Automated exchange for determining availability of assets shareable among entities

• US 20020180617A1
• Filed: 05/29/2001
• Published: 12/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Asset Intelligence LLC (PowerFleet, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Terion Incorporated (General Electric Company)
• Inventors: Doyle, Thomas F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,091,882 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/988
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

An automated exchange for determining the availability of mobile assets that are shareable among mobile asset users. The automated exchange includes a plurality of mobile asset sources for providing mobile assets of one or more types, a data center for providing the availability status of each mobile asset, and asset status and availability inputs having communication connection to the data center. The asset status and availability inputs include mobile asset sensors, asset monitoring sensors, manual inputs, and asset status and availability record. A processor located at the data center determines the availability of each mobile asset using the status and availability input data. The processor also receives and processes requests for available mobile assets. A user computer having a communication link to the data center provides user access to information relating to the availability of the mobile assets and user interface to request for available mobile assets. The data center may be connected to an intermediary business entity. The intermediary business entity also facilitates and automates recurring rental transactions and exchanges among long-term users and mobile asset sources. The intermediary business entity also may form a contractual relationship with the users and mobile asset sources to broker transactions using the asset status and availability information from the data center and provide periodic transaction balance and billing statements.

Claims

1. A system for determining the availability of mobile assets comprising:

a plurality of mobile asset sources for providing the mobile assets that may be made available and are of one or more types, each mobile asset comprises a location detector for providing position data, at least one mobile asset sensor for detecting a parameter relating to the availability of the mobile asset and wireless communication mechanism for transmitting data relating to the availability of the mobile asset; and

a data center for providing the availability status of the mobile assets,

wherein, the data center comprises a receiver for receiving the mobile asset availability data from the mobile assets and a processor programmed for determining the type of each mobile asset, processing availability data, and using the data to determine the availability of each mobile asset.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor develops a record of asset status and availability information of each mobile asset and uses the record and the data to determine the availability of each mobile asset.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one mobile asset sensor detects a parameter relating to the status of the mobile asset.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the parameter relating to the availability includes mobile asset motion, mobile asset loaded/unloaded status, mobile asset door activity, mobile asset security data, mobile asset location, mobile asset mileage, mobile asset fuel level and tire status.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the availability data is determined based on the type of each mobile asset.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of mobile asset sources include trucking rental companies.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of mobile asset sources further include trucking companies that make available mobile assets on a rental basis.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the wireless communication mechanism provides two way text messaging between a user and a mobile asset driver.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the data center has a server system having a network connection to a user computer for providing information relating to the availability of the mobile assets.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one asset monitoring sensor connected to the data center for providing data relating to the availability of the mobile assets.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the at least one asset monitoring sensor is located at a mobile asset garage and detects mobile assets.

12. The system of claim 1 further comprising a manual input communication link connected to the data center for receiving manual input of data relating to the availability of the mobile assets.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the manual input of the data includes the type of a mobile asset.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the plurality of mobile asset sources include trucking rental companies.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the plurality of mobile asset sources further include trucking companies that make available mobile assets on a rental basis.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the processor is a server system having a network connection to the plurality of user computers for providing information relating to the availability of the mobile assets.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the server system receives and processes requests for available mobile assets.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein the processor develops and stores a record of asset status and availability information of each mobile asset in a memory.

20. The system of claim 14 wherein the plurality of user computers further provide user access to information relating to the status of authorized mobile assets.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the authorized mobile assets include mobile assets that are owned, leased or rented by a user.

22. The system of claim 14 wherein the plurality of user computers are used to request availability of a subset of available mobile assets from the plurality of mobile asset sources.

23. The system of claim 14 wherein one of the plurality of user computers is used by one of the plurality of mobile asset sources to make a mobile asset available.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the intermediary business entity forms agreements with the users and the plurality of mobile asset sources to conduct transactions of the available mobile assets.

26. The system of claim 24 wherein one of the plurality of user computers is used by one of the plurality of mobile asset sources to make a mobile asset available.

27. The system of claim 24 wherein the plurality of mobile asset sources include trucking rental companies.

28. The system of claim 24 wherein the plurality of mobile asset sources further include trucking companies that make available mobile assets on a rental basis.

29. The system of claim 24 wherein the data center comprising a computer for determining the availability of each mobile asset.

30. The system of claim 24 wherein the users and the plurality of mobile asset sources efficiently manage the available mobile assets by conducting transactions including rental transactions and exchanges.

31. The system of claim 24 wherein the intermediary business entity automates recurring rental transactions and exchanges between a common long-term user and a mobile asset source.

32. The system of claim 24 wherein the intermediary business entity comprises a sewer for providing the communication link to the plurality of user computers through the network.

33. The system of claim 24 wherein the intermediary business entity further comprises a memory for storing a record of transactions.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein the intermediary business entity determines a rental charge of a mobile asset based on the record of transactions and the agreement.

35. The system of claim 33 wherein the intermediary business entity determines the transaction balance of a mobile asset source based on the record of transactions.

36. The system of claim 33 wherein the intermediary business entity determines the transaction balance of a user based on the record of transactions.

14. A system for exchanging mobile assets determined to be available comprising:

a plurality of mobile asset sources for providing the mobile assets that may be made available and are of one or more types;

a processor programmed for determining the availability of each mobile asset, and receiving and processing requests for available mobile assets; and

a plurality of user computers for providing user access to information relating to the availability of the mobile assets and user interface to request one or more mobile assets that are determined to be available.

24. A system for exchanging mobile assets determined to be made available comprising:

a plurality of mobile asset sources for providing the mobile assets that may be made available and are of one or more types;

a data center for providing the availability of the mobile assets;

an intermediary business entity having a communication link to the data center for providing a network of users and the plurality of mobile asset sources to efficiently manage the mobile assets that are made available by using the availability information from the data center; and

a plurality of user computers having a communication link to the intermediary business entity for providing user interface to request one or more mobile assets that are determined to be available.