Abstract:
An Internet enabled, business-to-business computerized transaction system is disclosed in its preferred embodiment for use in providing rental car services for high volume users and comprises an Internet web portal through which the high volume user may access a plurality of service providers including an integrated business computer network for at least one rental vehicle service provider. The rental vehicle services provider computer network is configured to interconnect a geographically diverse plurality of branch offices, cataloguing their available rental vehicles and schedules for same as well as handling all transactional data relating to its business. The Internet web portal provides ubiquitous connectivity and portability for a multi-level business organization who regularly places high volumes of rental purchases with its business partner and also those other service providers who may or may not have the same integrated business computer system and software. Utilizing the method and apparatus of the present invention large volumes of rental transactions may be placed, monitored, altered during performance, and closed out with financial accounting and payment being made virtually without human intervention.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 09/694,050 filed Oct. 20, 2000, which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 09/641,820, filed Aug. 18, 2000. 
     
    
     INTRODUCTION  
       [0002]     The invention disclosed and claimed in the first filed parent cross referenced above relates generally to the field of an Internet enabled business-to-business intelligent communication link allowing a first business organization to have intelligent interaction with a second fully integrated business organization to facilitate the placing of orders or reservations for business services or goods, with the services or goods provider having a computer network linking multiple levels of its organization to provide for the smooth conduct of business between the two organizations. More particularly, this field relates to an Internet enabled automatic rental vehicle transaction system to facilitate the conduct of rental vehicle transactions between two multilevel business organizations, one of which provides such rental vehicle transaction services in an integrated manner through business enterprise software to a high volume user of such rental vehicle services wherein an Internet web portal is defined by the rental vehicle service provider which interconnects the two business organizations at multiple levels, providing a graphical user interface (GUI) for the transaction of large amounts of rental vehicle services automatically and virtually without human intervention upon entry. The invention of the second filed parent continuation-in-part application extends the functionality of the first filed parent invention by providing an intelligent portal that is readily configurable to suit any particular customer and any particular provider data requirements or method of doing business. This added functionality allows the invention, for example, to provide the user with access to other suppliers in the same seamless and integrated manner. In other words, the user now has access to not just one integrated business but multiple businesses, some of which may but need not be, integrated businesses thereby extending the invention for use in a generic application to satisfy a user&#39;s needs for a good or service not just from one vendor but all vendors connected to the invention. The inventions disclosed in this application add to the functionality of the systems first disclosed in the two parent applications by providing features and advantages which increases its flexibility and adaptability to other business models as might be found in different countries for handling rental vehicle transactions.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Computer technology has been embraced by many businesses in order to handle their ever increasing order flow as well as to mitigate the increasing blizzard of paper required to be produced to document this business. A significant benefit which often drives the implementation of technology is its further advantage in increasing productivity to thereby allow fewer people to handle greater volumes of business. One such good example demonstrating the efficiencies and value to be gained by implementing technology is the business model developed and followed by the assignee of the present invention. A rental car company at its heart, the assignee transacts an ever increasing number of time sensitive, relatively low dollar volume, vehicle rentals which in many instances require authorizations to be made in advance, reservations of vehicles from available geographic and vehicle type selections, monitoring of the rental as it progresses including possibly extending the rental under certain circumstances, communications between the various parties involved in the transaction to ensure ultimate customer satisfaction, and financial accounting for the transaction including generating invoices and processing them for payment. While a significant portion of the vehicle rental business involves rental for leisure, business travel, etc., another significant business relationship has developed with insurance companies and the like in what has been termed as the replacement car rental service business. In this business, a vehicle insurance company may have many thousands of policyholders who are eligible to be involved in accidents, and other dislocations of use, requiring that a vehicle be rented for that customer&#39;s use while his own vehicle be made ready again for use. Thus, for this business segment, a multi-tiered business organization such as a vehicle insurance company represents a significant customer for repetitive vehicle rental services. To conduct this business in an orderly, time efficient and cost efficient manner, it is necessary that this insurance company has as its business partner a vehicle rental company which is itself multi-tiered, such as the assignee of the present invention. This is because the needs, both geographically and in volume, are significant which require the dedication of a significant amount of resources. To satisfy these needs and to respond to other business growth, in its embrace of technology the assignee hereof has succeeded in developing an in-house computer system and related software which has integrated its business internally. This business integration has been massive and company-wide as is needed to integrate a company having a central office with literally thousands of individual branches located nationally, and even now internationally, with hundreds of thousands of vehicles available for rental. Furthermore, other business partners including other service providers such as vehicle repair shops have also been given access to this system to allow for input of information relating to progress of vehicle repair, extension of rental time, etc. as the rental progresses. This integrated business computer network and software generally includes a mainframe server at the heart of a wide area network (WAN) which facilitates the transfer of vehicle rental information and orders company-wide. This integrated business model is most efficient and needed in order to satisfy the vehicle rental service needs of a vehicle insurance company which itself may be national or even international in scope.  
         [0004]     As a first step in extending the integration of technology into this business model, the present assignee has previously developed and implemented a computer system which has provided improved communication capabilities between the two business partners. This system generally comprised a second mainframe computer linked to the first mainframe of the integrated business network, with dedicated access lines being provided from this second mainframe to various levels of the multilevel business organization comprising the insurance company. In effect, with this additional mainframe and dedicated pipeline access, various individuals at the insurance company were permitted to directly interact with the integrated business computer network of the vehicle rental company as well as other selected service providers such as body shops where wrecked vehicles were being repaired. The implementation of this system provided a great step forward over the people intensive business activity previously required in order to handle the large number of transactions encountered in this business relationship. Historically, the replacement car market engendered large numbers of telephone calls being placed between the insurance company, the rental company, and the body shop where vehicle repair was being performed in order to authorize the rental, select and secure the desired replacement vehicle to be provided, monitor the progress of the repair work so that scheduling of the rental vehicle could be controlled, extending the vehicle rental in the event of delays in repair, authorizing various activities involved in the rental process including upgrades of vehicles or other charges for services, and subsequent billing of the rental service and processing the billing to the insurance company for payment.  
