Abstract: A number of techniques are disclosed for making it more convenient and efficient for customers to conduct various rental vehicle transactions. As an example, a technique for performing an automated pickup of a rental vehicle using a mobile device is disclosed. As another example, a technique for performing an automated return administration of a rental vehicle using a mobile device is disclosed. As another example, a technique for permitting customer to select a particular rental vehicle for a rental vehicle transaction using a mobile device is disclosed. Also disclosed is a technique for permitting a customer to keylessly start a rental vehicle using a machine-sensible item such as his/her mobile device without requiring the customer to possess a smart key.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system can be used for providing a taxi service. The system includes an integrated terminal configured to communicate with an operating server that provides a response to a request for a service received from a user terminal through a network. The integrated terminal is configured to determine whether to identify vehicle distribution call information by using an operation state of a vehicle and information acquired by associating a boarding location of a user and heading direction information of the vehicle, calculate an operation fee by using GPS information or wheel speed information of the vehicle, and determine whether an output screen of the vehicle is changed based on gear state information, wheel speed information, or information received from an electronic control unit of the vehicle.

Abstract: Embodiments upsell a hotel room selection by generating a first hierarchical prediction model corresponding to a first hotel chain, the first hierarchical prediction model receiving reservation data from one or more corresponding first hotel properties, and generating a second hierarchical prediction model corresponding to a second hotel chain, the second hierarchical prediction model receiving reservation data from one or more corresponding second hotel properties. At each of the first hierarchical prediction model and the second hierarchical prediction model, embodiments generate corresponding model parameters. At a horizontal federated server, embodiments receive the corresponding model parameters and average the model parameters to be used as a new probability distribution, and distribute the new probability distribution to the first hotel properties and the second hotel properties.

Abstract: A method of operating a group of laundry appliances includes identifying a washing machine appliance from the group of laundry appliances which is accessed by a user. The method also includes determining a dryer appliance from the group of laundry appliances is available for use and is closest to the identified washing machine appliance and reserving the determined dryer appliance for the user. The method further includes activating the reserved dryer appliance.

Abstract: An embodiment server includes a communicator configured to communicate with a personal mobility and a user terminal and a controller configured to control the communicator to transmit a rental permission signal to the personal mobility in response to receiving an authentication completion signal from the user terminal, wherein the authentication completion signal is a signal generated by the user terminal based on biometric information of a user received by the user terminal and registered biometric information stored in the user terminal.

Abstract: Systems and/or methods receive an indication associated with a delivery to an address and determine a route associated with the delivery. The systems and/or methods determine a threshold distance to the address associated with displaying images of an environment along the route. As a device associated with a delivery personnel travels within the threshold, the device displays the image(s) of the environment. Additional image(s) are presented based on arriving at the address. The additional image(s) represent a structure associated with the address. The route is displayed along with the additional image(s) to allow the delivery personnel to efficiently make the delivery.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for scoring candidate routes. One of the methods includes obtaining a predictive model trained on training examples from trip log data, wherein each training example has feature values from a particular trip and a value of a dependent variable that represents an outcome of a portion of the particular trip, wherein the features of each particular trip include values obtained from one or more external data feed sources that specify a value of a sensor measurement at a particular point in time during the trip. Sensor values from one or more external data feed sources of a sensor network are received. Feature values are generated using the sensor values received from the one or more external data feed sources. A predicted score is computed for each route using the feature values for the candidate route.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems, non-transitory computer-readable media, and methods for intelligently determining to assess (or not assess) a cancellation penalty and notifying a requestor device of such a penalty in response to either a requestor's selection to cancel a single transportation request for a requestor or a requestor's selection to cancel a shared-transportation request associated with multiple requestors. For example, the disclosed systems can generate conversion probabilities for a requestor reflecting if a cancellation penalty is assessed—and if the cancellation penalty is not assessed—for a cancellation of a transportation request for transport of a lone requestor. Based on the conversion probabilities, the disclosed systems customize a cancellation notice for a requestor device to either include or exclude the cancellation penalty.

Abstract: The technology relates to a seamless interface between an autonomous vehicle service provider and one or more ridesharing or ride-hailing partner companies. An API enables efficient and robust communication with such partner companies for effective rider services and support. The API enables a partner company to determine how quickly an autonomous vehicle from the service provider could pick up a rider from a given location, as well as the cost of the ride. Customers may request rides or modify scheduled trips via an app running on the user's mobile phone or other communication device. The service may allow customers to directly communicate with the ride provider company, and may also allow customers to book or modify rides via interaction with a partner company that works with the ride provider company, either with the same or a different app.

Abstract: A dispatch database maintains, for a plurality of vehicles available for dispatch, vehicle data and constraints data. A processor is programmed to execute a dispatch server to perform operations including to receive a dispatch request requesting a vehicle to arrive at a request location, utilize a machine-learning model to identify one or more of the plurality of vehicles to respond to the dispatch request, the machine-learning model utilizing the vehicle data and the constraints data as inputs to determine the one or more of the plurality of vehicles, and inform the one or more of the plurality of vehicles of the dispatch request.

