Server for communicating with mobile and vehicle devices

• US 10,297,157 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2018
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Felt, Michelle, Gharachorloo, Nader, Moshrefi, Afshin
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Curtis J
• Application Number:
  US15/964,537
• Publication Number:
  US 20180366003A1
• Time in Patent Office: 389 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]

Abstract

One or more servers may include a first communication interface to communicate with a mobile device; a second communication interface to communicate with devices associated with a plurality of vehicles; and a selection mechanism. The first communication interface may receive, via a network, a request from the mobile device based on an interaction with the mobile device. And, the selection mechanism may determine weighted scores for two or more, of the plurality of vehicle, and select one of the two or more vehicles by using a selection function that improves access to vehicle services and decreases waste of resources used by the plurality of vehicles.

Claims

1. One or more servers comprising:

a first communication interface, implemented at least partially in hardware, to communicate with a mobile device,

the first communication interface being to;

receive, via a network, a request from the mobile device based on an interaction with the mobile device;

a second communication interface, implemented at least partially in the hardware, to communicate with devices associated with a plurality of vehicles; and

a selection mechanism, implemented at least partially in the hardware, to;

determine a first weighted value for a first vehicle, of the plurality of vehicles, based on first information regarding the first vehicle and a first weight;

determine a second weighted value for the first vehicle, of the plurality of vehicles, based on second information regarding the first vehicle and a second weight;

determine a first score for the first vehicle based on the first weighted value and the second weighted value;

determine a third weighted value for a second vehicle, of the plurality of vehicles, based on third information regarding the second vehicle and the first weight;

determine a fourth weighted value for the second vehicle, of the plurality of vehicles, based on fourth information regarding the second vehicle and the second weight;

determine a second score for the second vehicle based on the third weighted value and the fourth weighted value; and

select the first vehicle, from at least the first vehicle and the second vehicle, based on the first score being higher than the second score,

the first communication interface being further to;

provide, via the network, a first confirmation to the mobile device based on the first vehicle being selected, and

the second communication interface being to;

provide, based on the first vehicle being selected, a second confirmation to a first device, of the devices, associated with the first vehicle.

2. The one or more servers of claim 1,

where the selection mechanism is further to:

select the first vehicle and the second vehicle to contact based on the request, and where the second communication interface is further to;

forward, based on the selection mechanism selecting the first vehicle and the second vehicle to contact based on the request, the request to the first device and to a second device, of the devices, associated with the second vehicle;

receive, from the first device, a first indication that the first device accepted the request;

receive, from the second device, a second indication that the second device accepted the request; and

forward the first indication and the second indication to the selection mechanism before the selection mechanism selects the first vehicle from at least the first vehicle and the second vehicle.

3. The one or more servers of claim 2, where, when selecting the first vehicle and the second vehicle to contact based on the request, the selection mechanism is to:

select the first vehicle and the second vehicle to contact based on the first vehicle and the second vehicle being within a particular distance from a user of the mobile device.

4. The one or more servers of claim 1, where the first information includes location information obtained from multiple base stations based on a multilateration process.

5. The one or more servers of claim 1, where the second information includes information indicating that a user of the mobile device prefers an environmentally friendly vehicle.

6. The one or more servers of claim 1,

where the second information is based on a first amount of time in which the first device replied to the request, and

where the fourth information is based on a second amount of time in which a second device, of the devices, associated with the second vehicle replied to the request.

7. The one or more servers of claim 1, where the interaction with the mobile device comprises a user, of the mobile device, pressing a dedicated icon located on a touch screen of the mobile device.