         [0005]     While the implementation of this system was successful and represented a tremendous step forward in automating the business relationship between the insurance company and the vehicle rental company, it did have certain limitations. For example, a specific communication link had to be established between the rental vehicle company and the particular users at the insurance company designated to have access to this system. Thus, special attention and some modicum of expense was required to establish these “pipelines” and maintain them. Still another aspect to the system implemented was that it was not “browser” based nor did it provide graphical user interface (GUI) menus. Thus, each user had to be specifically trained in the particular “language” used by the system and learn to work with specific menus nested in a specific manner as well as codes for entering commands which were not similar to other computer software programs. This software design thus necessarily required additional training in order to insure that users could gain the full measure of advantage provided by the system and in order to minimize the opportunity for erroneous information or incorrect reservations from being entered or otherwise confusing the business transactions. Furthermore, user efficiency was not immediate and required skill beyond that ordinarily found in casual computer users, as we are all becoming in this computer age. Still another disadvantage to the system was that access was required to a designated entry point in the system in order for a person authorized to be on the system to work with it. As the nature of the insurance and replacement car business requires extreme mobility at multiple levels of both business partners, this represents a limitation to the usefulness and time efficiency with which various business functions could be performed. Therefore, while implementation of the second mainframe allowing for pipeline connections at various levels of the multi-tiered insurance company was a significant step forward in automating the business relationship between the two business partners, significant limitations to this solution were readily apparent to the users thereof.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     In the first parent application cross-referenced above, the inventors herein have previously succeeded in designing and developing a means for substantially enhancing the business to business communication link between these two businesses which provide significant advantages over its prior embodiment. More particularly, the inventors have succeeded in replacing the dedicated pipeline access of the existing system with a web portal allowing Internet access to the mainframe with a browser based graphical user interface (GUI) presentation. This also made the system more readily accessible to smaller business-partners as the expense of the “pipeline” was eliminated. The first parent&#39;s invention offers several important technical advantages over the previous system. First of all, by taking advantage of the ubiquitous nature of the Internet, the ultimate in portability and connectivity for this system is now provided in a business environment where mobility and connectivity are at a premium. In other words, a claims adjuster, body shop, or any other business employee authorized to have access to the system may gain access at any site offering Internet access. In present day technology that includes many mobile devices and appliances which are Internet enabled. As technology advances, it is conceivable that this access will extend to permit “24/7” access by any authorized person at any geographic location. This is a marked improvement providing immediate benefit and advantage over the dedicated pipeline access of the prior art system.  
         [0007]     One limitation however, is that with this embodiment, this internet access must support a stateful connection. In this context, a stateful connection refers to a “persistent” conversation, meaning that the client side and server side software components establish a connection to one anther once and multiple data transfers may occur without severing that connection. Common examples of a stateful connection include on-line chat, on-line gaming, and for virtually all on-line conferencing. This is distinguishable from the normal operation of web pages which typically establish a connection, transfer the object on the page, and then sever that connection. These types of connections are generally referred to as “stateless” connections.  
         [0008]     A second major advantage of the first parent&#39;s invention is its graphical user interface. The inventors have taken full advantage of this browser based GUI to streamline and organize the presentation of information to a user to actually guide him as he interacts in doing his business. One such example is customized design of the menus such that the user is guided and directed to answer only those questions required to be answered in order to conduct the particular transaction being addressed, and further to present choices to the user for his selection to minimize the need for the user to rely on his own memory or to be familiar with complicated and specialized codes to enter data or request transaction activity. With the recent and continuing explosion of the Internet, more people are becoming familiar with browser programs and their operation through their own daily activities in their personal lives. This familiarity paves the way for easier training and quicker orientation of a new user to the present invention. For large business organizations communicating at multiple levels, this significant advantage cannot be minimized as there are large numbers of people who must be continuously trained due to the growth of the organizations, as well as the replacement of employees due to the inevitable attrition. Thus, the first parent&#39;s invention provides an immediate increase in worker productivity, and makes that improved efficiency available to many more workers who are not particularly skilled otherwise in computer usage.  
         [0009]     Still another advantage provided by the first parent&#39;s invention is through the implementation of additional functionalities which are engendered by the browser/GUI interface. As the system is continuously used, and feedback is continuously monitored and analyzed, additional features that add value through providing management information as well as by speeding transaction activity over the system may be implemented. For example, several of these features include the ability of a user to create an on demand report for transaction activity including summaries of transactions handled by a particular user or group of users which might either be open or closed. Another example of additional functionality which improves the efficiency of a user is the ability to create a repair facility call back list which allows a user to sort existing open vehicle rental reservations by repair facility (body shop) and date such that a user is presented with the list of open reservations at a particular repair facility which can be readily handled in a single telephone call while at the same time having the system on line to implement any needed changes such as extensions of reservations, etc. Additional functionality has also been provided to speed the processing of invoicing which of course also speeds their payment and cash receipts. For example, it was found that even despite the built-in error checking and correction facilities provided to the users of the system, a repetitive pattern of mistakes involving incorrect claim numbers was discovered. To speed the processing of these, an additional functionality was provided as an “electronic audit” known as invoice return which returns an invoice to a particular adjuster upon detection of an incorrect claim number for his human intervention and correction of the claim number. In this manner, problem invoices exhibiting one of the most common problems encountered may be readily handled within the system and in an efficient manner, instead of manually as before.  
