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. 6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the match outcome comprises a single matching sVIN leaf value, further comprising: if the single matching sVIN leaf value does not fall between an expected minimum sVIN leaf value and an expected maximum sVIN leaf value, assigning every distinct TIC value in a first lookup table that share the sVIN stem to the VIN; and if the single matching sVIN leaf value falls between the expected minimum sVIN leaf value and the expected maximum sVIN leaf value, assigning a TIC value associated with the sVIN leaf to the VIN.