Approach for renting items to customers
US7024381B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 14, 2003 |
| Grant date | Apr 4, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 11, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06Q30/0645
- WIPO fieldIT methods for management
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
According to a computer-implemented approach for renting items to customers, customers specify what items to rent using item selection criteria separate from deciding when to receive the specified items. According to the approach, customers provide item selection criteria to a provider provides the items indicated by the item selection criteria to customer over a delivery channel. The provider may be either centralized or distributed depending upon the requirements of a particular application. A “Max Out” approach allows up to a specified number of items to be rented simultaneously to customers. A “Max Turns” approach allows up to a specified number of item exchanges to occur during a specified period of time. The “Max Out” and “Max Turns” approaches may be used together or separately with a variety of subscription methodologies.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.