US 11164456

US patent 11164456, titled "Systems and methods for matching pick-up requests with transport providers, tracking trip progress, and enabling provider ratings," was issued to Carma Technology Ltd. The sole inventor listed is Sean O'Sullivan. The application for this patent was filed on April 21, 2021, and the patent was subsequently granted and published on November 2, 2021.

Abstract:
The patent describes a network system that registers the start of a transport journey when a transport user's device and a transport provider's device communicate. It then continuously monitors their coordinated proximity to verify the identities of both the user and the vehicle, and subsequently registers the end of the journey through continued communication between their devices.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1 (Computer-implemented method): This claim outlines a method performed by a computer system for managing shared transportation. It involves:

  • A driver's device communicating its current location and route to a central "Shared Transport Marketplace" system.
  • A rider's device communicating their desired pick-up and destination points to the same marketplace.
  • The marketplace matching the rider's request with an available transport provider.
  • The system determining if the driver is adhering to the pick-up request.
  • The system confirming that the rider is within a reasonable distance of the pick-up point using their device's location.
  • The system continuously monitoring the coordinated proximity of the driver's vehicle and the rider's device during the trip to confirm service delivery.
  • The system logging a history of transactions and events for both drivers and riders.
  • Based on this history, the system assigns performance ratings (e.g., for no-shows or lateness) to both drivers and riders.
  • An external display on the transport vehicle visually confirms the route identification to the rider as it approaches.

• Claim 11 (Non-transitory computer readable storage medium): This claim covers a computer storage medium (like a hard drive or flash memory) that contains software instructions. When a computer processor runs these instructions, it performs the exact same method described in Claim 1, covering all aspects of matching, tracking, rating, proximity verification, and external display.

• Claim 18 (System): This claim describes a physical system designed to perform the functions of shared transportation. The system includes:

  • A "Shared Transport Marketplace" which is a network of computer servers.
  • A driver device (e.g., a "Sat Nav Tracker") that communicates the driver's location and route to the marketplace.
  • A rider device (e.g., a "GPS Phone") that communicates the rider's pick-up and destination points.
  • The marketplace is configured to match requests, confirm driver compliance, verify rider proximity, determine continuous proximity during the journey, and log transaction history for ratings.
  • An external display connected to the driver's vehicle to visually indicate the route information to the rider.

Litigation Status:
As of April 26, 2026, US Patent 11164456 is involved in active litigation. A PTAB (Patent Trial and Appeal Board) case, IPR2026-00307, has been filed and is pending. Additionally, a case related to this patent has been filed in the Texas Eastern District Court.