Vehicle and system for controlling return and retrieval of the same

• US 6,967,567 B1
• Filed: 05/05/2000
• Issued: 11/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): GOINS, DAVETTA WOODS
• Application Number:
  US09/566,210
• Time in Patent Office: 2,027 Days
• Field of Search: 340/425.5, 340/426, 340/5.22, 340/825.31, 340/5.1, 340/825.32, 340/5.2, 340/5.3, 340/8, 340/5.6, 340/309.16, 340/426.1, 180/287, 180/288, 307/10.2, 307/10.51, 307/10.52, 307/10.4, 702/37, 379/144, 455/407, 235/380, 235/382, 235/382.5, 235/384, 701/22, 701/200, 705/13
• US Class Current: 340/425.5
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00817 where the code of the lock can be programmed
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/207 with respect to certain areas, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas with possible alerting when inside or outside boundaries

Abstract

The vehicle of the present invention, which has doors that lock and is moved, based on personal identification, comprises: a device for preventing moving of the vehicle based on the personal identification when receiving a return instruction from a vehicle user; and a device for allowing only the operation of the doors for a predetermined period of time after the return instruction.

Claims

1. A vehicle which has doors and is operable by a user having a personal identification, comprising:

a wireless communicator communicating with a control center and configured to receive a forced return command from the control center;

a vehicle controller coupled to said wireless communicator and configured to prevent the user having the personal identification to operate the vehicle in response to receiving the forced return command from the control center; and

a timing device coupled to said vehicle controller and configured for allowing only the operation of the doors for a predetermined period of time after receiving the forced return command.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said wireless communicator is further configured to transmit a vehicle return request of the user to the control center.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein:

said wireless communicator is further configured to receive from the control center a second personal identification; and

said vehicle controller is further configured to permit the operation of the vehicle by a second user having the second personal identification.

4. A system for controlling return and retrieval of temporarily assignable vehicles, comprising:

a wireless communicator in each of the temporarily assignable vehicles;

a vehicle management unit in each of the temporarily assignable vehicles coupled to said wireless communicator; and

a central control device in radio communication with said wireless communicator, wherein;

in response to a vehicle return request transmitted from said wireless communicator indicating a user intending to leave a vehicle outside a specific return area, said central control device clears the assignment of the vehicle to the user aid transmits a forced return command to said wireless communicator; and

in response to the forced return command, said vehicle management unit prevents the operation of the vehicle by the user.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising a card reader in each of the temporarily assignable vehicles coupled to said vehicle management unit, wherein said vehicle management unit is programmed to unlock vehicle doors upon presentation at said card reader of an IC card of a user to whom the vehicle is assigned.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein:

said central control device further transmits a vehicle retrieve command with the forced return command to said wireless communicator; and

said vehicle management unit permits the operation of the vehicle by a retrieving agent in response to the vehicle retrieve command.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the assignment of vehicles is carried out as a system for rental of vehicles.

8. A system for vehicle rental, comprising:

a user terminal;

a control system;

a temporarily assignable vehicle; and

a card ID management system installed in the vehicle in wireless communication with the control system, wherein;

in response to a user to whom a vehicle is temporarily assigned signaling an intention to leave the vehicle outside a specific return area, the control system reassigns the vehicle to a retrieval unit; and

in response to the control system reassigning the vehicle to the retrieval unit, the card ID management system prevents further operation of the vehicle by the user.

9. A vehicle which has doors that lock and is moved, based on personal identification, comprising:

an identification device installed on the vehicle, said identification device storing personal identification and allowing moving of the vehicle when personal identification presented matches the stored personal identification and preventing moving of the vehicle by replacing the stored personal identification with different personal identification when receiving a return instruction from a vehicle user; and

a timing device coupled to said identification device, said timing device allowing only operation of the doors for a predetermined period of time after the return instruction.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein:

said identification device transmits the vehicle return instruction to a control device; and

the control device sends a signal for canceling the stored personal identification to said identification device in response to the vehicle return instruction.

11. A vehicle return and retrieval system not requiring return of temporarily assignable vehicles to specific retrieval areas comprising:

a control system, said control system assigning a vehicle to a user; and

a card ID management unit on the vehicle in radio communication with said control system, said card ID management system storing identification of the user to whom the vehicle is assigned, wherein, when the user signals an intention of leaving the vehicle outside a specific return area, said control system clears the assignment of the vehicle to the user by canceling the stored identification in said card ID management unit and assigns the vehicle to a retrieval unit by having identification of the retrieval unit stored in said card ID management unit.

12. The vehicle return and retrieval system of claim 11, further comprising a card reader and lockable doors on the vehicle and coupled to said card ID management unit, wherein said card ID management unit is programmed to unlock said lockable doors upon presentation of an IC card of the user to whom the vehicle is assigned.

13. The vehicle return and retrieval system of claim 12, further comprising a timing device coupled to said card ID management unit and allowing only operation of said lockable doors for a predetermined period of time after said control system clears the assignment of the vehicle to the user.

14. The vehicle return and retrieval system of claim 11, further comprising a wireless telephone for informing said control system that the user intends to leave.

15. The vehicle return and retrieval system of claim 11, wherein said control system carries out the assignment of vehicles as a system for rental of vehicles.

16. A vehicle rental system, comprising:

a user terminal;

a control system in communication with said user terminal;

a temporarily assignable vehicle;

an ID management system installed on said vehicle and iii wireless communication with said control system, said ID management system storing identification of a user in response to said control system assigning said vehicle to the user, and canceling the stored identification and storing identification of a retrieval unit in response to the user signaling an intention of leaving the vehicle outside a specific return area.

17. The vehicle rental system of claim 16, further comprising a timing device coupled to said ID management system and allowing only operation of vehicle doors for a predetermined period of time after said the user signaling an intention of leaving the vehicle.