Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02692926 2009-11-30
Agent Ref: 26017/00455
1 System and Method for Automatically Generating an Airplane Boarding Pass for
a
2 Traveler Returning a Rental Car
3
4 Cross Reference To Related Applications
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Serial No.
60/932,574 filed
6 on May 31, 2007 the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
7 Background
8 Though added security measures have slowed the boarding process at our
nation's
9 airlines over the past several years, progress has been made in expediting
the part of the
check-in process that occurs before one arrives at his or her destination
gate. For example,
11 tickets can be purchased easily over the Internet and bar-coded boarding
passes can be printed
12 on the day of one's flight at any printer with Internet access. In
addition, readily available self
13 check-in machines in the airport terminal can be used by passengers to
avoid waiting in line for
14 their boarding passes.
To address the needs that arise in a different mode of travel, systems have
also been
16 recently proposed to streamline the car return process at car rental
facilities. In particular, U.S.
17 Patent No. 6,006,148 to Strong discloses an automated vehicle return system
wherein status
18 information of a rented vehicle can be automatically tracked during the
rental period, transmitted
19 to a selected destination computer upon driving the vehicle into a rental
return area, and used
by the destination computer to generate a bill for the rented vehicle.
Electronic vehicle
21 monitoring circuitry is tied to existing components within the vehicle to
keep track of the status of
22 the vehicle during the rental period. The status information includes miles
driven, fuel level, pick
23 up time, drop off time, wear and tear on the vehicle, and so on.
24 U.S. Patent No. 5,635,693 to Benson, et al. discloses a radio frequency
(RF) tagging
system to monitor vehicles passing through an area access to one or more
vehicle storage
26 area(s). One or more of the vehicles stored in the storage area is equipped
with an RF tag
27 which has vehicle ID information about the vehicle stored in a tag memory
contained on the tag.
28 The tag communicates with a base station when entering or leaving the
vehicle storage areas
29 through the area accesses. A central and preferably one or more remote
computers accesses
status information that can include vehicle identification, customer, lot
identification, time of day,
31 and vehicle and lot status.
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1 U.S. Patent No. 7,040,435 discloses a system for data communication between
a
2 computer monitoring system on a vehicle and a remote terminal, which can be
a hand-held
3 operated wireless computer.
4 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1A is a schematic representation of an embodiment of an integrated
automatic
6 rental car return and airplane boarding pass generating system of the
present invention
7 implemented in a rental car facility.
8 FIG. 1 B is a block diagram of an embodiment of the integrated automatic
rental car
9 return and airplane boarding pass generating system represented in FIG. 1A.
FIG. 2 is a flow chart representation of a method of the present invention.
11 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
12 The system and method of the present invention provide an integrated
automatic rental
13 car return and airplane boarding pass generating system. The system
includes a plurality of
14 identifying (ID) tags, each of which is located on a rental car, and a
reader adapted to read each
identifying tag or other means of communicating information to identify a
rental car as a traveler
16 drives the car onto a rental car lot through an entrance. The reader is
operably connected to a
17 local computer with Internet access to a central database (CDB), which
includes airplane travel
18 information, if any, associated with the traveler's car rental return. A
database of travelers who
19 registered to drive one of the rental cars maintained in the rental car
facility is also associated
with and accessible to the local computer. The system further includes a hand-
held wireless
21 unit operated by an attendant of the rental car facility, which wirelessly
communicates with the
22 local computer to obtain airplane travel information in real-time for the
traveler(s) registered as
23 the drivers of the returned rental car and, optionally, for any other
passengers traveling with the
24 registered traveler(s) in the rental car. The airplane travel information
for the traveler is then
used to print a boarding pass and rental car receipt at car-side. The system
can use, either in
26 addition to or instead of the hand held device, a kiosk for the driver or
another to communicate
27 with the system. In this way the attendant need not be present or a number
of attendants can
28 use the same communication device.
29 DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The present invention provides an integrated automatic rental car return and
airplane
31 boarding pass generating system 10, which is shown schematically in FIG. 1A
for a rental car
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1 facility 2. A simple block diagram of a preferred embodiment of the system
10 is shown in FIG.
2 1 B. Referring to both FIGS. 1A and 1 B, the system 10 includes a plurality
of identifying (ID)
3 tags 12, each of which is located on a rental car 8, and a reader 14 adapted
to read each
4 identifying tag 12 as a traveler drives the car 8 onto a rental car lot 4
through an entrance 6,
which may be a controlled access gate.
