Abstract:
A method for job estimate development includes receiving a custom image of a specific automobile, the image including a depiction of a subject of a proposed repair operation and obtaining estimate data for a proposed repair operation on the specific automobile, wherein the proposed repair corresponds to the image, the estimate data including parts costs and labor costs associated with the proposed repair operation. The method further includes obtaining a unit of educational content associated with the proposed repair operation, the unit of educational content pre-associated with the proposed repair operation and selected from a library of educational content, the unit of educational content including a visual depiction of the proposed repair operation and providing a repair cost estimate including the estimate data, the image and the unit of educational content to a customer for review prior to authorization of the proposed repair.

Description:
NOTICE OF COPYRIGHTS AND TRADE DRESS 
       [0001]    A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. This patent document may show and/or describe matter which is or may become trade dress of the owner. The copyright and trade dress owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright and trade dress rights whatsoever. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field 
         [0003]    This disclosure relates to job estimate development. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    In a typical job estimate scenario, a customer, such as an automobile owner, drives an automobile into a shop for repairs. In some cases, the customer may be a third party such as the spouse, child, other relative or friend of the owner of the automobile. An authorized customer, such as the owner or a third party who may authorize repairs, usually will be consulted before repairs may begin. In situations in which a third party brings the car in for repair, that third party may or may not be an authorized customer. 
         [0006]    A repair specialist, typically an automotive mechanic in a repair shop, then evaluates the automobile in order to determine necessary or desirable repairs. The repair specialist then provides an estimator with a description of the proposed repair operation. The estimator then prepares an estimate of the cost of the proposed repair operation to the owner or other authorized customer. An estimator is an individual utilizing a system for obtaining job classifications and cost estimates for proposed repair operations to customers using the repair specialists&#39; description of the proposed repair operation. The authorized customer then authorizes the proposed repair operation and the repair specialist completes the authorized repair operation. Some job estimate scenarios do not involve more than the individual repair specialist. 
         [0007]    These scenarios provide no easy way for a customer unfamiliar with automotive operation or repair to obtain basic information about the scope or nature of the proposed repair operation. The repair specialist may educate the individual by describing the damaged part and the proposed repair operation. However, this is undesirable because the repair specialist&#39;s time is most valuably employed in ascertaining and completing authorized repairs. Furthermore, the repair specialist is not typically able to provide any instruction regarding the proposed repair operation to a customer in layman&#39;s terms. The customer may obtain outside advice from other specialists, family or friends. The customer may search the internet in order to obtain information relating to the proposed repairs. However, each of these options requires affirmative action on the part of the customer and may require the customer to already have some familiarity with or deep knowledge of with the parts being replaced or the processes being undertaken. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an environment in which a job estimate may be developed. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a computing device. 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a system for job estimate development. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a series of screen displays showing job estimate development and a database system. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart of a method of job estimate development. 
       
    
    
       [0013]    Throughout this description, elements appearing in figures are assigned three-digit reference designators, where the most significant digit is the figure number and the two least significant digits are specific to the element. An element that is not described in conjunction with a figure may be presumed to have the same characteristics and function as a previously-described element having a reference designator with the same least significant digits. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    Description of Apparatus 
         [0015]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , there is shown an environment  100  in which a job estimate may be developed. The environment  100  includes a database system  110 , a mobile device  120 , an estimator system  130 , and a customer system  140 . The environment  100  may be implemented using distributed computing and interconnected by the network  150 . Each of the database system  110 , mobile device  120 , estimator system  130  and customer system  140  are computing devices described below with reference to  FIG. 2 . 
         [0016]    Each of the mobile device  120 , estimator system  130  and customer system  140  are used by individuals—a repair technician  125 , an estimator  135  and a customer  145 , respectively. The mobile device  120 , estimator system  130  and customer system  140  may be personal computers, laptops, portable telephones, tablet computers or other similar computing devices. The mobile device  120  is used by the human repair technician  125  while inspecting an automobile  160  for necessary repairs. The mobile device  120  may be or include a digital camera. The estimator system  130  may be used by an estimator  135  to prepare estimates of costs associated with a proposed repair. The customer  145  may operate a customer system  140  to receive and authorize proposed repairs. 
         [0017]    The network  150  may be or include a local area network, a wide area network, a personal area network, the Internet, an intranet, or any combination of these. The network  150  may be or include a mobile telephone network, radio network or wireless internet network suitable for connecting to the mobile device  120 . The network  150  may have physical layers and transport layers according to IEEE 802.11, Ethernet or other wireless or wire-based communication standards and protocols such as WiMax®, Bluetooth®, the public switched telephone network, a proprietary communications network, infrared, and optical. 