         [0010]     The first parent&#39;s invention also has as a significant advantage the ability to be further customized to meet the individual business partners&#39; needs and desires as well as to provide additional functionality by offering additional features which become desirable upon accumulation of user data based on user experience. Furthermore, once implemented, they are immediately available system wide. While this allows for consistent usage, it is limited in the sense that all of the system users are forced to use the same menus, data definitions, etc. This is not seen as a limitation for the one-to-one business application intended to be primarily addressed by the first parent&#39;s invention.  
         [0011]     Still another advantage of the first parent&#39;s invention is that the graphical user interface incorporates point and click interaction, using buttons and tabs to present or conceal data for the user&#39;s attention or inattention as the case may be, and provide a much more robust interaction capability through the creation of menu designs that allow for access to the most commonly needed features from any point in the menu architecture. This is to be contrasted with the prior system which consisted of a main frame character based interface while the first parent&#39;s invention with its GUI interface allows a user to point and click to navigate and to make selections by pull down selection, thereby reducing errors. As users become more experienced with the system, and their confidence level grows, they are much more likely to become bored and aggravated with the rigid structure of the prior system requiring them to follow along a certain menu architecture in order to complete certain tasks. On the other hand, the first parent&#39;s invention generally increases the interest of the user in using the system. These advantages of the first parent&#39;s invention over the prior interface promote employee productivity by allowing a user more control over his work which is critical in achieving savings in human resources to operate the system which is one of its main goals.  
         [0012]     The second parent&#39;s invention extends the first parent&#39;s invention and expands its capabilities and functionalities. With the second parent&#39;s invention, a user may not only have access to its business partner, but also one or more competitors of its business partner through the same Internet portal. In this way, at least two needs are satisfied. First, the user can have access to a variety of providers to choose from where business needs or desires require. This allows the user to use a single portal and not have to sign on to a number of different portals, even should they be available. Furthermore, the user isn&#39;t troubled to learn how to access and use different portals even should they be available. Presently, not all providers are operating an Internet portal for offering their services, so by allowing business competitors to be accessible through the same portal, independent development of other portals is forestalled. This is a benefit to the operator of the main portal as it creates and maintains a competitive advantage by handling all of the order flow which creates a data base of useful information for marketing purposes. Although initially the portal services might be offered for no additional cost to a competitor, eventually a fee might be charged which would at least partially offset the cost for owning and operating the portal.  
         [0013]     The design of the portal is elegant and offers great flexibility for customizing not only the menus for presentation to the user, but also in the design of the data base entries needed or desired by the user and/or the competitive provider. For example, some users might not know or care about the features of a vehicle rented and so those data entries may not be provided space on the menu for the user to fill in. The data base as handled by the networked computer system then need not keep track of that data for that customer. This feature is readily accommodated by the data base programming and is conveniently implemented.  
         [0014]     In still another aspect of the second parent&#39;s invention, the web portal has the capability to accommodate the varying data requirements also of the various competitive providers, but also the level of their sophistication as evidenced in their respective computer systems and interface facilities. For example, the web portal may be configured to communicate the user&#39;s order to the competitive provider via email, phone, or even through a connection directly to an integrated computer system having the same or substantially the same inter-operability as the integrated computer system of the assignee hereof. This capability extends to accommodating and matching the competing data requirements of the user and the competitive providers, and having the flexibility to design and implement menus that readily meet these competing needs. Furthermore, the second parent&#39;s invention allows for changes to be implemented by simple re-programming of the web portal which minimizes the effort and enhances the “user friendly” aspect to the present invention.  
         [0015]     Not only are these “global” improvements made available with the second parent&#39;s invention, there are other more particularized improvements that add functionality within the operating framework of the second parent&#39;s invention. For example, one such improvement is the ability to “virtually” assign work groups within the user so that, for example, multiple adjusters might be made into a team with a shared work load so that all of the team members have access to the same pool of work, such as the placing of reservations for the same group of drivers. With this “virtual team” assignment capability, work groups may be readily re-assigned to match changing work loads without worrying about re-configuring hardware or internal network connections. This can be a very valuable feature to accommodate staffing issues over geographical distances that can be nationwide, with access through the web portal to reservation facilities which are themselves nationwide.  
         [0016]     Still another feature is the ability to customize an individual user&#39;s authorization limits. As can be appreciated, one of the mixed blessings of providing enhanced functionality to the individual users of any integrated computer system is that it places great power in the hands of the user which at the same time creates the potential for abuse. There have been well publicized instances of “rogue” employees making financial decisions or placing instructions which have far reaching financial consequences well beyond the intended authority of an employee, with disastrous results. With the second parent&#39;s invention, one feature is the ability to limit the financial commitments that a user may make during any pre-selected time period. For example, the user&#39;s profile may limit his ability to make only a certain dollar limit of vehicle reservations over any certain number of work days. In this way, added safe guards may be conveniently provided, monitored by reporting capabilities, and changed as circumstances warrant, all with simple programming changes at the web portal.  
         [0017]     There are still other features that are provided by the second parent&#39;s invention that find their genesis in the different approach taken over the first parent&#39;s invention and owing to the inherent increased flexibility of using a web based programming for the web portal to interface between the user and the providers on the web server and eliminating the need for any custom software on the user&#39;s terminal. The details of these are to be found and described in the detailed description of the preferred embodiment below. Examples include the ability to send confirmatory communications to the user that the reservation has been received and entered into the provider&#39;s system for fulfillment, custom report design including the capability to save and re-generate the custom report upon user command, increased flexibility to process and pay invoices, etc.  
