SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR REMOTE VEHICLE RENTAL

• US 20100217630A1
• Filed: 05/04/2010
• Published: 08/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Id Systems Incorporated (PowerFleet, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Id Systems Incorporated (PowerFleet, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jagid, Jeffrey M., Loosmore, Nathan H., Ehrman, Michael, Ehrman, Kenneth S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,370,268 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 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions
• 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: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

An automated vehicle rental system with individual vehicle transmitting sensors for keeping track of vehicle mileage, fill state of vehicle fuel tank, and localized position status in a rental lot. Sensors are linked to the vehicle odometer reading and to the vehicle fuel tank float sensor with compensation for types of driving and fuel fill-ups which affect float level readings. The sensors are integrated with or are linked with communicating tags operable in a defined site for ultimate communication of stored vehicle related sensor data, vehicle location and type to a central data base for automatically completely effecting check out, charges and state of vehicle readiness for renewed rental. The transmitting sensors are adapted to avoid interference between sensors of other vehicles during multiple transmissions. Also included is an in-vehicle check out and payment device operatively linkable to the transmitting sensor of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for renting a vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving at a vehicle controller an access authorization signal; and

transmitting from the vehicle controller to the on-board computer of the rental vehicle an entry authorization signal instructing the on-board computer to open one or more doors of the rental vehicle permitting a user to enter the rental vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a reservation from the user for a rental vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving payment from the user for usage of the rental vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, the vehicle controller transmitting the entry authorization signal through the bus system of the on-board computer.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the vehicle controller communicating in a first communication protocol with a first on-board computer of a first rental vehicle; and

the vehicle controller communicating in a second communication protocol with a second on-board computer of a second rental vehicle.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first and second rental vehicles are produced by different manufacturers.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising programming the vehicle controller to communicate with the on-board computer of the rental vehicle using translational tables stored on the vehicle controller, the translational tables comprising vehicle parameters specific to the rental vehicle.

8. A vehicle controller for a rental vehicle, the vehicle controller comprising:

a processor configured to enable an authorized user to access the rental vehicle; and

a connecter operationally connecting the processor to an on-board computer of a rental vehicle through the bus system of the on-board computer,

wherein the processor is configured to allow a user to access the rental vehicle upon receiving an access authorization signal.

9. The vehicle controller of claim 8, the processor configured to send a signal to the on-board computer though the bus system to unlock at least one of the doors when the processor receives an access authorization signal.

10. The vehicle controller of claim 8, the processor configured to communicate with the on-board computer of the rental vehicle using any of a plurality of different communication modes.

11. The system of claim 8, the vehicle controller comprising translation tables stored thereon enabling the processor to communicate with the on-board computer of the rental vehicle using any of a plurality of different communication modes.

12. The vehicle controller of claim 8, the connector comprising a J1962 standard connector plug.

13. The vehicle controller of claim 8, wherein the processor can be programmed to communicate with the on-board computer of the rental vehicle using one of a plurality of different communication modes and reprogrammed to communicate with an on-board computer of a different rental vehicle using a different communication mode.

14. A vehicle rental system comprising:

a vehicle controller operationally connected to an on-board computer of a rental vehicle;

a central control station computer remote from the rental vehicle; and

a transceiver operationally connected to the controller and in operational communication with the central control station computer,

wherein the vehicle controller is configured to allow a user to access the rental vehicle upon receiving an access authorization from the central control station computer via the transceiver.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to unlock at least one door of the rental vehicle upon receiving an access authorization from the central control station computer via the transceiver.

16. The system of claim 14, the vehicle controller configured to communicate with the on-board computer of the rental vehicle using any of ISO 9141, J1850PWM, and J1850VPW communication modes.

17. The system of claim 16, the vehicle controller comprising translation tables stored thereon enabling the vehicle controller to communicate with the on-board computer of the rental vehicle using any of ISO 9141, J1850PWM, and J1850VPW communication modes.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the vehicle controller can be programmed to communicate with the on-board computer of the rental vehicle using one of ISO 9141, J1850PWM, and J1850VPW communication modes and reprogrammed to communicate with an on-board computer of a different rental vehicle using a different communication mode.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the communication between the transceiver and the central control station computer is bidirectional.

20. The system of claim 14, the vehicle controller connected to the bus system of the on-board computer of the rental car.

21. The system of claim 16, the vehicle controller connected to the bus system of the on-board computer of the rental car using a J1962 standard connector plug.

22. A vehicle controller for a rental vehicle, the vehicle controller comprising:

a processor configured to enable an authorized user to access the rental vehicle;

a transceiver configured to provide operative communication between the processor and a remote central station computer; and

a connector operationally connecting the processor to an on-board computer of a rental vehicle through the bus system of the on-board computer,

wherein the vehicle controller is configured to allow a user to access the rental vehicle upon receiving an access authorization from the central control station computer via the transceiver.

23. The vehicle controller of claim 22, the processor configured to send a signal to the on-board computer to unlock at least one of the doors when the transceiver receives an access authorization message from a central computer remote from the rental vehicle.

24. The vehicle controller of claim 22, the processor configured to communicate with the on-board computer of the rental vehicle using any of ISO 9141, J1850PWM, and J1850VPW communication modes.

25. The system of claim 22, the vehicle controller comprising translation tables stored thereon enabling the processor to communicate with the on-board computer of the rental vehicle using any of ISO 9141, J1850PWM, and J1850VPW communication modes.

26. The vehicle controller of claim 22, the connector comprising a J1962 standard connector plug.

27. The vehicle controller of claim 22, wherein the processor can be programmed to communicate with the on-board computer of the rental vehicle using one of ISO 9141, J1850PWM, and J1850VPW communication modes and reprogrammed to communicate with an on-board computer of a different rental vehicle using a different communication mode.