OBD Diagnostic Adapter with AI Repair Platform
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automobile owners face challenges in finding qualified and affordable auto repair services due to a lack of accessible information on market prices, spare parts, and reliable repair shops, leading to substandard services and excessive costs.
Innovation Solution
The development of the Scanboss device for diagnostic error scanning and the RepairBoss and SpareBoss platforms, which connect auto owners with repair garages, provide repair estimates, scheduling, and spare part procurement, leveraging AI and e-commerce for a streamlined auto repair experience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If auto owners rely on traditional auto repair workshops, then they can receive repair services, but they face excessive costs and substandard services due to lack of market price information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system (the platform that connects auto owners with repair shops) that provides market price information and facilitates transparent pricing. This intermediary enables auto owners to access repair estimates and compare prices without directly confronting the information asymmetry between consumers and repair workshops, thereby improving service quality while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms by allowing auto owners to receive repair estimates, compare them with market prices, and provide feedback on service quality. This feedback loop enables continuous improvement of service standards while keeping consumers informed about actual costs versus market rates, resolving the contradiction between reliability and ease of operation.
2Ease of operation
If auto owners seek multiple repair shops for comparison, then they can find fair pricing, but they experience time loss and increased complexity in the search process
Solution Approach 1:
The platform performs preliminary actions by pre-calculating and presenting repair estimates along with market price comparisons before the auto owner needs to make a decision. This preliminary provision of information eliminates the need for time-consuming manual research, as all necessary pricing data is ready in advance, thereby achieving pricing transparency without time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The system combines multiple functions into a single platform: it provides repair shop listings, generates repair estimates, compares prices against market rates, and facilitates bookings. This multi-functional approach consolidates what would otherwise require multiple separate actions and resources, achieving ease of operation while minimizing time investment from the consumer.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the auto repair industry maintains traditional fragmented structure, then shops can operate independently, but consumers cannot access centralized information on services and parts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the information architecture into distinct modules: repair shop profiles, service catalogs, parts databases, pricing algorithms, and consumer interfaces. This segmentation allows the system to handle complex information integration through manageable components, providing centralized accessibility while keeping the overall system architecture versatile and adaptable.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs a nested structure where detailed information (parts catalogs, service procedures, pricing data) is organized within hierarchical categories. This nesting allows comprehensive information to be accessed through a unified interface, providing adaptability and versatility in information retrieval without requiring complex direct integration of all data sources.
4Productivity
If repair shops claim vehicles are fixed without transparent pricing, then they can complete repairs quickly, but consumers face escalated prices and quality issues resurfacing
Solution Approach 1:
The platform requires repair shops to provide detailed estimates and pricing breakdowns before repairs begin. This preliminary disclosure of costs and expected outcomes allows consumers to make informed decisions while setting clear expectations. The system then tracks repair progress and quality assurance, ensuring that repairs completed quickly meet the agreed standards, thus maintaining both productivity and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback mechanisms that allow consumers to monitor repair progress, review quality assurance data, and provide feedback on the completed work. This feedback loop ensures that repair quality is maintained at high standards while enabling quick completion, as the system can identify and resolve quality issues promptly without delaying the repair process.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle diagnostic system and related method comprises an interface component connected to a vehicle's On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) port, interface elements comprising: a short range communication module; and a vehicle network protocol interface; short range communication module designed to automatically constitute a data link with a mobile communication device running a gateway module; vehicle network protocol interface configured to intercommunicate bi-directionally with short range communication module to obtain requests from gateway module and to send vehicle data to gateway module: said vehicle network protocol interface further configured to communicate bi-directionally with OBD port to send requests to the vehicle's networks and to derive vehicle data therefrom.