Key return portal
OwnerRobert Sobie, Graham Rossinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for detecting the retention of a car key by a customer after return of a rental car are disclosed. A plurality of RFID tags having a common identifier are attached to the rental car keys. The shuttle bus or other facility exit is equipped with a detection portal configured to detect a RFID tag having the common identifier and provide a signal upon detection of the RFID tag to a monitor that provides an alert upon receipt of the signal.
Claims16
An apparatus for ensuring that a rental car key is not retained by a customer, comprising:
- a first plurality of Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) tags configured to be respectively attached to a plurality of rental car keys, each RFID tag comprising a common first identifier,
- a detection portal configured to detect a RFID tag having the first identifier and provide a first signal when a RFID tag having the first identifier has been detected, and
- a monitor configured to receive the first signal and provide an alert upon receipt of the first signal.
A system for detecting the removal of an item from a facility, the system comprising:
- a plurality of Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) tags configured to be respectively attached to a plurality of items, each RFID tag having a common identifier,
- a detection portal configured to be installed at a location proximate to an egress point of the facility, wherein the detection portal is further configured to be able to detect a RFID tag having the common identifier when the RFID passes through the egress point and provide a signal when a RFID tag has been detected, and
- a monitor configured to receive the signal and provide an alert upon receipt of the signal.
A method of preventing customers from retaining rental car keys when returning a car to a rental car facility, the method comprising the steps of:
- attaching a Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) tag to a rental car key in use that that facility,
- operating a detection portal on a shuttle bus that is used to transport customers from the rental car facility, wherein the detection portal is configured to detect the RFID tag and, upon such detection, provide a signal that the rental car key is on the shuttle bus,
- carrying a monitor that is configured to receive the signal and provide an alert upon receipt of the signal, and
- asking customers on the shuttle bus to check whether they have the rental car key in their possession when the alert is provided.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.