User controlled media for use with on-demand transport services

• US 9,965,783 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2014
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Bijor, Rahul, Whelan, Conrad Michael, Holden, Paul-Phillip, Kirwan, Kyle James
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrington, Michael P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kirk, Bryan J
• Application Number:
  US14/333,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20150228000A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,392 Days
• Field of Search: 705 13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/10 Services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

A method for providing media for use with on-demand transport services is provided. A transport service is arranged for a user. The user is determined to have requested control over media to be outputted on an output device of the driver. A token of the user is identified and transmitted to the driver'"'"'s computing device. In response to detecting that an event has occurred for enabling the user to control the media, the driver'"'"'s computing device is enabled to output the media that is controlled by the user operating the user'"'"'s computing device.

Claims

1. A method for providing media output within transport vehicles, the method being performed by one or more servers of a transport arrangement service and comprising:

remotely enabling a computing device of a user to control media output within a vehicle, using a device associated with a driver of the vehicle that is selected to provide the user with a transport service, wherein remotely enabling the computing device of the user includes performing, on the one or more servers, operations that include;

selecting the driver to provide the transport service for the user;

determining the user has requested to have control over media that is to be outputted from the device associated with the driver;

identifying a token of the user;

transmitting the token to the device associated with the driver, from which media output is to be initiated;

monitoring position information from the device associated with the driver before initiation of the transport service;

detecting, from the monitored position information, a first event that is associated with initiation of the transport service by the selected driver; and

in response to detecting the first event, enabling the computing device of the user to initiate media output within the vehicle using the token and the device associated with the driver.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by accessing an account associated with the driver, that the driver has enabled the computing device of the user to control the device associated with the driver in providing media output within the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining that the user has requested to control media output includes:

providing, to the computing device of the user, a notification that the device associated with the driver has enabled a feature to enable user control of media output; and

receiving, from the computing device of the user, a request to control media output.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user operates a media application stored on the computing device of the user to control media output, and wherein the token includes a user identifier and a password, the user identifier and the password each correspond to an account with a media service provider that provides the media application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the first event includes:

receiving data from a designated application operating on the device associated with the driver, the data from the designated application including at least a portion of the monitored position information and one or more indicators that the driver is about to initiate, or has initiated, the transport service.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

monitoring position information from the computing device of the user before initiation of the transport service, wherein detecting the first event includes;

determining, from the monitored position information of the computing device of the user and the device associated with the driver, that the computing device of the user and the device associated with the driver are within a predefined distance from each other.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring position information from the computing device of the user before initiation of the transport service, wherein detecting the first event includes;

receiving data from the computing device of the user and the device associated with the driver, the data including the monitored position information and one or more indicators that the transport service is about to initiate or has initiated.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a second event; and

in response to detecting the second event, disabling the device associated with the driver from being able to provide media output under control of the computing device of the user.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein detecting the second event includes:

receiving, from a designated application operating on the device associated with the driver, an indication that the transport service has been completed.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein disabling the device associated with the driver includes:

transmitting instructions, to the device associated with the driver, to delete the token of the user.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor of a transport arrangement service, causes the transport arrangement service to:

remotely enable a computing device of a user to control media output within a vehicle, using a device associated with a driver of the vehicle that is selected to provide the user with a transport service, wherein enabling the computing device of the user includes;

select the driver to provide the transport service for the user;

determine the user has requested to have control over media that is to be outputted from the device associated with the driver;

identify a token of the user;

transmit the token to the device associated with the driver, from which media output is to be initiated;

monitor position information from the device associated with the driver before initiation of the transport service;

detect, from the monitored position information, a first event that is associated with initiation of the transport service by the selected driver; and

in response to detecting the first event, enable the computing device of the user to initiate media output within the vehicle using the token and the device associated with the driver.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions further cause the processor of a transport arrangement service:

determine, by accessing an account associated with the driver, that the driver has enabled the user to control the device associated with the driver in providing media output within the vehicle.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions that cause the transport arrangement service to determine that the user has requested to control media output, further include:

provide, to the computing device of the user, a notification that the device associated with the driver has enabled a feature to enable user control of media output; and

receive, from the computing device of the user, a request to control media output.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the user operates a media application stored on the computing device of the user to control media output, and wherein the token includes a user identifier and a password, the user identifier and the password each correspond to an account with a media service provider that provides the media application.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions that cause the transport arrangement service to detect the first event include:

receive data from a designated application operating on the device associated with the driver, the data from the designated application including at least a portion of the monitored position information and one or more indicators that the driver is about to initiate, or has initiated, the transport service.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions further cause the transport arrangement service to:

monitor position information from the computing device of the user before initiation of the transport service, and wherein the instructions further cause the transport arrangement service to detect the first event to further;

determine, from the monitored position information of the computing device of the user and the device associated with the driver, a current location of the computing device of the user and a current location of the device associated with the vehicle are within a predefined distance from each other.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions further cause the transport arrangement service to:

monitor position information from the computing device of the user before initiation of the transport service, and wherein the instructions further cause the transport arrangement service to detect the first event to further;

receive data from the computing device of the user and the device associated with the driver, the data including the monitored position information and one or more indicators that the transport service is about to initiate or has initiated.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions further cause the transport arrangement service:

detect a second event; and

in response to detecting the second event, disable the device associated with the driver being able to provide media output under control of the computing device of the user.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions that cause the transport arrangement service to detect that the second event has occurred, further include:

receive, from a designated application operating on the device associated with the driver, an indication that the transport service has completed; and

transmitting instructions, to the device associated with the driver, to delete the token of the user.

20. A computing system, comprising:

a network interface;

a memory storing instructions; and

one or more processors, coupled to the network interface and the memory, to execute the instructions, the instructions causing a transport arrangement service to;

remotely enable a computing device of a user to control media output within a vehicle, using a device associated with a driver of the vehicle that is selected to provide the user with a transport service, wherein remotely enabling the device of the user includes;

select the driver to provide the transport service for the user;

determine the user has requested to have control over media that is to be outputted from the device associated with the driver;

identify a token of the user;

transmit the token to the device associated with the driver, from which media output is to be initiated;

monitor position information from the device associated with the driver before initiation of the transport service;

detect, from the monitored position information, a first event that is associated with initiation of the transport service by the selected driver; and

in response to detecting the first event, enable the computing device of the user to initiate media output within the vehicle using the token and the device associated with the driver.