Method and Apparatus for Automated Rental Key Dispensal and Return

• US 20160140649A1
• Filed: 11/14/2014
• Published: 05/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kleve, Robert Bruce, Krozal, Christian, Roberts, David Randolph
• Application Number:
  US14/541,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20160140649A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A system includes a processor configured to receive rental return information. The system is also configured to verify deposit of a key fob. Further, the system is configured to connect to a device containing vehicle usage information relating to a rental period. The system is additionally configured to gather vehicle usage information from the connected device. The system is also configured to verify a vehicle presence in a rental parking lot and terminate a vehicle rental.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive rental return information;

verify deposit of a key fob;

connect to a device containing vehicle usage information relating to a rental period;

gather vehicle usage information from the device;

verify a vehicle presence in a rental parking lot; and

terminate a vehicle rental.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the rental return information includes a rental contract identification obtained through identification of the deposited key fob.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the rental return information is user-input.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the device containing vehicle usage information includes the key fob.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the device containing vehicle usage information includes a driver mobile device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the device containing vehicle usage information includes a vehicle computing system.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to verify the vehicle presence through wireless communication with the vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to verify the vehicle presence through communication with a vehicle lot camera.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to verify the vehicle presence through wireless communication with a wireless identification device installed in the vehicle.

10. A system comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive rental information from a user mobile device;

verify the received rental information; and

dispense a vehicle activation device in accordance with the received rental information.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to instruct a vehicle data gathering process executing on an onboard data bus (ODB) connected device to begin gathering vehicle data when a vehicle is started using the vehicle activation device.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to instruct a vehicle data gathering process executing on the user mobile device to begin gathering vehicle data when a vehicle is started using the vehicle activation device.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to instruct a vehicle data gathering process executing on a processor provided as part of the activation device to begin gathering vehicle data when a vehicle is started using the vehicle activation device.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to instruct a vehicle data gathering process executing on a vehicle-installed processor to begin gathering vehicle data when a vehicle is started using the vehicle activation device.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to communicate wirelessly with the user mobile device to receive the rental information.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to communicate physically with the user mobile device to receive the rental information.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to utilize an optical sensor provided to the processor to scan information from the mobile device to receive the rental identification information.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to utilize a wired connection with the mobile device to receive the rental identification information.

19. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving rental information from a user mobile device;

verifying the received rental information using a kiosk-based processor; and

dispensing a vehicle activation device in accordance with the received rental information.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising instructing a vehicle data gathering process executing on a remote device to begin gathering vehicle data when a vehicle is started using the dispensed activation device.