unassigned appointments, and 
 the one or more unassigned appointments include the first appointment; 
   receiving, by the processor, an input to modify the first appointment, wherein:
 the input to modify the first appointment results from dragging an appointment element corresponding to the first appointment from the first particular first element of the schedule matrix to the second particular first element of the schedule matrix, and 
 the input to modify the first appointment includes data indicative of the particular object; 
   generating, by the processor in response to receiving the input to modify the first appointment, a modified first appointment that includes the first temporal data, the first customer data, and the data indicative of the particular object;   generating, by the processor, a second set of appointments and a second vehicle shop schedule by modifying the first set of appointments to include the modified first appointment in place of the first appointment; and   displaying, on the display, at least a portion of the second vehicle shop schedule in the graphical user interface, wherein the second vehicle shop schedule includes the second set of appointments.