1. A computer-implemented method for operating a service to arrange transport between a customer and a transport party, the method being performed by one or more processors and comprising:
(a) associating an account with each of the customer and the transport party;
(b) determining when the customer is provided transport by the transport party;
(c) determining a fare for the transport; and
(d) directing funds corresponding to the fare to be transferred from the account of the customer to another account as compensation for the transport.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) includes transferring the funds from the account of the customer to one or more intermediary accounts that are associated with either the service or the transport party.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) is performed automatically.
4. The method of claim 3, further comprising programmatically determining that the transport has been completed.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein step (d) is performed automatically in response to detecting that the transport has been completed.
6. The method of claim 4, wherein programmatically determining that the transport has been completed includes determining that the customer has left the of the transport party.
7. The method of claim 4, wherein programmatically determining that the transport has been completed includes detecting a designated action performed by at least one of the customer or the transport party.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating a mobile device with at least one of the customer or a vehicle of the transport party, and wherein step (c) is performed in response to the user or the transport party performing a designated action on the respective mobile device.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the designated action corresponds to the customer using the associated computing device to enter an input or feedback for the transport party.
10. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating a mobile device with at least one of the customer or a vehicle of the transport party, and wherein step (c) is performed by monitoring at least one of the mobile device of the customer or the mobile device of the driver.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) is performed programmatically and automatically, by monitoring a computing device of at least one of the transport party or the customer within a vehicle carrying the customer from a pickup location to a destination location.
12. The method of claim 11, further comprising identifying the customer, so that step (d) includes identifying the account of the identified customer.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein monitoring the computing device includes receiving global positioning system (GPS) information from the computing device within the vehicle.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein step (c) includes determining the fare based in part on one or more of the pickup location, the destination location, andor a path taken by the vehicle between the pickup location and the destination location.
15. The method of claim 13, further comprising defining one or more pre-determined geographic regions, and wherein step (c) includes using the GPS information to determine that at least one of the pickup location or the destination location is in one of the one or more pre-determined geographic regions.
16. The method of claim 13, further comprising defining a plurality of pre-determined geographic regions, and wherein step (c) includes (i) using the GPS information to determine that each of the pickup location and the destination location is in a corresponding one of the plurality of pre-determined geographic regions, and (ii) determining a pre-determined fee associated with the predefined geographic regions that contain the pickup and destination locations.
17. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating a mobile device with at least one of the customer or a vehicle of the transport party, and wherein step (c) includes programmatically determining the fare based, at least in part, by monitoring a global positioning system (GPS) information communicated from the mobile device of at least one of the customer or the transport party.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein step (c) includes programmatically determining the fare based, at least in part, by monitoring a duration of time for the vehicle to carry the customer from the pickup location to the destination location.
19. The method of claim 17, wherein step (c) includes programmatically determining the fare based at least in part on a time of day in which the customer requests transport or is provided transport.
20. The method of claim 17, wherein step (c) includes programmatically determining an availability of vehicles to provide transport at a time when the customer requests transport.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein determining the availability includes determining (i) a status of individual vehicles that are in service at a time that the customer requests transport, and (ii) a number of the vehicles that are engaged to provide transport to other customers at the time the customer requests transport.
22. The method of claim 17, wherein step (c) includes programmatically predicting, based on historical information, an availability of vehicles to provide transport at a time when the customer requests transport.
23. The method of claim 17, wherein programmatically determining the fare is based on one or more of (i) a rating of the customer using the service in the past, (ii) a rating of the transport party as provided by other customers for part transports, or (iii) a type of vehicle or transport provided to the customer.
24. The method of claim 17, further comprising:
performing an evaluation of the transport party to either the customer or to one or more past customers, and
determining a metric associated with the evaluation; and
wherein step (c) includes programmatically determining the fare based at least on the metric.
25. A computer-implemented method for transacting fares between customers and drivers, the method being performed by one or more processors and comprising:
associating an account with each of multiple customers and a transport party;
determining when the multiple customers are provided transport in a vehicle of the transport party at the same time;
automatically determining a fare for the transport; and
directing transfer of funds from the account of each of the multiple customers to another account for compensation to the transport party, wherein the transferred funds from the account of each of the multiple customers collectively amount to at least the fare.
