According to the report of the “Chinese News Service” on June 11, Uber recently applied for a system patent to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The system will use artificial intelligence to identify passengers. "status". However, some analysts pointed out that this patent is not intended to be a boring discussion of the customer's “status” of driving. Uber is really interested in detecting the difference between normal passengers and drunken passengers.
CNN first reported the patent. The patent shows that artificial intelligence technology is used to measure and assess the difference between a user and a normal state when using a mobile phone to call a car. The collected data includes, for example, the position and the accuracy of data input. Degree, data input speed, interface interaction behavior, user's possession of equipment, and even their walking speed.
The patent also describes a system that will inform the driver of the "state" of the passenger to be faced, theoretically allowing them to prepare for the future. The patent states that for those passengers who are in unusual circumstances, there may be drivers with special training or professional knowledge to provide services, but it may also be impossible to find a vehicle that provides services at all.
In the vast majority of cases, calling Uber is one of the safest ways for drunks to go home, but on the other hand, Uber drivers' sexual assaults on passengers also occur frequently. According to CNN, in the past four years, at least 103 Uber drivers in the United States have been accused of sexually assaulting or insulting passengers. Many police officers report that passengers are drunk or drunk before entering the car.
Therefore, notifying the driver when the passenger is drunk will not only reduce the driver's trouble, but also avoid controversial allegations that may be incurred in dealing with uncontrolled passengers. At the same time, the system described in this patent may also monitor poor driver infringements.
However, whether the patent can be fully applied to the actual situation remains to be considered, because monitoring the status of passengers involves customer data privacy issues. If there is slight carelessness, there will be huge compensation due to massive data leakage. However, it is certain that some patents will become the final product, and it will only be possible to prove that the idea of Uber monitoring the status of passengers will be recognized by the public if it is tested over time.