Car rent system
DCFirst Claim
1. A semi-automatic car-rental system comprising a fleet of cars, which are clearly marked as belonging to such system, enabling a customer to pick up and rent a car located at a random parking location, which said car is free for rent, which rental system comprises in combination:
- a fleet of cars, each of which is provided with identity and entitlement checking means, for cooperating with customer identification means held by said customer, said identity and entitlement checking means for identifying the customer to a car computer located in said car to be rented or via said computer and communication means to a computer located at a central control station, said identity and entitlement checking means enabling an entitled customer to enter said car and actuate said car and use said car;
location identification means, informing said central control station and said car computer about the instant location of said car;
a central control station which stores and continuously updates data about the instant location of each car of said car fleet having means for receiving and evaluating data for entitlement verification and for transmitting to said car a command authorizing or not authorizing the intended rental, and for monitoring data of each rental until the customer terminates the rental by parking said car at any random parking place and indicating a termination of the rental, or reservation of said car for future use.
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Abstract
A highly automated car-rental system based on a specially equipped fleet of cars for hire and one or more control stations. An authorized subscriber can enter any car of the fleet which is free for hire at any location, and use it for a desired period of time, parking it at the end of the hire period at any authorized parking place. Cars are equipped with customer, identification means, means enabling use of tile car or refusing such use, monitoring means for the main subsystems and other parameters of the car and means for conveying such information to central control. There is also provided a system for monitoring in real time car position, and if desired, for displaying such information also on a monitor in the car, thus informing control on tile position of the car at any instant of time.
268 Citations
10 Claims
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1. A semi-automatic car-rental system comprising a fleet of cars, which are clearly marked as belonging to such system, enabling a customer to pick up and rent a car located at a random parking location, which said car is free for rent, which rental system comprises in combination:
a fleet of cars, each of which is provided with identity and entitlement checking means, for cooperating with customer identification means held by said customer, said identity and entitlement checking means for identifying the customer to a car computer located in said car to be rented or via said computer and communication means to a computer located at a central control station, said identity and entitlement checking means enabling an entitled customer to enter said car and actuate said car and use said car;
location identification means, informing said central control station and said car computer about the instant location of said car;
a central control station which stores and continuously updates data about the instant location of each car of said car fleet having means for receiving and evaluating data for entitlement verification and for transmitting to said car a command authorizing or not authorizing the intended rental, and for monitoring data of each rental until the customer terminates the rental by parking said car at any random parking place and indicating a termination of the rental, or reservation of said car for future use.- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
Specification