Continuously updatable computer-generated routes with continuously configurable virtual bus stops for passenger ride-sharing of a fleet of ride-sharing vehicles and computer transportation systems and computer-implemented methods for use thereof

• US 10,197,411 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2017
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Via Transportation Inc.
• Original Assignee: Via Transportation Inc.
• Inventors: Racah, Yaron, Sheba, Avishay, Shoval, Oren, Ramot, Daniel, Marcovitch, Shmulik
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US15/635,744
• Publication Number:
  US 20170314948A1
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• Field of Search: 701412, 701117, 701465, 701410, 701537
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/28 with correlation of data from several navigational instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• 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 21/343 Calculating itineraries, i.e. routes leading from a starting point to a series of categorical destinations using a global route restraint, round trips, touristic trips travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3438 Rendez-vous, i.e. searching a destination where several users can meet, and the routes to this destination for these users; Ride sharing, i.e. searching a route such that at least two users can share a vehicle for at least part of the route
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3676 Overview of the route on the road map
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/39 the satellite radio beacon positioning system transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0125 Traffic data processing
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0137 for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching

Abstract

In some embodiments, the present invention provides a computer-implemented transportation system which can include at least the following components: a specialized computer machine, including: a non-transient memory, electronically storing particular computer executable program code; a specifically programmed computer processor of the specialized computer machine of the computer-implemented transportation system that is configured to perform at least the following operations: electronically receiving, in real-time, via a computer network, a plurality of electronic riding requests from a plurality of electronic computing devices operated by a plurality of ride-sharing requesting passengers; where each electronic riding request from each ride-sharing requesting passenger includes: a passenger-requested origin point, and a passenger-requested destination point; for a particular electronic riding request, dynamically determining, in real-time, from a plurality of candidate vehicles an assigned vehicle for picking up the particular ride-shaming requesting passenger and a pair of assigned virtual pickup and dropoff bus stop tasks.

Claims

1. A system for routing a rideshare vehicle, the system comprising:

a communications interface configured to receive, from a first mobile communications device of a first user, a request for a rideshare, wherein the request includes information associated with a current location of the first user and a first desired destination;

at least one processor configured to receive information from the communications interface and programmed to;

determine, based on current locations of multiple rideshare vehicles and the received request, a rideshare vehicle to pick up the first user;

select, based on the current travel route of the rideshare vehicle, virtual bus stops for the identified rideshare vehicle, including a first virtual bus stop for picking up the first user and a second virtual bus stop for dropping off the first user, and wherein the first virtual bus stop is at a first location at least a block away from the current location of the first user and the second virtual bus stop is at a second location differing from the first desired destination;

assign the rideshare vehicle to pick up the first user from the first virtual bus stop and to drop off the first user at the second virtual bus stop;

generate a first time-estimation for the rideshare vehicle to arrive at the first virtual bus stop for picking up the first user;

continuously track location a current location of the rideshare vehicle prior to arrival at the first virtual bus stop, to generate an updated time-estimation for the rideshare vehicle to arrive at the first virtual bus stop for picking up the first user;

cancel the assignment of the rideshare vehicle when the updated time-estimation differs from the first time-estimation by more than a predefined threshold; and

reassign another rideshare vehicle to pick up the first user from the first virtual bus stop.

2. A system for routing a rideshare vehicle, the system comprising:

a communications interface configured to receive, from a first mobile communications device of a first user, a request for a rideshare, wherein the request includes information associated with a current location of the first user and a first desired destination;

a memory for storing a plurality of pre-identified locations for candidate virtual bus stops;

at least one processor configured to receive information from the communications interface and to;

determine, based on current locations of multiple rideshare vehicles and the received request, a rideshare vehicle to pick up the first user;

select from the plurality of pre-identified locations stored in the memory, based on the current travel route of the rideshare vehicle, virtual bus stops for the identified rideshare vehicle, including a first virtual bus stop for picking up the first user and a second virtual bus stop for dropping off the first user, and wherein the first virtual bus stop is at a first location at least a block away from the current location of the first user and the second virtual bus stop is at a second location differing from the first desired destination; and

assign the rideshare vehicle to pick up the first user from the first virtual bus stop and to drop off the first user at the second virtual bus stop.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the communications interface is further configured to:

receive from a mobile communications device of a second user a second request for a rideshare, wherein the second request includes information associated with a current location of the second user and a second desired destination; and

the at least one processor is further configured to;

