Context-Sensitive Vehicle Service Identification System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle service systems face challenges in accurately identifying vehicles due to the variety of types and configurations, requiring technicians to navigate complex hierarchical selections and often rely on prior knowledge or reference materials, especially when dealing with internal model identification codes that differ from common designations.
Innovation Solution
A context-sensitive system that provides interactive assistance through a graphical user interface, utilizing HTML documents with database identifiers to offer relevant vehicle identification and service information, allowing for updates without altering the vehicle service application, and includes multimedia content and hyperlinks for enhanced identification and service procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional hierarchical selection methods are used for vehicle identification, then the vehicle service system can retrieve alignment specifications, but the identification accuracy is insufficient due to production line variations and internal model codes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary assistance system that includes context-sensitive information providers and interactive elements. These intermediaries bridge the gap between the technician and the complex vehicle identification process, providing relevant information (such as chassis codes, production details, and visual aids) at appropriate points during the hierarchical selection process, thereby improving identification accuracy without significantly increasing operational difficulty
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the vehicle service system provides context-sensitive information back to the technician during the identification process. By monitoring the technician's selections and providing relevant assistance information (such as displaying chassis codes, production line variations, or visual comparisons), the system enables the technician to refine their identification choices and achieve more accurate vehicle identification
2Measurement precision
If comprehensive vehicle identification information is provided through hierarchical selections, then identification accuracy can be improved, but the system complexity and reliance on technician knowledge increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the comprehensive vehicle identification information into manageable portions that are presented context-sensitively during the hierarchical selection process. Instead of overwhelming the technician with all possible identification details at once, the system divides information into relevant segments based on the current selection context, providing only the necessary details at each step (such as showing chassis code information only when relevant to the current vehicle model selection)
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-organizing and pre-processing vehicle identification information before the technician begins the identification process. The context-sensitive information provider pre-prepares relevant assistance information (such as chassis codes, production variations, and visual aids) that will be needed at specific points in the hierarchical selection process, making the information readily available when needed without requiring the technician to search through comprehensive documentation
3Measurement precision
If vehicle identification assistance information is embedded within the software application, then identification accuracy improves, but modifying assistance data requires altering the application code
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the vehicle identification assistance information from the core software application code and places it into separate, external data structures or databases. This extraction allows the assistance information (such as chassis codes, production details, and visual aids) to be stored independently as modifiable data files or database records, which can be updated without requiring changes to the application code itself. The software application simply references and retrieves this external data as needed during the identification process
Data Source
AI summary
An intuitive and context sensitive system facilitating the proper identification and service of a vehicle undergoing a vehicle service procedure. The system is configured with a mapping of relevant vehicle identification assistance data or vehicle specific information to one or more selection locations in the user interface of a vehicle service software application. The mapping identifies the availability of additional vehicle identification assistance information, vehicle specific functional applets, and the context within the vehicle service software application at which the additional vehicle identification assistance information or vehicle specific functional applets are relevant. The additional vehicle identification assistance information or applets are maintained external to the vehicle service software application, permitting the additional vehicle identification assistance information and applets to be updated, changed, or replaced without altering the vehicle service software application.