Viable alternative to private vehicles in urban areas
First Claim
1. A shared-vehicle system, which preserves the freedom and dependability associated with private vehicles, comprising:
- an automated checkout unit, which is operatively coupled to at least one vehicle;
a central control center that is adapted to perform control and monitoring function on each of said at least one vehicle, wherein said automated checkout unit is responsive to a member request, and is adapted to enable one of said at least one vehicles for use by a member;
a checkout/return system, which functions throughout a network of checkout/return locations, including both specific sites and zone sites, allowing members to travel between similar or dissimilar types of locations; and
a demand projection apparatus that is capable of adapting to a dynamic nature of urban vehicle travel, and which projects vehicle demand to approximately 99% certainty or greater by utilizing both historical and real-time data.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method of use for a viable alternative to private vehicles in urban areas is described. The system may include a number of vehicles, a number of checkout locations employing different technology according to specific geographic features of the location and a central computer system operatively coupled to the checkout locations and the vehicles at these locations which actively monitors the use of the vehicles in real-time. The system also includes demand predicting software operatively coupled to the central computer and the checkout locations to determine vehicle accessibility and availability. The goal is to build a system capable of matching the private vehicle'"'"'s high availability ratio of apparently ninety-nine percent or greater.
33 Citations
25 Claims
-
1. A shared-vehicle system, which preserves the freedom and dependability associated with private vehicles, comprising:
-
an automated checkout unit, which is operatively coupled to at least one vehicle;
a central control center that is adapted to perform control and monitoring function on each of said at least one vehicle, wherein said automated checkout unit is responsive to a member request, and is adapted to enable one of said at least one vehicles for use by a member;
a checkout/return system, which functions throughout a network of checkout/return locations, including both specific sites and zone sites, allowing members to travel between similar or dissimilar types of locations; and
a demand projection apparatus that is capable of adapting to a dynamic nature of urban vehicle travel, and which projects vehicle demand to approximately 99% certainty or greater by utilizing both historical and real-time data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. A shared-vehicle system that enables authorized members to share a plurality of vehicles located at various types of locations throughout an urban setting while preserving the freedom and dependability associated with private vehicles, comprising:
-
an automated cheek-out unit operatively coupled to at least one vehicle, said check-out unit being a part of a check-out system which includes diverse types of locations, said cheek-out unit being capable of operating in said diverse types of locations;
a central control center that is adapted to perform control and monitoring functions on each of said at least one vehicle;
a communications module providing communications between said central control center and at least one vehicle for enabling said at least one vehicle in response to a member request;
a demand projection apparatus capable of adapting to a dynamic nature of urban vehicle travel by utilizing both historical and real-time data; and
a system for controlling vehicle usage by members, whereby authorized members can check-out vehicles and travel freely throughout an urban setting and between the same location, or between similar or diverse types of locations. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
-
-
8. A shared-vehicle as recited in claim 8, wherein said demand projection apparatus calculates demand at the individual member level and then summarizes this demand at all check-out locations throughout an urban region thereby ensuring a demand projection capability of approximately 99% or greater.
Specification