Abstract:
A system for inspecting rental vehicles includes an image capture booth coupled to a rental car computer. In one embodiment, the image capture booth includes a first camera mounted on a first tower, a second camera mounted on a second tower, and a path defined between the first tower and the second tower for the rental vehicle to pass through. When a rental vehicle travels down the path, the first camera and the second camera configured to capture images of the rental vehicle as it drives down the path. The rental car computer is configured to receive the images of the rental vehicle.

Description:
[0001]    This patent application is a continuation in part of patent application Ser. No. 09/885,495, and claims priority to provisional patent application 60/921,394 filed Mar. 29, 2007. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention generally relates to the field of automobile fleet management and more specifically to a method and system for inspecting rental vehicles. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Although various technical advances have been made in the rental car business, one low tech aspect still remains; damage to rental vehicles is still noted typically on paper forms by rental agents when a vehicle is rented and then returned from renting. Typically, when renting a vehicle, a rental agent uses a preprinted form that has a picture of a car on it. The agent makes notations on the picture of the vehicle, noting the approximate locations of scratches, dents and the like. Problems with this method of denoting damage include that only the approximate location of damage can be noted and not the actual characteristics (such as size of dent or length/depth of scratch) of the damage. This can lead to disputes between customers and rental agents. Also, paper forms are easily lost. Additionally, because of the inconvenience of the paper form, at times the inspections are not done. When this occurs, the potential for missing damage caused by renters increases, which can increase the cost to the rental agency. 
         [0004]    Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a method and system for inspecting rental vehicles. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    In one embodiment of the present invention a system for inspecting rental vehicles comprises an image capture booth coupled to a rental car computer. The image capture booth is configured to capture images of the rental vehicle. The images include an indication of damage to the rental vehicle. The rental computer is configured to receive the images of the rental vehicle. 
         [0006]    In an alternative embodiment of the present invention a method for tracking damages to a rental vehicle comprises a first step of capturing images of the rental vehicle at an image booth. Next, the identification of the rental vehicle is determined. Then, captured images and the identification of the vehicle are sent to a rental car computer system. 
         [0007]    In another embodiment, the image capture booth includes a first camera mounted on a first tower, a second camera mounted on a second tower, and a path defined between the first tower and the second tower for the rental vehicle to pass through. When a rental vehicle travels down the path, the first camera and the second camera configured to capture images of the rental vehicle as it drives down the path. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    The present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the following drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements, and: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  illustrates a system for tracking damages to a rental vehicle in accordance with the teachings of the present invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a flowchart of an exemplary method for tracking damages to a rental vehicle in accordance with the teachings of the present invention; and 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart of an alternative embodiment of the invention to provide data to an automobile remarketer in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0012]    The following detailed description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the invention or the application and uses of the invention. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any theory presented in the preceding background of the invention or the following detailed description of the invention. 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary system  100  in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. System  100  includes an image capture booth  106  coupled to a rental car computer  120 . The rental car computer  120  can couple to other computers via a network  122 , such as the Internet. In one embodiment, the rental car computer  120  couples to a remarketer computer  124 . One or more purchaser computers  126  can couple to the remarketer computer  124  via the network  122 . 
         [0014]    Image capture booth  106  can be any structure through which a car can be driven or placed within and images of the vehicle, such as photographic images, can be captured. In one exemplary embodiment, image capture booth  106  captures multiple images of vehicle  102  when it is driven through the image capture booth  106 . The image capture booth  106 , in one embodiment, comprises two towers  108  each having at least one digital camera  110  mounted thereon for capturing images of the vehicle  102  as the vehicle  102  is driven through the image capture booth  106 . Towers  108  can be any structure upon which cameras  110  or other electronic devices can be mounted and which vehicle  102  can be driven by. For example, towers  108  can be the walls or roof of a structure, a stand alone structure and the like. While two towers  108  are illustrated, other numbers of towers can be used. In an alternative embodiment a vehicle  102  can remain stationary and the digital camera  110  moves around the vehicle  102 . 
         [0015]    In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, cameras  110  are digital cameras having sufficient resolution to resolve scratches, dents, and other types of damages on the vehicle  102 &#39;s surface. Towers  108  also include any other electronic devices needed to assist the cameras  110  in taking pictures of the vehicle such as flash units or other lighting units. In one exemplary embodiment a total of three cameras are deployed on towers  108  on either side of where vehicle  102  would be driven. As vehicle  102  is driven between the towers one camera  110  on either side of the vehicles would take the front door and passenger side. A second camera  110  on each tower  108  can then take images of the side of the vehicle while a third camera  110  on each tower  108  take images of the back of the vehicle. In an alternative embodiment, camera  110  can take video images as well as still images. 
         [0016]    Towers  108  can also include one or more Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) readers  112 . RFID readers  112  read RFID tags  104  placed on or inside vehicle  102 . In one embodiment, the RFID reader  112  interrogates the RFID tag  104  in the vehicle  102  as is well known in the art. The RFID tag  104  then sends information to the RFID reader  112 . This information can include the vehicle identification number of the vehicle  102 , the make and model number of the vehicle  102 , or any other information important for use in the rental car industry, and the like. In one exemplary embodiment, identification information can be sent to software, such as counter management software running on the rental car computer  120  that can then start the rental car check-in procedures for the vehicle  102 . In another embodiment, the images and identification images can be associated with a rental contract upon check-out (renting) of the rental vehicle  102 . While towers  108  with RFID readers  112  are depicted in  FIG. 1 , other methods are possible for communication between the image capture booth  106  and the vehicle  102 . For example, vehicle  102  can have bar codes affixed to them which can be read by a bar code reader. In an alternative method, information can be inputted manually while the images are captured automatically. 
