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Computerized apparatus and methods for location-based service provision

  • US 10,686,784 B2
  • Filed: 08/20/2018
  • Issued: 06/16/2020
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2003
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method of operating a computerized network apparatus utilizing a client-server architecture to automatically enable provision of one or more services to each of a plurality of users each having respective wireless-enabled passenger transportation modalities with application computer programs operative to run thereon, the computerized network apparatus comprising at least one computer program operative to be executed thereon, and one or more network interfaces configured to communicate data with at least one data network, the method comprising:

  • utilizing the at least one computer program to conduct authentication processes with the respective wireless-enabled passenger transportation modalities, the authentication processes each comprising;

    (i) using the computerized network apparatus to authenticate said application computer program of the respective wireless-enabled passenger transportation modalities; and

    (ii) using said computerized network apparatus to enable authentication of said computerized network apparatus by said application computer program of the respective wireless-enabled passenger transportation modalities, the authentication processes each conducted as part of one or more secure data communication sessions established according to at least one of;

    (a) a transport layer security (TLS) protocol;

    or (b) a secure sockets layer security (SSL) protocol, at least one of the (i) using the computerized network apparatus to authenticate said application computer program of the respective wireless-enabled passenger transportation modalities, or (ii) using said computerized network apparatus to enable authentication of said computerized network apparatus by said application computer program, comprising use of a challenge-based approach utilizing at least one random data value;

    utilizing the at least one computer program to receive, via the at least one data network interface, respective data enabling identification of respective user-specific accounts directly or indirectly accessible by the computerized network apparatus, the respective data enabling identification of respective user-specific accounts having been transmitted to the computerized network apparatus by the respective application computer programs operative to run on the respective wireless-enabled passenger transportation modalities, the respective transmissions each in response to a user voice or speech input via a speech processing input function of the respective wireless-enabled passenger transportation modalities;

    utilizing the at least one computer program to cause accessing of data within the respective user-specific accounts, the accessed data enabling communication with respective ones of computerized processes of third party service providers for provision of the respective user-specific services, the accessing data within the respective user-specific accounts based at least in part on the respective data enabling identification of the respective user-specific accounts;

    utilizing the at least one computer program to receive, via the at least one network interface, respective location-related data, the respective location-related data;

    (i) obtained by respective ones of the wireless-enabled passenger transportation modalities using the respective application computer program thereof, and (ii) relating to a geographic destination location for the user or at least one chattel thereof;

    utilizing the at least one computer program to generate a plurality of data messages for transmission to respective ones of the computerized processes of the third party service providers, the data messages each comprising at least a portion of the respective location-related data; and

    utilizing the at least one computer program to cause transmission of the data messages to the respective ones of the computerized processes of the third party service providers via at least the at least one network interface, the provision of the respective data messages enabling subsequent movement of a transportation modality of the respective third party service providers to the respective destinations;

    wherein;

    said automatically enabling provision of one or more user-specific services to each of a plurality of users comprises the computerized network apparatus acting as an automated network proxy for each of the computerized processes of the third party service providers without the respective users having to establish separate communication sessions with the respective computerized processes of the third party service providers directly;

    said enabling provision of the one or more services further comprises enabling movement of the transportation modality of the respective third party service providers to the respective destinations by virtue of possessing the respective location-related data; and

    the respective location-related data obtained by respective ones of the wireless-enabled passenger transportation modalities comprises location-related data obtained by utilizing the respective application computer program to access a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver of the respective wireless-enabled passenger transportation modalities.

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