Apparatus for calculating a repair cost of a damaged car5317503Abstract Necessary information in an estimate of repair cost of a damaged car, for example, damage types, repair work items, parts names, values of repair cost are stored. By displaying these information on a screen and selecting necessary items for a repair work, an estimate of repair cost can be made with convenience, accuracy, efficiency and without error. By displaying an illustration of a part on the same screen where data of the part are displayed, an accurate estimate is realized. Further, providing a sheet wherein a part and a work item and so on are described, the estimate is carried out by inputting a code number. Such a configuration prevents an estimate omission. By using, for example, a Compact Disk which has a large storage capacity as a recording medium, a large amount of information is stored. Claims What is claimed is: Description BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
TABLE 1
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01# FRONT BUMPER
02# HEADLAMP WASHER
03# FRONT TURN SIGNAL LAMP
04# FOG LAMPS
07# RADIATOR GRILL
08# HEADLAMP
09# HEADLAMP WIPER
10# HEADLAMP RADIATOR
11# SIDE LAMP (INSIDE OF A HEADLAMP)
12# SIDE LAMP (UNDER A HEADLAMP)
13# SIDE LAMP (OUTSIDE OF A HEADLAMP)
15# FOG LAMP
17# FRONT MASK PANEL
18# FRONT BALANCE PANEL
19# FOOD AND COWL TOP
20# FRONT FENDER
21# SIDE TURN SIGNAL LAMP
22# FENDER MARKER/HEADLAMP MONITOR
23# FENDER MIRROR
25# RADIATOR SUPPORT
26# FENDER APRON AND SIDE MEMBER
27# FRONT WINDSHIELD
28# FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPER
35# ROOM MIRROR
36# INSTRUMENT PANEL
37# FRONT DOOR
38# DOOR MIRROR
39# REAR DOOR
40#.41# MOLDING AND STRIPE
42# SIDE BODY
43# FUEL FILLER LID
45# ROOF
46# SEAT
47# QUARTER WINDSHIELD
48# BACK DOOR
49# REAR WINDSHIELD
50# REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER
52# TRUNK LID
53# REAR END AND PANEL AND FLOOR
58# REAR MOLDING
59# REAR COMBINATION LAMP
60# BUCK UP LAMP
61# REAR LICENSE PLATE LAMP
62# BACK SONAR
63# REAR BUMPER
65#.66# EMBLEM AND NAME PLATE
71# [WIRING IN ENGINE ROOM AND PIPE
LAYING ACCESSORIES
72#.73# RADIATOR
74#.75# ENGINE
76# OIL COOLER
77# INTER COOLER
78# COOLER
79# HORN
80# FUEL TANK
81# MUFFLER
82# STEERING COLUMN
83# STEERING GEAR AND LINKAGE
85# FRONT SUSPENSION
86# REAR SUSPENSION
87# WHEEL
88# [WHEEL ALIGNMENT MEASUREMENT]
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Referring to FIG. 2 again, the operation proceeds to step n2 from step n1, and a code number of a damaged car to be repaired is inputted. By this operation, a selection menu of a damage type corresponding to the code number is read out from the recording medium 7 and displayed by the display means 4 as shown in FIG. 6. The damage type is selected while looking at a screen. For example, the damage type of a severe, middle or slight damage in a front part of a car body are selected at first, then the damage type of a severe, middle or slight damage in a rear part of a car body are selected, further the damage of side parts of a car body are selected while looking at a screen, and at the same time a selection regarding coating is carried out. At step n3a, an order of estimate is selected. The order of estimate is selected in a fixed order, for example according to the direction as indicated by an arrow mark 10; from a front part of a car body 9, or according to the direction as indicated by an arrow mark 11; from a rear part of a car body 9 as shown in FIG. 7, thereby estimate omission is prevented. At the next menu for selecting a section, the sections are displayed according to the selected order in which the sections are selected. At step n4, the menu for selecting a section is displayed as shown in FIG. 8. A table of the sections in the selected damage type is displayed as shown in FIG. 8 after selecting the damage types and inputting them by the input means 6. From the table of the sections, the section to be estimated is selected. For example, the sections to be repaired, corresponding to middle damage in the front part of a car body are selected as above mentioned. Looking at the screen, an estimator selects the section by a cursor which is operated by the input means 6. Thus, only a necessary data of a section for a repair work is retrieved after a damage type is selected at first and then a section is selected. According to such a double selection, a burden of the estimator is noticeably reduced. Further, the work items and the parts data of the section are selected. At first, at step n5, an operator selects a work item while looking at the screen as shown in FIG. 9. For example, a work to attach and detach a front fender is to detach the front fender from a car body and attach it to the place where it was. An operation time which is corresponded to a repair cost is attached to every work item. By multiplying the operation time by a labor rate which is a predetermined value, the repair cost is easily obtained. In the processing circuit 3, a price corresponding to an operation time is previously determined. After selecting the work item at every section, a screen for selecting parts at step n6 is displayed as shown in FIG. 10. An illustration of a part 12 and a table of the parts 20 are displayed on a screen for selecting parts as shown in FIG. 10. In the table 20, the parts and the code numbers attached to the parts are also listed in the form of a table. In the illustration 12, the parts and the code numbers attached to the parts are described. The selection of the parts is carried out by the input means 6 with reference to the part name and the code number. Thereby, the part which is difficult to be specified by only the part name is able to be selected accurately. An accurate estimate is possible by recognizing a configuration of the part and the