Method and system for renting a construction machine

• US 20020013712A1
• Filed: 06/06/2001
• Published: 01/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kobelco Construction Machinery Company Limited (Kobe Steel Limited)
• Original Assignee: Kobelco Construction Machinery Company Limited (Kobe Steel Limited)
• Inventors: Nishiyama, Takehiro
• Application Number:
  US09/874,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20020013712A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions

Abstract

In this inventive method and system for renting a construction machine, a network server is allowed to hold information related to specification, a rental situation and a location of a construction machine for rent, and information related to specification of construction machine desiring reception of a rental service, information related to a rental period desiring reception of the rental service, and information related to the location desiring reception of the rental service are input when a person who desires to receive the rental service gets access to a network, whereby the network server searches with information related to the specification, the rental period and the location input by the person as search items, for information related to rentable construction machines to provide a searched result to the person. Thereby, the total holding number of construction machines held by a rental company can be reduced to cope with the general users'"'"' desire of a rental service, and further enhance the operating rate of construction machines held by the firm.

Claims

1. A method for renting a construction machine, comprising the steps of:

causing a network server to hold basic information including specification, rental situation and location of a construction machine for rent;

causing a person seeking a rental service of a construction machine to input specification information including specification of a construction machine of his choice, rental period information including a rental period of his choice, and rental place information including a rental place of his choice when the person gets access to said network;

causing said network server to search with information including the specification, the rental period and the rental place input by the person as search items, for information related to a rentable construction machine on the basis of the basic information including the specification, the rental situation and the location held by the network server; and

providing the person with a searched result by the network server.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said network server searches for information related to the rentable construction machines in favor of the rental place information.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein said network server carries out an equivocal search, after having searched in favor of the rental place information, with respect to the specification information or the rental period information.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein said rental place information comprises a hierarchical structure comprising an upper location information showing a wider area as an upper class and a lower location information showing a narrower area as a lower class, and the network server searches for information related to the rentable construction machine with the upper location information as an essential search item and the lower location information as an equivocal search item

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein said construction machine for rent is a tracklaying construction machine.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein said network server searches for information related to the rentable construction machine in favor of the specification information.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein said specification information comprises a hierarchical structure comprising an upper specification that is not easy to change as an upper class and a lower specification that is easy to change as a lower class, and said network server searches for information related to the rentable construction machine with information related to the upper specification as an essential search item, and with information related to the lower specification as an equivocal search item.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein said network server searches for information related to the rentable construction machine in favor of the rental period information.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein said network server searches for information related to the rentable construction machine in favor of one selected out of at least two items out of the specification, the rental period or the rental place of his choice.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein said network server provides the person with the information related to the rentable construction machine as a list including information related to the location of the construction machine for rent.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein said network server provides the person with the information related to the rentable construction machine as a calendar including information related to the rental situation of the construction machine for rent.

12. The method according to claim 1 wherein in a case where information related to the rentable construction machine cannot be searched, said network server provides information related to the rentable construction machine owned by a holder of said network server to the person.

13. A method for renting a construction machine from a person who desires to rent the construction machine to a person who desires to receive rental through a network, characterized in that a network server is allowed to hold at least information related to specification, a rental situation, a location of a construction machine for rent, and when the person who desires to receive rental gets access to said network, at least information related to specification of a construction machine of his hope, information related to a rental period of his hope and information related to a rental place of his hope are input, and said network server searches, with information related to the specification, the rental period and the rental place input by the person who desires to receive rental as search items, for information related to a rentable construction machine on the basis of information related to the specification, the rental situation and the location held by the network server to provide a searched result to the person who desires to receive rental.

14. A system for renting a construction machine through a network, comprising:

a network server for holding basic information including specification, a rental situation, and a location of a construction machine for rent; and

a network terminal for causing a person seeking a rental service of a construction machine capable of inputting, when the person gets access to the network, basic information related to specification of a construction machine of his choice, a rental period of his choice and a rental place of his choice,

wherein said network server searches, with information related to the specification, the rental period and the rental place input by the person, for information related to a rentable construction machine on the basis of the information related to the specification, the rental situation and the location held by the network server to provide a searched result to the person.

15. A system for renting a construction machine through a network, comprising:

a network server for holding basic information related to specification, a rental situation and a location of a construction machine for rent, said network server searching with information including specification, a rental period and a rental place of a construction machine of which a person seeking a rental service input by a network terminal as search items, for information related to a rentable construction machine on the basis of the basic information related to the specification, the rental situation and the location held by said network server to provide a searched result to the network terminal.

16. A system for renting a construction machine through a network, comprising:

a network terminal for causing a person seeking a rental service of a construction machine capable of inputting information related to specification of a construction machine of his choice, a rental period of his choice and a rental place of his choice, said network terminal allowing a network server to search with information related to the specification, the rental period and the rental place input by the person as search items, for information related to a rentable construction machine on the basis of information related to specification, a rental situation and a location of a construction machine for rent held by the network server, to provide a searched result to the person through said network terminal.