         [0018]     Still other advantages and features have been developed and are newly disclosed and claimed more particularly herein. These advantages and features relate to usage of the present invention both domestically and abroad where there are idiosyncrasies in the business model that need to be accommodated. Still other features provide entirely new functionality. One such new feature involves adapting the present invention as a tool to market replacement vehicles for sale or lease to a customer who has had an accident significant enough that repair of his vehicle is not economically feasible. This is commonly referred to “totaling” a vehicle. The insurance industry totals about 3 million cars per year, of which approximately 17% are newer models (defined as within three years of current model year). Once totaled, the owner needs to buy another car. Since car rental companies desire to sell more cars, any opportunity to tap into the total loss market will be bountiful.  
         [0019]     The present invention provides a window into the establishment of a total loss for a renter&#39;s/insured&#39;s/claimant&#39;s automobile. Any car that is deemed to be a total loss would be indicated as such in the present invention for reporting purposes. At this point the stored information could be used to help provide economic benefit to all parties, insurance company, rental car company, and automobile owner.  
         [0020]     Once a renter&#39;s/insured&#39;s/claimant&#39;s (owner&#39;s) car is determined to be a total loss the adjuster will try to ascertain the actual cash value (ACV) to be settled with the owner. The adjuster can use a third party tool, such as CCC&#39;s Pathways® product, to determine what ACV is. Today an adjuster must input this information manually into a separate application. The present invention contains much of the necessary information needed to determine ACV: name, car make, model series, year. The present invention need merely send the necessary information electronically to a total loss product and request an electronic response. Once the necessary information is generated, the present invention would in turn take the ACV and cross reference the car rental database of inventory. Necessary information might include but not be limited to: ACV, year, make, model series, comparable cars, etc.  
         [0021]     The car rental inventory can be filtered by geography and “holding requirements”. As a reseller of vehicles, the car rental inventory is generally contractually required to be within the fleet as a rental for a predetermined amount of time prior to being available for sale to third parties. Once a car is past the holding requirement it is generally within the discretion of the car rental company to sell. Thus, instead of X% of cars available to the car rental company for retail sale, a virtual inventory of cars is available for retail sale to the owner of the car.  
         [0022]     Once the filters for geography and holding requirements are active, the present invention delivers a list of available vehicles for sale. At this point the adjuster and owner review the available cars, decide the cars considered to be attractive, and the owner then decides which one he wishes to purchase.  
         [0023]     The user then selects one or more potential vehicles and sends the request to the appropriate car rental location. The car rental location can then contact the owner of the vehicle to buy one of the selected vehicles. In addition, the list of vehicles and ACV information can be sent to the owner for further review and discussion.  
         [0024]     Once the car rental company contacts the owner and comes to a sufficient conclusion, either to buy or not to buy, the adjuster is notified of the conclusion and the transaction is consummated either through the present invention or off-line.  
         [0025]     Still other features are disclosed and claimed herein which extend the functionality of the present invention. These include the following. One such feature is providing for automatic extensions of existing rental authorization, so that some limited extension authority is granted to permit some flexibility to a particular user without burdening him with the need to obtain approval for the extension. Another feature could be referred to offline usage, and provides the functional advantage of permitting processing of reservation data in a computer not connected into the network, and then uploading/downloading between the offline computer as it is connected into the network, such as by dialing into the network over the internet, or through a portal. The type of data which could be processed includes virtually any related to the processing of vehicle rental transactions and other related data such as car repair scheduling, etc. This functionality provides an extension of the usability to the invention to mobile users who travel beyond the reach of the internet, which even further enhances its applicability to those places not covered by wireless coverage. Alternatively, it allows the invention to bypass special connectivity issues which are thought to be disadvantageous for any reason including cost, unavailability, inconvenience, etc. Still another feature includes further integration of the internal data bases kept by permitting a user to automatically update not just one but several data bases with a single command once that new data is entered into a single menu. For example, in what can be referred to as “power templates”, a user may enter a multiple number of rental reservations on a single menu and then click a single “approved” icon which would then enter all of them into the system. This represents an improvement over a previous implementation requiring a user to separately “approve” each reservation, and then suffer the system processing time for each reservation. This “batch” processing can result in significant improvement in throughput, and reduction of user interface time for processing multiple transactions. Still another feature provides the added functionality of processing customer satisfaction feedback through the system. This feature provides the capability for a user to enter customer feedback information, both positive and negative but perhaps more importantly negative, so that immediate awareness of any problem can be obtained and corrective action taken to mitigate or eliminate the difficulty. This feature also allows a user to indicate a suggested supervisory level of interaction, or the system may allow for automatic escalation of involvement for succeeding levels of supervisory attention as the dissatisfaction continues or even escalates. This feature can be significant to a service provider as the ultimate success of a service provider is directly dependent on the perception of satisfaction by the end customer. And, it is well known that the sooner a problem is identified and solved, the more likely a customer will have a satisfactory experience. Furthermore, from a strict economic viewpoint, the sooner some problem is addressed and solved, generally the less expensive the solution. A small accommodation can change a frown to a smile, if promptly offered.  
