Granted Patent B2

US 12,288,182 · App. 18/132,078 · Granted Apr 29, 2025

Inventor: Michael Briggs (Chandler, AZ)

Assignee: CarsArrive Network, Inc.

G06Q10/0834G06F3/04817G06F9/451G06F16/29G06F16/9537G06Q10/0832G06Q10/08345G06Q10/0835H04L67/52

Abstract

Claims (101)

1. A system, comprising:

at least one database configured to store carrier information for a plurality of respective carriers and shipper information for a plurality of respective shippers, the carrier information indicative of at least one carrier criterion for each of the plurality of respective carriers and the shipper information indicative of at least one shipper criterion for each of the plurality of respective shippers;

at least one communication interface configured to receive a request for one or both of a respective carrier or a respective shipper; and

at least one processor in communication with the at least one database and the at least one communication interface and configured to:

receive, through the at least one communication interface, the request from the one or both of the respective carrier or the respective shipper for agreement to transport;

responsive to the request from the respective carrier:

access a respective location for the respective carrier;

select, based on the at least one carrier criterion for the respective carrier, the at least one shipper criterion for the plurality of respective shippers and the respective location for the respective carrier, a subset of the plurality of respective shippers each of which has a respective location;

generate a carrier graphical user interface (GUI) based on the subset of the plurality of respective shippers, the carrier GUI comprising a map view and including respective icons positioned on the map view to correspond to the respective location of one or more in the subset of the plurality of respective shippers and the respective location of the respective carrier, and including shipper additional information output in response to at least one user interaction with the respective icon; and

send the carrier GUI to the respective carrier;

responsive to the request from the respective shipper:

determine respective locations for one or more of the plurality of respective carriers;

select, based on the at least one carrier criterion for the plurality of the respective carriers, the at least one shipper criterion for the respective shipper and the respective locations for the one or more of the plurality of respective carriers, a subset of the plurality of respective carriers;

generate a shipper GUI based on the subset of the plurality of respective carriers, the shipper GUI comprising the map view and including one or more respective icons positioned on the map view to correspond to one or more of the respective locations of at least some of the subset of the plurality of respective carriers and a respective location of the respective shipper, and including carrier additional information output in response to the at least one user interaction with the one or more respective icons; and

send the shipper GUI to the respective shipper; and

wherein at least one of:

responsive to the at least one user interaction with a respective icon on the map view of the carrier GUI, a communication window is launched on a same screen as the carrier GUI is presented enabling communication input by the respective carrier to the respective shipper assigned to the respective icon on the carrier GUI in order for the respective carrier to negotiate the agreement to transport; and

the at least one processor is configured to route the communication to the respective shipper assigned to the respective icon on the carrier GUI;

or;

responsive to the at least one user interaction with a respective icon on the map view of the shipper GUI, the communication window is launched on a same screen as the shipper GUI is presented enabling communication input by the respective shipper to the respective carrier assigned to the respective icon on the shipper GUI in order for the respective shipper to negotiate the agreement to transport; and

the at least one processor is configured to route the communication to the respective carrier assigned to the respective icon on the shipper GUI.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one user interaction comprises user selection; and

wherein the user selection of the respective icon comprises clicking on or hovering over the respective icon.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of respective shippers comprise vehicle dealers and the plurality of respective carriers comprise vehicle carriers;

wherein the carrier additional information comprises one or both of carrier heading information or amount of available carrier capacity; and

wherein responsive to the user selection of the respective icon, the shipper GUI is configured to output an overlay and including the one or both of the carrier heading information or the amount of available carrier capacity.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the at least one carrier criterion comprises a capability of shipping a type of vehicle and a number of vehicles;

wherein the request from the respective shipper includes a number of vehicles for shipping and the type of vehicles for shipping; and

wherein the at least one processor is configured to select the subset of the plurality of respective carriers based on comparing the number of vehicles for shipping against the capability of the respective carrier and comparing the type of vehicles for shipping with the capability of the respective carrier.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the at least one shipper criterion comprises a payment price for shipping;

wherein the request from the respective carrier includes a minimum price for shipping; and

