VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM

• US 20150348408A1
• Filed: 05/27/2015
• Published: 12/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RideShare Displays Inc.
• Original Assignee: RideShare Displays Inc.
• Inventors: DEMISSE, DEREJE M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,892,637 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence

Abstract

A vehicle identification system includes one or more displays associated with a vehicle, a transceiver, and a controller communicatively coupled to the transceiver. The one or more displays are located to be visible from an exterior of the vehicle. The controller is adapted to generate a first signal to be transmitted by the transceiver to a mobile communication device associated with a driver of the vehicle when it is determined that the vehicle is within a predetermined distance of a specific location. The mobile communication device associated with the driver is adapted to generate a second signal to be transmitted to the one or more displays. The second signal represents an indicator.

Claims

1. A vehicle identification system, comprising:

at least one display associated with a vehicle, wherein the at least one display is located to be visible from an exterior of the vehicle;

a transceiver; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the transceiver, wherein the controller is adapted to generate a first signal to be transmitted by the transceiver to a mobile communication device associated with a driver of the vehicle when it is determined that the vehicle is within a predetermined distance of a specific location,

wherein the mobile communication device associated with the driver is adapted to generate a second signal to be transmitted to the at least one display, the second signal representing an indicator.

2. The vehicle identification system of claim 1, wherein the second signal representing the indicator is receivable by a mobile communication device associated with a rider.

3. The vehicle identification system of claim 2, wherein an application running on the mobile communication device associated with a rider is adapted to display the indicator in response to receiving the second signal.

4. The vehicle identification system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further adapted to generate a third signal to be transmitted by the transceiver to a mobile communication device associated with a rider, the third signal representing the indicator.

5. The vehicle identification system of claim 1, wherein the indicator is an alphanumeric string.

6. The vehicle identification system of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is composed of at least one cell phone tower.

7. The vehicle identification system of claim 1, wherein the controller is a computer network controller.

8. The vehicle identification system of claim 1, wherein the controller is a server.

9. A method of identifying a vehicle being dispatched to a location of a user having requested a ride from a transportation service, comprising:

when it is determined that the vehicle is within a predetermined distance of the location of the user, generating a notification signal to a mobile communication device associated with the driver;

generating an indicatory signal representing an indicator in response to receiving the notification signal;

displaying, on a display associated with the vehicle, the indicator based on the notification signal, the display being located to be visible on the exterior of the vehicle;

displaying the indicator on a mobile communication device associated with the user; and

identifying the vehicle based on appearance of a match, by visual observation of the user, between the indicator being displayed on the mobile communication device associated with the user and the indicator being displayed on the display associated with the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the displaying the indicator on a mobile communication device associated with the user includes receiving an indicatory signal from the mobile communication device associated with the driver.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the displaying the indicator on a mobile communication device associated with the user includes receiving an indicatory signal from a controller associated with the transportation service.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the indicator is an alphanumeric string.