Patents by Inventor Lester B. Johnson

Lester B. Johnson has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11972180
    Abstract: A method and computing system operable for displaying a first routing diagram on a display. The first routing diagram is a member of a first set of routing diagrams that includes multiple different routing diagrams. Displaying the first routing diagram includes displaying a user-selectable control and a first portion of a particular routable component within the first routing diagram. The user-selectable control corresponds to a location of the display where a first terminal connected to the particular routable component or a second terminal connected or connectable to the first terminal is displayed. An additional function include determining, by a processor, a selection of the user-selectable control occurs while the first routing diagram is displayed on the display. A further function includes displaying, on the display in response to determining the selection of the user-selectable control occurs, the second routing diagram with a second portion of the particular routable component highlighted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Mitchell Repair Information Company, LLC
    Inventors: Michel B. Alberry, Lester B. Johnson, Thomas A. Southward, Thomas W. Tipps, Michael S. Knize, John P. McGraw, Robert Pilz, Bryan Keithley Romero
  • Publication number: 20240119753
    Abstract: A method includes transmitting a request for a computer-readable routing diagram, such as a wiring diagram, a pneumatic or hydraulic line diagram, or an optical cable diagram. The method also includes receiving, in response to the request, a routing diagram including a connectable component and at least a portion of a routing set. The connectable component is associated with both a connectable component identifier and the routing set. The routing set contains one or more routable components, such as electrical circuits, pneumatic or hydraulic lines, or optical cables. Further, the method includes displaying, on a display, the routing diagram and at least the portion of the routing set highlighted. Displaying at least the portion of the routing set highlighted occurs in response to an occurrence of the connectable component being selected from the routing diagram displayed on the display or in response to the request including the connectable component identifier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Inventors: Michel B. Alberry, Lester B. Johnson, Michael S. Knize, John P. McGraw, Robert Pilz, Thomas W. Tipps, Eric J. Wade, Patrick S. Merg, Roy Steven Brozovich, Todd Mercer, Thomas A. Southward
  • Patent number: 11594078
    Abstract: A method and system that can be used to generate or modify a schedule using data indicative of a vehicle condition reported by a vehicle is described. A server receives a first computer network transmission (CNT) comprising data indicative of the vehicle and the vehicle condition, parses the first CNT to obtain the data indicative of the vehicle and the data indicative of the vehicle condition; determines, based on the data indicative of the vehicle, a computer network address associated with a repair shop having a client disposed at the address to display content of a scheduler application, and transmits to the client disposed at the address, a second CNT comprising data to cause the client to display as part of the content of the scheduler application served by computing server an alert indicator and parsed data indicative of the vehicle and the parsed data indicative of the vehicle condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Mitchell Repair Information Company, LLC
    Inventors: Lester B. Johnson, John H. Dwulet
  • Publication number: 20220374114
    Abstract: A method and computing system operable for displaying a first routing diagram on a display. The first routing diagram is a member of a first set of routing diagrams that includes multiple different routing diagrams. Displaying the first routing diagram includes displaying a user-selectable control and a first portion of a particular routable component within the first routing diagram. The user-selectable control indicates that the particular routable component continues on a second routing diagram. An additional function include determining, by one or more processors, a selection of the user-selectable control occurs while the first routing diagram is displayed on the display. A further function includes displaying the second routing diagram on the display in response to determining the selection of the user-selectable control occurs while the first routing diagram is displayed on the display. Displaying the second routing diagram includes displaying a second portion of the particular routable component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2021
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Inventors: Michel B. Alberry, Lester B. Johnson, Thomas A. Southward, Thomas W. Tipps, Michael S. Knize, John P. McGraw, Robert Pilz
  • Publication number: 20220374564
    Abstract: A method and computing system operable for displaying a first routing diagram on a display. The first routing diagram is a member of a first set of routing diagrams that includes multiple different routing diagrams. Displaying the first routing diagram includes displaying a user-selectable control and a first portion of a particular routable component within the first routing diagram. The user-selectable control corresponds to a location of the display where a first terminal connected to the particular routable component or a second terminal connected or connectable to the first terminal is displayed. An additional function include determining, by a processor, a selection of the user-selectable control occurs while the first routing diagram is displayed on the display. A further function includes displaying, on the display in response to determining the selection of the user-selectable control occurs, the second routing diagram with a second portion of the particular routable component highlighted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2021
