METHOD OF PROVIDING A CAR POOLING ASSISTANCE THROUGH A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20110125794A1
• Filed: 06/05/2008
• Published: 05/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: HUTSCHEMAEKERS, Mathias H. M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,949,272 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/776
• 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: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/30 Transportation; Communications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching

Abstract

The invention relates to a method which receives location information of a mobile terminal of a single user. One or more journeys are extracted from the location information of the single user. The corresponding journey data is stored in a journey database. From the journey data in the journey database, journey patterns for the single user are extracted. A journey pattern indicates at least the regularity of a particular journey in time, i.e. over a number of days. The journey patterns are stored in the pattern database. The journey patterns of the single user are matched with patterns of other users. If a match is found, at least one match based on the journey patterns is sent to the single user. These features enable the carpool service to find a match which takes into account the regularity across a period of days. By identifying the regularity, a better match can be made with users which travel the same route, as also the days on which the users travel are taken into account.

Claims

1. A method of providing a car pooling assistance through a carpool system (2) in a wireless communication system;

the method comprising;

receiving location information of a mobile terminal of a single user by a tracker (20);

extracting one or more journeys from the location information of the single user and storing corresponding journey data in a journey database (22) by the tracker (20);

extracting journey patterns from the journey data in the journey database of the single user, wherein the journey pattern indicates at least the regularity of a particular journey in time by a pattern extractor (24);

storing the journey patterns in the pattern database (26) by the pattern extractor (24);

matching the journey patterns of the single user with patterns of other users by a matcher (28);

sending at least one match based on the journey patterns to the single user by the matcher (28).

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein extracting journey patterns comprises:

identifying journeys having the same start and end location, with similar start and end times from the journey data to obtain a group of similar journeys;

determining one or more pattern types from the group of similar journeys;

providing the start and end location with a determined pattern type as a journey pattern.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the pattern type is one selected from a group of repetition patterns, the group of repetition patterns comprises at least two repetition patterns selected from a group comprising:

every day, every working day, every day except one, every week same day, every week different days, every two weeks, every month.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein extracting journey patterns further comprises:

calculating a conformity indicating the consistency of the group of similar journeys corresponding to the pattern type;

linking the conformity to a journey pattern.

5. A method according to claim 2, wherein extracting journey patterns further comprises:

calculating an estimated start and end time from the start and end times of the group of similar journeys associated with a journey pattern;

linking the estimated start and end time to a journey pattern.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein extracting journey patterns further comprises:

calculating start and end time deviations from the start and end times of the group of similar journeys associated with a journey pattern;

linking the start and end time deviations to a journey pattern.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein extracting journey patterns further comprises:

search in the journey patterns for a return journey that matches a journey pattern;

linking the journey pattern and the matched return journey pattern.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving user preferences for matching; and

wherein the user preferences form a basis to find a match between the journey patterns of the single user and other users by the matcher (28).

9. A method according to claim 2, wherein matching uses pattern rules to determine a match between journey patterns of different users, wherein the pattern rules define which combination of pattern types matches.

10. A method according to claim 5, wherein matching comprises:

finding two journey patterns which pattern type matches;

determining a first additional time corresponding to the traveling time between the start locations of the two journey patterns;

determining a second additional time corresponding to the traveling time between the end locations of the two journey patterns;

detecting a match if the first and second additional time does not exceed a predefined criteria.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the start or end time matches if the time ranges of the two journeys have a correlation of a predefined percentage.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein matching uses journey patterns extracted from databases from various service providers.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

receive choice of user by the matcher (28);

setup call between user and user associated with choice by the matcher (28).

14. Service control entity adapted to perform the method according to claim 1.

15. Computer program loadable into a processing unit of a service control entity, the computer program comprising portions of software code adapted to perform the method according to claim 1.

16. Computer-readable medium product comprising a computer program according to claim 15.