Fully automated vehicle rental system
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Abstract
An automated vehicle rental system with individual vehicle transmitting sensors for keeping track of vehicle mileage, fill state of vehicle fuel tank, and localized position status in a rental lot. Sensors are linked to the vehicle odometer reading and to the vehicle fuel tank float sensor with compensation for types of driving and fuel fill-ups which affect float level readings. The sensors are integrated with or are linked with communicating tags operable in a defined site for ultimate communication of stored vehicle related sensor data, vehicle location and type to a central data base for automatically completely effecting check out, charges and state of vehicle readiness for renewed rental. The transmitting sensors are adapted to avoid interference between sensors of other vehicles during multiple transmissions. Also included is an in-vehicle check out and payment device operatively linkable to the transmitting sensor of the vehicle.
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Citations
42 Claims
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1-15. -15. (canceled)
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16. A method for managing a plurality of rental vehicles located within a rental vehicle lot having a plurality of stations including a parking station and a return station, comprising:
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monitoring by each rental vehicle of vehicle movement into one of the plurality of stations;
remotely communicating vehicle information to a processing unit in response to initial entry into the station;
recording by the processing unit of vehicle presence in the station in response to the remote communication from the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method for renting a rental vehicle, comprising:
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storing rental information in a rental vehicle, the rental information including current vehicle fuel level and vehicle distance traveled while rented;
detecting by the rental vehicle itself of a return to a rental vehicle lot;
responsive to such a detection, initiating a remote communication transmission of the stored rental information from the rental vehicle to a central rental node;
acknowledging by the central rental node to the rental vehicle of receipt of the remote communication transmitted rental vehicle information;
inhibiting by the rental vehicle of further transmission of the stored rental information following central rental node acknowledgment; and
calculating by the central rental node based on the transmitted rental vehicle information of a charge incurred for use of the rental vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42)
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Specification