IP Library Granted Patent US 12,488,385
Granted Patent B2
US 12,488,385 · App. 18/503,609 · Granted Dec 2, 2025

On-demand rental of electric vehicles

Inventor: Travis VanderZanden (Santa Monica, CA)
Assignee: BLUE JAY TRANSIT INC.
G06Q30/0645G06Q50/40G07B13/00G07C5/008G07C5/08G08G1/123G08G1/205
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,488,385
App. No.
18/503,609
Granted
Dec 2, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An indication that a ride associated with an electric vehicle has ended is received. An availability state of the electric vehicle is determined based at least on a current battery charge level of the electric vehicle and a dynamic charge threshold. Information reflecting the availability state of the electric vehicle in a set of geographic location and availability state information of vehicles comprising a fleet of electric vehicles available to be displayed is included via a user interface based at least in part on the respective availability state of the respective electric vehicles comprising the fleet of electric vehicles.

Claims (34)

1 . A system, comprising:

a communication interface; and

a processor coupled to the communication interface and configured to:

receive via the communication interface from a mobile device a first indication to ride a specific electric vehicle;

initiate a timer for the ride associated with the specific electric vehicle;

receive via the communication interface a second indication that indirectly indicates a ride associated with the specific electric vehicle has ended, wherein the second indication indicates that the specific electric vehicle has not moved for a prescribed amount of time; and

based in part on receiving the second indication, stop the timer for the ride associated with the specific electric vehicle.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device provides the first indication responsive to scanning a code associated with the specific electric vehicle.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to prompt a user associated with the specific electric vehicle to take a photo of the user associated with the specific vehicle wearing safety equipment.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the processor is further configured to verify that the user associated with the specific electric vehicle is wearing the safety equipment based on the photo.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the processor implements machine learning to verify that the user associated with the specific electric vehicle is wearing the safety equipment.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the second indication indicates that the mobile device has moved more than a threshold distance away from the specific electric vehicle.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein in response to receiving the first indication, the processor is configured to change a state of the specific electric vehicle from a free state to an in-use state.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein in the free state, the specific electric vehicle is included in a user interface displaying electric vehicles available for rental.

9 . The system of claim 7 , wherein in the in-use state, the specific electric vehicle is removed from a user interface displaying electric vehicles available for rental.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein in response to stopping the timer, the processor is configured to change a state of the specific electric vehicle from an in-use state to a free state.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the state of the specific electric vehicle changes from the in-use state to the free state in response to a determination that a battery level associated with the specific electric vehicle is greater than or equal to a battery charge threshold.

12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein in response to stopping the timer, the processor is configured to change a state of the specific electric vehicle from an in-use state to an unavailable state.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the state of the specific electric vehicle changes from the in-use state to the unavailable state in response to a determination that a battery level associated with the specific electric vehicle is less than a battery charge threshold.

14 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to provide to the mobile device a prompt requesting a confirmation that the ride has ended.

15 . A method, comprising:

receiving via a communication interface from a mobile device a first indication to ride a specific electric vehicle;

initiating a timer for the ride associated with the specific electric vehicle;

receiving via the communication interface a second indication that indirectly indicates a ride associated with the specific electric vehicle has ended, wherein the second indication indicates that the specific electric vehicle has not moved for a prescribed amount of time; and

based in part on receiving the second indication, stopping the timer for the ride associated with the specific electric vehicle.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the second indication indicates that the mobile device has moved more than a threshold distance away from the specific electric vehicle.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein in response to receiving the first indication, the method further comprises changing a state of the specific electric vehicle from a free state to an in-use state.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein in response to stopping the timer, the method further comprises changing a state of the specific electric vehicle from an in-use state to a free state.

19 . The method of claim 15 , where in response to stopping the timer, the method further comprises changing a state of the specific electric vehicle from an in-use state to an unavailable state.

20 . A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising computer instructions for:

receiving via a communication interface from a mobile device a first indication to ride a specific electric vehicle;

initiating a timer for the ride associated with the specific electric vehicle;

receiving via the communication interface a second indication that indirectly indicates a ride associated with the specific electric vehicle has ended, wherein the second indication indicates that the specific electric vehicle has not moved for a prescribed amount of time; and

based in part on receiving the second indication, stopping the timer for the ride associated with the specific electric vehicle.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 24, 2025
From: VANDERZANDEN, TRAVIS
To: BIRD RIDES, INC.
Reel/Frame 072669/0409 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 24, 2025
From: BIRD RIDES, INC.
To: THIRD LANE MOBILITY INC.
Reel/Frame 072669/0476 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 24, 2025
From: THIRD LANE MOBILITY INC.
To: BLUE JAY TRANSIT INC.
Reel/Frame 072669/0541 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 17891890 · Aug 19, 2022
Continuation 16382725 · Apr 12, 2019
Provisional Application 62668070 · May 7, 2018
Provisional Application 62658069 · Apr 16, 2018
Related Publication 20240212035A1 · Jun 27, 2024
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