Granted Patent B2

US 10,635,994 · App. 14/966,760 · Granted Apr 28, 2020

Abstract

Claims (62)

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processing device from a first computing device of a first subscriber to a transportation service, a transportation request to transport the first subscriber to a destination location;

determining, based on the transportation request and the first subscriber, that fulfilling of the transportation request is to be prohibited without authorization by a second subscriber;

determining that the transportation request is authorized by a second computing device of the second subscriber to the transportation service;

generating navigational data for the fulfilling of the transportation request based on a first location of the first computing device of the first subscriber;

transmitting, by the processing device to a driver computing device of a driver associated with the transportation service, the navigational data to direct the driver computing device to the first location of the first computing device and from the first location to the destination location to fulfill the transportation request;

responsive to completion of a first portion of a distance between the first location and the destination location during fulfillment of the transportation request, determining whether a current subscriber location of the first computing device corresponds to a current driver location of the driver computing device; and

responsive to determining that the current subscriber location corresponds to the current driver location, transmitting, by the processing device to the second computing device of the second subscriber of the transportation service during the fulfilling of the transportation request, an indication that the current subscriber location of the first computing device and the current driver location of the driver computing device are synchronized.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending, to the second computing device of the second subscriber, a request for the authorization for the transportation request; and

receiving the authorization from the second computing device for the transportation request.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, from the second computing device, criteria indicating certain types of transportation requests that are authorized by the second subscriber for the first subscriber, wherein the transportation request comprises data comprising the first location of the first computing device, and wherein the determining that the transportation request is authorized comprises comparing the data in the transportation request to the criteria to determine the data meets the criteria, wherein the criteria comprises the first location.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

applying preapproval criteria to the transportation request; and

in response to a determination that the transportation request is not authorized by the preapproval criteria, sending, to the second computing device of the second subscriber, a request for the authorization for the transportation request.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending information associated with the driver to the first computing device of the first subscriber, wherein the information associated with the driver comprises information identifying a vehicle of the driver.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

sending, to the second computing device of the second subscriber, a first notification responsive to determining that the first subscriber has been picked up by the driver; and

sending, to the second computing device, a second notification responsive to the first subscriber reaching the destination location.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving payment for the transportation request from the second computing device.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the authorization for the transportation request is received from the second computing device through a social networking application, email message, or text message.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the navigational data comprises real time data associated with flow of traffic.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing, to the first computing device, updates of the driver location of the driver computing device.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving an opt-in from the driver computing device for automatic acceptance of transportation requests; and

responsive to receiving the transportation request, assigning the transportation request to the driver computing device without waiting to receive acceptance of the transportation request from the driver computing device.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the driver is a self-driven vehicle and the driver computing device is coupled with the self-driven vehicle, wherein the driver computing device is to influence movement of the self-driven vehicle based on the navigational data.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

a processing device communicably coupled to the memory, the processing device to:

receive, from a first computing device of a first subscriber to a transportation service, a transportation request to transport the first subscriber to a destination location;

determine, based on the transportation request and the first subscriber, that fulfilling of the transportation request is to be prohibited without authorization by a second subscriber;

determine that the transportation request and payment of the transportation request are authorized by a second computing device of the second subscriber to the transportation service;

generate navigational data for the fulfilling of the transportation request based on a first location of the first computing device of the first subscriber;

transmit to a driver computing device of a driver associated with the transportation service, the navigational data to direct the driver computing device to the first location of the first computing device and from the first location to the destination location to fulfill the transportation request;

responsive to completion of a first portion of a distance between the first location and the destination location during fulfillment of the transportation request, determine whether a current subscriber location of the first computing device corresponds to a current driver location of the driver computing device; and

responsive to determining that the current subscriber location corresponds to the current driver location, transmit, to the second computing device of the second subscriber of the transportation service during the fulfilling of the transportation request, an indication that the current subscriber location of the first computing device and the current driver location of the driver computing device are synchronized.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the processing device is further to:

send, to the second computing device, a request for the authorization for the transportation request; and

receive the authorization from the second computing device for the transportation request.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the processing device is further to:

receive, from the second computing device, criteria indicating certain types of transportation requests that are authorized by the second subscriber for the first subscriber, wherein determining that the transportation request is authorized is based on the transportation request meeting the criteria.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the processing device is further to:

apply preapproval criteria to the transportation request; and

in response to a determination that the transportation request is not authorized by the preapproval criteria, send, to a computing device of the second subscriber to the transportation service, a request for the authorization for the transportation request.

17. At least one computer-readable non-transitory media storing one or more instructions which, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to:

receive, from a first computing device of a first subscriber to a transportation service, a transportation request to transport the first subscriber to a destination location;

determine, based on the transportation request, that fulfilling of the transportation request is to be prohibited without authorization by a second subscriber;

determine that the transportation request and payment of the transportation request are authorized by a second computing device of the second subscriber to the transportation service; and

generate navigational data for the fulfilling of the transportation request based on a first location of the first computing device of the first subscriber;

transmit, to a driver computing device of a driver associated with the transportation service, the navigational data to direct the driver computing device to the first location of the first computing device and from the first location to the destination location to fulfill the transportation request;

responsive to completion of a first portion of a distance between the first location and the destination location during fulfillment of the transportation request, determine whether a current subscriber location of the first computing device corresponds to a current driver location of the driver computing device; and

responsive to determining that the current subscriber location corresponds to the current driver location, transmit, to the second computing device of the second subscriber of the transportation service during the fulfilling of the transportation request, an indication that the current subscriber location of the first computing device and the current driver location of the driver computing device are synchronized.

18. The at least one computer-readable non-transitory media of claim 17 , wherein the processing device is further to:

send, to the second computing device, a request for the authorization for the transportation request; and

receive the authorization from the second computing device.

19. The at least one computer-readable non-transitory media of claim 17 , wherein the processing device is further to:

receive, from the second computing device, criteria indicating certain types of transportation requests that are authorized by the second subscriber for the first subscriber, wherein determining that the transportation request is authorized is based on the transportation request meeting the criteria.

20. The at least one computer-readable non-transitory media of claim 17 , wherein the processing device is further to:

apply preapproval criteria to the transportation request; and

in response to determining that the transportation request is not authorized by the preapproval criteria, send, to the second computing device, a request for the authorization for the transportation request.

Assignments (6)