Method and apparatus for integrated image capture for vehicles to track damage
First Claim
1. A system for integrating images of rental vehicles from gate cameras and mobile devices to create a searchable database of rental vehicle images that integrates images of rental vehicles from multiple rental sites, the system comprising:
- a plurality of gate cameras at a plurality of rental sites, the gate cameras configured to generate a plurality of images of rental vehicles as the rental vehicles arrive at or depart from the rental sites, wherein the gate camera images show damage conditions of the rental vehicles depicted therein; and
a plurality of mobile devices at a plurality of rental sites, the mobile devices comprising at least one of tablet computers and/or smart phones, each mobile device comprising (1) a mobile application configured to open or close a plurality of rental transactions for customers in response to user input, and (2) a mobile camera configured to generate a plurality of mobile camera images of a plurality of rental vehicles in relation to the rental transactions in coordination with the mobile application, wherein the mobile camera images show damage conditions of the rental vehicles depicted therein;
wherein the mobile application is further configured to (1) generate condition report data for the rental transactions in response to user input, and (2) create metadata for the mobile camera rental vehicle images, wherein the metadata for the mobile camera rental vehicle images comprises (i) an identifier for each rental vehicle depicted in the mobile camera rental vehicle images, and (ii) an association with the generated condition report data for each rental transaction relating to the subject mobile camera rental vehicle image;
a computer system in communication with the gate cameras and the mobile devices, wherein the computer system comprises;
a database configured to store (1) rental agreement data, the rental agreement data being representative of a plurality of rental agreements for a plurality of rental transactions with respect to a plurality of rental vehicles, and (2) condition report data, the condition report data corresponding to a plurality of condition reports from the mobile devices and comprising data indicative of a condition for a plurality of rental vehicles with respect to a plurality of rental transactions; and
wherein the computer system is configured to;
receive the rental vehicle images from the gate cameras, the gate camera rental vehicle images being associated with metadata, the metadata comprising an identifier for each rental vehicle depicted in the gate camera rental vehicle images and a temporal identifier indicative of when each gate camera rental vehicle image was created;
receive the mobile camera rental vehicle images and their corresponding metadata from the mobile devices;
search the database based on the metadata for the gate camera rental vehicle images and the metadata for the mobile camera rental vehicle images to automatically pair each of a plurality of the gate camera rental vehicle images and each of a plurality of the mobile camera rental vehicle images with at least one of a rental transaction in the database and/or condition report data in the database in common between the subject gate camera rental vehicle image or subject mobile camera rental vehicle image;
store the paired gate camera rental vehicle images and the paired mobile camera rental vehicle images in the database in association with their corresponding rental transactions and condition report data; and
create a plurality of associations in the database between the paired gate camera rental vehicle images, the paired mobile camera rental vehicle images, and their corresponding rental transactions and condition report data to thereby make the database a searchable multi-rental site database of gate camera rental vehicle images and mobile camera rental vehicle images that have been associated with rental transactions and condition report data.
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Abstract
Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are disclosed for building a consolidated searchable database of vehicle images that were captured at a plurality of different sites. The database can be searched to track vehicle condition over time and over a plurality of transactions involving the vehicles. From this information, a determination can be made as to whether damage first arose on a vehicle during a particular transaction for the purpose of allocating responsibility for payment of repair costs.
