US 2,011,112,969 · Filed 2010-10-28
The Patent Behind Unlocking a Stranger's Car From Your Phone
Imagine renting a car from someone nearby without ever meeting them in person. This patent describes a system where you reserve a vehicle on your phone, get authenticated (proven you're really you), and the car automatically unlocks for you. No keys, no waiting, no dealership.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a system and method for remotely accessing a vehicle through wireless communication. What's protected here is the specific process of: receiving a vehicle reservation request from a mobile device, authenticating that reservation to verify the user is legitimate, and then granting access to the vehicle (presumably by unlocking doors or disabling immobilizers) after that authentication succeeds. The protection extends to the communication interfaces and access control components that make this handshake between phone and car possible.
Why it matters
This patent sits at the core of the peer-to-peer car rental business model, where everyday car owners can rent out their vehicles to strangers without handing over physical keys. By patenting the authentication and remote-access workflow, the assignee (Gettaround) creates a defensible moat around their platform technology. Without this protection, any competitor could copy the exact same authentication-then-unlock sequence, making it harder for the company to maintain a competitive edge in a market where seamless access is the core user experience.
Real-world use
When you book a car-share vehicle through a peer-to-peer rental app and arrive at the parking spot, your phone communicates with the car and the door unlocks automatically—no physical key exchange needed.
Original USPTO abstract
Vehicle access control is disclosed. In various embodiments, a vehicle reservation from a wireless communication device is received, the vehicle reservation is authenticated, and access to the vehicle is provided after authenticating the vehicle reservation. In various embodiments, a system for vehicle access control includes a vehicle access control component that is configured to provide access to a vehicle and a communication interface for communication with a wireless communication device, a communication interface for communication with a wireless communication device. Access to the vehicle is provided when a vehicle reservation is received from the wireless communication device.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 2,011,112,969
- Filing date
- 2010-10-28
- Grant date
- Application — not yet granted
- Assignee
- Gettaround, Inc.
- Inventor(s)
- ZAID SAM, ANMA VIJAI, KROO ELLIOT
- CPC class
- G06Q10/02
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