         [0026]     Still other features are now disclosed that have applicability perhaps in the domestic business model, but certainly offer needed functionality in other business models found in other countries. One of these includes multiple party involvement/management of a rental transaction. While the flexibility of allowing multiple adjusters within a group to “work on” a rental transaction has been previously described, this particular feature is different in that not only may these multiple adjusters not be within the same group, they might not be employed by the same employer, might not be adjusters themselves, and might have different authority for action on the transaction as is commonly found in different countries. For example, in some countries one adjuster authorizes and manages the rental reservation for the car while another adjuster authorizes and manages the insurance coverage for the rental. Still another feature allows third party or “independent party” management of the rental. In some countries a third party other than an insurance company is involved, such as a “credit hire” or “assist companies” or “repair facility” or “lawyer” or “fleet management company”. Each of these third parties, or any other third party, may be permitted access to the system and a user profile created for them that defines their authority to process rental transactions through an administrative profile set up in advance through agreement with the authorizing agent, such as an insurance company. As an enhancement, various individualized features may also provide data indigenous to a particular country, such as electronic access to the Schwackliste book for an adjuster to conveniently view a “class” for a car to determine what replacement vehicle is legally authorized for rental. Still another example of a feature needed to accommodate international capability is a need for a tiered rate system, and an hourly rental charge instead of a daily charge which predominates the domestic market. Processing of electronic signatures to satisfy local custom or legal requirement is yet another example of a feature for which the present invention is uniquely suited to provide.  
         [0027]     While the principal advantages and features of the invention have been discussed above, a greater understanding of the invention including a fuller description of its other advantages and features may be attained by referring to the drawings and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment which follow. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0028]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of the computer systems comprising the first parent&#39;s invention;  
         [0029]      FIG. 2  is a flow chart of the software programs which communicate over the computer systems of  FIG. 1  to implement the first parent&#39;s invention; and  
         [0030]      FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of the computer systems comprising the second parent&#39;s invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0031]     The overall system architecture for the first parent&#39;s invention  20  is best shown in  FIG. 1 . As shown therein, an insurance company computer system  22 , which itself may be virtually any computer configuration or even a stand alone PC accesses the Internet  24  through any convenient access point  26  such as even including an ISP (Internet service provider), as known in the art. Also connected to the Internet  24  is a web portal  28  which is preferably provided by a server appropriately programmed as explained herein below. This web portal  28  may be appropriately configured as desired to suit any particular business relationship or arrangement, although preferably the inventors herein and assignee of this invention have determined that a 24/7 or full time connection to the Internet  24  is preferable, except for scheduled downtimes for maintenance, etc. The service provider  30  which for purposes of explaining the first parent&#39;s preferred embodiment is preferably a vehicle rental organization, has itself an Internet portal mainframe  32  connected by a bi-directional communication link  34  to a second computer network  36  which may itself preferably have a mainframe server  38 . This second computer system  36  is preferably a network having a database  40  for communication with what may be thousands of branch offices each of which has its own computer interface  44  which communicates to this second mainframe server  38  to conduct the integrated business functions of a service provider organization. Instead of communicating with the branch offices directly, a reservation may be communicated to a centralized location for further processing, such as a call center, and then relayed on to an appropriate branch office. This might be desirable under certain circumstances, such as if a branch office is closed, or when a purchaser requires some specialized service such as close monitoring of the rental. This may be done electronically and automatically, or with human intervention.  
         [0032]     It should be noted that the particular computer configuration chosen as the preferred embodiment of the first parent&#39;s invention may itself be subject to wide variation. Furthermore, the term “mainframe” as used herein refers solely to a computer which can provide large scale processing of large numbers of transactions in a timely enough manner to suit the particular business application. Preferably, as is presently used by the assignee hereof, an IBM AS/400 mainframe computer is used as each of computers  32 ,  38 . However, as is well known in the art, computer technology is subject to rapid change and it is difficult if not impossible to predict how these computer systems may evolve as technology advances in this art. For example, it is not beyond the realm of possibility that in the not so distant future a network of computers would provide the processing power to conduct these business operations as presently handled by “mainframe” computers. Thus, the term “mainframe” is not used in a limiting sense but merely to indicate that it is descriptive of a computer suited to handle the processing needs for a large scale business application.  
         [0033]     It should also be noted that the communication link  46  extending between the server  42  and each of the branch offices  44  may have alternative configurations. For example, in some applications access over the Internet may itself be adequate, recognizing the vagaries of Internet service availability, reliability, and processing speed. Alternatively, this communication link  46  could well be a dedicated pipeline providing broadband service connection full time with back up connections to ensure continuous communication between a particular branch office or groups of branch offices and the service providers business operations computer system  36 . Some branch offices might even be served through satellite links. Indeed, it is even possible that a mixture of these wide variations of service level be present within a single organization&#39;s structure depending upon communication link cost and availability balanced against service needs. It should merely be noted for present purposes that this communication link  46  serves as the electronic umbilical cord through which branch offices  44  communicate with the business computer system  36  of the invention.  
         [0034]     Attached hereto as exhibits are functional descriptions of the software programs resident on the computers comprising the two computer systems  32 ,  38  which implement the first parent&#39;s invention. More particularly, attached hereto as Exhibit A is a functional description of the software to implement the integrated business functions resident on the AS/400 or mainframe computer  38 . Attached hereto as Exhibits B and C are related flow diagrams and explanatory text, respectively, for the software resident on the mainframe AS/400 computer  32 . Attached hereto as Exhibit D is a functional description of the software resident on computer  32  but which also appears on the server  28  which creates the web portal for access to the mainframe  32  and its resident program. Server  28  may use a bi-directional GUI to character based interface translator program, well known to those skilled in the art, to present the displays and information obtained and transmitted between the user and the computer  32 . However, the software of Exhibit D could also be run on server  28 , as would be appreciated by those of skill in the art. It is believed that these functional descriptions and accompanying text as exemplified in these exhibits are adequate to enable an ordinary programmer to implement corresponding software programs for executing the preferred embodiment of the first parent&#39;s invention using ordinary programming skills and without inventive effort.  
