System And Method For Matching Participants In A Rideshare Program

• US 20100280854A1
• Filed: 07/12/2010
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Fork, David K., Weinerth, Dave, Huang, Qingfeng, Plurkowski, Luke
• Granted Patent: US 7,970,533 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/00 Fittings or systems for preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of vehicles locks for vehicles E05B77/00-E05B85/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• 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: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

A method and system for matching participants in a rideshare program is provided. A participant rating is identified in a rideshare environment. A rideshare participation score is generated for the identified participant. The identified participant is assigned to a rideshare transaction with at least one other participant in the rideshare program based on the rideshare participation score.

Claims

1. A method for matching participants in a rideshare program, comprising:

determining a participant rating; and

matching the participants in a rideshare transaction based at least in part on the participant rating.

2. method according to claim 1, wherein the participant rating is based at least in part upon a metric associated with the rideshare transactions participated in as a driver.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the participant rating is based at least in part upon a metric associated with the rideshare transactions participated in as a passenger.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the participant rating is based at least in part upon a metric associated with a feedback rating of one of the participants regarding a prior rideshare transaction.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the participant rating is based at least in part upon a rating of common interests shared by potential rideshare participants.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

accessing health record data pertaining to the health of one of the participants; and

heuristically adjusting the participant rating based at least in part on the negative or positive inferences drawn from the health record data.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

collecting participant driving behavior data;

heuristically adjusting the participant rating based at least in part on the negative or positive inferences drawn from the driving behavior data.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the participant rating includes a social network distance.

9. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

offering a potential rideshare participant the participant rating;

obtaining an approval from the potential rideshare participant before making the match.

10. A method according to claim 9, filtering the participant rating by a filter criterion to limit the offer to those participants meeting the filter criterion.

11. A system for matching participants in a rideshare program, comprising:

a participation scoring module to determine a participant rating; and

a ride match module to match participants in a rideshare transaction based at least in part on the participant rating.

12. A system according to claim 11, wherein the participant rating is based on at least one of a metric associated with the rideshare transactions participated in as a driver;

a metric associated with the rideshare transactions participated in as a passenger;

a metric associated with a feedback rating of one of the participants regarding a prior rideshare transaction; and

a rating of common interests shared by potential rideshare participants.

13. A system according to claim 11, further comprising:

a background checker to access health record data pertaining to the health of one of the participants and to heuristically adjust the participant rating based at least in part on the negative or positive inferences drawn from the health record data.

14. A system according to claim 11, further comprising:

a background checker to collect participant driving behavior data and to heuristically adjust the participant rating based at least in part on the negative or positive inferences drawn from the driving behavior data.

15. A system according to claim 11, wherein the participant rating includes a social network distance.

16. A system according to claim 11, further comprising:

a participant approval module to offer a potential rideshare participant the participant rating and to obtain an approval from the potential rideshare participant before making the match.

17. A method for matching participants in a rideshare program, comprising:

identifying a participant in a rideshare environment;

generating a rideshare participation score for the participant; and

assigning the participant to a rideshare transaction with at least one other participant in the rideshare environment based on the rideshare participation score for the participant.

18. A method according to claim 17, further comprising:

confirming the identity of the participant based on at least one of biometric input, video input, and passwords.

19. A method according to claim 17, further comprising:

identifying social network information for the participant;

determining that the social network information for the participant satisfies social network requirements of the at least one other participant in the rideshare environment.

20. A method according to claim 17, wherein the rideshare participation score is based on at least one of a number of successful rideshare transactions in which the participant has participated, feedback scores from additional participants in the rideshare program that have participated in previous rideshare transactions with the participant, and recommendations from the additional participants.