Flexible Booking Of A Shared Vehicle

• US 20130226633A1
• Filed: 02/22/2013
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Zipcar Incorporated (Avis Budget Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Zipcar Incorporated (Avis Budget Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Brock, Robert, Wu, Winson, Lee, Andrew, Gee, Mark, Winkler, Kali, Brunton, John, Nuzzo-Jones, Goss
• Application Number:
  US13/774,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20130226633A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events

Abstract

A method, apparatus and computer program product for providing flexible booking of a shared vehicle is presented. An application for a mobile device is provided having an interface to allow a user of the mobile device to make a reservation of a shared vehicle by selecting a date the user desires to reserve the shared vehicle. The user is further able to select a location to locate at least one shared vehicle on the date. The user receives a list of vehicles proximate the location selected by the user, and an indication of available times for each of the vehicles. The user can then make a reservation of a particular shared vehicle for a particular time period on the date.

Claims

1. A method for providing flexible booking of a shared vehicle, comprising:

providing, on a mobile device, an interface to allow a user of said mobile device to make a reservation of a shared vehicle by selecting a date said user desires to reserve the shared vehicle;

allowing said user of said mobile device to select a location to locate at least one shared vehicle on said date;

receiving, by said user on said mobile device, a list of vehicles proximate the location selected by the user, and a indication of available times for each of said vehicles; and

making a reservation, by said user on said mobile device, of a particular one of said vehicles for a particular time period on said date during which the particular vehicle is available.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising allowing said user to change said reservation.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said allowing said user to change said reservation comprises changing a start time of said reservation.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said allowing said user to change said reservation comprises changing an end time of said reservation.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein said allowing said user to change said reservation comprises changing a duration of said reservation.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein, in response to said selecting a date said user desires to reserve the shared vehicle, said user is provided with a list of vehicles and an indication of available times for each of said vehicles.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said receiving, by said user on said mobile device, a list of vehicles proximate the location selected by the user, and an indication of available times for each of said vehicles includes a favorite vehicle of said user.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said user is able to reserve said favorite vehicle at an available time.

9. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable code thereon for providing flexible booking of a shared vehicle, the medium including instructions in which a computer system performs operations comprising:

providing, on a mobile device, an interface to allow a user of said mobile device to make a reservation of a shared vehicle by selecting a date said user desires to reserve the shared vehicle;

allowing said user of said mobile device to select a location to locate at least one shared vehicle on said date;

receiving, by said user on said mobile device, a list of vehicles proximate the location selected by the user, and an indication of available times for each of said vehicles; and

making a reservation, by said user on said mobile device, of a particular one of said vehicles for a particular time period on said date during which the particular vehicle is available.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9 further comprising instructions for allowing said user to change said reservation.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10 wherein said instructions for allowing said user to change said reservation comprises instructions for changing a start time of said reservation.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10 wherein said instructions for allowing said user to change said reservation comprises instructions for changing an end time of said reservation.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10 wherein said instructions for allowing said user to change said reservation comprises instructions for changing a duration of said reservation.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9 further including instructions wherein, in response to said selecting a date said user desires to reserve the shared vehicle, said user is provided with a list of vehicles and an indication of available times for each of said vehicles.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9 further including instructions wherein said receiving, by said user on said mobile device, a list of vehicles proximate the location selected by the user, and an indication of available times for each of said vehicles includes a favorite vehicle of said user.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15 further comprising instructions wherein said user is able to reserve said favorite vehicle at an available time.

17. A computer system comprising:

a memory;

a processor;

a communications interface;

an interconnection mechanism coupling the memory, the processor and the communications interface; and

wherein the memory is encoded with an application providing flexible booking of a shared vehicle, that when performed on the processor, provides a process for processing information, the process causing the computer system to perform the operations of;

providing, on a mobile device, an interface to allow a user of said mobile device to make a reservation of a shared vehicle by selecting a date said user desires to reserve the shared vehicle;

allowing said user of said mobile device to select a location to locate at least one shared vehicle on said date;

receiving, by said user on said mobile device, a list of vehicles proximate the location selected by the user, and an indication of available times for each of said vehicles; and

making a reservation, by said user on said mobile device, of a particular one of said vehicles for a particular time period on said date during which the particular vehicle is available.

18. The computer system of claim 17 further comprising allowing said user to change said reservation.

19. The computer system of claim 17 wherein, in response to said selecting a date said user desires to reserve the shared vehicle, said user is provided with a list of vehicles and an indication of available times for each of said vehicles.

20. The computer system of claim 17 wherein said receiving, by said user on said mobile device, a list of available vehicles proximate the location selected by the user, and an indication of available times for each of said vehicles includes a favorite vehicle of said user and wherein said user is able to reserve said favorite vehicle at an available time.