Taxi dispatch system

• US 20080015923A1
• Filed: 07/12/2006
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eric Masaba
• Original Assignee: Eric Masaba
• Inventors: Masaba, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 11,586,999 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A method of transportation, comprising advertising to obtain customers to text or e-mail requests for transportation and receiving requests by text messaging for a ride from potential customers for transportation is disclosed. Responding to potential customers is by way of a response comprising ride information. Such ride information is also sent to a driver.

Claims

1. A method of transportation, comprising:

a. advertising to obtain customers to text or e-mail requests for transportation;

b. receiving requests for a ride from potential customers for transportation by text or e-mail;

c. responding to potential customers, with a response comprising fried information; and

d. sending ride information to a driver.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein said response comprises two parts, a first response confirming that a ride will be provided, followed by a second response with the details of ride information.

3. A method as in claim 2, wherein a potential customer must confirm that the ride is accepted within a predetermined time after receiving said second response with details of ride information, and wherein said sending ride information to a driver is not done until said ride is accepted within said predetermined time after receiving said second response with details of ride information.

4. A method as in claim 3, wherein communication is by text messaging.

5. A method as in claim 1, wherein said receiving requests for a ride from potential customers for transportation by text or e-mail comprises receiving a postal code, such as a ZIP code.

6. A method as in claim 1, further comprising receiving a request to set up a group comprising a number of individuals who wish to travel together.

7. A method as in claim 6, wherein said receiving requests for a ride from potential customers for transportation by text or e-mail comprises receiving a group identification.

8. A method as in claim 6, wherein said method is implemented by software programming, and wherein said group is set up by a group manager, and where in requests to join said group must be approved by said group manager and wherein said group manager is permitted by the software programming to remove individuals from the group.

9. A method as in claim 1, wherein potential customer'"'"'s location information is obtained from the communications system.