Computer-Aided Mobility Service

• US 20130080196A1
• Filed: 08/03/2012
• Published: 03/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: SCHROEDER, Astrid, Borghols-Wilmink, Heleen, Eggert, Marco
• Application Number:
  US13/566,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20130080196A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

A process is provided for computer-aided operation of a mobility service by which a number of vehicles are made available by a mobility provider to registered users for temporary use. A respective user is registered once in a booking system as a provider and/or a buyer of a mobility service feature. A first user registered as a provider reserves the vehicle for a period of time in the booking system. The first user further clears the use of a mobility service feature for a second user connected with the vehicle booking whereby the mobility service feature for the second user is offered for selection. An accounting of costs for the vehicle booking takes place as a function of whether at least one second user was determined as a buyer of the provided mobility service feature.

Claims

1. A process for computer-aided operation of a mobility service by which a number of vehicles are made available by a mobility provider to registered users for temporary use, the process comprising the acts of:

acquiring and storing registration data of a respective user once in a booking system, the respective user being registered as at least one of a provider of a mobility service feature and as a buyer of a mobility service feature;

booking a vehicle by reserving a vehicle in the booking system for a period of time based on a user input of a first user registered as a provider of a mobility service feature, wherein the user input comprises a time period and a desired vehicle;

clearing use of the mobility service feature for a second user that connects with the vehicle booking as a function of a further user input of the first user, wherein in the booking system the mobility service feature is offerable for selection by a second user via user interfaces; and

accounting for costs in providing the vehicle in the time period with respect to the first user as a function of whether, by way of the booking system, at least one second user was determined as a buyer of the provided mobility service feature, wherein the costs for the first user decrease as a function of the number of second users buying the provided mobility service feature.

2. The process according to claim 1, wherein a selection of the mobility service feature by the second user is carried out such that, based on a user input, one or more activity categories are selected to which the mobility service feature applies.

3. The process according to claim 2, wherein a classification of the mobility service feature into the one or more activity categories is carried out by the first user in that, based on a user input, one or more predefined and/or self-established activity categories are assigned to the mobility service feature.

4. The process according to claim 1, wherein the act of accounting for the costs further comprises the act of:

charging for the costs of the vehicle in the time period with respect to the second user as a function of whether at least one additional second user was determined as a buyer of the provided mobility service feature via the booking system based upon an initiative of the second user, the costs decreasing for the first user and the second user as a function of the number of additional second users buying the mobility service feature.

5. The process according to claim 1, further comprising the act of:

generating a message in an automated manner by the booking system and transmitting the message to a drive destination of the mobility service feature, the message containing information concerning the number of users registered for the mobility service feature.

6. The process according to claim 5, further comprising the act of:

generating, by the drive destination of the mobility service feature, a message in an automated manner in response to a mobility service feature offered by the first user and transmitting the message to the booking system, said message containing a bonus offer to buyers and potential users of the mobility service feature, the bonus offer being offered optionally as a function of the number of registered users.

7. The process according to claim 1, further comprising the act of:

crediting a point value to the providers and/or buyers of a mobility service feature for each use of the mobility service feature as a function of a number and/or type of the mobility service feature and/or a number of buyers, the point value being credited to respective user accounts.

8. The process according to claim 1, wherein of more than one first user, a respective first user having most frequently provided one or more mobility service features within a predefined time period is represented via the user interfaces.

9. The process according to claim 1, further comprising the act of:

entering a drive destination for a mobility service feature into the booking system based on a user input of a third party by way of a user interface.

10. The process according to claim 1, further comprising the act of:

automatically generating, via the booking system, a message and transmitting the message to a user interface of the second user, said message comprising information concerning an offered and/or a no longer available mobility service feature, if notification information for the second user is stored in the booking system.

11. The process according to claim 1, further comprising the acts of:

during the registering act of the user, receiving at least one of biometric data and one-to-one security information of the user; and

wherein during a boarding of the vehicle, the at least one of the biometric data and/or one-to-one security information of the user is verified.

12. A computer implemented booking system for a mobility service by which a number of vehicles are made available by a mobility provider to registered users for temporary use, the booking system comprising:

a processor operatively configured to;

acquire and store registration data of a respective user once in a booking system, the respective user being registered as at least one of a provider of a mobility service feature and as a buyer of a mobility service feature;

book a vehicle by reserving a vehicle in the booking system for a period of time based on a user input of a first user registered as a provider of a mobility service feature, wherein the user input comprises a time period and a desired vehicle;

clear use of the mobility service feature for a second user that connects with the vehicle booking as a function of a further user input of the first user, wherein in the booking system the mobility service feature is offerable for selection by a second user via user interfaces; and

account for costs in providing the vehicle in the time period with respect to the first user as a function of whether, by way of the booking system, at least one second user was determined as a buyer of the provided mobility service feature, wherein the costs for the first user decrease as a function of the number of second users buying the provided mobility service feature.

13. A method of operating a mobility service by which a number of vehicles are made available by a mobility provider to registered users for temporary use, the method comprising the acts of:

receiving, in the booking system, registration information on a respective user, the registration information being indicative of whether the respective user is a provider of a mobility service feature and/or is a buyer of a mobility service feature;

receiving, in the booking system, a user input of a first user that is registered as a provider of a mobility service feature, the user input comprising a time period and a desired vehicle in order to create a vehicle booking;

receiving, in the booking system, a further user input of the first user indicating that the mobility service feature is usable by one or more second users of the booking system;

outputting, via the booking system, an indication to second users that the mobility service feature is available for selection; and

determining, in the booking system, costs for providing the vehicle in the time period for the first user as a function of whether at least one second user selected the mobility service feature, the determining being such that the costs for the first user decrease as a function of the number of second users that select the mobility service feature.