24 Citations
9 Claims
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1. A system for integrating images of rental vehicles from gate cameras and mobile devices to create a searchable database of rental vehicle images that integrates images of rental vehicles from multiple rental sites, the system comprising:
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a plurality of gate cameras at a plurality of rental sites, the gate cameras configured to generate a plurality of images of rental vehicles as the rental vehicles arrive at or depart from the rental sites, wherein the gate camera images show damage conditions of the rental vehicles depicted therein; and a plurality of mobile devices at a plurality of rental sites, the mobile devices comprising at least one of tablet computers and/or smart phones, each mobile device comprising (1) a mobile application configured to open or close a plurality of rental transactions for customers in response to user input, and (2) a mobile camera configured to generate a plurality of mobile camera images of a plurality of rental vehicles in relation to the rental transactions in coordination with the mobile application, wherein the mobile camera images show damage conditions of the rental vehicles depicted therein; wherein the mobile application is further configured to (1) generate condition report data for the rental transactions in response to user input, and (2) create metadata for the mobile camera rental vehicle images, wherein the metadata for the mobile camera rental vehicle images comprises (i) an identifier for each rental vehicle depicted in the mobile camera rental vehicle images, and (ii) an association with the generated condition report data for each rental transaction relating to the subject mobile camera rental vehicle image; a computer system in communication with the gate cameras and the mobile devices, wherein the computer system comprises; a database configured to store (1) rental agreement data, the rental agreement data being representative of a plurality of rental agreements for a plurality of rental transactions with respect to a plurality of rental vehicles, and (2) condition report data, the condition report data corresponding to a plurality of condition reports from the mobile devices and comprising data indicative of a condition for a plurality of rental vehicles with respect to a plurality of rental transactions; and wherein the computer system is configured to; receive the rental vehicle images from the gate cameras, the gate camera rental vehicle images being associated with metadata, the metadata comprising an identifier for each rental vehicle depicted in the gate camera rental vehicle images and a temporal identifier indicative of when each gate camera rental vehicle image was created; receive the mobile camera rental vehicle images and their corresponding metadata from the mobile devices; search the database based on the metadata for the gate camera rental vehicle images and the metadata for the mobile camera rental vehicle images to automatically pair each of a plurality of the gate camera rental vehicle images and each of a plurality of the mobile camera rental vehicle images with at least one of a rental transaction in the database and/or condition report data in the database in common between the subject gate camera rental vehicle image or subject mobile camera rental vehicle image; store the paired gate camera rental vehicle images and the paired mobile camera rental vehicle images in the database in association with their corresponding rental transactions and condition report data; and create a plurality of associations in the database between the paired gate camera rental vehicle images, the paired mobile camera rental vehicle images, and their corresponding rental transactions and condition report data to thereby make the database a searchable multi-rental site database of gate camera rental vehicle images and mobile camera rental vehicle images that have been associated with rental transactions and condition report data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of integrating images of rental vehicles from gate cameras and mobile devices to create a searchable database of rental vehicle images that integrates images of rental vehicles from multiple rental sites, the method comprising:
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receiving a plurality of rental vehicle images from a plurality of gate cameras at a plurality of rental sites, wherein the gate camera rental vehicle images show damage conditions of the rental vehicles depicted therein; receiving metadata associated with the received gate camera rental vehicle images, the metadata for the gate camera rental vehicle images including identifiers for the rental vehicles depicted in the gate camera rental vehicle images; receiving a plurality of rental vehicle images from a plurality of mobile devices at a plurality of rental sites, the mobile devices comprising at least one of tablet computers and/or smart phones, wherein the mobile device rental vehicle images show damage conditions of the rental vehicles depicted therein; receiving metadata associated with the received mobile device rental vehicle images, the metadata for the mobile device rental vehicle images including identifiers for the rental vehicles depicted in the mobile device rental vehicle images; for at least a plurality of the received gate camera rental vehicle images and a plurality of the received mobile device rental vehicle images, (1) processing their associated metadata, (2) automatically creating a data association in a memory between at least a plurality of those gate camera rental vehicle images and mobile device rental vehicle images and their associated metadata with at least one of a condition report and/or a rental agreement for the rental vehicles depicted by those gate camera rental vehicle images and mobile device rental vehicle images; and creating a searchable multi-rental site database of gate camera rental vehicle images and mobile device rental vehicle images cross-indexed by rental vehicle identifiers, rental agreements, and condition reports; and wherein the method steps are performed by a processor. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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Specification