1. A method for decoding a vehicle identification number (VIN), comprising: at a first computer having a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor for: partitioning a shortened VIN (sVIN) into a sVIN stem and a sVIN leaf; finding one or more matching sVIN leaf values from a set of look up tables utilizing the sVIN stem; assigning one or more trim identification code (TIC) values to the VIN depending upon a match outcome; constructing a candidate list utilizing the one or more TIC values, the candidate list containing one or more candidate trims for the VIN; generating a confidence score and a match probability for each of the one or more candidate trims; and based on the confidence score and the match probability generated for each of the one or more candidate trims, providing decoded information for the VIN to a second computer communicatively connected to the first computer over a network connection, the decoded information including trim data associated with at least one of the one or more candidate trims.
1. A method for decoding a vehicle identification number (VIN), comprising: at a first computer having a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor for: partitioning a shortened VIN (sVIN) into a sVIN stem and a sVIN leaf; finding one or more matching sVIN leaf values from a set of look up tables utilizing the sVIN stem; assigning one or more trim identification code (TIC) values to the VIN depending upon a match outcome; constructing a candidate list utilizing the one or more TIC values, the candidate list containing one or more candidate trims for the VIN; generating a confidence score and a match probability for each of the one or more candidate trims; and based on the confidence score and the match probability generated for each of the one or more candidate trims, providing decoded information for the VIN to a second computer communicatively connected to the first computer over a network connection, the decoded information including trim data associated with at least one of the one or more candidate trims. 8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the match outcome comprises multiple matching sVIN leaf values, further comprising: if any one of the multiple matching sVIN leaf values does not fall between an expected minimum sVIN leaf value and an expected maximum sVIN leaf value, categorizing the match outcome as a model orphan; if only a first sVIN leaf of the multiple matching sVIN leaf values falls between the expected minimum sVIN leaf value and the expected maximum sVIN leaf value, assigning a TIC value associated with the first sVIN leaf to the VIN; if more than one of the multiple matching sVIN leaf values fall between the expected minimum sVIN leaf value and the expected maximum sVIN leaf value, considering only sVIN leaf values that fall between a minimum sVIN leaf value and a maximum sVIN leaf value; and if more than one of the multiple matching sVIN leaf values fall between the minimum sVIN leaf value and the maximum sVIN leaf value, assigning TIC values associated with sVIN leaf values that fall between the minimum sVIN leaf value and the maximum sVIN leaf value.