Shared transport system and service network

• US 10,083,608 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2010
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carma Technology, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Carma Technology, Ltd.
• Inventors: O'Sullivan, Sean
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrington, Michael P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Singh, Rupangini
• Application Number:
  US12/924,487
• Publication Number:
  US 20110059693A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,919 Days
• Field of Search: 705 6
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3423 Multimodal routing, i.e. combining two or more modes of transportation, where the modes can be any of, e.g. driving, walking, cycling, public transport
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063112 Skill-based matching of a person or a group to a task
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/123 indicating the position of vehicles, e.g. scheduled vehicles; Managing passenger vehicles circulating according to a fixed timetable, e.g. buses, trains, tramstransmission of navigation instructions to vehicles G08G1/0968

Abstract

The network system triggers registration of the start of a transport journey in response to a communication of a transport user device and a transport provider device with each other, performs a continuous coordinated proximity monitoring to verify the identity of a transport user and a transport provider vehicle, and triggers registration of the end of the transport journey through communication of the transport user device and the transport provider device with each other.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of

providing a transport user device for identifying a transport user;

providing a transport provider device for identifying a transport provider;

providing a central server for network communications between said central server and said transport user device and between said central server and said transport provider device;

communicating said central server with said transport user device to determine a first geographic position of said transport user device;

communicating said central server with said transport provider device to determine a second geographic position of said transport provider device;

determining a geographic proximity of said first geographic position and said second geographic position in said central server;

triggering a start of a transport journey in said central server in response to said geographic proximity being within a predetermined range of distances indicative of a co-ordinated proximity of said transport user device and said transport provider device to each other;

thereafter continuously communicating said central server with said transport user device and said transport provider device during said transport journey to verify said transport user device and said transport provider device remaining in said co-ordinated proximity to each other;

triggering an end of said transport journey in said central server in response to said transport user device and said transport provider device not being in said co-ordinated proximity to each other; and

thereafter communicating a message from said central server to said transport user device containing details of said transport journey in response to triggering of the end of said transport journey in said central server.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the steps of having said transport user device and said transport provider device communicate with each other and determining that said transport journey has ended in response to said transport user device and said transport provider device being outside of a geographic range.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the steps of sending information from said central server to said transport user device to direct a user to a pick-up point and sending information from said central server to said transport provider device to direct a provider to said pick-up point.

4. A method as set forth in claim 3, further comprising the step of determining a time for said transport user device to be at said pick-up point.

5. A method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

providing a near-field data communication means in at least one of said transport user device and said transport provider device for establishing a geographic proximity of said transport user device and said transport provider device with each other; and

determining that said journey has ended in response to said transport user device and said transport provider device being outside of said geographic proximity.

6. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said transport user is a good to be transported.

7. A method comprising the steps of

providing a transport user device for identifying a transport user in need of transportation;

providing a transport provider device for identifying a transport provider;

providing a central server for network communications between said central server and said transport user device to record a request for transport from the transport user and between said central server and said transport provider device to record a request for availability of transporting from a provider;

communicating said central server with said transport user device to determine a first geographic position thereof;

communicating said central server with said transport provider device to determine a second geographic position thereof;

sending information from said central server to said transport user device to direct the transport user to a pick-up point and sending information from said central server to said transport provider device to direct a provider to said pick-up point;

triggering a start of a transport journey from said pick-up point in said central server in response to a co-ordinated proximity of said transport user device and said transport provider device to each other;

thereafter continuously communicating said central server with said transport user device and said transport provider device on at least one time-based interval during said transport journey to verify said transport user device and said transport provider device remaining in said co-ordinated proximity to each other;

triggering an end of said transport journey in said central server in response to said transport user device and said transport provider device not being in said co-ordinated proximity to each other; and

thereafter communicating a message from said central server to said transport user device containing details of said transport journey in response to triggering of the end of said transport journey in said central server.

8. A method as set forth in claim 7, further comprising the step of determining a time for said transport user device to be at said pick-up point and terminating the request for transport from the transport user in response to the transport user not being at said pick-up point at said time.

9. A method as set forth in claim 7, further comprising the steps of;

providing a near-field data communication means in at least one of said transport user device and said transport provider device for establishing said coordinated proximity of said transport user device and said transport provider device with each other; and

determining that a journey has ended in response to said devices being outside of said coordinated proximity.

10. A method as set forth in claim 7, wherein said transport user is a good to be transported.