Systems and Methods for Citation Management

• US 20080077417A1
• Filed: 09/21/2006
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Crawford Group Incorporated (Jack Taylor Family Voting Trust U A D 4 14 99)
• Original Assignee: The Crawford Group Incorporated (Jack Taylor Family Voting Trust U A D 4 14 99)
• Inventors: Rickard, Dale, Brinkmann, Judith Isabelle, McKee, Wade Arlen, Sandhu, Mandeep, Carr, Brian E., Donohue, Terrance J., Klinger, Thomas A., Strawn, Jon, Peck, Bruce, Markiewicz, Karl, Lazzarino, William A., Bentley, Cameron, Wolniak, Bradley K., Nesvold, Patricia A., Cunningham, Gary Wayne, Hrycauk, Natasha Gaye, Manetzke, Merri Jean, Hatti, Kiran
• Application Number:
  US11/534,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20080077417A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management

Abstract

Systems and methods, such as may be executed by a computer or computer network, for the management of citations issued to an owner of a fleet of vehicles which identify the vehicle and the time of the citation. The systems and methods allowing for automatic matching of the citation to the party responsible for the vehicle at the time of the citation by matching the citation to a contract indicating the party responsible for the vehicle at the time of the citation.

Claims

1. A method of managing citations for a fleet of vehicles, the method comprising:

having a fleet owner responsible for a fleet of vehicles and a citation-issuing authority;

providing a computer;

said owner receiving, from said issuing authority, a plurality of citations, each of said citations referencing a vehicle in said fleet and a time of said citation;

placing said citations in computer readable form;

said computer accessing a database of contracts in computer readable form, said database including a plurality of contracts, each of said contracts in said plurality indicating a period of time during which a renter was responsible for said vehicle; and

if said time of a first citation is wholly within said time period of a first contract;

said computer automatically matching said first citation with said first contract;

said computer automatically generating a document, said document being sufficient to transfer responsibility for said first citation to said renter; and

providing said document to said issuing authority.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of placing is performed by said issuing authority.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of placing is performed by said owner.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of, indicating that responsibility should be transferred prior to the step of said computer automatically generating said document.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein if said time is not wholly within said time period of any contract within said plurality of contracts said computer indicates that a match was not found and a human being attempts to match said first citation.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein, if there is no contract in said plurality of contracts which has a time period which overlaps with said time, responsibility for said citation is maintained with said owner.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein, if there are multiple contracts in said plurality of contracts which have a time period which overlaps with said time, responsibility for said citation is maintained with said owner.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein, if there is no contract in said plurality of contracts which has a time period which overlaps with said time, responsibility for said citation is maintained with said owner.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein, if there are multiple contract in said plurality of contracts which have a time period which overlaps with said time, responsibility for said citation is maintained with said owner.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of placing comprises at least one of:

scanning of paper documents, manual entry of information from documents, or use of a direct electronic input.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein if said time of a said first citation is wholly within said time period of said first contract:

said computer also automatically generates a second document, said second document indicating that said renter is responsible for paying said fine

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said computer automatically charges said renter for said fine at a time after said second document is provided to said renter.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said fleet of vehicles are rental cars and said owner is a rental car agency.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said matching is verified by a human prior to the step of said computer automatically generating said document to transfer responsibility for said first citation to said renter.

15. A method of managing citations for a fleet of vehicles, the method comprising:

having a fleet owner responsible for a fleet of vehicles and a citation-issuing authority;

providing a computer;

said owner receiving, from said issuing authority, a plurality of citations, each of said citations referencing a vehicle in said fleet, a time and assessing a fine;

placing said citations in computer readable form;

accessing a database of contracts in computer readable form, said database including a plurality of contracts, each of said contracts indicating a time period during which a renter was responsible for said vehicle; and

if said time of a first citation is wholly within said time period of a first contract;

said computer automatically matching said first citation with said first contract;

said computer automatically generating a document, said document indicating that said renter is responsible for paying said fine; and

providing said document to said renter.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said document indicates that a renter'"'"'s account will be charged if said renter does not pay said fine prior to a specified time.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of:

charging said renter'"'"'s account if said renter does not pay said fine prior to said specified time.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said computer automatically indicates on said document that said renter is being billed an additional fee.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising sending information indicative of said due amount to an accounting system.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein said renter provides payment in response to said document.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said renter pays said fleet owner, who pays said issuing authority.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein said renter pays said issuing authority directly.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the renter provides proof of said payment to said fleet owner to eliminate said responsibility.

24. The method of claim 15 wherein said step of placing is performed by said issuing authority.

25. The method of claim 15 wherein said step of placing is performed by said owner.

26. The method of claim 15 wherein if said time is not wholly within said time period of any contract in said plurality of contracts said computer indicates that a match was not found and a human being attempts to match said first citation.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein, if there is no contract in said plurality of contracts which has a time period which overlaps with said time, responsibility for said citation is maintained with said owner.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein, if there are multiple contracts in said plurality of contracts which have a time period which overlaps with said time, responsibility for said citation is maintained with said owner.

29. The method of claim 15 wherein, if there is no contract in said plurality of contracts which has a time period which overlaps with said time, responsibility for said citation is maintained with said owner.

30. The method of claim 15 wherein, if there are multiple contracts in said plurality of contracts which have a time period which overlaps with said time, responsibility for said citation is maintained with said owner.

31. The method of claim 15 wherein said step of placing comprises at least one of scanning of paper documents, manual entry of information from documents;

or

use of a direct electronic input.

32. The method of claim 15 wherein said fleet of vehicles are rental cars and said owner is a rental car agency.

33. The method of claim 15 wherein said matching is verified by a human prior to the step of said computer automatically generating said document indicating that said renter is responsible for paying said fine.

34. A computer-readable memory storing computer-executable instructions for citation matching, the memory comprising:

computer-executable instructions for inputting a first citation referencing a vehicle in said fleet and a time of said first citation, said first citation also assessing a fine;

computer-executable instructions for accessing a database of contracts, said database including a first contract indicating a time period during which a renter was responsible for said vehicle;

computer-executable instructions for determining if said time of said first citation is wholly within said time period of said first contract and if so;

automatically matching said first citation with said first contract; and

automatically generating a document, said document indicating at least one of the following situations;

that said renter is responsible for said fine or that said liability for said fine is being transferred to said renter.

35. The memory of claim 34 wherein said database of contracts is also stored on said memory.

36. The memory of claim 34 wherein said memory is distributed across a plurality of computers.