RANDOM AND DETERMINISTIC TRAVEL FEES

• US 20100153125A1
• Filed: 12/17/2008
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hamilton, Rick A. II, Seaman, James W., Lamba, Naveen, Harrison, Colin George
• Granted Patent: US 8,200,529 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/30 Transportation; Communications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

Methods, including service methods, articles of manufacture, systems, articles and programmable devices are provided for randomly setting a travel fee. A usage attribute of vehicle traffic travelling upon a toll thoroughfare is observed and compared to a threshold. As a function of comparing the attribute to the threshold, a plurality of different toll rates are randomly assigned to each of a plurality of vehicles, each of the vehicles either travelling upon the toll thoroughfare or potentially entering the toll thoroughfare. An occupant of a vehicle is notified of a toll rate randomly assigned, and fees or credits associated with travel by the occupant'"'"'s vehicle are charged (levied or awarded) at the randomly assigned toll rate.

Claims

1. A method for randomly setting a travel fee, comprising:

observing a usage attribute of vehicle traffic travelling upon a toll thoroughfare;

comparing the observed usage attribute to a threshold;

randomly assigning each one of a plurality of different toll rates to each of a plurality of vehicles as a function of comparing the observed usage attribute to the threshold, each of the plurality of vehicles either travelling upon the toll thoroughfare or potentially entering the toll thoroughfare;

notifying an occupant of a vehicle of the plurality of vehicles of a one of the plurality of toll rates randomly assigned to the occupant'"'"'s vehicle; and

charging for travel by the occupant'"'"'s vehicle at the one randomly assigned toll rate.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the usage attribute is selected from the group comprising a traffic density value, an average vehicle speed, an average vehicle travel time, an average time for a vehicle to enter the toll thoroughfare, and an average time for a vehicle to exit from the toll thoroughfare.

3. The method of claim 2, the randomly assigning each of the plurality of different toll rates comprising randomly distributing a first enhanced rate to each of a first group of the plurality of vehicles and a nominal rate to a second group of the plurality of vehicles, the enhanced rate having a monetary value different from a monetary value of the nominal rate.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein notifying the occupant of the one randomly assigned toll rate comprises notifying the occupant of the first enhanced rate prior to presenting the notified occupant with an opportunity of either entering or exiting the toll thoroughfare;

and

further comprising charging for the travel by the occupant'"'"'s vehicle at the one randomly assigned toll rate if the occupant'"'"'s vehicle travels after the presented opportunity of entering or exiting the toll thoroughfare.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising selecting the enhanced rate from a toll cloud of rates centered around the nominal value rate toll, each of the toll cloud rates having different monetary values.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of vehicles is less than a totality of traffic flow vehicles on the thoroughfare.

7. The method of claim 6, comprising:

selecting each of a first group of the plurality of vehicles as function of an ability of each selected first group vehicle to exit or enter the thoroughfare prior to travelling on a segment of the thoroughfare having the usage attribute at a first ingress or egress opportunity;

selecting each of a second group of the plurality of vehicles as function of an ability of each selected second group vehicle to exit or enter the thoroughfare prior to travelling on the segment at the first ingress or egress opportunity and at a second ingress or egress opportunity, the second ingress or egress opportunity not presented to the first group vehicles; and

randomly distributing to each one of the second group of vehicles one of the enhanced rate and a greater-enhanced rate of the plurality of different toll rates, the greater-enhanced rate having a monetary value different from the nominal rate monetary value by a value greater than a difference value of the enhanced rate monetary value relative to the nominal rate monetary value.

8. The method of claim 6, comprising:

assigning a preference to each vehicle of a preferred subset of the plurality of vehicles; and

the randomly distributing the enhanced rate to the each of the first group comprising preferentially distributing the enhanced rate to the preferred subset vehicles relative to a remainder of the plurality of vehicles.

9. The method of claim 8, comprising selecting each of the preferred subset vehicles as a function of a vehicle criteria associated with the preferred subset vehicles, the criteria selected from the group comprising a vehicle type, a vehicle emissions characteristic, a vehicle fuel efficiency, a historical use of the thoroughfare by the vehicle, and a driving history of a driver of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9, comprising iteratively revising at least one of:

the randomly distributing the enhanced rate;

the randomly distributing the greater-enhanced rate; and

the selecting the preferred subset vehicles;

the iteratively revising a function of feedback from continuing observing of the usage attribute of vehicle traffic presently travelling upon the toll thoroughfare.

11. A service for randomly setting a travel fee, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure configured to;

observe a usage attribute of vehicle traffic travelling upon a toll thoroughfare;

compare the observed usage attribute to a threshold;

randomly assign each one of a plurality of different toll rates to each of a plurality of vehicles as a function of comparing the observed usage attribute to the threshold, each of the plurality of vehicles either travelling upon the toll thoroughfare or potentially entering the toll thoroughfare;

notify an occupant of a vehicle of the plurality of vehicles of a one of the plurality of toll rates randomly assigned to the occupant'"'"'s vehicle; and

cause a charge for travel levied upon the occupant'"'"'s vehicle to be determined at the one randomly assigned toll rate.