         [0018]    The database system  110  may be a server computer running server software and connected to the network  150 . The database system  110  may also include software enabling it to act as a web server, a database server, an application server or all of these and may be made up of one or more physical servers in a single location or a distributed group of servers. 
         [0019]    As will be discussed in more detail below, the database system  110  accepts service reports generated by the repair technician  125  using mobile device  120  and provides data pertaining to the estimated costs associated with the repairs proposed by those service reports. The database system  110  also stores and provides educational content. 
         [0020]    A unit of “educational content” as used herein is a pre-created image, video or interactive program that describes some or all of a type of repair operation. Several units of educational content or more may be referred to collectively as “educational content.” Units of educational content may be stored in a database, such as the database system  110 . The database may have more than one educational content unit per type of repair operation, and a given unit may be descriptive of multiple types of repair operations. The database may therefore associated a number of units with a given type of repair operation. Furthermore, the type of repair operation may include steps which themselves are a type of repair operation. 
         [0021]    Units of educational content are geared toward an average automotive customer with little or no knowledge of the mechanics involved in a properly-functioning automobile. The units of educational content may be superimposed or otherwise supplemented with textual descriptions of a type of repair operation. The units of educational content may include reference numbers or other call-outs in order to direct a customer&#39;s attention. Units of educational content may provide to a customer, among other things, background information regarding a proposed repair operation, information regarding the purpose of the proposed repair operation and information regarding the consequences of failing to complete a proposed repair operation. 
         [0022]    Interactive educational content may enable a customer to interact with elements of an interactive interface to bring up various aspects of the process of the repair operation. For example, a customer may be able to interact with an image of a muffler to hear, read and/or watch a description of the purpose of a muffler. A customer may be able to click on an image of a new muffler to hear, read and/or watch a description of the installation process. The educational content may include auditory and vibratory output, for example to show the difference between proper and improper operation of a muffler. In this way, the educational content may be interactive and customized based upon that customer&#39;s preferences. 
         [0023]    A unit of educational content may pertain to a single “repair operation” or “job.” The individual steps taken in a repair operation are “repair steps.” For example, a repair operation may be removing and replacing a muffler. Another repair operation may be draining used motor oil, removing and replacing an oil filter followed by adding new motor oil. One unit of educational content may be associated with each of these example repair operations. The unit of educational content depicting a plurality of repair steps. The act of completing one step of the repair operation is completion of a “repair step.” Completion of all repair steps is a “completed repair operation.” 
         [0024]    A repair operation may include installing a replacement or new part, making a repair, performing a service, completing an installation or performing labor in furtherance of any of the above. At least one unit of educational content may be associated with each repair operation in a database. A single unit of educational content, for example, one pertaining to replacement of a muffler, may be used for all muffler replacements. Alternatively, individual units of educational content may be associated with muffler replacement for each make, model, year, engine, transmission or various other options associated with a particular automobile. Using a database, appropriate units of educational content may be automatically identified by computer software or identified manually by an estimator. 
         [0025]    A “proposed repair operation” is a repair operation that has not yet been performed, typically because a customer has yet to authorize it. 
         [0026]    Returning to  FIG. 1 , the mobile device  120  includes wireless network capability suitable for connecting to the network  150 , a still and/or video camera, and communications capability, including multimedia messaging or email software. 
         [0027]    The repair technician  125 , one or more humans, interacts with the mobile device  120  to capture one or more images of the automobile  160  using a camera in or associated with the mobile device  120 . The images may be still images or video. The mobile device  120  may then be used to send a service report including those images to the database system  110 , using general purpose software on the mobile device to send a multimedia message (a short message service text message incorporating photographic, audio and/or motion picture elements) or an email including the images. Alternatively, the repair technician  125  may use special purpose software on the mobile device  120  to create the service report and upload it directly to the estimation and educational server  110 . Still further alternatively, the mobile device may be used to create images that are then uploaded and sent by a different device to the estimation and educational server  110 . 
         [0028]    The term “service report” refers to data including a textual description of the proposed repair operation and the images. In addition, the service report may include the location of the automobile, data pertaining to a computerized evaluation of the automobile, codes or database identifiers suitable for identifying parts or labor elements that make up all or a part of the proposed repair operation or any other objective measures of the automobile&#39;s current status. The service report may include a text portion describing the repair in sentences or may be written in shorthand using part, service, repair and/or automobile codes suitable to identify the exact parts, services, repairs and the automobile type on which the repairs are proposed. 
