User-configurable indication device for use with an on-demand transport service

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11241999-B2
Application number	US-202015930276-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2020
Priority date	May 16, 2014
Publication date	Feb 8, 2022
Grant date	Feb 8, 2022

Abstract

An indication device for a vehicle of a service provider associated with a transport service includes an output device and a communication interface for establishing a communication link with a provider device of the service provider. The communication interface can receive, via the communication link, a set of output configuration data associated with a request for the transport service to cause the output device to transition from outputting a default configuration to outputting the output configuration based on a determined state of the service provider or the transport service.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method performed by an indication device for a vehicle of a service provider who is associated with a transport service, comprising:
receiving, over a communication link from a provider device of the service provider, a set of configuration data indicating an output configuration associated with a request for the transport service;
in response to receiving the set of configuration data, controlling an output device of the indication device such that the output device is transitioned from outputting a default configuration to outputting the output configuration;
receiving, over the communication link from the provider device, a second set of data indicating that the service provider has rendezvoused with a user associated with the request for the transport service; and
in response to receiving the second set of data, controlling the output device of the indication device to cease outputting the output configuration associated with the request for transport service.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the output device of the indication device is transitioned from outputting the default configuration to outputting the output configuration based on the service provider being located within a predetermined distance of a start location indicated by the user associated with the request for the transport service.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the output device of the indication device is transitioned from outputting the default configuration to outputting the output configuration based on an input provided by the service provider via a provider application executing on the provider device.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the input provided by the service provider via the provider application executing on the provider device corresponds to an interaction with a user interface feature within the provider application to indicate that the service provider is close to a start location identified by the user asociated with the request for the transport service.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second set of data is transmitted by the provider device based on an input of the service provider via a provider application executing on the provider device.

6. An indication device for a vehicle of a service provider associated with a transport service, the indication device comprising:
an output device that is externally visible from the vehicle of the service provider;
a communication interface for establishing a communication link with a provider device of the service provider;
a controller configured to:
in response to the communication interface receiving, from the provider device over the communication link, a set of output configuration data indicating an output configuration associated with a request for the transport service, control the output device to transition from outputting a default configuration to outputting the output configuration; and
in response to receiving, from the provider device over the communication link, a second set of data indicating that the service provider has rendezvoused with a user associated with the request for the transport service, control the output device to cease outputting the output configuration associated with the request for transport service.

7. The indication device of claim 6 , wherein the controller controls the output device to transition from outputting the default configuration to outputting the output configuration in response to the service provider being located within a predetermined distance of a start location indicated by the request.

8. The indication device of claim 6 , wherein the controller controls the output device to transition from outputting the default configuration to outputting the output configuration in response to an input provided by the service provider via a provider application executing on the provider device.

9. The indication device of claim 8 , wherein the input provided by the service provider via the provider application executing on the provider device corresponds to an interaction with a user interface feature within the provider application to indicate that the service provider is close to a start location identified by a requesting user of the request for the transport service.

10. The indication device of claim 6 , wherein the second set of data is transmitted by the provider device based on an input provided by the service provider via a provider application executing on the provider device.

11. The indication device of claim 6 , wherein the communication link is a Bluetooth link.

12. The indication device of claim 6 , wherein the communication link is a bi-directional wireless communication link and wherein the provider device is configured to receive data from the indication device via the wireless communication link.

13. The indication device of claim 6 , further comprising a battery for powering the indication device, including for powering the output device of the indication device.

14. An indication system for a transport service, the indication system comprising:
a computing system configured to:
receive, over a network from a user device of a requesting user, a request for the transport service;
identify a service provider in response to receiving the request; and
transmit, to a provider device of the identified service provider, configuration data indicating an output configuration for the request; and

an indication device having an output device, a communication interface for establishing a communication link with the provider device, and a controller configured to:
in response to the communication interface receiving a first set of data comprising the configuration data, control the output device to transition from outputting a default configuration to outputting the output configuration; and
in response to receiving, from the provider device over the communication link, a second set of data indicating that the service provider has rendezvoused with the requesting user associated with the request for transport service, control the output device to cease outputting the output configuration associated with the request for transport service.

15. The indication system of claim 14 , wherein the controller controls the output device to transition from outputting the default configuration to outputting the output configuration in response to any one of: the service provider being located within a predetermined distance of a start location indicated by the request, or (ii) an input of the service provider via a provider application executing on the provider device.

16. The indication system of claim 14 , wherein the computing system is further configured to determine the output configuration for the request by:
determining, based on a user identifier associated with the requesting user, whether a user profile associated with the requesting user includes a user-specified configuration; and
in response to determining that the user profile associated with the requesting user includes the user-specified configuration, retrieving the user-specified configuration as the output configuration for the request.

17. The indication system of claim 16 , wherein the computing system is further configured to:
in response to determining that the user profile associated with the requesting user does not include the user-specified configuration, cause the user device to present a prompt for the requesting user to specify the output configuration for the request.

18. The indication system of claim 14 , wherein the computing system is further confi

Assignees

• Uber Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Kalanick Travis
• Amin Shalin

Classifications

• G06Q50/10 Primary

  Services · CPC title

• B60Q2900/50

  Arrangements to reconfigure features of lighting or signalling devices, or to choose from a list of pre-defined settings · CPC title

• B60Q1/543

  for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle (indicating taxis' state of hire or fare G07B13/045) · CPC title

• B60Q1/5035

  electronic displays · CPC title

• G06Q10/02

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