Facilitating direct rider driver pairing for mass egress areas

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018101925-A1
Application number	US-201615350905-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 14, 2016
Priority date	Oct 12, 2016
Publication date	Apr 12, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A mobile computing device can store a rider application for an on-demand transportation service. Based on the mobile computing device being in a mass egress area, the rider application can initiate a late-binding state to enable a direct pairing between the user and an available driver. In the late-binding state, the mobile computing device can receive a unique match code from a backend transport system that manages the on-demand transportation service, and display the unique match code on the display screen to facilitate the direct pairing.

First claim

1 . A mobile computing device comprising:
an output device; one or more processors; and one or more memory resources storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the mobile computing device to:
operate, on the mobile computing device, a rider application in one of at least two modes, including a default mode and a late-binding mode,
wherein in either of the default mode or the late-binding mode, the rider application is operable by a user to send a transport request to an on-demand transportation system based on a corresponding user-input;
wherein in the default mode, the rider application receives from the on-demand transportation system, as a response to the transport request, a confirmation of a paired driver that is assigned to the transport request of the user of the mobile computing device;
wherein in the late-binding mode, the rider application:
receives data for a unique match code from the on-demand transportation system; and
generates, based on the data of the unique match code, a digital signature that is output from the output device of the mobile computing device to be detectable by a corresponding device of an available driver, to enable the driver and the user to be paired through the on-demand transportation system for the transport request; and
update a status of the rider application as transport is provided by the driver for the user.

2 - 3 . (canceled)

4 . The mobile computing device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a location-based resource to detect a current location of the mobile computing device; and wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the mobile computing device to: (i) determine, using the location-based resource, that the mobile computing device is within the mass egress area; and (ii) in response to determining that the mobile computing device is within the mass egress area, generate a late-binding notification on a display screen, the late-binding notification indicating that the rider application is operating in the late-binding mode.

5 . The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein a user interface of the rider application includes a state switching feature that enables the user to trigger the rider application from operating in the default mode to operating in the late-binding mode.

6 . (canceled)

7 . The mobile computing device of claim 5 ,
wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the mobile computing device to initiate the late-binding mode, and to automatically transmit the transport request to receive the unique match code.

8 - 20 . (canceled)

21 . The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein the output device is a display screen, and wherein the digital signature includes an image code that can be captured by a camera of the corresponding device of the driver.

22 . The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein the output device is a speaker, and wherein the digital signature includes an ultrasonic output from the speaker, the ultrasonic output being detectable by a microphone of the corresponding device of the driver.

23 . The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein the output device is an inductive interface, and wherein the digital signature includes an inductive signal generated from the inductive interface for an inductive interface of the corresponding device of the driver.

24 . The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein the mobile computing device communicates with the on-demand transportation system to generate map content that displays an indicator of a rendezvous point for the user to meet the driver.

25 . The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein the mobile computing device communicates with the on-demand transportation system, while the rider application operates in the late-binding mode, to generate map content that displays an indicator of a rendezvous point for the rider to pair with a any one of multiple available drivers.

26 . The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein the unique match code specifies a type of transport service.

27 . The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein the rider application communicates with the on-demand transportation system to indicate an availability of drivers for the mass egress area.

28 . A method for operating a mobile computing device, the method being implemented by one or more processors of the mobile computing device and comprising:
operating, on the mobile computing device, a rider application in a default mode, wherein the default mode, the rider application is operable by a user to send a given transport request to an on-demand transportation system based on a corresponding user-input, and to receive, as a response to the given transport request from the on-demand transportation system, a confirmation of a paired driver that is assigned to the transport request of the user; switching the rider application from the default mode to a late-binding mode; while operating the rider application in the late-binding mode, sending a transport request to the on-demand transportation system based on a corresponding user-input, and receiving data for a unique match code from the on-demand transportation system; and generating, based on the data of the unique match code, a digital signature that is output from an output device of the mobile computing device to be detectable by a corresponding device of an available driver, to enable the driver and the user to be paired through the on-demand transportation system for the transport request; and updating a status of the rider application as transport is provided by the driver for the user.

29 . The method of claim 28 , further comprising:
determining, using a location-based resource of the mobile computing device, that the mobile computing device is within the mass egress area; and in response to determining that the mobile computing device is within the mass egress area, generating a late-binding notification on a display screen, the late-binding notification indicating that the rider application is operating in the late-binding mode.

30 . The method of claim 29 , further comprising:
providing a state switching feature on a user interface of the rider application to enable the user to trigger the rider application from switching from the default mode to the late-binding mode.

31 . The method of claim 30 , further comprising automatically transmitting the transport request to the on-demand transportation system, after switching to the late-binding mode, to receive the unique match code.

32 . The method of claim 28 , wherein the output device is a display screen, and wherein generating the digital signature includes generating an image code on the display screen that can be captured by a camera of the corresponding device of the driver.

33 . The method of claim 28 , wherein the output device is a speaker, and wherein generating the digital signature includes generating an ultrasonic output from the speaker that is detectable by a microphone of the corresponding device of the driver.

34 . The method of claim 28 , wherein the output device is an inductive interface, and wherein generating the digital signature includes generating an inductive signal from the inductive interface for an inductive interface of the corresponding device of the driver.

35 . The method of claim 28 , further comprising:
communicating with the on-demand transportation system to generate

Assignees

• Uber Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Brinig Kevin
• Cirit Fahrettin Olcay
• Seger Margaret-Ann Julia

Classifications

• G06K7/1417

  2D bar codes · CPC title

• G06Q10/06311

  Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group · CPC title

• G06K7/1095

  the scanner comprising adaptations for scanning a record carrier that is displayed on a display-screen or the like · CPC title

• G07F17/0057 Primary

  for the hiring or rent of vehicles, e.g. cars, bicycles or wheelchairs (car rental G07B15/00) · CPC title

• H04W4/021

  Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences · CPC title