CONDUCTING ROUTE COMMERCE FROM A CENTRAL CLEARINGHOUSE

• US 20110166958A1
• Filed: 01/05/2010
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Pickover, Clifford Alan, O'Connell, Brian Marshall, Hamilton, Rick Allen II, Kozloski, James Robert
• Application Number:
  US12/652,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20110166958A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.25
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0607 Regulated
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/26 Government or public services business processes related to the transportation industry G06Q50/40

Abstract

A method and system for managing route resources. After receiving a request for a route from a user, user-specified constraints, route supplier-specified constraints, and weights assigned to the constraints, a dynamic model of available routes is queried to generate proposed routes based on the constraints and weights. The model is updated according to the proposed routes. Current bids on related routes are retrieved. Prices of the proposed routes are determined and presented to the user. The prices are based on the updated model and the current bids on related routes. If no price is acceptable, the user modifies the constraints and a new set of proposed routes is generated. A bid from the user to purchase a selected proposed route is received.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of managing route resources, said method comprising:

receiving a request for a route from a user;

receiving a plurality of constraints on said route, wherein said plurality of constraints includes a first set of one or more constraints specified by said user and a second set of one or more constraints specified by a supplier of said route;

receiving a plurality of weights that assign priorities to said plurality of constraints;

querying a dynamic model of a plurality of available routes;

in response to said querying said dynamic model, generating one or more proposed routes based on said plurality of constraints and said plurality of weights;

updating said dynamic model according to said one or more proposed routes;

retrieving one or more current bids on one or more other routes related to said one or more proposed routes based on predefined criteria;

a processor of a computer system determining one or more prices of said one or more proposed routes, wherein said one or more prices are based on said updated dynamic model and based on said one or more current bids;

presenting said one or more prices to said user; and

receiving a bid from said user to purchase a selected proposed route of said one or more proposed routes.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to said presenting said one or more prices, modifying one or more constraints of said plurality of constraints; and

modifying said one or more proposed routes, wherein said selected proposed route is included in said modified one or more proposed routes.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said modifying said one or more constraints is performed by multiple users utilizing on-line collaboration tools supported by said computer system.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said modifying said one or more constraints is performed during a time period in which said user is traveling said selected proposed route.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said modifying said one or more constraints is performed by modifying one or more parameters in a query or by utilizing a dynamic modification interface.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying said updated dynamic model in response to said receiving said bid from said user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said updating said dynamic model is performed prior to said determining one or more prices of said one or more proposed routes.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating said one or more proposed routes includes:

receiving a plurality of stringency parameters for said plurality of constraints;

receiving a target number of routes to be included in said one or more proposed routes;

receiving an aggregate fitness requirement for designating a proposed route of said one or more proposed routes;

determining a first plurality of fitness values of said plurality of routes;

determining that none of said plurality of fitness values satisfies said aggregate fitness requirement;

in response to said determining that none of said plurality of fitness values satisfies said aggregate fitness requirement, relaxing said plurality of constraints based on said plurality of stringency parameters;

subsequent to said relaxing said plurality of constraints, determining a second plurality of fitness values of said plurality of routes;

determining a fitness value of said second plurality of fitness values satisfies said aggregate fitness requirement, wherein said fitness value indicates a fitness of a route of said plurality of routes to be said proposed route of said one or more proposed routes;

designating said route of said plurality of routes to be said proposed route of said one or more proposed routes based on said fitness value of said second plurality of fitness values satisfying said aggregate fitness requirement;

in response to said determining said fitness of said route, adding said route to a route list;

if said route list includes a number of routes that is less than said target number of routes, repeating the steps of;

said relaxing said plurality of constraints;

determining one or more other fitness values of one or more other routes of said plurality of routes satisfy said aggregate fitness requirement;

designating said one or more other routes to be one or more other proposed routes of said one or more proposed routes; and

adding said one or more other routes to said route list until said number of routes in said route list is said target number of routes.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating said one or more proposed routes includes generating a first route that is designated as environmentally friendly according to predefined criteria and generating a second route that is designated as being not environmentally friendly according to said predefined criteria, and wherein said determining said one or more prices includes determining a first price of said first route and a second price of said second route, wherein said first price is less than said second price based on said first route being environmentally friendly and said second route not being environmentally friendly.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending to said user one or more identifications of one or more alternative transportation methods for traveling said selected proposed route.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said sending said one or more identifications includes sending an identification of a transportation method that includes public transportation, and wherein said determining said one or more prices is based on a fare charged by said public transportation.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said sending said one or ore identifications includes sending an identification of a transportation method that includes car-pooling with a second user, and wherein said method further comprises compensating said second user for car-pooling with said user.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection by said user of a parameter to not be included in said plurality of constraints; and

presenting to said user a variation in said parameter across multiple proposed routes.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating said one or more proposed routes is performed by a remote server included in said computer system that determines said one or more prices or in part by a computing interface device operated by said user.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an amount of time during which said user desires to travel said route multiple times; and

generating a price for traveling said route said multiple times in said amount of time.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more proposed routes are in a real-world environment or a virtual-world environment.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving one or more payments for said selected proposed route prior to said receiving said request from said user, wherein said one or more payments are received from one or more users other than said user; and

subsequent to said receiving said bid from said user, refunding one or more portions of said one or more payments to said one or more users.

