Computerized item rental using beacons

A computing system, comprising:

• a processor connected to a memory;
• and
• a communication module stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium and configured with instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:
• maintain a data structure that maps user identifiers of users to beacon identifiers of beacon devices associated with rental items being rented by corresponding users;
• wherein the data structure includes a table having a plurality of rows wherein each row corresponds with a rental item that is being rented, and wherein each row includes an identifier of the rental item, a beacon identifier of a beacon device attached to the rental item, a booking identifier indicating that a first user is renting the rental item, and a user identifier of the first user renting the rental item;
• wherein a row is created in the data structure when a rental of the rental item begins and the row is removed from the data structure when the rental ends;
• control a wireless receiver of the computing device to listen for a beacon signals transmitted by the beacon devices associated with the rental items;
• wherein the wireless receiver listens for the beacon signals according to a monitoring mode;
• while in the monitoring mode, in response to receiving, by the wireless receiver, a first beacon signal from a first beacon device associated with a first rental item;
• parse the first beacon signal to identify a beacon device type as a type of rental item associated with the first beacon device, but not a first beacon identifier of the first beacon device;
• transition to listening for the beacon signals according to a ranging mode;
• while in the ranging mode, parse the first beacon signal to identify the first beacon identifier of the first beacon device associated with the first rental item;
• query, using the first beacon identifier of the first beacon device, the data structure to determine whether the first beacon identifier of the first beacon device is mapped within the data structure to the user identifier of the first user;
• and
• in response to the first beacon identifier not being mapped within the data structure, which indicates that the first rental item is not currently being rented:
• identify a user identifier of a second user requesting rental of the first rental item associated with the first beacon identifier and verify the user identifier of the second user;
• create a new row within the data structure to map the user identifier of the second user to the first beacon identifier to indicate that the second user is now renting the first rental item;
• and
• configure the first beacon device associated with the first rental item to set the first beacon identifier to the booking identifier to indicate that the second user is now renting the first rental item.

A computer-implemented method, the computer-implemented method involving a computing device comprising a processor, and the computer-implemented method comprising:

• maintaining, by the processor, a data structure that maps user identifiers of users to beacon identifiers of beacon devices associated with rental items being rented by corresponding users;
• wherein the data structure includes a table having a plurality of rows wherein each row corresponds with a rental item that is being rented, and wherein each row includes an identifier of the rental item, a beacon identifier of a beacon device attached to the rental item, a booking identifier indicating that a first user is renting the rental item, and a user identifier of the first user renting the rental item;
• wherein a row is created in the data structure when a rental of the rental item begins and the row is removed from the data structure when the rental ends;
• controlling, by the processor, a wireless receiver of the computing device to listen for beacon signals transmitted by the beacon devices associated with the rental items;
• wherein the wireless receiver listens for the beacon signals according to a monitoring mode;
• while in the monitoring mode, in response to receiving, by the wireless receiver, a first beacon signal from a first beacon device associated with a first rental item:
• parse the first beacon signal to identify a beacon device type as a type of rental item associated with the first beacon device, but not a first beacon identifier of the first beacon device;
• transition to listening for the beacon signals according to a ranging mode;
• while in the ranging mode, parsing, by the processor, the first beacon signal to identify the first beacon identifier of the first beacon device associated with the first rental item;
• querying, by the processor, using the first beacon identifier of the first beacon device, the data structure to determine whether the first beacon identifier of the first beacon device is mapped within the data structure to the user identifier of the first user;
• and
• in response to the first beacon identifier not being mapped within the data structure, which indicates that the first rental item is not currently being rented:
• identifying, by the processor, a user identifier of a second user requesting rental of the first rental item associated with the first beacon identifier and verify the user identifier of the second user;
• creating, by the processor, a new row within the data structure to map the user identifier of the second user to the first beacon identifier of the first beacon device to indicate that the second user is now renting the first rental item;
• and
• configuring, by the processor, the first beacon device associated with the first rental item to set the first beacon identifier of the first beacon device to the booking identifier to indicate that the second user is now renting the first rental item.