Web enabled business to business computer system for rental car services

Abstract

An Internet enabled, business-to-business computerized transaction system is disclosed in its preferred embodiment for use in providing rental car services for high volume users and comprises an Internet web portal through which the high volume user may access an integrated business computer network for the rental vehicle service provider. The rental vehicle services provider computer network is configured to interconnect a geographically diverse plurality of branch offices, cataloguing their available rental vehicles and schedules for same as well as handling all transactional data relating to its business. The Internet web portal provides ubiquitous connectivity and portability for a multi-level business organization who regularly places high volumes of rental purchases with its business partner. Utilizing the method and apparatus of the present invention large volumes of rental transactions may be placed, monitored, altered during performance, and closed out with financial accounting and payment being made virtually without human intervention.

1 . An internet enabled automatic rental vehicle transaction system, said system having an internet web portal through which an authorized purchaser of rental vehicle services may access a rental vehicle software program resident on a computer system, said rental vehicle software program being configured to automatically respond to a series of commands from said authorized purchaser and communicate a rental vehicle reservation to a specific geographically remote rental vehicle location at which vehicles for rent are situated, said rental vehicle reservation having sufficient information for authorizing, processing and billing said rental vehicle transaction so that a rental vehicle transaction may be automatically processed thereby virtually without human intervention.  
     
     
         2 . The rental vehicle transaction system of  claim 1  wherein said authorized purchaser comprises a business organization, said business organization having a plurality of authorized purchasers, said plurality of authorized purchasers being enabled to access said internet web portal from any location offering internet web access, and further comprising a second business organization, said second business organization having the computer system and rental vehicle software program resident therein, and wherein said second business organization includes a plurality of geographically diverse rental vehicle locations.  
     
     
         3 . The rental vehicle transaction system of  claim 2  wherein said rental vehicle software program is configured to permit a rental vehicle reservation to be initiated remote from said authorized purchaser and communicated to said authorized purchaser for authorization.  
     
     
         4 . The rental vehicle transaction system of  claim 3  wherein said software program is configured to permit said authorized purchasers to modify said rental vehicle reservation through said internet web portal.  
     
     
         5 . The rental vehicle transaction system of  claim 4  wherein said software program is configured to permit said authorized purchasers to modify said rental vehicle reservation including extending a time period for which said reservation authorizes use of a rental vehicle.  
     
     
         6 . The rental vehicle transaction system of  claim 4  wherein said software program is configured to permit said authorized purchaser to generate reports relating to rental vehicle reservation activity conducted through said software program.  
     
     
         7 . The rental vehicle transaction system of  claim 6  wherein said software program further comprises a data base, said data base storing rental vehicle reservation activity for access by said authorized purchasers.  
     
     
         8 . The rental vehicle transaction system of  claim 7  wherein said software program is configured to automatically communicate billing information to said authorized purchaser for further processing.  
     
     
         9 . The rental vehicle transaction system of  claim 8  wherein said software program is configured to communicate messages between said authorized purchaser and any others having access to said software program.  
     
     
         10 . The rental vehicle transaction system of  claim 9  wherein said software program is configured for allowing access through its internet web portal to a plurality of service providers, and for limiting the functionality available to said plurality of service providers.  
     
     
         11 . The rental vehicle transaction system of  claim 10  wherein said plurality of service providers include vehicle repair facilities.  
     
     
         12 . The rental vehicle transaction system of  claim 1  further comprising a second computer system, said second computer system having a second computer software program resident thereon, said second computer software program being configured to process rental vehicle transactions at a plurality of geographically diverse branch facilities each of which has a plurality of vehicles for rental, said second computer system being linked to said first computer system.  
     
     
         13 . The rental vehicle transaction system of  claim 12  wherein each of said first and second computer systems comprises a network having a main frame computer, said main frame computers being linked to each other, and wherein said second computer system further comprises a WAN.  
     
