# US 12,009,870 B2 · Method and system for ultrasonic proximity service > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,009,870 B2 - Document ID: US12009870B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/137,633 - Filed: 2023-04-21 - Published: 2023-08-10 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2017-01-06 - Assignees: Uber Technologies, Inc. - Applicants: Uber Technologies, Inc. - Inventors: Fahrettin Olcay Cirit - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12009870B2 ## CPC - H04B 11/00: Transmission systems employing ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves - G08G 1/202: {Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching} - H04L 63/0853: {using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234)} - H04M 1/72454: according to context-related or environment-related conditions - H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication - H04W 12/12: Detection or prevention of fraud - G01S 5/18: using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves - H04W 12/65: Environment-dependent, e.g. using captured environmental data - H04W 12/79: Radio fingerprint - H04B: TRANSMISSION - 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}) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES ## Abstract A system can receive a request for service from the computing device of a requesting user of the network service. The system can select a driver to provide the service for the requesting user, and transmit an invitation to the computing device of the selected driver to facilitate the request for service. The system can receive a dataset from a first device of the computing device of the requesting user or the computing device of the selected driver, the dataset indicating that the first device has detected an ultrasonic signal outputted by a second device of the computing device of the requesting user or the computing device of the selected driver. Based on receiving the dataset, the system can verify that a rendezvous between the requesting user and the selected driver has occurred. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computing system implementing a network service, comprising: a network communication interface to communicate, over one or more networks, with (i) computing devices of requesting users of the network service, and (ii) computing devices of drivers of the network service; one or more processors; and one or more memory resources storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing system to: receive, over the one or more networks, a request for service from the computing device of a requesting user of the network service; select a driver to provide the service for the requesting user; transmit, over the one or more networks, an invitation to the computing device of the selected driver to facilitate the request for service from the requesting user; receive, over the one or more networks, a dataset from a first device of the computing device of the requesting user or the computing device of the selected driver, the dataset indicating that the first device has detected an ultrasonic signal outputted by a second device of the computing device of the requesting user or the computing device of the selected driver; and based on receiving the dataset, verify that a rendezvous between the requesting user and the selected driver has occurred. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computing system of claim 1, wherein the computing device of the requesting user outputs the ultrasonic signal in response to a user input from the requesting user. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The computing system of claim 2, wherein the ultrasonic signal from the computing device of the requesting user requires the computing device of the selected driver to be within a threshold distance of the computing device of the requesting user for detection. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The computing system of claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic signal comprises a unique match code configured to authenticate the selected driver as a driver of the network service. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The computing system of claim 4, wherein the ultrasonic signal further comprises a data frame comprising a preamble and a set of bit states that define the unique match code. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The computing system of claim 1, wherein the executed instructions cause the computing system to select the selected driver based on at least one of a distance or an estimated time of arrival to a current location of the requesting user. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The computing system of claim 1, wherein the network service comprises at least one of a package delivery service or a mail delivery service. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The computing system of claim 1, wherein the computing device of the selected driver outputs the ultrasonic signal in response to a user input from the selected driver. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The computing system of claim 8, wherein the ultrasonic signal from the computing device of the selected driver requires the computing device of the requesting user to be within a threshold distance of the computing device of the selected driver for detection. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The computing system of claim 8, wherein the ultrasonic signal comprises a unique match code configured to confirm that the requesting user is matched to the request for service. ### Claim 11 A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to: communicate, over one or more networks, with (i) computing devices of requesting users of a network service, and (ii) computing devices of drivers of the network service; receive, over the one or more networks, a request for service from the computing device of a requesting user of the network service; select a driver to provide the service for the requesting user; transmit, over the one or more networks, an invitation to the computing device of the selected driver to facilitate the request for service from the requesting user; receive, over the one or more networks, a dataset from a first device of the computing device of the requesting user or the computing device of the selected driver, the dataset indicating that the first device has detected an ultrasonic signal outputted by a second device of the computing device of the requesting user or the computing device of the selected driver; and based on receiving the dataset, verify that a rendezvous between the requesting user and the selected driver has occurred. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the computing device of the requesting user outputs the ultrasonic signal in response to a user input from the requesting user. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the ultrasonic signal from the computing device of the requesting user requires the computing device of the selected driver to be within a threshold distance of the computing device of the requesting user for detection. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the ultrasonic signal comprises a unique match code configured to authenticate the selected driver as a driver of the network service. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the ultrasonic signal further comprises a data frame comprising a preamble and a set of bit states that define the unique match code. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the executed instructions cause the computing system to select the selected driver based on at least one of a distance or an estimated time of arrival to a current location of the requesting user. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the network service comprises at least one of a package delivery service or a mail delivery service. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the computing device of the selected driver outputs the ultrasonic signal in response to a user input from the selected driver. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the ultrasonic signal from the computing device of the selected driver requires the computing device of the requesting user to be within a threshold distance of the computing device of the selected driver for detection. ### Claim 20 A computer-implemented method of managing a network service, the method being performed by one or more processors and comprising: communicating, over one or more networks, with (i) computing devices of requesting users of a network service, and (ii) computing devices of drivers of the network service; receiving, over the one or more networks, a request for service from the computing device of a requesting user of the network service; selecting a driver to provide the service for the requesting user; transmitting, over the one or more networks, an invitation to the computing device of the selected driver to facilitate the request for service from the requesting user; receiving, over the one or more networks, a dataset from a first device of the computing device of the requesting user or the computing device of the selected driver, the dataset indicating that the first device has detected an ultrasonic signal outputted by a second device of the computing device of the requesting user or the computing device of the selected driver; and based on receiving the dataset, verifying that a rendezvous between the requesting user and the selected driver has occurred.