Automatically managing rental vehicles

• US 20070093215A1
• Filed: 10/26/2005
• Published: 04/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ent Services Development Corporation LP (DXC Technology Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Mervine, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,761,062 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/99
• 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: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

In some embodiments, a method for managing rental vehicles includes associating a mobile device with a rental vehicle. The mobile device is operable to wirelessly receive vehicle information from the associated rental vehicle. Vehicle information is wirelessly received from the mobile device in response to a customer returning the mobile device. A transaction for the customer is automatically generated based, at least in part, on the vehicle information.

Claims

1. A method for managing rental vehicles, the method comprising:

associating a mobile device with a rental vehicle, wherein the mobile device is operable to wirelessly receive vehicle information from the associated rental vehicle;

wirelessly receiving from the mobile device vehicle information in response to a customer returning the mobile device; and

automatically generating a transaction for the customer based, at least in part, on the vehicle information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle information comprises at least one of vehicle identification, vehicle mileage, fuel level, or collision information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device comprises a key fob.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising periodically transmitting vehicle information to the mobile device in accordance with a time period.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a request to the wireless device in response to the customer providing the wireless device to a kiosk.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically generating a receipt in accordance with the transaction.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the receipt is in an electronic format, the method further comprising transmitting through a network the receipt to the customer.

8. An article comprising a machine-readable medium storing instructions for causing data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

associating a mobile device with a rental vehicle, wherein the mobile device is operable to wirelessly receive vehicle information from the associated rental vehicle;

wirelessly receiving from the mobile device vehicle information in response to a customer returning the mobile device; and

automatically generating a transaction for the customer based, at least in part, on the vehicle information.

9. The article of claim 8, wherein the vehicle information comprises at least one of vehicle identification, vehicle mileage, fuel level, or collision information.

10. The article of claim 8, wherein the mobile device comprises a key fob.

11. The article of claim 8, the operations further comprising periodically transmitting vehicle information to the mobile device in accordance with a time period.

12. The article of claim 8, the operations further comprising transmitting a request to the wireless device in response to the customer providing the wireless device to a kiosk.

13. The article of claim 8, the operations further comprising automatically generating a receipt in accordance with the transaction.

14. The article of claim 13, wherein the receipt is in an electronic format, the method further comprising transmitting through a network the receipt to the customer.

15. A system, comprising:

a receiving element operable to receive keys and an associated mobile device, wherein the keys and the mobile device are associated with a rental vehicle;

a receiver operable to wirelessly receive vehicle information from the mobile device; and

a transmitter operable to transmit the vehicle information to a network element for generating a transaction associated with the rental vehicle using the vehicle information.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the system comprises a kiosk.

17. The system of claim 15, the transmitter comprises a first transmitter, the system further comprising a second transmitter operable to wirelessly transmit a request for vehicle information to the mobile device.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the mobile device comprises a fob.

19. A mobile device, comprising:

a receiver operable to wirelessly receive vehicle information from a rental vehicle;

a storage element operable to store the vehicle information; and

a transmitter operable to wirelessly transmit the vehicle information in response to wireless signal.

20. The mobile device of claim 19, the transmitter comprising a first transmitter, the system further comprising:

a second transmitter operable to transmit a wireless request for vehicle information; and

a controller operable to periodically initiate the second transmitter.