wherein the at least one processor is configured to select the subset of the plurality of respective shippers based on comparing the minimum price for shipping against the payment price for shipping for each of the plurality of respective shippers.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the carrier GUI generated by the at least one processor is further configured to enable communication functionality for the respective carrier with the subset of the plurality of respective shippers via the respective icons associated with locations of the subset of the plurality of respective shippers; and

wherein the shipper GUI generated by the at least one processor is further configured to enable communication functionality for the respective shipper with the subset of the plurality of respective carriers via the respective icons associated with locations of the subset of the plurality of respective shippers.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein a status of a respective shipper is associated with the respective icon for the respective shipper, the status for the respective shipper comprises an indication of a vehicle for shipping and a payment for shipping; and

wherein a status of a respective carrier is associated with the respective icon for the respective carrier, the status for the respective carrier comprises an indication of availability of the respective carrier and a heading for the respective carrier.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the respective location for the respective carrier comprises a mobile location transmitted from a mobile electronic device for the respective carrier.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine, based on the respective location for the respective carrier, a distance between the respective carrier and the respective shipper; and

wherein the at least one processor is configured to select the subset of the plurality of respective carriers that have the distance between the respective carrier and the respective shipper to be less than or equal to a predetermined amount.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the communication window enabling the communication input by the respective carrier to the respective shipper assigned to the respective icon comprises a communication popup window configured to enable the communication by the respective carrier to the respective shipper; and

wherein the communication window enabling the communication input by the respective shipper to the respective carrier assigned to the respective icon comprises a communication popup window configured to enable the communication by the respective shipper to the respective carrier.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the communication window includes textual communications between the respective shipper and the respective carrier.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the communication window comprises a history of one or more communications between the respective carrier and the respective shipper.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

monitor a respective location of at least one carrier; and

trigger, based on the respective locations of the respective shipper and the at least one carrier, the carrier GUI to indicate an icon associated with the at least one carrier.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

trigger, based on the respective locations of the respective shipper and the at least one carrier, a communication indicative to the at least one carrier that the at least one carrier is within a predetermined distance from a pick-up location of the respective shipper.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

receive input from the respective carrier indicative of a distance the respective carrier is willing to travel to pick-up a vehicle at a pickup location; and

select the subset of a plurality of shippers to be within the distance the respective carrier is willing to travel to pick-up the vehicle at the pickup location; and

wherein the at least one processor is configured to generate the carrier GUI to indicate the subset of the plurality of shippers that are within the distance the respective carrier is willing to travel to pick-up the vehicle at the pickup location.

16. A system comprising:

at least one database configured to store at least one of carrier information for a plurality of respective carriers or shipper information for a plurality of respective shippers, the carrier information indicative of at least one carrier criterion for each of the plurality of respective carriers and the shipper information indicative of at least one shipper criterion for each of the plurality of respective shippers;

at least one communication interface configured to receive a request for one or both of a respective carrier or a respective shipper; and

at least one processor in communication with the at least one database and the at least one communication interface and configured to:

receive, through the at least one communication interface, the request from the one or both of the respective carrier or the respective shipper;

responsive to the request from the respective carrier:

access a respective location for the respective carrier;

select, based on the at least one carrier criterion for the respective carrier, the at least one shipper criterion for the plurality of respective shippers and the respective location for the respective carrier, a subset of the plurality of respective shippers each of which has a respective location;

generate a carrier graphical user interface (GUI) based on the subset of the plurality of respective shippers, the carrier GUI comprising a map view and including respective icons positioned on the map view to correspond to the respective location of one or more in the subset of the plurality of respective shippers and the respective location of the respective carrier, and including shipper additional information output in response to at least one user interaction with the respective icon; and

send the carrier GUI to the respective carrier;

or

responsive to the request from the respective shipper:

determine respective locations for one or more of the plurality of respective carriers;

select, based on the at least one carrier criterion for the plurality of the respective carriers, the at least one shipper criterion for the respective shipper and the respective locations for the one or more of the plurality of respective carriers, a subset of the plurality of respective carriers;

generate a shipper GUI based on the subset of the plurality of respective carriers, the shipper GUI comprising the map view and including one or more respective icons positioned on the map view to correspond to one or more of the respective locations of at least some of the subset of the plurality of respective carriers and a respective location of the respective shipper, and including carrier additional information output in response to the at least one user interaction with the one or more respective icons; and