     
         14 . The rental vehicle transaction system of  claim 13  wherein said authorized purchaser comprises a business organization, said business organization having a plurality of authorized purchasers, said plurality of authorized purchasers being enabled to access said internet web portal from any location offering internet web access, and further comprising a second business organization, said second business organization having the second computer system resident therein, and wherein said second business organization includes the plurality of geographically diverse rental vehicle locations.  
     
     
         15 . The rental vehicle transaction system of  claim 14  wherein said first software program is configured to permit a rental vehicle reservation to be initiated remote from said authorized purchaser and communicated to said authorized purchaser for authorization.  
     
     
         16 . The rental vehicle transaction system of  claim 15  wherein said first software program is configured to permit said authorized purchasers to modify said rental vehicle reservation through said internet web portal.  
     
     
         17 . The rental vehicle transaction system of  claim 16  wherein said first software program is configured to permit said authorized purchasers to modify said rental vehicle reservation including extending a time period for which said reservation authorizes use of a rental vehicle.  
     
     
         18 . The rental vehicle transaction system of  claim 16  wherein said first software program is configured to permit said authorized purchaser to generate reports relating to rental vehicle reservation activity conducted through said first software program.  
     
     
         19 . The rental vehicle transaction system of  claim 18  wherein said first software program further comprises a data base, said data base storing rental vehicle reservation activity for access by said authorized purchasers.  
     
     
         20 . The rental vehicle transaction system of  claim 19  wherein said first software program is configured to automatically communicate billing information to said authorized purchaser for further processing.  
     
     
         21 . The rental vehicle transaction system of  claim 20  wherein said first software program is configured to communicate messages between said authorized purchaser and any others having access to said software program.  
     
     
         22 . The rental vehicle transaction system of  claim 21  wherein said first software program is configured for allowing access through its internet web portal to a plurality of service providers, and for limiting the functionality available to said plurality of service providers.  
     
     
         23 . The rental vehicle transaction system of  claim 22  wherein said plurality of service providers include vehicle repair facilities.  
     
     
         24 . An automatic rental vehicle transaction system, said system having a graphical user interface (GUI) through which an authorized purchaser of rental vehicle services may access a rental vehicle software program resident on a computer system, said rental vehicle software program being configured to automatically respond to a series of commands from said authorized purchaser and communicate a rental vehicle reservation to a specific geographically remote rental vehicle location at which vehicles for rent are situated, said rental vehicle reservation having sufficient information for authorizing, processing and billing said rental vehicle transaction so that a rental vehicle transaction may be automatically processed thereby virtually without human intervention.  
     
     
         25 . The rental vehicle transaction system of  claim 24  wherein said authorized purchaser comprises a business organization, said business organization having a plurality of authorized purchasers, said plurality of authorized purchasers being enabled to access said rental vehicle software program from any location offering access to said computer system, and further comprising a second business organization, said second business organization having the computer system and rental vehicle software program resident therein, and wherein said second business organization includes a plurality of geographically diverse rental vehicle locations.  
     
     
         26 . The rental vehicle transaction system of  claim 25  further comprising a second computer system resident in said second business organization, said second computer system having a second computer software program resident thereon, said second computer software program being configured to process rental vehicle transactions at the plurality of geographically diverse branch facilities each of which has a plurality of vehicles for rental, said second computer system being linked to said first computer system.  
     
     
         27 . The rental vehicle transaction system of  claim 26  wherein each of said first and second computer systems comprises a network having a main frame computer, said main frame computers being linked to each other, and wherein said second computer system further comprises a WAN.  
     
     
         28 . The rental vehicle transaction system of  claim 27  wherein said rental vehicle software program is configured to permit a rental vehicle reservation to be initiated remote from said authorized purchaser and communicated to said authorized purchaser for authorization.  
     
     
         29 . The rental vehicle transaction system of  claim 28  wherein said first software program is configured to permit said authorized purchasers to modify said rental vehicle reservation through said internet web portal.  
     
     
         30 . The rental vehicle transaction system of  claim 29  wherein said first software program is configured to permit said authorized purchaser to generate reports relating to rental vehicle reservation activity conducted through said first software program.  
     
