Selecting a messaging protocol for transmitting data in connection with a location-based service

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10492032-B2
Application number	US-201916249153-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2019
Priority date	Jul 10, 2015
Publication date	Nov 26, 2019
Grant date	Nov 26, 2019

Abstract

A system can receive a request for a transport service from a first device. The request can include a user identifier associated with a first user of the first device, contact information associated with a second user, and a pickup location information. The system can make a determination whether a user account associated with the second user is stored in a user database using the contact information in the request. Based on the determination, the system can select a messaging protocol to transmit data to a second device associated with the contact information. The system can transmit a message corresponding to the transport service to the second device using the selected messaging protocol.

First claim

What is being claimed is:

1. A method of operating a transport service, the method being performed by one or more processors of a computing device and comprising:
receiving, from a first user on a user interface of the computing device, user input indicating a request for the transport service and a pickup location;
determining a current location of the first user using a geo-aware resource of the computing device;
based on comparing the current location of the first user and the pickup location, displaying an option on the user interface for the first user to provide input indicating a second user to receive the transport service;
determining contact information for the second user based on the input received from the first user on the user interface; and
transmitting the request for the transport service, the pickup location, and the contact information for the second user to a network service to arrange for the transport service for the second user.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, from the first user on the user interface of the computing device, user input indicating a destination location for the transport service; and
transmitting the destination location to the network service.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the network service arranges for the transportation service to be provided by a vehicle to pick up the second user at the pickup location and transport the second user to the destination location.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the option on the user interface includes a contacts list, and the contact information is a phone number.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network service uses the contact information to transmit text messages to a device of the second user, the text messages including information corresponding to the transport service.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the text messages also include (i) textual content that identifies a driver and a vehicle of the driver, and (ii) a link to a web page to view a status of the transport service.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the text messages also include textual content that identifies the first user.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network service transmits updates corresponding to the transport service to the first user.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the option on the user interface is displayed based on the computing device determining that a distance between the current location of the first user and the pickup location exceeds a predetermined threshold.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations including:
receiving, from a first user on a user interface of the computing device, user input indicating a request for a transport service and a pickup location;
determining a current location of the first user using a geo-aware resource of the computing device;
based on comparing the current location of the first user and the pickup location, displaying an option on the user interface for the first user to provide input indicating a second user to receive the transport service;
determining contact information for the second user based on the input received from the first user on the user interface; and
transmitting the request for the transport service, the pickup location, and the contact information for the second user to a network service to arrange for the transport service for the second user.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , further comprising:
receiving, from the first user on the user interface of the computing device, user input indicating a destination location for the transport service; and
transmitting the destination location to the network service.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the network service arranges for the transportation service to be provided by a vehicle to pick up the second user at the pickup location and transport the second user to the destination location.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the option on the user interface includes a contacts list, and the contact information is a phone number.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the network service uses the contact information to transmit text messages to a device of the second user, the text messages including information corresponding to the transport service.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the text messages also include (i) textual content that identifies a driver and a vehicle of the driver, and (ii) a link to a web page to view a status of the transport service.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the text messages also include textual content that identifies the first user.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the network service transmits updates corresponding to the transport service to the first user.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the option on the user interface is displayed based on the computing device determining that a distance between the current location of the first user and the pickup location exceeds a predetermined threshold.

19. A computing device, comprising:
one or more communication interfaces;
one or more processors coupled to the one or more communication interfaces; and
one or more memory resources storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform operations including:
receiving, from a first user on a user interface of the computing device, user input indicating a request for a transport service and a pickup location;
determining a current location of the first user using a geo-aware resource of the computing device;
based on comparing the current location of the first user and the pickup location, displaying an option on the user interface for the first user to provide input indicating a second user to receive the transport service;
determining contact information for the second user based on the input received from the first user on the user interface; and
transmitting the request for the transport service, the pickup location, and the contact information for the second user to a network service to arrange for the transport service for the second user.

20. The computing device of claim 19 , further comprising instructions for:
receiving, from the first user on the user interface of the computing device, user input indicating a destination location for the transport service; and
transmitting the destination location to the network service.

Assignees

• Uber Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Chheda Deepti
• Cobb Nicholas
• Noffsinger Adam
• Aggarwal Nikunj
• Fong Vincent
• Narducci Iv Domenic Anthony
• Haque Osman
• Neurgaonkar Ashwin

Classifications

• G06Q10/02

  Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events · CPC title

• H04L51/066

  Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression · CPC title

• H04W4/029 Primary

  Location-based management or tracking services · CPC title

• H04L67/306

  User profiles · CPC title

• G08G1/202

  Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching · CPC title