Abstract: A server determines, during a conference implemented using conferencing software and based on stored data associated with two or more users participating in the conference, that the two or more users are accessing the conferencing software from separate user devices located in separate areas of an office premises. The server determines, by accessing stored conference room scheduling data of the office premises, that a conference room within the office premises is available for use by the two or more users. The server transmits, to each of the separate user devices, a prompt recommending that the two or more users further participate in the conference using a shared device configured to access the conferencing software within the conference room.

Abstract: A controller includes a memory and a processor. The memory stores drop-off data regarding a first user who gets off a ride-sharing vehicle and pick-up data regarding a second user who gets on the ride-sharing vehicle. The processor is configured to execute vehicle control including at least one of drop-off of the first user and pick-up of the second user based on at least one of the drop-off data and the pick-up data. The vehicle control includes, executing at least one of first zone setting processing that is processing of setting a first zone where the drop-off is executed and second zone setting processing that is processing of setting a second zone where the pick-up is executed, and executing first zone resetting processing of resetting the first zone in a space not overlapping the second zone.

Abstract: The technology relates to a seamless interface between an autonomous vehicle service provider and one or more ridesharing, ride-hailing or delivery partner companies, in order to provide timely, efficient rider or delivery services and support. A partner trip application programming interface (API) provides robust features to the ridesharing or ride-hailing partner companies and also supports delivery of meals, groceries, packages or other cargo. For instance, the API may be employed with delivery partners (e.g., food, package or bulk cargo delivery), and/or for concierge services (e.g., a hotel or medical provider or an e-commerce specialist that coordinates deliveries). The technology supports both ad hoc and scheduled trips. Agents for different partners may schedule trips to or from specific stores or other (geofenced) locations, and observe and manage trips for an entire enterprise. Permissions can be tailored for each agent.

Abstract: A mobile merchant may have an entrance area which may have a geo-fence area which has a communication device to communicate with a payment device of a user when in or passing through the geo-fence area such as getting on a bus. The location of the start of the communication may be noted and stored as a first or starting location. When the user gets off the mobile merchant, the communication between the communication device and the payment device may end. The location of the end of the communication may also be noted and stored as a second or ending location. The first and second location and data from the payment device may be communicated to a billing computing device which may determine a price for the trip from the first location and the second location and the price may be applied to the payment account represented by the payment data.

Abstract: A server determines, during a conference implemented using conferencing software and based on stored data associated with two or more users participating in the conference, that the two or more users are accessing the conferencing software from separate user devices located in separate areas of an office premises. The server determines, by accessing stored conference room scheduling data of the office premises, that a conference room within the office premises is available for use by the two or more users. The server transmits, to each of the separate user devices, a prompt recommending that the two or more users further participate in the conference using a shared device configured to access the conferencing software within the conference room.

Abstract: A technique for controlling access to one or more attractions is achieved using a number of access keys, each being issued to one or more users. An electronic queue management part manages a virtual queue in respect of each attraction and receives electronic requests for attraction access, each request relating to an access key and being for the users associated with it to access a particular attraction. Receipt of each request causes the respective users to be added to a corresponding virtual queue. A time at which each group of users reaches the front of the virtual queue and can access the attraction is determined. The users access the attractions by presenting an access key to an access control part, in communication with the electronic queue management part. Only a user presenting an access key at the correct time for accessing the attraction is allowed access to the attraction.

Abstract: Customization of sharing of rides can involve the grouping of passengers in vehicles according to objective and subjective parameters and preferences. In some embodiments, vehicles or other components of the system are equipped to identify and compare information about users of the system using biometric scanning. In some embodiments, fares for rideshares can be tied to a projected quality or desirability of the rideshare for a user or users of the system.

Abstract: An online reservation system is configured to receive requests from a guest for searching property listings and to return property listings that satisfy the search criteria of the requests. The online reservation system uses a machine learning system to rank the property listings returned by the search. The machine learning system uses objective functions to determine parameters for each property listing and assign a ranking based on the parameters. A first objective function generates a parameter indicating an extent to which a property listing matches preferences of the guest, and is based on data about the guest's interactions with the reservation system. A second objective function generates another parameter indicating an extent to which the search request matches the preferences of the host associate with the property listing, and is based on data about the host's responses to reservation requests.

Abstract: A number of techniques are disclosed for making it more convenient and efficient for customers to conduct various rental vehicle transactions. As an example, a technique for performing an automated pickup of a rental vehicle using a mobile device is disclosed. As another example, a technique for performing an automated return administration of a rental vehicle using a mobile device is disclosed. As another example, a technique for permitting customer to select a particular rental vehicle for a rental vehicle transaction using a mobile device is disclosed. Also disclosed is a technique for permitting a customer to keylessly start a rental vehicle using a machine-sensible item such as his/her mobile device without requiring the customer to possess a smart key.

Abstract: The present disclosure includes acquiring a desired condition from a user who uses a shared vehicle, determining whether or not the shared vehicle can be reserved on the basis of the desired condition, and when the reservation of the shared vehicle is completed, providing information including a destination of the shared vehicle reserved to other users as reservation information of the shared vehicle.