Patent Application

App. No. 12/961,493

Abstract

Claims (56)

1 . A computer implemented method for arranging transport amongst parties located at different locations, the method being implemented by one or more processors and comprising the steps of:

(a) enabling a customer at a first geographic location to make a request for transport;

(b) from a pool of candidate respondents, selecting a driver at a second geographic location;

(c) communicating the first geographic location to the driver; and

(d) communicating, to the customer, a location of the driver as the vehicle progresses to and/or arrives at the first geographic location.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein step (a) includes configuring a customer handset to enable the customer to enter input, from which the request for transport is programmatically generated from the customer handset and communicated by one or more networks to a corresponding device of the selected driver.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein configuring a customer handset includes programming the customer handset to automatically determine and include, with the request for transport, (i) geographic information to identify the first geographic location to the device of the driver, and (ii) identification information to identify the customer to the driver.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein step (b) includes selecting the driver based at least in part on a proximity of the second geographic location to the first geographic location.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein step (b) includes selecting the driver based at least in part on a class or reputation of at least one of the customer or the driver.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein step (b) includes:

(i) making a first selection of a candidate party;

(ii) providing a time limit to enable the candidate party to accept the request to provide transport for the customer.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein step (b) includes:

(i) selecting a candidate party;

(ii) providing a time limit to enable the candidate party to accept or decline the request to provide transport for the customer;

(iii) performing step (c) if the candidate party accepts the request; else

repeating (i) and (ii) for another candidate party until a selected driver accepts the request to provide transport for the customer.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein step (d) includes displaying mapping content of the driver progressing to the first geographic location.

9 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising enabling the customer handset to monitor a transport of the customer with the driver in order to determine a cost of the transport to the customer.

10 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising enabling the customer handset to communicate funds to an account associated with a service for arranging the transport.

11 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising enabling party identification information to be programmatically and automatically exchanged between the customer handset and the corresponding device of the driver so that the customer and driver are able to identify one another at the first geographic location.

12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising enabling the customer to provide a feedback of the driver to affect a service reputation of the driver.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising enabling the driver to provide a feedback of the customer to affect a customer reputation.

14 . A customer device comprising:

memory resources that store a set of instructions;

network resources configured to enable the customer device to communicate on a network;

geo-aware resources that are operable to programmatically determine a location of the customer device;

one or more processors configured by the set of instructions to:

enable a customer operating the customer device to enter an input to request transport at a first geographic location;

in response to the customer entering the input, automatically generate a request for transport by (i) using the geo-aware resources to determine a geographic location of the customer device; and (ii) automatically include data identifying the geographic location in the request for transport;

communicate the request for transport using the network resources of the customer device.

15 . The customer device of claim 14 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to include, in the request for transport, information that identifies the customer of the customer device.

16 . The customer device of claim 14 , wherein the information that identifies the customer of the customer device includes one or more of (i) an image of the customer, (ii) a reputation of the customer from any prior requests for transport.

17 . The customer device of claim 14 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to use the network interface to transfer funds for payment of transport from an account associated with the customer to one of (i) an account associated with the driver, or (ii) an intermediary service that distributes funds to the account associated with the driver.

19 .- 25 . (canceled)

26 . The customer device of claim 14 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to communicate the request for transport to a transport service that selects a party to provide transport for the customer.

27 . The customer device of claim 14 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to enable the customer of the device to provide a feedback of the driver.

28 . The customer device of claim 14 , wherein the customer device corresponds to one of a cellular telephony device, portable computing device, or tablet that executes an application for communicating with a transport service over a network, the transport service selecting and communicating with a party to provide transport for the customer.

29 . The customer device of claim 28 , wherein the customer is enabled to enter input to request the transport by operating the application and selecting a soft feature that responds the customer selection by automatically generating a request for transport that includes the geographic location of the customer device, and transmitting the request over the network to the transport service.

30 . A system for arranging transport amongst parties located at different locations, the system comprising:

a plurality of computing devices, the plurality of computing devices including a computing device operated by a customer and one or more computing devices operated by one or more drivers;

wherein the computing devices of the customer and the one or more drivers each comprise:

memory resources that store a set of instructions;

network resources for enabling the computing device to wirelessly communicate on over a network;

geo-aware resources that are operable to programmatically determine a location of the computing devices; and

one or more processors;

wherein on the customer computing device, the one or more processors are configured by the set of instructions to:

enable the customer to operate the customer computing device in order to enter an input to request transport from a first geographic location;

in response to the customer entering the input, automatically generate a request for transport by (i) using the geo-aware resources to of the customer computing device to determine a geographic location of the customer; and (ii) automatically include data identifying the geographic location in the request for transport;

communicate the request for transport using the network resources of the customer computing device; and

wherein on each of the one or more computing devices of the drivers, the one or more processors are configured by the set of instructions to:

enable the driver that operates that computing device to accept the request for transport;

identify, using the geo-aware resources, a geographic location of a driver as the driver progresses to the customer;

communicate, using the network resources, information that identifies the geographic location of the driver as the driver progresses to the geographic location of the customer.

31 . The system of claim 30 , further comprising a transport service that selects the driver from a plurality of candidates based at least on a proximity of the selected driver to the customer when the customer makes the request for transport.

32 . The system of claim 30 , wherein the computing devices of the customer and the one or more transport requesting parties are cellular telephony devices.

Assignments (13)