Pre-transit and post-transit facilitation of in-vehicle services

• US 8,744,926 B1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kwivo, LLC
• Original Assignee: Kwivo, LLC
• Inventors: Heron, Alexandra Kathleen, Silva, Julio Toro, Mendis, Manimeldura Janaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Amee A
• Application Number:
  US13/844,089
• Time in Patent Office: 445 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26.61, 705/26.41, 705/5
• US Class Current: 705/26.41
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing

Abstract

An approach to facilitating provisioning of in-vehicle services is provided. Trip-identifying information may be obtained from a user-provided device. The trip-identifying information may identify a trip that is to occur on the vehicle. A list of in-vehicle services, which are available for the trip on the vehicle, may be determined based on the trip-identifying information. The list of in-vehicle services may be provided to the user-provided device. A selection of at least one in-vehicle service that is to be provided during the trip may be received from the user-provided device. A request for the at least one in-vehicle service may be generated based on the selection.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating provisioning of in-vehicle services, the in-vehicle services being requested from one or more user-provided devices prior to the departure of a vehicle in which the in-vehicle services are provided, the method being implemented in a computer system that includes one or more physical processors programmed to execute one or more computer program instructions which, when executed, perform the method, the method comprising:

obtaining, by the one or more physical processors, trip-identifying information relating to a passenger that is associated with a user-provided device, wherein the trip-identifying information identifies a trip that is to occur on the vehicle;

determining, by the one or more physical processors, whether a current time is within a predetermined boarding or pre-boarding time period associated with the trip;

determining, by the one or more physical processors, a list of in-vehicle services, which are available for the trip, based on the trip-identifying information and based on a determination that the current time is within the predetermined boarding or pre-boarding time period;

providing, by the one or more physical processors, the list of in-vehicle services to the user-provided device;

receiving, by the one or more physical processors, a selection of at least one in-vehicle service from the user-provided device; and

generating, by the one or more physical processors, a request for the at least one in-vehicle service based on the selection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the trip-identifying information comprises a carrier identifier that identifies a carrier, a trip identifier that identifies the trip, or a passenger identifier that identifies a passenger.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the list of in-vehicle services comprises one or more content items that include video content, audio content, image content, an electronic book, a game, advertisement, or an application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the list of in-vehicle services comprises one or more service items that includes a food, a beverage, earphones, a pillow, a blanket, or Internet service.

5. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

causing, by the one or more physical processors, the request to be communicated to an in-vehicle computer system that provides the selected at least one in-vehicle service.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected at least one in-vehicle service includes a content item to be provided by an in-vehicle computer system during the trip, and wherein the content item is not stored in a memory of the in-vehicle computer system at a time of the request for the at least one in-vehicle service, the method further comprising:

determining, by the one or more physical processors, that whether the content item is available at the in-vehicle computer system in response to the request for the at least one in-vehicle service;

obtaining, by the one or more physical processors, the content item; and

providing, by the one or more physical processors based on a determination that the content item is not available at the in-vehicle computer system, the content item to the in-vehicle computer system via a network for provisioning by the in-vehicle computer system to the user-provided device such that the content item is stored at the memory of the in-vehicle computer system before a boarding time associated with the trip.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected at least one in-vehicle service includes a content item, the method further comprising:

obtaining, by the one or more physical processors, the content item based on the request; and

providing, by the one or more physical processors, the content item to the user-provided device such that the content item is stored at the user-provided device before the passenger boards the vehicle, but is not accessible for playback at the user-provided device until after the passenger boards the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein providing the content item to the user-provided device further comprises pre-loading the content item onto the user-provided device, the method further comprising:

determining, by the one or more physical processors, whether the passenger is on board the vehicle; and

enabling, by the one or more physical processor, playback access of the content item via the user-provided device based on a determination that the passenger is on board the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving, by the one or more physical processors, a request for the list of in-vehicle services from the user-provided device, wherein the current time is a time of the receipt of the request for the list of in-vehicle services, and

wherein determining whether the current time is within the predetermined boarding or pre-boarding time period comprises determining whether the time of the receipt of the request for the list of in-vehicle services is within the predetermined boarding or pre-boarding time period.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer system comprises an intermediary computer device located at a facility for boarding of the vehicle, wherein the list of in-vehicle services is provided to the user-provided device via the intermediary computer device, and wherein the selection of the at least one in-vehicle service is received at the intermediary computer device, the method further comprising:

providing, by the intermediary computer device, the request for the at least one in-vehicle service to an in-vehicle computer system on the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the current time is within the predetermined boarding or pre-boarding time period comprises determining whether the current time is less than a predetermined amount of time from a boarding time scheduled for the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving, by the one or more physical processors, a request for a second list of in-vehicle services after landing of the vehicle at a destination of the passenger;

determining, by the one or more physical processors, whether the vehicle has landed and whether the passenger has left the vehicle; and

providing, by the one or more physical processors, the second list of in-vehicle services to the user-provided device based on a determination that the vehicle has landed and that the passenger has not left the vehicle.

