Apparatus and method for automated vehicle roadside assistance

Abstract

A computer readable storage medium includes executable instructions to receive from a mobile device a request regarding a stranded vehicle. The request is processed to determine the location of the stranded vehicle. Additional information regarding the stranded vehicle may be retrieved. The location of the stranded vehicle and the additional information may be communicated as a dispatch request. The location of the stranded vehicle relative to a dispatched vehicle is delivered to the mobile device.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A non-transient computer readable storage medium comprising executable instructions to at least:
 receive from, at a mobile device, a request regarding for assistance with a stranded vehicle; 
 processtransmit, from the mobile device and to a server, the request to determine the location ofand additional information for a policy associated with the stranded vehicle; 
 in response to receiving the request from the mobile device, determine, at the server, a first location of the stranded vehicle, the first location of the stranded vehicle determined by at least communicating the request to a mobile device location service; 
 transmit, from the server and to a remote computer, a dispatch request, the dispatch request comprising the first location and the additional information; 
 dispatch, by the remote computer, a rescue vehicle to the stranded vehicle, the dispatch of the rescue vehicle comprising delivering, to a vehicle dispatch center, the dispatch request, and the dispatch request delivered in response to the remote computer determining, based at least on the additional information, that the policy associated with the stranded vehicle includes the dispatch of the rescue vehicle;  
 deliver, by the server and to the mobile device, a map including the first location of the stranded vehicle relative to a dispatched a second location of the rescue vehicle, wherein the executable instructions to deliver include executable instructions to automatically deliver a graphical the map of location updates associated with the dispatched vehicle relative to the stranded vehicle generated by the remote computer based at least on a dispatch request result received from the vehicle dispatch center; and 
 present, on a graphical user interface presented on a graphical display of the mobile device, the map including the first location and the second location. 
 
     
     
       2. The non-transient computer readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the request is received via a mobile web application in at the mobile device is received through a mobile web application. 
     
     
       3. The non-transient computer readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the further comprising executable instructions to process at least transmit, from the remote computer and to the vehicle dispatch center, the dispatch request comprise executable instruction to retrieve additional information regarding to dispatch the rescue vehicle to the stranded vehicle. 
     
     
       4. The non-transient computer readable storage medium of  claim 3 , wherein the dispatch request comprises the additional information comprises vehicle status information, vehicle coverage information and vehicle insurance for the policy information associated with the stranded vehicle. 
     
     
       5. The non-transient computer readable storage medium of claim  3  4, wherein the executable instructions to process the request further comprise executable instructions to automatically provision the dispatched vehicle to a user based on the additional information and the location of the stranded vehicle includes coverage information. 
     
     
       6. The non-transient computer readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the executable instructions to deliver include executable instructions to automatically deliver at least one of information from further comprising transmitting, using at least one of a short message service (SMS) and or an email message comprising location, an updates associated with the dispatched update to the second location of the rescue vehiclerelative to the stranded vehicle. 
     
     
       7. A non-transient computer readable storage medium comprising executable instructions to:
 receive from a mobile device a request regarding a stranded vehicle;   process the request to determine the location of the stranded vehicle;   obtain vehicle insurance policy information for the user of the mobile device;   perform an evaluation of the vehicle insurance policy information to confirm a coverage level to cover the cost of dispatching a vehicle to the stranded vehicle; and   selectively dispatch a vehicle to the stranded vehicle based upon the evaluation.   
     
     
       8. The non-transient computer readable storage medium of claim  7  further comprising executable instructions to 1, wherein the server generates the map by at least accessing a map service. 
     
     
       9. The non-transient computer readable storage medium of  claim 8  further comprising executable instructions to deliver, wherein the server delivers the map from the map service to the mobile devicethe location of the stranded vehicle relative to a dispatched vehicle. 
     
     
       10. The non-transient computer readable storage medium of  claim 9  further comprising executable instructions to automatically deliver a graphical map of location updates associated with the dispatched vehicle relative to the stranded vehicle.  
     
     
       11. An apparatus comprising:
 at least one processor; and   at least one memory including executable instructions which when executed provide operations comprising:
 receiving, at the apparatus, a request for assistance with a stranded vehicle; 
   transmitting, to a server, the request and additional information for a policy associated with the stranded vehicle;
 in response to transmitting the request and the additional information for the policy associated with the stranded vehicle, receiving, from the server, a map including a first location of the stranded vehicle relative to a second location of a rescue vehicle, the first location being determined by the server by at least communicating the request to a mobile device location service, the rescue vehicle being dispatched by a remote computer in response to the server transmitting, to the remote computer, a dispatch request comprising the first location and the additional information, the remote computer dispatching the rescue vehicle by at least delivering, to a vehicle dispatch center, the dispatch request, the dispatch request being delivered in response to the remote computer determining, based at least on the additional information, that the policy associated with the stranded vehicle includes the dispatch of the rescue vehicle, and the map being generated by the remote computer based at least on a dispatch request result received from the vehicle dispatch center; and 
 presenting, on a graphical user interface presented on a graphical display of the apparatus, the map including the first location and the second location.  
   
     
     
       12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the request received at the apparatus is received through a mobile web application.  
     
     
       13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the request and the additional information are transmitted to the server over a wireless communications channel.  
     
     
       14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the dispatch request further comprises the additional information for the policy associated with the stranded vehicle.  
     
