Steven P Gutmann

US Patent:

20060259353, Nov 16, 2006

Filed:

May 31, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/140254

Inventors:

Steven Gutmann - Portland OR, US

International Classification:

G07B 15/00
G06Q 10/00

US Classification:

705013000, 705005000

Abstract:

Disclosed herein are vehicle-sharing systems and methods that reduce the need for private vehicle ownership by individuals and/or entities. The systems and methods utilize a pool of vehicles available for hire; at least one collection point at which the vehicles are issued; a central reservation system; and a system to verify user identify and reservation status wherein the system receives identifying information from a potential user, communicates the identifying information to the central reservation system which prompts the system to allow access to a reserved vehicle from the pool of vehicles available for hire in response to positive verification of the user and reservation status. In the vehicle-sharing systems and methods of the present invention, a subset of vehicles in the pool are designated to be hired by entities rather than individuals during specified time periods.