System for Navigating Driver to Passenger for Ride Authorized by Another User of Transporation Service

• US 20170169622A1
• Filed: 12/11/2015
• Published: 06/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LYFT Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Juno Lab, Inc.
• Inventors: Marueli, Sunny, Marco, Talmon
• Granted Patent: US 10,635,994 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

In one embodiment a transportation request is received from a computing device of a first subscriber to a transportation service. It is determined that the transportation request is authorized by a second subscriber to the transportation service. One or more details associated with the transportation request and location information of the computing device of the first subscriber are communicated to a computing device of a driver associated with the transportation service to allow the driver to fulfill the transportation request.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a transportation request from a computing device of a first subscriber to a transportation service;

determining that the transportation request is authorized by a second subscriber to the transportation service; and

communicating one or more details associated with the transportation request and location information of the computing device of the first subscriber to a computing device of a driver associated with the transportation service to allow the driver to fulfill the transportation request.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending, to a computing device of the second subscriber to the transportation service, a request for authorization for the transportation request; and

receiving authorization from the second subscriber for the transportation request.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the second subscriber, criteria indicating certain types of transportation requests that should be authorized when such transportation requests are made by the first subscriber; and

determining, based on the criteria, whether the transportation request is authorized by the first subscriber.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying preapproval criteria to the transportation request; and

in response to a determination that the transportation request is not authorized by the preapproval criteria, sending, to a computing device of the second subscriber to the transportation service, a request for authorization for the transportation request.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending information associated with the driver to the computing device of the first subscriber.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the information associated with the driver comprises information identifying a vehicle of the driver.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending, to a computing device of the second subscriber, a notification that the first subscriber has been picked up by the driver.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending, to a computing device of the second subscriber, location data of the computing device of the first subscriber or location data of the computing device of the driver while the driver and the first subscriber are en route to a destination location specified by the transportation request.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving payment for the transportation request from the second subscriber.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the authorization for the transportation request is received from the second subscriber through a social networking application, email message, or text message.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a communication interface; and

at least one processor to;

receive a transportation request from a computing device of a first subscriber to a transportation service;

determine that the transportation request is authorized by a second subscriber to the transportation service; and

communicate one or more details associated with the transportation request and location information of the computing device of the first subscriber to a computing device of a driver associated with the transportation service to allow the driver to fulfill the transportation request.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further to:

send, to a computing device of the second subscriber to the transportation service, a request for authorization for the transportation request; and

receive authorization from the second subscriber for the transportation request.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further to:

receive, from the second subscriber, criteria indicating certain types of transportation requests that should be authorized when such transportation requests are made by the first subscriber; and

determine, based on the criteria, whether the transportation request is authorized by the first subscriber.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further to:

apply preapproval criteria to the transportation request; and

in response to a determination that the transportation request is not authorized by the preapproval criteria, send, to a computing device of the second subscriber to the transportation service, a request for authorization for the transportation request.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further to send, to a computing device of the second subscriber, location data of the computing device of the first subscriber or location data of the computing device of the driver while the driver and the first subscriber are en route to a destination location specified by the transportation request.

19. The media of claim 15, wherein the instructions are further to cause the performance of:

applying preapproval criteria to the transportation request; and

in response to determining that the transportation request is not authorized by the preapproval criteria, sending, to a computing device of the second subscriber to the transportation service, a request for authorization for the transportation request.

16. 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:

receiving a transportation request from a computing device of a first subscriber to a transportation service;

determining that the transportation request is authorized by a second subscriber to the transportation service; and

communicating one or more details associated with the transportation request and location information of the computing device of the first subscriber to a computing device of a driver associated with the transportation service to allow the driver to fulfill the transportation request.

17. The media of claim 16, wherein the instructions are further to cause the performance of:

sending, to a computing device of the second subscriber to the transportation service, a request for authorization for the transportation request; and

receiving authorization from the second subscriber for the transportation request.

18. The media of claim 16, wherein the instructions are further to cause the performance of:

receiving, from the second subscriber, criteria indicating certain types of transportation requests that should be authorized when such transportation requests are made by the first subscriber; and

determining, based on the criteria, whether the transportation request is authorized by the first subscriber.

20. The media of claim 16, wherein the instructions are further to cause the performance of sending, to a computing device of the second subscriber, location data of the computing device of the first subscriber or location data of the computing device of the driver while the driver and the first subscriber are en route to a destination location specified by the transportation request.