Ford Motor Company
PROVIDING INDICATORS OF AVAILABILITY IN A SHARED VEHICLE ENVIRONMENT

Abstract:

An intelligent bicycle sharing system, or other vehicle sharing system, is able to provide helpful bicycle availability indications based on historical data and user proximity. Historical data can be collected over time as users use the bicycle sharing system. For example, the historical data may include how many bicycles are checked at out a given time and how many remain at a given location. In some embodiments, an indication may be provided to the user as the user approaches the vehicle sharing system. The indication may provide information regarding the availability of bicycles.