Fully automated vehicle rental system

• US 20010037298A1
• Filed: 03/13/2001
• Published: 11/01/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Id Systems Incorporated (PowerFleet, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Id Systems Incorporated (PowerFleet, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jagid, Jeffrey M., Ehrman, Kenneth S., Loosmore, Nathan H., Ehrman, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 6,898,493 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• 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. An automated vehicle rental, return and billing system wherein each vehicle, to be rented and removed from a vehicle renting lot, has a unique vehicle identifier, with said lot having at least two of said vehicles;

and wherein each vehicle is provided with transmitter/receiver means and memory storage means linked thereto, with said vehicle identifier being initially stored in said memory storage means;

wherein each of said vehicles further comprises odometer reading sensor means operatively linked to an odometer of the vehicle;

wherein each of said vehicles further comprises fuel sensor means linked to a fuel level sensor of the vehicle;

said system further comprising a data collection data base and means for enabling each of the transmitter/receiver means to communicate with the data collection data base, when each of the vehicles is returned to the vehicle rental lot, to transmit stored final odometer reading and fuel level to the data collection data base for remote calculation of charges and check-in of the vehicle when the vehicle is returned to the vehicle rental lot and wherein each of the transmitter/receiver means is adapted to separately communicate with the data base without interference with communication from another of said transmitter/receiver means.

2. The system of

claim 1

, wherein the system further comprises a check out site in operative communication with the transmitter/receiver means with means at said site for printing out a rental agreement having said personal identification, vehicle identification, rental options and credit card information, and wherein the check-out site comprises a terminal with correlative personal and vehicle identification transmitted thereto by one of said data collection data base and transmitter/receiver means for use as a security check prior to permitting the vehicle to exit the vehicle rental lot.

3. The system of

claim 1

wherein the fuel sensor means further comprises analysis means for interpreting factors relevant to the meaning of a particular fuel level sensor readings for the vehicle under varying vehicle operating conditions, said analysis means comprising correlation means to evaluate a vehicle fuel tank as being filled when the vehicle is not moving and the fuel in the fuel tank is simultaneously rising whereby a fuel fill-up action is detected and mileage and time details thereof stored in said memory means for transmittal and wherein said analysis means further comprise means for detecting non level surfaces upon which the vehicle is positioned with correlation means for compensating for deviations of fuel level effected thereby.

4. The system of

claim 1

, wherein the transmitter/receiver means provides information of location thereof within the rental lot and information related to the vehicle to which it is attached to mapping means for tracking location and readiness of the vehicle for re-renting.

5. The system of

claim 4

, wherein at least two vehicles are mapped on said mapping means for said tracking location and whereby vehicle system operations can be prioritized on said vehicles as a function of vehicle location and type of vehicle and wherein a real time automated inventory of available vehicles is obtainable from said mapping means.

6. The system of

claim 4

wherein transmitter/receiver means of the individual vehicles are capable of communicating with each other and the data base to provide said information of location.

7. The system of

claim 1

, wherein at least one of the odometer and fuel sensing means and transmitter/receiver means is interchangeable between different vehicles and wherein said at least one of said odometer and fuel sensing means and transmitter/receiver means is programmable to be adapted to be operable for the different vehicles.

8. The system of

claim 1

, wherein the system further comprises a personalized greeting display which is visible at or proximate to said lot which displays a personalized message to a driver of the vehicle with personalized information transmitted thereto by said transmitter/receiver means.

9. The system of

claim 1

, wherein said storage means is adapted to store maintenance information unique to said vehicle.

10. The system of

claim 1

, wherein the transmitter/receiver means further comprises timing means and sensing means to determine and store periods of time in which the vehicle is located in said lot to determine efficiency in vehicle processing.

11. The system of

claim 4

, wherein fixed node devices capable of communication with the transmitter/receiver means, with each other and the data collection data base;

are disposed within the rental lot to facilitate communication of data and position of vehicles within the lot.

12. The system of

claim 1

, wherein identification of a renter of the vehicle is associated in the memory storage means during a pre-determined rental period.

13. The system of

claim 1

, wherein the vehicle further contains data entry means for the renter to enter personal identification and desired rental options and credit card charging means and wherein the transmitter/receiver means stores the personal identification in said memory storage means and transmits said personal identification, desired rental options and credit card information to the data collection data base while the vehicle is in the vehicle rental lot and wherein one of the data collection data base and transmitter/receiver transmits validation instructions to validate permission for removal of the vehicle from the rental lot.

14. An automated vehicle rental system, wherein each vehicle further contains data entry means for a renter of said vehicle to enter personal identification and desired rental options and credit card charging means and wherein the vehicle contains transmitter/receiver means having memory storage means to store the personal identification in said memory storage means and to transmit said personal identification, and entered desired rental options and credit card information to a data collection data base while the vehicle is in a vehicle rental lot and wherein the data collection data base transmits to the transmitter/receiver means validation instructions to enable activation of the vehicle with activation means.

15. The automated vehicle rental system of

claim 14

, wherein the data entry means are removable and adapted to be positioned and operatively linked to transmitter/receiver means in other vehicles.