# US 2014/0156111 A1 · Remote vehicle rental systems and methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0156111 A1 - Document ID: US20140156111A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/693,696 - Filed: 2012-12-04 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-04 - Assignees: I.D. Systems, Inc. - Applicants: I.D. Systems, Inc. - Inventors: Michael L. Ehrman - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140156111A1 ## CPC - G06Q 30/0645: Rental transactions; Leasing transactions - G07B 15/00: Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points (handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00) - H04L 63/08: {for authentication of entities (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32)} - H04W 4/023: {using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds} - H04W 4/029: Location-based management or tracking services - H04L 67/12: specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks - H04M 1/72403: with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality - H04M 2250/10: including a GPS signal receiver - H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G07B: TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) ## Abstract A system for renting vehicles is disclosed. The system can comprise a vehicle access communicator (“VAC”) capable of interfacing with one or more functions of a rental vehicle and a user provided portable electronic device. The VAC can control various functions of the vehicle including, but not limited to, the door locks and/or enabling/disabling the vehicle. The VAC can also monitor various functions of the vehicle including, but not limited to, the fuel level and/or the odometer readings. The VAC can connect to the portable electronic device using a suitable connection method to access additional functionality such as, for example and not limitation, locations services, cellular, and/or internet access. The VAC and the portable electronic device can be used to provide a rental system with reduced infrastructure and operating costs. The system can enable the use of “Green Zones” to provide permanent or temporary vehicle rental areas. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for renting vehicles comprising: connecting to a portable electronic device with a vehicle access communicator (“VAC”) associated with a vehicle to be rented; verifying that the portable electronic device is associated with an authorized user of the vehicle; and unlocking the vehicle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: enabling the vehicle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing the VAC with an internet connection through the portable electronic device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing the VAC with a location services through the portable electronic device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the location services comprise one or more of GPS and cellular based location services. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing one or more designated Green Zones for dropping off, picking up, or both, of rental vehicles. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the Green Zones are designated using GPS coordinates. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the enabling step comprises enabling the vehicle's ignition. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the enabling step comprises enabling the vehicle's fuel pump. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the enabling step comprises enabling the vehicle's starter. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the verification step further comprises: connecting the VAC to a central control using a communication channel provided by the portable electronic device. ### Claim 12 A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with instructions executable by one or more processors to perform a method, the method comprising: connecting to a portable electronic device with a vehicle access communicator (“VAC”) associated with a vehicle to be rented; verifying that the portable electronic device is associated with an authorized user of the vehicle; and unlocking the vehicle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising: enabling the vehicle. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising: providing the VAC with an internet connection through the portable electronic device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising: providing the VAC with a location services through the portable electronic device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising: providing one or more designated Green Zones for dropping off, picking up, or both, of rental vehicles. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the Green Zones are designated using GPS coordinates. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The computer program product of claim 12, wherein connection step comprises connecting the VAC to the handheld portable device using a short-range, secure wireless connection. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the short-range, secure wireless connection is a Bluetooth® connection. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the program is an internet-based program. ### Claim 21 (depends on 12) The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the program is an app executed by the portable handheld device.