Patent ID: 11880899
Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Field: Digital communication (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G  H | IPC G  H

Claim 14:
15. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
receiving location coordinates associated with a geographic location of a computing device;
determining that the geographic location is within a threshold distance to a portable transport device station, the portable transport device station comprising a plurality of shared portable transport devices, a plurality of docking spots each configured to move between an unlocked position wherein a corresponding one of the plurality of portable transport devices is not maintained in the portable transport device station, and a locked position wherein the corresponding one of the plurality of portable transport devices is maintained in the portable transport device station, and a kiosk for moving at least one of the plurality of docking spots between the unlocked and locked positions;
receiving user identification information comprising sensor data automatically captured by one or more sensors at the bicycle station that includes a representation of a user;
analyzing the sensor data to determine a feature vector;
comparing the feature vector to a plurality of stored feature vectors;
determining a stored feature vector from the plurality of stored feature vectors that matches the feature vector to at least a threshold deviation, the stored feature vector associated with a registered user, the registered user associated with a user account of a service provider;
authorizing access to the user account;
triggering a transport mode reservation event in the user account; and
unlocking a first docking spot of the plurality of docking spots with the kiosk to automatically provide access to a first portable transport device of the plurality of shared portable transport devices associated with the transport mode reservation event based at least in part on an automatic authentication procedure when the user is within a signal detection range associated with the portable transport device station.