Abstract:
The invention provides a system and method for integrating rental vehicle return with airline boarding pass generation. The system includes a rental identification tag located on a rental vehicle and a tag reader located at a rental vehicle return facility for reading and identifying the rental vehicle identification tag when the rental vehicle enters a range of the tag reader. The system additionally includes a database containing information linking a traveler to the rental identification tag and to airline reservation information of the traveler and a computing system communicating with the database and the tag reader to locate the airline reservation information of the traveler based on the identification provided by the tag reader. The system also includes a boarding pass generator for generating a boarding pass based on the airline reservation information upon receiving an instruction from the computing system.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/932,574 filed on May 31, 2007 the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Though added security measures have slowed the boarding process at our nation&#39;s 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, tickets can be purchased easily over the Internet and bar-coded boarding passes can be printed on the day of one&#39;s flight at any printer with Internet access. In addition, readily available self check-in machines in the airport terminal can be used by passengers to avoid waiting in line for their boarding passes. 
     To address the needs that arise in a different mode of travel, systems have also been recently proposed to streamline the car return process at car rental facilities. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,148 to Strong discloses an automated vehicle return system wherein status information of a rented vehicle can be automatically tracked during the rental period, transmitted 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 monitoring circuitry is tied to existing components within the vehicle to keep track of the status of the vehicle during the rental period. The status information includes miles driven, fuel level, pick up time, drop off time, wear and tear on the vehicle, and so on. 
     U.S. Pat. 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 area(s). One or more of the vehicles stored in the storage area is equipped with an RF tag which has vehicle ID information about the vehicle stored in a tag memory contained on the tag. The tag communicates with a base station when entering or leaving the vehicle storage areas 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, and vehicle and lot status. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,040,435 discloses a system for data communication between a computer monitoring system on a vehicle and a remote terminal, which can be a hand-held operated wireless computer. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  is a schematic representation of an embodiment of an integrated automatic rental car return and airplane boarding pass generating system of the present invention implemented in a rental car facility. 
         FIG. 1B  is a block diagram of an embodiment of the integrated automatic rental car 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. 
     
    
    
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The system and method of the present invention provide an integrated automatic rental car return and airplane boarding pass generating system. The system includes a plurality of 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 drives the car onto a rental car lot through an entrance. The reader is operably connected to a local computer with Internet access to a central database (CDB), which includes airplane travel information, if any, associated with the traveler&#39;s car rental return. A database of travelers who 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 unit operated by an attendant of the rental car facility, which wirelessly communicates with the local computer to obtain airplane travel information in real-time for the traveler(s) registered as the drivers of the returned rental car and, optionally, for any other passengers traveling with the 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 addition to or instead of the hand held device, a kiosk for the driver or another to communicate with the system. In this way the attendant need not be present or a number of attendants can use the same communication device. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention provides an integrated automatic rental car return and airplane boarding pass generating system  10 , which is shown schematically in  FIG. 1A  for a rental car facility  2 . A simple block diagram of a preferred embodiment of the system  10  is shown in  FIG. 1B . Referring to both  FIGS. 1A and 1B , the system  10  includes a plurality of identifying (ID) tags  12 , each of which is located on a rental car  8 , and a reader  14  adapted to read each 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. 
     The reader  14  is operably connected to a local computer  24  with Internet access to a central database (CDB)  30 , which includes airplane travel information, if any, associated with the traveler&#39;s car rental return. The system  10  further includes a hand-held wireless unit  36  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 traveler is then used to print a boarding pass and rental car receipt  15  at car-side. 
     Tags and readers can be any appropriate identifying tags and readers known in the art including radio frequency (RFID), optical (including bar code), microwave, and so on. In the 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 vehicle to the local computer upon return of the vehicle to the rental car facility may alternatively or additionally be utilized. 
     The RF reader  14  has a predetermined zone within which it can transmit signals to and 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 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 1B , each tag  12  includes a unique identifying code  13  associated with the rental car  8  on which it is located. Each tag  12  also preferably includes or is connected to circuitry  16 , which may include memory and a processor, for communicating with the reader  14  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-site antenna  22 . The on-site antenna  22  may be appropriately located at the entrance or exit  6  to detect any rental car  8  entering or leaving the rental car lot  4 . 
