System and method for automatically generating an airplane boarding pass for a traveler returning a rental car

• US 20080300927A1
• Filed: 05/30/2008
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hertz Corporation (Hertz Global Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hertz Corporation (Hertz Global Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kennedy, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 7,957,989 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

The invention provides a system and method for integrating rental vehicle return with airline boarding pass generation. The system includes a rental identification tag located on a rental vehicle and a tag reader located at a rental vehicle return facility for reading and identifying the rental vehicle identification tag when the rental vehicle enters a range of the tag reader. The system additionally includes a database containing information linking a traveler to the rental identification tag and to airline reservation information of the traveler and a computing system communicating with the database and the tag reader to locate the airline reservation information of the traveler based on the identification provided by the tag reader. The system also includes a boarding pass generator for generating a boarding pass based on the airline reservation information upon receiving an instruction from the computing system.

Claims

1. An integrated automatic rental car return and airplane boarding pass generating system, the system including:

a plurality of cars;

an identifying tag associated with each of said plurality of cars;

a car return area;

a gate for providing entrance to said car return area;

a reader mounted to read an identifying tag associated with a car entering said car return area through said gate to provide a return signal;

one or more databases including information regarding airline reservations and persons who are driving each of said plurality of cars;

a computer for receiving said car return signal;

said computer being connected to said one or more databases; and

a device responsive to said computer for printing a receipt with regard to said returned car and an airline boarding pass for said person registered to drive said car.

2. The system of claim 1 in which there are two or more databases;

and said computer is connected to at least one of said databases over the internet.

3. The system of claim 1 also including a device to be used to communicate with said computer so that said printing device is enabled to print boarding passes for additional persons.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said car return signal is transmitted wirelessly from said reader.

5. The system of claim 3 in which said device to be used to communicate with said computer is activated by a person.

6. The system of claim 3 in which the computer is enabled to receive information to print boarding pass for additional persons.

7. The system of claim 3 in which the computer is enabled to receive information to print boarding passes for additional persons not registered to drive said car.

8. The system of claim 1 in which said device for printing is located adjacent to said reader.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein each identification tag is encoded with vehicle information.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the computing system links vehicle information with a traveler and with airline reservation data.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a tag reader for reading vehicle information from the tag and transmitting the information to the computing system.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein computing system transmits airline boarding pass information to the boarding pass generator to prompt generation of a boarding pass for the traveler.

9. An integrated automatic rental car return and airplane boarding pass generating system, the system including:

a database including information regarding airline reservations;

providing access to said information to a system which includes;

a plurality of cars;

an identifying tag associated with each of said plurality of cars;

a car return area;

a gate for providing entrance to said car return area;

a reader mounted to read an identifying tag associated with a car entering said car return area through said gate to provide a return signal;

a database including information regarding persons who are driving each of said plurality of cars;

a computer for receiving said car return signal;

said computer being connected to said one or more databases; and

a device responsive to said computer for printing a receipt with regard to said returned car and an airline boarding pass for said person registered to drive said car.

10. A system for integrating rental vehicle return with airline boarding pass generation, the system comprising:

a computing system linking airline reservation data for a traveler with vehicle rental information for the traveler; and

a boarding pass generator located at the vehicle rental facility for generating an airline boarding pass for the traveler based upon the airline reservation data upon return of a rented vehicle.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising an identification tag attached to each rental vehicle within the vehicle rental facility.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the identification tag is an RFID tag.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the boarding pass generator further comprises a receipt generator for generating a rental vehicle receipt.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the boarding pass and the rental vehicle receipt comprise a single item.

19. A method for integrating rental vehicle return with airline boarding pass generation, the method comprising:

linking traveler identity data, traveler airline reservation information, and rental vehicle data for a selected traveler;

retrieving the traveler identity data and traveler airline reservation information based on the rental vehicle data upon return of the rented vehicle; and

generating a boarding pass for the selected traveler based on the retrieved traveler identity data and traveler airline reservation information.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising attaching an identification tag to each rental vehicle within the vehicle rental facility.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising encoding each identification tag with vehicle information.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising reading vehicle information from the identification tag and transmitting the information to a computing system storing the linked traveler identity data, traveler airline reservation information, and rental vehicle data.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising transmitting from the computing system, airline boarding pass information to a boarding pass generator to prompt generation of the boarding pass for the traveler.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising providing an RFID tag as the identification tag.

25. The method of claim 19, further comprising generating a rental vehicle receipt.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising generating boarding pass and the rental vehicle receipt as a single item.

27. A system for integrating rental vehicle return with airline boarding pass generation, the system comprising:

a rental identification tag located on a rental vehicle;

a tag reader located at a rental vehicle return facility for reading and identifying the rental vehicle identification tag when the rental vehicle enters a range of the tag reader;

a database containing information linking a traveler to the rental identification tag and to airline reservation information of the traveler;

a computing system communicating with the database and the tag reader to locate the airline reservation information of the traveler based on the identification provided by the tag reader; and

a boarding pass generator for generating a boarding pass based on the airline reservation information upon receiving an instruction from the computing system.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the boarding pass generator further comprises a receipt generator for generating a rental vehicle receipt.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the boarding pass and the rental vehicle receipt comprise a single item.

30. A method for integrating rental vehicle return with airline boarding pass generation, the method comprising:

linking traveler identity data, traveler airline reservation information, and rental vehicle data for a selected traveler;

encoding an identification device with the rental vehicle data for the selected traveler and attaching the identification device to a rental vehicle assigned to the selected traveler;

reading the rental vehicle data from the identification device upon vehicle return;

retrieving the traveler identity data and traveler airline reservation information based on the rental vehicle data; and

generating a boarding pass for the selected traveler based on the retrieved traveler identity data and traveler airline reservation information.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprises a receipt generator for generating a vehicle rental receipt.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising generating the boarding pass and the vehicle rental receipt as a single item.