The Crawford Group, Inc.

Enterprise Holdings, Inc.

Derik Reiser

James E Jefferies

Rod W DeMay

Gurgen L Lachinyan

Jeffrey T Lauman

Scott Stephens

Ryan Sven Johnson

Dave G Smith

Neil Fitzgerald

E Paul Reh

Michele Muscarella Harmon

Robert Connors

Ryan C Flynn

Jerome V Schmitt

Tom McAliney

Ryan Johnson

Tom Mcaliney

A number of techniques are disclosed for making it more convenient and efficient for customers to conduct various rental vehicle transactions. As an example, a technique for performing an automated pickup of a rental vehicle using a mobile device is disclosed. As another example, a technique for performing an automated return administration of a rental vehicle using a mobile device is disclosed. As another example, a technique for permitting customer to select a particular rental vehicle for a rental vehicle transaction using a mobile device is disclosed. Also disclosed is a technique for permitting a customer to keylessly start a rental vehicle using a machine-sensible item such as his/her mobile device without requiring the customer to possess a smart key.

Mobile device-enhanced rental vehicle transactions

Mobile device-enhanced pickups for rental vehicle transactions

An apparatus and operational method are disclosed that use control hardware resident in a vehicle to enable a remote computing system to wirelessly communicate with the vehicle. The control hardware includes a processor configured to interface with a wireless network and the vehicle through, respectively, a wireless network interface and a vehicle interface. A plurality of CAN (control area network) bus transceivers may exist within the vehicle interface operable to allow the processor to interface with multiple vehicle types. The processor may then be configured to automatically detect an identifier for the vehicle though the vehicle interface and automatically select a CAN bus transceiver from the plurality of CAN bus transceivers based on the detected identifier. The processor can then communicate with the vehicle's CAN bus via the selected CAN bus transceiver.

Rental/car-share vehicle access and management system and method

Techniques are disclosed for permitting a person to keylessly start a vehicle using a machine-sensible item such as his/her mobile device without requiring the person to possess a smart key.

Smart key emulation for vehicles

Growing community of inventors

Maryville, IL, United States of America

Derik Reiser