METHOD FOR REQUESTING TRANSPORTATION SERVICES

• US 20180310132A1
• Filed: 06/27/2018
• Published: 10/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LYFT Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Prosper Technology, LLC
• Inventors: LUBECK, Olaf Martin, HALL, John H.
• Granted Patent: US 10,715,956 B2
• 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 for safely and efficiently requesting transportation services through the use of mobile communications devices capable of geographic location is described. Individual and package transportation may be provided. 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 by a computer system for managing transportation services, the method comprising:

receiving, from a wireless mobile device of a requester, a transportation request comprising a unique identifier for the wireless mobile device of the requester and further comprising an indication of a geographic location of the wireless mobile device of the requester;

selecting a transportation provider to service the transportation request comprising the unique identifier;

providing, to a wireless mobile device of a transportation provider, the transportation request comprising the unique identifier and the geographic location of the wireless mobile device of the requester; and

providing, to the wireless mobile device of the requester, an acknowledgement message comprising an identification of the transportation provider and indicating that the transportation provider will service the transportation request.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising utilizing the unique identifier to track the wireless mobile device of the requester independently of other wireless mobile devices of other requesters.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein utilizing the unique identifier to track the wireless mobile device of the requester comprises storing location information in association with the unique identifier in a digital storage.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

periodically receiving geographic location information for the wireless mobile device of the requester; and

periodically updating the stored location information based on the periodically received geographic location information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier comprises a cell phone number.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining a unique identifier for the wireless mobile device of the transportation provider.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless mobile device of the requester comprises a mobile device capable of determining geographic location.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving one or more messages from the wireless mobile device of the requester, each of the one or more messages comprising the unique identifier; and

utilizing the unique identifier to identify the one or more messages as being associated with the wireless mobile device of the requester.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium for managing transportation services, the non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a computer device to:

receive, from a wireless mobile device of a requester, a transportation request comprising a unique identifier for the wireless mobile device of the requester and further comprising an indication of a geographic location of the wireless mobile device of the requester;

select a transportation provider to service the transportation request comprising the unique identifier;

provide, to a wireless mobile device of a transportation provider, the transportation request comprising the unique identifier and the geographic location of the wireless mobile device of the requester; and

provide, to the wireless mobile device of the requester, an acknowledgement message comprising an identification of the transportation provider and indicating that the transportation provider will service the transportation request.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer device to utilize the unique identifier to track the wireless mobile device of the requester independently of other wireless mobile devices of other requesters.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions cause the computer device to utilize the unique identifier to track the wireless mobile device of the requester by storing location information associated with the unique identifier in a digital storage.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer device to:

periodically receive geographic location information for the wireless mobile device of the requester; and

periodically update the stored location information based on the periodically received geographic location information.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the unique identifier comprises a cell phone number.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer device to maintain a unique identifier for the wireless mobile device of the transportation provider.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer device to:

receive one or more messages from the wireless mobile device of the requester, each of the one or more messages comprising the unique identifier; and

utilize the unique identifier to identify the one or more messages as being associated with the wireless mobile device of the requester.

16. A system for managing transportation services, the system comprising:

at least one processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to;

receive, from a wireless mobile device of a requester, a transportation request comprising a unique identifier for the wireless mobile device of the requester and further comprising an indication of a geographic location of the wireless mobile device of the requester;

select a transportation provider to service the transportation request comprising the unique identifier;

provide, to a wireless mobile device of a transportation provider, the transportation request comprising the unique identifier and the geographic location of the wireless mobile device of the requester; and

provide, to the wireless mobile device of the requester, an acknowledgement message comprising an identification of the transportation provider and indicating that the transportation provider will service the transportation request.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to utilize the unique identifier to track the wireless mobile device of the requester independently of other wireless mobile devices of other requesters.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the instructions cause the system to utilize the unique identifier to track the wireless mobile device of the requester by storing location information associated with the unique identifier in a digital storage.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

periodically receive geographic location information for the wireless mobile device of the requester; and

periodically update the stored location information based on the periodically received geographic location information.

20. The system of claim 16, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to maintain a unique identifier for the wireless mobile device of the transportation provider.