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Inventors: Michel B. Alberry, Lester B. Johnson, Thomas A. Southward, Thomas W. Tipps, Michael S. Knize, John P. McGraw, Robert Pilz, Bryan Keithley Romero
  • Patent number: 11386401
    Abstract: A computing system could have access to mapping data that maps each of a plurality of procedures to respective component identifier(s) used in collision-repair estimates, each procedure including information for repair of vehicle component(s) represented by the respective component identifier(s). Given this, the computing system could instruct a display device to display a visual identifier of a particular collision-repair estimate, could receive input indicative of selection of the visual identifier, and could responsively instruct the display device to display visual indicators representative of vehicle component(s) associated with the particular collision-repair estimate. Moreover, the computing system could receive input indicative of selection of one or more of the visual indicators representative of selected vehicle component(s), and could responsively determine, according to the mapping data, particular procedure(s) based on component identifier(s) representative of the selected vehicle component(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Mitchell Repair Information Company, LLC
    Inventors: Lester B. Johnson, Todd Mercer, Thomas Southward
  • Publication number: 20220036318
    Abstract: Methods and systems pertaining to generating a set of appointments for a vehicle shop schedule are described. A method can comprise outputting a first vehicle shop schedule for displaying on a display. The first vehicle shop schedule comprises a first set of appointments. The method further comprises receiving a first new appointment that comprises first temporal data and first customer data. Furthermore, the method comprises generating a second set of appointments by aggregating the first new appointment with the first set of appointments and outputting a second vehicle shop schedule for displaying on the display instead of displaying the first vehicle shop schedule. The second vehicle shop schedule comprises the second set of appointments. One or more appointments can include technician data and shop resource data, such as a vehicle bay or scan tool identifier, for providing schedule views based on technicians or shop resources.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2021
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Inventors: Lester B. Johnson, John H. Dwulet
  • Patent number: 11182749
    Abstract: Methods and systems pertaining to generating a set of appointments for a vehicle shop schedule are described. A method can comprise outputting a first vehicle shop schedule for displaying on a display. The first vehicle shop schedule comprises a first set of appointments. The method further comprises receiving a first new appointment that comprises first temporal data and first customer data. Furthermore, the method comprises generating a second set of appointments by aggregating the first new appointment with the first set of appointments and outputting a second vehicle shop schedule for displaying on the display instead of displaying the first vehicle shop schedule. The second vehicle shop schedule comprises the second set of appointments. One or more appointments can include technician data and shop resource data, such as a vehicle bay or scan tool identifier, for providing schedule views based on technicians or shop resources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: MITCHELL REPAIR INFORMATION COMPANY, LLC
    Inventors: Lester B. Johnson, John H. Dwulet
  • Patent number: 11120644
    Abstract: A client computing system (CCS) receives a tool measurement from a measurement tool other than by determining the tool measurement from a vehicle data (VD) message. The CCS generates a VD report including a vehicle identifier of a vehicle associated with the tool measurement and the VD report. The VD report can include temporal and/or spatial identifiers pertaining to the tool measurement. The VD report can be provided to a server computing system (SCS) for storage as part of a VD record associated with the vehicle. The CCS that generated the VD report or another CCS can request the VD report from the SCS. The SCS can determine if the requesting CCS is authorized to receive the VD report to maintain the vehicle owner's privacy. The tool measurement can be selected from a service procedure provided to the CCS from SCS and displayed at the CCS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Snap-on Incorporated
    Inventors: Patrick S. Merg, David Costantino, Lester B. Johnson
  • Patent number: 10957125
    Abstract: A client computing system (CCS) receives a tool measurement from a measurement tool other than by determining the tool measurement from a vehicle data (VD) message. The CCS generates a VD report including a vehicle identifier of a vehicle associated with the tool measurement and the VD report. The VD report can include temporal and/or spatial identifiers pertaining to the tool measurement. The VD report can be provided to a server computing system (SCS) for storage as part of a VD record associated with the vehicle. The CCS that generated the VD report or another CCS can request the VD report from the SCS. The SCS can determine if the requesting CCS is authorized to receive the VD report to maintain the vehicle owner's privacy. The tool measurement can be selected from a service procedure provided to the CCS from SCS and displayed at the CCS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Snap-on Incorporated
