System for navigating drivers to service transportation requests specifying sightseeing attractions

• US 10,229,602 B2
• Filed: 02/29/2016
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LYFT Incorporated
• Original Assignee: GT GetTaxi Limited
• Inventors: Marueli, Sunny
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Alex C
• Application Number:
  US15/055,743
• Publication Number:
  US 20170249847A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,107 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/343 Calculating itineraries, i.e. routes leading from a starting point to a series of categorical destinations using a global route restraint, round trips, touristic trips travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3476 using point of interest [POI] information, e.g. a route passing visible POIs
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/14 Travel agencies
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 including pedestrian guidance indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services

Abstract

In one embodiment a transportation request for a sightseeing trip is received from a computing device of a passenger, wherein the transportation request identifies a plurality of sightseeing attractions. One or more drivers are selected, based on availability data associated with a plurality of drivers, to transport the passenger to the plurality of sightseeing attractions. Navigational data is transmitted to the one or more drivers to enable the one or more drivers to transport the passenger to the plurality of sightseeing attractions.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processing device of a server via a network from a computing device of a user, a request for sightseeing attractions comprising at least one time constraint and at least one relative priority for at least one sightseeing attraction;

determining, by the processing device, a prospective schedule for the user by applying search constraints comprising the at least one time constraint and the at least one relative priority to a list of potential sightseeing attractions to limit the list to a plurality of sightseeing attractions, the prospective schedule identifying the plurality of sightseeing attractions;

causing the computing device of the user to display information associated with the prospective schedule responsive to the request for sightseeing attractions;

receiving, by the processing device via the network from the computing device of the user, a transportation request comprising the prospective schedule responsive to displaying of the information associated with the prospective schedule;

selecting, by the processing device based on the transportation request comprising the prospective schedule, availability data, and proximity to the computing device of the user, a first driver to transport the user to a first sightseeing attraction of the plurality of sightseeing attractions; and

transmitting, by the processing device via the network to a first driver computing device associated with the first driver, first navigational data to direct the first driver to transport the user to the first sightseeing attraction.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the processing device, a location of the computing device of the user;

compiling, by the processing device, the list of potential sightseeing attractions based on the location of the computing device of the user; and

transmitting the list of potential sightseeing attractions to the computing device of the user.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, providing audio information associated with the first sightseeing attraction of the plurality of sightseeing attractions to the computing device of the user.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising selecting a language for the audio information from a plurality of languages based on a language setting associated with the user.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting that the computing device of the user is near the first sightseeing attraction not identified in the transportation request; and

providing information about the first sightseeing attraction to be presented to the user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing to the computing device of the user an estimate of the total time associated with for the prospective schedule and updating the estimate in response to the user adding the first sightseeing attraction to the prospective schedule.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the estimate is based on expected sightseeing viewing times at each sightseeing attraction indicated by the prospective schedule.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the expected sightseeing viewing times are based on average sightseeing viewing times of users associated with a transportation service.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to receiving the transportation request, purchasing a ticket for the first sightseeing attraction identified by the transportation request on behalf of the user.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the first sightseeing attraction of the plurality of sightseeing attractions identified by the transportation request is the same as a sightseeing attraction identified by a transportation request received from a second user; and

determining whether the user desires to share a ride with the second user to the sightseeing attraction.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting, by the processing device based on the availability data, a second driver to transport the user to a second sightseeing attraction of the plurality of sightseeing attractions;

generating, by the processing device, the first navigational data and second navigational data;

transmitting, by the processing device via the network to a second driver computing device associated with the second driver, the second navigational data to direct the second driver to transport the user to the second sightseeing attraction of the plurality of sightseeing attractions; and

facilitating a handoff of the user from the first driver to the second driver while the user is at the first sightseeing attraction of the plurality of sightseeing attractions.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, in association with the transportation request, an identification of an additional sightseeing attraction from the computing device of the user;

determining an order for the transportation request that results in a minimum estimated time for the transportation request; and

communicating the order to the computing device of the user.

18. The method of claim 2, further comprising selecting the sightseeing attractions of the list from a data store of sightseeing attractions based on the location of the computing device of the user and filtering criteria associated with the user.

19. The method of claim 2, further comprising selecting the first sightseeing attraction of the list of sightseeing attractions bases on an opening time or a closing time of the first sightseeing attraction.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, from the first driver computing device, an indication that the first driver has opted for automatic acceptance of transportation requests; and

assigning the first driver to the transportation request without waiting to receive acceptance from the first driver computing device.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

a processing device communicably coupled to the memory, the processing device to execute instructions to;

receive, via a network from a computing device of a user, a request for sightseeing attractions comprising at least one time constraint and at least one relative priority for at least one sightseeing attraction;

determine a prospective schedule for the user by applying search constraints comprising the at least one time constraint and the at least one relative priority to a list of potential sightseeing attractions to limit the list to a plurality of sightseeing attractions, the prospective schedule identifying the plurality of sightseeing attractions;

cause the computing device of the user to display information associated with the prospective schedule responsive to the request for sightseeing attractions;

receive, via the network from the computing device of the user, a transportation request comprising the prospective schedule responsive to displaying of the information associated with the prospective schedule;

select, based on the transportation request comprising the prospective schedule, availability data, and proximity to the computing device of the user, a first driver to transport the user to a first sightseeing attraction of the plurality of sightseeing attractions; and

transmit, via the network to a first driver computing device associated with the first driver, first navigational data to direct the first driver to transport the user to the first sightseeing attraction.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processing device is further to:

receive a location of the computing device of the user;

compile the list of potential sightseeing attractions based on the location of the computing device of the user; and

transmit the list of potential sightseeing attractions to the computing device of the user.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processing device is further to:

detect that the computing device of the user is near the first sightseeing attraction not identified in the transportation request; and

provide information about the first sightseeing attraction to be presented to the user.

16. A computer-readable non-transitory medium storing one or more instructions which, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to:

receive, via a network from a computing device of a user, a request for sightseeing attractions comprising at least one time constraint and at least one relative priority for at least one sightseeing attraction;

determine a prospective schedule for the user by applying search constraints comprising the at least one time constraint and the at least one relative priority to a list of potential sightseeing attractions to limit the list to a plurality of sightseeing attractions, the prospective schedule identifying the plurality of sightseeing attractions;

cause the computing device of the user to display information associated with the prospective schedule responsive to the request for sightseeing attractions;

receive, via the network from the computing device of the user, a transportation request for a sightseeing trip, wherein the transportation request comprises the prospective schedule responsive to displaying of the information associated with the prospective schedule;

select, based on the transportation request comprising the prospective schedule, availability data received from a plurality of drivers, and proximity to the computing device of the user, a first driver to transport the user to a first sightseeing attraction of the plurality of sightseeing attractions; and

transmit, via the network to a first driver computing device associated with the first driver, first navigational data to direct the first driver to transport the user to the first sightseeing attraction.

17. The computer-readable non-transitory medium of claim 16, wherein the processing device is further to:

detect that the computing device of the user is near the first sightseeing attraction not identified in the transportation request; and

provide information about the first sightseeing attraction to be presented to the user.