Method for requesting transportation services

• US 10,362,444 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2018
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LYFT Incorporated
• Original Assignee: LYFT Incorporated
• Inventors: Lubeck, Olaf Martin, Hall, John H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Congvan
• Application Number:
  US15/986,358
• Publication Number:
  US 20180268711A1
• Time in Patent Office: 427 Days
• Field of Search: 4554042, 455407, 4554561, 4554563, 4554565-4566, 455457, 705 5, 705 6, 705 13
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/46 Indirect determination of position data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/468 by Triangulation, i.e. two antennas or two sensors determine separately the bearing, direction or angle to a target, whereby with the knowledge of the baseline length, the position data of the target is determined
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2240/00 Transportation facility access, e.g. fares, tolls or parking
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/65 Telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/99 : dummy group

Abstract

A method for safely and efficiently requesting transportation services through the use of mobile communications devices capable of geographic location is described. Individual and package transportation may be provided. New customers may be efficiently serviced, and the requester and transportation provider locations may be viewed in real time on the mobile devices.

Claims

1. A method for managing transportation services, the method comprising:

providing, to one or more transporter devices, a transportation request received from a requester device associated with a requester, the transportation request comprising a location of the requester device and a dropoff destination;

receiving, from a transporter device of the one or more transporter devices and associated with a transporter, a confirmation to accept the transportation request and a location of the transporter device;

determining, based on the location of the requester device and the location of the transporter device, a time of the transporter from the requester;

receiving, from the transporter device, a pickup message indicating that a transportation service has begun for transporting a requester associated with the requester device to the dropoff destination and further indicating an actual pickup time for the transportation service;

determining, based on the actual pickup time and the dropoff destination, a calculated time of arrival to the dropoff destination; and

providing, to the requester device, the calculated time of arrival to the dropoff destination.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing, to the transporter device, the calculated time of arrival to the dropoff destination.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, based on receiving the pickup message, enabling the transporter device to provide a dropoff message to indicate completion of the transportation service.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to receiving the pickup message, preventing the transporter device from providing a dropoff message to indicate completion of the transportation service.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising periodically receiving requester location information from the requester device indicating a most recent location of the requester device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

based on the most recent location of the requester device, updating the calculated time of arrival to the dropoff destination; and

providing, to the requester device, the updated calculated time of arrival to the dropoff destination.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing, to the requester device, the time of the transporter from the requester.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

periodically receiving, prior to receiving the pickup message, transporter location information from the transporter device indicating a most recent location of the transporter device; and

based on the most recent location of the transporter device, updating the time of the transporter from the requester.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing, to the requester device, the updated time of the transporter from the requester.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium for managing transportation services, the non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a computer device to:

provide, to one or more transporter devices, a transportation request received from a requester device associated with a requester, the transportation request comprising a location of the requester device and a dropoff destination;

receive, from a transporter device of the one or more transporter devices and associated with a transporter, a confirmation to accept the transportation request and a location of the transporter device;

determine, based on the location of the requester device and the location of the transporter device, a time of the transporter from the requester;

receive, from the transporter device, a pickup message indicating that a transportation service has begun for transporting a requester associated with the requester device to the dropoff destination and further indicating an actual pickup time for the transportation service;

determine, based on the actual pickup time and the dropoff destination, a calculated time of arrival to the dropoff destination; and

provide, to the requester device, the calculated time of arrival to the dropoff destination.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer device to provide, to the requester device, the time of the transporter from the requester.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer device to, based on receiving the pickup message, enable the transporter device to provide a dropoff message to indicate completion of the transportation service.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer device to, prior to receiving the pickup message, prevent the transporter device from providing a dropoff message to indicate completion of the transportation service.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer device to:

periodically receive requester location information from the requester device indicating a most recent location of the requester device; and

based on the most recent location of the requester device, update the calculated time of arrival to the dropoff destination.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer device to provide, to the requester device, the updated calculated time of arrival to the dropoff destination.

16. A system for managing transportation services, the system comprising:

at least one processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to;

provide, to one or more transporter devices, a transportation request received from a requester device associated with a requester, the transportation request comprising a location of the requester device and a dropoff destination;

receive, from a transporter device of the one or more transporter devices and associated with a transporter, a confirmation to accept the transportation request and a location of the transporter device;

determine, based on the location of the requester device and the location of the transporter device, a time of the transporter from the requester;

receive, from the transporter device, a pickup message indicating that a transportation service has begun for transporting a requester associated with the requester device to the dropoff destination and further indicating an actual pickup time for the transportation service;

determine, based on the actual pickup time and the dropoff destination, a calculated time of arrival to the dropoff destination; and

provide, to the requester device, the calculated time of arrival to the dropoff destination.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to provide, to the requester device, the time of the transporter from the requester.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to provide, to the transporter device, the calculated time of arrival to the dropoff destination.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to, based on receiving the pickup message, enable the transporter device to provide a dropoff message to indicate completion of the transportation service.

20. The system of claim 16, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to periodically receive requester location information from the requester device indicating a most recent location of the requester device.