System and methods for vehicle lifecycle management

Abstract

A computerized system for vehicle management and purchase including a database including information regarding vehicles in a set of vehicles, wherein a plurality of the vehicles in the set of vehicles are in arrangements wherein third parties use the vehicles, wherein the information may include configuration of respective vehicles. The system may also include a computer interface that provides access to the description of the vehicles in the database and provides for setting price of respective vehicles, an option on the user interface to search, an option on the user interface to indicate intent to purchase a vehicle, a computer interface that receives information regarding a vehicle returned, and a computer interface to facilitate a purchase of the returned vehicle.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computerized system for vehicle management and purchase comprising:
 a database including information regarding vehicles in a set of vehicles, wherein a plurality of the vehicles in the set of vehicles are in arrangements wherein third parties use the vehicles, wherein the information includes configuration of respective vehicles;   a computer interface that provides access to the description of the vehicles in the database and provides for setting price of respective vehicles;   an option on the user interface to search and search logic that allows for searching for vehicles among the set of vehicles in the database;   an option on the user interface to indicate intent to purchase a vehicle that is currently in an arrangement where a third party uses the vehicle;   a computer interface that receives information regarding a vehicle returned upon conclusion of an arrangement wherein a third party used the vehicle; and   a computer interface to facilitate a purchase of the returned vehicle.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the third parties comprise renters of respective vehicles, and the arrangements wherein third parties use the vehicles comprise rental agreements. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein arrangements wherein third parties use the vehicles comprise lease agreements. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein arrangements wherein third parties use the vehicles comprise finance agreements and the third parties comprise owners of the vehicles. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , including a web server that serves web sites including the computer interface that provides access to the description of the vehicle, wherein the web server is coupled to the database including the description of vehicles in the set of vehicles. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the information regarding vehicles in the set of vehicles includes: vehicle identification number (\TIN), year, make, model, series, engine, transmission, drivetrain, and photographs of the vehicle. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the information regarding vehicles in a set of vehicles includes at least one of condition of respective vehicles, price of respective vehicles, status of a contract associated with a vehicle, time remaining on a contract associated with a vehicle, payments made on a contract associated with a vehicle, and amount owed on a contract associated with a vehicle. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , including an option on a user interface to allow a user to sell a vehicle earlier than a normally scheduled time for sale of the vehicle. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , including a computer interface to receive information regarding a vehicle returned upon conclusion of an arrangement wherein a third party used the vehicle. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the information regarding a vehicle returned upon conclusion of an arrangement wherein a third party used the vehicle includes:
 vehicle location, final mileage and responses to questions asked in connection with return of the vehicle.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , including logic that generates an electronic receipt upon return of a vehicle. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , including logic that offers a vehicle exclusively to a grounding location of the vehicle for a period of time. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , including logic that offers a vehicle exclusively to an entity having the grounding location of the vehicle for a period of time and, following receipt of an indication that the entity having the grounding location of the vehicle does not want to purchase the vehicle, offers the vehicle to others for purchase over a computer network. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , including logic that sends electronic notification to a transporter with respect to returned vehicles. 
     
     
         15 . A method for vehicle management and purchase comprising:
 electronically maintaining information regarding vehicles in a set of vehicles, wherein a plurality of the vehicles in the set of vehicles are in arrangements wherein third parties use the vehicles, wherein the information includes configuration, condition, and price of respective vehicles;   electronically searching for vehicles among the set of vehicles, and displaying search results, the search results including
 at least some vehicles not yet returned, and 
 information regarding status of the arrangement with the respective third party; electronically receiving information regarding a vehicle returned upon conclusion of an arrangement wherein a third party used the vehicle; and 
   facilitating a purchase of the returned vehicle through an electronic interface.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein arrangements wherein third parties use the vehicles comprise rental agreements, and the status of the arrangement with the respective third party includes status of payment of the rental agreement 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein arrangements wherein third parties use the vehicles comprise lease agreements, and the status of the arrangement with the respective third party includes an indication of time remaining in term of a respective lease of the respective vehicle. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the information regarding vehicles in a set of vehicles includes status of payments made for the vehicle. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , automatically providing an electronic request for transport of a returned vehicle. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , including offering a vehicle exclusively to an entity having the grounding location of the vehicle for a period of time and, following receipt of an indication that the entity having the grounding location of the vehicle does not want to purchase the vehicle, offering the vehicle to others over a computer network for purchase.