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US 8,285,571 B2Granted
Rideshare system and associated methodology
AssigneeToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America (TEMA)
InventorsDavid Demirdjian, Steven F. Kalik
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rideshare system and associated methodology for recommending rideshares to prospective riders and drivers uses itineraries and personal affinities to make the recommendations. The rideshare system computes a cost value by comparing the search criteria submitted by a user to stored user profiles. Results of the comparison are displayed in order of highest match to lowest match, according to the cost values computed. Further, the system also adaptively updates the stored profiles according to rideshare history. Lastly, the system includes a real-time user localization unit to locate prospective riders and drivers in real time, making just in time or unplanned rideshares possible.
Claims29
A method of causing a computer system to recommend a rideshare, comprising:
- generating, in a data processor, a search criteria according to user-defined inputs including at least one itinerary and at least one personal affinity category,
- storing a plurality of user profiles in a memory associated with the data processor,
- generating, in the data processor, a cost value for each of the plurality of stored user profiles according to the search criteria, each stored user profile including at least one itinerary and one personal affinity category,
- displaying anonymously at least one of the stored user profiles and a corresponding cost value on a display device,
- transmitting a first anonymous message to a communication address corresponding to a selected user profile, the anonymous message requesting a rideshare,
- receiving a second anonymous message from the communication address corresponding to the selected user profile, the second anonymous message indicating one of acceptance or rejection of the rideshare;
- and
- displaying, on the display device, a rideshare finalizing information upon receipt of an acceptance or an anonymous denial message upon receipt of a rejection, the at least one itinerary and the at least one personal affinity category of the search criteria being weighted to generate the cost values according to a plurality of user-defined priorities;
- updating, in the data processor, a user profile according to at least one other profile corresponding to a history of past rideshare acceptances by
- identifying other user profiles, stored in the memory, corresponding to a rideshare history of the user profile,
- determining, in the data processor, matching personal affinity categories between the other user profiles and the user profile,
- updating, in the user profile, values corresponding to the matching personal affinity categories according to the other user profiles, and
- updating, in the user profile, at least one itinerary according to itineraries corresponding to the other user profiles,
- wherein for each matching personal affinity category corresponding values are copied from other user profiles to the user profile.
11 more elements
A system for recommending a rideshare, comprising:
- an electronic storage device configured to store a plurality of user profiles;
- a receiver configured to receive a search criteria including at least one itinerary and at least one personal affinity category identifying at least one personal user interest, the at least one itinerary and at least one personal affinity category being weighted according to user-defined priorities;
- a processor configured to generate a cost value for each of the plurality of user profiles stored in the electronic storage device, and configured to determine a display list of user profiles and corresponding cost values;
- a transmitter configured to transmit the user profiles corresponding to the display list over a communications network,
- wherein the transmitter sends an anonymous message requesting a rideshare to a communications address of a selected profile, and transmits one of an anonymous denial message in response to a rideshare rejection or a rideshare finalizing information, including at least one of a phone number and an email address, in response to a rideshare acceptance, and
- wherein the processor is further configured to update a user profile according to at least one other profile corresponding to a history of past rideshare acceptances by
- identifying other user profiles, stored in the electronic storage device, corresponding to a rideshare history of the user profile,
- determining, in the processor, matching personal affinity categories between the other user profiles and the user profile,
- updating, in the user profile, values corresponding to the matching personal affinity categories according to the other user profiles, and
- updating, in the user profile, at least one itinerary according to itineraries corresponding to the other user profiles, wherein for each matching personal affinity category corresponding values are copied from other user profiles to the user profile.
7 more elements
A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions thereon, the computer readable instructions when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for rideshare recommendation, comprising:
- generating a search criteria according to user-defined inputs including at least one itinerary and at least one personal affinity category identifying at least one personal user interest, the personal affinity category being separate from the at least one itinerary;
- generating a cost value for each of a plurality of stored user profiles according to the search criteria, each stored user profile including at least one itinerary and one personal affinity category;
- displaying anonymously at least one of the stored user profiles and a corresponding cost value on a display;
- transmitting a first anonymous message to a communication address corresponding to a selected user profile, the anonymous message requesting a rideshare;
- receiving a second anonymous message from the communication address corresponding to the selected user profile, the second anonymous message indicating one of acceptance or rejection of the rideshare;
- displaying one of a contact information, including at least a phone number or an email address, included in the selected user profile upon receipt of an acceptance and an anonymous denial message upon receipt of a rejection, wherein the at least one itinerary and the at least one personal affinity category of the search criteria are weighted to generate the cost values according to a plurality of user-defined priorities;
- and
- updating a user profile according to at least one other profile corresponding to a history of past rideshare acceptances by
- identifying other user profiles corresponding to a rideshare history of the user profile,
- determining matching personal affinity categories between the other user profiles and the user profile,
- updating values corresponding to the matching personal affinity categories according to the other user profiles, and
- updating at least one itinerary according to itineraries corresponding to the other user profiles, wherein for each matching personal affinity category corresponding values are copied from other user profiles to the user profile.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.