    Inventors: Patrick S. Merg, David Costantino, Lester B. Johnson
  • Publication number: 20210004585
    Abstract: A method includes transmitting a request for a computer-readable routing diagram, such as a wiring diagram, a pneumatic or hydraulic line diagram, or an optical cable diagram. The method also includes receiving, in response to the request, a routing diagram including a connectable component and at least a portion of a routing set. The connectable component is associated with both a connectable component identifier and the routing set. The routing set contains one or more routable components, such as electrical circuits, pneumatic or hydraulic lines, or optical cables. Further, the method includes displaying, on a display, the routing diagram and at least the portion of the routing set highlighted. Displaying at least the portion of the routing set highlighted occurs in response to an occurrence of the connectable component being selected from the routing diagram displayed on the display or in response to the request including the connectable component identifier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2019
    Publication date: January 7, 2021
    Inventors: Michel B. Alberry, Lester B. Johnson, Michael S. Knize, John P. McGraw, Robert Pilz, Thomas A. Southward, Thomas W. Tipps, Eric J. Wade, Patrick S. Merg, Roy Steven Brozovich, Todd Mercer
  • Publication number: 20200234252
    Abstract: A computing system could have access to mapping data that maps each of a plurality of procedures to respective component identifier(s) used in collision-repair estimates, each procedure including information for repair of vehicle component(s) represented by the respective component identifier(s). Given this, the computing system could instruct a display device to display a visual identifier of a particular collision-repair estimate, could receive input indicative of selection of the visual identifier, and could responsively instruct the display device to display visual indicators representative of vehicle component(s) associated with the particular collision-repair estimate. Moreover, the computing system could receive input indicative of selection of one or more of the visual indicators representative of selected vehicle component(s), and could responsively determine, according to the mapping data, particular procedure(s) based on component identifier(s) representative of the selected vehicle component(s).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2019
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Inventors: Lester B. Johnson, Todd Mercer, Thomas Southward
  • Patent number: 10692035
    Abstract: A processor may receive input data indicative of information about a particular vehicle repair shop (VRS). Based on that input data, the processor may determine a potential total extent of sales by the particular VRS over a particular time period. Also, the processor may refer to a data storage device containing computer-readable vehicle repair orders (ROs) each specifying a respective extent of sales by the particular VRS. Based on such ROs, the processor may determine an actual total extent of sales by the particular VRS over the particular time period. Further, based on the potential and actual total extents of sales, the processor may determine a sales efficiency of the particular VRS over the particular time period. Then, the processor may direct a display device to display a visual indication representative of the determined sales efficiency, the potential total extent of sales, and/or the actual total extent of sales.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Mitchell Repair Information Company, LLC
    Inventors: Lester B. Johnson, John H. Dwulet
  • Publication number: 20200193727
    Abstract: A method and system that can be used to generate or modify a schedule using data indicative of a vehicle condition reported by a vehicle is described. A server receives a first computer network transmission (CNT) comprising data indicative of the vehicle and the vehicle condition, parses the first CNT to obtain the data indicative of the vehicle and the data indicative of the vehicle condition; determines, based on the data indicative of the vehicle, a computer network address associated with a repair shop having a client disposed at the address to display content of a scheduler application, and transmits to the client disposed at the address, a second CNT comprising data to cause the client to display as part of the content of the scheduler application served by computing server an alert indicator and parsed data indicative of the vehicle and the parsed data indicative of the vehicle condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Inventors: Lester B. Johnson, John H. Dwulet
  • Patent number: 10650615
    Abstract: A method and system that can be used to generate or modify a schedule using data indicative of a vehicle condition reported by a vehicle is described. A server receives a first computer network transmission (CNT) comprising data indicative of the vehicle and the vehicle condition, parses the first CNT to obtain the data indicative of the vehicle and the data indicative of the vehicle condition; determines, based on the data indicative of the vehicle, a computer network address associated with a repair shop having a client disposed at the address to display content of a scheduler application, and transmits to the client disposed at the address, a second CNT comprising data to cause the client to display as part of the content of the scheduler application served by computing server an alert indicator and parsed data indicative of the vehicle and the parsed data indicative of the vehicle condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Mitchell Repair Information Company, LLC