         [0035]     As a further example of the flow of data and the functional advantages provided by the first parent&#39;s invention, reference is made to  FIG. 2 . As shown therein, a right hand column is identified as “ECARS” which represents the integrated business software implemented as part of the mainframe operation  38  in computer network  36 . The center column headed “ARMS” is resident on mainframe computer  32  and coordinates the communication of data. The left column headed “ARMS/WEB” represents the software resident on computer but which is presented on server  28  and accessible by users through the Internet. Along the left side of  FIG. 2  are designated three separate sections of operational activity. These are “reservation” followed by “open” and concluded by “close”. Generally, the functional descriptions are arranged in chronological order proceeding from the top of  FIG. 2  to the bottom. However, some functional features are permitted throughout the entirety of one of the three periods designated at the left side of  FIG. 2 . One such example is the “message” function which allows messages to be sent between users at one business organization  22  and branch offices  44  and others connected to the other business organization  30 . Proceeding with a description of the transaction, the first set of communications allow for the reservation of the services. These can include requests for authorization or a rescind authorization request to be sent from the service provider to the service purchaser. Correspondingly, authorizations and authorization cancels can be sent from the services purchaser to the services provider. Confirmations are communicated upon confirmation of an authorized reservation request. Authorization changes may be made and communicated from the services purchaser to the service provider. Corresponding rental transaction changes may be communicated from the services provider to the services purchaser. As indicated, through the entirety of this process messages may be sent between users and others connected or having access to the integrated business software, as desired. The consummation of this portion of the transaction is a reservation that has been placed, authorized, confirmed, and provision is made for changes as necessary. During the next phase of the transaction, a reservation is opened and services intended to be provided are started. Generally, and preferably for the rental of vehicles, a start and end date are established in the reservation process. However, along the way, transactional changes may be made, such as for changing the type of vehicle provided, extensions may be requested and entered from either business partner, messages may be transmitted between the business partners, and the transaction may be terminated such as by voiding the contract by one business partner or terminating the authority by the other business partner. The term “reservation” has been used herein to refer not only to the act of placing the order but also to filling the order for services including providing the rental vehicle to the ultimate user and even invoicing for those services.  
         [0036]     The last phase of the process involves closing the transaction. During this phase of the transaction, the contract is indicated as being closed and invoiced, the services purchaser can approve invoices, reject invoices, and also remit invoices. Such invoice remittance may also include the actual transfer of funds through an electronic funds transfer medium, or otherwise as previously arranged between the business partners.  
         [0037]     It should be understood that this is a streamlined description of the handling of a transaction, and by no means is exhaustive. For example, much more functionality is available to the user including accessing the data base to generate production reports regarding status of open or closed reservations, preparing action item lists to allow a user to organize and prioritize his work, obtaining information available in the system from having been entered by others which would otherwise require phone conversations which are inefficient and occupy still another person&#39;s time. A more detailed explanation of the functionality provided is found in the exhibits.  
         [0038]     In summary, the first parent&#39;s invention creates almost an illusion that the services purchaser, and the great number of users at various levels of the multi-tier purchaser users, are actually part of the services provider organization in that immediate online access is provided to significant data which enable the user to make reservations for services, monitor those services as they are being provided, communicate with those providing the services, obtain information relating to the status of services as they are being provided, and close transactions, all by interacting with the services provider-business organization over that user&#39;s PC and without human interaction required by the business providers personnel. By way of contra-distinction, for many years business has been conducted on a human level by customers picking up the telephone and calling services providers and talking to their human counterparts in order to convey information, place orders, monitor orders, including obtaining information as to status, canceling orders, questioning invoices and paying invoices, along with a myriad of other related interactions. Not only did the conduct of business in this manner entail significant amounts of human resources at both ends of the transaction, but it also led to inefficiencies, mistakes and delays all of which increase the cost of doing business and contribute to an increased risk of services being rendered in an unsatisfactory manner in many instances to the end user. The first parent&#39;s invention has taken the preexisting solution of providing electronic communication between the business partners to another level by “web enabling” this system for improved connectivity, improved usability, reduced training, enhanced mobility, and other advantages as described herein.  
         [0039]     A schematic diagram of the second parent&#39;s invention is shown in  FIG. 3  and includes three levels of architecture. As shown in the first level of the architecture  50 , a user  52  such as an insurance company or other user has access through the Internet  54  to the computer system comprising and incorporating the invention. An Internet provider provides a link  56  through which Internet connections may be made to communicate with the further described system. For convenience, this Internet connection may be considered as an Internet site or portal in that a user enters a URL and arrives at this connection. A firewall  58  as is known in the art is used for security purposes and to prevent hackers and the like from unauthorized access to the system. A first set of servers  60  are interconnected in a network  62  and may preferably include an ancillary server  64  for running load balancing software or the like to balance the load and provide redundancy amongst what may be a plurality of web servers  60 . These web servers  60  may preferably be Sun Microsystem servers running Apache web server software, or other such suitable software as would be well known to those of ordinary skill in the art. This first web server network of servers  60 ,  62  process the random and disorderly communications flowing to and from this system and the Internet before passing them through a firewall  66  as a further precautionary measure. This first layer of architecture, identified as the Internet space/DMZ layer provides a secure interface and creates order out of the chaos of communications flowing between the system and others, as will be described.  
         [0040]     With this architecture, stateless connections are accommodated, for the first time. By supporting stateless connections, this embodiment eliminates the implementation difficulties encountered with the first parent&#39;s embodiment on the client. These implementation difficulties include installing extra software on the client side computers, and eliminates the need for special configuration of the internet access method, such as proxy servers or routers. For example, many proxy server are configured to disallow stateful connections for security reasons, i.e. to prevent unauthorized programs from establishing such connections. Another example is that routers are customarily configured with most ports closed and thereby unable to support stateful connections.  
