IP Library Granted Patent US 12,162,375
Granted Patent B2
US 12,162,375 · App. 16/175,723 · Granted Dec 10, 2024

Systems and methods for determining allocation of personal mobility vehicles

Inventors: Carlos Ellis Whitt (San Francisco, CA); Steven James Martisauskas (San Francisco, CA); Dor Levi (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: Lyft, Inc.
B60L58/13B60Q1/346B60Q1/444B60R25/245B60W10/08B60W10/18B60W10/20B60W10/30B60W50/12G01C21/20G01C21/3415G01C21/3423G01C21/3438G01C21/3461G01C21/3492G06Q10/02G06Q50/40G06V20/588G07C5/004G07C5/008G07C5/0808G07C9/25G08G1/0125G08G1/163G08G1/165H04W4/029H04W4/40B60R2325/205B60W2300/365B60W2510/244B60W2552/00B60W2552/15B60W2710/086B60W2710/18B60W2710/20B60W2710/30B60W2720/10B62K2202/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,162,375
App. No.
16/175,723
Granted
Dec 10, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

The disclosed computer-implemented method may include determining the allocation of personal mobility vehicles. By monitoring personal mobility vehicles and determining, based on sensor data from the personal mobility vehicles, the current usage status of the personal mobility vehicles, a dynamic transportation matching system may improve the user experience of transportation requestors relinquishing custody of personal mobility vehicles. In addition, the dynamic transportation matching system may reduce transfer time between personal mobility vehicles and other modes of transportation and/or may improve the availability of personal mobility vehicles across a dynamic transportation network. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Claims (41)

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

determining, by a computing system associated with a dynamic transportation network, that a personal mobility vehicle associated with the dynamic transportation network is allocated to a transportation requestor device associated with a transportation requestor;

receiving, by the computing system associated with the dynamic transportation network, information indicating a distance between the transportation requestor and the personal mobility vehicle, wherein the distance is determined based at least in part on a signal strength between the transportation requestor device and the personal mobility vehicle and a wireless signal associated with a transportation provider device matched with the transportation requestor device;

determining, by the computing system associated with the dynamic transportation network, based at least in part on the information indicating the distance between the transportation requestor and the personal mobility vehicle, a use status of the personal mobility vehicle; and

automatically updating, by the computing system associated with the dynamic transportation network, an allocation status of the personal mobility vehicle associated with the dynamic transportation network based at least in part on the use status of the personal mobility vehicle allocated to the transportation requestor device without active intervention from the transportation requestor,

wherein updating the allocation status of the personal mobility vehicle comprises sending a signal, by the computing system associated with the dynamic transportation network via a wireless network, to instruct the personal mobility vehicle to automatically lock the personal mobility vehicle, by a locking mechanism of the personal mobility vehicle, to prevent operation in response to determining that the signal strength between the transportation requestor device and the personal mobility vehicle is below a predetermined threshold.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising updating the allocation status of the personal mobility vehicle by allocating the personal mobility vehicle to a different transportation requestor device based at least in part on updating the allocation status of the personal mobility vehicle associated with the dynamic transportation network.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the information indicating the distance between the transportation requestor and the personal mobility vehicle comprises receiving information from the transportation requestor device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the information indicating the distance between the transportation requestor and the personal mobility vehicle comprises receiving information from the transportation provider device matched with the transportation requestor device.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the information indicating the distance between the transportation requestor and the personal mobility vehicle comprises receiving information from the personal mobility vehicle.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving updated information indicating an updated distance between the transportation requestor and the personal mobility vehicle is smaller than the distance that was previously determined;

determining, based at least in part on the updated information indicating the updated distance between the transportation requestor and the personal mobility vehicle, an updated use status of the personal mobility vehicle that reflects that the transportation requestor is currently using the personal mobility vehicle; and

updating the allocation status of the personal mobility vehicle associated with the dynamic transportation network by unlocking the personal mobility vehicle to enable operation based at least in part on the updated use status.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a message from the transportation requestor device that indicates an updated use status of the personal mobility vehicle; and

