System for Preemptively Navigating Drivers to an Event Created Through a Social Network System

• US 20170098377A1
• Filed: 10/06/2015
• Published: 04/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LYFT Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Juno Lab, Inc.
• Inventors: Marco, Talmon, Haparnas, Ziv, Agasi, David
• Granted Patent: US 10,055,995 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3438 Rendez-vous, i.e. searching a destination where several users can meet, and the routes to this destination for these users; Ride sharing, i.e. searching a route such that at least two users can share a vehicle for at least part of the route
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/362 received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063118 Staff planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0223 based on inventory
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/60 Business processes related to postal services shipping G06Q10/083; franking apparatus G07B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching

Abstract

In one embodiment an event likely to be attended by a plurality of users of a taxi service is identified. A location of the event is determined and an end time of the event is estimated. Prior to the end time of the event, a plurality of drivers associated with the taxi service are directed to drive to the location of the event to transport passengers from the location of the event.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

accessing a social network system;

identifying, based on information stored by the social network system, an event likely to be attended by a plurality of prospective passengers; and

directing, by a server comprising at least one processor, a plurality of drivers associated with the taxi service to drive to the location of the event to transport passengers from the location of the event.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an expected demand for drivers of the taxi service to transport passengers from the location of the event based on the information stored by the social network system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of drivers directed to drive to the location of the event are selected in accordance with the expected demand for drivers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information stored by the social network system upon which the identification of the event is based comprises an event page created by a user of the social network system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating information associated with the taxi service to the social network system for display in association with an event page of the social network system for the event.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the information associated with the taxi service comprises a promotional offer for transportation from the location of the event.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the server accesses the social network system by using login credentials of a user registered with the taxi service.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a communication interface; and

at least one processor to;

access a social network system;

identify, based on information stored by the social network system, an event likely to be attended by a plurality of prospective passengers; and

direct a plurality of drivers associated with the taxi service to drive to the location of the event to transport passengers from the location of the event.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, the at least one processor further to determine an expected demand for drivers of the taxi service to transport passengers from the location of the event based on the information stored by the social network system.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the plurality of drivers directed to drive to the location of the event are selected in accordance with the expected demand for drivers.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the information stored by the social network system upon which the identification of the event is based comprises an event page created by a user of the social network system.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, the at least one processor further to communicate information associated with the taxi service to the social network system for display in association with an event page of the social network system for the event.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the information associated with the taxi service comprises a promotional offer for transportation from the location of the event.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor accesses the social network system by using login credentials of a user registered with the taxi service.

15. At least one computer-readable non-transitory media comprising one or more instructions that when executed by at least one processor configure the at least one processor to cause the performance of operations comprising:

access a social network system;

identify, based on information stored by the social network system, an event likely to be attended by a plurality of prospective passengers; and

direct a plurality of drivers associated with the taxi service to drive to the location of the event to transport passengers from the location of the event.

16. The media of claim 15, the instructions when executed to further cause the determination of an expected demand for drivers of the taxi service to transport passengers from the location of the event based on the information stored by the social network system.

17. The media of claim 16, wherein the plurality of drivers directed to drive to the location of the event are selected in accordance with the expected demand for drivers.

18. The media of claim 15, wherein the information stored by the social network system upon which the identification of the event is based comprises an event page created by a user of the social network system.

19. The media of claim 15, the instructions when executed to further cause the communication of information associated with the taxi service to the social network system for display in association with an event page of the social network system for the event.

20. The media of claim 19, wherein the information associated with the taxi service comprises a promotional offer for transportation from the location of the event.