I.D. Systems Awarded Two More Patents for Wireless Vehicle Management Systems
WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J. - I.D. Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:IDSY), a leading provider of wireless M2M asset management solutions, has been awarded two United States patents: number 8,676,670 for a mobile asset data management system, primarily for industrial vehicles, and number 8,671,063 for a wireless vehicle rental system with remotely controlled vehicle access. I.D. Systems now holds more than 60 patents related to its wireless M2M asset management systems.
"We are delighted to be awarded these important patents, which we believe provide our company with significant protections against competitors in our industrial fleet management and rental fleet management business segments," said Kenneth Ehrman, I.D. Systems' president and interim CEO. "We believe patent 8,676,670 is especially strong, because its filing date precedes the development of a number of competing systems, and because it addresses many functional aspects of wireless industrial vehicle management."
Patent 8,676,670 covers a broad range of essential processes utilized by wireless vehicle management systems (VMS) for industrial trucks, such as forklifts and tow tractors. The following list summarizes, but does not definitively describe or limit, some of these now-patented processes:
 -- the basic network architecture for a wireless VMS that utilizes an
    intermediary wireless device between the system database and system's
    vehicle-mounted wireless devices;
 -- vehicle access control authorizations by operator group;
 -- impact sensing that incorporates the axes, time, level, and angle of an
    impact to a vehicle;
 -- vehicle inspection checklists that are stored autonomously on
    vehicle-mounted devices, so the devices do not need to actively
    communicate over the wireless network to deliver the checklists;
 -- programmable, event-triggered checklists that are stored autonomously on
    vehicle-mounted devices;
 -- vehicle location tracking by radio frequency signals that are generated
    by an intermediary wireless device between the system database and the
    system's vehicle-mounted wireless devices;
 -- text messaging on vehicle-mounted wireless devices that does not require
    a constant, active communication link to the wireless network;
 -- reminder messages about scheduled maintenance that are transmitted
    automatically to vehicle-mounted wireless devices;
 -- the linkage of battery voltage data to other vehicle data, and
    automatically guiding the process of changing vehicle batteries;
 -- aggregation of data on vehicle-mounted devices into compact,
    low-bandwidth usage records;
 -- preservation and wireless communication of the most recent, relevant
    data, avoiding redundant wireless data traffic and eliminating
    unnecessary network bandwidth usage;
 -- wireless updates of system configuration parameters; and
 -- wireless communication between vehicle-mounted devices which avoids the
    need to transmit certain system configuration data through any
    intermediary wireless devices.
Patent 8,671,063 covers essential processes in managing a car rental remotely and wirelessly. These processes include monitoring vehicle mileage and fuel levels, tracking the location of vehicles while they are on a rental lot, automatically updating vehicle readiness in the rental system, and enabling remote rental check-outs. The patent also covers a method to avoid radio frequency interference from multiple vehicles communicating wirelessly in the same area.
This is I.D. Systems' third patent award pertaining specifically to wireless rental car management. The company's first patent application for an automated vehicle rental system was filed in 1999. I.D. Systems expects that the newly awarded patent will help it further penetrate the rental car market, as well as serve as a barrier to competition.
About I.D. Systems
Headquartered in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, with subsidiaries in Texas, Germany, and the United Kingdom, I.D. Systems, Inc. is a leading global provider of wireless M2M solutions for securing, controlling, tracking, and managing high-value enterprise assets, including rental cars, industrial vehicles, trailers, containers, and cargo. The company's patented technologies address the needs of organizations to monitor and analyze their assets to increase efficiency and productivity, reduce costs, and improve profitability. PowerFleet® is a registered trademark of I.D. Systems. For more information, visit www.id-systems.com.
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