# US 12,002,365 B2 · User terminal and method for sending for a transportation vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,002,365 B2 - Document ID: US12002365B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/491,207 - Filed: 2018-02-06 - Published: 2021-03-18 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2017-03-06 - Assignees: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft - Applicants: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft - Inventors: Marian Hilgers; Isabelle Fröhlich; Aaron Post; Daniel Palzer; Mark Lukas - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12002365B2 ## CPC - G08G 1/202: {Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching} - G01C 21/3438: {Rendezvous; Ride sharing} - G01C 21/3605: {Destination input or retrieval} - G06Q 10/02: Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events - H04W 4/40: for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P] - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) - G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S) - 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 - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A user terminal, a transportation vehicle, a server, a computer program product, a signal sequence and a method for sending for a transportation vehicle. The method includes receiving user input entered using an actuation device of a user terminal, sending a wireless message, assigning the transportation vehicle to the user terminal in response to the receipt of the wireless message, determining an expected arrival time and/or interval until the arrival of the transportation vehicle at the user terminal, and displaying a waiting time determined based on the arrival time or interval by a number of luminescent light predefined for the display of the waiting time and/or a number per time unit of light to be activated or deactivated, and/or a position of a luminescent light of the user terminal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for sending a transportation vehicle to a location of a user terminal for subsequent transport of a user associated with the user terminal to a predefined destination location, the method comprising receiving a user input by an actuation device of the user terminal; and in response thereto, sending a wireless message; assigning the transportation vehicle to the user terminal in response to the wireless message being received; ascertaining an expected time of arrival or a length of time before the transportation vehicle arrives at the location of the user terminal; and displaying a waiting time, ascertained based on the time of arrival or length of time, by a number of lit illuminants or number of illuminants to be switched on or off per unit time on the user terminal, which is predefined for the display of the waiting time, the number of lit illuminants or the number of illuminants to be switched on or off being a subset of a total number of the illuminants, wherein the predefined destination for the user is readable by the transportation vehicle and predefined in a memory of the user terminal or a server-based profile prior to sending the wireless message. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the transportation vehicle is assigned by selecting the transportation vehicle from a plurality of transportation vehicles that are logically, initially linked to a server. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: prompting position determination of the user terminal to determine the location of the user terminal; and coding the ascertained position into the wireless message to define a starting location for a journey by the transportation vehicle from the starting location to the destination location. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating the expected time of arrival of the transportation vehicle or length of time until arrival of the transportation vehicle at the location of the user terminal to the user terminal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the illuminants comprise a plurality of LEDs arranged in a line. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: updating the expected time of arrival of the transportation vehicle at the user terminal; and based on the updated time of arrival, adapting: the number of currently lit illuminants; or illuminants of the user terminal that are to be switched on or off per unit time. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: ascertaining that the expected time of arrival has come or the length of time or the waiting time has elapsed; and in response thereto, sending an updated expected time of arrival or length of time to the user terminal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising sending a request to obtain an updated expected time of arrival or length of time by the user terminal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the actuation device includes an order button configured in hardware. ### Claim 10 A user terminal comprising: an actuation device; a transmission or reception device; an evaluation unit; and illuminants, wherein the evaluation unit is configured to receive a user input in response to actuation of the actuation device of the user terminal, wherein the transmission or reception device is configured to respond receipt of the user input by the evaluation unit by: sending a wireless message to send for a transportation vehicle to a location of a user terminal for subsequent transport of a user associated with the user terminal to a predefined destination location, and obtaining an acknowledgement of an assignment of the transportation vehicle to the user terminal, made in response to the wireless message, and a message regarding an expected time of arrival or a length of time before the transportation vehicle arrives at the location of the user terminal, wherein, based on the time of arrival or length of time, the illuminant displays a waiting time, ascertained based on the time of arrival or length of time, by a number of lit illuminants, a number of illuminants to be switched on or off per unit time which is predefined for the display of the waiting time, the number of lit illuminants or the number of illuminants to be switched on or off being a subset of a total number of the illuminants and wherein the predefined destination for the user is readable by the transportation vehicle and predefined in a memory of the user terminal or a server-based profile prior to the wireless message being sent. ### Claim 11 A non-transitory computer program product comprising instructions that, when executed on an evaluation unit of a user terminal, prompt the evaluation unit to perform a method for sending a transportation vehicle to a location of a user terminal for subsequent transport of a user associated with the user terminal to a predefined destination location, the method comprising: storing the predefined destination for the user in a memory of the user terminal or a server-based profile readable by an assigned transportation vehicle, receiving a user input by an actuation device of the user terminal; and in response thereto, sending a wireless message, wherein the predefined destination is stored prior to sending the wireless message; assigning the transportation vehicle to the user terminal in response to the wireless message being received; ascertaining an expected time of arrival or a length of time before the transportation vehicle arrives at the user terminal; and displaying a waiting time, ascertained based on the time of arrival or length of time, by a number of lit illuminants or number of illuminants to be switched on or off per unit time on the user terminal, which is predefined for the display of the waiting time, the number of lit illuminants or the number of illuminants to be switched on or off being a subset of a total number of the illuminants. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The user terminal of claim 11, wherein the user terminal is a key fob.