13. A system for facilitating provisioning of in-vehicle services, the in-vehicle services being requested from one or more user-provided devices prior to the departure of a vehicle in which the in-vehicle services are provided, the system comprising:

one or more physical processors programmed to execute one or more computer program instructions which, when executed, cause the one or more physical processors to;

obtain trip-identifying information relating to a passenger that is associated with a user-provided device, wherein the trip-identifying information identifies a trip that is to occur on the vehicle;

determine whether a current time is within a predetermined boarding or pre-boarding time period associated with the trip;

determine a list of in-vehicle services, which are available for the trip on the vehicle, based on the trip-identifying information and based on a determination that the current time is within the predetermined boarding or pre-boarding time period;

provide the list of in-vehicle services to the user-provided device;

receive a selection of at least one in-vehicle service from the user-provided device; and

generate a request for the at least one in-vehicle service based on the selection.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the trip-identifying information comprises a carrier identifier that identifies a carrier, a trip identifier that identifies the trip, or a passenger identifier that identifies a passenger.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the list of in-vehicle services comprises one or more content items that include video content, audio content, image content, an electronic book, a game, an advertisement, or an application.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the list of in-vehicle services comprises one or more service items that includes a food, a beverage, earphones, a pillow, a blanket, or Internet service.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more physical processors are further caused to:

cause the request to be communicated to an in-vehicle computer system that provides the selected at least one in-vehicle service.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the selected at least one in-vehicle service includes a content item to be provided by an in-vehicle computer system during the trip, wherein the content item is not stored in a memory of the in-vehicle computer system at a time of the request for the at least one in-vehicle service, and wherein the one or more physical processors are further caused to:

determine whether the content item is available at the in-vehicle computer system in response to the request for the at least one in-vehicle service;

obtain the content item; and

provide, based on a determination that the content item is not available at the in-vehicle computer system, the content item to the in-vehicle computer system via a network for provisioning by the in-vehicle computer system to the user-provided device such that the content item is stored at the memory of the in-vehicle computer system before a boarding time associated with the trip.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the selected at least one in-vehicle service includes a content item, and wherein the one or more physical processors are further caused to:

obtain the content item based on the request; and

provide the content item to the user-provided device such that the content item is stored at the user-provided device before the passenger boards the vehicle, but is not accessible for playback at the user-provided device until after the passenger boards the vehicle.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein providing the content item to the user-provided device further comprises pre-loading the content item onto the user-provided device, wherein the one or more physical processors are further caused to:

determine whether the passenger is on board the vehicle; and

enabling playback access of the content item via the user-provided device based on a determination that the passenger is on board the vehicle.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more physical processors are further caused to:

receive a request for the list of in-vehicle services from the user-provided device, wherein the current time is a time of the receipt of the request for the list of in-vehicle services, and

wherein determining whether the current time is within the predetermined boarding or pre-boarding time period comprises determining whether the time of the receipt of the request for the list of in-vehicle services is within the predetermined boarding or pre-boarding time period.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the computer system comprises an intermediary computer device located at a facility for boarding of the vehicle, wherein the list of in-vehicle services is provided to the user-provided device via the intermediary computer device, wherein the selection of the at least one in-vehicle service is received at the intermediary computer device, and wherein the intermediary computer device is caused to:

provide the request for the at least one in-vehicle service to an in-vehicle computer system on the vehicle.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein determining whether the current time is within the predetermined boarding or pre-boarding time period comprises determining whether the current time is less than a predetermined amount of time from a boarding time scheduled for the vehicle.

24. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more physical processors are further caused to:

receive a request for a second list of in-vehicle services after landing of the vehicle at a destination of the passenger;

determine whether the vehicle has landed and whether the passenger has left the vehicle; and

provide the second list of in-vehicle services to the user-provided device based on a determination that the vehicle has landed and that the passenger has not left the vehicle.