MOBILE TRANSPORT SELECTION AND ACQUISITION

• US 20100036687A1
• Filed: 08/05/2008
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: O'Connell, Brian M., Bansal, Ravi P., Walker, Keith R., Seaman, James W
• Application Number:
  US12/186,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20100036687A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product for improving transportation selection and acquisition. A computer transmits historical fare and rating data of one or more public transportation vehicles (PTVs) within range of a user operating a mobile telecommunication device (MTD). The user may, via the MTD, select a PTV based on the provided historical fare or ratings data. Alternatively, the user may select a PTV based on personal preferences. In response to receiving a PTV selection from the MTD, the computer issues instructions to cause the selected PTV to be dispatched to the user'"'"'s location. The computer may also receive user feedback for the selected PTV from the user in the form of a rating or as a textual comment. Customer feedback and may be used to update historical record information of a corresponding database entry for the selected PTV. This information may then be referenced by future customers.

Claims

1. A method for improving mobile transportation selection and acquisition, the method comprising:

receiving a transportation request from a mobile telecommunication device (MTD), wherein the transportation request includes a starting location and a destination;

transmitting a public transportation vehicle (PTV) selection list to the MTD;

in response to receiving a PTV selection from the MTD, transmitting a customer identification (CID) fare to the selected PTV, wherein the CID fare contains the starting location and the destination location of a desired transportation request; and

receiving a fare confirmation from the selected PTV, wherein the fare confirmation confirms that an operator of the selected PTV has accepted the transportation request and is en-route to the starting location.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to receiving the fare confirmation within a pre-established amount of time, transmitting a notification message to the MTD, wherein the notification message informs the user of the MTD that the selected PTV has confirmed the CID fare and is en-route to the starting location.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to not receiving the fare confirmation within the pre-established amount of time, establishing a phone call connection between the MTD and a dispatcher;

transmitting an instruction to the MTD to select a second PTV; and

in response to receiving a second selected PTV, transmitting a CID fare to the second PTV.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if the PTV has arrived at the destination;

in response to determining that the PTV has arrived at the destination, transmitting a feedback request to the MTD; and

in response to receiving a response to the feedback request, updating historical feedback data of a database entry of the selected PTV with the feedback data.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising, in response to not receiving the response to the feedback request within a pre-established amount of time, transmitting a secondary feedback request to a secondary contact registered to the owner of the MTD.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a fare cost from the selected PTV, wherein the fare cost is the total cost billed to the user of the MTD; and

in response to receiving the fare cost, updating historical fare cost data of the database entry of the selected PTV with the fare cost.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining one or more public transportation vehicles (PTVs) within proximate range of the starting location; and

creating the PTV selection list, wherein the PTV selection list specifies one or more PTVs within proximate range of the starting location.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

attaching historical data of one or more of the specified PTVs of the PTV selection list, wherein the historical data contains one or more of;

historical fare information of the PTV, and

historical feedback data of the PTV.

9. A computer comprising:

a processor;

a transceiver;

a memory coupled to the processor;

processing logic for;

receiving a transportation request from a mobile telecommunication device (MTD), wherein the transportation request includes a starting location and a destination;

transmitting a public transportation vehicle (PTV)selection list to the MTD;

in response to receiving a PTV selection from the MTD, transmitting a customer identification (CID) fare to the selected PTV, wherein the CID fare contains the starting location and the destination location of a desired transportation request; and

receiving a fare confirmation from the selected PTV, wherein the fare confirmation confirms that an operator of the selected PTV has accepted the transportation request and is en-route to the starting location.

10. The computer of claim 9, the processing logic further comprising logic for, in response to receiving the fare confirmation within a pre-established amount of time, transmitting a notification message to the MTD, wherein the notification message informs the user of the MTD that the selected PTV has confirmed the CID fare and is en-route to the starting location.

11. The computer of claim 9, the processing logic further comprising logic for:

in response to not receiving the fare confirmation within the pre-established amount of time, establishing a phone call connection between the MTD and a dispatcher;

transmitting an instruction to the MTD to select a second PTV; and

in response to receiving a second selected PTV, transmitting a CID fare to the second PTV.

12. The computer of claim 9, the processing logic further comprising logic for:

determining if the PTV has arrived at the destination;

in response to determining that the PTV has arrived at the destination, transmitting a feedback request to the MTD; and

in response to receiving a response to the feedback request, updating historical feedback data of a database entry of the selected PTV with the feedback data.

13. The computer of claim 12, the processing logic further comprising logic for, in response to not receiving the response to the feedback request within a pre-established amount of time, transmitting a secondary feedback request to a secondary contact registered to the owner of the MTD.

14. The computer of claim 9, the processing logic further comprising logic for:

receiving a fare cost from the selected PTV, wherein the fare cost is the total cost billed to the user of the MTD; and

in response to receiving the fare cost, updating historical fare cost data of the database entry of the selected PTV with the fare cost.

15. The computer of claim 9, the processing logic further comprising logic for:

determining one or more public transportation vehicles (PTVs) within proximate range of the starting location; and

creating the PTV selection list, wherein the PTV selection list specifies one or more PTVs within proximate range of the starting location.

16. The computer of claim 15, the processing logic further comprising logic for:

attaching historical data of one or more of the specified PTVs of the PTV selection list, wherein the historical data contains one or more of;

historical fare information of the PTV, and

historical feedback data of the PTV.

17. A computer-readable medium having a plurality of instructions embodied therein, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by a processing device, allows a machine to:

receive a transportation request from a mobile telecommunication device (MTD), wherein the transportation request includes a starting location and a destination;

transmit a public transportation vehicle (PTV) selection list to the MTD;

in response to receiving a PTV selection from the MTD, transmit a customer identification (CID) fare to the selected PTV, wherein the CID fare contains the starting location and the destination location of a desired transportation request;

receive a fare confirmation from the selected PTV, wherein the fare confirmation confirms that an operator of the selected PTV has accepted the transportation request and is en-route to the starting location;

in response to receiving the fare confirmation within a pre-established amount of time, transmit a notification message to the MTD, wherein the notification message informs the user of the MTD that the selected PTV has confirmed the CID fare and is en-route to the starting location;

receive a fare cost from the selected PTV, wherein the fare cost is the total cost billed to the user of the MTD; and

in response to receiving the fare cost, update historical fare cost data of the database entry of the selected PTV with the fare cost.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, the plurality of instructions further comprising instructions for enabling the machine to:

in response to not receiving the fare confirmation within the pre-established amount of time, establish a phone call connection between the MTD and a dispatcher;

transmit an instruction to the MTD to select a second PTV; and

in response to receiving a second selected PTV, transmit a CID fare to the second PTV.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, the plurality of instructions further comprising instructions for enabling the machine to:

determine if the PTV has arrived at the destination;

in response to determining that the PTV has arrived at the destination, transmit a feedback request to the MTD;

in response to receiving a response to the feedback request, update historical feedback data of a database entry of the selected PTV with the feedback data; and

in response to not receiving the response to the feedback request within a pre-established amount of time, transmit a secondary feedback request to a secondary contact registered to the owner of the MTD.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, the plurality of instructions further comprising instructions for enabling the machine to:

determine one or more public transportation vehicles (PTVs) within proximate range of the starting location; and

create the PTV selection list, wherein the PTV selection list specifies one or more PTVs within proximate range of the starting location.

attach historical data of one or more of the specified PTVs of the PTV selection list, wherein the historical data contains one or more of;

historical fare information of the PTV, and

historical feedback data of the PTV.