12. The service of claim 11, wherein the usage attribute is selected from the group comprising a traffic density value, an average vehicle speed, an average vehicle travel time, an average time for a vehicle to enter the toll thoroughfare, and an average time for a vehicle to exit from the toll thoroughfare;

the computer infrastructure configured to randomly assign each of the plurality of different toll rates by randomly distributing a first enhanced rate to each of a first group of the plurality of vehicles and a nominal rate to a second group of the plurality of vehicles, the enhanced rate having a monetary value different from a monetary value of the nominal rate.

13. The service of claim 12, the computer infrastructure configured to:

select each of a first group of the plurality of vehicles as function of an ability of each selected first group vehicle to exit or enter the thoroughfare prior to travelling on a segment of the thoroughfare having the usage attribute at a first ingress or egress opportunity;

select each of a second group of the plurality of vehicles as function of an ability of each selected second group vehicle to exit or enter the thoroughfare prior to travelling on the segment at the first ingress or egress opportunity and at a second ingress or egress opportunity, the second ingress or egress opportunity not presented to the first group vehicles; and

randomly distribute to each one of the second group of vehicles one of the enhanced rate and a greater-enhanced rate of the plurality of different toll rates, the greater-enhanced rate having a monetary value different from the nominal rate monetary value by a value greater than a difference value of the enhanced rate monetary value relative to the nominal rate monetary value.

14. The service of claim 12, the computer infrastructure configured to:

assign a preference to each vehicle of a preferred subset of the plurality of vehicles; and

randomly distribute the enhanced rate by preferentially distributing the enhanced rate to the preferred subset vehicles relative to a remainder of the plurality of vehicles.

15. A method for randomly setting a travel fee, comprising:

producing computer executable program code;

storing the code on a computer readable medium; and

providing the program code to be deployed and executed on a computer system, the program code comprising instructions which, when executed on the computer system, cause the computer system to;

observe a usage attribute of vehicle traffic travelling upon a toll thoroughfare;

compare the observed usage attribute to a threshold;

randomly assign each one of a plurality of different toll rates to each of a plurality of vehicles as a function of comparing the observed usage attribute to the threshold, each of the plurality of vehicles either travelling upon the toll thoroughfare or potentially entering the toll thoroughfare;

notify an occupant of a vehicle of the plurality of vehicles of a one of the plurality of toll rates randomly assigned to the occupant'"'"'s vehicle; and

cause a charge for travel levied upon the occupant'"'"'s vehicle to be determined at the one randomly assigned toll rate.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the usage attribute is selected from the group comprising a traffic density value, an average vehicle speed, an average vehicle travel time, an average time for a vehicle to enter the toll thoroughfare, and an average time for a vehicle to exit from the toll thoroughfare;

the program code comprising instructions which, when executed on the computer system, causes the computer system to randomly assign each of the plurality of different toll rates by randomly distributing a first enhanced rate to each of a first group of the plurality of vehicles and a nominal rate to a second group of the plurality of vehicles, the enhanced rate having a monetary value different from a monetary value of the nominal rate.

17. The method of claim 16, the program code comprising instructions which, when executed on the computer system, causes the computer system to select the enhanced rate from a toll cloud of rates centered around the nominal value rate toll, each of the toll cloud rates having different monetary values.

18. The method of claim 16, the program code comprising instructions which, when executed on the computer system, causes the computer system to:

assign a preference to each vehicle of a preferred subset of the plurality of vehicles; and

randomly distribute the enhanced rate by preferentially distributing the enhanced rate to the preferred subset vehicles relative to a remainder of the plurality of vehicles.

19. A programmable device comprising:

a processing means;

a memory in communication with the processing means comprising a logic component; and

a network interface in communication with the processing means and the memory;

wherein the processing means is configured to;

compare a usage attribute of vehicle traffic travelling upon a toll thoroughfare to a threshold;

randomly assign each one of a plurality of different toll rates to each of a plurality of vehicles as a function of comparing the usage attribute to the threshold, each of the plurality of vehicles either travelling upon the toll thoroughfare or potentially entering the toll thoroughfare;

notify an occupant of a vehicle of the plurality of vehicles of a one of the plurality of toll rates randomly assigned to the occupant'"'"'s vehicle; and

cause a charge for travel levied upon the occupant'"'"'s vehicle to be determined at the one randomly assigned toll rate.

20. The programmable device of claim 19, wherein the usage attribute is selected from the group comprising a traffic density value, an average vehicle speed, an average vehicle travel time, an average time for a vehicle to enter the toll thoroughfare, and an average time for a vehicle to exit from the toll thoroughfare;

wherein processing means is configured to randomly assign each of the plurality of different toll rates by randomly distributing a first enhanced rate to each of a first group of the plurality of vehicles and a nominal rate to a second group of the plurality of vehicles, the enhanced rate having a monetary value different from a monetary value of the nominal rate.