Systems and methods for third party satellite radio activation and management

• US 10,592,974 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2013
• Issued: 03/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avis Budget Car Rental LLC (Avis Budget Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Avis Budget Car Rental LLC (Avis Budget Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Chan, Wing Yu Joseph, Caron, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vetter, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tungate, Scott M
• Application Number:
  US14/057,662
• Publication Number:
  US 20150112736A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,342 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions

Abstract

System and methods for management of third party satellite radio activation/deactivation by a vehicle rental service company, wherein satellite radio services may be provided in a rental car when requested by a customer. The systems and methods will enable activation of a satellite radio shortly before or at the start of the rental period, and activation may be altered by the vehicle rental service company in the event that the rental period is shortened or extended, or if the vehicle is exchanged. The systems and methods deactivate the satellite radio service at the end of the rental period. The systems and methods may also be used to activate or deactivate other equipment or services made available via a vehicle rental service company in response to a customer request.

Claims

1. A system for managing an installed satellite radio in a rental vehicle, the system comprising:

a vehicle rental service company fleet comprising a plurality of vehicles available for use by one or more customers of said vehicle service company, at least some of said plurality of vehicles equipped with an installed satellite radio, each installed satellite radio with a unique identification number and configured to operate in an lockable active mode wherein said satellite radio receives signals to unlock and lock access to satellite radio services, respectively;

a reservation system with one or more servers configured to create vehicle rental reservations in response to customer inquiries, wherein the reservations include a check-out time, a check-in time and a designation of whether satellite radio services are requested;

a reservation management system including a processor configured to review rental reservations, identify reservations that include a satellite services designation and generate request messages relating to installed satellite radios in vehicles assigned to the identified rental reservations;

a server associated with the reservation management system, connected via a network connection to a satellite radio service provider, configured to transmit said request messages relating to said installed satellite radios to the satellite radio service provider;

a server associated with the satellite radio service provider, configured to receive said request messages directly from the reservation management system server independent of said customers via the network connection, identify the satellite radios associated with the request messages, and cause the satellite radio service provider to transmit appropriate signals to each identified satellite radio, thereby enabling rental customers that have requested satellite radio services from the reservation management system in connection with a vehicle rental to receive satellite radio service in the vehicle associated with the reservation during the rental period without said rental customers providing information to the satellite radio service provider, further wherein the transmissions from the satellite radio service provider to said satellite radios are one-way;

further wherein satellite radio services are provided in the rental vehicles without said rental customers having a satellite radio subscription;

further wherein said request messages comprise one or more of the following;

an unlock message to send a signal to unlock the identified satellite radio;

an extend message to extend the period of time the identified satellite radio is unlocked;

a rehit message to resend a signal to unlock the identified satellite radio; and

an exchange message to transfer the unlocked status from the identified satellite radio to a substitute satellite radio;

further wherein each said installed satellite radio does not transmit or send signals to the satellite radio service provider directly or indirectly to unlock the identified satellite radio to enable rental customers to receive satellite radio service in the vehicle associated with the reservation during the rental period.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the server associated with the satellite radio service provider is further configured in response to receipt of an activation/deactivation request from the reservation management system server, to cause the satellite radio service provider to transmit a deactivation signal to each identified satellite radio, thereby disabling satellite radio services in a rental vehicle after the rental period is completed and the vehicle is returned.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the request message for unlocking of the satellite radio is transmitted to the satellite radio service provider from 5 minutes to 20 minutes prior to the reservation check-out time.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the request message for unlocking of the satellite radio is transmitted to the satellite radio service provider at the check-out time.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the request message for unlocking of the satellite radio is transmitted to the satellite radio service provider after the reservation check-out time.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a fleet management system configured to:

generate a list of vehicles in a vehicle rental service fleet including, for each vehicle in the fleet, a designation of whether such vehicle includes satellite radio equipment and an indication of whether such vehicle is eligible to participate in the provision of satellite radio services;

store fleet data in a fleet management database;

update the fleet data in the fleet management database to reflect vehicles added or removed from the fleet; and

communicate vehicle availability and satellite radio capability to the rental management system for use in providing rental services specified in rental reservations.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the fleet management system is further configured to provide the rental management system with information concerning vehicles in the fleet having satellite radio capability, and wherein the rental management system is configured to exchange fleet data with the satellite radio service provider via two-way communications through the communications network.

