Providing on-demand services through use of portable computing devices

• US 9,230,292 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2012
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Amin, Shalin, Radhakrishnan, Mina, Holden, Paul-Phillip, Chambers, Curtis
• Primary Examiner(s): BARRETT, RYAN S
• Application Number:
  US13/672,634
• Publication Number:
  US 20140129951A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0284 Time or distance, e.g. usage of parking meters or taximeters
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3827 Portable transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A method for requesting an on-demand service on a computing device is provided. One or more processors determine the current location of the computing device. A multistate selection feature of a plurality of service options for providing the on-demand service is presented on the display of the computing device. The multistate selection feature enables a user to select a service option that is available within a region that includes the current location to provide the on-demand service. In response to the user selecting one of the plurality of service options, a summary user interface is presented on the display to provide region-specific information about the on-demand service based on the selected service option.

Claims

1. A method for providing information about an on-demand service on a computing device, the method being performed by one or more processors and comprising:

determining, via a global positioning system (GPS) component of the computing device, a current location of the computing device;

providing, on a display of the computing device, a multistate selection feature that is operative by a user to select one of multiple states, each of the multiple states being associated with a corresponding transport service option that is available for request by a user operating the computing device at the current location of the computing device, wherein the transport service option that is associated with each state includes a fare or unit cost which is different than a fare or unit cost of the transport service option associated with each of the other states of the multiple states;

receiving, in connection with the multistate selection feature, a user input to select one of the multiple states;

in response to receiving the user input, corresponding to the selected state, providing, on the display, a user interface to provide service-specific information that is specific to the transport service option associated with the selected state, the service-specific information including location-specific information that is based on the current location of the computing device and a location of one or more service providers of the transport service option associated with the selected state, and cost information about the fare or unit cost of the transport service option associated with the selected state; and

wherein the multistate selection feature includes (i) a track, and (ii) a sliding feature that can be moved amongst multiple positions along the track by the user input to select any one of the multiple states; and

wherein the sliding feature includes a graphic indicator that is dynamically changed to represent the transport service option of the selected state as the sliding feature is moved amongst the multiple positions.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, in connection with the multistate selection feature, a second user input to select a second one of the multiple states; and

in response to receiving the second user input, dynamically updating the user interface to provide service-specific information that is specific to the transport service option associated with the second selected state, including location-specific information that is based on the current location of the computing device and a location of one or more service providers of the transport service option associated with the second selected state, and cost information about the fare or unit cost of the transport service option associated with the selected state.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the multistate selection feature is presented as part of a service request user interface, the service request user interface including a map that (i) indicates the current location of the computing device, and (ii) one or more graphic features that each represent a current location of an available service provider of the transport service option associated with the selected state.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein one or more of the one or more graphic features moves on the map to reflect movement of the available service provider.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the service request user interface provides a service request feature that can be selected by the user to request an on-demand service using the transport service option associated with the selected state.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving a user input for a selection of the service request feature; and

in response to receiving the user input for the selection of the service request feature, presenting a confirmation user interface on the display.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the confirmation user interface provides service-specific information about the transport service option associated with the selected state with which the service request feature of the selection is provided, the service-specific information including at least one of the cost information, account information of the user used to pay for the on-demand service, or information about a service provider that is providing the transport service option associated with the selected state.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the transport service option that is associated with each state includes a vehicle type and vehicle capacity which is different than a vehicle type and vehicle capacity of the transport service option associated with each of the other states of the multiple states, wherein the service-specific information identifies at least the vehicle type and the vehicle capacity for the transport service option that is associated with the selected state.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the service-specific information includes an estimated time of arrival for a vehicle of the transport service option that is associated with the selected state.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the service-specific information includes dynamic information that is based at least in part on a position of one or more vehicles which provide the transport service option that is associated with the selected state.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the dynamic information includes a map that includes one or more graphic features which each individually identify a vehicle of a respective available service provider for the transport service option that is associated with the selected state.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

determining, via a global positioning system (GPS) component of the computing device, a current location of the computing device;

providing, on a display of the computing device, a multistate selection feature that is operative by a user to select one of multiple states, each of the multiple states being associated with a corresponding transport service option that is available for request by a user operating the computing device at the current location of the computing device, wherein the transport service option that is associated with each state includes a fare or unit cost which is different than a fare or unit cost of the transport service option associated with each of the other states of the multiple states;

receiving, in connection with the multistate selection feature, a user input to select one of the multiple states;

in response to receiving the user input, corresponding to the selection, providing, on the display, a user interface to provide service-specific information that is specific to the transport service option associated with the selected state, the service-specific information including location-specific information that is based on the current location of the computing device and a location of one or more service providers of the transport service option associated with the selected state, and cost information about the fare or unit cost of the transport service option associated with the selected state; and

wherein the multistate selection feature includes (i) a track, and (ii) a sliding feature that can be moved amongst multiple positions along the track by the user input to select any one of the multiple states; and

wherein the sliding feature includes a graphic indicator that is dynamically changed to represent the transport service option of the selected state as the sliding feature is moved amongst the multiple positions.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the transport service option that is associated with each state includes a vehicle type and vehicle capacity which is different than a vehicle type and vehicle capacity of the transport service option associated with each of the other states of the multiple states, wherein the service-specific information identifies at least the vehicle type and the vehicle capacity of the transport service option that is associated with the selected state.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the multistate selection feature is presented as part of a service request user interface, the service request user interface including a map that (i) indicates the current location of the computing device, and (ii) includes one or more graphic features that each represents a current location of an available service provider of the transport service option associated with the selected state.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein one or more of the one or more graphic features moves on the map to reflect movement of the available service provider.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the service-specific information includes an estimated time of arrival for a vehicle of the transport service option that is associated with the selected state.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the service-specific information includes dynamic information that is based at least in part on a position of one or more vehicles which provide the transport service option that is associated with the selected state.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the dynamic information includes a map that includes one or more graphic features which each individually identify a vehicle of a respective available service provider for the transport service option that is associated with the selected state.