BICYCLE RENTAL SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20150074004A1
• Filed: 12/17/2013
• Published: 03/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mando Corporation
• Original Assignee: Joon Kyu Song
• Inventors: SONG, Joon Kyu
• Application Number:
  US14/109,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20150074004A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/307
• CPC Class Codes: B62H 2003/005 Supports or holders associated with means for bike rental
• CPC Class Codes: B62H 3/02 involving means for gripping the cycle by the handlebars or by the upper part of the frame
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3276 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being read by the M-device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00896 specially adapted for particular uses
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0057 for the hiring or rent of vehicles, e.g. cars, bicycles or wheelchairs car rental G07B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices

Abstract

Disclosed herein are a bicycle rental system and method. The bicycle rental system includes a public bicycle, a bicycle holder, a bicycle management server which transmits rental approval information and return confirmation information to the outside, and a user terminal which is provided to be capable of performing wireless communicate with the public bicycle, is linked to the bicycle management server via a network, is provided with identification information of the public bicycle, creates rental approval request information during rental of the public bicycle to transmit the rental approval request information to the bicycle management server, creates return request information during return of the public bicycle to transmit the return request information to the bicycle management server, and receives the rental approval information and the return confirmation information transmitted from the bicycle management server in response to the rental approval request information and the return request information.

Claims

1. A bicycle rental system comprising:

a public bicycle having a bicycle locking function and a wireless communication function;

a bicycle holder having a docking portion which is provided to be capable of being connected to the public bicycle such that the public bicycle is locked;

a bicycle management server which manages rental and return of the public bicycle and transmits rental approval information and return confirmation information to the outside; and

a user terminal which is provided to be capable of performing wireless communication with the public bicycle, is linked to the bicycle management server via a network, is provided with identification information of the public bicycle from the public bicycle, creates rental approval request information including the provided identification information during rental of the public bicycle to transmit the rental approval request information to the bicycle management server, creates return request information including the provided identification information during return of the public bicycle to transmit the return request information to the bicycle management server, and receives the rental approval information and the return confirmation information transmitted from the bicycle management server in response to the rental approval request information and the return request information,

wherein the public bicycle comprises;

a two-dimensional bar code provided to be capable of being exposed thereto;

a bicycle locking device to lock and unlock the public bicycle;

a wireless communication module to exchange information with the user terminal through communication; and

an ECU which is linked to the user terminal by wireless communication therebetween according to the request of the user terminal, and controls the bicycle locking device such that, when the rental approval information is received from the user terminal linked by the wireless communication, the public bicycle is unlocked, and

wherein the user terminal comprises a camera module which captures the two-dimensional bar code provided to be capable of being exposed to the public bicycle, and the user terminal scans the two-dimensional bar code using the camera module and is automatically linked to the public bicycle by wireless communication therebetween through the wireless communication module based on the scanned result.

2. The bicycle rental system according to claim 1, wherein the user terminal and the public bicycle are linked by Bluetooth pairing therebetween based on the scanned result of the two-dimensional bar code.

3. The bicycle rental system according to claim 1, wherein the public bicycle comprises a docking sensing unit to sense connection of the docking portion to the bicycle locking device.

4. The bicycle rental system according to claim 3, wherein when the connection of the docking portion to the bicycle locking device is sensed by the docking sensing unit, the public bicycle transmits bicycle connection information indicating that the docking portion is connected to the bicycle locking device to the user terminal which is linked to the public bicycle by wireless communication therebetween.

5. The bicycle rental system according to claim 1, wherein each of the rental approval request information and the return request information comprises identification information of the public bicycle, position information of the user terminal, and terminal information of the user terminal.

6. A bicycle rental method comprising:

renting a public bicycle having a bicycle locking device connected with a docking of a bicycle holder such that the bicycle is locked, and a wireless communication module using a user terminal; and

returning the rented public bicycle using the user terminal,

wherein the renting the public bicycle comprises;

in the user terminal, activating an app for the rental of the public bicycle installed in the user terminal, scanning a two-dimensional bar code provided to be exposed to the public bicycle using the app to link the public bicycle to the user terminal by wireless communication therebetween, acquiring identification information of the public bicycle by a request to the public bicycle, creating rental approval request information including the acquired identification information of the public bicycle to transmit the rental approval request information to a bicycle management server, receiving rental approval information transmitted from the bicycle management server in response to the rental approval request information, and transmitting the received rental approval information to the public bicycle; and

in the public bicycle, unlocking the bicycle locking device such that, based on the rental approval information transmitted from the user terminal, the docking portion is decoupled from the bicycle locking device and the public bicycle is decoupled from the bicycle holder.

7. The bicycle rental method according to claim 6, wherein the returning the public bicycle comprises, when connection of the docking portion to the bicycle locking device is sensed by a docking sensing unit to sense the connection of the docking portion to the bicycle locking device, transmitting bicycle connection information indicating that the docking portion is connected to the bicycle locking device to the user terminal which is linked to the public bicycle by wireless communication therebetween.