Systems and methods for providing a transportation marketplace

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing a transportation marketplace are provided. A transportation server receives, from a client device of a user, a request for a transportation service. The transportation server determines a set of drivers in response to the request, the set of drivers further being available to provide the transportation service when the request is received. The transportation server provides the set of drivers to the client device, wherein each driver within the set of drivers is selectable by the user of the client device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving, from a client device of a user, a request for a transportation service;   determining, by a server, a set of drivers in response to the request, the set of drivers being available to provide the transportation service when the request is received; and   providing the set of drivers to the client device, wherein each driver within the set of drivers is selectable by the user.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the request indicates criteria associated with the transportation service, the criteria including any one or more of a pickup location, a drop-off location, a price preference, a driver rating, a driver response rate, a casual carpooling preference, vehicle preference, driver preference, and preferred estimated time of arrival. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the pickup location is automatically generated by the client device based on a location of the client device. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the client device, a driver selection based on the set of drivers provided to the client device, the driver selection indicating a driver selected from the set of drivers; and   providing, to the client device, a backup driver recommendation if the driver selected is unavailable.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing the set of drivers includes providing information associated with each driver within the set of drivers, the information including any one or more of a price, a driver rating, a vehicle of the driver, an estimated time of arrival, a location of the driver, a driver response rate, and a casual carpool indication. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the information associated with each driver is based on preferences specified by each driver, the preferences including any one or more of pickup location preference, drop-off location preference, price preference, a rating of the user, and a casual carpool preference. 
     
     
         7 . A machine-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, from a client device of a user, a request for a transportation service;   determining a set of drivers in response to the request, the set of drivers being available to provide the transportation service when the request is received; and   providing the set of drivers to the client device, wherein each driver within the set of drivers is selectable by the user.   
     
     
         8 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 7 , wherein the request indicates criteria associated with the transportation service, the criteria including any one or more of a pickup location, a drop-off location, a price preference, a driver rating, a driver response rate, a casual carpooling preference, vehicle preference, driver preference, and preferred estimated time of arrival. 
     
     
         9 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 8 , wherein the pickup location is automatically generated by the client device based on a location of the client device. 
     
     
         10 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the client device, a driver selection based on the set of drivers provided to the client device, the driver selection indicating a driver selected from the set of drivers; and   providing, to the client device, a backup driver recommendation if the driver selected is unavailable.   
     
     
         11 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 7 , wherein providing the set of drivers includes providing information associated with each driver within the set of drivers, the information including any one or more of a price, a driver rating, a vehicle of the driver, an estimated time of arrival, a location of the driver, a driver response rate, and a casual carpool indication. 
     
     
         12 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein the information associated with each driver is based on preferences specified by each driver, the preferences including any one or more of pickup location preference, drop-off location preference, price preference, a rating of the user, and a casual carpool preference. 
     
     
         13 . A computing device comprising:
 a hardware-implemented input module configured to receive, from a client device of a user, a request for a transportation service;   a hardware-implemented transportation module configured to determine a set of drivers in response to the request, the set of drivers being available to provide the transportation service when the request is received; and   a hardware-implemented output module configured to provide the set of drivers to the client device, wherein each driver within the set of drivers is selectable by the user.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the request indicates criteria associated with the transportation service, the criteria including any one or more of a pickup location, a drop-off location, a price preference, a driver rating, a driver response rate, a casual carpooling preference, vehicle preference, driver preference, and preferred estimated time of arrival. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the pickup location is automatically generated by the client device based on a location of the client device. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the client device, a driver selection based on the set of drivers provided to the client device, the driver selection indicating a driver selected from the set of drivers; and   providing, to the client device, a backup driver recommendation if the driver selected is unavailable.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing the set of drivers includes providing information associated with each driver within the set of drivers, the information including any one or more of a price, a driver rating, a vehicle of the driver, an estimated time of arrival, a location of the driver, a driver response rate, and a casual carpool indication. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the information associated with each driver is based on preferences specified by each driver, the preferences including any one or more of pickup location preference, drop-off location preference, price preference, a rating of the user, and a casual carpool preference. 
     
     
         19 . A method comprising:
 receiving, from a driver client device, an indication of a current location and in intended destination;   determining a projected first route from the current location to the intended destination;   receiving a pick-up location and a drop-off location from a passenger client device;   determining a projected second route from the current location, to the pick-up location, to the drop-off location and to the intended destination;   determining a detour based on a difference between the projected first route and the projected second route;   calculating a trip price based on a projected mileage and a projected time of travel of the detour; and   sending the trip price to at least one of the driver client device and the passenger client device.