Vehicle Service Procedure Augmentation via Contextual Data Retrieval
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle service procedures lack supplemental information, which can hinder technicians' ability to efficiently and accurately perform repairs, as they often rely solely on standardized steps without specific details relevant to the vehicle's make, model, or current condition.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that enhance vehicle service procedures by identifying procedural steps that require supplemental information and retrieving relevant data from vehicle information databases, incorporating metrics, specifications, and positional information to create a supplemented service procedure displayed to technicians during the repair process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If standardized service procedures are used, then ease of operation is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by customizing service procedures based on specific vehicle attributes (make, model, year, engine type). Instead of using uniform standardized procedures for all vehicles, the system tailors the procedural content to match the particular vehicle being serviced, thereby maintaining ease of operation while improving service accuracy through vehicle-specific details.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-fetching and preparing supplemental service information related to the specific vehicle before the technician begins the service procedure. This advance preparation ensures that accurate, vehicle-specific information is readily available when needed, improving service precision without adding complexity to the actual service execution.
2Manufacturing precision
If supplemental service information is added, then service accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary computing device that acts as a mediator between the service procedure system and the technician. This device automatically retrieves, processes, and presents supplemental service information, shielding the technician from the complexity of data management while ensuring accurate information delivery. The intermediary handles the complexity burden, allowing the overall system to achieve high service accuracy without proportionally increasing operational complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements self-service by enabling automatic retrieval and integration of supplemental service information from databases using vehicle identification data. The system autonomously queries for vehicle-specific information, matches it with the appropriate service procedure, and presents the supplemented content without requiring manual intervention or complex configuration by the technician, thereby improving accuracy while minimizing added complexity.
3Manufacturing precision
If vehicle-specific information is retrieved, then service quality is improved, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies preliminary action by pre-fetching supplemental service information as soon as vehicle identification data is available, even before the technician completes all procedure selections. This advance retrieval overlaps the information gathering process with other preparatory activities, reducing the perceived wait time and ensuring that vehicle-specific information is ready when needed, thus improving service quality without significantly increasing total service time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent maintains continuity of useful action by implementing asynchronous information retrieval that continues in the background without interrupting the technician's workflow. The system continuously queries for and processes supplemental information in parallel with other service preparation tasks, ensuring that information delivery does not create idle time or break the flow of productive work, thereby achieving high service quality with minimal time penalty.
Data Source
AI summary
An example method includes receiving a first service procedure including a plurality of procedural steps for servicing a vehicle, identifying at least one procedural step of the plurality of procedural steps to supplement with supplemental service information, receiving information about vehicles sharing one or more attributes with the vehicle, determining at least one piece of supplemental service information to supplement the at least one identified procedural step, and providing a supplemented service procedure comprising the first service procedure with the at least one piece of supplemental service information included with the at least one identified procedural step.