On-demand driver systems and methods
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsDave A. Herman, David Joseph Orris, Nicholas Scheufler, Nunzio Decia, Stephen Jay Orris
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Example on-demand driver (ODD) systems and methods are described herein. An example method includes generating, with an ODD system, a softkey for a vehicle associated with an agreement between a driver-in-need (DIN) and an ODD, monitoring, with the ODD system, a location of an ODD device carried by the ODD, and transmitting, with the ODD system, the softkey to the ODD device when the ODD device is detected as being within a proximity of the vehicle. In the example method, the softkey is used to unlock the vehicle.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- generating, with an on-demand driver (ODD) system, a softkey for a vehicle associated with an agreement between a driver-in-need (DIN) and an ODD;
- monitoring, with the ODD system, a location of an ODD device carried by the ODD;
- and
- transmitting, with the ODD system, the softkey to the ODD device when the ODD device is detected as being within a proximity of the vehicle, the softkey used to unlock the vehicle.
A method comprising:
- generating, with an on-demand driver (ODD) system, a first softkey and a second softkey for a vehicle associated with an agreement between a driver-in-need (DIN) and an ODD;
- and
- transmitting, with the ODD system, the first softkey to an ODD device carried by the ODD and the second softkey to a DIN device carried by the DIN, the first softkey and the second softkey required to unlock the vehicle.
An apparatus comprising:
- an agreement database to store an on-demand driver (ODD) agreement between a driver-in-need (DIN) and an ODD for transportation of a vehicle;
- a location monitor to track a location of an ODD device carried by the ODD;
- and
- a softkey manager to:
- generate a softkey for starting the vehicle;
- and
- transmit the softkey to the ODD device when the ODD device is detected as being within a proximity of the vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.