Method and system for lease of assets, such as trailers, storage devices and facilities
First Claim
1. A computer implemented method for administering a lease of geographically distributed assets, the method comprising:
- storing lease terms governing the leasing of a geographically distributed asset in a computerized management system, the lease terms includingduration of the lease,lease rate terms, andat least three conditions of said lease including starting of the lease, the lease rate, and ending of the lease, said three conditions are verified by at least three distinct sensors, wherein the at least three conditions includes (i) opening of a door on the asset, (ii) the use of electricity on the asset, and (iii) the use of a refrigeration system on the asset, wherein the three distinct sensors include (i) a door switch to monitor position of the door on said asset, (ii) a current monitor to monitor the use of electricity by electrical equipment within said asset, and (iii) a temperature sensor which monitors the use of the refrigeration system within said asset;
wherein said starting of the lease is determined by the opening of said door and by either applying the electricity or the refrigeration to said asset, or by applying the electricity and the refrigeration to said asset, and wherein at two lease rates are applied based on whether said asset is being cooled as measured by said temperature sensor or whether said asset is being powered as measured by said current monitor and wherein said ending of the lease is determined by closing said door as measured by said door switch, turning off said electricity as measured by said current monitor and turning off said refrigeration unit as measured by said temperature sensor,making available at least one asset to be leased, wherein the asset has a unique identifier;
associating, within the computerized management system, lease terms governing the leasing of the asset with the unique identifier for the asset;
monitoring status of the at least three conditions with said at least three distinct sensors in communication with the computerized management system;
transmitting to the computerized management system via a communications system the status of the at least three conditions and the unique identifier of the asset;
utilizing the computerized management system to monitor said lease based upon the status sensed by the at least three distinct sensors, the unique identifier of the asset, and the lease terms associated with the unique identifier of the asset;
utilizing the computerized management system to determine an amount due based upon the terms of the lease associated with the asset through the unique identifier if the three conditions that start the lease have occurred;
utilizing the computerized management system to periodically prepare an invoice using the determined amount due to a customer;
utilizing the computerized management system to determine a final amount due based upon the terms of the lease associated with the asset through the unique identifier if the three conditions that end the lease have occurred; and
utilizing the computerized management system to prepare a final invoice using the final amount due to the customer at the end of the lease.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system of providing for the rapid availability of assets to customers wherein a lease method and system is provided which includes lease terms, a leasable asset with a unique identifier, associating the lease terms with the asset through the unique identifier, at least one sensor on the asset for detecting the status of at least one condition that starts a lease, a communications system for transmitting information from the sensors on the asset to a central management system, determining the amount due based on the status of the sensors and the lease terms associated with the unique identifier, and preparing an invoice based on the amount due determined.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A computer implemented method for administering a lease of geographically distributed assets, the method comprising:
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storing lease terms governing the leasing of a geographically distributed asset in a computerized management system, the lease terms including duration of the lease, lease rate terms, and at least three conditions of said lease including starting of the lease, the lease rate, and ending of the lease, said three conditions are verified by at least three distinct sensors, wherein the at least three conditions includes (i) opening of a door on the asset, (ii) the use of electricity on the asset, and (iii) the use of a refrigeration system on the asset, wherein the three distinct sensors include (i) a door switch to monitor position of the door on said asset, (ii) a current monitor to monitor the use of electricity by electrical equipment within said asset, and (iii) a temperature sensor which monitors the use of the refrigeration system within said asset; wherein said starting of the lease is determined by the opening of said door and by either applying the electricity or the refrigeration to said asset, or by applying the electricity and the refrigeration to said asset, and wherein at two lease rates are applied based on whether said asset is being cooled as measured by said temperature sensor or whether said asset is being powered as measured by said current monitor and wherein said ending of the lease is determined by closing said door as measured by said door switch, turning off said electricity as measured by said current monitor and turning off said refrigeration unit as measured by said temperature sensor, making available at least one asset to be leased, wherein the asset has a unique identifier; associating, within the computerized management system, lease terms governing the leasing of the asset with the unique identifier for the asset; monitoring status of the at least three conditions with said at least three distinct sensors in communication with the computerized management system; transmitting to the computerized management system via a communications system the status of the at least three conditions and the unique identifier of the asset; utilizing the computerized management system to monitor said lease based upon the status sensed by the at least three distinct sensors, the unique identifier of the asset, and the lease terms associated with the unique identifier of the asset; utilizing the computerized management system to determine an amount due based upon the terms of the lease associated with the asset through the unique identifier if the three conditions that start the lease have occurred; utilizing the computerized management system to periodically prepare an invoice using the determined amount due to a customer; utilizing the computerized management system to determine a final amount due based upon the terms of the lease associated with the asset through the unique identifier if the three conditions that end the lease have occurred; and utilizing the computerized management system to prepare a final invoice using the final amount due to the customer at the end of the lease. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A system for administering a lease of geographically distributed assets, the system comprising:
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at least one asset to be leased, wherein the asset has a unique identifier; a computerized management system coupled to the at least one asset for establishing lease terms that govern the leasing of the geographically distributed asset, said lease terms include duration of the lease, lease rate terms and at least three conditions including starting of the lease, the lease rate, and ending of the lease, wherein said lease terms are associated with the unique identifier for the asset, wherein said at least three conditions include (i) opening of a door on the asset, (ii) the use of electricity on the asset and (iii) the use of the refrigeration system on the asset; at least three distinct sensors in the asset that function to verify the at least three conditions, wherein the at least wherein the three distinct sensors include (i) a door switch to monitor position of the door on said asset, (ii) a current monitor to monitor the use of electricity by electrical equipment within said asset, and (iii) a temperature sensor which monitors the use of the refrigeration system within said asset, wherein said starting of the lease is determined by the opening of said door and by either applying the electricity or the refrigeration to said asset, or by applying the electricity and the refrigeration to said asset, and wherein at two lease rates are applied based on whether said asset is being cooled as measured by said temperature sensor or whether said asset is being powered as measured by said current monitor and wherein said ending of the lease is determined by closing said door as measured by said door switch, turning off said electricity as measured by said current monitor and turning off said refrigeration unit as measured by said temperature sensor, and a communications transmission system coupled to the computerized management system for transmitting to the computerized management system the status of the at least three conditions and the unique identifier of the asset; wherein the computerized management system monitor said lease based upon the status sensed by the at least three distinct sensors, the unique identifier of the asset, and the lease terms associated with the unique identifier of the asset; wherein, the computerized management system calculates an amount due using the terms of the lease associated with the asset through the unique identifier if the at least three conditions that start the lease have occurred; wherein, the computerized management system periodically prepares an invoice using the calculated amount due to a customer; wherein the computerized management system calculates the amount due using the terms of the lease associated with the asset through the unique identifier if the three conditions that end the lease have occurred; wherein the computerized management system prepares a final invoice using the final amount due to the customer at the end of the lease. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification