SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR REMOTE VEHICLE RENTAL WITH REMOTE VEHICLE ACCESS

• US 20130144667A1
• Filed: 02/04/2013
• Published: 06/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Id Systems Incorporated (PowerFleet, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Id Systems Incorporated (PowerFleet, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ehrman, Kenneth S., Ehrman, Michael L., Jagid, Jeffrey M., Loosmore, Nathan H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,671,063 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/5
• 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;

providing an 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 an on-board device of the rental vehicle an access authorization signal from a central control station; and

transmitting from the on-board device 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, wherein communicating the availability of the rental vehicle from the onboard device further comprises providing the rental vehicle'"'"'s location.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the vehicle'"'"'s location is provided by GPS.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the vehicle'"'"'s location is provided by cellular location services.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the availability of the rental vehicle from the onboard device further comprises providing one or more of the group selected from fuel level, battery voltage, and door lock status.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving payment from the user for usage of the rental vehicle via the internet or cellular connection.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the on-board device automatically communicates the availability of the vehicle as unavailable in response to an event.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the event comprises the battery voltage of the rental vehicle dropping below a predetermined threshold.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the event comprises the fuel level of the rental vehicle dropping below a predetermined threshold.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the event comprises damage to the rental vehicle.

11. 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;

sending a request for data to an on-board device of the rental vehicle;

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

determining the availability of the rental vehicle based on the data from the on-board device;

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 the on-board device of the rental vehicle an access authorization signal from the central control station; and

transmitting from the on-board device 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.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the data of the rental car comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of fuel level, battery voltage, location, and door lock status.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein determining the availability of the rental vehicle further comprises:

determining that the fuel level of the rental vehicle is above a predetermined threshold.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein determining the availability of the rental vehicle further comprises:

determining that the battery voltage of the rental vehicle is above a predetermined threshold.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein determining the availability of the rental vehicle further comprises:

determining the rental vehicle'"'"'s location.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein

the rental vehicle is determined to be available if it is in a predetermined location;

and

the rental vehicle is determined to be unavailable if it is not in the predetermined location.

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

automatically sending data from a rental vehicle from an on-board device of the rental vehicle to a central control station at a predetermined time interval;

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

determining the availability of the rental vehicle based on the most recent data from the on-board device of the rental vehicle;

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

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

18. The method of claim 17, wherein automatically sending the availability of a rental vehicle from the on-board device of the rental vehicle to a central control station at a predetermined time interval further comprises:

receiving at the on-board device of the rental vehicle a rental reservation from the central control station; and

automatically updating the availability of the rental vehicle at the on-board device based on the rental reservation.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving at the on-board device of the rental vehicle an access authorization signal from the central control station; and

transmitting from the on-board device 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.

20. A method for renting vehicles comprising:

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

determining an availability of the rental vehicle, wherein the availability is determined based on vehicle information as to the condition for rental of the rental vehicle for the desired rental time;

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 a request for access to the rental vehicle from a user; and

transmitting to the rental vehicle an access authorization signal.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

transmitting from a vehicle controller to the rental vehicle'"'"'s electronics an entry authorization signal instructing the rental vehicle'"'"'s electronics to unlock one or more doors of the rental vehicle.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the entry authorization signal instructs the rental vehicle'"'"'s electronics to unlock only one door.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the entry authorization signal instructs the rental vehicle'"'"'s electronics to unlock only a driver'"'"'s side, front door.