Methods and systems for transportation service recommendation

• US 10,169,804 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2016
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conduent Business Services, LLC (Conduent, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Conduent Business Services, LLC (Conduent, Inc.)
• Inventors: Thangaraj, Raja Subramaniam, Raravi, Gurulingesh, Mukherjee, Koyel, Metrewar, Asmita, Dutta, Partha
• Primary Examiner(s): Boomer, Jeffrey C
• Application Number:
  US15/018,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20170227367A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3423 Multimodal routing, i.e. combining two or more modes of transportation, where the modes can be any of, e.g. driving, walking, cycling, public transport
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3446 Details of route searching algorithms, e.g. Dijkstra, A*, arc-flags, using precalculated routes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

According to embodiments illustrated herein there is provided a method for transportation service recommendation. The method includes determining, one or more routes between a first location and a second location. The method further includes identifying one or more transportation services between each pair of adjacent intermediate nodes of a plurality of intermediate nodes, of the one or more routes. A pre-initiated pooled transportation service for at least a first pair of adjacent intermediate nodes, and a public transportation for at least a second pair of adjacent intermediate nodes are identified. The method further includes determining a likelihood to find one or more other users on a route at least between the first pair of adjacent intermediate nodes, if a user initiates a new-pooled transportation service in an event of unavailability of the pre-initiated pooled transportation service. Additionally, the method includes transmits one or more transportation service recommendations to the user.

Claims

1. A method of providing transportation service recommendation between a first location and a second location, the method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, a request from a user-computing device for transportation services between the first location and the second location at a specified time, the request including data for the first location that is automatically acquired by a positioning sensor included in the user-computing device, and data for the second location that is input by a user of the user-computing device;

determining, by the one or more processors, one or more recommended routes between the first location and the second location based on a maximum detour threshold and a maximum walking threshold, wherein each of the one or more recommended routes comprises a plurality of intermediate nodes;

receiving, by the one or more processors, real time data of traffic conditions on the one or more recommended routes from one or more sensors;

identifying, by the one or more processors, one or more transportation services for each recommended route based on a user profile, map data, historical data of traffic conditions along the recommended route, and the real time data of traffic conditions, wherein for each recommended route, a pre-initiated pooled transportation service is identified for at least a first pair of adjacent intermediate nodes, and a public transportation service is identified for at least a second pair of adjacent intermediate nodes;

transmitting, by the one or more processors, one or more transportation service recommendations to the user-computing device, wherein the one or more transportation service recommendations comprise the one or more recommended routes and the corresponding one or more transportation services; and

rendering, by the user-computing device, a graphical user interface to display a map and the one or more transportation service recommendations, wherein the one or more transportation service recommendations include the recommended routes and are displayed based on a ranking score,

wherein the graphical user interface comprises user interface elements that are engageable by the user to select a transportation service recommendation, and

wherein determining the one or more recommended routes comprises;

generating a weighted graph based on the maximum detour threshold and the maximum walking threshold, the weighted graph including the intermediate nodes represented by squares each having a length corresponding to a lower one of the maximum detour threshold and the maximum walking threshold, the weighted graph also including edges connecting the intermediate nodes, wherein the edges representing geographical distances between the intermediate nodes;

determining a plurality of shortest paths between a source node corresponding to the first location and a destination node corresponding to the second location based on lengths of paths and average time of travel for the paths, wherein a length of a path is determined based on a sum of lengths of edges included in the path connecting the source node and the destination node; and

