Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being seen as the "secret ingredient" to a multitude of difficult technical problems. In a specific example where AI has been successfully applied to a solution, Ravin AI has developed a product which allows fleet managers to track their vehicles and to determine if any have been damaged. This has a variety of economic benefits. Notably, the company has managed to obtain patent protection for their product in Europe. It is claimed that this is the first patent for drive-by visual inspection. As sectors such as fleet management encounter greater contact with technical solutions, the world of patent protection will impact on their business processes. Anyone who develops tech for fleet management should consider whether patent protection would be a useful strategic tool in selling their ideas to their customers.

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