Vehicle sharing system

• US 6,618,650 B1
• Filed: 04/27/1999
• Issued: 09/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Nakai, Tomoaki, Kondo, Shugo, Asakura, Suguru
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafiz, Tariq R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Robinson-Boyce, Akiba
• Application Number:
  US09/300,254
• Time in Patent Office: 1,596 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/13, 701/1, 701/22, 701/18, 701/23, 701/24, 701/25, 701/26, 701/200, 701/300
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0042 for hiring of objects
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

When a user enters a language to be used via a port terminal, a system controller transfers information as to the language to be used to a navigation unit via an antenna and a communication unit which are mounted on a selected electric vehicle, and the navigation system displays information in the language to be used.

Claims

1. A vehicle sharing system comprising:

a plurality of shared vehicles;

a standby station for keeping said shared vehicles;

operating means for performing a lending process for the vehicles;

language entering means for entering a language used by a user;

language transmitting means for transmitting information as to the language used by the user to a vehicle;

language receiving means mounted on said vehicle for receiving the information as to the language used by the user, which is transmitted from said language transmitting means; and

information output means mounted on said vehicle for outputting information relative to said vehicle in the language received by said language receiving means;

wherein said language entering means serves as part of said operating means, and comprises means for entering the language in the lending process performed on said operating means by the user.

2. A vehicle sharing system according to claim 1, wherein said operating means comprises vehicle selecting means for selecting the vehicle to be lent to the user, and said language transmitting means comprises means for transmitting the entered information as to the language used by the user to the selected vehicle.

3. A vehicle sharing system according to claim 1, further comprising information holding means for holding information as to the user, wherein said operating means comprises means for performing the lending process based on the information from said information holding means.

4. A vehicle sharing system according to claim 1, wherein said information output means comprises map information output means for outputting map information on a geographical area where the vehicle travels.

5. A vehicle sharing system according to claim 1, wherein said information output means comprises status display means for displaying an operation status of an air-conditioning system on said vehicle.

6. A vehicle sharing system according to claim 1, wherein said information output means comprises means for indicating the information relative to said vehicle with a voice in the language used by the user.