Peer to peer car sharing social-graph configurator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016195404-A1
Application number	US-201514589749-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 5, 2015
Priority date	Jan 5, 2015
Publication date	Jul 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A server comprising a transceiver configured to communicate data with a remote vehicle computer system and a car-reservation system. The server further includes a processor configured to utilize the data to output a car-sharing social-graph, the car-sharing social-graph including a vehicle for sharing, a vehicle-location, a user-location, and a potential parking-spot for sharing the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A server comprising:
a transceiver configured to communicate data with a remote vehicle computer system and a car-reservation system; and a processor configured to utilize the data to output a car-sharing social-graph, the car-sharing social-graph including graphical output depicting a vehicle for sharing, a vehicle-location, a user-location, and a potential parking-spot for sharing the vehicle.

2 . The server of claim 1 , wherein the data includes user data indicating information about a user within a car-sharing community.

3 . The server of claim 1 , wherein the data includes local data including information about the car-sharing community.

4 . The server of claim 1 , wherein the data includes vehicle-access control data indicating information about the availability of the vehicle.

5 . The server of claim 4 , wherein the processor is further configured to utilize the vehicle-access control data to authenticate a potential user of the vehicle.

6 . The server of claim 1 , wherein the data includes vehicle data indicating information about a vehicle.

7 . The server of claim 1 , wherein the social-graph outputs a recommendation for a vehicle drop-off location.

8 . The server of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to utilize a cost-optimizer to update and identify a non-active node.

9 . The server of claim 8 , wherein the non-active node is a user of a car-sharing community.

10 . The server of claim 1 , wherein the social-graph includes a graphical display depicting a relationship between the vehicle and one or more users within a car-sharing community.

11 . A vehicle computer system, comprising:
a transceiver configured to communicate data with a remote server including vehicle data, vehicle reservation data , and social-graph data from the remote server related to the vehicle and the vehicle reservation; and a processor configured to utilize the data to authenticate a user and a vehicle after authenticating the vehicle reservation.

12 . The vehicle computer system of claim 11 , where in the data further includes user data indicating information about a user within a car-sharing community.

13 . A method for car sharing, comprising:
communicating data with a remote vehicle computer system and a car-reservation system; and outputting a car-sharing social-graph, the car-sharing social-graph including graphical output depicting a vehicle for sharing, a vehicle-location, a user-location, and a potential parking-spot for sharing the vehicle.

14 . The method for car sharing of claim 13 , wherein the data includes user data indicating information about a user within a car-sharing community.

15 . The method for car sharing of claim 13 , wherein the data includes local data including information about the car-sharing community.

16 . The method for car sharing of claim 13 , wherein the data includes vehicle-access control data indicating information about the availability of the vehicle.

17 . The method for car sharing of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to utilize the vehicle-access control data to authenticate a potential user of the vehicle.

18 . The method for car sharing of claim 13 , wherein the data includes vehicle data indicating information about a vehicle.

19 . The method for car sharing of claim 13 , wherein the social-graph outputs a recommendation for a vehicle drop-off location.

20 . The method for car sharing of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to utilize a cost-optimizer to update and identify a non-active node.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Prasad Krishnaswamy Venkatesh
• Goodman Bryan Roger
• Wingfield Eric H
• Whitens Michael James

Classifications

• G06Q10/40

  Business processes related to social networking or social networking services · CPC title

• G06T11/26 Primary

  Drawing of charts or graphs · CPC title

• G01C21/3438 Primary

  Rendezvous; Ride sharing · CPC title

• G06T11/206

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06Q30/0645

  Rental transactions; Leasing transactions · CPC title