         [0017]    Rental car computer  120  can be any computer or combination of computers having a processor and a mass storage device that can receive data from the image capture booth  106  via a data connection  109 , which can be any wired or wireless data connection, and share the data in a database or equivalent. In one embodiment rental car computer server  120  is a car rental agency computer system that includes counter management software for, among other things, managing a rental car fleet. In one exemplary embodiment, rental car computer server  120  can include one or more networked computers (not pictured) having access to a shared or separate inventory of rental cars. Thus, an individual rental car agent at one location can access data including the images captured at the image capture booth  106  in another location. The agent can then compare new images against older stored images to determine if the vehicle has been damaged. This is especially useful when a car is rented in one location but returned in another. 
         [0018]    Remarketer computer  124  can be any computer or computer system operated by a vehicle remarketer, having a processor and storage memory, and configured to store data concerning rental vehicles for sale provided by a rental car company while the rental vehicle is simultaneously available for rental at the rental car agency. In one exemplary embodiment, the remarketer computer  124  receives vehicular information that includes images captured by the image capture booth  106  to facilitate the sale of the vehicle  102 . The information regarding specific rental vehicles that can be made available for sale are sent from the rental car computer server  120  to the remarketer computer  124  via a rental vehicle systems counter management software. Alternatively, the remarketer computer  124  can access remotely stored data regarding rental vehicles that are available for sale. Thus, this allows rental car vehicles  102  to be part of a rental car fleet and available for rent while simultaneously available for sale. This maximizes the usage of the vehicle  102  by allowing it to be rented until sold. Also, a potential buyer could rent a car as a way of trying the car out before buying. If the buyer likes the car, credit could be given towards the purchase. Previously, a rental car would have to be taken out of the rental car fleet and placed on a sales lot or sold at auction. 
         [0019]    Purchaser computer  126  can be any computer such as a home computer, a computer in a public location such as a computer kiosk, a handheld computer device and the like that can communicate with the remarketer computer  124  to search for rental cars for sale. In one exemplary embodiment, purchaser computer  126  is configured to run a web browser program, such as Internet Explorer by Microsoft, which can exchange information with a website hosted by the remarketer computer  124  using the web browser, the purchaser computer  126  can search an inventory of rental vehicles for sale that are also currently available for rent. 
         [0020]      FIG. 2  is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for tracking damages in rental vehicles. First, it is determined if the vehicle  102  is being rented or being returned from rental in step  202 . In the case of rental, the vehicle renter or other party can drive the vehicle  102  through the image capture booth  106  where multiple images of the vehicle will be acquired. These images can include images of the front passenger and driver side, the rear passenger and driver side, the front of the vehicle and the back of the vehicle. The choice as to the number and location of the images to be acquired can be varied depending on need. This acquisition of images is done in step  204 . In an alternative embodiment, the vehicle  102  acquisition step can be performed by the rental car company. 
         [0021]    In step  206 , identification information concerning the car is gathered. In one embodiment, RFID tag  104  is read by the RFID reader  112 . Then, the images and RFID tag  104  information can be sent to rental car computer server  120  or other computers where the images can be associated with the rental contract in step  208 . As an option, in step  210 , the photographs can be printed and provided to the vehicle  102  renter for his records. 
         [0022]    If, in step  202 , the vehicle  102  is being returned from rental, the vehicle  102  is again driven through the image capture booth  106  in step  210 . In step  212 , the vehicle  102  is identified when the RFID reader  112  interrogates and receives a reply from the vehicle&#39;s  102  RFID tag  104 . This information can then be used to find the rental car contract associated with the returning vehicle, as discussed in greater detail below. 
         [0023]    In step  214 , various images of the vehicle  102  are captured. In one embodiment, the same or approximately the same parts of the vehicle  102  imaged when renting the vehicle  102  will be imaged when the vehicle  102  is returned. 
         [0024]    In step  216 , the vehicle identification information and images are sent to a computer, such as rental car computer server  120  as shown in  FIG. 1 . In step  218 , the images are stored on the rental car computer server  120  for a record of damages. In step  220 , the images captured upon return of the rental vehicle can be compared to previous images to determine if there is any new damage. In one embodiment, this can be done manually by a rental agent viewing the images from when the vehicle  102  was rented and when the vehicle  102  was returned. In an alternative embodiment, software can be used to analyze the images to determine new damages appearing on the images and classify the type of damage in the image. 
         [0025]    In step  222 , the vehicle  102  check-in can be completed using the stored data and a receipt can be presented to the renter. In an exemplary embodiment, the information from the vehicle  102  RFID tag can be used to retrieve the rental car contract. 
         [0026]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart of an exemplary method to remarket rental vehicles in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. In a first step, step  302 , data about the vehicle  102 , including the images captured of the vehicle  102  (typically the most recent images will be sent) from the rental car&#39;s counter management software to the vehicle remarketer computer  124 . 
         [0027]    In step  304 , the data from the rental car company&#39;s counter management software can be stored in a database of the vehicle remarketer computer  124 . In step  306 , potential car buyers utilizing the purchaser computer  126  can search the remarketer&#39;s database for vehicles  102  to purchase. At the same time the vehicles  102  are available for rental in a rental car company, they are also available for sale in a vehicle remarketer database. This allows a rental car company to maximize rental revenue and can lower the resell price of rental cars to consumers. This is discussed in detail in pending patent application Ser. No. 09/885,495 entitled “Selling Assets Over a Computer Network” by Mordechai Kahana, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
         [0028]    While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description of the invention, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing an exemplary embodiment of the invention, it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.