# US 11,907,924 B2 · Predictive inventory management > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,907,924 B2 - Document ID: US11907924B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/059,622 - Filed: 2022-11-29 - Published: 2023-05-25 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-31 - Assignees: Lyft, Inc. - Applicants: Lyft, Inc. - Inventors: Trent Baren; Luke George Greenwood; Sachin Agarwal; David Harry Garcia; Ethan Duncan Eyler; Tzu-San Hung; Martin Conte MacDonnell - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11907924B2 ## CPC - G06Q 20/18: involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals - G06Q 20/4014: {Identity check for transactions} - G06Q 10/087: Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders - G06Q 10/08772: {Inventory counting methods} - G06Q 20/047: {using payment protocols involving electronic receipts} - G06Q 20/322: {Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]} - G06Q 20/3224: {Transactions dependent on location of M-devices} - G07C 9/00182: {operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks} - G07F 9/002: {Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines} - G07F 9/006: {Details of the software used for the vending machines} - G07F 9/026: {for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty} - G07F 11/62: in which the articles are stored in compartments in fixed receptacles - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE - G07F: COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS (coin sorting G07D3/00; coin testing G07D5/00; {handling coins or paper currencies apart from payment activated apparatus G07D; payment architectures, schemes or protocols G06Q20/00}) ## Abstract In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a ride request from a user computing device associated with a user, wherein the ride request requests a user pick-up at a geographic location, determining one or more preferred items of the user, identifying, from a group of vehicles located in the geographic location, a vehicle that comprises an in-vehicle vending apparatus with an inventory that includes one or more of the preferred items of the user, and sending an instruction to a computing device of the vehicle for traveling to the geographic location for the user pick-up. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising, by one or more computing devices: receiving a ride request from a user computing device associated with a user, wherein the ride request requests a user pick-up at a geographic location; determining one or more preferred items of the user; identifying, from a group of vehicles located in the geographic location, a vehicle that comprises an in-vehicle vending apparatus with an inventory that includes one or more of the preferred items of the user; and sending an instruction to a computing device of the vehicle for traveling to the geographic location for the user pick-up. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more preferred items of the user are determined based on purchase-history information of the user. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more preferred items of the user are determined based a preference specified by the user. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more preferred items of the user are determined based a destination location specified by the user. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more preferred items of the user are predicted based on one or more attributes of the user, the attributes including gender, age group, ethnicity, or income range. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, the method further comprising: sending an instruction to a computing device of the vehicle to travel to an inventory hub location for restocking one or more of the preferred items of the user. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, the method further comprising: sending instructions to computing devices of one or more other vehicles of the group of vehicles to travel to an inventory hub location for restocking one or more of the preferred items of the user. ### Claim 8 A system comprising: one or more processors; and one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media in communication with the one or more processors, the one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media comprising instructions that when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to: receive a ride request from a user computing device associated with a user, wherein the ride request requests a user pick-up at a geographic location; determine one or more preferred items of the user; identify, from a group of vehicles located in the geographic location, a vehicle that comprises an in-vehicle vending apparatus with an inventory that includes one or more of the preferred items of the user; and send an instruction to a computing device of the vehicle for traveling to the geographic location for the user pick-up. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more preferred items of the user are determined based on purchase-history information of the user. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more preferred items of the user are determined based a preference specified by the user. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more preferred items of the user are determined based a destination location specified by the user. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more preferred items of the user are predicted based on one or more attributes of the user, the attributes including gender, age group, ethnicity, or income range. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the system to: send an instruction to a computing device of the vehicle to travel to an inventory hub location for restocking one or more of the preferred items of the user. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the system to: send instructions to computing devices of one or more other vehicles of the group of vehicles to travel to an inventory hub location for restocking one or more of the preferred items of the user. ### Claim 15 One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors included in one or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to: receive a ride request from a user computing device associated with a user, wherein the ride request requests a user pick-up at a geographic location; determine one or more preferred items of the user; identify, from a group of vehicles located in the geographic location, a vehicle that comprises an in-vehicle vending apparatus with an inventory that includes one or more of the preferred items of the user; and send an instruction to a computing device of the vehicle for traveling to the geographic location for the user pick-up. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media claim 15, wherein the one or more preferred items of the user are determined based on purchase-history information of the user. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media claim 15, wherein the one or more preferred items of the user are determined based a preference specified by the user. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media claim 15, wherein the one or more preferred items of the user are determined based a destination location specified by the user. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media claim 15, wherein the one or more preferred items of the user are predicted based on one or more attributes of the user, the attributes including gender, age group, ethnicity, or income range. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media claim 15, wherein the instructions are configured to further cause the one or more processors to: send an instruction to a computing device of the vehicle to travel to an inventory hub location for restocking one or more of the preferred items of the user.