Automatically managing rental vehicles
View Patent ↗In some embodiments, a method for managing rental vehicles includes associating a mobile device with a rental vehicle. The mobile device is operable to wirelessly receive vehicle information from the associated rental vehicle. Vehicle information is wirelessly received from the mobile device in response to a customer returning the mobile device. A transaction for the customer is automatically generated based, at least in part, on the vehicle information.
1. A method for managing rental vehicles, the method comprising:
associating a key fob with a rental vehicle, the key fob connected to a key chain for the rental vehicle and operable to wirelessly receive vehicle information from the associated rental vehicle;
wirelessly receiving from the key fob vehicle information in response to a customer returning the key chain and the connected key fob to a kiosk;
identifying terms of agreement associated with the customer renting the rental vehicle
automatically executing, independent of a rental company employee and the customer, a transaction with an account of the customer based, at least in part, on the vehicle information and the terms of agreement associated with the customer; and
automatically transmitting a receipt of the executed transaction to the customer.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle information comprises at least one of vehicle identification, vehicle mileage, fuel level, or collision information.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising periodically transmitting vehicle information to the mobile device in accordance with a time period.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting a request to the wireless device in response to the customer providing the wireless device to the kiosk.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising automatically generating a receipt in accordance with the transaction.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the receipt is in an electronic format.
7. A tangible article comprising a machine-readable medium storing instructions for causing data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:
associating a key fob with a rental vehicle, the key fob connected to a key chain for the rental vehicle and operable to wirelessly receive vehicle information from the associated rental vehicle;
wirelessly receiving from the key fob vehicle information in response to a customer returning the key chain and the connected key fob to a kiosk;
identifying terms of agreement associated with the customer renting the rental vehicle
automatically executing, independent of a rental company employee and the customer, a transaction with an account of the customer based, at least in part, on the vehicle information and the terms of agreement associated with the customer; and
automatically transmitting a receipt of the executed transaction to the customer.
8. The article of claim 7 , wherein the vehicle information comprises at least one of vehicle identification, vehicle mileage, fuel level, or collision information.
9. The article of claim 7 , the operations further comprising periodically transmitting vehicle information to the mobile device in accordance with a time period.
10. The article of claim 7 , the operations further comprising transmitting a request to the wireless device in response to the customer providing the wireless device to the kiosk.
11. The article of claim 7 , the operations further comprising automatically generating a receipt in accordance with the transaction.
12. The article of claim 11 , wherein the receipt is in an electronic format.
13. A kiosk, comprising:
a receiving element operable to receive keys for a rental vehicle and a key fob connected to an associated key chain, the connected key fob associated with the rental vehicle;
a first transmitter operable to transmit a request for vehicle information to the key fob in connection with a customer depositing the keys and the connected key fob with the kiosk;
a receiver operable to wirelessly receive vehicle information from the mobile device; and
a second transmitter operable to transmit, independent of a rental company employee and the customer, the vehicle information to a network element for automatically generating a transaction associated with the rental vehicle using the vehicle information.