Patent ID: 11941550
Assignee: GEOTAB INC.
Field: Control (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G  B | IPC G

Claim 0:
1. A system for managing shared access to a vehicle, the system comprising:
a vehicle device installable to the vehicle, the vehicle device including a first communication interface, a first at least one processor, and a first at least one non-transitory processor-readable storage medium communicatively coupled to the first at least one processor, wherein the first at least one non-transitory processor-readable storage medium stores first processor-executable instructions, which when executed by the first at least one processor cause the vehicle device to:
store, by the first at least one non-transitory processor-readable storage medium, a plurality of virtual keys, each virtual key associated with a respective list of at least one user from a plurality of lists of at least one user, and each virtual key associated with a respective set of vehicle access privileges, wherein users included in each respective list of at least one user are entitled to the respective set of vehicle access privileges associated with a respective virtual key to which the respective list of at least one user is associated;
in response to an interaction event with the vehicle device by a candidate user, where credentials for the candidate user are received by the vehicle device, determine by the first at least one processor whether the candidate user is included in a list of the plurality of lists;
if the candidate user is included in a list of the plurality of lists:
determine, by the first at least one processor, a virtual key associated with the list in which the candidate user is included and a set of vehicle access privileges associated with the determined virtual key; and
provide vehicle access to the candidate user in accordance with the determined set of vehicle access privileges, by providing a vehicle access mechanism which controls access to the vehicle with control instructions from the first at least one processor; and

if the candidate user is not included in a list of the plurality of lists:
receive input from the candidate user which includes an indication of vehicle access privileges of the candidate user; and
provide vehicle access to the candidate user in accordance with the vehicle access privileges indicated in the indication of vehicle access privileges, by providing the vehicle access mechanism with control instructions from the first at least one processor.