Patent application EP17000887A (EP), filed 2017-05-23
Publication number: EP3253031A1
Title: SEARCHING AVAILABLE RENTAL VEHICLES BASED ON ADJUSTABLE PARAMETERS
Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer programs for providing available rental vehicle options to a user. The system (10) includes a network interface with at least one rental provider computer system (20). The system receives a rental request (70) for an available rental vehicle. The rental request includes a pick-up location and a drop-off location. In response to receiving the rental request, the system queries a rental store database (24) for a plurality of available rental stores in both the pick-up location and the drop-off location. The system arranges the available rental stores into at least one cluster in the pick-up location and the drop-off location based on a geographical position of the available rental stores. The system selects a particular number of available rental stores within each cluster in both the pick-up location and the drop-off location.
IPC codes: G06F  17/    30            A I
G06Q  10/    02            A I
G06Q  30/    06            A I
G06Q  50/    30            A I
G07F  17/    00            A I
H04L  29/    08            A I
Claims: number: 1
text: A vehicle rental system (12) for providing available rental vehicle options to users in response to rental requests (70) for an available rental vehicle, wherein a rental request includes a pick-up location and a drop-off location, wherein the system includes a network interface with at least one rental provider computer system (20), the system comprising:
number: 2
text: The system of claim 1 wherein the program code, when executed by the one or more processors, further causes the system to
receive a coverage ratio R determined by the user; and
calculate a number of clusters in at least one of the pick-up location and the drop-off location, wherein the number of clusters is based on the coverage ratio R and on a total number of available rental stores located within one of the pick-up location and the drop-off location.
number: 3
text: The system of claim 2 wherein the number of clusters is based on a computing power of a processor of the rental provider computer system.
number: 4
text: The system of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a number of queries sent to the rental provider computer system does not exceed a computing power of a processor of the rental provider computer system.
number: 5
text: The system of any one of claims 2 to 4 wherein the coverage ratio R ranges between a one-cluster value and a maximum cluster value, wherein the one-cluster value represents arranging the available rental stores within a particular city as a single cluster, and the maximum-cluster value represents arranging the available rental stores by dividing an entire set of available rental stores into a maximum amount of clusters.
number: 6
text: The system of any one of claims 2 to 5, further comprising:
number: 7
text: The system of any one of claims 2 to 6 wherein the pick-up location is different from the drop-off location, and wherein the number of clusters k is determined by:
number: 8
text: The system of any one of claims 2 to 6 wherein the pick-up location is the same as the drop-off location, and wherein the number of clusters k is determined by:
number: 9
text: The system of any one of claims 2 to 8 wherein the program code, when executed by the one or more processors, further causes the system to
select a particular number of available rental stores within each cluster in both the pick-up location and the drop-off location based on the coverage ratio R, a computing power of a processor of the rental provider computer system, and the total number of available rental stores located within one of the pick-up location and the drop-off location.
number: 10
text: A method for providing available rental vehicle options to a user, the method comprising:
number: 11
text: The method of claim 10 further comprising:
number: 12
text: The method of claim 11 wherein the coverage ratio R ranges between a one-cluster value and a maximum cluster value, wherein the one-cluster value represents arranging the available rental stores within a particular city as a single cluster, and the maximum-cluster value represents arranging the available rental stores by dividing an entire set of available rental stores into a maximum amount of clusters.
number: 13
text: The method of claim 11 or 12 wherein
number: 14
text: The method of any one of claims 11 to 13 further comprising:
number: 15
text: A computer program comprising program code for the execution of the method according to any one of claims 11 to 14 when the program is carried out on a computer or computer system.
Office action: search_report, dated 2017-12-06
Prior art cited: ref_id: - ANONYMOUS: "Europe Car Rental: Best Price Guaranteed | Auto Europe", 4 April 2016 (2016-04-04), XP055345226, Retrieved from the Internet <URL:http://web.archive.org/web/20160404070836/http://www.autoeurope.com/> [retrieved on 20170213]
ref_type: npl
severity: background
ref_id: - Anonymous, "Europe Car Rental: Best Price Guaranteed | Auto Europe", (20160404), URL: http://web.archive.org/web/20160404070836/http://www.autoeurope.com/, (20170213), XP055345226 [I] 1-15 * the whole document *
ref_type: npl
severity: background
Final disposition: pending (2017-12-06)