COMBINATION RENTAL VEHICLE AND PARKING SPACE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20090315737A1
• Filed: 05/12/2008
• Published: 12/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mayalys Limited
• Original Assignee: Mayalys Limited
• Inventors: Gilmour, Michel Alain
• Application Number:
  US12/119,320
• Publication Number:
  US 20090315737A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/932.200
• CPC Class Codes: B62H 2003/005 Supports or holders associated with means for bike rental
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/00 Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0057 for the hiring or rent of vehicles, e.g. cars, bicycles or wheelchairs car rental G07B15/00

Abstract

The object of the present invention is a rental vehicle fleet management system (V) that includes a server (S) connected (10) to a rental terminal (Bi), which manages a set of parking spaces (Pij), distinguished by the fact that the user carries a communicator (30) that contains an active UHF RFID transmitter (34), which communicates (DU) with the emitting terminals (Bi), and a UHF RFID transmitter that is concealed in the frame of the bicycle, which communicates (DV) with the rental terminals (Bi) or the parking space locking/unlocking systems (Pij).

Claims

1. A rental bicycle fleet (V) management system including a server (S) connected (10) to rental terminals (Bi), each of which manages a set of parking spaces (Pij), distinguished by the fact that the user carries a communicator (30) equipped with an active ultra high frequency (UHF) radio frequency identification (RFID) transmission system (34), which in turn communicates (DU) with the rental terminals (Bi), and a UHF RFID transmitter concealed in the frame of the bicycle, which communicates (DV) with the rental terminals (Bi) or the parking space locking/unlocking systems (Pij).

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, distinguished by the fact that the transmitter that is integrated into the bicycle is a passive UHF RFID or active standby mode RFID transmitter.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, distinguished by the fact that the transmitter that communicates with the rental terminal (Bi) causes LEDs to flash on the locking/unlocking system (Pij) of the bicycle'"'"'s dedicated parking space (V)

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, distinguished by the fact that the terminals (Bi) are wired (20) to the parking space locking/unlocking systems (Pij) that are connected to the rental terminal (Bi)

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, distinguished by the fact that the active UHF RFID chip (34) is housed in a communicator (30) that consists of a screen (31), a keypad (32), a payment card interface (33), and a battery.

6. Rental vehicle fleet (V) and rental terminal (Bi) management system under claim 5, distinguished by the fact that the communicator (30) is integrated into a mobile phone.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, distinguished by the fact that it includes a network of communication protocol switching or transforming gateways (40).

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, distinguished by the fact that a transmission system in each parking space locking/unlocking system (Pij) communicates directly with the bicycle (V) or with the user (U).

9. A management system for a fleet of vehicles, the system comprising:

a server;

a terminal in communication with the server, the terminal for managing a set of parking spaces, at least one of the parking spaces having a locking system for locking a vehicle;

a communication device (CD) to be carried by a user of the vehicle, the CD having a CD-operating range and an ultra high frequency radio frequency identification (UHF RFID) transmitter for transmitting a first signal to the terminal upon being within the CD-operating range; and

a UHF RFID vehicle transmitter chip (VTC) secured to the vehicle, the VTC having a VTC-operating range, the VTC for transmitting a second signal to at least one of the terminal and the locking system upon the at least one of the terminal and the locking system being within the VTC-operating range.