Integrated automated analysis and repair

Abstract

An integrated highly automated analysis system employs a technician terminal for displaying a plurality of inspection screens, and for entering inspection results. The system generates an inspection report after the inspection results have been input. A point-of-sale terminal is coupled to the technician terminal, and the system further generates a cost estimate report in response to the generation of the inspection report and also generates an invoice report. The system includes a plurality of databases, including an inspection guideline database, a specifications database (containing specifications), a customer/inspection database (containing prior inspection records), and a parts catalog database (containing part numbers and part costs).

1 . An integrated diagnosis, repair and invoicing system comprising: 
 a technician terminal including means for displaying a plurality of inspection screens, means for inputting inspection results;    means, coupled to the technician terminal, for generating an inspection report in response to the inspection results;    a point-of-sale terminal coupled to the technician terminal;    means, coupled to the point-of-sale terminal, for generating a cost estimate report in response to the generation of the inspection report;    a database system coupled to the technician terminal and to the point-of-sale terminal, the data base system comprising a specifications database comprising specifications;    means, coupled to the database system, for comparing the specifications with the inspection results; and    means, coupled to the means for comparing, for generating the inspection report in response to the means for comparing.    
   
   
       2 . The integrated diagnosis, repair and invoicing system of  claim 1  wherein said database system further comprises: 
 a customer/inspection database, the system including means for storing an inspection record into the customer/inspection database in response to the generating of the inspection report.    
   
   
       3 . The integrated diagnosis, repair and invoicing system of  claim 2  wherein said database system further comprises: 
 a parts catalog database comprising part costs, the means for generating the cost estimate report generating the cost estimate report in response to the part costs.    
   
   
       4 . The integrated diagnosis, repair and invoicing system of  claim 2  wherein said data base system further comprises: 
 an inspection guidelines database comprising inspection guidelines, the technician terminal including means for selectively displaying the inspection guidelines.    
   
   
       5 . The integrated diagnosis, repair and invoicing system of  claim 1  wherein said technician terminal comprises: 
 a first video display; and    a first computer coupled to the first video display.    
   
   
       6 . The integrated diagnosis, repair and invoicing system of  claim 5  further comprising: 
 a first transceiver coupled to the first computer;    a second transceiver coupled to said means for generating an inspection report; and    a communications channel coupled between the first and second transceivers, wherein the technician terminal is coupled to said means for generating an inspection report through the communications channel.    
   
   
       7 . The integrated diagnosis, repair and invoicing system of  claim 6  wherein said communications channel includes air.  
   
   
       8 . The integrated diagnosis, repair and invoicing system of  claim 7  wherein said first and second transceivers are radio frequency transceivers and wherein said communications channel is a radio frequency communications channel.  
   
   
       9 . The integrated diagnosis, repair and invoicing system of  claim 5  wherein said technician terminal further comprises: 
 a touch screen interface coupled to said first video display, said touch screen interface including means for detecting an approximate location on the first video display at which touching of the first video display occurs.    
   
   
       10 . The integrated diagnosis, repair and invoicing system of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a measuring device coupled to the technician terminal, the measuring device including means for taking measurements from a system being inspected and means for communicating the measurements to the technician terminal.    
   
   
       11 . The integrated diagnosis, repair and invoicing system of  claim 10  wherein said means for communicating includes an electrical conductor coupled between said technician terminal and said measuring device.  
   
   
       12 . The integrated diagnosis, repair and invoicing system of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 means for generating an invoice report.    
   
   
       13 . The integrated diagnosis, repair and invoicing system of  claim 12  wherein said point-of-sale terminal comprises: 
 a second video display, and    a second computer coupled to the second video display;    the system further including a point-of-sale program comprising said means for generating said invoice report.    
   
   
       14 . In an integrated diagnosis, repair and invoicing system, a method including: 
 selecting a make and model of a system being inspected using a first computer system;    retrieving a measurement/specification for the system being inspected, having been selected, from a measurements/specifications database;    prompting a user of the first computer system to conduct an inspection of the system being inspected and to enter an inspection result into the first computer system;    comparing the inspection result with the measurement/specification, having been retrieved, so as to determine whether the inspection result is outside a first prescribed tolerance of the measurement/specification, having been retrieved;    generating an inspection report that indicates whether the inspection result is outside the first prescribed tolerance of the measurement/specification;    communicating the inspection report to a second computer system; and    generating a cost estimate report in the event the inspection result is outside the first prescribed tolerance of the measurement/specification, the cost estimate report indicating an expected cost of repair.    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said selecting of said make and model includes touching a first video display having a touch screen interface.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said comparing of said inspection result with said measurement/specification having been retrieved includes comparing said inspection result with said measurement/specification having been retrieved so as to determine whether the inspection result is outside a second prescribed tolerance of the measurement/specification having been retrieved, the second prescribed tolerance being indicative of a repair that is required, and said first prescribed tolerance being indicative of a repair that is suggested.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said generating of said inspection report includes generating said inspection report having an indication of whether a repair is required or suggested.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 14  including: 
 entering said inspection result using a digital measuring instrument.    
   
   
       19 . An integrated inspection system comprising: 
 output means;    a computer coupled to the output means, the computer including means for causing output information to be output through the output means;    input means for inputting input information into the computer, the input means being coupled to the computer;    a database system coupled to the computer, the data base system comprising a specifications database comprising specifications;    means for comparing the specifications with the input information;    means for generating an inspection report in response to the means for comparing; and    the database system further comprising a repair manual database comprising instructions for making selected repairs;    means for signaling the output means to output the instructions through the output means.    
   
   
       20 . The integrated inspection system of  claim 19  further comprising: 
 a first transceiver coupled to the computer;    a computer network coupled to the database system;    a second transceiver coupled to the computer network; and    a communications channel coupled between the first and second transceivers, wherein the database system is coupled to the computer through the communications channel.    
   
   
       21 . The integrated inspection system of  claim 20  wherein said communications channel includes air.  
   
   
       22 . The integrated inspection system of  claim 21  wherein said first and second transceivers are radio frequency transceivers and wherein said communications channel is a radio frequency communications channel.  
   
   
       23 . The integrated inspection system of  claim 19  wherein said database system further comprises an inspection guideline database comprising inspection guidelines, said system including means for selectively transmitting the inspection guidelines on said output means.  
   
   
       24 . The integrated inspection system of  claim 19  wherein said input means includes means for taking a measurement and for communicating the measurement to said computer.  
   
   
       25 . The integrated inspection system of  claim 24  wherein said input means comprises dual-action digital calipers including means for measuring an inner diameter, and means for measuring a thickness.  
   
   
       26 . The integrated inspection system of  claim 25  wherein said dual-action digital calipers include a linear encoder including means for generating a distance signal indicative of a first distance between a first point and a second point.  
   
   
       27 . The integrated inspection system of  claim 26  including means for adding a correction factor to the first distance, a sum of the correction factor added to the first distance being equal to a second distance between a third and a fourth point.  
   
   
       28 . The integrated inspection system of  claim 27  wherein said means for measuring thickness comprises said first and second points, and wherein said means for measuring inner diameter comprises said third and fourth points.  
   
   
       29 . The integrated inspection system of  claim 19  wherein said database system further comprises: 
 a customer/inspection database, the computer including means for storing an inspection record into the customer/inspection database in response to the inputting of the input information.