Systems and method for ridesharing using blockchain

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021072034-A1
Application number	US-201916561729-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 5, 2019
Priority date	Sep 5, 2019
Publication date	Mar 11, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed describing ridesharing using blockchain. Example methods may include determining a state associated with a user of a ridesharing vehicle from at least one first device associated with the ridesharing vehicle; identifying a confirmation of the state by one or more second devices; and adding a transaction to a blockchain, the transaction comprising a description of the state, the confirmation, and a link to a trip footage of the state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A device, comprising:
at least one memory device that stores computer-executable instructions; and at least one processor configured to access the at least one memory device, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:
determine a first state associated with a user of a ridesharing vehicle from at least one second device associated with the ridesharing vehicle;
identify a first confirmation of the first state by one or more third devices;
add a first transaction to a blockchain, the first transaction comprising a first description of the first state, the first confirmation, and a link to a trip footage of the first state;
determine a second state associated with the user from the second device;
identify a second confirmation of the first state by the one or more third devices; and
add a second transaction to the blockchain, the second transaction comprising a second description of the second state and the second confirmation.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more third devices comprise an infrastructural element device, another user's device, or another vehicle's device in proximity to the ridesharing vehicle.

3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first state or the second state comprises a safety state of the user.

4 . The device of claim 3 , further comprising computer-executable instructions to:
receive, by the device, an indication via a panic button, that the safety state of the user comprises an emergency condition; and notify an entity about an occurrence of the emergency condition.

5 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising computer-executable instructions to:
determine that at least one of the first state or the second state is indicative of an emergency condition associated with the user or the ridesharing vehicle; and notify an entity about an occurrence of the emergency condition.

6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the first transaction further comprises a ridesharing status information comprising at least one of: an indication that the ridesharing vehicle is travelling to a destination, an indication that the ridesharing vehicle is picking up the user from a pickup location, or an indication that the ridesharing vehicle is dropping off the user at a drop-off location.

7 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the first transaction further comprises the ridesharing vehicle's location and a timestamp of the ridesharing vehicle at the location.

8 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instruction to identify the first confirmation of the first state comprise computer-executable instruction to:
identify that threshold number of third devices generate respective hash values associated with the blockchain; determine that the respective hash values do not match a predetermined hash value; and transmit a message to the third devices indicative of an occurrence of a hacking event associated with the blockchain.

9 . A method, comprising:
determining a state associated with a user of a ridesharing vehicle from at least one first device associated with the ridesharing vehicle; identifying a confirmation of the state by one or more second devices; and adding a transaction to a blockchain, the transaction comprising a description of the state, the confirmation, and a link to a trip footage of the state.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the one or more second devices comprise an infrastructural element device, another user's device, or another vehicle's device in proximity to the ridesharing vehicle.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the state comprises a safety state of the user, and the method further comprises:
receiving an indication, via a panic button, that the safety state of the user comprises an emergency condition; and notifying an entity about an occurrence of the emergency condition.

12 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising computer-executable instructions to:
determine that the state is indicative of an emergency condition associated with the user or the ridesharing vehicle; and notify an entity about an occurrence of the emergency condition.

13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the transaction further comprises a ridesharing status information comprising at least one of: an indication that the ridesharing vehicle is travelling to a destination, an indication that the ridesharing vehicle is picking up the user from a pickup location, or an indication that the ridesharing vehicle is dropping off the user at a drop-off location.

14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the transaction further comprises a ridesharing vehicle's location and a timestamp of the ridesharing vehicle at the location.

15 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises:
identify that threshold number of second devices generate respective hash values associated with the blockchain; determine that the respective hash values do not match a predetermined hash value; and transmit a message to the second devices indicative of an occurrence of a hacking event associated with the blockchain.

16 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
determining a state associated with a user of a ridesharing vehicle from at least one device associated with the ridesharing vehicle; identifying a confirmation of the state by one or more second devices; and adding a transaction to a blockchain, the transaction comprising a description of the state, the confirmation, and a link to a trip footage of the state.

17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the one or more second devices comprise an infrastructural element device, another user's device, or another vehicle's device in proximity to the ridesharing vehicle.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the state comprises a safety state of the user, and the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises computer-executable instructions to:
receive, by the device, an indication via a panic button, that the safety state of the user comprises an emergency condition; and notify an entity about an occurrence of the emergency condition.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , further comprising computer-executable instructions to:
determine that the state is indicative of an emergency condition associated with the user or the ridesharing vehicle; and notify an entity about an occurrence of the emergency condition.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the transaction further comprises a ridesharing status information comprising at least one of: an indication that the ridesharing vehicle is travelling to a destination, an indication that the ridesharing vehicle is picking up the user from a pickup location, or an indication that the ridesharing vehicle is dropping off the user at a drop-off location.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Meroux Dominique
• Jiang Zhen

Classifications

• G05D1/0088

  characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours (using knowledge based models G06N5/00) · CPC title

• G01C21/3605

  Destination input or retrieval · CPC title

• G01C21/3446

  Details of route searching algorithms, e.g. Dijkstra, A*, arc-flags or using precalculated routes · CPC title

• G01C21/3438 Primary

  Rendezvous; Ride sharing · CPC title

• H04L9/50

  using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees · CPC title