Patent ID: 7567811

Claim:
A system useful for dispatching service vehicles, comprising: a dispatch hub assembly for installation at a dispatch hub; and a plurality of field assemblies, each of said field assemblies being suitable for installation in a service vehicle; wherein each field assembly comprises: a controller operable to collect field data associated with a specified particular service vehicle and to forward said field data to said dispatch hub, said field data comprising geographic location data of said vehicle and specified component identification data associated with at least one specified component in inventory of said vehicle; and a field wireless device for communicating data, including said field data, with said dispatch hub; and wherein said dispatch hub assembly comprises: a hub communications device for communicating data with said field assemblies; a hub processor operable to receive said field data from at least one of said field assemblies, to receive a service request indicating a specified component needed at a customer site, and to process said field data to identify service vehicles having said needed specified component in their inventory; wherein said hub processor is responsive to the receipt of said service request to select one of said service vehicles having said needed specified component specified by said received service request.