SHORT-TERM AUTOMOBILE RENTALS IN A GEO-SPATIAL ENVIRONMENT

• US 20140172727A1
• Filed: 02/19/2014
• Published: 06/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Raj Abhyanker
• Original Assignee: Raj Abhyanker
• Inventors: Abhyanker, Raj V., Myer, Warren H.
• Application Number:
  US14/183,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20140172727A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/307
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

A method, device, and system of a short-term automobile renting system and method are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of a dispatch server includes associating a user with a ride request system and determining that the user has requested to be picked-up at a geo-spatial location associated with a pick-up address of the user. The geo-spatial location is determined based on any of a current geo-spatial location of a mobile device through which the user requests the pick-up and/or a manually entered address in the mobile device of the user that is communicatively coupled with the dispatch server in this aspect. A private vehicle is automatically dispatched in the geo-spatial vicinity of the geo-spatial location associated with the pick-up address of the user using a processor and a memory.

Claims

1. A method of a dispatch server comprising:

associating a user with a ride request system;

determining that the user has requested to be picked-up at a geo-spatial location associated with a pick-up address of the user, wherein the geo-spatial location is determined based on at least one of a current geo-spatial location of a mobile device through which the user requests a pick-up and a manually entered address through the mobile device of the user, wherein the mobile device is communicatively coupled with the dispatch server using a processor and a memory;

automatically associating a set of private vehicles in a geo-spatial vicinity of the geo-spatial location associated with the pick-up address of the user;

dispatching a private vehicle of the set of private vehicles in a the geo-spatial vicinity of the geo-spatial location associated with the pick-up address of the user; and

permitting the user to track an arrival of the private vehicle through the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

automatically determining which of the set of private vehicles in the geo-spatial vicinity of the geo-spatial location associated with the pick-up address of the user are available; and

automatically selecting the private vehicle of the set of private vehicles in the geo-spatial vicinity of the geo-spatial location associated with the pick-up address based on a geo-spatial distance from the geo-spatial location associated with the pick-up address of the user and an available status of the private vehicle as registered through the mobile device in the private vehicle that is communicatively coupled with the dispatch server.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising automatically generating a push notification to at least one of the mobile device of the user that the private vehicle has arrived at the pick-up address of the user.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

determining which of the set of private vehicles are optimal based on the geo-spatial location associated with the pick-up address of the user; and

automatically generating a graphical representation of available ones of the set of private vehicles on at least one of the mobile device of the user based on positioning information wirelessly transmitted by the available ones of the set of private vehicles.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising communicating a message to at least one of the mobile device of the user based on an acceptance by the private vehicle of the set of private vehicles.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the message includes at least one of an estimated time of arrival of the private vehicle to the geo-spatial location, an identifier of an operator of the private vehicle, and an estimated time to a destination address associated with a real property address to where the user wishes to travel to from the geo-spatial location associated with the pick-up address of the user.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein certain ones of the set of private vehicles are unavailable based on an indicator visually displayed on at least one of the dispatch server, the mobile device, and physically on certain ones of a plurality of vehicles.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the certain ones of the set of private vehicles to wirelessly communicate unavailability to the dispatch server, wherein unavailability indicates that at least one of certain ones of an unavailable vehicles are currently occupied by other riders and that the operators of a certain vehicles are presently unavailable for dispatching.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein determination of which of the set of private vehicles are optimal to a request is based on at least one of a location of the user communicated in the request, a physical position of each the set of private vehicles, and a budget range of the user.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a view of feedback that is generated by a plurality of users about rides received in at least some of the set of private vehicles when the plurality of users elects to publish their own feedback on the ride request system with other users of the ride request system.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising displaying a routing data to a location of the user on a car navigation system of the private vehicle based on information provided through the dispatch server.

