Methods, systems and computer program products for ride matching based on current location information

• US 7,191,057 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2006
• Issued: 03/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Adamczyk, Maria
• Primary Examiner(s): BEAULIEU, YONEL
• Application Number:
  US11/372,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20060200306A1
• Time in Patent Office: 368 Days
• Field of Search: 701200-201, 701/208, 701/210, 701/213, 701/117, 701 24- 25, 340/988, 340/434
• US Class Current: 701/201
• 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: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching

Abstract

Systems, methods and computer program products match a passenger with a driver for a trip to a destination. Candidate driver(s) for the trip are automatically identified based on a current location for the candidate driver(s) responsive to a request from the passenger. The passenger is provided an identification of the identified candidate driver.

Claims

1. A method for matching a passenger with a driver for a trip to a destination, comprising:

determining current locations and associated destinations for a plurality of drivers;

automatically identifying a candidate driver for the trip based on the determined locations and destinations for the plurality of drivers and the destination for the trip responsive to a request from the passenger; and

providing the identified candidate driver an identification of the passenger and/or providing the passenger an identification of the identified candidate driver.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying a candidate driver comprises:

receiving the request, wherein the request specifies the destination;

determining a start location of the passenger;

identifying at least one of the plurality of drivers as a candidate driver based on the determined start location of the passenger, the destination for the trip, the associated destinations for the plurality of drivers and the current locations of the plurality of drivers; and

wherein providing the candidate driver an identification comprises establishing a communication connection between the candidate driver and the passenger.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the method further comprises registering the plurality of drivers and wherein determining a current location of a plurality of drivers comprises obtaining a last known location of the plurality of drivers from a location service.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein registering the plurality of drivers comprises receiving registration requests from the plurality of drivers that identify the drivers and specify an availability as a driver.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein obtaining a last known location of the plurality of drivers comprises obtaining a last known location for selected ones of the plurality of drivers based on the request and/or the specified availability of the plurality of drivers.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the location service determines the last known location for the plurality of drivers based on satellite positioning system information received from the plurality of drivers.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the received registration requests from the plurality of drivers specify the associated destinations for the respective drivers and/or availability data for the plurality of drivers and wherein identifying at least one of the drivers comprises identifying at least one of the drivers as a candidate driver based on the availability data of the identified at least one of the drivers.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein identifying at least one of the drivers comprises identifying at least one of the drivers having a current location and associated destination corresponding to the start location and destination of the passenger and having availability data indicating current availability as a driver as a candidate driver.

11. The method of claim 2 further comprising obtaining current traffic information from a traffic database and wherein identifying at least one of the drivers comprises identifying at least one of the drivers based on the obtained current traffic information.

9. A method for matching a passenger with a driver for a trip to a destination, comprising:

receiving a request for a candidate driver for the trip, wherein the request specifies the destination;

determining a start location of the passenger;

determining current locations of a plurality of drivers;

obtaining current traffic information from a traffic database;

automatically identifying at least one of the plurality of drivers as a candidate driver based on the determined start location of the passenger and the current locations of the plurality of drivers and based on the obtained current traffic information; and

providing the identified candidate driver an identification of the passenger and/or providing the passenger an identification of the identified candidate driver.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising determining a distance to the destination and estimating an arrival time at the destination based on the determined distance and the current traffic information.

12. A system for matching a passenger with a driver for a trip to a destination, comprising:

a ride matching server configured to identify a candidate driver for the trip based on current locations and associated destinations for a plurality of drivers;

a location information interface configured to receive the current locations and associated destinations for the plurality of drivers; and

a communication network interface configured to receive a request for a driver for a trip from the passenger and to provide the candidate driver an identification of the passenger and/or to provide the passenger an identification of the candidate driver.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the ride matching server is further configured to identify a candidate driver based on a start location of the passenger and wherein the location information interface is configured to obtain current locations of the plurality of drivers from a location service.

14. A system for matching a passenger with a driver for a trip to a destination, comprising:

means for identifying a candidate driver for the trip based on a current location and an associated destination for the candidate driver responsive to a request from the passenger; and

means for providing the identified candidate driver an identification of the passenger and/or for providing the passenger an identification of the candidate driver.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the means for identifying a candidate driver comprises:

means for receiving the request, wherein the request specifies the destination;

means for determining a start location of the passenger;

means for determining current locations and associated destinations of a plurality of drivers;

means for identifying at least one of the plurality of drivers as a candidate driver based on the determined start location of the user and the current locations and associated destinations of the plurality of drivers; and

wherein the means for providing the candidate driver an identification comprises means for establishing a communication connection between the candidate driver and the passenger.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising means for obtaining current traffic information from a traffic database and wherein the means for identifying at least one of the drivers comprises means for identifying at least one of the drivers based on the obtained current traffic information.

17. A computer program product for matching a passenger with a driver for a trip to a destination, the computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied in said medium, said computer-readable program code comprising;

computer-readable program code that identifies a candidate driver for the trip based on a current location and an associated destination for the candidate driver responsive to a request from the passenger; and

computer-readable program code that provides the identified candidate driver an identification of the passenger and/or provides the passenger an identification of the candidate driver.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein the computer-readable program code that identifies a candidate driver comprises:

computer-readable program code that receives the request, wherein the request specifies the destination;

computer-readable program code that determines a start location of the passenger;

computer-readable program code that determines current locations and associated destinations of a plurality of drivers;

computer-readable program code that identifies at least one of the plurality of drivers as a candidate driver based on the determined start location of the user and the current locations and associated destinations of the plurality of drivers; and

wherein the computer-readable program code that provides the candidate driver an identification comprises computer-readable program code that establishes a communication connection between the candidate driver and the passenger.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 further comprising computer-readable program code that obtains current traffic information from a traffic database and wherein the computer-readable program code that identifies at least one of the drivers comprises computer-readable program code that identifies at least one of the drivers based on the obtained current traffic information.

20. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein the computer program product further comprises computer-readable program code that registers the plurality of drivers and wherein the computer-readable program code that determines current locations of the plurality of drivers comprises computer-readable program code that obtains last known locations of the plurality of drivers from a location service.