Vehicle Management System
First Claim
1. A method for managing a plurality of vehicles within a boundary, comprising:
- providing a vehicle management system comprising;
a plurality of boundary units positioned at predetermined locations in a managing area for defining a boundary;
a plurality of docking stations positioned at predetermined locations within said defined boundary for parking and securing said vehicles, wherein each of said docking stations comprises a client component and a locking unit;
a vehicle control unit electromechanically connected to each of said vehicles, wherein said vehicle control unit is in electronic communication with said boundary units and said client component in each of said docking stations; and
a central server in electronic communication with said boundary units, said docking stations, and said vehicle control unit in a networked environment for monitoring and managing said boundary units, said docking stations, and said vehicle control unit;
allocating one of said vehicles from one of said docking stations to a user by said client component in communication with said central server based on allocation criteria, for enabling said user to commute from said one of said docking stations to another one of said docking stations within said defined boundary;
unlocking said allocated one of said vehicles from said one of said docking stations by said locking unit of said one of said docking stations;
determining proximity of said allocated one of said vehicles to said defined boundary by said vehicle control unit in communication with said boundary units;
managing movement of said allocated one of said vehicles within said defined boundary, comprising one of;
restricting movement of said allocated one of said vehicles within said defined boundary by said vehicle control unit, when said allocated one of said vehicles is in close proximity to said defined boundary; and
locking said allocated one of said vehicles by said locking unit of one of said docking stations, when said user parks said allocated one of said vehicles at one of said docking stations.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for managing vehicles within a boundary is provided. Boundary units positioned at predetermined locations in a managing area define a boundary, within which multiple docking stations that secure the vehicles are positioned. Each docking station comprises a client component and a locking unit. The client component, in communication with a central server, allocates a vehicle to a user based on allocation criteria. The locking unit unlocks the allocated vehicle from a docking station. Each vehicle comprises a vehicle control unit, in communication with the boundary units, for determining proximity of the allocated vehicle to the defined boundary, and for restricting movement of the allocated vehicle when the allocated vehicle is in close proximity to the defined boundary. The central server, in communication with the boundary units, determines location of the allocated vehicle, when the allocated vehicle is in close proximity to and breaches the defined boundary.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method for managing a plurality of vehicles within a boundary, comprising:
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providing a vehicle management system comprising; a plurality of boundary units positioned at predetermined locations in a managing area for defining a boundary; a plurality of docking stations positioned at predetermined locations within said defined boundary for parking and securing said vehicles, wherein each of said docking stations comprises a client component and a locking unit; a vehicle control unit electromechanically connected to each of said vehicles, wherein said vehicle control unit is in electronic communication with said boundary units and said client component in each of said docking stations; and a central server in electronic communication with said boundary units, said docking stations, and said vehicle control unit in a networked environment for monitoring and managing said boundary units, said docking stations, and said vehicle control unit; allocating one of said vehicles from one of said docking stations to a user by said client component in communication with said central server based on allocation criteria, for enabling said user to commute from said one of said docking stations to another one of said docking stations within said defined boundary; unlocking said allocated one of said vehicles from said one of said docking stations by said locking unit of said one of said docking stations; determining proximity of said allocated one of said vehicles to said defined boundary by said vehicle control unit in communication with said boundary units; managing movement of said allocated one of said vehicles within said defined boundary, comprising one of; restricting movement of said allocated one of said vehicles within said defined boundary by said vehicle control unit, when said allocated one of said vehicles is in close proximity to said defined boundary; and locking said allocated one of said vehicles by said locking unit of one of said docking stations, when said user parks said allocated one of said vehicles at one of said docking stations. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A system for managing a plurality of vehicles within a boundary, comprising:
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a plurality of boundary units positioned at predetermined locations in a managing area, wherein said boundary units define a boundary along a perimeter of said managing area; a plurality of docking stations positioned at predetermined locations within said defined boundary for parking and securing said vehicles, wherein each of said docking stations comprises; a client component comprising an allocation module that allocates one of said vehicles from one of said docking stations to a user, in communication with a central server, based on allocation criteria; and a locking unit slidably attached on a support structure in each of said docking stations, wherein said locking unit contacts a securing component provided on said support structure for engaging and disengaging said allocated one of said vehicles from said one of said docking stations; a vehicle control unit electromechanically connected to each of said vehicles, wherein said vehicle control unit is in electronic communication with said boundary units and said client component in each of said docking stations, wherein said vehicle control unit comprises; a proximity determination module that determines proximity of said allocated one of said vehicles to said defined boundary, in communication with said boundary units; and a disabling module that restricts movement of said allocated one of said vehicles within said defined boundary, when said allocated one of said vehicles is in close proximity to said defined boundary; and said central server in electronic communication with said boundary units, said docking stations, and said vehicle control unit in a networked environment, wherein said central server monitors and manages said boundary units, said docking stations, and said vehicle control unit. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, wherein said computer program product comprises:
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a first computer program code for receiving identification information of a user, a plurality of docking stations, a plurality of vehicles parked and secured at each of said docking stations, and a plurality of boundary units for registering said users, said docking stations, said vehicles, and said boundary units; a second computer program code for verifying said identification information received from said user for enabling allocation of one of said vehicles from one of said docking stations to said user; a third computer program code for determining location of said allocated one of said vehicles, in communication with said boundary units, when said allocated one of said vehicles is in close proximity to a boundary defined by said boundary units and when said allocated one of said vehicles breaches said defined boundary; a fourth computer program code for logging usage statistics of said allocated one of said vehicles in communication with each of said docking stations, said vehicle control unit, and said boundary units; and a fifth computer program code for generating billing information for said user based on said logged usage statistics.
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Specification