System and method for providing and tracking equipment
First Claim
1. A remote rental store system comprising:
- (a) a remote store monitor located at a rental location, the remote store monitor including;
(i) a wireless receiver for receiving wirelessly transmitted signals from a plurality of mobile rental units located at the remote rental location; and
(ii) a store controller connected to the wireless receiver for generating rental unit usage data for the rental units in dependence on the signals and providing the rental unit status data over a communications link;
and (b) a management controller, at a location that is remote from the rental location, for receiving the rental unit usage data through the communications link from the store controller and periodically determining a rental charge for the rental units in dependence on the rental unit usage data.
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Abstract
A remote rental store system that includes (a) a remote store monitor located at a rental location, the remote store monitor including: (i) a wireless receiver for receiving wirelessly transmitted signals from a plurality of mobile rental units located at the remote rental location; and (ii) a store controller connected to the wireless receiver for generating rental unit usage data for the rental units in dependence on the signals and providing the rental unit status data over a communications link; and (b) a management controller, at a location that is remote from the rental location, for receiving the rental unit usage data through the communications link from the store controller and periodically determining a rental charge for the rental units in dependence on the rental unit usage data.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A remote rental store system comprising:
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(a) a remote store monitor located at a rental location, the remote store monitor including;
(i) a wireless receiver for receiving wirelessly transmitted signals from a plurality of mobile rental units located at the remote rental location; and
(ii) a store controller connected to the wireless receiver for generating rental unit usage data for the rental units in dependence on the signals and providing the rental unit status data over a communications link;
and (b) a management controller, at a location that is remote from the rental location, for receiving the rental unit usage data through the communications link from the store controller and periodically determining a rental charge for the rental units in dependence on the rental unit usage data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for operating a remote rental facility having a secure enclosure containing a plurality of rental units that are enabled to emit RF signals, comprising:
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monitoring, at the remote rental facility, for RF signals transmitted by the rental units;
generating rental unit usage data for the rental units in dependence on the RF signals and providing the rental unit status data to a location remote from the rental facility through a communications link; and
receiving, at the location remote from the rental facility, the rental unit usage data through the communications link and periodically determining a rental charge for the rental units in dependence on the rental unit usage data. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of operating an unattended rental location, comprising:
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providing a plurality of mobile rental units in a secure enclosure at the rental location, each of the mobile rental units having an associated RF signal emitting device attached thereto for emitting an RF signal that includes identification information identifying the rental unit;
monitoring at the secure location for RF signals emitted by the mobile rental units;
determining, in dependence on the monitoring, when the mobile rental units are in use at the rental location and tracking over a predetermined time period for each of the mobile rental units a cumulative time duration that the mobile rental unit is determined to be in use; and
determining a rental charge for each of the mobile rental units for the predetermined time period based on the cumulative time duration that the mobile rental unit is in use. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A remote equipment provisioning system comprising:
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a mobile container having a lockable door;
a plurality of mobile equipment units located within the container, each of the mobile equipment units having an attached RF signal emitting device attached thereto for emitting an RF signal that includes identification information identifying the mobile equipment unit; and
a store monitor secured to the container, the store monitor including;
(i) a wireless RF receiving device for receiving the RF signals emitted within a coverage area thereof by the mobile equipment units; and
(ii) a store controller connected to the wireless receiver for generating mobile equipment unit status data for the mobile equipment units in dependence on the RF signals received by the RF receiving device and transmitting the mobile equipment unit status data over a wireless communications link. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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Specification