Requesting transportation services
Methods and apparatus are described for safely and efficiently requesting transportation services through the user of mobile communications devices capable of geographic location determination. New customers may be efficiently serviced, and the requester and transportation provider locations may be viewed in real time on the mobile devices.
1. A method for operating a transportation management system, the method comprising automatically performing, by the transportation management system, operations of:
wirelessly receiving, by the transportation management system, a request for transportation services from a wireless mobile device of a transportation requester;
wirelessly receiving, by the transportation management system, messages from wireless mobile devices of transportation providers, the messages containing information on geographic locations of the transportation providers;
based on the request and the messages, selecting by the transportation management system, a transportation provider for the request, the transportation provider being selected for servicing the request;
periodically wirelessly receiving, by the transportation management system, from the wireless mobile device of the transportation requester, a message periodically sent by the wireless mobile device of the transportation requester and containing information including a most recent location of the transportation requester; and
wirelessly sending, by the transportation management system, to the wireless mobile device of the transportation requester, information comprising: (a) locations of at least some of the transportation providers, and (b) an identity of the transportation provider selected for servicing the request of the transportation requester.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the messages from the wireless mobile devices of the transportation providers comprise one or more messages sent automatically and periodically from a mobile device of each transportation provider to the transportation management system.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein wirelessly receiving the messages from the wireless mobile devices of the transportation providers comprise wirelessly receiving the messages periodically.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information wirelessly sent to the wireless mobile device of the transportation requester further comprises information related to payment for the transportation services.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the information related to payment comprises service fare.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the information related to payment comprises information on cashless payment.
7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the information related to payment comprises credit card authorization status.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising periodically wirelessly sending, by the transportation management system, the most recent location of the transportation requester to a mobile device of the transportation provider selected for servicing the request of the transportation requester.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the transportation provider for the request comprises selecting a nearest transportation provider having a geographic location nearest to a pickup location associated with the request for transportation services.
10. The method of claim 1 ,
further comprising wirelessly sending, by the transportation management system, a request for information to the wireless mobile device of the transportation requester,
wherein periodically wirelessly receiving the message periodically sent by the wireless mobile device of the transportation requester comprises periodically wirelessly receiving the message in response to the request for information.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising periodically wirelessly sending, by the transportation management system, the geographic locations of the transportation providers to the wireless mobile device of the transportation requester before receiving the request for transportation services.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identity of the transportation provider selected for servicing the request of the transportation requester comprises a phone number of the transportation provider.
13. An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and
a non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:
wirelessly receive a request for transportation services from a wireless mobile device of a transportation requester;
wirelessly receive messages from wireless mobile devices of transportation providers, the messages containing information on geographic locations of the transportation providers;
based on the request and the messages, select a transportation provider for the request, the transportation provider being selected for servicing the request;
periodically and wirelessly receive, from the wireless mobile device of the transportation requester, a message periodically sent by the wireless mobile device of the transportation requester and containing information including a most recent location of the transportation requester; and
wirelessly send, to the wireless mobile device of the transportation requester, information including: (a) locations of at least some transportation providers, and (b) an identity of the transportation provider selected for servicing the request of the transportation requester.
14. The apparatus claim 13 , wherein the messages from the wireless mobile devices of the transportation providers comprise one or more messages sent automatically and periodically from a mobile device of each transportation provider to the apparatus.
15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to wirelessly receive the messages from the wireless mobile devices of the transportation providers by wirelessly receiving the messages periodically.
16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the information wirelessly sent to the wireless mobile device of the transportation requester further comprises information related to payment for the transportation services.
17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the information related to payment comprises service fare.
18. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the information related to payment comprises information on cashless payment.
19. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the information related to payment comprises credit card authorization status.
20. The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to periodically wirelessly send the most recent location of the transportation requester to a mobile device of the transportation provider selected for servicing the request of the transportation requester.
21. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to select the transportation provider for the request by selecting a nearest transportation provider having a geographic location nearest to a pickup location associated with the request for transportation services.
22. The apparatus of claim 13 ,
further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to wirelessly send a request for information to the wireless mobile device of the transportation requester,
wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to periodically wirelessly receive the message periodically sent by the wireless mobile device of the transportation requester by periodically wirelessly receiving the message in response to the request for information.
23. The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to periodically wirelessly send the geographic locations of the transportation providers to the wireless mobile device of the transportation requester before receiving the request for transportation services.
24. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the identity of the transportation provider selected for servicing the request of the transportation requester comprises a phone number of the transportation provider.