structure of a car body in this way. Such a configuration as displaying both of the drawings and the parts data on the same screen in an important advantage in the invention. Further, data of the part is used as a repair work item, that is, by using a part name which is a portion of the part data, selection regarding fabrication work of a panel, so called sheet metal fabrication is possible. Regarding these parts and the works, the operation times on the basis of the repair cost are predetermined. At step n8, a coating color and a coating material is selected. At this time the content of the recording medium 1 is displayed as shown in FIG. 11 by the display means 4. There are plural combinations of a kind of coating color and a kind of coating material. The kind of coating color and the kind of coating material of the damaged car to be repaired are inputted by input means 6. At step n9, a coating work item is selected after a screen as shown in FIG. 12 is displayed by the display means 4. The operation times on the basis of the repair cost and the material costs are attached to the coating work items. Thus, in the invention, regarding a coating work; a coating color system/a coating material system is substitute for the section. At first, a coating color system and a coating material system are selected on a selection menu of the coating color system/the coating material system as shown in FIG. 11. Then, the working item is selected on the selection menu of the coating work item as shown in FIG. 12. Thereby estimate of a coating work cost is easily obtained with a high accuracy. At step n10, a description of repair technician fee is displayed in the form of table as shown in FIG. 13, the total of the operation times and the costs corresponding to the total of operation times are displayed. Further, a description of parts price is displayed in the form of table as shown in FIG. 14, so that the estimator is able to confirm the content of the description. A description of coating technician fee and material price is also displayed in the form of table as shown in FIG. 15, so that the estimator is also able to confirm the content of the description. After the confirmation of the description, at step n11, for example a written estimate as shown in FIGS. 17-24 is made out. FIGS. 17-18 is a drawing showing an example of an estimate. FIGS. 20-21 is a drawing showing an example of a description of the repair technician fee/the parts price and a description of the coating technician fee/the material costs. FIGS. 23-24 is a drawing showing an example of a delivery note. According to the configuration, there are the following advantages. 1. The necessary part for a repair work is selected while looking at an illustration of the parts. Thereby, the parts are selected accurately, and a worker learns naturally the knowledge regarding the construction of the parts and the body structure which is indispensable to estimate. 2. According to the invention, an easy operation is possible because the information of the work items, the parts, including the illustrations are stored in the recording medium 1, for example, a CD-ROM. For example in a case that the recording medium 1 which is two pieces of CD-ROM, the information of the work items, the parts of over three hundreds car models are able to be stored. In this case, the contents of the recording medium 1 have only to be revised and renewed twice in a year. It is not necessary to exchange a floppy disk according to a car model to be repaired and to renew a content, due to the use of a CD-ROM which has a large storage capacity as the recording-medium 1. Therefore, a simple operation is possible. This point is also an important advantage. 3. The information which are recorded in the recording medium 1 being, for example a CD-ROM are accurate. As a work data, the work items and the work operation times which are labor times are provided. As a work operation time, the operation times agreed between insurance companies and the trade group of car repair are used in principle. When there is not a work item necessary for a repair work, an original work items which are previously investigated are provided. Further, data of coating work are also original. The data is composed of data of the coating work items, the work operation times and the material prices. As a parts data, for example reference numbers, part names, part numbers, standard prices, which are correspondent to an illustration displayed on a screen are provided. 4. The original concept of the section is adopted in order to retrieve a large quantity of data efficiently. The concept is based on the method of dividing a whole body into 40-80 sections and of selecting the work items and the parts at every sections. 5. In the details of the operation, there are many advantages in the invention in order to make out a high quality estimate, further in an estimate itself there are many advantages in order to be useful for economization of an office work. To select data of a repair work item and the part of the table again, that is, it is possible as shown in FIGS. 25-27 to return from a screen showing a table of the repair work item and the part to a selection menu of the repair work item and the part at every section, or a selection menu of the section, or a selection menu of the damage type, and select additionally or select again from the beginning. FIG. 25 is a drawing showing a display screen for correcting the description of the repair technician fee. FIG. 26 is a drawing showing a display screen for correcting the description of the part price. FIG. 27 is a drawing showing a display screen for correcting the description of a coating technician fee and the material cost. It is possible to return to the screen as shown in FIGS. 6, 8, 9 and 10 from the screen as shown in