Enabling a user to verify a price change for an on-demand service

• US 10,402,841 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2016
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Radhakrishnan, Mina, Amin, Shalin, Chambers, Curtis, McKillen, Ryan, Kalanick, Travis Cordell
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosen, Nicholas D
• Application Number:
  US15/050,931
• Publication Number:
  US 20160171515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,288 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0206 Price or cost determination based on market factors
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0284 Time or distance, e.g. usage of parking meters or taximeters
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0605 Supply or demand aggregation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0637 Approvals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A method for enabling a user to verify a price change for an on-demand service is provided. One or more processors can determine a real-time price for providing the on-demand service to the user. The one or more processors can determine when the real-time price is equal to or exceeds a threshold price. In response to a request from the user for the on-demand service when the real-time price is equal to or exceeds the threshold price, an intermediate interface can be provided that the user is to correctly respond to before a service request can be transmitted to a service system.

Claims

1. A method for enabling a user to request an on-demand transport service on a computing device, the method being performed by one or more processors and comprising:

determining a default price for the on-demand transport service to transport the user from a current location to a destination location;

determining a real-time price for the on-demand transport service to transport the user from the current location to the destination location;

determining that the real-time price is equal to or exceeds a threshold value, wherein the threshold value is the default price adjusted by a first multiplier;

providing, on the computing device of the user, the real-time price for the on-demand transport service; and

in response to a service request from the user for the on-demand transport service when the real-time price is equal to or exceeds the threshold value, providing, on the computing device of the user, an intermediate interface to receive a user input; and

determining whether to arrange the on-demand transport service for the user based on the user input.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the real-time price is a flat fee.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the real-time price includes increasing the default price by a second multiplier.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

providing a user interface to enable the user to make the service request, the user interface including a graphic that identifies the second multiplier.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the real-time price includes determining a price per distance traveled and a price per time spent for transporting the user from the current location to the destination location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the intermediate interface includes a prompt that requests the user to input one or more characters in a text field of the intermediate interface.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, in the text field of the intermediate interface, one or more characters that are inputted by the user; and

in response to receiving the one or more characters, making a determination as to whether the one or more characters are a correct response to the prompt.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the intermediate interface includes one or more questions pertaining to the real-time price.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

making a determination as to whether the user correctly responded to the intermediate interface.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein in response to making the determination that the user correctly responded to the intermediate interface, enabling the user to confirm the service request.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein enabling the user to confirm the service request includes providing a confirmation interface to the user in response to making the determination that the user correctly responded to the intermediate interface.

12. A computing system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory to store a set of instructions;

wherein the one or more processors access the set of instructions to cause the computing system to;

determine a default price for an on-demand transport service to transport a user from a current location to a destination location;

determine a real-time price for the on-demand transport service to transport the user from the current location to the destination location;

determine that the real-time price is equal to or exceeds a threshold value, wherein the threshold value is the default price adjusted by a first multiplier;

provide, on a computing device of the user, the real-time price for the on-demand transport service; and

in response to a service request from the user for the on-demand transport service when the real-time price is equal to or exceeds the threshold value, provide, on the computing device of the user, an intermediate interface to receive a user input; and

determine whether to arrange the on-demand transport service for the user based on the user input.

13. The computing system of claim 12, wherein the real-time price is a flat fee.

14. The computing system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors determine the real-time price by increasing the default price by a multiplier.

15. The computing system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors determine the real-time price by determining a price per distance traveled and a price per time spent for transporting the user from the current location to the destination location.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform operations that include:

determining a default price for an on-demand transport service to transport a user from a current location to a destination location;

determining a real-time price for the on-demand transport service to transport the user from the current location to the destination location;

determining that the real-time price is equal to or exceeds a threshold value, wherein the threshold value is the default price adjusted by a first multiplier;

providing, on a computing device of the user, the real-time price for the on-demand transport service; and

in response to a service request from the user for the on-demand transport service when the real-time price is equal to or exceeds the threshold value, providing, on the computing device of the user, an intermediate interface to receive a user input; and

determining whether to arrange the on-demand transport service for the user based on the user input.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein determining the real-time price includes increasing the default price by a second multiplier.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the executed instructions further cause the computer system to perform operations that include:

providing a user interface to enable the user to make the service request, the user interface including a graphic that identifies the second multiplier.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the executed instructions further cause the computer system to perform operations that include:

determining the real-time price by determining a price per distance traveled and a price per time spent for transporting the user from the current location to the destination location.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the intermediate interface includes a prompt that requests the user to input one or more characters in a text field of the intermediate interface.