6 The reader 14 is operably connected to a local computer 24 with Internet
access to a
7 central database (CDB) 30, which includes airplane travel information, if
any, associated with
8 the traveler's car rental return. The system 10 further includes a hand-held
wireless unit 36
9 operated by an attendant of the rental car facility 2, which wirelessly
communicates with the
local computer 24 to obtain airplane travel information. The airplane travel
information for the
11 traveler is then used to print a boarding pass and rental car receipt 15 at
car-side.
12 Tags and readers can be any appropriate identifying tags and readers known
in the art
13 including radio frequency (RFID), optical (including bar code), microwave,
and so on. In the
14 preferred embodiment described below, RFID tags with transponders and RF
readers, or
interrogators, are used. Any other means of communicating information used to
identify a
16 vehicle to the local computer upon return of the vehicle to the rental car
facility may alternatively
17 or additionally be utilized.
18 The RF reader 14 has a predetermined zone within which it can transmit
signals to and
19 read signals from an RFID tag 12 which overlaps with the rental car lot 4.
Preferably, the
predetermined zone coincides closely with the controlled access area of the
rental car lot 4.
21 Referring to FIG. 1 B, each tag 12 includes a unique identifying code 13
associated with
22 the rental car 8 on which it is located. Each tag 12 also preferably
includes or is connected to
23 circuitry 16, which may include memory and a processor, for communicating
with the reader 14
24 through an on-board transponder or transceiver 18. The on-board transponder
18 can transmit
and receive signals to and from the RF reader 14 via antenna 20 mounted on the
car 8 and on-
26 site antenna 22. The on-site antenna 22 may be appropriately located at the
entrance or exit 6
27 to detect any rental car 8 entering or leaving the rental car lot 4.
28 As the car 8 enters or leaves the rental car lot 4, the respective antenna
20 of the tag 12
29 and that 22 of the reader 14 are in appropriate relative proximity to each
other to allow the
reader 14 to identify the rental car 8. The reader 14 is operably connected to
a local computer
31 24 with Internet access, which includes a local database 26 and processor
28, to which the
32 reader 14 relays the identifying code. The local database 26 is continually
updated with the
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1 identity of travelers requesting car rentals, along with any additional
relevant information about
2 the traveler, when each rental reservation is made. When the rental car 8 is
physically signed
3 out to, or registered with the traveler, the local database 26 is updated to
associate the traveler
4 with the code on the tag 12.
The system 10 also includes a means for communication with the central
database
6 (CDB) 30, which is accessible via the Internet and which includes additional
travel information
7 for the traveler associated with the car rental, including airline
reservations. The additional
8 travel information is preferably input to the CDB 30 at any time prior to
the traveler's arrival at
9 the car rental facility 2 through various on-line auto rental 32 and airline
ticketing sources 34, for
example.
11 In one embodiment, when the traveler requests the car rental service, he or
she provides
12 the car rental service with the necessary identifying information (such as
airline reservation
13 code) that will allow the car rental service to directly access the on-line
CDB 30. It should be
14 noted that the "central database" as used herein can refer to a plurality
of databases, each
maintained, for example, by a different on-line airline ticketing service.
16 The system 10 can access the remote CDB 30 to acquire additional travel
information
17 for the traveler associated with the car rental at any time prior to the
completion of the rental car
18 process and store it in the local database 26. In this way, when the tag 12
is read at the time a
19 rental car is returned to the lot, the additional travel information for
the traveler associated with
the rental car can be immediately accessed from the local database 28.
Preferably, the CDB 30
21 is also accessed when the returned rental car 8 enters the lot in order to
obtain any updated
22 information that may have been entered into the CDB 30.
23 The computer 24 processes the travel information as needed to generate an
output for
24 printing a rental receipt and, if appropriate, a boarding pass for a
traveler's scheduled air flight.
The boarding pass includes a bar code commonly recognizable by the bar code
scanners
26 utilized in the airline industry. The boarding pass and rental receipt 15
can be generated
27 separately or on the same piece of paper, for example, by utilizing two
sides of a paper.
