TRIP PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION

• US 20150371157A1
• Filed: 06/22/2015
• Published: 12/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Jaffe, Howard David
• Granted Patent: US 10,417,584 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1097 Task assignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/14 Travel agencies
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

A system and method are provided which obtain a travel itinerary for a user, the itinerary identifying a trip, including a scheduled flight to a destination. A scheduled flight is monitored to detect when the scheduled flight arrives at the destination. Upon the scheduled flight arriving at an airport of the destination, one or more notifications are sent to a mobile computing device of the user. Information can be provided with the notifications for an on-demand ground transportation service. The information may include a location at the airport where the user can be picked up in connection with receiving the on-demand transportation service, and a timing indicator to indicate when the user should make a request to receive the on-demand transportation service based on a real-time determination of a number of available service providers in a vicinity of the airport.

Claims

1. A method for operating an on-demand service, the method being implemented by one or more processors and comprising:

(a) obtaining a travel itinerary for a user, the itinerary identifying a trip, including a scheduled flight to a destination;

(b) defining a set of triggers from the travel itinerary, each trigger of the set being defined to activate with occurrence of at least one condition as the trip progresses, wherein each trigger is associated with a set of operations and a communication for a designated end point;

(c) monitoring one or more trip-in-progress resources, based on the travel itinerary, in order to detect one or more conditions to activate individual triggers of the set of triggers;

(d) when individual triggers are activated, performing the associated set of operations and generating the communication for the designated end point.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the triggers in the set are activated with occurrence of multiple conditions.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the triggers in the set are activated by a variable condition.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting one or more triggers to activate in order to determine an optimal moment for when the user should make a request to receive transport when the user still progressing through the airport.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

defining one or more triggers to activate in order to request, on behalf of the user an at an optimal moment, a request for transport when the user is still progressing through the airport.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

defining one or more triggers to activate in order to implement a contingency plan in which a transport provider is provided to the user when one or more conditions indicate a mobile computing device of the user is unavailable.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein (a) through (d) are performed in order to conserve a power storage level of a mobile computing device of the user.

8. A method for facilitating travel, the method being implemented by one or more processors and comprising:

obtaining a travel itinerary for a user, the itinerary identifying a trip, including a scheduled flight to a destination;

monitoring the scheduled flight to detect when the scheduled flight arrives at the destination;

upon the scheduled flight arriving at an airport of the destination, sending one or more notifications to a mobile computing device of the user, the one or more notifications providing information for an on-demand ground transportation service, the information including a location at the airport where the user can be picked up in connection with receiving the on-demand transportation service, and a timing indicator to indicate when the user should make a request to receive the on-demand transportation service based on a real-time determination of a number of available service providers in a vicinity of the airport.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more notifications include a text notification with a link to application.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

structuring the link to provide updated application information that is specific to the user.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the timing indicator is based on a real-time estimation of a demand for the on-demand transport service.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the timing indicator is based on a real-time estimation of a number of open requests and a number of predicted requests in a given duration that is relevant to when the user is anticipated to make the request to receive the on-demand transportation service.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the timing indicator is based at least in part on a condition that includes a predicted time for the user to locate baggage.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the timing indicator is based at least in part on a condition that includes a predicted time for the user to pass through customs.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the information provided in the notification includes a map to a meeting location for receiving the on-demand transport service.

16. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining an arrival terminal, and wherein the map identifies a meeting location that is specific to the terminal.

17. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more notifications provide information that identifies an estimated arrival time from a current state of the user which precedes the user'"'"'s requesting the transport service, to arrival of a place of interest which is identified in the itinerary.

18. The method of claim 8, wherein the estimated arrival time is based on a first duration to predict when the user will receive the ground transportation service, and a second duration to predict a trip time for the ground transport service to complete a trip to the place of interest.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the estimated arrival time is based on a third duration to predict when the user will request the ground transportation service.

20. A computer system comprising:

a memory that stores a set of instructions;

one or more processors that execute the set of instructions in performing operations that comprise;

(a) obtaining a travel itinerary for a user, the itinerary identifying a trip, including a scheduled flight to a destination;

(b) defining a set of triggers from the travel itinerary, each trigger of the set being defined to activate with occurrence of at least one condition as the trip progresses, wherein each trigger is associated with a set of operations and a communication for a designated end point;

(c) monitoring one or more trip-in-progress resources, based on the travel itinerary, in order to detect one or more conditions to activate individual triggers of the set of triggers;

(d) when individual triggers are activated, performing the associated set of operations and generating the communication for the designated end point.

21. A computer system comprising:

a memory that stores a set of instructions;

one or more processors that execute the set of instructions in performing operations that comprise;

obtaining a travel itinerary for a user, the itinerary identifying a trip, including a scheduled flight to a destination;

monitoring the scheduled flight to detect when the scheduled flight arrives at the destination;

upon the scheduled flight arriving at an airport of the destination, sending one or more notifications to a mobile computing device of the user, the one or more notifications providing information for an on-demand ground transportation service, the information including a location at the airport where the user can be picked up in connection with receiving the on-demand transportation service, and a timing indicator to indicate when the user should make a request to receive the on-demand transportation service based on a real-time determination of a number of available service providers in a vicinity of the airport.