         [0029]    The estimate generator system  130  is a computing device running software utilized by a human estimator  135  to access the database system  110  to obtain service reports created by repair technicians  125 . In some cases, the estimator  135  may be the repair technician  125  and/or the mobile device  120  may incorporate the estimate generator system  130 . Software on the estimate generator system  130  may use the network  150  to access the mobile device  120  to obtain service reports. The estimate generator system  130  also may be used to obtain cost data on the database system  110  in order to prepare a repair cost estimate. The service report and cost data, together, may be used by an estimate generator system  130  to prepare the repair cost estimate which is an estimate of the costs associated with the proposed repair operation identified in the service report. 
         [0030]    The customer client system  140  is a computing device having a user interface for delivering the repair cost estimate and educational data to the customer  145  and accepting authorization for the proposed repair from the customer  145 . 
         [0031]    Turning now to  FIG. 2  there is shown a block diagram of a computing device  200 , which is representative of the server system, client systems, mobile devices and other computing devices discussed herein. The computing device  200  may include software and/or hardware for providing functionality and features described herein. The computing device  200  may therefore include one or more of: logic arrays, memories, analog circuits, digital circuits, software, firmware and processors. The hardware and firmware components of the computing device  200  may include various specialized units, circuits, software and interfaces for providing the functionality and features described herein. 
         [0032]    The computing device  200  has a processor  212  coupled to a memory  214 , storage  218 , a network interface  216  and an I/O interface  220 . The processor  212  may be or include one or more microprocessors, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices (PLDs) and programmable logic arrays (PLAs). 
         [0033]    The memory  214  may be or include RAM, ROM, DRAM, SRAM and MRAM, and may include firmware, such as static data or fixed instructions, BIOS, system functions, configuration data, and other routines used during the operation of the computing device  200  and processor  212 . The memory  214  also provides a storage area for data and instructions associated with applications and data handled by the processor  212 . 
         [0034]    The storage  218  provides non-volatile, bulk or long term storage of data or instructions in the computing device  200 . The storage  218  may take the form of a magnetic or solid state disk, tape, CD, DVD, or other reasonably high capacity addressable or serial storage medium. Multiple storage devices may be provided or available to the computing device  200 . Some of these storage devices may be external to the computing device  200 , such as network storage or cloud-based storage. As used herein, the term storage medium corresponds to the storage  218  and does not include transitory media such as signals or waveforms. In some cases, such as those involving solid state memory devices, the memory  214  and storage  218  may be a single device. 
         [0035]    The network interface  216  includes an interface to a network such as network  150  ( FIG. 1 ). 
         [0036]    The I/O interface  220  interfaces the processor  212  to peripherals (not shown) such as displays, keyboards and USB devices. 
         [0037]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a system  300  for job estimate development. The system  300  includes a database system  310 , a mobile device  320 , an estimator system  330  and a customer system  340  such as those described with reference to  FIG. 1 . 
         [0038]    The database system  310  includes an estimation database  311 , an educational database  312 , a web server  313  and service document storage  318 . The estimation database  311  stores data pertaining to parts and labor costs. The educational database  312  stores educational content. The web server  313  serves web requests, such as requests to view service reports and educational data. The service document storage  318  stores service reports from repair technicians and history data pertaining to past repairs completed for a particular customer or automobile. 
         [0039]    The mobile device  320  is a computing device including a communication system  321 , a camera  322  and a user interface  323 , each made up of hardware and software elements. The camera  322  may be used to capture images and the user interface is suitable for receiving interaction from a repair technician. The mobile device  320  communicates with the estimation and database system  310  via MMS  325 . 
         [0040]    The estimator system  330  is a computing device including software for an email client  331 , and database access  332 . The email client  331  is software for sending, receiving and viewing emails. The database access  332  is software for accessing databases, such as the estimation database  311  and educational database  312 . The estimator system  330  includes a user interface  333  suitable for receiving interaction from an estimator, the user interface  333  made up of software and hardware elements. The estimator system  330  communicates with the database system  310  via network communications  335 . The estimator system  330  communicates with the customer system  340  via email  336 . 
         [0041]    The customer system  340  is a computing device including an email client  341  and an estimate viewer  342 , both implemented as software. The email client  341  is software for sending, receiving and viewing emails. The estimate viewer  342  may be or include web browser software or other software sufficient to access educational data stored in the educational database  312  and served by the web server  313 . The customer system  340  includes a user interface  343  for receiving interaction from a customer, the user interface  343  made up of both software and hardware. The customer system  340  communicates with the database system  310  via network communications  345 . 