         [0041]     The next layer of architecture  68  is noted in the figure as the “Enterprise private network” and is comprised of a plurality of servers  70  network connected with a network connection  72 . Again, although the choice of hardware is not considered critical by the inventors hereof, Sun Microsystem&#39;s server/work station hardware is preferably used to provide the platform for running the application software for processing the various rental vehicle transactions, as will now be explained. Attached hereto as Exhibit E are a series of functional design specifications for the ARMS/WEB application software resident on servers  70  and which provide the detailed description of the operational features of the software and system. With these functional design specifications for the individual modules, it would be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that programmers of ordinary skill would be able to write software to execute these functional specifications without using inventive effort. Furthermore, the details of this implementation are not considered to provide any aspect of the best mode for carrying out the invention which is defined by the claims below. Generally, the ARMS/WEB application software permits a user to sign on and, when recognized, provides the series of menus presenting choices for the user to indicate the parameters for his reservation. A plethora of information is provided and accessible to the user through the various menus provided from which the user selects and enters data to process the reservation. An important feature of the ARMS/WEB application software is that it provides the user the opportunity to select to place his vehicle rental reservation not only with the integrated business computer system represented by the third level of architecture  74 , described below, but also to route the reservation information back through the first architectural level  50  and into the Internet  54  for transmission to a competitive service provider  76 . Although the interconnection is depicted in  FIG. 3  as being made through the Internet  54 , the network of servers  70  configured in accordance with the ARMS/WEB application software may utilize virtually any electronic means for transmitting the reservation information to a competitive services provider  76 . These include email, automated telephone, facsimile, and other forms of electronic communication. Of course, the competitive services provider  76  may itself comprise an integrated business such that the level of interconnectivity provided to the user  52  may parallel that disclosed and described in connection with the integrated services provider system of the invention as well as the first parent&#39;s invention. This integrated business capability is represented as the third level  74  of the architectural topography shown in  FIG. 3  which parallels portions of that shown in  FIG. 1  in that a pair of network mainframe computers, such as AS/400&#39;s  78 ,  80  may process reservations to and from various branch offices  82  which are geographically diverse.  
         [0042]     With the invention, the Internet portal provided by the ARMS/WEB network configured servers  70  provide an Internet portal for communication with not only the integrated computer enabled business system of the resident services provider, but also a portal for placing reservations to other competitive services providers  76 . Thus, the user  52  enjoys the capability of accessing multiple service providers for competitive services through a single Internet connection using a single set of protocols, menus, etc. for the conduct of this business activity. Furthermore, the software configured network of servers  70  is readily configured in Web Logic to adapt to changing user requirements, data requirements, unique competitive service provider requirements, and other upgrades or modifications in a convenient manner by simply modifying the software resident therein. No special browser software of other interface software is required by the user and any special interconnecting software or server/hardware requirements may be satisfied as between the service providers such that the user is presented with a seamless interconnection. As the invention is configured and works well with the integrated business and computer systems as disclosed herein, it is anticipated that such interconnection and usability may be readily translated to any other such integrated computer system as might be found in other competitive service providers, as would be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Thus, with the invention, a user is provided with among other things Internet access through a single portal to a plurality of service providers and, to the extent possible, to their integrated computer business systems.  
         [0043]     The invention is sufficiently flexible to accommodate changes which are intended to adapt it for use with other business models, and especially those encountered in other countries. Furthermore, some of these changes add features that are equally applicable domestically. One such example is an “automated extensions” feature. Typically, there are many occasions when a damaged or inconvenienced vehicle is not made available for use when originally scheduled. In the prior art, many times an extension would then need to be requested through the system, with authorization requested and provided. In order to streamline this process, and to minimize delay and involvement of supervisory authority, the system may provide for some form of automatic extension authority. Preferably, this could be provided in any one of three modalities, or some combination thereof. A first modality would be for the service provider to have automatic extension authority, upon communication to the customer, within certain pre-determined limits. For example, an initial authorization may be for 12 days of a vehicle rental. A request for an extension of 5 days may be made by the service provider and of that 5 days 3 days may be authorized automatically as being within 25% of the original rental term and a request for the additional 2 days requiring approval may be automatically generated. Still another variation would be for the insurance company to set a limit within the system of the total number of authorized days, which could be based on some other parameter such as labor hours or body shop hours or down time for the repairs to take place. Then, upon request for an extension, one may be automatically granted based on the total authority allowed or initially set into the system by the insurance company, and up to that limit. Still another variation would be for a third party service provider to be involved in the process, such as a body shop, to make direct input into the system of a need for an extension. These authorized third party providers would preferably be pre-selected and their authority limited as described above. This feature may be implemented conveniently in a separate menu, for example as shown in the attached “screen shots” headed “Extend Rental”.  
         [0044]     Another feature is an offline usage feature which allows a user, such as an adjuster, to work with a laptop having loaded thereon a software program that emulates the connected network software for local processing of data, such as claims data. In use, an adjuster would preferably first connect to the system and download or “synch” his laptop data base with the claims data resident in the system. The adjuster would then disconnect and use his local program to work offline. Such work could include the generation of new reservations, authorization of direct billings, extension of rentals, approval of invoices, and setting of termination dates for on-going rentals, among other tasks. The user would then re-connect to the system, such as over an internet connection, sign in, and “synch” his laptop to the system which then transmits or executes his commands/communications to the central processor. The central processor checks the users “synch” data against its data file, advises the user of any “synch” data that is older than the current data, and requests the user to specify which data should be processed. After the processor is instructed by the user, it will then act on the “synch” data. For clarity, a first “screen shot” is provided that illustrates a sign in log for a user who wants to initiate a “synch”, and a second “screen shot” is provided to illustrate a listing of activity that could have been created offline and which is available to be input to the system upon “synching”. A preferences feature is provided to allow a user to establish defaults for automatic syncing of the data. Also, a history feature will allow the user to display all of the syncing activity from his connection or portal including error messages and conflicts noted.  
