Granted Patent B2

US 7,974,779 · App. 12/895,801 · Granted Jul 5, 2011

Abstract

Claims (53)

1. A method for financial transactions in a rideshare system, comprising the steps of:

maintaining a rideshare environment with multiple rideshare transactions each comprising one or more participants;

receiving bids from potential participants for a position in at least one of the rideshare transactions; and

assigning at least one potential participant to one of the rideshare transactions based on one of the bids;

monitoring a rideshare associated with the one rideshare transaction via a rideshare participant device maintained by the assigned potential participant;

communicating a security inquiry message to the rideshare participant device;

requesting a reply from the assigned potential participant; and

contacting a security response provider when one of the assigned potential participant replies that there is a security problem and the assigned potential participant did not respond within a predefined response time threshold,

wherein the steps are performed on a suitably-programmed computer.

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

setting a price of the rideshare transaction based on the received bids.

3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein each rideshare transaction is associated with a particular route of travel.

4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the participants comprise drivers and passengers.

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

allocating a percentage of the bids as revenue.

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

providing incentives to obtain the potential participants.

7. A system for financial transactions in a rideshare system, comprising:

a rideshare environment with multiple rideshare transactions each comprising one or more participants;

a negotiation module to receive bids from potential participants for a position in at least one of the rideshare transactions; and

an auction module to assign at least one potential participant to one of the rideshare transactions based on one of the bids;

a security module to monitor a rideshare associated with the one rideshare transaction via a rideshare participant device maintained by the assigned potential rideshare participant;

a participant monitor module to communicate a security inquiry message to the rideshare participant device; and

a safety monitor module to contact a security response provider when at least one of the assigned potential participant replies that there is a security problem and the assigned potential participant did not respond within a predefined response time threshold.

8. A system according to claim 7 , further comprising:

a price module to set a price of the rideshare transaction based on the received bids.

9. A system according to claim 7 , wherein each rideshare transaction is associated with a particular route of travel.

10. A system according to claim 7 , wherein the participants comprise drivers and passengers.

11. A system according to claim 7 , further comprising:

a revenue module to allocate a percentage of the bids as revenue.

12. A system according to claim 7 , further comprising:

an incentive module to provide incentives for obtaining the potential participants.

13. A method for assigning participants to a rideshare based on financial transactions, comprising the steps of:

maintaining a rideshare environment with multiple rideshare transactions each comprising one or more participants; and

matching additional participants to at least one rideshare transaction with an empty position, comprising:

receiving bids from at least two or more of the additional participants for the empty position in the rideshare transaction; and

assigning the empty position to at least one of the additional participants based on the bids

monitoring a rideshare associated with the one rideshare transaction via a rideshare participant device maintained by the assigned additional participant;

communicating a security inquiry message to the rideshare participant device;

requesting a reply from the assigned additional participant; and

contacting a security response provider when at least one of the assigned additional participant replies that there is a security problem and the assigned additional participant did not respond within a predefined response time threshold,

wherein the steps are performed on a suitably-programmed computer.

14. A method according to claim 13 , further comprising:

setting a price of the rideshare transaction based on the received bids.

15. A method according to claim 13 , wherein each rideshare transaction is associated with a particular route of travel.

16. A method according to claim 13 , wherein the participants and the additional participants comprise drivers and passengers.

17. A method according to claim 13 , further comprising:

allocating a percentage of the bids as revenue.

18. A method according to claim 13 , further comprising:

matching further participants to any remaining empty positions in the rideshare transactions based on at least one of participant identification, participant background information, social networking, shared interests, participant preferences, route, destination, and vehicle information.

19. A method according to claim 13 , further comprising:

providing incentives to obtain the participants and the additional participants.

20. A method according to claim 19 , wherein the incentives comprise one or more of monetary incentives, prizes, recognition, discounts, credits, carbon credits and tie-in promotions.

Assignments (8)