System to facilitate a correct identification of a service provider

• US 9,754,338 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2015
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LYFT Incorporated
• Original Assignee: GT GetTaxi Limited
• Inventors: Haparnas, Ziv, Marco, Talmon, Magazinik, Igor, Marueli, Sunny
• Primary Examiner(s): WASHINGTON, ERIKA ALISE
• Application Number:
  US14/880,042
• Publication Number:
  US 20170103490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds

Abstract

Particular embodiments described herein provide for a communication system that can be configured to receive a request for a service from a user, communicate to the user details about a specific service provider that will fulfill the requested service, determine a location of the user using a location module, and notify the user when the user is proximate to the specific service provider that will fulfill the requested service. Further, the communication system can be configured to notify the user when the user is not proximate to the specific service provider that will fulfill the requested service. In an example, the specific service provider is a transportation provider.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request for a service from a user;

communicating, to the user, details about a specific service provider that will fulfill the requested service;

determining a first location of the user using a location module;

notifying the user when the user is at a service location that is proximate to the specific service provider that will fulfill the requested service, wherein the first location is different than the service location; and

notifying the user if the user attempts to use a service provider that is not the specific service provider.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a current location of the user; and

notifying the user when the current location of the user is not proximate to the specific service provider that will fulfill the requested service.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the specific service provider is a transportation provider.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the notification when the user is at the service location is a sound from a mobile device associated with the user.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the notification when the user is at the service location is a visual indicator from an illumination source of the specific service provider.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the visual indicator is a color that illuminates from a vehicle associated with the transportation provider.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the visual indicator includes a display on a vehicle associated with the transportation provider, wherein the display displays specific text related to the user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the specific service provider is a transportation provider and the notification when the user is at the service location includes an unlocking or opening of doors of a self-driven vehicle that will provide the requested service.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the details about the specific service provider that will fulfill the requested service are communicated to a mobile device associated with the user.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a service provider identification module to cause a processor to;

receive a request for a service from a user;

communicate, to the user, details about a specific service provider that will fulfill the requested service;

determine a first location of the user using a location module;

notify the user when the user is at a service location that is proximate to the specific service provider that will fulfill the requested service, wherein the first location is different than the service location; and

notify the user if the user attempts to use a service provider that is not the specific service provider.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the service provider identification module is further to:

determine a current location of the user; and

notify the user when the current location of the user is not proximate to the specific service provider that will fulfill the requested service.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the specific service provider is a transportation provider.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the notification when the user is at the service location is a sound from a mobile device associated with the user.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the notification when the user is at the service location is a visual indicator from an illumination source.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the specific service provider is a transportation provider and the notification when the user is at the service location includes an unlocking or opening of doors of a vehicle that will provide the requested service.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the details about the specific service provider that will fulfill the requested service are communicated to a mobile device associated with the user.

17. At least one machine readable non-transitory medium comprising one or more instructions that when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

receive a request for a service from a user;

communicate, to the user, details about a specific service provider that will fulfill the requested service;

determine a first location of the user using a location module;

notify the user when the user is at a service location that is proximate to the specific service provider that will fulfill the requested service, wherein the first location is different than the service location; and

notify the user if the user attempts to use a service provider that is not the specific service provider.

18. The at least one machine readable medium of claim 17, wherein the specific service provider is a transportation provider.

19. The at least one machine readable medium of claim 17, wherein the notification when the user is at the service location is a sound from a mobile device associated with the user.

20. The at least one machine readable medium of claim 17, wherein the notification when the user is at the service location is a visual indicator from the specific service provider.