identifying the one or more recommended routes based on the plurality of shortest paths and at least one of the maximum detour threshold and the maximum walking threshold.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising ranking, by the one or more processors, the one or more transportation service recommendations based on one or more route parameters associated with each of the one or more recommended routes, one or more transportation service parameters associated with each of the one or more transportation services on the one or more recommended routes, and the user profile.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the one or more route parameters comprise at least a number of intermediate legs in the one or more recommended routes, a distance of a walking leg in the one or more recommended routes, or a detour distance from a shortest path between the first location and the second location in the one or more recommended routes.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the one or more transportation service parameters comprise at least a travel time information, and a price charged by the corresponding one or more transportation services.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user profile comprises at least one or more route preferences and one or more transportation service preferences.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the one or more route preferences comprise at least a preference of the recommended route between the first location and the second location, a maximum number of intermediate hops between the first location and the second location, a maximum detour threshold, or a maximum walking threshold.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the one or more transportation service preferences comprise at least a preference of a transportation service, a preference of make of the transportation service, a maximum occupancy of pooled transportation service, a preference of co-passengers in the pooled transportation service, and a cost constraint.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving a selection, by the one or more processors, of a transportation service recommendation from the one or more transportation service recommendations, wherein the pre-initiated pooled transportation service or a new-pooled transportation service is booked based on the received selection.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising transmitting a notification to an agent-computing device associated with the booked pooled transportation service, wherein the notification comprises one or more of details pertaining to at least a pick up node of the first pair of adjacent intermediate nodes, and details pertaining to the user.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining on arrival time of the pre-initiated pooled transportation service or a new-pooled transportation service at a pick up node of the first pair of adjacent intermediate nodes based at least on a current location of the pre-initiated pooled transportation service or the new-pooled transportation service, and a speed of the pre-initiated pooled transportation service or the new-pooled transportation service, wherein the one or more transportation service recommendations are based on the determination of the arrival time of the pre-initiated pooled transportation service or the new-pooled transportation service.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising recommending, by the one or more processors, the one or more recommended routes to one or more service providers of the pooled transportation service based on demand on each of the one or more recommended routes, wherein the demand corresponds to a count of first requests received from one or more users for transportation service recommendations between the first location and the second location.

12. A system for providing transportation service recommendation between a first location and a second location, the system comprising:

one or more sensors configured to obtain real time data of traffic conditions; and

one or more processors configured to;

receive a request from a user-computing device for transportation services between the first location and the second location at a specified time, the request including data for the first location that is automatically acquired by a positioning sensor included in the user-computing device, and data for the second location that is input by a user of the user-computing device;

determine one or more recommended routes between the first location and the second location based on a maximum detour threshold and a maximum walking threshold, wherein each of the one or more recommended routes comprises a plurality of intermediate nodes;

identify one or more transportation services for each recommended route based on a user profile, map data, historical data of traffic conditions along the route, and the real time data of traffic conditions along the route,

wherein for each recommended route, a pre-initiated pooled transportation service is identified for at least a first pair of adjacent intermediate nodes, and a public transportation service is identified for at least a second pair of adjacent intermediate nodes;

transmit one or more transportation service recommendations to the user through the user-computing device, wherein the one or more transportation service recommendations comprise the one or more recommended routes and the corresponding one or more transportation services; and

render, by the user-computing device, a graphical user interface to display a map and the one or more transportation service recommendations, wherein the one or more transportation service recommendations including the recommended routes and are displayed based on a ranking score,

wherein the graphical user interface comprises user interface elements that are engageable by the user to select a transportation service recommendation, and

wherein determining the one or more recommended routes comprises;

generating a weighted graph based on the maximum detour threshold and the maximum walking threshold, the weighted graph including the intermediate nodes represented by squares each having a length corresponding to a lower one of the maximum detour threshold and the maximum walking threshold, the weighted graph also including edges connecting the intermediate nodes, wherein the edges representing geographical distances between the intermediate nodes; and

determining a plurality of shortest paths between a source node corresponding to the first location and a destination node corresponding to the second location based on lengths of paths and average time of travel for the paths, wherein a length of a path is determined based on a sum of lengths of edges included in the path connecting the source node and the destination node; and

identifying the one or more recommended routes based on the plurality of shortest paths, and at least one of the maximum detour threshold and the maximum walking threshold.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are configured to rank the one or more transportation service recommendations based on one or more route parameters associated with each of the one or more recommended routes, one or more transportation service parameters associated with each of the one or more transportation services on the one or more recommended routes, and the user profile.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the one or more route parameters comprise at least a number of intermediate legs in the one or more recommended routes, a distance of a walking leg in the one or more recommended routes, or a detour distance from a shortest path between the first location and the second location in the one or more recommended routes.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein the one or more transportation service parameters comprise at least a travel time information, and a price charged by the corresponding one or more transportation services.

