Arranging a transport service for a user based on the estimated time of arrival of the user

• US 9,911,170 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2015
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Kim, Nuri, Haugli, Christopher, Lin, Rachel, Godil, Hasrat, Wolski, Jeffrey, Barreto, Amos
• Primary Examiner(s): Cass, Jean-Paul
• Application Number:
  US14/832,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20160055605A1
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: 701465
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

A system and method of arranging a transport service for a user is described. The system determines a first estimated time of arrival (ETA) of a user to a specified location data point based, at least in part, on a position of a user device operated by the user. The system also determines a second ETA of a vehicle of a set of vehicles to the specified location data point. When the first ETA and the second ETA are within a predetermined amount of time of each other, the system can select a driver to provide a transport service for the user based, at least in part, on the specified location data point.

Claims

1. A method of arranging a transport service in a computerized network transport service system, the method being performed by one or more processors and comprising:

determining a pre-request for a user to receive a transport service, the pre-request specifying a start location and a destination for the transport service;

remotely monitoring (i) a user device to determine position information as a user travels towards the start location, and (ii) a set of computing devices associated with a set of vehicles to determine vehicle position information for the set of vehicles;

determining (i) a first estimated time of arrival (ETA) for the user to arrive at the start location based, at least in part, on the position information of the user device, and (ii) a second ETA for at least a first vehicle in the set of vehicles to arrive at the start location based, at least in part, on the vehicle position information, wherein determining the first ETA includes determining a rate of travel based on the position information of the user device and a previous position of the user device at a previous instance in time;

determining when the first ETA and the second ETA are within a predetermined threshold amount of time of each other; and

in response to determining that the first ETA and the second ETA are within the predetermined threshold amount of time of each other, automatically initiating, without user input, the transport service for the user, by selecting a vehicle from the set of vehicles to provide the transport service, and by communicating the start location to a driver of the selected vehicle;

wherein the transport service is automatically initiated as part of a process that anticipates the transport service for the user, and reduces overall wait times of multiple users with respect to receiving the transport services.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the user device, data corresponding to at least one of (i) the start location, (ii) the destination, or (iii) a method of transit.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein periodically determining the first ETA includes using at least one of (i) map information of a geographic region that includes the start location and the destination, or (ii) a schedule corresponding to the method of transit.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of vehicles includes two or more vehicles, and wherein determining the second ETA includes determining an individual ETA for each of the vehicles in the set of vehicles, and identifying which of the individual ETAs is the smallest ETA.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of vehicles includes two or more vehicles, and wherein determining the second ETA includes determining an individual ETA for each of the vehicles in the set of vehicles, and determining an average ETA of the individual ETAs.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, causes the computing device to:

determine a pre-request for a user to receive a transport service, the pre-request specifying a start location and a destination for the transport service;

determine at a first periodic rate, (i) a first estimated time of arrival (ETA) for a user to arrive at the start location based, at least in part, on a position of a user device operated by the user, and (ii) a second ETA for at least a first vehicle in a set of vehicles to arrive at the start location based, at least in part, on vehicle position information for the set of vehicles, wherein determining the first ETA during travel towards the specified location includes determining a rate of travel based on the position of the user device and a previous position of the user device at a previous instance in time;

determine when the first ETA and the second ETA are within a first predetermined threshold amount of time of each other;

determine at a second periodic rate that is greater than the first periodic rate, (i) the first ETA, and (ii) the second ETA;

determine when the first ETA and the second ETA are within a second predetermined threshold amount of time of each other, the second predetermined threshold amount of time being smaller than the first predetermined threshold amount of time; and

in response to determining that the first ETA and the second ETA are within the second predetermined threshold amount of time of each other, automatically initiate, without user input, the transport service for the user, by selecting a vehicle from the set of vehicles to provide a transport service for the user based, at least in part, on the specified location, and by communicating the start location to a driver of the selected vehicle;

wherein the transport service is automatically initiated as part of a process that anticipates the transport service for the user, and reduces overall wait times of multiple users with respect to receiving the transport services.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the instructions cause the computing device to further:

receive, from the user device, data corresponding to at least one of (i) the start location, (ii) the destination, or (iii) a method of transit.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the instructions cause the computing device to periodically determine the first ETA by using at least one of (i) map information of a geographic region that includes the start location and the destination, or (ii) a schedule corresponding to the method of transit.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the set of vehicles includes two or more vehicles, and wherein the instructions cause the computing device to determine the second ETA by determining an individual ETA for each of the vehicles in the set of vehicles, and identifying which of the individual ETAs is the smallest ETA.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the set of vehicles includes two or more vehicles, and wherein the instructions cause the computing device to determine the second ETA by determining an individual ETA for each of the vehicles in the set of vehicles, and determining an average ETA of the individual ETAs.

11. A method of arranging a transport service in a computerized network transport service system, the method being performed by one or more processors and comprising:

determining a pre-request for a user to receive a transport service, the pre-request specifying a start location and a destination for the transport service;

remotely monitoring (i) a user device to determine position information as a user travels towards the start location, and (ii) a set of computing devices associated with a set of vehicles to determine vehicle position information for the set of vehicles;

determining (i) a first estimated time of arrival (ETA) for a user to start location based, at least in part, on a position of a user device operated by the user, (ii) and a second ETA for at least a first vehicle in a set of vehicles to the specified location based, at least in part, on vehicle position information for the set of vehicles, wherein determining the first ETA during travel towards the start location includes determining a rate of travel based on the position of the user device and a previous position of the user device at a previous instance in time;

determining, using the processor, when the first ETA and the second ETA are within a predetermined threshold amount of time of each other; and

in response to determining that the first ETA and the second ETA are within the predetermined threshold amount of time of each other, automatically initiating, without user input, the transport service for the user, by selecting a vehicle from the set of vehicles to provide the transport service, and by communicating the start location to a driver of the selected vehicle;

wherein the transport service is automatically initiated as part of a process that anticipates the transport service for the user, and reduces overall wait times of multiple users with respect to receiving the transport services.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, from the user device, data corresponding to at least one of (i) the start location, (ii) the destination, or (iii) a method of transit.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the rate of travel is based on the method of transit.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein periodically determining the first ETA includes using at least one of (i) map information of a geographic region that includes the starting location and the specified location, or (ii) a schedule corresponding to the method of transit.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein determining the second ETA includes receiving information about the second ETA from a set of computing devices associated with the set of vehicles.