Pickup location selection and augmented reality navigation

Abstract

A network system, such as a transport management system, selects a pickup location for a trip and navigates a rider to the selected pickup location using augmented reality (AR). Responsive to receiving a trip request including an origin location, a pickup location selection module selects candidate pickup locations within a threshold distance of the rider client device. The pickup location selection module filters and ranks the candidates based on historical service data and location characteristics associated with the origin location as well as any history of pickups of the rider at the origin location and data from the trip request. The top-ranked candidate is selected as the pickup location and sent to the rider and driver client devices. An AR navigation module instructs the rider client device to visually augment a live video stream with computer-generated AR elements to navigate the rider from a current location to the pickup location.

1 . A computer-implemented method for selecting a pickup location for a transportation service, the method comprising:
 receiving, at a network system including one or more processors, from a computing device associated with a user, a set of service data, the set of service data including a request for a provider to transport the user;   identifying a plurality of candidate pickup locations within a threshold distance of a current location of the computing device;   ranking the candidate pickup locations based in part on historical service data including aggregations of sensor traces and interactions between users and providers during pickups at each candidate pickup location;   selecting a highest ranked candidate pickup location as a pickup location for the user;   instructing the computing device to display a live video feed, the video feed being captured by a camera on the computing device; and   instructing an augmented reality application on the computing device to visually augment the video feed with augmented reality elements indicating the selected pickup location.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising ranking the candidate pickup locations based on location characteristics associated with an origin location in which the computing device is located. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the location characteristics associated with the origin location include one or more of traffic conditions, road conditions, and sidewalk conditions. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising ranking the candidate pickup locations based on user ratings for providers and provider ratings for users for trips beginning at each candidate pickup location. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising ranking the candidate pickup locations based on past trips associated with the user and beginning within a threshold distance of the current location of the computing device. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising sending the selected pickup location to a provider computing device. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the augmented reality elements indicating the selected pickup location include navigation instructions to the selected pickup location and wherein the method further comprises:
 determining that the computing device is not on a route from the current location to the selected pickup location; and   instructing the augmented reality application to display augmented reality elements to navigate the user to the route.   
     
     
         8 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that, in response to executing, cause a device comprising a processor to perform operations, comprising:
 receiving, at a network system including one or more processors, from a computing device associated with a user, a set of service data, the set of service data including a request for a provider to transport the user;   identifying a plurality of candidate pickup locations within a threshold distance of a current location of the computing device;   ranking the candidate pickup locations based in part on historical service data including aggregations of sensor traces and interactions between users and providers during pickups at each candidate pickup location;   selecting a highest ranked candidate pickup location as a pickup location for the user;   instructing the computing device to display a live video feed, the video feed being captured by a camera on the computing device; and   instructing an augmented reality application on the computing device to visually augment the video feed with augmented reality elements indicating the selected pickup location.   
     
     
         9 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise ranking the candidate pickup locations based on location characteristics associated with an origin location in which the computing device is located. 
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein the location characteristics associated with the origin location include one or more of traffic conditions, road conditions, and sidewalk conditions. 
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise ranking the candidate pickup locations based on user ratings for providers and provider ratings for users for trips beginning at each candidate pickup location. 
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise ranking the candidate pickup locations based on past trips associated with the user and beginning within a threshold distance of the current location of the computing device. 
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise sending the selected pickup location to a provider computing device. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 8 , wherein the augmented reality elements indicating the selected pickup location include navigation instructions to the selected pickup location and wherein the operations further comprise:
 determining that the computing device is not on a route from the current location to the selected pickup location; and   instructing the augmented reality application to display augmented reality elements to navigate the user to the route.   
     
     
         15 . A computer system comprising:
 one or more computer processors for executing computer program instructions; and   a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions executable by the one or more computer processors to perform steps comprising:
 receiving at a network system including one or more processors, from a computing device associated with a user, a set of service data, the set of service data including a request for a provider to transport the user; 
 identifying a plurality of candidate pickup locations within a threshold distance of a current location of the computing device; 
 ranking the candidate pickup locations based in part on historical service data including aggregations of sensor traces and interactions between users and providers during pickups at each candidate pickup location; 
 selecting a highest ranked candidate pickup location as a pickup location for the user; 
 instructing the computing device to display a live video feed, the video feed being captured by a camera on the computing device; and 
 instructing an augmented reality application on the computing device to visually augment the video feed with augmented reality elements indicating the selecting pickup location. 
   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the steps further comprise ranking the candidate pickup locations based on location characteristics associated with an origin location in which the computing device is located. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the steps further comprise ranking the candidate pickup locations based on user ratings for providers and provider ratings for users for trips beginning at each candidate pickup location. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the steps further comprise ranking the candidate pickup locations based on past trips associated with the user and beginning within a threshold distance of the current location of the computing device. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the steps further comprise sending the selected pickup location to a provider computing device. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the augmented reality elements indicating the selected pickup location include navigation instructions to the selected pickup location and wherein the steps further comprise:
 determining that the computing device is not on a route from the current location to the selected pickup location; and   instructing the augmented reality application to display augmented reality elements to navigate the user to the route.