18. A computer system comprising a processor, a computer readable memory, a computer readable storage medium, and program instructions stored on said computer readable storage medium, said program instructions configured to be carried out by said processor via said computer readable memory to implement the method of claim 1.

19. A computer program product, comprising a computer-readable storage medium having a computer-readable program code stored therein, said computer-readable program code containing instructions configured to be carried out by a processor of a computer system to implement the method of claim 1.

20. A process for supporting computing infrastructure, said process comprising providing at least one support service for at least one of creating, integrating, hosting, maintaining, and deploying computer-readable code in a computer system, wherein the code in combination with the computer system is capable of performing a method of managing route resources, said method comprising:

receiving a request for a route from a user;

receiving a plurality of constraints on said route, wherein said plurality of constraints includes a first set of one or more constraints specified by said user and a second set of one or more constraints specified by a supplier of said route;

receiving a plurality of weights that assign priorities to said plurality of constraints;

querying a dynamic model of a plurality of available routes;

in response to said querying said dynamic model, generating one or more proposed routes based on said plurality of constraints and said plurality of weights;

updating said dynamic model according to said one or more proposed routes;

retrieving one or more current bids on one or more other routes related to said one or more proposed routes based on predefined criteria;

a processor of said computer system determining one or more prices of said one or more proposed routes, wherein said one or more prices are based on said updated dynamic model and based on said one or more current bids;

presenting said one or more prices to said user; and

receiving a bid from said user to purchase a selected proposed route of said one or more proposed routes.

21. The process of claim 20, wherein said method further comprises:

in response to said presenting said one or more prices, modifying one or more constraints of said plurality of constraints; and

modifying said one or more proposed routes, wherein said selected proposed route is included in said modified one or more proposed routes.

22. The process of claim 21, wherein said modifying said one or more constraints is performed by multiple users utilizing on-line collaboration tools supported by said computer system.

23. The process of claim 21, wherein said modifying said one or more constraints is performed during a time period in which said user is traveling said selected proposed route.

24. The process of claim 21, wherein said modifying said one or more constraints is performed by modifying one or more parameters in a query or by utilizing a dynamic modification interface.

25. The process of claim 20, wherein said method further comprises modifying said updated dynamic model in response to said receiving said bid from said user.

26. The process of claim 20, wherein said updating said dynamic model is performed prior to said determining one or more prices of said one or more proposed routes.

27. The process of claim 20, wherein said generating said one or more proposed routes includes:

receiving a plurality of stringency parameters for said plurality of constraints;

receiving a target number of routes to be included in said one or more proposed routes;

receiving an aggregate fitness requirement for designating a proposed route of said one or more proposed routes;

determining a first plurality of fitness values of said plurality of routes;

determining that none of said plurality of fitness values satisfies said aggregate fitness requirement;

in response to said determining that none of said plurality of fitness values satisfies said aggregate fitness requirement, relaxing said plurality of constraints based on said plurality of stringency parameters;

subsequent to said relaxing said plurality of constraints, determining a second plurality of fitness values of said plurality of routes;

determining a fitness value of said second plurality of fitness values satisfies said aggregate fitness requirement, wherein said fitness value indicates a fitness of a route of said plurality of routes to be said proposed route of said one or more proposed routes;

designating said route of said plurality of routes to be said proposed route of said one or more proposed routes based on said fitness value of said second plurality of fitness values satisfying said aggregate fitness requirement;

in response to said determining said fitness of said route, adding said route to a route list;

if said route list includes a number of routes that is less than said target number of routes, repeating the steps of;

said relaxing said plurality of constraints;

determining one or more other fitness values of one or more other routes of said plurality of routes satisfy said aggregate fitness requirement;

designating said one or more other routes to be one or more other proposed routes of said one or more proposed routes; and

adding said one or more other routes to said route list until said number of routes in said route list is said target number of routes.

28. The process of claim 20, wherein said generating said one or more proposed routes includes generating a first route that is designated as environmentally friendly according to predefined criteria and generating a second route that is designated as being not environmentally friendly according to said predefined criteria, and wherein said determining said one or more prices includes determining a first price of said first route and a second price of said second route, wherein said first price is less than said second price based on said first route being environmentally friendly and said second route not being environmentally friendly.

29. The process of claim 29, wherein said method further comprises sending to said user one or more identifications of one or more alternative transportation methods for traveling said selected proposed route.