16. The system according to claim 12, wherein the user profile comprises at least one or more route preferences and one or more transportation service preferences.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the one or more route preferences comprise at least a preference of the recommended route between the first location and the second location, a maximum number of intermediate hops between the first location and the second location, a maximum detour threshold, or a maximum walking threshold.

18. The system according to claim 16, wherein the one or more transportation service preferences comprise at least a preference of a transportation service, a preference of make of the transportation service, a maximum occupancy of pooled transportation service, a preference of co-passengers in the pooled transportation service, and a cost constraint.

19. The system according to claim 12, wherein the one or more processors ore further configured to receive a selection of a transportation service recommendation from the one or more transportation service recommendations, wherein the pre-initiated pooled transportation service or a new-pooled transportation service is booked based on the received selection.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to transmit a notification to an agent-computing device associated with the booked pooled transportation service, wherein the notification comprises one or more of details pertaining to at least a pick up node of the first pair of adjacent intermediate nodes, and details pertaining to the user.

21. The system according to claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine an arrival time of the pre-initiated pooled transportation service or a new-pooled transportation service at a pick up node of the first pair of adjacent intermediate nodes based at least on a current location of the pre-initiated pooled transportation service or the new-pooled transportation service, and a speed of the pre-initiated pooled transportation service or the new-pooled transportation service, wherein the one or more recommended routes are recommended based on the determination of the arrival time of the pre-initiated pooled transportation service or the new-pooled transportation service.

22. The system according to claim 12, wherein the one or more processors ore further configured to recommend the one or more recommended routes to one or more service providers of the pooled transportation service based on demand on each of the one or more recommended routes, wherein the demand corresponds to a count of first requests received from one or more users for transportation service recommendations between the first location and the second location.

23. A computer program product for use with a computer, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium, wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium stores a computer program code for providing transportation service recommendation between a first location and a second location, wherein the computer program code is executable by one or more processors to:

receive a request from a user-computing device for transportation services between the first location and the second location at a specified time, the request including data for the first location that is automatically acquired by a positioning sensor included in the user-computing device, and data for the second location that is input by a user of the user-computing device;

determine one or more recommended routes between the first location and the second location based on a maximum detour threshold and a maximum walking threshold, wherein each of the one or more recommended routes comprise a plurality of intermediate nodes;

receive real time data of traffic conditions on the one or more recommended routes from one or more sensors;

identify one or more transportation services for each recommended route based on a user profile, map data, historical data of traffic conditions along the route, and the real time data of traffic conditions,

wherein for each recommended route, a pre-initiated pooled transportation service is identified for at least a first pair of adjacent intermediate nodes, and a public transportation service is identified for at least a second pair of adjacent intermediate nodes;

transmit one or more transportation service recommendations to the user through the user-computing device, wherein the one or more transportation service recommendations comprise the one or more recommended routes and the corresponding one or more transportation services; and

render, by the user-computing device, a graphical user interface to display a map and the one or more transportation service recommendations, wherein the one or more transportation service recommendations including the recommended routes and are displayed based on a ranking score,

wherein the graphical user interface comprises user interface elements that are engageable by the user to select a transportation service recommendation, and

wherein determining the one or more recommended routes comprises;

generating a weighted graph based on the maximum detour threshold and the maximum walking threshold, the weighted graph including the intermediate nodes represented by squares each having a length corresponding to a lower one of the maximum detour threshold and the maximum walking threshold, the weighted graph also including edges connecting the intermediate nodes, wherein the edges representing geographical distances between the intermediate nodes;

determining a plurality of shortest paths between a source node corresponding to the first location and a destination node corresponding to the second location based on lengths of paths and average time of travel for the paths, wherein a length of a path is determined based on a sum of lengths of edges included in the path connecting the source node and the destination node; and

identifying the one or more recommended routes based on the plurality of shortest paths, and at least one of the maximum detour threshold and the maximum walking threshold.