METHOD FOR REQUESTING TRANSPORTATION SERVICES

• US 20170309185A1
• Filed: 07/11/2017
• Published: 10/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LYFT Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Airsmobile Inc.
• Inventors: LUBECK, Olaf Martin, HALL, John H.
• Application Number:
  US15/646,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20170309185A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/46 Indirect determination of position data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/468 by Triangulation, i.e. two antennas or two sensors determine separately the bearing, direction or angle to a target, whereby with the knowledge of the baseline length, the position data of the target is determined
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2240/00 Transportation facility access, e.g. fares, tolls or parking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/123 indicating the position of vehicles, e.g. scheduled vehicles; Managing passenger vehicles circulating according to a fixed timetable, e.g. buses, trains, tramstransmission of navigation instructions to vehicles G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/65 Telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems

Abstract

A method is described for safely and efficiently requesting transportation services through the user of mobile communications devices capable of geographic location determination. New customers may be efficiently serviced, and the requester and transportation provider locations may be viewed in real time on the mobile devices.

Claims

1. A method comprising operating a wireless communication device associated with a first transportation provider, wherein the wireless communication device is a first node in a distributed computing network that manages requests for transportation services, wherein the operating of the wireless communication device comprises:

sharing, at the wireless communication device associated with the first transportation provider, at least one task performed by the distributed computing network that manages requests for transportation services;

receiving, from a second node in the distributed computing network, a request for transportation service from a transportation requester, wherein the request includes a time limit to accept the request for transportation service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second node is a wireless communication device associated with a second transportation provider.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second node is an automated dispatch computer.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the automated dispatch computer received the request for transportation service via an IP address on the Internet.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the automated dispatch computer decided to send the request for transportation service to the first transportation provider based on provider availability.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the automated dispatch computer stores information on all transportation providers that have signaled initial communication with the automated dispatch computer.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the automated dispatch computer stores information on all transportation requesters that have signaled initial communication with the automated dispatch computer.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising transmitting from the automated dispatch computer periodic messages requesting identifying information from transportation providers that have initiated communication with the automated dispatch computer.

9. The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving at the automated dispatch computer a message signaling the end of communication by the first transportation provider.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving at the second node periodic messages including the geographic locations of wireless mobile devices associated with transportation requesters.

11. A system comprising a wireless communication device operable by a first transportation provider as a first node in a distributed computing network operable to manage requests for transportation services, the wireless communication device being configured to perform a method comprising:

sharing at least one task performable by the distributed computing network in managing requests for transportation services;

receiving, from a second node in the distributed computing network, a request for transportation service from a transportation requester, wherein the request is associated with a time limit to accept the request for transportation service.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the second node is a wireless communication device operable by a second transportation provider.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the second node is an automated dispatch computer.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the automated dispatch computer is configured to receive the request for transportation service via an IP address on the Internet.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the automated dispatch computer is configured to decide to send the request for transportation service to the first transportation provider based on provider availability.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the automated dispatch computer is configured to store information on all transportation providers that have signaled initial communication with the automated dispatch computer.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the automated dispatch computer is configured to store information on all transportation requesters that have signaled initial communication with the automated dispatch computer.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the automated dispatch computer is configured to transmit periodic messages requesting identifying information from transportation providers that have initiated communication with the automated dispatch computer.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises receiving at the automated dispatch computer a message signaling the end of communication by the first transportation provider.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises receiving at the second node periodic messages including the geographic locations of wireless mobile devices associated with transportation requesters.