select a third virtual bus stop for picking up the second user and a fourth virtual bus stop for dropping off for the second user, wherein the third virtual bus stop is at a third location differing from the current location of the second user and the fourth virtual bus stop is at a fourth location differing from the second desired destination; and

assign the rideshare vehicle to pick up the second user from the third virtual bus stop.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

select the first virtual bus stop, the second virtual bus stop, the third virtual bus stop, and the fourth virtual bus stop such that the first location differs from the third location.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

select the first virtual bus stop, the second virtual bus stop, the third virtual bus stop, and the fourth virtual bus stop such that the second location differs from the fourth location.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

select the first virtual bus stop, the second virtual bus stop, the third virtual bus stop, and the fourth virtual bus stop such that along a route of the rideshare vehicle, the third location is located before the second location.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

select the first virtual bus stop, the second virtual bus stop, the third virtual bus stop, and the fourth virtual bus stop such that along a route of the rideshare vehicle, the fourth location is located before the second location.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to select the third virtual bus stop at the second location.

9. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine a location for the second virtual bus stop for dropping off the first user; and

re-adjust, during a ride of the rideshare vehicle, the determined location when the ridesharing vehicle is assigned to the second user.

10. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

dynamically assign rideshare vehicles to pick up users in a manner that minimizes at least one of the following quality of service factors;

i) a first duration of time which each user spends in the rideshare vehicle;

ii) a second duration of time which each user spends waiting for the rideshare vehicle to arrive at a respective virtual bus stop;

iii) a third duration of time which each user spends walking to a respective virtual pick-up bus stop;

or

iv) a fourth duration of time which each user spends walking to a respective desired destination.

12. The system of claim 2, wherein the memory is further configured to store information about businesses located proximate the candidate virtual bus stops.

13. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to dynamically select virtual bus stops such that the first location is less than a threshold distance from the current location of the first user and the second location is less than a threshold distance from the first desired destination.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the threshold distance is, at least partially, determined in real-time based on at least one of a weather condition, an overall system demand, and a delay duration for other users of the rideshare vehicle.

15. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to dynamically assign rideshare vehicles to pick-up users in a manner that assigns multiple riders to each of the multiple rideshare vehicles.

16. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to dynamically assign rideshare vehicles meet expected future demand by selecting virtual bus stops in historically high demand areas.

17. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

generate a first time-estimation for the rideshare vehicle to arrive at the first virtual bus stop for picking up the first user;

continuously track a current location of the rideshare vehicle prior to arrival at the first virtual bus stop, to generate an updated time-estimation for the rideshare vehicle to arrive at the first virtual bus stop for picking up the first user;

cancel the assignment of the rideshare vehicle when the updated time-estimation differs from the first time-estimation by more than a predefined threshold; and

reassign another rideshare vehicle to pick up the first user from the first virtual bus stop.

18. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine the rideshare vehicle to pick up the first user based on current vehicle location data that includes global positioning system (GPS) data generated by at least one GPS component of at least one electronic computing device associated with each of the multiple rideshare vehicles.

11. A method for routing a rideshare vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving, from a first mobile communications device of a first user, a request for a rideshare, wherein the request includes information associated with a current location of the first user and a first desired destination;

determining, based on current locations of multiple rideshare vehicles and the received request, a rideshare vehicle to pick up the first user;

selecting, based on the current travel route of the rideshare vehicle, virtual bus stops for the identified rideshare vehicle, including a first virtual bus stop for picking up the first user and a second virtual bus stop for dropping off the first user, and wherein the first virtual bus stop is at a first location at least a block away from the current location of the first user and the second virtual bus stop is at a second location differing from the first desired destination;

assigning the rideshare vehicle to pick up the first user from the first virtual bus stop and to drop off the first user at the second virtual bus stop;

receiving from a mobile communications device of a second user a second request for a rideshare, wherein the second request includes information associated with a current location of the second user and a second desired destination; and

after receiving the second request and while the first user is riding the rideshare vehicle, re-adjusting the second location of the second virtual bus stop for dropping off the first user.

19. The method of claim 11, further including:

receiving from a mobile communications device of a second user a second request for a rideshare, wherein the second request includes information associated with a current location of the second user and a second desired destination;

selecting a third virtual bus stop for picking up the second user and a fourth virtual bus stop for dropping off for the second user, wherein the third virtual bus stop is at a third location differing from the current location of the second user and the fourth virtual bus stop is at a fourth location differing from the second desired destination; and

assigning the rideshare vehicle to pick up the second user from the third virtual bus stop.

20. The method of claim 19 further including:

selecting the third virtual bus stop at the location of the second bus stop such that the second location is a same as the third location.