Method and a system for managing a fleet of vehicles, and an associated vehicle

• US 20060116132A1
• Filed: 11/15/2005
• Published: 06/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Flexplay Technologies, JCDecaux SA (JCDecaux Group)
• Original Assignee: JCDecaux SA (JCDecaux Group)
• Inventors: Le Gars, Jacques
• Application Number:
  US11/274,745
• Publication Number:
  US 20060116132A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: B62H 2003/005 Supports or holders associated with means for bike rental
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/02 taking into account a variable factor such as distance or time, e.g. for passenger transport, parking systems or car rental systems G07B15/06 takes precedence; taximeters G07B13/00; parking meters per se G07F17/24; car rental systems per se G07B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0057 for the hiring or rent of vehicles, e.g. cars, bicycles or wheelchairs car rental G07B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/10 for means for safe-keeping of property, left temporarily, e.g. by fastening the property
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

The invention provides a system for managing a fleet of vehicles suitable for being returned to at least one station having locations for vehicles, the station being declared to be available when at least one of its locations is not occupied by a vehicle, and to be unavailable when each of the locations of the station is occupied by a vehicle, the system comprising: means for evaluating the availability of the station; means for remote communication with a vehicle that has not been returned; and means for displaying on the vehicle information about availability.

Claims

1. A method of managing a fleet of vehicles suitable for being returned to a station having locations for vehicles, the station being declared to be available so long as at least one of its locations is not occupied by a vehicle, and to be unavailable when each of its locations is occupied by a vehicle, the method comprising the steps consisting in:

detecting that a vehicle has been hired;

evaluating the availability of the station; and

transmitting to the hired vehicle, via remote communications means, information about the availability of the station.

4. A method according to claim 1, in which information is transmitted to the vehicle via a stationary communications relay.

5. A method according to claim 1, in which the availability of the station(s) is/are evaluated on a continuous basis.

6. A method according to claim 1, in which information is transmitted to the vehicle on a continuous basis.

7. A method according to claim 1, including a step consisting in displaying the availability information on a user interface fitted to the vehicle.

8. A method according to claim 7, including a step consisting in detecting that the vehicle is stationary with availability information being displayed only when it is detected that the vehicle is stationary.

2. A method of managing a fleet of vehicles suitable for being returned to a plurality of stations, each having locations for vehicles, each station being declared to be available so long as at least one of its locations is not occupied by a vehicle, and to be unavailable when each of the locations in the station is occupied by a vehicle, the method comprising the steps consisting in:

detecting that a vehicle has been hired;

evaluating the availability of each station;

determining the station(s) that is/are closest to the vehicle; and

transmitting to the hired vehicle, via remote communications means, information about the availability of the nearest station(s).

3. A method of managing a fleet of vehicles suitable for being returned to a plurality of stations, each having locations for vehicles, each station being declared to be available so long as at least one of its locations is not occupied by a vehicle, and to be unavailable when each of the locations of the station is occupied by a vehicle, the method comprising the steps consisting in:

detecting that a vehicle has been hired;

locating a destination station of the vehicle;

evaluating the availability of the destination station; and

transmitting to the hired vehicle, via remote communications means, information about the availability of the destination station.

9. A system for managing a fleet of vehicles suitable for being returned to at least one station having locations for vehicles, the station being declared to be available when at least one of its locations is not occupied by a vehicle, and to be unavailable when each of the locations of the station is occupied by a vehicle, the system comprising:

means for evaluating the availability of the station;

means for remote communication with a vehicle that has not been returned; and

means for displaying on the vehicle information about availability.