System and method for splitting a fee for an on-demand service

• US 10,121,287 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2014
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Amin, Shalin
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Kevin H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Molnar, Hunter A
• Application Number:
  US14/311,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20150012341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,597 Days
• Field of Search: 705 13
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3438 Rendez-vous, i.e. searching a destination where several users can meet, and the routes to this destination for these users; Ride sharing, i.e. searching a route such that at least two users can share a vehicle for at least part of the route
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2240/00 Transportation facility access, e.g. fares, tolls or parking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/00 Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00

Abstract

A method for determining a fare for a transport service is provided. One or more processors determine that the transport service is in progress for a first user. A request to share the fare for the transport service in progress with a second user is received over a network from a first computing device of the first user. A confirmation that indicates that the second user is to share the fare is received over the network from a second computing device of the second user. A first amount of the fare for the first user and a second amount of the fare for the second user is determined.

Claims

1. A method for determining portions of a fare for a transport service, the method being performed by a computing system and comprising:

communicating, over one or more networks, with each of a first computing device, a second computing device, and a driver device using a respective service application executing on each of the first computing device, the second computing device and the driver device, while the transport service is in progress for at least a first user of the first computing device;

wherein communicating with each of the first computing device, the second computing device, and the driver device includes instructing each of the first computing device, the second computing device, and the driver device to obtain location information obtained from a respective location detection mechanism, and to transmit the obtained location information, over the one or more networks, to the computing system;

enabling a first user of the first computing device to provide input, via the respective service application executing on the first computing device, to share a fare for the transport service with a second user of the second computing device;

while the transport service is in progress, receiving, from the first computing device, a request to share the fare for the transport service with the second user, the request including an identifier associated with the second user;

determining an account associated with the second user based on the identifier included with the request;

transmitting a message to the second computing device, the message indicating that the first user has requested to share the fare for the transport service;

receiving, over the one or more networks from the second computing device, a confirmation from the second user, the confirmation indicating that the second user is to share the fare for the transport service;

transmitting, by the computing system and to the first computing device, an update to a user interface to display an indication that the second user is to share the fare for the transport service;

as the transport service progresses, dynamically updating information about the transport service on the service application executing on the first computing device and the service application executing on the second computing device, the information about the transport service for the first computing device being different than the information about the transport service for the second computing device;

in response to receiving the confirmation from the second user, comparing the transmitted location information of the first computing device, the second computing device, and the driver device, to make a set of determinations, including (i) when, during the transport service, the first computing device, the second computing device and the driver device are deemed to be close enough to each other to indicate that the first user and the second user are both in a vehicle of a driver, (ii) after determining the first user and the second user are in the vehicle of the driver, a time and location of at least a first drop off location, based on the transmitted location information of the first computing device, the second computing device and the driver device not being deemed close enough to indicate that the first user and the second user are both in the vehicle, and (iii) whether the first drop off location is for the first user, second user, or both the first user and second user, based on the transmitted location information of the first computing device, the second computing device and the driver device; and

determining a first amount of the fare for the first user and a second amount of the fare for the second user, based at least in part on the set of determinations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the transport service is in progress for at least the first user includes (i) arranging the transport service for the first user with the driver to provide the transport service for the first user, and (ii) associating an account identifier of an account associated with the first user with a transport service identifier of the transport service.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

in response to receiving the confirmation, associating an account identifier of the account associated with the second user with the transport service identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first amount of the fare for the first user and the second amount of the fare for the second user includes:

determining that the transport service has been completed; and

determining the fare for the transport service upon completion of the transport service.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining the first amount of the fare for the first user and the second amount of the fare for the second user includes dividing the fare evenly.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is generated by the first computing device based on user input on the user interface.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the service application that runs on the first computing device interfaces with a contacts application or phone application that is stored in the first computing device to display a plurality of entries in the user interface of the service application, each of the plurality of entries corresponding to a contact entry and including a corresponding communication identifier.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

subsequent to receiving the confirmation from the second computing device, transmitting, from the computing system to the first computing device over the one or more networks, additional information that the second user has agreed to share the fare for the transport service, wherein the additional information can be used by the service application to display at least a graphic indicating that the second user has agreed to share the fare for the transport service.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing a temporary code for the first user with an account associated with the first user, the temporary code being provided to the first computing device of the first user; and

wherein receiving the confirmation includes receiving the temporary code from the second computing device of the second user.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the temporary code is valid until the transport service is completed.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first amount of the fare for the first user and the second amount of the fare for the second user includes receiving, from the first computing device of the first user, a designated ratio for splitting the fare for the transport service, the designated ratio identifying a proportion of the fare for the first amount or the second amount.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

charging the first amount of the fare to a first financial account of the first user and the second amount of the fare to a second financial account of the second user upon completion of the transport service.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computing system, cause the computing system to:

communicate, over one or more networks, with each of a first computing device, a second computing device, and a driver device, using a respective service application executing on each of the first computing device, the second computing device and the driver device, while a transport service is in progress for at least a first user;

wherein communicating with each of the first computing device, the second computing device and the driver device includes instructing each of the first computing device, the second computing device and the driver device to obtain location information obtained from a respective location detection mechanism, and to transmit the obtained location information over the one or more networks, to the computing system;

enable a first user of the first computing device to provide input, via the respective service application executing on the first computing device, to share a fare for the transport service with a second user of the second computing device;

while the transport service is in progress, receive, from the first computing device, a request to share the fare for the transport service with the second user that is identified from user input provided through a user interface, the request including an identifier associated with the second user;

determine an account associated with the second user based on the identifier included with from the request;

transmit a message to the second computing device, the message indicating that the first user requested to share the fare for the transport service;

receive, over the one or more networks from the second computing device, a confirmation from the second user, the confirmation indicating that the second user is to share the fare for the transport service;

transmitting, by the computing system and to the first computing device, an update to the user interface to display an indication that the second user is to share the fare for the transport service;

as the transport service progresses, dynamically updating information about the transport service on the service application executing on the first computing device and the service application executing on the second computing device, the information about the transport service for the first computing device being different than the information about the transport service for the second computing device;

in response to receiving the confirmation from the second user, comparing the transmitted location information of the first computing device, the second computing device, and the driver device, to make a set of determinations including (i) when, during the transport service, the first computing device, the second computing device and the driver device are deemed to be close enough to each other to indicate that the first user and the second user are both in a vehicle of a driver, (ii) after determining the first user and the second user are in the vehicle of the driver, a time and a location of at least a first drop off location, based on the transmitted location information of the first computing device, the second computing device and the driver device not being deemed close enough to indicate that the first user and the second user are both in the vehicle, and (iii) whether the first drop off location is for the first user, the second user, or both the first user and second user, based on the transmitted location information of the first computing device, the second computing device and the driver device; and

determining a first amount of the fare for the first user and a second amount of the fare for the second user, based at least in part on the set of determinations.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions cause the computing system to determine that the transport service is in progress for at least the first user by (i) arranging the transport service for the first user with the driver to provide the transport service for the first user, and (ii) associating an account identifier of an account associated with the first user with a transport service identifier of the transport service.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions further cause the computing system to:

in response to receiving the confirmation, associate an account identifier of the account associated with the second user with the transport service identifier.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the request is generated by the first computing device based on user input on the user interface, and wherein the service application executing on the first computing device interfaces with a contacts application or phone application that is stored in the first computing device to display a plurality of entries in the user interface, each of the plurality of entries corresponding to a contact entry and including a corresponding communication identifier.