Systems and methods for remote vehicle rental with remote vehicle access

• US 8,370,268 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2010
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Id Systems Incorporated (PowerFleet, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Id Systems Incorporated (PowerFleet, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ehrman, Kenneth S., Jagid, Jeffrey M., Loosmore, Nathan H., Ehrman, Michael L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender, Ryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wilder, Hunter
• Application Number:
  US12/773,093
• Publication Number:
  US 20100217630A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,008 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 364/401, 364/423.098, 340/52, 340/932.2, 701/213, 395/187.01
• US Class Current: 705/307
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/00 Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station
• 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

An automated vehicle rental system with individual vehicle transmitting sensors for keeping track of vehicle mileage, fill state of vehicle fuel tank, and localized position status in a rental lot. Sensors are linked to the vehicle odometer reading and to the vehicle fuel tank float sensor with compensation for types of driving and fuel fill-ups which affect float level readings. The sensors are integrated with or are linked with communicating tags operable in a defined site for ultimate communication of stored vehicle related sensor data, vehicle location and type to a central data base for automatically completely effecting check out, charges and state of vehicle readiness for renewed rental. The transmitting sensors are adapted to avoid interference between sensors of other vehicles during multiple transmissions. Also included is an in-vehicle check out and payment device operatively linkable to the transmitting sensor of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for renting a vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving a request for reservation from a user for a rental vehicle for a desired rental time via an internet or cellular connection;

automatically determining by an on-board device of the rental vehicle availability of the rental vehicle upon receiving the request, wherein the availability is determined based on vehicle information as to the condition for rental of the rental vehicle for the desired rental time;

automatically communicating the availability of the rental vehicle from the on-board device of the rental vehicle to a central control station;

providing the availability of the rental vehicle to the user via the internet or cellular connection;

reserving the rental vehicle for the user via the internet or cellular connection based on the availability;

receiving at a vehicle controller of the rental vehicle an access authorization signal from the central control station; and

transmitting from the vehicle controller to the rental vehicle'"'"'s electronics an entry authorization signal instructing the rental vehicle'"'"'s electronics to open one or more doors of the rental vehicle permitting the user to enter the rental vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving payment from the user for usage of the rental vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, the vehicle controller transmitting the entry authorization signal through a bus system of the on-board device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the vehicle controller communicating in a first communication protocol with the rental vehicle; and

the vehicle controller communicating in a second communication protocol with a second rental vehicle.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first and second rental vehicles are produced by different manufacturers.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising programming the vehicle controller to communicate with the rental vehicle'"'"'s electronics using translational tables stored on the vehicle controller, the translational tables comprising vehicle parameters specific to the rental vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising preventing the user from starting the rental vehicle before initiation of vehicle rental.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically communicating the availability of the rental vehicle from the on-board device to the central control station when the availability is modified.

9. A vehicle rental system comprising:

a plurality of rental vehicles, each of the plurality of rental vehicles having an on-board device that automatically determines availability of a rental vehicle, wherein the determination is made upon receiving a request for reservation from a user for a rental vehicle of the plurality of rental vehicles, wherein the availability is determined based on vehicle information as to the condition for rental of a rental vehicle for a desired rental time, and wherein the on-board device automatically communicates availability to a central control station computer, the central control station computer providing rental vehicle the availability to the user and reserving a rental vehicle for the user based on the availability and via an internet or cellular connection; and

a processor configured to enable the user to access the reserved rental vehicle;

wherein the processor is configured to allow the user to access the reserved rental vehicle upon receiving an access authorization signal; and

wherein the request for reservation is for the desired rental time and is made via an internet of cellular connection.

10. The vehicle controller of claim 9, the processor configured to send a signal to the reserved rental vehicle'"'"'s electronics to unlock at least one of the doors when the processor receives an access authorization signal.

11. The vehicle controller of claim 9, the processor configured to communicate with the reserved rental vehicle'"'"'s electronics using any of a plurality of different communication modes.

12. The system of claim 9, the vehicle controller comprising translation tables stored thereon enabling the processor to communicate with the reserved rental vehicle'"'"'s electronics using any of a plurality of different communication modes.

13. The vehicle controller of claim 9, the connector comprising a J1962 standard connector plug.

14. The vehicle controller of claim 9, wherein the processor can be programmed to communicate with the reserved rental vehicle'"'"'s electronics using one of a plurality of different communication modes and reprogrammed to communicate with a different rental vehicle'"'"'s electronics using a different communication mode.

15. A vehicle rental system comprising:

a vehicle controller operationally connected to an on-board computer of a rental vehicle, the on-board computer automatically determining whether the rental vehicle is available for rental in response to a request for reservation from a user, wherein the availability of the rental vehicle is determined based on vehicle information as to the condition for rental of the rental vehicle for a desired rental time;

a central control station computer remote from the rental vehicle; and

a transceiver operationally connected to the controller and in operational communication with the central control station computer, the transceiver automatically communicating the availability of the rental vehicle to the central control station computer;

wherein the request for reservation is for the desired rental time and is made via an internet or cellular connection;

wherein the central control station computer provides the availability of the rental vehicle to a user via an internet or cellular connection;

wherein the central control station computer enables the user to reserve a rental car via an internet or cellular connection and based on the availability of the rental vehicle; and

wherein the vehicle controller is configured to allow the user to access the rental vehicle upon receiving an access authorization from the central control station computer via the transceiver.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to unlock at least one door of the rental vehicle upon receiving an access authorization from the central control station computer via the transceiver.

17. The system of claim 15, the vehicle controller configured to communicate with the on-board computer of the rental vehicle using any of ISO 9141, J1850PWM, and J1850VPW communication modes.

18. The system of claim 17, the vehicle controller comprising translation tables stored thereon enabling the vehicle controller to communicate with the on-board computer of the rental vehicle using any of ISO 9141, J1850PWM, and J1850VPW communication modes.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the vehicle controller can be programmed to communicate with the on-board computer of the rental vehicle using one of ISO 9141, J1850PWM, and J1850VPW communication modes and reprogrammed to communicate with an on-board computer of a different rental vehicle using a different communication mode.

20. The system of claim 17, the vehicle controller connected to the bus system of the on-board computer of the rental vehicle using a J1962 standard connector plug.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the communication between the transceiver and the central control station computer is bidirectional.

22. The system of claim 15, the vehicle controller connected to the bus system of the on-board computer of the rental vehicle.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein the rental vehicle cannot be started until initiation of vehicle rental.