IP Library Granted Patent US 11,112,255
Granted Patent B2
US 11,112,255 · App. 16/884,283 · Granted Sep 7, 2021

Network computer system to arrange pooled transport services

Inventors: Miraj Rahematpura (San Francisco, CA); John Mark Nickels (San Francisco, CA); Eoin O'Mahony (San Francisco, CA); Danhua Guo (San Francisco, CA); Vishnu Sundaresan (San Francisco, CA); Lior Seeman (San Francisco, CA); Meisam Vosoughpour (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
G01C21/3407G01C21/28G06Q10/06G08G1/202G08G1/205
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,112,255
App. No.
16/884,283
Granted
Sep 7, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A network computer system operates to receive service requests from multiple requesters. Based at least in part on a proximity between the current locations of a first and a second requester, the system can match the first service request and the second service request by (i) selecting a pickup location for the first and second requesters, (ii) transmitting rendezvous information to the computing devices of the first and second requesters, (iii) determining an estimated time interval for each of the first requester and the second requester to arrive at the pickup location, and (iv) selecting a transport provider to service both the first transport request and the second transport request, based at least in part on the pickup location, a current location of the transport provider, and the estimated time interval for each of the first requester and the second requester.

Claims (49)

1. A network computer system comprising:

a network communication interface to communicate, over one or more networks, with computing devices of requesters and transport providers of a pooled transport service;

one or more processors; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the network computer system to:

receive, over the one or more networks, a first service request from a computing device of a first requester, the first service request indicating a first destination and a current location of the first requester;

receive, over the one or more networks, a second service request from a computing device of a second requester, the second service request indicating a second destination and a current location of the second requester;

based at least in part on a proximity between the current locations of the first and second requesters, match the first service request and the second service request by:

selecting a pickup location for the first and second requesters;

transmitting, over the one or more networks, rendezvous information to the computing devices of the first and second requesters to enable the first and second requesters to travel to the pickup location;

determining an estimated time interval for each of the first requester and the second requester to arrive at the pickup location;

selecting a transport provider to service both the first service request and the second service request, based at least in part on the pickup location, a current location of the transport provider, and the estimated time interval for each of the first requester and the second requester; and

transmitting, over the one or more networks, a transport invitation to a computing device of the transport provider to enable the transport provider to rendezvous with the first and second requesters at the pickup location and transport the first and second requesters to the first destination and the second destination respectively.

2. The network computer system of claim 1 , wherein the executed instructions cause the network computer system to further select the pickup location by determining a heading of each of the first and second requesters.

3. The network computer system of claim 2 , wherein the executed instructions cause the network computer system to determine the heading of each of the first and second requesters based on the first destination and the second destination as compared to the pickup location.

4. The network computer system of claim 1 , wherein the executed instructions cause the network computer system to select the pickup location from multiple candidate pickup locations that are pre-selected for a region in which the first and second requesters are located.

5. The network computer system of claim 1 , wherein the executed instructions cause the network computer system to further select the transport provider based on a proximity between the first destination and the second destination.

6. The network computer system of claim 1 , wherein the rendezvous information comprises navigation instructions that navigate the first and second requesters to the pickup location.

7. The network computer system of claim 6 , wherein the executed instructions cause the network computer system to transmit the navigation instructions to the computing devices of the first and second requesters before the transport provider is selected.

8. The network computer system of claim 6 , wherein the navigation instructions comprise walking instructions.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a network computer system, cause the network computer system to:

communicate, over one or more networks, with computing devices of requesters and transport providers of a pooled transport service;

receive, over the one or more networks, a first service request from a computing device of a first requester, the first service request indicating a first destination and a current location of the first requester;

receive, over the one or more networks, a second service request from a computing device of a second requester, the second service request indicating a second destination and a current location of the second requester;

based at least in part on a proximity between the current locations of the first and second requesters, match the first service request and the second service request by:

selecting a pickup location for the first and second requesters;

transmitting, over the one or more networks, rendezvous information to the computing devices of the first and second requesters to enable the first and second requesters to travel to the pickup location;

determining an estimated time interval for each of the first requester and the second requester to arrive at the pickup location;

selecting a transport provider to service both the first service request and the second service request, based at least in part on the pickup location, a current location of the transport provider, and the estimated time interval for each of the first requester and the second requester; and

transmitting, over the one or more networks, a transport invitation to a computing device of the transport provider to enable the transport provider to rendezvous with the first and second requesters at the pickup location and transport the first and second requesters to the first destination and the second destination respectively.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the executed instructions cause the network computer system to further select the pickup location by determining a heading of each of the first and second requesters.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the executed instructions cause the network computer system to determine the heading of each of the first and second requesters based on the first destination and the second destination as compared to the pickup location.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the executed instructions cause the network computer system to select the pickup location from multiple candidate pickup locations that are pre-selected for a region in which the first and second requesters are located.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the executed instructions cause the network computer system to further select the transport provider based on a proximity between the first destination and the second destination.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the rendezvous information comprises navigation instructions that navigate the first and second requesters to the pickup location.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the executed instructions cause the network computer system to transmit the navigation instructions to the computing devices of the first and second requesters before the transport provider is selected.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the navigation instructions comprise walking instructions.

17. A computer-implemented method performed by one or more processors and comprising:

communicating, over one or more networks, with computing devices of requesters and transport providers of a pooled transport service;

receiving, over the one or more networks, a first service request from a computing device of a first requester, the first service request indicating a first destination and a current location of the first requester;

receiving, over the one or more networks, a second service request from a computing device of a second requester, the second service request indicating a second destination and a current location of the second requester;

based at least in part on a proximity between the current locations of the first and second requesters, matching the first service request and the second service request by:

selecting a pickup location for the first and second requesters;

transmitting, over the one or more networks, rendezvous information to the computing devices of the first and second requesters to enable the first and second requesters to travel to the pickup location;

determining an estimated time interval for each of the first requester and the second requester to arrive at the pickup location;

selecting a transport provider to service both the first service request and the second service request, based at least in part on the pickup location, a current location of the transport provider, and the estimated time interval for each of the first requester and the second requester; and

transmitting, over the one or more networks, a transport invitation to a computing device of the transport provider to enable the transport provider to rendezvous with the first and second requesters at the pickup location and transport the first and second requesters to the first destination and the second destination respectively.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the one or more processors further select the pickup location by determining a heading of each of the first and second requesters.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the one or more processors determine the heading of each of the first and second requesters based on the first destination and the second destination as compared to the pickup location.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein one or more processors select the pickup location from multiple candidate pickup locations that are pre-selected for a region in which the first and second requesters are located.

Continuity (3)
Continuation 16179841 · Nov 2, 2018
Provisional Application 62581765 · Nov 5, 2017
Related Publication 20200292335A1 · Sep 17, 2020