Fully Automated Vehicle Dispatching, Monitoring and Billing

• US 20080228562A1
• Filed: 03/10/2008
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1995
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Total Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Total Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Smith, Chris C., Edwards, Kenneth W., Frederick, Elizabeth G.
• Application Number:
  US12/045,291
• Publication Number:
  US 20080228562A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0284 Time or distance, e.g. usage of parking meters or taximeters
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching

Abstract

A system for controlling vehicles (20) to provide transportation services without need for human intervention. A database (10) stores records each documenting needed transportation services. Processing circuitry (which may be one or several networked computers) performs a dispatching process (26) which reviews these records, locates records indicating a need for immediate transportation service, and instructs vehicles to provide the service. The processing circuitry also performs a monitoring process (28) which monitors vehicle activities by reviewing the records, and automatically obtained vehicle activity information, to identify transportation services which are not being adequately provided, and refer these to human dispatchers (16) for special attention. A variety of methods for obtaining and updating vehicle activity information are disclosed, as are various applications for the system.

Claims

1. A system for controlling vehicles to provide transportation services without need for human intervention, comprising:

a database including records each documenting needed transportation services;

processing circuitry performing a dispatching process including reviewing said records, locating a record indicating a need for immediate transportation service, and instructing a vehicle to provide said transportation service;

said processing circuitry further performing a monitoring process including reviewing said records and vehicle activity information to identify transportation services which are not being adequately provided; and

communication circuitry forwarding instructions produced by said dispatching process from said processing circuitry to a vehicle;

said communication circuitry further providing vehicle activity information relating to said vehicle to said processing circuitry for review by said monitoring process.