     
         31 . The rental vehicle transaction system of  claim 30  wherein said first software program is configured to automatically communicate billing information to said authorized purchaser for further processing.  
     
     
         32 . The rental vehicle transaction system of  claim 31  wherein said first software program is configured to communicate messages between said authorized purchaser and any others having access to said software program.  
     
     
         33 . The rental vehicle transaction system of  claim 32  wherein said first software program is configured for allowing access thereto to a plurality of service providers, and for limiting the functionality available to said plurality of service providers.  
     
     
         34 . The rental vehicle transaction system of  claim 33  wherein said plurality of service providers include vehicle repair facilities.  
     
     
         35 . A computer software program to provide an internet portal access by a multi-level business organization to a service provider's integrated business, said access being sufficient for placing and monitoring orders for delivery of services by said integrated business, said integrated business including a computer system having a business software program configured to automatically accept reservations for, and provide administrative control and accounting for, services offered and physically available at a plurality of geographically diverse locations.  
     
     
         36 . The computer program of  claim 35  wherein said internet portal software program is configured to provide said access to said business software program for a range of functional interactions therewith.  
     
     
         37 . The computer program of  claim 36  wherein said internet portal computer software program is configured to provide access to an authorized purchaser of said service provider's services, said authorized purchaser comprising a multi-level business organization requiring interaction at a plurality of levels of said business software program.  
     
     
         38 . The computer program of  claim 37  wherein said service provider is itself a multi-level business organization, said business software program providing communication of business information needed to effectively execute reservations placed for delivery of its services, and wherein said internet portal software program is configured to provide interaction between different levels of both of said business organizations.  
     
     
         39 . The computer program of  claim 38  wherein said internet portal software program is further configured to provide controlled access to said business software program by third party service providers.  
     
     
         40 . The computer program of  claim 38  wherein said internet portal software is resident on a first computer system and said business software program is resident on a second computer system, and wherein each of said first and second computer systems comprises a network having a main frame computer, said main frame computers being linked to each other, and wherein said second computer system further comprises a WAN.  
     
     
         41 . A method for providing an internet portal through which an authorized purchaser comprising a multi-level business organization of rental vehicle services may access a rental vehicle software program resident on a rental vehicle provider's business computer system, said method comprising the steps of: 
 providing an internet portal computer system having a software program configured to create internet access thereto; and    establishing a link between said two computer systems; said internet portal software program being further configured to facilitate functional interaction between the software program resident on said rental vehicle provider's business computer system and an authorized purchaser logged onto said internet portal software program.    
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41  wherein each of said computer systems further comprises a main frame computer, and wherein the step of establishing a link includes the step of establishing a link between said two main frame computers.  
     
     
         43 . A method for providing a GUI interface through which an authorized purchaser of rental vehicle services comprising a multi-level business organization may access a rental vehicle software program resident on a rental vehicle provider's business computer system, said method comprising the steps of: 
 providing a computer system having a software program configured to create a GUI interface; and    establishing a link between said two computer systems; said GUI interface software program being further configured to facilitate functional interaction between the software program resident on said rental vehicle provider's business computer system and an authorized purchaser logged onto said GUI interface software program.    
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43  wherein each of said computer systems further comprises a main frame computer, and wherein the step of establishing a link includes the step of establishing a link between said two main frame computers.  
     
     
         45 . An internet enabled automatic rental vehicle transaction system, said system having an internet web portal through which an authorized purchaser of rental vehicle services may access a rental vehicle software program resident on a computer system, said rental vehicle software program being configured to automatically respond to a series of commands from said authorized purchaser and communicate a rental vehicle reservation to a centralized destination, said rental vehicle reservation having sufficient information for authorizing, processing and billing said rental vehicle transaction so that a rental vehicle transaction may be automatically processed thereby virtually without human intervention.  
     
     
         46 . The rental vehicle transaction system of  claim 4  wherein said software program is configured to permit said authorized purchasers to generate a report comprised of that users work load sorted.