FIG. 17, it is also possible to return to the screen as shown FIG. 26 to the screen as shown in FIG. 6, 8 and 10. Further, it is also possible to return to the screen as shown in FIG. 12 or the screen as shown in FIG. 11 from the screen as shown in FIG. 27. Further, every screen display format has a conformity in the invention. As a direction regarding operation, a next operation is directed by blinking the column which should be inputted. The explanation of a function key included in the input means 6 is displayed at the lower part on a screen. Thereby, an estimator is able to master an operation easily, without an operation manual and without other's help, so that time and cost required for a study of an estimate are reduced. According to another configuration, the invention is able to select the part data and repair work item by inputting a code number. As shown in FIG. 28-30, on sheets of a booklet for example a magazine, a drawings of parts 13, code numbers of sections 14 including the parts, repair work items 15, code numbers of repair work items 16, part names 17, code numbers of parts 18 are described. These sheets are made of, for example a paper and the sheets are able to be sold as an estimating manual which is, for example a booklet. An estimator inputs a code number described on the sheets by the input means 6. By this operation, the screen as shown in FIG. 31 are displayed, whereby the operation time is displayed at the same time, so that an operation for estimate is easily carried out. Further, according to the invention, the invention has a function to make out a sales slip which is also a delivery note by making use of a price data of an estimate. The price data is transferred from a recording medium (a floppy disk or a hard disk) 7 for an ordinary processing to a recording medium (floppy disk) 7 for storing data. Thereby, efficiency of using the recording medium 7 for ordinary processing is improved and a processing speed in the invention is maintained. Further, in the embodiment of the invention, there are many advantages in processing accompanied with a collection and a representative payment of a tax and an insurance. The collection and the representative payment of a specified tax, a car tax, a compulsory automobile liability insurance peculiar to the trade world should be counted not as general sales, but should be classified as tax and insurance. Generally, tax and insurance are counted up as the other charges which includes a procedure fee. On the contrary in the embodiment, tax and insurance are established as a different item from the procedure fee, thereafter a total of charge, the tax and the insurance are counted up as the other charge. Further, the tax and the insurance should be subtracted from gross sales, therefore counted as no-taxable of consumers tax on a sales slip. The other charge is collected as a payment in advance customly in the trade world in accordance with the collection and the representative payment of the specified tax, the car tax and the compulsory automobile liability insurance as above mentioned. According to the invention, by establishing a new item of the payment in advance in the estimate and the sales slip which is also the delivery note, an economy of office work is realized. Further, there exist an apparatus for management and calculation of sales which works individually on the processing circuit 3 without a particular operation when making out a sales slip. By a work of the apparatus, receiving money processing is automatically carried out. This is an unprecedented function. In the invention, there are many advantages regarding division of sales accompanied with a payment of insurance and automatic processing of plural sales. In a repair of a car body, the cost is often paid from an automobile liability insurance. Sales price on a sales slip is able to be divided into a payment of automobile property damage liability insurance company, a payments of automobile physical damage insurance company and a payment of a car owner who is also a contractor of insurance. Further, there exist an apparatus for management and calculation of sales which works individually on the processing circuit 3 corresponding to each payment without a particular operation when a sales slip is made out. According to the apparatus, sales processing is automatically carried out. This is also an unprecedented function. The store capacity of the CD-ROM used in the invention is, for example 550 Mega bits, the information of about 1.1.times.10.sup.6 pieces including a part name, a part number, a part price for making out a bill are stored in a single CD-ROM. Drawings of 57,000 parts which are plain views showing the shape of the part are also stored in a single CD-ROM. Therefore, the following fact would be recognized: the information being necessary for calculating the repair cost of many car models are stored in one CD-ROM. Especially, since a repair workhouse is a narrow space, a reduction of the number of CD-ROMs is desirable. According to the invention, the number of CD-ROMs is able to be reduced. Further, although a new CD-ROM should be provided for a new car model when the new car model is sold, considering a number of new car models sold in a year in a U.S.A. market, only one or two CD-ROMs is enough to store the information of the new car models. Thereby the user's burden of handling a CD-ROM in the repair workhouse is reduced. Only one or two CD-ROMs satisfies the requirement for storing the information of the new cars. The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing form the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description and all changes which come within the meaning and the range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.
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