MULTI-INVITATION MODE FOR TRANSPORT SERVICES

Abstract

A computing system can receive service requests from computing devices of requesting users, with each respective service request including a start location and a destination location. For a respective service request, the system can transmit a transport invitation to a plurality of provider computing devices in accordance with a multi-invitation mode. The transport invitation is displayed on a respective provider computing device and selectable by the respective transport provider to accept the respective service request. The system can receive an acceptance of the transport invitation from two or more provider computing devices. Based on the received data from the two or more provider computing devices, the system can select a transport provider from the respective two or more transport providers associated with the two or more provider computing devices to service the respective service request.

Description

Claims

1. A computing system for managing a network-based service, the computing system comprising: one or more processors; andone or more memory resources storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing system to: receive, over one or more networks, service requests from computing devices of requesting users, each respective service request including a start location and a destination location;for a respective service request: transmit, over the one or more networks, data corresponding to a transport invitation to each of a plurality of provider computing devices operated by a plurality of transport providers in accordance with a multi-invitation mode, wherein the transport invitation is displayed on a respective provider computing device and selectable by the respective transport provider to accept the respective service request;receive, over the one or more networks, data corresponding to an acceptance of the transport invitation from each of two or more provider computing devices of the plurality of provider computing devices; andbased on the received data from the two or more provider computing devices, select a transport provider from the respective two or more transport providers associated with the two or more provider computing devices to service the respective service request.

2. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the executed instructions further cause the computing system to: receive, over the one or more networks, location data from the plurality of provider computing devices, the location data indicating current locations of the plurality of transport providers;wherein the executed instructions cause the computing system to select the selected transport provider based at least in part on the current location of the selected transport provider and the start location of the respective service request.

3. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the transport invitation indicates the destination location of the respective service request.

4. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the executed instructions further cause the computing system to: determine a value for the respective service request based on at least one of a distance or an estimated time of travel between the start location and the destination location of the respective service request;wherein the data corresponding to the transport invitation transmitted to each of the plurality of provider computing devices includes the value of the respective service request.

5. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the executed instructions further cause the computing system to: based on selecting the selected transport provider to service the respective service request, transmit, over the one or more networks, a confirmation to the provider computing device of the selected transport provider.

6. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the executed instructions further cause the computing system to: transmit, over the one or more networks, a notification to the computing device of a requesting user associated with the respective service request, the notification including identifying information of the selected transport provider.

7. The computing system of claim 1, wherein selecting the selected transport provider to service the respective service request comprises: determining estimated times of arrival of transport providers associated with the two or more provider computing devices to the start location indicated in the respective service request;wherein the selected transport provider is selected based on the estimated time of arrival of the selected transport provider in comparison with the estimated times of arrival of other transport providers associated with the two or more provider computing devices to the start location.

8. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the executed instructions cause the computing system to process the respective service request in accordance with the multi-invitation mode based on a likelihood that one or more transport providers of the plurality of transport providers will reject or cancel the transport invitation corresponding to the respective service request.

9. 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: receive, over one or more networks, service requests from computing devices of requesting users, each respective service request including a start location and a destination location;for a respective service request: transmit, over the one or more networks, data corresponding to a transport invitation to each of a plurality of provider computing devices operated by a plurality of transport providers in accordance with a multi-invitation mode, wherein the transport invitation is displayed on a respective provider computing device and selectable by the respective transport provider to accept the respective service request;receive, over the one or more networks, data corresponding to an acceptance of the transport invitation from each of two or more provider computing devices of the plurality of provider computing devices; andbased on the received data from the two or more provider computing devices, select a transport provider from the respective two or more transport providers associated with the two or more provider computing devices to service the respective service request.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the executed instructions further cause the computing system to: receive, over the one or more networks, location data from the plurality of provider computing devices, the location data indicating current locations of the plurality of transport providers;wherein the executed instructions cause the computing system to select the selected transport provider based at least in part on the current location of the selected transport provider and the start location of the respective service request.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the transport invitation indicates the destination location of the respective service request.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the executed instructions further cause the computing system to: determine a value for the respective service request based on at least one of a distance or an estimated time of travel between the start location and the destination location of the respective service request;wherein the data corresponding to the transport invitation transmitted to each of the plurality of provider computing devices includes the value of the respective service request.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the executed instructions further cause the computing system to: based on selecting the selected transport provider to service the respective service request, transmit, over the one or more networks, a confirmation to the provider computing device of the selected transport provider.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the executed instructions further cause the computing system to: transmit, over the one or more networks, a notification to the computing device of a requesting user associated with the respective service request, the notification including identifying information of the selected transport provider.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein selecting the selected transport provider to fulfill the respective service request comprises: determining estimated times of arrival of transport providers associated with the two or more provider computing devices to the start location indicated in the respective service request;wherein the selected transport provider is selected based on the estimated time of arrival of the selected transport provider in comparison with the estimated times of arrival of other transport providers associated with the two or more provider computing devices to the start location.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the executed instructions cause the computing system to process the respective service request in accordance with the multi-invitation mode based on a likelihood that one or more transport providers of the plurality of transport providers will reject or cancel the transport invitation corresponding to the respective service request.

17. A computer-implemented method of managing a network-based service, the method being performed by one or more processors and comprising: receiving, over one or more networks, service requests from computing devices of requesting users, each respective service request including a start location and a destination location;for a respective service request: transmitting, over the one or more networks, data corresponding to a transport invitation to each of a plurality of provider computing devices operated by a plurality of transport providers in accordance with a multi-invitation mode, wherein the transport invitation is displayed on a respective provider computing device and selectable by the respective transport provider to accept the respective service request;receiving, over the one or more networks, data corresponding to an acceptance of the transport invitation from each of two or more provider computing devices of the plurality of provider computing devices; andbased on the received data from the two or more provider computing devices, selecting a transport provider from the respective two or more transport providers associated with the two or more provider computing devices to service the respective service request.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising: receiving, over the one or more networks, location data from the plurality of provider computing devices, the location data indicating current locations of the plurality of transport providers;wherein the one or more processors select the selected transport provider based at least in part on the current location of the selected transport provider and the start location of the respective service request.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the transport invitation indicates the destination location of the respective service request.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising: determining a value for the respective service request based on at least one of a distance or an estimated time of travel between the start location and the destination location of the respective service request;wherein the data corresponding to the transport invitation transmitted to each of the plurality of provider computing devices includes the value of the respective service request.