         [0042]    Turning now to  FIG. 4  a series of screen displays showing job estimate development and a database system  410  are shown. The service report screen  421  shows a display screen of the service report that may be provided by a repair technician to the database system  410 . The service report screen  401  includes an identification of a proposed repair operation  422 . The proposed repair operation  422  is intended to address an issue discovered by the repair technician. The description shown in service report screen  421  is “JK 346” which is a job code that may identify a part number or a particular type of repair operation. 
         [0043]    A “job code” is a, typically, alphanumeric code used by the database  410  to uniquely identify a particular repair operation. The repair technician may enter the code at the service report generation stage or may describe the proposed repair operation. If it is not identified by a job code in the service report, the description provided by the repair technician may be converted one or more job codes by the estimator as the repair cost estimate is prepared. The process of selecting job codes, either by the repair technician or estimator may be assisted by a computer, such as the mobile device  120  or estimate generator  130 , with access to the database  410 . 
         [0044]    Along with the description of the proposed repair operation  422  in the service report screen  421 , two images are provided, image  423  and image  424 . This service report screen  421  is representative of the data that is provided to the database system  410  for use by the estimator in preparing the repair cost estimate. 
         [0045]    The estimate screen  431  shows an example of a display of a repair cost estimate as created by an estimator. The proposed repair operation  432  has been converted from the job code “JK 346” to “Install a Replacement Muffler” by the estimator. In other words, the special language of the repair technician may be translated into the ordinary language of the customer. This process may be automatic or require estimator action to select one or more proposed repair operations. The same images  433  and  434  are provided to the estimator as he or she prepares the repair cost estimate. In addition, a cost estimate  435  is generated by the estimator. This process may be fully or partially automated for the estimator using the job codes and the database  410  to obtain cost estimate data. 
         [0046]    While preparing an estimate, the estimator may have access to data in the database  410  pertaining to a proposed repair operation, the customer and the customer&#39;s vehicle in the database  410 . This information may be stored, for example, based upon a customer number, a vehicle identification number (VIN) or license plate number. This data may include customer input such as the reason for bringing the automobile in for repair, job codes associated with the current and past repair operations, images from current and past service reports, customer requests for particular services, educational data describing the proposed repair operation, educational data describing why a particular repair operation is necessary, the costs associated with such a repair operation in addition to the results or potential results of failing to complete the repair operation, any environmental impacts, future costs and any safety implications for failing to complete the repair operation. 
         [0047]    The customer report screen  441  shows an example of a display of a repair cost estimate to a customer. The customer report screen  441  includes the descriptive name for the proposed repair operation  442  that was provided by the estimator. The description of the proposed repair operation  442  may be subdivided into parts and labor elements or may be presented as a single operation to a customer In addition, once the estimator has created a repair cost estimate, education data  436  is associated with the proposed repair  432 . This association may take place automatically, using the job codes and information about the customer and the customer&#39;s automobile to access the database  410  in order to identify and obtain relevant educational data  436 . The customer report screen  441  may also include images  443  and  444 , corresponding to images  413  and  414  provided by the repair technician to the database system  410 . In addition, a cost estimate  445  for the proposed repair operation  442  of “$400” in this case is also provided. Along with the repair cost estimate, the educational data  446  identified at the estimation stage is also provided. The customer may accept or decline the proposed repair  442  via the accept button  447  and decline button  448 . 
         [0048]    The customer report screen  441  may include additional proposed repairs, images, cost estimates and educational data for each proposed repair operation. The customer report screen  441  also enables a customer to accept or decline each repair individually and may enable the customer to accept or decline all repairs at the same time. The estimate screen  441  may also be dynamic such that more complex educational content may be displayed to a customer that is more familiar with automobile operation than one who is totally unfamiliar. 
         [0049]    Description of Process 
         [0050]    Turning now to  FIG. 5 , a flowchart of a method of job estimate development is shown. A repair technician uses a mobile device, such as mobile device  320  ( FIG. 3 ) to capture one or more images of a subject automobile and to prepare a service report. In particular, the images depict the part to be replaced or the area or part needing repair. The repair technician then transmits the service report including the images to a database system, such as the database system  310  ( FIG. 3 ), via a network  520 . 
         [0051]    The database system receives the service report  530 . This service report may be provided to the database system via multimedia message. The service report may be provided by email or by a direct data upload or may be transmitted or broadcast in other ways. Once delivered, the service report may be stored in data storage such as the service document storage  318  ( FIG. 3 ). 
         [0052]    An estimator may then access the service report stored in an estimation database of the database system using database access software. The service report is used to obtain cost data from the estimation database for the repair operation and any replacement parts identified by the service report. 
         [0053]    This aspect of the process may be automated such that any keywords, shorthand or part, service, repair and/or automobile codes may be parsed by an estimator client system in order to obtain repair data uniquely identifying part numbers and the labor associated with a particular repair operation. This repair data may be used to obtain an estimate of the cost of a particular repair operation using an estimation database. 
