Providing route information to devices during a shared transport service

• US 9,706,367 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2015
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Tao, Christine, Jacobs, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Sweeney, Brian P
• Application Number:
  US14/846,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20160069694A1
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: 701410
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/343 Calculating itineraries, i.e. routes leading from a starting point to a series of categorical destinations using a global route restraint, round trips, touristic trips travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047
• 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: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]

Abstract

A system and method of providing information about a transport service to user devices are described. The system arranges a transport service for a first user and a second user. The system determines first data corresponding to a first route from a location of a driver device of the driver to a first pickup location of the first user and second data corresponding to a second route from the first pickup location to a second pickup location of the second user. A combined route is determined based on the first data and the second data. The system transmits data associated with the first data without transmitting the data corresponding to the combined route to a first user device of the first user, and transmits data corresponding to the combined route to a second user device of the second user.

Claims

1. A method of providing information about a transport service to user devices, the method being performed by a computing device and comprising:

arranging a transport service for a first user and a second user by selecting a driver to concurrently provide transport for the first user and the second user for at least a portion of the transport service;

tracking a location of a driver device of the driver using a location detection mechanism of the driver device;

determining first data corresponding to a first route from the location of the driver device to a first pickup location of the first user;

determining second data corresponding to a second route from the first pickup location to a second pickup location of the second user;

determining a combined route corresponding to the first route and the second route based on the first data and the second data; and

transmitting (i) the first data corresponding to the first route without transmitting data corresponding to the combined route to a first user device of the first user, and (ii) the data corresponding to the combined route to a second user device of the second user, wherein the first data corresponding to the first route enables the first user device to display an indication of the first route on a first map user interface, and wherein the data corresponding to the combined route enables the second user device to display an indication of the combined route on a second map user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein arranging the transport service for the first user and the second user includes receiving a first transport request from the first user device and receiving a second transport request from the second user device, the first transport request including information about the first pickup location and the second transport request including information about the second pickup location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein arranging the transport service for the first user and the second user includes (i) transmitting a first invitation to the driver device along with information about the first pickup location, (ii) receiving an acceptance from the driver device, the acceptance being received in response to the driver providing input on the driver device, and (iii) transmitting a second invitation to the driver device along with information about the second pickup location to the driver device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first data includes receiving the first data from the driver device, and wherein the driver device receives the first data from a first mapping service.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining the second data includes using a second mapping service that operates independently from the first mapping service, and wherein the computing device operates the second mapping service or has access to the second mapping service.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein determining the second data includes receiving the second data from the driver device, and wherein the driver device receives the second data from the first mapping service.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first data, determining the second data, determining the combined route, and transmitting the first data corresponding to the first route and the data corresponding to the combined route is performed periodically for a duration of time until the computing device determines that the first user has been picked up by the driver.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computing device, causes the computing device to:

arrange a transport service for a first user and a second user by selecting a driver to concurrently provide transport for the first user and the second user for at least a portion of the transport service;

track a location of a driver device of the driver using a location detection mechanism of the driver device;

determine first data corresponding to a first route from the location of the driver device to a first pickup location of the first user;

determine second data corresponding to a second route from the first pickup location to a second pickup location of the second user;

determine a combined route corresponding to the first route and the second route based on the first data and the second data; and

transmit (i) the first data corresponding to the first route without transmitting data corresponding to the combined route to a first user device of the first user, and (ii) the data corresponding to the combined route to a second user device of the second user, wherein the first data corresponding to the first route enables the first user device to display an indication of the first route on a first map user interface, and wherein the data corresponding to the combined route enables the second user device to display an indication of the combined route on a second map user interface.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions cause the computing device to arrange the transport service for the first user and the second user by receiving a first transport request from the first user device and receiving a second transport request from the second user device, the first transport request including information about the first pickup location and the second transport request including information about the second pickup location.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions cause the computing device to arrange the transport service for the first user and the second user by (i) transmitting a first invitation to the driver device along with information about the first pickup location, (ii) receiving an acceptance from the driver device, the acceptance being received in response to the driver providing input on the driver device, and (iii) transmitting a second invitation to the driver device along with information about the second pickup location to the driver device.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions cause the computing device to determine the first data by receiving the first data from the driver device, and wherein the driver device receives the first data from a first mapping service.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions cause the computing device to determine the second data by using a second mapping service that operates independently from the first mapping service, and wherein the computing device operates the second mapping service or has access to the second mapping service.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions cause the computing device to determine the second data by receiving the second data from the driver device, and wherein the driver device receives the second data from the first mapping service.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions cause the computing device to determine the first data, determine the second data, determine the combined route, and transmit the first data corresponding to the first route and the data corresponding to the combined route periodically for a duration of time until the computing device determines that the first user has been picked up by the driver.