26. The method of claim 25, wherein determining when the multiple customers are provided transport includes determining at least one of a pickup location and a destination location for each of the multiple customer.
27. The method of claim 25, wherein automatically determining a fare for the transport includes determining a pickup location and a destination location for each of the multiple customers, then allocating a portion of the fare to each of the multiple customers based on the pickup location and the destination location of each of the multiple customers.
28. The method of claim 25, wherein transferring funds from the account of each of the multiple customers to the other account is performed after at least one of the multiple customers performs an action that designates that customer’s consent to sharing the fare.
29. The method of claim 25, wherein the action corresponds to the at least one of the multiple customers bumping their respective handsets to the handsets of another one of the multiple customers.
30. A system to arrange transport between a customer and a transport party, the system comprising:
one or more network interfaces, wherein each network interface communicates with a mobile device of a customer or a driver; and
one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
track a position of each of a vehicle of the transport party and the customer during a transport of the customer by the driver;
determine one or more payment parameters from the position of each of the vehicle and the customer;
calculate a fare for the transport; and
direct transfer funds from an account associated with the customer to another account for compensation for the transport.
31. The system of claim 30, wherein the one or more payment parameters include a pickup location and a destination location.
32. The system of claim 30, wherein the one or more payment parameters include a duration of the transport.
33. The system of claim 30, wherein the one or more processors are configured to detect a completion of the transport, and wherein the one or more processors are configured to automatically transfer funds from the account associated with the customer to the other account upon the completion of the transport.
34. The system of claim 30, wherein the one or more processors are configured to detect a completion of the transport by detecting a departure of the customer from a vehicle of the driver or a vicinity of the vehicle of the driver.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An improved assembly for creating a fire display from a liquid fuel comprising:
a) one or more fuel receiving reservoirs connected to one or more burner trays by one or more conduits, the conduits providing flow channels from said one or more reservoirs to said one or more burner trays for a liquid fuel placed in said reservoirs,
b) a bottle receiving area configured to receive a container of a liquid fuel, and
c) the bottle receiving area positioned to provide for delivery of the liquid fuel in the container to the fuel receiving reservoir upon placement of the container in or on the bottle receiving area while the flame display is present, said placement not releasing ignitable fuel fumes,
wherein the improvement comprises locating the one or more burner trays within or adjacent one or more non-flammable structures, the one or more non-flammable structures having a porous element, said porous element being in communication with liquid fuel in the burner tray such that the liquid fuel or vapors from the liquid fuel are transmitted to a porous outer surface of the porous element.
2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the non-flammable structure comprises one or more noncombustible logs with the burner trays adjacent to, enclosed or partially enclosed therein.
3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the liquid fuel comprises an ester oil, plant oil, alcohol, paraffinic compositions or petroleum product.
4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the liquid fuel is an alcohol solution.
5. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the liquid fuel is denatured ethanol.
6. The assembly of claim 1 wherein non-flammable structures are composed of a non-flammable porous or fibrous material, the porous or fibrous material suitable for transmitting vapors from the fuel in the burner tray, to portions of the outer surface of the non-flammable structures.
7. The assembly of claim 1 where a fluid level inside the burner is adjustable up and down by adjusting the height of the reservoir containing the fuel by moving the reservoir vertically.
8. The assembly of claim 1 further including at least one extension integral with or attached to a bottom surface of the porous element such that said at least one extension transmits the fuel from the burner tray to the outer surface of the porous element.
9. The assembly of claim 8 wherein the non-flammable structure comprises one or more noncombustible logs with the burner trays adjacent to, enclosed or partially enclosed therein.
10. The assembly of claim 8 wherein the extensions comprise or include a porous or fibrous wicking material or a tubular structure suitable for transmitting fuel in the burner tray, or vapors from the fuel in the burner tray, to the outer surface of the porous element.
11. The assembly of claim 8 where the fluid level inside the burner is adjustable up and down by adjusting the fuel in the reservoir by moving the reservoir vertically.
12. The assembly of claim 8 wherein the non-flammable structures are composed of a non-flammable porous or fibrous material, the porous or fibrous material suitable for transmitting vapors from the fuel in the burner tray, to portions of the outer surface of the non-flammable structures.