In-vehicle monitoring system for supervised ride hailing experiences
An in-vehicle system for safe and supervised ride hailing experiences by a mobility service provider is disclosed. The system advantageously comprises a monitoring device which is installed in the vehicle by the driver. The monitoring device enables a monitoring feature in which it records audio and video data during rides in the vehicle. If necessary, such as for resolving a dispute or in the event of an accident, the monitoring device uploads the recorded data to a cloud storage backend. The monitoring device has a recognizable design and is integrated with mobility service provider applications used by both the driver of the vehicle and the riders who hail rides. The services of the monitoring device are operated by a trusted, neutral third-party. The trusted, neutral third-party may provide live qualified support at the touch of a button in an emergency or if the rider/driver simply feels uncomfortable or unsafe.
1 . A system for monitoring a ride in which a vehicle picks up a rider at a pickup location and transports the rider to a drop-off destination, the system comprising:
at least one sensor arranged in the vehicle and configured to capture sensor data during the ride;
at least one indicator light;
a transceiver configured to communicate with at least one remote server;
a memory configured to store data; and
a processor operatively connected to the at least one sensor, the transceiver, and the memory, the processor being configured to:
receive, from the at least one remote server via the transceiver, a signal indicating one of (i) that first sensor data is to be captured during the ride or (ii) that the first sensor data is not to be captured during the ride, the signal depending on a selection made by the rider using a personal electronic device of the rider;
operate, in response to the signal indicating that the first sensor data is to be captured during the ride, the at least one sensor to capture the first sensor data during the ride and store the first sensor data captured during the ride in the memory;
receive, from the at least one remote server via the transceiver, a request from the rider for a visual confirmation that indicates whether the at least one sensor is currently capturing sensor data, the request having been generated by the rider using the personal electronic device of the rider; and
operate, in response to the request, the at least one indicator light to display the visual confirmation depending on whether the at least one sensor is currently capturing sensor data, the visual confirmation including operating the at least one indicator light in a predetermined manner.
2 . The system according to claim 1 , the processor being further configured to:
receive, from the at least one remote server via the transceiver, a request to upload the first sensor data captured during the ride; and
upload the first sensor data to the at least one remote server via the transceiver, in response to the request to upload the first sensor data captured during the ride.
3 . The system according to claim 1 , the processor being further configured to:
disable, in response to the signal indicating that the first sensor data is not to be captured during the ride, one of (i) capture of the first sensor data by the at least one sensor during the ride and (ii) storage of the first sensor data in the memory during the ride.
4 . The system according to claim 1 further comprising:
a display device arranged within the vehicle so as to be visible from outside the vehicle,
wherein the processor is operatively connected to the display device and is further configured to:
receive, from the at least one remote server via the transceiver, data indicating a customization that is associated with the rider; and
display, prior to the vehicle picking up the rider at the pickup location, a graphical element on the display device, the graphical element being customized based on the customization.
5 . The system according to claim 4 , wherein the customization includes a color and the processor is further configured to:
display the graphical element on the display device with the color applied to at least one of (i) a background of the graphical element and (ii) a portion of the graphical element.
6 . The system according to claim 4 , wherein the customization includes a text string and the processor is further configured to:
display the graphical element on the display device including the text string.
7 . The system according to claim 4 , the processor being further configured to:
receive further signal indicating a request from the at least one remote server via the transceiver; and
flash, on the display device, the graphical element in response to receiving the request.
8 . The system according to claim 4 , the processor further configured to:
display the graphical element in response to the vehicle being one of (i) within a predetermined distance from the pickup location and (ii) within a predetermined travel time from the pickup location.
9 . The system according to claim 1 , the processor being further configured to:
operate, while in use at times other than during the ride, the at least one sensor to capture second sensor data and store the second sensor data in the memory.
10 . The system according to claim 1 further comprising:
a button arranged within the vehicle that is communicatively connected with the processor,
wherein the processor is further configured to, in response to the button being pressed during the ride, transmit a request to the at least one remote server via the transceiver, the request being configured to cause the at least one remote server to request that one of (i) a third party monitors the first sensor data captured by the at least one sensor and (ii) an emergency service provider be sent to a location of the vehicle.