Patents by Inventor Mark C. Long

Mark C. Long has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • System and method of matching vehicle ratings using a central database
    Patent number: 7676494
    Abstract: A computer reservation system matches vehicle ratings using a central database. Vehicle information and rental equipment information are stored in the central database. A user specifies a vehicle description including make, model, and year of the vehicle on a website. The central database is searched based on the vehicle description to find related vehicle information including physical characteristics of the vehicle. The rental equipment in the central database is identified which is compatible with the vehicle as determined by a comparison of the rental equipment information to the vehicle information. The physical characteristics of the vehicle are compared to physical characteristics of the rental equipment to determine compatibility between the vehicle and the rental equipment. The compatible rental equipment is displayed on the website for the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: U-Haul International, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark C. Long, David M. Dilgard, Eric L. Bierman