Our Patents

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When your technology is genuinely different, you protect it.

At RentalMatics, innovation isn’t a buzzword, it’s the foundation of everything we build – from concept creation to live platform feature. We’ve taken that seriously enough to do something not many technology companies can claim: we’ve successfully secured both US and European patents for key elements of our platform.

Securing a patent isn’t easy. It requires proving that your technology is genuinely novel, not obvious, and has real-world application. For us, it was worth the investment. It reflects just how different our approach is, and how committed we are to delivering original, market-leading solutions that give rental fleet operators a truly competitive edge. Crucially, it gives our clients access to a level of innovation that isn’t available anywhere else.

US & European Patents

Here is a summary of the US and European Patents successfully granted to RentalMatics and the benefits to fleet operators:

1. System and Method for Generating and Using Dynamic Geofence Areas in a Fleet Management System

Patent Reference:
EP 4446952 B1
US 2024/0349012 A1

Dynamic Geofencing for Changing Events

One of our most powerful patented innovations is the ability to create dynamic geofences that respond to real-world threats; like extreme weather, flooding, wildfires or civil unrest. Unlike traditional, fixed location geofences, these zones move, grow, or shrink based on real-time data. If one of your rental vehicles enters or exits a high-risk area, our platform automatically detects it and can trigger safety actions: like alerting the driver, rerouting the journey, or flagging the vehicle for inspection. It’s all about protecting people, vehicles, and profits, even when the unexpected happens.

Benefits to Vehicle Rental Operators
  • Automatically reacts to real-world hazards like floods, hurricanes or riots
  • Triggers real-time alerts or reroutes vehicles to avoid danger
  • Reduces costly damage claims by preventing exposure to high-risk areas
  • Improves reporting with time-stamped geofence history for every trip

2. System And Methods For Dynamic Creation Of A Geofence For A Location

Patent Reference:
US 11076258 B2
EP 3574477 B1

Smarter Geofencing, Live Stock Validation & Vehicle Theft Detection

This patented system identifies vehicle stock anomalies by comparing expected vehicle locations from a fleet management system with real-time telematics data. It dynamically creates and adjusts geofences around rental locations, checks vehicle assignments, monitors for malfunctions in telematics units, and detects unauthorised movement or theft.

Using confidence scores and periodic data, the system ensures fleet inventory is accurate, updated, and secure. It also links telematics units with specific vehicles based on usage patterns, automates anomaly alerts, and triggers corrective actions. The technology dramatically improves visibility, efficiency, and control in rental fleet operations.

Benefits to Vehicle Rental Operators
  • Detects vehicle misplacements and stock anomalies in real-time
  • Automatically flags telematics unit malfunctions and triggers recovery actions
  • Prevents theft by monitoring unauthorised movement outside assigned geofences
  • Improves accuracy of fleet stock reports with minimal manual intervention

3. System And Methods For Maintaining A Vehicle Availability Report With Respect To A Location

Patent Reference:
US 11304025 B2
EP 3574478 B1

Smarter Stock Control, Automatic Check-Ins & Targeted Driver Ads

This patent protects a suite of systems that automate vehicle availability reporting, check-ins, and personalised in-vehicle advertising. It tracks how many cars are currently on-site, how many are due to leave, and how many are returning. Then it updates your fleet availability in real time.

It also detects when a car has been returned and can automatically close out the rental contract. On top of that, it allows for personalised ads to be delivered to drivers based on journey data and rental history. It’s a complete package of fleet intelligence, built to reduce admin and increase revenue.

Benefits to Vehicle Rental Operators
  • Live, accurate vehicle availability forecasts across locations
  • Automatic vehicle check-in and contract closure on return
  • Machine learning-ready data correlation for smarter decision-making
  • Targeted driver advertising based on live trip and rental data

4. System And Methods For Detecting Malfunctioning On-Board Telematics Units In Vehicles

Patent Reference:
US 11871297 B2

Automatic Detection of Telematics Failures

This patented system helps rental operators spot when a vehicle’s onboard telematics unit stops working properly. It continuously checks if a vehicle is sending location data as expected, based on where and when the vehicle is supposed to be. If data is missing between key points, like when a car is checked out and returned, it automatically flags a fault. That means no more relying on manual checks to discover that a device has failed.

The system can also trigger recovery actions like rebooting the device or alerting your operations team.

Benefits to Vehicle Rental Operators
  • Instant alerts when telematics units stop reporting data
  • Automatically attempts to fix faulty units remotely
  • Reduces lost data and downtime from silent failures
  • Keeps your fleet consistently connected and traceable

5. System And Methods For Automatically On-boarding Telematics Units In Vehicles

Patent Reference:
US 12177735 B2

Patent-Protected Telematics Health Monitoring

This patent underpins our system that automatically detects when a vehicle’s telematics device has failed, by comparing real-world activity (like pick-up and drop-off locations from rental records) against missing GPS updates. If the vehicle has clearly moved but no location data was received, our system identifies the fault and can trigger automated recovery steps like rebooting the device or notifying the operations team. It ensures no silent failures go undetected and keeps your fleet data accurate and trustworthy at all times.

Benefits to Vehicle Rental Operators
  • Proactively spots failed or offline telematics units
  • Sends automatic fix commands (reboot/reset) to reduce downtime
  • Uses AI logic to confirm vehicle movements with missing data
  • Maintains full traceability of every vehicle, even with system faults

6. System And Methods For Automatically Checking-in A Vehicle

Patent Reference:
US 12490046 B2

Automated Vehicle Check-In at Return Locations

This patented feature allows RentalMatics to automatically check in a vehicle when it returns to its assigned depot, without human intervention. By matching GPS data from the telematics unit with rental system data, the platform detects when a vehicle is physically back at the correct location and has stayed there long enough. It can then close the contract, log mileage and fuel, and even flag potential damage or late returns.

It’s a huge time-saver for depot teams and adds an extra layer of accuracy and automation to rental operations.

Benefits to Vehicle Rental Operators
  • Auto-checks vehicles back into depots using real-time location data
  • Closes contracts automatically and updates mileage, fuel and return time
  • Cuts down on manual depot tasks and speeds up turnaround
  • Feeds into live availability reports, improving fleet planning and customer wait times

7. System And Methods For Identifying Stock Anomalies In A Fleet Management System

Patent Reference:
US 11595779 B2

Smart Anomaly Detection for Better Fleet Control

This patent protects our technology that automatically detects when a vehicle isn’t where it’s supposed to be, based on real-time telematics and rental system data. If a vehicle appears outside its assigned location (or geofence), the system flags it as an anomaly. Whether it’s a stock check issue, an admin error, or a potential theft, our platform catches it early.

By matching live GPS data with rental records and expected behaviour, we help operators take immediate action and reduce manual fleet audits, lost vehicles, and costly mistakes.

Benefits to Vehicle Rental Operators
  • Instant alerts for vehicles in the wrong location
  • Helps detect unauthorised movement or potential theft
  • Reduces manual stock checks and admin errors
  • Cuts costs related to misplacement, fraud, or downtime

For more detailed information about our patents please visit:

United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
https://ppubs.uspto.gov/pubwebapp/

European Patent Office (EPO) – Espacenet
https://worldwide.espacenet.com/

Contact us

To make requests for further information, contact us.