Multi-car-pool organization method

• US 20030182183A1
• Filed: 03/20/2002
• Published: 09/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Pribe, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US10/101,495
• Publication Number:
  US 20030182183A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/22 Platooning, i.e. convoy of communicating vehicles

Abstract

A method of organizing a multi-car-pool comprising a leading car and at least one follower customer car, comprising the steps of registering participants, each of them potentially being a chauffeur of the leading car and/or a following customer in the multi-car-pool in a central service organization, providing a electronic service platform to enable registered participants to submit their intended driving route and driving direction and travelling timeframe to the central service organization, assembling participants having submitted their intended driving route and driving direction and travelling timeframe, who are having the same intended driving direction and overlapping travelling timeframe and sharing at least a part of their routes to build a multi-car-pool by the central service organization, and submitting information to a chauffeur and a customer assembled to build the multi-car-pool to enable the identification of each other. The service platform is implemented as an internet application.

Claims

1. A method of organizing a multi-car-pool having a leading car and at least one follower customer car, the method comprising the acts of:

(a) registering participants in a central service organization, each of the participants potentially being a chauffeur of the leading car and/or a follower customer in the multi-car-pool;

(b) providing an electronic service platform to enable registered participants to submit their intended driving route and driving direction and travelling timeframe to the central service organization;

(c) assembling participants having submitted their intended driving route and driving direction and travelling timeframe, who are having the same intended driving direction and overlapping travelling timeframe and sharing at least a part of their routes to build a multi-car-pool by the central service organization; and

(d) submitting information to a chauffeur and one or more customers assembled to build the multi-car-pool and to enable them to identify each other.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-car-pool is an electronic tow-bar platoon.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the assembling of the participants further comprises the act of bringing together participants and enabling them to negotiate via the central service organization.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the service platform enables the participants to submit their intent whether they are willing to be a chauffeur or a follower customer, to the central service organization.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the acts of:

(a) displaying participants who submitted their intent to be willing to be a chauffeur to at least one participant by the electronic service platform, and

(b) enabling, with the electronic service platform, these participants to submit a chosen chauffeur of the displayed chauffeurs to the central service organization.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the service platform further enables the participants to define a maximum number of cars building the multi-car-pool they want to join, and to submit said maximum number to the central service organization.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification of the participants of an assembled multi-car-pool is supported by a participant locating service and a route guidance service.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic service platform is an internet application.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic service platform offers at least one of entertainment programs and news services to the follower customers.