     
       15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the additional information includes a vehicle status information of the stranded vehicle.  
     
     
       16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the additional information includes coverage information for the stranded vehicle.  
     
     
       17. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising transmitting, using a short message service (SMS), an update to the second location of the rescue vehicle.  
     
     
       18. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising transmitting, using an email message, an update to the second location of the rescue vehicle.  
     
     
       19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:
 facilitating an input, by a user and through the mobile device, of the first location.    
     
     
       20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:
 determining whether the first location can be resolved.    
     
     
       21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the operations further comprise:
 resolving the first location by at least accessing the mobile device location service provided by a cellular service provider.    
     
     
       22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the operations further comprise:
 presenting, at the apparatus, a user interface at which the first location can be provided, in response to the first location failing to be resolved.    
     
     
       23. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:
 presenting, at the apparatus, a user interface at which an acknowledgement of the first location can be provided.    
     
     
       24. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:
 presenting, at the apparatus, a user interface at which an indication of an accuracy of the first location can be provided.    
     
     
       25. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the operations further comprise:
 providing, at the apparatus, information to enable the apparatus to contact the rescue vehicle, in response to the first location failing to be resolved.    
     
     
       26. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus comprises a smart phone.  
     
     
       27. A method comprising:
 receiving, at a mobile device, a request for assistance with a stranded vehicle;   transmitting, from the mobile device and to a server, the request and additional information for a policy associated with the stranded vehicle;   in response to receiving the request from the mobile device, determining, at the server, a first location of the stranded vehicle, the first location of the stranded vehicle determined by at least communicating the request to a mobile device location service;   transmitting, from the server and to a remote computer, a dispatch request, the dispatch request comprising the first location and the additional information;   dispatching, by the remote computer, a rescue vehicle to the stranded vehicle, the dispatch of the rescue vehicle comprising delivering, to a vehicle dispatch center, the dispatch request, the dispatch request delivered in response to the remote computer determining, based at least on the additional information, that the policy associated with the stranded vehicle includes the dispatch of the rescue vehicle;   delivering, by the server and to the mobile device, a map including the first location of the stranded vehicle relative to a second location of the rescue vehicle, the map generated by the remote computer based at least on a dispatch request result received from the vehicle dispatch center; and   presenting, on a graphical user interface presented on a graphical display of the mobile device, the map including the first location and the second location.    
     
     
       28. The method of claim 27, wherein the dispatch request, received at the mobile device, is received from a web application.  
     
     
       29. The method of claim 27, wherein the dispatch request further comprises the additional information for the policy associated with the stranded vehicle.  
     
     
       30. The method of claim 29, wherein the additional information includes a vehicle status information of the stranded vehicle.  
     
     
       31. The method of claim 29, wherein the additional information includes coverage information for the stranded vehicle.  
     
     
       32. The method of claim 27, further comprising transmitting, using a short message service, an update to the second location of the rescue vehicle.  
     
     
       33. The method of claim 27, further comprising transmitting, using an email message, an update to the second location of the rescue vehicle.  
     
     
       34. The method of claim 27, further comprising: facilitating an input, by a user through the mobile device, of the first location.  
     
     
       35. The method of claim 27, wherein the request for assistance is received in response to a selection of an icon representative of a road side assistance request, wherein the icon is presented at a user interface of the mobile device.  
     
     
       36. The method of claim 27 further comprising: resolving the first location.  
     
     
       37. The method of claim 36, wherein the first location is resolved by at least accessing the mobile device location service provided by a cellular service provider.  
     
     
       38. The method of claim 36 further comprising:
 presenting, at the mobile device, a user interface at which the first location can be provided in response to the first location failing to be resolved.    
     
     
       39. The method of claim 27 further comprising:
 presenting, at the mobile device, a user interface at which an acknowledgement of the first location can be provided.    
     
     
       40. The method of claim 27 further comprising:
 presenting, at the mobile device, a user interface at which an indication of an accuracy of the first location can be provided.    
     
     
       41. The method of claim 36 further comprising:
 providing, at the mobile device, information to enable the mobile device to contact the dispatched vehicle, in response to a failure to resolve the first location.    
     
     
       42. The method of claim 27, wherein the mobile device comprises a smart phone.  
     
     
       43. The non-transient computer readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising executable instructions to at least:
 facilitate an input, by a user through the mobile device, of the first location.    
     
     
       44. The non-transient computer readable storage medium of claim 43, wherein facilitating the input comprises:
 presenting, on the graphical display of the mobile device, the map;   receiving, through an interaction with the graphical display by the user, the first location.    
     
     
       45. The non-transient computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the first location is determined by the mobile device location service based on a set of Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates data obtained by the mobile device.  
     
     
       46. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the facilitating of the input comprises:
 presenting, on the graphical display of the apparatus, the map;   receiving, through an interaction with the graphical display by the user, the first location.    
     
     
       47. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first location is determined by the mobile device location service based on a set of Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates obtained by the mobile device.  
     
     
       48. The method of claim 34, wherein the facilitating of the input comprises:
 presenting, on the graphical display of the mobile device, the map;   receiving, through an interaction with the graphical display by the user, a first location.    
     
     
       49. The method of claim 34, wherein the first location is determined by the mobile device location service based on a set of Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates obtained by the mobile device.