Providing on-demand services through use of portable computing devices

Abstract

A computer system communicates with provider computing devices associated with a plurality of service types. In response to receiving a first communication from a requester computing device, the computer system (i) determines, based at least in part on location information communicated by multiple provider computing devices associated with a first service type, a first value representative of a first property of available services of the first service type, (ii) determines, based at least in part on a current location of the requester computing device and location information communicated by one or more of the multiple provider computing devices, a second value representative of a second property of available services of the first service type, and (iii) transmits data comprising the first value and the second value to cause the requester computing device to display the first value and the second value in association with the first service type.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer system comprising:
 one or more processors;   a memory storing a set of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the computer system to perform operations that include:
 communicating with a plurality of provider computing devices to obtain location information, wherein each provider computing device is associated with at least one of a plurality of service types of an on-demand service including a first service type and a second service type; 
 in response to receiving a first communication from a requester computing device:
 (i) determining, based at least in part on location information communicated by multiple provider computing devices of the plurality of provider computing devices that are associated with the first service type, a first value representative of a first property of available services of the first service type, 
 (ii) determining, based at least in part on a current location of the requester computing device and location information communicated by one or more of the multiple provider computing devices that are associated with the first service type, a second value representative of a second property of available services of the first service type, and 
 (iii) transmitting, to the requester computing device, data comprising the first value and the second value to cause the requester computing device to display the first value and the second value in association with the first service type on a user interface; and 
 
 in response to receiving, from the requester computing device, a second communication indicating selection of a second service type:
 (vi) determining, based at least in part on location information communicated by multiple provider computing devices of the plurality of provider computing devices that are associated with the second service type, a third value representative of the first property of available services of the second service type, 
 (v) determining, based at least in part on the current location of the requester computing device and location information communicated by one or more of the multiple provider computing devices that are associated with the second service type, a fourth value representative of the second property of available services of the second service type, and
 (vi) transmitting, to the requester computing device, data comprising the third value and the fourth value to cause the requester computing device to display the third value and the fourth value in association with the second service type on the user interface. 
 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the data comprising the third value and the fourth value causes the requester computing device to display the third value and the fourth value by replacing the first value and the second value with the third value and the fourth value. 
     
     
         3 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the first service type corresponds to a service type previously selected by the requester. 
     
     
         4 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the first service type corresponds to a service type previously requested most frequently used by the requester when requesting a transport service. 
     
     
         5 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the on-demand service is an on-demand transport service. 
     
     
         6 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the on-demand service is an on-demand food service. 
     
     
         7 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the first property corresponds to an estimated service cost. 
     
     
         8 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the second property corresponds to an estimated time of arrival. 
     
     
         9 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the computer system to perform operations that include:
 in response to receiving, from the requester computing device, a third communication indicating a request for service, transmitting, to the requester computing device, data comprising additional data to cause the requester computing device to display the additional data for verification before confirming the request for service.   
     
     
         10 . The computer system of  claim 9 , wherein the additional data includes data corresponding to a particular service provider who will be fulfilling the request for service. 
     
     
         11 . The computer system of  claim 9 , wherein the additional data includes data corresponding to a pickup location of the request for service. 
     
     
         12 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the computer system to perform operations that include:
 transmitting, to the requester computing device, instructions that enable the requester to transmit a request for service for the second service type, the request for service specifying at least a pickup location.   
     
     
         13 . The computer system of  claim 12 , wherein the pickup location is the current location of the requester. 
     
     
         14 . The computer system of  claim 12 , wherein the pickup location is different from the current location of the requester. 
     
     
         15 . A method comprising:
 communicating with a plurality of provider computing devices to obtain location information, wherein each provider computing device is associated with at least one of a plurality of service types of an on-demand service including a first service type and a second service type;   in response to receiving a first communication from a requester computing device:
 (i) determining, based at least in part on location information communicated by multiple provider computing devices of the plurality of provider computing devices that are associated with the first service type, a first value representative of a first property of available services of the first service type, 
 (ii) determining, based at least in part on a current location of the requester computing device and location information communicated by one or more of the multiple provider computing devices that are associated with the first service type, a second value representative of a second property of available services of the first service type, and 
 (iii) transmitting, to the requester computing device, data comprising the first value and the second value to cause the requester computing device to display the first value and the second value in association with the first service type on a user interface; and 
   in response to receiving, from the requester computing device, a second communication indicating selection of a second service type:
 (vi) determining, based at least in part on location information communicated by multiple provider computing devices of the plurality of provider computing devices that are associated with the second service type, a third value representative of the first property of available services of the second service type, 
 (v) determining, based at least in part on the current location of the requester computing device and location information communicated by one or more of the multiple provider computing devices that are associated with the second service type, a fourth value representative of the second property of available services of the second service type, and 
 (vi) transmitting, to the requester computing device, data comprising the third value and the fourth value to cause the requester computing device to display the third value and the fourth value in association with the second service type on the user interface; 
   wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the on-demand service is an on-demand transport service. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the on-demand service is an on-demand food service. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the first property corresponds to an estimated service cost. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the second property corresponds to an estimated time of arrival. 
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations that include:
 communicate with a plurality of provider computing devices to obtain location information, wherein each provider computing device is associated with at least one of a plurality of service types of an on-demand service including a first service type and a second service type;   in response to receiving a first communication from a requester computing device:
 (i) determine, based at least in part on location information communicated by multiple provider computing devices of the plurality of provider computing devices that are associated with the first service type, a first value representative of a first property of available services of the first service type, 
 (ii) determine, based at least in part on a current location of the requester computing device and location information communicated by one or more of the multiple provider computing devices that are associated with the first service type, a second value representative of a second property of available services of the first service type, and 
 (iii) transmit, to the requester computing device, data comprising the first value and the second value to cause the requester computing device to display the first value and the second value in association with the first service type on a user interface; and 
   in response to receiving, from the requester computing device, a second communication indicating selection of a second service type:
 (vi) determine, based at least in part on location information communicated by multiple provider computing devices of the plurality of provider computing devices that are associated with the second service type, a third value representative of the first property of available services of the second service type, 
 (v) determine, based at least in part on the current location of the requester computing device and location information communicated by one or more of the multiple provider computing devices that are associated with the second service type, a fourth value representative of the second property of available services of the second service type, and 
 (vi) transmit, to the requester computing device, data comprising the third value and the fourth value to cause the requester computing device to display the third value and the fourth value in association with the second service type on the user interface.