28 The system 10 further includes a hand-held wireless unit 36 for wirelessly
29 communicating with the local computer 24. Accordingly the hand-held unit 36
and computer 24
each include a transceiver 38 and 40 with antenna 42 and 44, respectively. Any
appropriate
31 wireless transceiver with separate or integrated antenna known in the art
can be used.
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1 The hand-held unit 36 also includes a processor with memory 46 for
communicating with
2 the computer 24 and for receiving data relating to a receipt and boarding
pass from the
3 computer 24. The unit 36 aiso includes a printer 48. The unit 36 uses the
data to print the
4 receipt and boarding pass on the printer 48. Preferably, the hand-held unit
36 further includes a
display 50 and keypad 52 that allows an operator to read and enter information
passed to and
6 from the computer 24 as necessary.
7 It should be noted that the hand-held unit 36, reader 14, and RFID tag 12
can all be
8 configured to be in two-way wireless communication with each other, each
using any
9 appropriate RF transceiver and antenna to communicate. It is only necessary
however, for the
reader 14 and tag 12 to operate as an interrogator and transponder
respectively. The system
11 can use, either in addition to or instead of the hand held device, a kiosk
for the driver or another
12 to enter information into the system. In this way the attendant need not be
present or a number
13 of attendants can use the same communication device.
14 In a method of the present invention (FIG. 2), the ID tag 12 is scanned and
the car is
identified 50 upon entering the lot. A traveler ID field is preferably
provided in the records for
16 the traveler's rental information in the local database 26 that can be
associated with a traveler
17 ID field in the CDB 30. Accordingly, the processor 28 can automatically
retrieve flight
18 information for the traveler from the CDB 30 by linking to the record in
the central database 30
19 associated with the same traveler ID. As a result, the encoded information
retrieved on the ID
tag 12 of the returned rental car allows flight information to be pulled 56
for the rental car driver
21 as he or she enters the lot. If there is no flight information associated
with the traveler ID, only a
22 driver rental receipt will be printed 62. If there is flight information, a
corresponding boarding
23 pass is printed out 58 along with the rental return receipt from a printer
48 (see FIG. I B)
24 operably connected to the local processor 28.
The ID tag can be mounted in any accessible safe location on or in the car. In
one
26 embodiment, the RFID circuit 16 associated with the tag 12 on each car
dynamically updates
27 the mileage and gas tank levels of the car 8 either directly from the
sensors on the car 8 or
28 through the on-board computer, so that when the traveler drives into the
rental car lot 4, the final
29 bill is automatically tabulated. The additional charges can be billed
against the credit card used
to check in.
31 In another embodiment, once the reader obtains the encoded information from
the tag,
32 and before releasing the car (by opening a security gate, e.g.) to fully
enter the lot, the receipt
33 and boarding pass are printed out for pickup by the traveler/driver at the
entrance, rather than
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1 from a hand-held unit or a kiosk. In this case, the printer is operably
connected to the
2 networked local computer rather than the hand-held unit, and both computer
24 and printer 48
3 are located at the entrance. The printed pass and receipt are then
retrievable by the driver as in
4 any drive-through banking or parking service while still seated in the car,
from a slot or pull-
down drawer, for example.
6 Referring to FIG. 2, in one embodiment, upon the driver's retrieval of his
or her rental
7 receipt and boarding pass (if appropriate), the processor will prompt the
driver as to whether
8 boarding passes are needed for any other passengers in the car 64. Upon
entry of identification
9 information (e.g., credit card) for each passenger, the CDB 30 will be
searched and any
additional boarding passes will be processed 66 and printed 68 as needed. In
addition, if more
11 than one airline ticket was purchased by the driver of the rental for
family members, for
12 example, these boarding passes will also be printed out at the time of car
rental return.
13 These user-interactive features can be performed via an attendant through a
hand-held
14 reader with, for example, an integrated PDA, by the attendant or traveler
through a kiosk, or at
the entrance, using the display and keypad on the local computer.
16 Although illustrative embodiments of the present invention have been
described herein
17 with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that
the invention and
18 claims are not limited to those precise embodiments, and that various other
changes and
19 modifications may be applied therein by one skilled in the art without
departing from the scope
or spirit of the invention. As will also be apparent to those skilled in the
art, various
21 combinations of the embodiments and features taught in the foregoing
description are possible
22 and can result in preferred executions of the present invention.
Accordingly, it is intended that
23 such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the present
invention as defined by the
24 claims appended hereto.
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