Rental system, machine and method for providing rental items

• US 6,644,455 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2001
• Issued: 11/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Ichikawa, Kenzo
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, Donald P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAPIRO, JEFFERY A
• Application Number:
  US09/845,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20010041987A1
• Time in Patent Office: 925 Days
• Field of Search: 194/205, 194/210, 194/212, 194/213, 194/DIG.906, 221/9, 700/231
• US Class Current: 194/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0042 for hiring of objects
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/02 for optical devices, e.g. telescopes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00278 with a printing apparatus, e.g. a laser beam printer

Abstract

A rental system contains a plurality of rental digital cameras, and comprises a rental-item providing machine which provides users with digital cameras, respectively, and a management center which manages the digital cameras. The rental-item providing machine makes a credit inquiry about the users. The rental-item providing machine provides the users with the respective digital cameras, in accordance with a result of the credit inquiry. The rental-item providing machine sends identification information for identifying each of the contained digital cameras, to the management center. The management center manages the digital cameras, using the identification information sent from the rental-item providing machine.

Claims

1. A rental system comprising:

a rental-item providing machine which contains at least one rental item, and provides the at least one rental item to a user;

a management device which is connected to said rental-item providing machine through a communication line, and manages the at least one rental item using information supplied from said rental-item providing machine through said communication line; and

an inquiry center which makes a credit inquiry about a user;

wherein said rental-item providing machine includes;

a container which contains the at least one rental item;

an identification section which is installed in said container and identifies the at least one rental item contained inside said container;

a first transmitter which transmits identification information representing the at least one rental item identified by said identification section to said management device, through said communication line;

a first determiner which determines whether to rent the at least one rental item to the user based on a result of the credit inquiry made by said inquiry center;

an opener which provides the user with the at least one rental item by opening said container, in a case where said first determiner determines to rent the at least one rental item to the user;

a memory which stores rental information representing the at least one rental item rented to the user and user identification information in association with each other;

a second determiner which determines whether a returned rental item is the same as the at least one rental item rented to the user, based on the rental information stored in said memory; and

a requesting device which requests the user to return the at least one rental item rented by the user, in a case where said second determiner determines that the returned rental item is not the same as the at least one rental item rented to the user;

wherein said first determiner includes;

a card reader which reads out personal information of the user from a card possessed by the user; and

a second transmitter which sends the personal information read by said card reader to said inquiry center;

wherein said management device stores the identification information sent from said first transmitter through said communication line, to thereby manage the at least one rental item;

wherein said management device includes;

a position detector which detects a position of the at least one rental item rented to the user;

a third determiner which determines whether the at least one rental item is positioned outside a predetermined area, based on a detection result of said position detector; and

a warning transmitter which transmits a warning to the user to which the at least one rental item is rented, in a case where said third determiner determines that the at least one rental item is positioned outside the predetermined area.

2. A rental system comprising:

a rental-item providing machine which contains at least one digital camera as a rental item, and provides the at least one digital camera to a user;

a management device which is connected to said rental-item providing machine through a communication line, and manages the at least one digital camera using information supplied from said rental-item providing machine through said communication line;

an inquiry center which makes a credit inquiry about a user;

wherein said rental-item providing machine includes;

a container which contains the at least one digital camera;

an identification section which is installed in said container and identifies the at least one digital camera contained in said container;

a first transmitter which transmits identification information representing the at least one digital camera identified by said identification section to said management device, through said communication line;

a first determiner which determines whether to rent the at least one digital camera to the user based on a result of the credit inquiry made by said inquiry center;

an opener which provides the user with the at least one digital camera by opening said container, in a case where said first determiner determines to rent the at least one digital camera to the user;

a memory which stores rental information representing the at least one digital camera rented to the user and user identification information in association with each other;

a second determiner which determines whether a returned digital camera is the same as the at least one digital camera rented to the user, based on the information stored in said memory;

a requesting device which requests the user to return the at least one digital camera rented by the user, in a case where said second determiner determines that the returned digital camera is not the same as the at least one digital camera rented to the user;

a card reader which reads out personal information of the user from a card possessed by the user;

a second transmitter which sends the personal information read by said card reader to said inquiry center; and

a printer which prints an image photographed by the digital camera;

wherein said management device stores the identification information sent from said first transmitter through said communication line, to thereby manage the at least one digital camera; and

wherein said inquiry center makes the credit inquiry about the user using the personal information sent from said second transmitter.

3. The rental system according to claim 2, wherein:

the digital camera includes a third transmitter which sends image data representing the photographed image;

said rental-item providing machine includes a first receiver which receives the image data sent by said third transmitter; and

said printer prints the image photographed by the digital camera, using the image data received by said first receiver.

4. The rental system according to claim 3, wherein:

the digital camera is connectable to a cellular phone; and

said third transmitter transmits the image data through said cellular phone connected to the digital camera.

5. The rental system according to claim 4, wherein:

said rental-item providing machine includes a plurality of rental-item providing machines within a predetermined area, and

said management device includes;

a position detector which detects a position of the digital camera rented by the user,

a fourth determiner which determines said rental-item providing machine to which the user returns the digital camera, based on a detection result of said position detector, and

a controller which controls said rental-item providing machine determined by said fourth determiner to prepare for printing the image photographed by the digital camera.

6. A rental-item providing machine comprising:

a container which contains at least one digital camera as a rental item, said digital camera including a first transmitter which transmits image data of a photographed image;

a first determiner which determines whether to provide a user with the at least one digital camera, by making a credit inquiry about the user;

an opener which opens said container so as to provide the user with the at least one digital camera, in a case where said first determiner determines to provide the user with the at least one digital camera;

a memory which stores rental information representing the user and the digital camera rented to the user in association with each other;

a second determiner which determines, based on the rental information stored in said memory, whether a returned digital camera is same as the digital camera rented to the user;

a requester which requests the user to return the rented digital camera, in a case where said second determiner determines that the returned digital camera is not same as the digital camera rented to the user;

a receiver which receives the image data transmitted by said first transmitter; and

a printer which prints the image photographed by the digital camera using the image data received by said receiver;

wherein said first determiner includes;

a card reader which reads out personal information of the user from a card which is held by the user; and

a second transmitter which transmits the personal information read out by said card reader to a predetermined credit inquiry center, to thereby make the credit inquiry about the user.