SFO Earns U.S. Patent for System That Tracks App-Based Ground Transportation

The San Francisco International Airport (SFO) has been awarded a patent for a mobile application that tracks application-based ground transportation, such as those operated by Uber and Lyft. The United States Patent and Trademark Office awarded patent #10,535,021 to SFO for the system, which tracks properly-equipped vehicles operating within a GPS “geo-fence” area. The mobile application, created in-house, is used for roadway planning, billing verification, and the enforcement of Airport roadway rules and regulations.

“We take pride in being an airport of innovation, and earning our first U.S. patent reinforces our position as an industry leader,” said Airport Director Ivar C. Satero. “We also believe in sharing best practices, and we are pleased that so many other airports have found this system to be a valuable tool for managing their own operations. My thanks go out to the entire SFO team who made this milestone achievement possible.”

In 2015, SFO announced the licensing of the system through the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) for use at other airports around the United States. Today, 24 airports across the nation use the system to manage their own Uber and Lyft operations.

That same year, the in-house mobile app was honored with a 2015 “Best of California” award by the Center for Digital Government, which recognizes public-sector employees and local government organizations for their contribution to information technology issues in the State of California.

For a link to the U.S. patent, please visit https://www.flysfo.com/patent.