US 2014/0279713 A1 · AUTOMATED PAYMENT FOR A RENTAL PERIOD BASED ON DETERMINING THE LOCATION OF A RENTER'S MOBILE COMMUNICATION DEVICE

Abstract

Systems, apparatus, methods and computer programs provide for self-service rental of rental items. The self-service aspect of the invention allows for renters to obtain the rental, leave the rental agency facility, return the rental item and pay for the rental without having to come into contact with anyone at the rental agency. The invention implements a renter's mobile device. In this regard, the mobile device receives information related to the rental item that the renter desires to rent and initiates the self-service process. The rental period is defined by the time at which the mobile device, equipped with location-determining mechanisms, departs a designated rental area and the time at which the mobile device returns to the same or another designated rental area. Once the rental period is known, the rental period payment amount can be determined based on a predetermined rental rate and payment provided.

Claims21

Dependent claims

An apparatus for automated determination of a rental period payment amount, the apparatus comprising:

a mobile communication device including a computing platform comprising a processor, a memory in communication with the processor and a location-determining device in communication with the processor;
and
a rental application stored in the memory, executable by the processor and configured to:
receive rental item information, wherein the rental item information identifies a rental item and enables automated rental;
in response to receiving the rental item information, implement the location-determining device to determine a first time at which the mobile communication device departs a first designated rental area;
implement the location-determining device to determine a second time at which the mobile communication enters a second designated rental area;
and
determine a rental period payment amount for the rental period based on the first time, the second time and a predetermined time-based payment rate.

5 more elements

A computer program product, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions to cause a computer to implement the steps of:

receiving rental item information, wherein the rental item information identifies a rental item and enables automated rental
in response to receiving the rental item information, determining, by location determining mechanisms within a mobile communication device, a first time at which a renter, in possession of the mobile communication device and the rental item, departs a first designated rental area;
determining, by the location determining mechanisms within the mobile communication device, a second time at which the renter, in possession of the mobile communication device and the rental item, enters a second designated rental area;
and
determining a payment amount for the rental period based on the first time, the second time and a predetermined time-based payment rate.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Automated payment for a rental period based on determining the location of a renter's mobile communication device

Life of this patent

Automated payment for a rental period based on determining the location of a renter's mobile communication device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21