updating the allocation status of the personal mobility vehicle associated with the dynamic transportation network by unlocking the personal mobility vehicle to enable operation based at least in part on the updated use status.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein updating the allocation status of the personal mobility vehicle comprises deallocating the personal mobility vehicle from the transportation requestor device.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein updating the allocation status of the personal mobility vehicle comprises sending a notification to the transportation requestor device about the allocation status of the personal mobility vehicle.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the information indicating the distance between the transportation requestor and the personal mobility vehicle comprises receiving information that indicates a geolocation of the transportation requestor.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the information indicating the distance between the transportation requestor and the personal mobility vehicle comprises receiving biometric information about the transportation requestor.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein updating the allocation status of the personal mobility vehicle associated with the dynamic transportation network comprises designating the personal mobility vehicle as available to additional transportation requestors.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a signal strength between the transportation requestor device and the transportation provider device matched with the transportation requestor device based on the wireless signal associated with the transportation provider device matched with the transportation requestor device.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , wherein updating the allocation status of the personal mobility vehicle comprises locking the personal mobility vehicle to prevent operation in response to determining that the signal strength between the transportation requestor device and the transportation provider device is above a predetermined threshold.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless signal associated with the transportation provider device matched with the transportation requestor device indicates a distance between the transportation requestor and the transportation provider device.

16. A system comprising:

an allocation determination module, stored in memory, that determines that a personal mobility vehicle that is associated with a dynamic transportation network is allocated to a transportation requestor device associated with a transportation requestor;

a receiving module, stored in memory, that receives information indicating a distance between the transportation requestor and the personal mobility vehicle, wherein the distance is determined based at least in part on a signal strength between the transportation requestor device and the personal mobility vehicle and a wireless signal associated with a transportation provider device matched with the transportation requestor device;

a use status determination module, stored in memory, that determines, based at least in part on the information indicating the distance between the transportation requestor and the personal mobility vehicle, a use status of the personal mobility vehicle;

an update module, stored in memory, that automatically updates an allocation status of the personal mobility vehicle associated with the dynamic transportation network based at least in part on the use status of the personal mobility vehicle allocated to the transportation requestor device without active intervention from the transportation requestor, wherein updating the allocation status of the personal mobility vehicle comprises sending a signal, via a wireless network, to instruct the personal mobility vehicle to automatically lock the personal mobility vehicle, by a locking mechanism of the personal mobility vehicle, to prevent operation in response to determining that the signal strength between the transportation requestor device and the personal mobility vehicle is below a predetermined threshold; and

at least one physical processor that executes the allocation determination module, the receiving module, the use status determination module, and the update module.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the receiving module receives the information indicating the distance between the transportation requestor and the personal mobility vehicle by receiving information from the transportation requestor device.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the receiving module receives the information indicating the distance between the transportation requestor and the personal mobility vehicle by receiving information from the transportation provider device matched with the transportation requestor device.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the receiving module receives the information indicating the distance between the transportation requestor and the personal mobility vehicle by receiving information from the personal mobility vehicle.

20. A computer-readable non-transitory medium comprising:

computer-readable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

determine that a personal mobility vehicle that is associated with a dynamic transportation network is allocated to a transportation requestor device associated with a transportation requestor;

receive information indicating a distance between the transportation requestor and the personal mobility vehicle, wherein the distance is determined based at least in part on a signal strength between the transportation requestor device and the personal mobility vehicle and a wireless signal associated with a transportation provider device matched with the transportation requestor device;

determine, based at least in part on the information indicating the distance between the transportation requestor and the personal mobility vehicle, a use status of the personal mobility vehicle; and

automatically update an allocation status of the personal mobility vehicle associated with the dynamic transportation network based at least in part on the use status of the personal mobility vehicle allocated to the transportation requestor device without active intervention from the transportation requestor,

wherein updating the allocation status of the personal mobility vehicle comprises sending a signal, via a wireless network, to instruct the personal mobility vehicle to automatically lock the personal mobility vehicle, by a locking mechanism of the personal mobility vehicle, to prevent operation in response to determining that the signal strength between the transportation requestor device and the personal mobility vehicle is below a predetermined threshold.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 3, 2022
From: LYFT, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 061880/0237 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 21, 2018
From: WHITT, CARLOS ELLIS; MARTISAUSKAS, STEVEN J.; LEVI, DOR
To: LYFT, INC.
Reel/Frame 047559/0412 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62681661 · Jun 6, 2018
Related Publication 20190378055A1 · Dec 12, 2019