    Inventors: Lester B. Johnson, John H. Dwulet
  • Patent number: 10580226
    Abstract: A computing system can register a measurement tool. The computing system can determine a selected vehicle for a vehicle data report and a selected measurement tool to perform a first tool measurement that excludes determining data from a vehicle data message. The computing system can determine a selected vehicle component for the first tool measurement by the selected measurement tool. The computing system can determine a spatial identifier for the first tool measurement. The computing system can determine the first tool measurement performed by the selected measurement tool. A radio transceiver of the computing system can receive radio signals carrying the first tool measurement from the selected measurement tool. The first tool measurement received by the radio transceiver can be provided to one or more processors of the computing system. The computing system can generate and output the vehicle data report that includes the first tool measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Snap-on Incorporated
    Inventors: Patrick S. Merg, David Costantino, Lester B. Johnson
  • Publication number: 20190333290
    Abstract: A client computing system (CCS) receives a tool measurement from a measurement tool other than by determining the tool measurement from a vehicle data (VD) message. The CCS generates a VD report including a vehicle identifier of a vehicle associated with the tool measurement and the VD report. The VD report can include temporal and/or spatial identifiers pertaining to the tool measurement. The VD report can be provided to a server computing system (SCS) for storage as part of a VD record associated with the vehicle. The CCS that generated the VD report or another CCS can request the VD report from the SCS. The SCS can determine if the requesting CCS is authorized to receive the VD report to maintain the vehicle owner's privacy. The tool measurement can be selected from a service procedure provided to the CCS from SCS and displayed at the CCS.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2019
    Publication date: October 31, 2019
    Inventors: Patrick S. Merg, David Costantino, Lester B. Johnson
  • Publication number: 20190266809
    Abstract: A client computing system (CCS) receives a tool measurement from a measurement tool other than by determining the tool measurement from a vehicle data (VD) message. The CCS generates a VD report including a vehicle identifier of a vehicle associated with the tool measurement and the VD report. The VD report can include temporal and/or spatial identifiers pertaining to the tool measurement. The VD report can be provided to a server computing system (SCS) for storage as part of a VD record associated with the vehicle. The CCS that generated the VD report or another CCS can request the VD report from the SCS. The SCS can determine if the requesting CCS is authorized to receive the VD report to maintain the vehicle owner's privacy. The tool measurement can be selected from a service procedure provided to the CCS from SCS and displayed at the CCS.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2019
    Publication date: August 29, 2019
    Inventors: Patrick S. Merg, David Costantino, Lester B. Johnson
  • Publication number: 20190130668
    Abstract: A method performed by a computing system includes determining a vehicle identifier indicative of a group of like vehicles. The group of like vehicles includes a first vehicle. The method also includes determining a first odometer reading for the first vehicle and determining a first baseline checklist including multiple original checklist items. Determining the first baseline checklist includes determining the first baseline checklist is associated with a range of odometer readings including the first odometer reading for the first vehicle. Furthermore, the method includes determining one or more supplemental checklist items, and generating an augmented checklist based on the first baseline checklist and the one or more supplemental checklist items. Furthermore still, the method includes outputting the augmented checklist.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2018
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Inventors: Lester B. Johnson, John H. Dwulet
  • Publication number: 20190130658
    Abstract: A method and system that can be used to generate or modify a schedule using data indicative of a vehicle condition reported by a vehicle is described. A server receives a first computer network transmission (CNT) comprising data indicative of the vehicle and the vehicle condition, parses the first CNT to obtain the data indicative of the vehicle and the data indicative of the vehicle condition; determines, based on the data indicative of the vehicle, a computer network address associated with a repair shop having a client disposed at the address to display content of a scheduler application, and transmits to the client disposed at the address, a second CNT comprising data to cause the client to display as part of the content of the scheduler application served by computing server an alert indicator and parsed data indicative of the vehicle and the parsed data indicative of the vehicle condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Inventors: Lester B. Johnson, John H. Dwulet