Method and system for lease of assets, such as trailers, storage devices and facilities

• US 7,941,354 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2005
• Issued: 05/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Asset Intelligence LLC (PowerFleet, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Asset Intelligence LLC (PowerFleet, Inc.)
• Inventors: Breen, Thomas B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kalinowski; Alexander
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ebersman; Bruce I
• Application Number:
  US11/303,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20070143207A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,971 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

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.

Claims

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 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.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the at least three conditions is geographic location of the asset at a predetermined location or within a predetermined area and wherein one of the at least three distinct sensors is a locating sensor that determines the current geographic location of the asset.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the at least three conditions is movement of the asset, and wherein one of the at least three distinct sensors is a motion sensor that senses the movement of the asset.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the motion sensor is an accelerometer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the at least three conditions is a change in temperature of the asset indicative of use of the asset, and wherein one of the at least three distinct sensors is a thermometer that senses the temperature of the asset.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the at least three conditions is presence of materials within the asset, and wherein one of the at least three distinct sensors is a contents sensor that senses the presence of materials within the asset.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein making available at least one asset to be leased comprises making available at least one asset in a secure storage yard having a security card reader that is connected to the computerized management system, wherein the use of an appropriate security card with the security card reader is transmitted to the computerized management system, and wherein said computerized management system allows access to the at least one asset upon use of the appropriate security card.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one asset in the secure storage yard is electronically immobilized, and wherein the computerized management system causes the immobilization to be removed from the asset upon use of the appropriate security card.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the use of the appropriate security card with the security card reader triggers to starts or end the lease.

10. A system for administering a lease of geographically distributed assets, the system comprising:

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.

11. The system of claim 10,

wherein the at least three conditions further include geographic location of the asset at a predetermined location the movement of the asset, a change in temperature of the asset indicative of use of the asset, the presence of materials within the asset or use of an appropriate security card with a security card reader.

12. The system of claim 10:

wherein the at least three distinct sensors further include a locating sensor, a motion sensor, a contents sensor or a thermometer.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising a web-based interface to the computerized management system which allows a lessee to view information concerning the asset being leased.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the interface to the computerized management system also allows a lessee to pay invoices for the asset being leased.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the interface to the computerized management system allows a lessee to view information concerning the availability of new assets for leasing.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the interface to the computerized management system allows a lessee to select lease the terms governing the lease of an asset and to select the asset for leasing.