     As the car  8  enters or leaves the rental car lot  4 , the respective antenna  20  of the tag  12  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  24  with Internet access, which includes a local database  26  and processor  28 , to which the reader  14  relays the identifying code. The local database  26  is continually updated with the identity of travelers requesting car rentals, along with any additional relevant information about the traveler, when each rental reservation is made. When the rental car  8  is physically signed out to, or registered with the traveler, the local database  26  is updated to associate the traveler with the code on the tag  12 . 
     The system  10  also includes a means for communication with the central database (CDB)  30 , which is accessible via the Internet and which includes additional travel information for the traveler associated with the car rental, including airline reservations. The additional travel information is preferably input to the CDB  30  at any time prior to the traveler&#39;s arrival at the car rental facility  2  through various on-line auto rental  32  and airline ticketing sources  34 , for example. 
     In one embodiment, when the traveler requests the car rental service, he or she provides the car rental service with the necessary identifying information (such as airline reservation code) that will allow the car rental service to directly access the on-line CDB  30 . It should be 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. 
     The system  10  can access the remote CDB  30  to acquire additional travel information for the traveler associated with the car rental at any time prior to the completion of the rental car process and store it in the local database  26 . In this way, when the tag  12  is read at the time a 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  is also accessed when the returned rental car  8  enters the lot in order to obtain any updated information that may have been entered into the CDB  30 . 
     The computer  24  processes the travel information as needed to generate an output for printing a rental receipt and, if appropriate, a boarding pass for a traveler&#39;s scheduled air flight. The boarding pass includes a bar code commonly recognizable by the bar code scanners utilized in the airline industry. The boarding pass and rental receipt  15  can be generated separately or on the same piece of paper, for example, by utilizing two sides of a paper. 
     The system  10  further includes a hand-held wireless unit  36  for wirelessly 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 wireless transceiver with separate or integrated antenna known in the art can be used. 
     The hand-held unit  36  also includes a processor with memory  46  for communicating with the computer  24  and for receiving data relating to a receipt and boarding pass from the computer  24 . The unit  36  also includes a printer  48 . The unit  36  uses the data to print the 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 from the computer  24  as necessary. 
     It should be noted that the hand-held unit  36 , reader  14 , and RFID tag  12  can all be configured to be in two-way wireless communication with each other, each using any 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 can use, either in addition to or instead of the hand held device, a kiosk for the driver or another to enter information into the system. In this way the attendant need not be present or a number of attendants can use the same communication device. 
     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 the traveler&#39;s rental information in the local database  26  that can be associated with a traveler ID field in the CDB  30 . Accordingly, the processor  28  can automatically retrieve flight information for the traveler from the CDB  30  by linking to the record in the central database  30  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 as he or she enters the lot. If there is no flight information associated with the traveler ID, only a driver rental receipt will be printed  62 . If there is flight information, a corresponding boarding pass is printed out  58  along with the rental return receipt from a printer  48  (see  FIG. 1B ) 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 embodiment, the RFID circuit  16  associated with the tag  12  on each car dynamically updates the mileage and gas tank levels of the car  8  either directly from the sensors on the car  8  or through the on-board computer, so that when the traveler drives into the rental car lot  4 , the final bill is automatically tabulated. The additional charges can be billed against the credit card used to check in. 
     In another embodiment, once the reader obtains the encoded information from the tag, and before releasing the car (by opening a security gate, e.g.) to fully enter the lot, the receipt and boarding pass are printed out for pickup by the traveler/driver at the entrance, rather than from a hand-held unit or a kiosk. In this case, the printer is operably connected to the networked local computer rather than the hand-held unit, and both computer  24  and printer  48  are located at the entrance. The printed pass and receipt are then retrievable by the driver as in any drive-through banking or parking service while still seated in the car, from a slot or pull-down drawer, for example. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , in one embodiment, upon the driver&#39;s retrieval of his or her rental receipt and boarding pass (if appropriate), the processor will prompt the driver as to whether boarding passes are needed for any other passengers in the car  64 . Upon entry of identification 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 than one airline ticket was purchased by the driver of the rental for family members, for example, these boarding passes will also be printed out at the time of car rental return. 
     These user-interactive features can be performed via an attendant through a hand-held 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. 
     Although illustrative embodiments of the present invention have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention and claims are not limited to those precise embodiments, and that various other changes and 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 combinations of the embodiments and features taught in the foregoing description are possible and can result in preferred executions of the present invention. Accordingly, it is intended that such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the present invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.