METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING LATE RETURN DETECTION OF A SHARED VEHICLE

• US 20130246102A1
• Filed: 12/26/2012
• Published: 09/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co., Ltd. (Excelsior Union Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Zipcar Incorporated (Avis Budget Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Mottla, Lesley, Finegold, Rafi, Wolfe, Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 10,719,785 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 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

A method, apparatus and computer program product for providing late return detection of a shared vehicle is presented. A computer system determines an end time of a first reservation of a shared vehicle by a first member of a vehicle sharing service. Then a location of the shared vehicle is determined at a first predetermined time before the end time of the first reservation. Based on the end time of the first reservation and the location of the shared vehicle, a potential late return of the shared vehicle is determined. If the shared vehicle return will be late, then at least one of the first member and a representative of the vehicle sharing service are notified so appropriate actions can be taken.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

determining, by a computer system, an end time of a first reservation of a shared vehicle by a first member of a vehicle sharing service;

establishing, by said computer system, a location of said shared vehicle at a first predetermined time before said end time of said first reservation;

determining, based on said end time of said first reservation and said location of said shared vehicle, a potential late return of said shared vehicle; and

notifying, when a potential late return is determined, at least one of said first member of the vehicle sharing service and a representative of said vehicle sharing service of said potential late return of said shared vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising offering to extend said reservation of the shared vehicle of said first member.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining when a second member of the vehicle sharing service has a reservation for said shared vehicle that may be impacted by said potential late return.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising notifying said second member of the vehicle sharing service of said potential late return of said shared vehicle.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising offering to reassign said second member to a different shared vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said determining, based on said end time of said first reservation and said location of said shared vehicle, a potential late return of said shared vehicle is performed at predetermined time intervals.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said determining includes considering a velocity associated with said shared vehicle.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said velocity is selected from the group consisting of a constant value, an estimated value and an actual value.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein said instructions for determining, based on said end time of said first reservation and said location of said shared vehicle, a potential late return of said shared vehicle are performed at predetermined time intervals.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14 wherein said instructions for determining includes instructions for considering a velocity associated with said shared vehicle.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein said velocity is selected from the group consisting of a constant value, an estimated value and an actual value.

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

determining, by a computer system, an end time of a first reservation of a shared vehicle by a first member of a vehicle sharing service;

establishing, by said computer system, a location of said shared vehicle at a first predetermined time before said end time of said first reservation;

determining, based on said end time of said first reservation and said location of said shared vehicle, a potential late return of said shared vehicle; and

notifying, when a potential late return is determined, at least one of said first member of the vehicle sharing service and a representative of said vehicle sharing service of said potential late return of said shared vehicle.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9 further comprising instructions for offering to extend said reservation of the shared vehicle of said first member.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9 further comprising instructions for determining when a second member of the vehicle sharing service has a reservation for said shared vehicle that may be impacted by said potential late return.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9 further comprising instructions for notifying said second member of the vehicle sharing service of said potential late return of said shared vehicle.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12 further comprising instructions for offering to reassign said second member to a different shared vehicle.

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 late return detection 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;

determining, by a computer system, an end time of a first reservation of a shared vehicle by a first member of a vehicle sharing service;

establishing, by said computer system, a location of said shared vehicle at a first predetermined time before said end time of said first reservation;

determining, based on said end time of said first reservation and said location of said shared vehicle, a potential late return of said shared vehicle; and

notifying, when a potential late return is determined, at least one of said first member of the vehicle sharing service and a representative of said vehicle sharing service of said potential late return of said shared vehicle.

18. The computer system of claim 17 further comprising offering to extend said reservation of the shared vehicle of said first member.

19. The computer system of claim 17 wherein said determining includes considering a velocity associated with said shared vehicle.

20. The computer system of claim 19 wherein said velocity is selected from the group consisting of a constant value, an estimated value and an actual value.