Automated equipment management and reservation system
First Claim
1. A method of rental equipment management for a plurality of rental locations on a network, the network having at least one computer-server for communicating with users, said method comprising the steps of:
- displaying a reservation summary having reservation information pertaining to the type of equipment reserved and the date of reservation for a plurality of customer reservations; and
tracking the equipment inventory information for each rental location.
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Abstract
The present invention provides an automated equipment management and reservation system that includes access to tools, information, and aids for managing an equipment rental business that is involved in in-town and one-way rentals. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the system provides the user with reservation information in several different formats. The user can change the scope of the reservation information to display reservations for a particular location, or for specific equipment at that location. If a location does not have enough equipment to cover reservations, the system allows the user to search nearby locations for the needed equipment. The system tracks the equipment inventory at each location and automatically updates the inventory when equipment is dispatched to another location or received from another location. To facilitate communication between rental locations, the system provides a means for transmitting reservation information and messages pertaining to specific reservations.
76 Citations
48 Claims
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1. A method of rental equipment management for a plurality of rental locations on a network, the network having at least one computer-server for communicating with users, said method comprising the steps of:
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displaying a reservation summary having reservation information pertaining to the type of equipment reserved and the date of reservation for a plurality of customer reservations; and
tracking the equipment inventory information for each rental location. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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12. A method in accordance with 11 wherein the receiving rental location receives the particular piece of equipment and wherein the equipment inventory information is updated to reflect the receipt of the equipment at the receiving rental location.
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18. A method of rental equipment management for a plurality of rental locations, comprising the steps of:
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displaying on a screen in communication with a computer a reservation summary having reservation information pertaining to the type of equipment reserved and the date of reservation for a plurality of customer reservations; and
tracking the equipment inventory information for each rental location. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. An equipment management system for tracking reservation information and equipment inventory information for a plurality of locations, comprising:
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a reservation information field having information pertaining to the type of equipment reserved and the date of reservation; and
an equipment inventory field having information pertaining to the type of equipment and number of equipment available at each of the plurality of locations. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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Specification