send the shipper GUI to the respective shipper; and

wherein at least one of:

responsive to the at least one user interaction with a respective icon on the map view of the carrier GUI, a communication window is launched on a same screen as the carrier GUI is presented enabling communication input by the respective carrier to the respective shipper assigned to the respective icon on the carrier GUI in order for the respective carrier to negotiate an agreement to transport; and

the at least one processor is configured to route the communication to the respective shipper assigned to the respective icon on the carrier GUI;

or;

responsive to the at least one user interaction with a respective icon on the map view of the shipper GUI, the communication window is launched on a same screen as the shipper GUI is presented enabling communication input by the respective shipper to the respective carrier assigned to the respective icon on the shipper GUI in order for the respective shipper to negotiate the agreement to transport; and

the at least one processor is configured to route the communication to the respective carrier assigned to the respective icon on the shipper GUI.

17. A method comprising:

receiving a request for one or both of a respective carrier or a respective shipper, the request for one or both of the respective carrier or the respective shipper;

responsive to the request from the respective carrier:

accessing a respective location for the respective carrier;

accessing at least one database, the at least one database storing carrier information for a plurality of respective carriers and shipper information for a plurality of respective shippers, the carrier information indicative of at least one carrier criterion for each of the plurality of respective carriers and the shipper information indicative of at least one shipper criterion for each of the plurality of respective shippers;

selecting, based on the at least one carrier criterion for the respective carrier, the at least one shipper criterion for the plurality of respective shippers and the respective location for the respective carrier, a subset of the plurality of respective shippers each of which has a respective location;

generating a carrier graphical user interface (GUI) based on the subset of the plurality of respective shippers, the carrier GUI comprising a map view and including respective icons positioned on the map view to correspond to the respective location of one or more in the subset of the plurality of respective shippers and the respective location of the respective carrier, and including shipper additional information output in response to at least one user interaction with the respective icon; and

sending the carrier GUI to the respective carrier;

responsive to the request from the respective shipper:

determining respective locations for one or more of the plurality of respective carriers;

selecting, based on the at least one carrier criterion for the plurality of the respective carriers, the at least one shipper criterion for the respective shipper and the respective locations for the one or more of the plurality of respective carriers, a subset of the plurality of respective carriers;

generating a shipper GUI based on the subset of the plurality of respective carriers, the shipper GUI comprising the map view and including one or more respective icons positioned on the map view to correspond to one or more of the respective locations of at least some of the subset of the plurality of respective carriers and a respective location of the respective shipper, and including carrier additional carrier information output in response to the at least one user interaction with the one or more respective icons; and

sending the shipper GUI to the respective shipper; and

wherein at least one of the following is performed:

responsive to the at least one user interaction with a respective icon on the map view of the carrier GUI, launching a communication window on a same screen as the carrier GUI is presented enabling communication input by the respective carrier to a respective shipper assigned to the respective icon on the carrier GUI in order for the respective carrier to negotiate an agreement to transport; and

routing the communication to the respective shipper assigned to the respective icon on the carrier GUI;

or;

responsive to the at least one user interaction with a respective icon on the map view of the shipper GUI, launching a communication window on a same screen as the shipper GUI is presented enabling communication input by the respective shipper to the respective carrier assigned to the respective icon on the shipper GUI in order for the respective shipper to negotiate the agreement to transport; and

routing the communication to the respective carrier assigned to the respective icon on the shipper GUI.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

monitoring a respective location of at least one carrier; and

triggering, based on the respective locations of the respective shipper and the at least one carrier, a communication indicative to the at least one carrier that the at least one carrier is within a predetermined distance from a pick-up location of the respective shipper.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

receiving input from the respective carrier indicative of a distance the respective carrier is willing to travel to pick-up a vehicle at a pickup location; and

selecting the subset of a plurality of shippers to be within the distance the respective carrier is willing to travel to pick-up the vehicle at the pickup location; and

wherein the carrier GUI is generated to indicate the subset of the plurality of shippers that are within the distance the respective carrier is willing to travel to pick-up the vehicle at the pickup location.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein determining the respective locations for the one or more of the plurality of respective carriers comprises receiving transmissions from mobile electronic devices for the one or more of the plurality of respective carriers.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (3)

References Cited (15)