         [0045]     Yet another feature allows for a user to enter, or execute, a full menu of transactions without individually opening them from a summary menu. This has been referred to as a “power template” feature. Instead, a hyperlink is provided to allow a user to jump into another menu of details for an individual item should it need to be changed and not entered as suggested, requested or listed on a user&#39;s action list.  
         [0046]     Still another feature allows for the collection of user satisfaction feedback, and alerts to be entered for the attention to complaints, by the user right at his terminal. This capability allows for a text message to be entered as well as the name and contact information of the party making the feedback. As known in the service industry, and as discussed above, customer satisfaction is important and the faster a complaint can be registered and communicated to the proper person for correction, and then corrected, the more likely that a customer will view his experience favorably. By providing a pop up menu item capability, a user may from any one of a number of menus immediately enter the description of the problem and send it to the proper person electronically with a minimal amount of effort and a high degree of reliability. A convenient record may then be made of these “feedback” issues and entered into the system database. With this information stored electronically, it may be conveniently searched and analyzed for any recurring patterns, thereby identifying any particular person, branch, facility, or type of problem that should be addressed for action beyond the solution of the immediate problem. A “screen shot” is provided to illustrate how the “pop up” menu may appear, although it could be varied to allow for entry of other or additional information such as “trouble codes” allowing for the type of problem to be user classified, etc. A flow diagram is also provided to illustrate the flow for complaints, a methodology for processing them including escalating their importance and level of attention as the matter remains unresolved over time.  
         [0047]     Still another feature that adds to the flexibility of the invention is a multiple adjuster feature, that can be extended to include an independent party control feature. In some countries, and in some business models either domestically or abroad, it may be preferable to have more than one adjuster be empowered to interact with or authorize certain facets of a vehicle rental transaction. In those situations, the invention can provide the flexibility and control needed to separately empower and control the interaction of multiple adjusters. For each user of the invention, an “Administration” schedule is set up by an authorizing agent, such as someone at the supervisory level of either the insurance company or the service provider, which grants authority for performing certain work activities as well as possibly limiting the amount of monetary authority allowed that adjuster. A “screen shot” is attached which exemplifies such authorization, with work activities including creating/authorizing reservations, maintain/extend rentals, pay invoices, user maintenance, receive unassigned action items, and reporting. This capability could be used to separately authorize different adjusters acting on behalf of the insurance company and the individual. In other words, the individual may need the car for 5 days but the individual&#39;s insurance coverage may only apply for 3 days while the insurance may pay for five days rental. This capability may also be further extended to independent third parties.  
         [0048]     As extended for independent party management, this capability further adapts the invention for use with agencies such as “credit hire”, “lawyer”, “fleet management companies”, or “repair facility”, or “assist companies”, all of which are found in other than domestic markets. Included herewith is an attachment which further explains the different types of independent parties routinely found at present, and examples of “screen shots” which provide the additional functionality of customizing authorizations for each of these independent parties for interacting with a rental transaction.  
         [0049]     Yet another feature provided by the invention is a facility for marketing cars for sale/lease to customers. As explained above, a customer will occasionally be forced to replace his vehicle at the same time that he is renting a vehicle for temporary use. Furthermore, the value of the replacement vehicle, or the approved value that an insurance company will allow under coverage, many times determines the available vehicles from which a customer will be allowed to select without personal expense. The invention is uniquely designed to provide a listing of available cars, and information about the cars, all from the existing rental car data base as is kept in routinely running the rental car company&#39;s main business of renting cars. It is a simple matter to provide a menu which allows a user to specify search through the car inventory with parameters such as zip code, vehicle category, make and model. Using any one or more of these parameters, a search inquiry will then produce a listing of available vehicles matching the parameters, along with additional information about the vehicle including mileage, selling price, and color as well as other accessories. A customer could then be advised of the search results and allowed to select a vehicle. The invention may, if agreed to by the insurance company, and possibly conditioned on the physical inspection of the car by the customer, then authorize the transfer of the vehicle to the customer as an outright settlement of his claim.  
         [0050]     In implementing the replacement of the customers vehicle, a process preferably comprises the steps of an adjuster identifying the loss as a total loss which is preferably entered at the same time that a replacement vehicle rental is reserved, sending the vehicle data to a third party valuation tool for processing, determining the valuation of the vehicle by a suitable measure such as actual cash value (ACV), sending the ACV to the system, using the search function to identify possible replacement vehicles available for the customer, finalizing the replacement process with the customer including executing transfer of title documentation if desired, and posting the results of the vehicle replacement in the system for access by the insurance adjuster so that he can confirm that the customer&#39;s claim has been satisfied. A flow chart describing this process is attached for further explanation.  
         [0051]     Various changes and modifications to the preferred embodiment as explained herein would be envisioned by those of skill in the art. Examples of these changes and modifications include the utilization of computer systems configured in any one of a myriad of ways using present technology alone. For example, mobile computers are presently available and wireless technology could be used to extend the integrated business network of the services provider, as well as match the mobility needed by the various users connected to and using the present invention. The particular software, and various aspects and features of its design, have been adapted for particular application to the vehicle rental business. Of course, computer software applications satisfying other business needs would necessarily require adaptation to their particular business models. Thus, it is envisioned by the inventors herein that the various software programs described herein would be matched to the particular business application to which the invention is utilized. These and other aspects of the preferred embodiment should not be viewed as limiting and instead be considered merely as illustrative of an example of the practical implementation of the present invention. These changes and modifications should be considered as part of the invention and the invention should be considered as limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto and their legal equivalents.