8. A method for managing an installed satellite radio in a rental vehicle, the method comprising:

providing a vehicle rental service company fleet comprising a plurality of vehicles available for use by one or more customers of said vehicle service company, at least some of said plurality of vehicles equipped with an installed satellite radio in each said vehicle, each installed satellite radio with a unique identification number and configured to operate in an lockable active mode wherein said satellite radio receives signals to unlock and lock access to satellite radio services, respectively;

creating via a computer network connection on behalf of a customer a vehicle rental reservation, wherein the reservation includes a vehicle, a location, and a rental period having a beginning date and time and an end date and time;

designating within the rental reservation a request by the customer for satellite radio services;

associating a rental vehicle from said fleet with the rental reservation, the rental vehicle being available in the location and at the dates and times specified by the customer, and having installed satellite radio;

managing the reservation in a networked rental management system, wherein the networked rental management system identifies the reservation as requiring satellite radio services, creates one or more request messages identifying the vehicle associated with the reservation, and the installed satellite radio in the vehicle;

transmitting the request message directly from the rental management system to a satellite radio service provider via a secure network connection independent of said customer, wherein the request message contains sufficient information for the satellite radio service provider to identify the vehicle radio to be signaled; and

transmitting a signal from the satellite radio service provider to the installed satellite radio in the vehicle associated with the rental reservation, wherein the satellite radio associated with the reservation is unlocked to enable the customer to receive satellite radio services during the rental period without said customer providing information to the satellite radio service provider, further wherein the transmissions from the satellite radio service provider to said satellite radios are one-way;

further wherein satellite radio services are provided in the rental vehicle without said customer having a satellite radio subscription;

further wherein said request messages comprise one or more of the following;

an unlock message to send a signal to unlock the identified satellite radio;

an extend message to extend the period of time the identified satellite radio is unlocked;

a rehit message to resend a signal to unlock the identified satellite radio; and

an exchange message to transfer the unlocked status from the identified satellite radio to a substitute satellite radio; and

further wherein each said installed satellite radio does not transmit or send signals to the satellite radio service provider directly or indirectly to unlock the identified satellite radio to enable rental customers to receive satellite radio service in the vehicle associated with the reservation during the rental period.

9. The method for claim 8 wherein the message transmitted from the rental management system to a satellite radio service provider via a secure network connection further comprises instructions to transmit a deactivation signal from the satellite radio service provider to the installed satellite radio in the vehicle associated with the rental reservation.

10. The method for claim 8 wherein the unlock message is transmitted from the rental management system to the satellite radio service provider from 5 minutes to 20 minutes prior to the start of the rental period.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the unlock message is transmitted from the rental management system to the satellite radio service provider at the rental period start date and time.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the unlock message is transmitted from the rental management system to the satellite radio service provider after the rental period start date and time.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of

managing fleet data by generating a list of vehicles in said fleet including, for each vehicle in the fleet, a designation of whether such vehicle includes a satellite radio and an indication of whether such vehicle is eligible to participate in the provision of satellite radio services;

storing the fleet data in a fleet management database;

updating the fleet data in the fleet management database to reflect vehicles added or removed from the fleet; and

communicating vehicle availability and satellite radio capability to the rental management system for use in associating a vehicle having the requested satellite radio in the specified location with the reservation.

14. The method of claim 13, further including the steps of

providing the rental management system with information concerning vehicles in the fleet having satellite radio capability, and

exchanging fleet data with the satellite radio service provider via two-way communications transmitted through the secure network connection.