System and method for monitoring the security of participants in a rideshare environment

• US 8,086,400 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2010
• Issued: 12/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Weinerth, Dave, Plurkowski, Luke, Fork, David K., Huang, Qingfeng
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen, Shelley
• Application Number:
  US12/976,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20110093193A1
• Time in Patent Office: 370 Days
• Field of Search: 701/207
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/00 Fittings or systems for preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of vehicles locks for vehicles E05B77/00-E05B85/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• 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 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

A system and method for monitoring the security of participants in a rideshare environment is provided. A rideshare transaction is monitored between two or more rideshare participants. At least one of the rideshare participants is associated with a rideshare participant device. A predetermined route for the rideshare transaction is identified. A location of the rideshare participant device is monitored. A security check is triggered when the rideshare participant device location is inconsistent with the predetermined route.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring the security of participants in a rideshare environment, comprising:

two or more rideshare participant devices, each associated with a rideshare participant in a rideshare transaction; and

a rideshare security system to interface with each of the rideshare participant devices and comprising;

a route assignment module to identify a predetermined route for the rideshare transaction;

a location monitor to monitor a location of the rideshare participant device and to trigger a passive security check that is performed without participation from the rideshare participant when the rideshare participant device location is inconsistent with the predetermined route by measuring other security metrics and by applying parameters to the other security metrics, wherein at least one of the security metrics is calculated using information from at least two of the two or more rideshare participant devices participating in the same rideshare transaction; and

a rideshare security check module to trigger a security alarm for an unsafe security situation when the security metrics are outside the parameters.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the route is determined by one of the rideshare participants for that rideshare transaction and automatically determined.

3. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a route determination module to determine the route based on at least one of exposure of the route, availability of communication connectivity along the route, and anticipated law enforcement presence along the route.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the location monitor conducts the location monitoring during at least one of periodic, random, and scheduled intervals.

5. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a route monitor module to apply predefined boundaries to the rideshare participant device location, to determine whether the rideshare participant device location is within predefined boundaries of the predetermined route, and to trigger the security check when the rideshare participant device location is outside the predefined boundaries.

6. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a speed determination module to compute vehicle speed from the rideshare participant device location, to apply speed parameters to the vehicle speed, and to trigger the security alarm when the vehicle speed is outside the speed parameters.

7. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a separation determination module to track locations of each of the rideshare participant devices, to determine at least one of an early and unexplained separation of the rideshare participants based on the locations, and to trigger a further security check.

8. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a stop determination module to track locations of at least one of the rideshare participant devices, to determine at least one of an early and unexplained stop of the rideshare transaction based on the locations, and to trigger a further security check.

17. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a rideshare security check module to communicate a security inquiry message from the rideshare security system to one of the rideshare participants in the rideshare transaction via the rideshare participant device, to request a reply to the security inquiry message from the rideshare participant, and to contact a security response provider when the rideshare participant does not respond within a predefined response time threshold.

9. A method for monitoring the security of participants in a rideshare environment, comprising:

monitoring two or more rideshare participant devices participating in a rideshare transaction by a rideshare security system, wherein the rideshare participant devices are each associated with a rideshare participant;

identifying a predetermined route for the rideshare transaction;

and monitoring by the rideshare security system, a location of at least one of the rideshare participant devices; and

triggering by the rideshare security system, a passive security check that is performed without participation from the rideshare participant when the rideshare participant device location is inconsistent with the predetermined route comprising;

measuring other security metrics and applying parameters to the other security metrics, wherein at least one of the security metrics is calculated using information from at least two of the two or more rideshare participant devices participating in the same rideshare transaction; and

triggering by the rideshare security system, a security alarm for an unsafe security situation when the security metrics are outside the parameters.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the route is determined by one of the rideshare participants for that rideshare transaction and automatically determined.

11. A method according to claim 9, further comprising:

determining the route based on at least one of exposure of the route, availability of communication connectivity along the route, and anticipated law enforcement presence along the route.

12. A method according to claim 9, further comprising:

conducting the location monitoring during at least one of periodic, random, and scheduled intervals.

13. A method according to claim 9, further comprising:

applying predefined boundaries to the rideshare participant device location;

determining whether the rideshare participant device location is within predefined boundaries of the predetermined route; and

triggering the security check when the rideshare participant device location is outside the predefined boundaries.

14. A method according to claim 9, further comprising:

computing vehicle speed from the rideshare participant device location;

applying speed parameters to the vehicle speed; and

triggering the security alarm when the vehicle speed is outside the speed parameters.

15. A method according to claim 9, further comprising:

tracking locations of each of the rideshare participant devices;

determining at least one of an early and unexplained separation of the rideshare participants based on the locations; and

triggering a further security check.

16. A method according to claim 9, further comprising:

tracking locations of at least one of the rideshare participant devices;

determining at least one of an early and unexplained stop of the rideshare transaction based on the locations; and

triggering a further security check.

18. A method according to claim 9, further comprising:

communicating a security inquiry message from the rideshare security system to one of the rideshare participants in the rideshare transaction via the rideshare participant device;

requesting a reply to the security inquiry message from the rideshare participant; and

contacting a security response provider when the rideshare participant does not respond within a predefined response time threshold.