Method for requesting transportation services

• US 10,779,117 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2018
• Issued: 09/15/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LYFT Incorporated
• Original Assignee: LYFT Incorporated
• Inventors: Lubeck, Olaf Martin, Hall, John H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Congvan
• Application Number:
  US15/995,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20180279083A1
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 4554042, 455407, 4554561, 4554563, 4554565-4566, 455457, 705 5, 705 6, 705 13
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/46 Indirect determination of position data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/468 by Triangulation, i.e. two antennas or two sensors determine separately the bearing, direction or angle to a target, whereby with the knowledge of the baseline length, the position data of the target is determined
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2240/00 Transportation facility access, e.g. fares, tolls or parking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/123 indicating the position of vehicles, e.g. scheduled vehicles; Managing passenger vehicles circulating according to a fixed timetable, e.g. buses, trains, tramstransmission of navigation instructions to vehicles G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/65 Telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/99 : dummy group

Abstract

A method for safely and efficiently requesting transportation services through the use of mobile communications devices capable of geographic location is described. Individual and package transportation may be provided. New customers may be efficiently serviced, and the requester and transportation provider locations may be viewed in real time on the mobile devices.

Claims

1. A method for managing transportation services, the method comprising:

receiving a first transportation request for a first passenger to be transported, the first transportation request comprising a first pickup location entered into a first requester device;

receiving a second transportation request for a second passenger to be transported, the second transportation request comprising a second pickup location automatically determined for a second requester device;

providing, to a first transporter device, transportation request information for the first transportation request to present the first pickup location within a geographic map displayed on the first transporter device;

providing, to a second transporter device, transportation request information for the second transportation request to present the second pickup location within a geographic map displayed on the second transporter device;

selecting a transporter associated with the first transporter device to provide a transportation service for the first passenger; and

providing, to the first requester device, an acknowledgement message confirming the transportation service for the first passenger to be provided by the transporter associated with the first transporter device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first requester device comprises a first type of device and the second requester device comprises a second type of device different from the first type.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first requester device comprises a laptop computer or a desktop computer and the second requester device comprises a mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the transportation request further comprises a description of the pickup location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the transportation request comprises GPS coordinates for the pickup location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the transportation request further comprises a dropoff location.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

periodically receiving location updates for the transporter device of the transporter; and

periodically providing the location updates to the second requester device.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium for managing transportation services, the non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a computer device to:

receive a first transportation request for a first passenger to be transported, the first transportation request comprising a first pickup location entered into a first requester device;

receive a second transportation request for a second passenger to be transported, the second transportation request comprising a second pickup location automatically determined for a second requester device;

provide, to a first transporter device, transportation request information for the first transportation request to present the first pickup location within a geographic map displayed on the first transporter device;

provide, to a second transporter device, transportation request information for the second transportation request to present the second pickup location within a geographic map displayed on the second transporter device;

select a transporter associated with the first transporter device to provide a transportation service for the first passenger; and

provide, to the first requester device, an acknowledgement message confirming the transportation service for the first passenger to be provided by the transporter associated with the first transporter device.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the first requester device comprises a first type of device and the second requester device comprises a second type of device different from the first type.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the first requester device comprises a laptop computer or a desktop computer and the second requester device comprises a mobile device.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the transportation request further comprises a description of the pickup location.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the transportation request further comprises GPS coordinates for the pickup location.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the transportation request further comprises a dropoff location.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer device to:

periodically receive location updates for the transporter device of the transporter; and

periodically provide the location updates to the second requester device.

15. A system for managing transportation services, the system comprising:

at least one processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to;

receive a first transportation request for a first passenger to be transported, the first transportation request comprising a first pickup location entered into a first requester device;

receive a second transportation request for a second passenger to be transported, the second transportation request comprising a second pickup location automatically determined for a second requester device;

provide, to a first transporter device, transportation request information for the first transportation request to present the first pickup location within a geographic map displayed on the first transporter device;

provide, a second transportation request for a second passenger to be transported, the second transportation request comprising a second pickup location automatically determined for a second requester device;

select a transporter associated with the first transporter device to provide a transportation service for the first passenger; and

provide, to the first requester device, an acknowledgement message confirming the transportation service for the first passenger to be provided by the transporter associated with the first transporter device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first requester device comprises a first type of device and the second requester device comprises a second type of device different from the first type.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the first requester device comprises a laptop computer or a desktop computer and the second requester device comprises a mobile device.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the transportation request further comprises a description of the pickup location.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the transportation request further comprises GPS coordinates for the pickup location.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the transportation request further comprises a dropoff location.