8. The one or more servers of claim 1, where the first score is determined after the first device accepts the request.

9. The one or more servers of claim 1,

where the first confirmation is provided to a plurality of mobile devices of users that indicated a preference to share a ride, and

where the plurality of mobile devices include the mobile device.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

receive, via a network, a request from a mobile device based on an interaction with the mobile device;

identify a plurality of vehicles after receiving the request;

determine a first weighted value for a first vehicle, of the plurality of vehicles, based on first information regarding the first vehicle and a first weight;

determine a second weighted value for the first vehicle, of the plurality of vehicles, based on second information regarding the first vehicle and a second weight;

determine a first score for the first vehicle based on the first weighted value and the second weighted value;

determine a third weighted value for a second vehicle, of the plurality of vehicles, based on second information regarding the second vehicle and the first weight;

determine a fourth weighted value for the second vehicle, of the plurality of vehicles, based on fourth information regarding the second vehicle and the second weight;

determine a second score for the second vehicle based on the third weighted value and the fourth weighted value;

select the first vehicle, from at least the first vehicle and the second vehicle, based on the first score being higher than the second score by using a selection function that improves access to vehicle services and decreases waste of resources used by the plurality of vehicles;

provide, via the network, a first confirmation to the mobile device based on selecting the first vehicle; and

provide, based on selecting the first vehicle, a second confirmation to a first device associated with the first vehicle.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, where the instructions further comprise:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

forward, after identifying the first vehicle and the second vehicle to contact based on the request, the request to the first device and to a second device associated with the second vehicle;

receive, from the first device, a first indication that the first device accepted the request; and

receive, from the second device, a second indication that the second device accepted the request.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, where the first score and the second score are determined after receiving the first indication and the second indication.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, where the plurality of vehicles are identified based on the plurality of vehicles being within a particular distance from a user of the mobile device.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10,

where the second information is based on a first amount of time in which the first device replied to the request, and

where the fourth information is based on a second amount of time in which a second device associated with the second vehicle, replied to the request.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10,

where the first confirmation is provided to a plurality of mobile devices of users that indicated a preference to share a ride, and

where the plurality of mobile devices include the mobile device.

16. A method comprising:

receiving, by one or more servers and via a network, a request from a mobile device based on an interaction with the mobile device;

identifying, by the one or more servers, a plurality of vehicles after receiving the request;

determining, by the one or more servers, a first weighted value for a first vehicle, of the plurality of vehicles, based on first information regarding the first vehicle and a first weight;

determining, by the one or more servers, a second weighted value for the first vehicle, of the plurality of vehicles, based on second information regarding the first vehicle and a second weight;

determining, by the one or more servers, a first score for the first vehicle based on the first weighted value and the second weighted value;

determining, by the one or more servers, a third weighted value for a second vehicle, of the plurality of vehicles, based on second information regarding the second vehicle and the first weight;

determining, by the one or more servers, a fourth weighted value for the second vehicle, of the plurality of vehicles, based on fourth information regarding the second vehicle and the second weight;

determining, by the one or more servers, a second score for the second vehicle based on the third weighted value and the fourth weighted value;

selecting, by the one or more servers, the first vehicle, from at least the first vehicle and the second vehicle, based on the first score being higher than the second score;

providing, by the one or more servers and via the network, a first confirmation to the mobile device based on selecting the first vehicle; and

providing, by the one or more servers and based on selecting the first vehicle, a second confirmation to a first device associated with the first vehicle.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

forwarding, after identifying the first vehicle and the second vehicle to contact based on the request, the request to the first device and to a second device associated with the second vehicle;

receiving, from the first device and before determining the first score, a first indication that the first device accepted the request; and

receiving, from the second device and before determining the second score, a second indication that the second device accepted the request.

18. The method of claim 16, where the plurality of vehicles are identified based on the plurality of vehicles being within a particular distance from a user of the mobile device.

19. The method of claim 16,

where the second information is based on a first amount of time in which the first device replied to the request, and

where the fourth information is based on a second amount of time in which a second device associated with the second vehicle, replied to the request.

20. The method of claim 16,

where the first confirmation is provided to a plurality of mobile devices of users that indicated a preference to share a ride, and

where the plurality of mobile devices include the mobile device.