         [0054]    For example, a replacement muffler for a particular make, model and year of automobile may be identified by a part number in an estimation database, such as estimation database  311  ( FIG. 3 ), and include an associated cost. Similarly, the labor associated with replacing a muffler on a particular car may have an associated time estimate to complete the replacement. The estimation database may then be accessed, manually or automatically in order to obtain estimate data, including the costs associated with the repair operation  540  using the repair data. 
         [0055]    Once the precise nature of the repair operation has been identified by the repair data, database access software may also be used to access an educational database, such as educational database  312  ( FIG. 3 ), in order to obtain educational data  550  pertaining to that repair data. The repair data may be used to identify the precise type of proposed repair. Returning to the example above, the part number of the muffler can be used to identify the manufacturer, make and year range of the automobile associated with the proposed repair. Similarly, the labor estimate for a “muffler replacement” can be used to identify the proposed repair operation. 
         [0056]    Educational data for each repair operation associated with the repair data may be obtained from the educational database. A plurality of parts and/or labor items may be used to identify to the appropriate educational data units for the repair operations. 
         [0057]    Returning to the example above, an estimator system, such as estimator system  330  ( FIG. 3 ), may obtain a unit of educational content including a video description of a muffler replacement. The unit of educational content may describe the muffler, the muffler&#39;s location, the muffler&#39;s function and the level of its importance to the operation of an automobile. The unit of educational content may further describe the process undertaken to remove and replace a muffler with a new muffler. For example, a video may depict a welding torch cutting away a faulty muffler, a repair technician replacing it with a new muffler, affixing a new muffler to the appropriate mounting brackets and welding the new muffler to the exhaust system of the automobile. 
         [0058]    The estimator may then prepare a repair cost estimate including the estimate data and the units of educational data associated with the proposed repair operation  560 . This preparation may include formatting the estimate data and the educational data for the customer. For example, the customer may have indicated a desire to receive links to educational data instead of embedded educational data units. If so, the preparation will include inserting links into the repair cost estimate in place of any educational data units that may, by default, be embedded directly into an email. 
         [0059]    The customer may also have indicated a desire to receive a text message directing the customer to a secure web page including the repair cost estimate rather than receiving an email including the repair cost estimate. Similarly, the preparation may include identifying the customer with authorization to approve a repair in order to provide the repair cost estimate to that customer rather than another individual without authority to approve the proposed repair operation. 
         [0060]    The repair cost estimate may then be provided as directed to the customer  570 . For example, the repair cost estimate may be provided via the email client  341  of the customer system  340  ( FIG. 3 ). The repair cost estimate is provided to the customer so that the customer can make an informed decision regarding the proposed repairs. 
         [0061]    The customer may then review the repair cost estimate and authorize or decline the proposed repair operations  580 . Software such as the estimate viewer  342  ( FIG. 3 ) may be used. 
         [0062]    Once the customer has received and reviewed the repair cost estimate, the user may authorize or decline of some or all of the proposed repairs  560 . The acceptance or declination may be stored, for example in the service document storage  311  ( FIG. 3 ) as a part of a service history of the automobile. Once authorization of the proposed repair is received, the repair technician may receive a notification to begin the accepted repairs. 
         [0063]    Closing Comments 
         [0064]    Throughout this description, the embodiments and examples shown should be considered as exemplars, rather than limitations on the apparatus and procedures disclosed or claimed. Although many of the examples presented herein involve specific combinations of method acts or system elements, it should be understood that those acts and those elements may be combined in other ways to accomplish the same objectives. With regard to flowcharts, additional and fewer steps may be taken, and the steps as shown may be combined or further refined to achieve the methods described herein. Acts, elements and features discussed only in connection with one embodiment are not intended to be excluded from a similar role in other embodiments. 
         [0065]    As used herein, “plurality” means two or more. As used herein, a “set” of items may include one or more of such items. As used herein, whether in the written description or the claims, the terms “comprising”, “including”, “carrying”, “having”, “containing”, “involving”, and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to. Only the transitional phrases “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of”, respectively, are closed or semi-closed transitional phrases with respect to claims. Use of ordinal terms such as “first”, “second”, “third”, etc., in the claims to modify a claim element does not by itself connote any priority, precedence, or order of one claim element over another or the temporal order in which acts of a method are performed, but are used merely as labels to distinguish one claim element having a certain name from another element having a same name (but for use of the ordinal term) to distinguish the claim elements. As used herein, “and/or” means that the listed items are alternatives, but the alternatives also include any combination of the listed items.