12. The method of claim 11:

wherein the information includes identification information of the user who is physically present at a geo-spatial address associated with a pick-up location of the user, and

wherein the information includes at least one of a picture of the user, a rental history of the user, and a budget of the user, and wherein the information is presented to an operator of the private vehicle in transit to the geo-spatial location of the user through the mobile device of the operator.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising toggling an availability indicator of the private vehicle based a communication through a dispatch module.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

calculating an estimated time of arrival to a destination associated with the user and transmitting an identifier of the operator of the private vehicle to at least one of the mobile device of the user such that the user knows who and which vehicle is picking them up,

wherein a driver module of the ride request system to generate a transaction document based on the communication through a passenger module to the driver module,

wherein data including a rental price is communicated through the passenger module to the driver module,

wherein the driver module to electronically process an electronic signature of the transaction document by a prospective renter who executes the transaction document through an electronic signature means on the passenger module, and wherein the driver module to subsequently communicate the transaction document to a renter device, an driver device, and the dispatch server,

wherein an attribute ranking is generated into a ride scorecard prioritized based on at least one predefined ideal attribute definition provided by a prospective renter.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

adjusting a route of the private vehicle based on a command processed of the passenger module of the ride request system when the user requests a different destination address than an initial destination address;

providing a credit to the prospective renter when the prospective renter refers a friend to the ride request system, wherein the credit enables the prospective renter to request future rides in the ride request system;

permitting the user to automatically pay the operator of the vehicle a consideration upon reaching the destination through the ride request system;

automatically providing a gratuity to the operator of the private vehicle from the consideration provided by the user to the operator, wherein the gratuity is a percentage of the consideration provided in a manner such that an additional gratuity amount is not required beyond a consideration tendered when the user automatically pays the operator the vehicle the consideration upon reaching the destination through the ride request system; and

permitting the user to provide a gift certificate in a form of rental credit to friends of the user, such that the friends can redeem the gift certificate through the ride request system.

16. A method of a mobile device comprising:

requesting to be picked-up at a geo-spatial location associated with a pick-up address of a user of the mobile device, wherein the geo-spatial location is determined based on at least one of a current geo-spatial location of the mobile device through which the user requests a pick-up and a manually entered address in the mobile device;

tracking an arrival of a private vehicle through the mobile device when a dispatch server summons a closest private vehicle in a geo-spatial vicinity of the mobile device; and

communicating a payment of a fare from the mobile device to an operator of the private vehicle when the user of the mobile device is picked up at a pick up address and arrives at a destination desired by the user.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the dispatch server to:

automatically determine which of a set of private vehicles in the geo-spatial vicinity of the geo-spatial location associated with the pick-up address of the user are available,

automatically select the private vehicle of the set of private vehicles in the geo-spatial vicinity of the geo-spatial location associated with the pick-up address based on a geo-spatial distance from the geo-spatial location associated with the pick-up address of the user and an available status of the private vehicle as registered through the mobile device in the private vehicle that is communicatively coupled with the dispatch server,

determine which of the set of private vehicles are optimal based on the geo-spatial location associated with the pick-up address of the user, and

automatically generate a graphical representation of available ones of the set of private vehicles on at least one of the mobile device of the user based on positioning information wirelessly transmitted by the available ones of the set of private vehicles.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

automatically processing a push notification that the private vehicle has arrived at the pick-up address of the user; and

receiving a message from the dispatch server that includes at least one of an estimated time of arrival of the private vehicle to the geo-spatial location, an identifier of the operator of the private vehicle, and an estimated time to a destination address associated with a real property address to where the user wishes to travel to from the geo-spatial location associated with the pick-up address of the user.

19. A system comprising:

a mobile device through which a user requests a private vehicle at a pick-up address associated with a current geospatial location of the mobile device;

a network; and

a dispatch server communicatively coupled with the mobile device through the network;

to automatically determine which of a set of private vehicles in a geo-spatial vicinity of the current geospatial location of the mobile device are available,

to automatically select the private vehicle of the set of private vehicles in the geo-spatial vicinity of a current geo-spatial location of the mobile device based on a geo-spatial distance from a geo-spatial location associated with the pick-up address of a user and an available status of the private vehicle, and

to automatically dispatch the private vehicle in the geo-spatial vicinity of the mobile device based on a closest of the geo-spatial distance of the private vehicle from the current geospatial location of the mobile device.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the dispatch server to process a payment of the user to an operator of the private vehicle when the private vehicle completes a ride to a destination originating at a current location of the mobile device to the destination on behalf of the user of the mobile device.