Intelligent Automated Dispatch And Mobile Resources Management System

• US 20120078671A1
• Filed: 09/28/2011
• Published: 03/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: It Curves, LLC
• Original Assignee: It Curves, LLC
• Inventors: Mohebbi, Matthew, Ditu, Cosmin Vlad, Siddiqui, Muhammad Imran Younus
• Application Number:
  US13/247,431
• Publication Number:
  US 20120078671A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product for automated operation of a vehicle fleet. A request to dispatch a vehicle to a particular location is automatically received. The location of a vehicle to be dispatched is automatically determined. Instructions are automatically sent to that vehicle to proceed to the particular location.

Claims

1. A system for automated operation of a vehicle fleet, comprising:

means for automatically receiving a request to dispatch a vehicle to a particular location;

means for automatically determining the location of a vehicle to be dispatched; and

means for automatically sending instructions to that vehicle to proceed to the particular location.

2. A method for automated operation of a vehicle fleet, comprising:

automatically receiving a request to dispatch a mobile resource to a particular location;

automatically determining the location of a mobile resource to be dispatched; and

automatically sending instructions to that mobile resource to proceed to the particular location.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

establishing a service area for the particular location;

automatically determining the location of a plurality of mobile resources within the established area;

electronically transmitting a request to the plurality of mobile resources to accept a request to proceed to the particular location;

electronically receiving acceptances from at least some of the plurality of mobile resources;

automatically selecting one mobile resource from among the mobile resources from which acceptances were received; and

automatically transmitting a notification of the selection of the service request to the selected mobile resource.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

automatically establishing a plurality of service regions within the service area, each service region incorporating a plurality of service zones;

automatically determining the location of one or more mobile resources within a given service zone; and

automatically determining the location of a plurality of mobile resources within a given service region if the number of mobile resources within the given service zone does not meet a required minimum number.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

automatically determining the location of a plurality of mobile resources within a given plurality of service regions within the service area if the number of mobile resources within the given service region does not meet a required minimum number.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

automatically locating a plurality of mobile resources as a function of predefined attributes required for a mobile resource.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the predefined attributes include:

whether a mobile resource is currently busy;

whether a mobile resource is currently not in service;

the distance of a mobile resource from a given service start location;

governmental regulations governing a given service request; and

any Service Level Agreement that is in effect with respect to a given request.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

electronically receiving confirmation of acceptance of the selection from the selected mobile resource; and

automatically marking the corresponding service request as an in progress service request.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

if the selected mobile resource fails to confirm acceptance of the selection, then automatically removing that mobile resource from the TCG;

automatically selecting a second mobile resource from among the members of the TCG to proceed to the service start location; and

automatically transmitting a notification of the selection to the second mobile resource.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

automatically receiving real-time traffic information to determine travel time between a member of a TCG and a given service start location to further determine whether to select that member to proceed to the given service start location.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising, at substantially the same time, receiving a plurality of service requests and:

electronically transmitting requests to the plurality of BCGs to accept at least one of the requests to proceed to a service start location;

electronically receiving acceptances from a plurality of members of each BCG to define a plurality of TCGs;

automatically selecting one mobile resource from among the members of each TCG to proceed to a given service start location; and

automatically transmitting a notification of the selection to each selected mobile resource.

12. A method for automated operation of a mobile resource fleet upon receipt of a service request to dispatch a mobile resource, comprising:

establishing a region that includes a particular service request start location and a Bid Candidate Group (BCG), comprising a plurality of mobile resources that are available to be dispatched to the service start location;

electronically transmitting requests to the BCG to accept the service request to proceed to the service start location;

electronically receiving acceptances from a plurality of members of the BCG to define a Trip Candidate Group (TCG);

automatically selecting one mobile resource from among the members of the TCG to proceed to the plurality of service start locations within that region; and

automatically transmitting a notification of the selection of a particular trip to the selected mobile resource.

13. A method of selecting a plurality of service requests that are within a given time window and are within a selected service zone and to dispatch a mobile resource to each of some of the plurality of service requests, comprising:

establishing a Bid Candidate Group (BCG) comprising the plurality of mobile resources that are available for dispatch to a selected service zone;

electronically transmitting requests to the BCG to accept a service request to proceed to a service start location within the selected service zone;

electronically receiving acceptances from a plurality of members of the BCG to define a Trip Candidate Group (TCG);

automatically selecting a number of mobile resources from within the TCG to provide service in response to a corresponding service request from within the plurality of service requests; and

electronically transmitting a notification of a selected service request to a corresponding selected mobile resource.

14. An article of manufacture including a non-volatile computer readable medium having computer program logic stored thereon that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method for automated operation of a mobile resource fleet upon receipt of a service request to dispatch a mobile resource, comprising:

establishing a region that includes a service start location and a Bid Candidate Group (BCG), comprising a plurality of mobile resources that are available to be dispatched to the service start location;

electronically transmitting a request to the BCG to accept the request to proceed to the service start location;

electronically receiving acceptances from a plurality of members of the BCG to define a Trip Candidate Group (TCG);

automatically selecting one mobile resource from among the members of the TCG to proceed to the service start location; and

automatically transmitting a notification of the selection to the one mobile resource.

15. The article of manufacture according to claim 14, wherein the computer program logic, when executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform the following additional operations, including:

electronically receiving confirmation of acceptance of the selection from the one mobile resource.

16. The article of manufacture according to claim 15, wherein the computer program logic, when executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform the following additional operations, including:

if the one mobile resource fails to confirm acceptance of the selection, then automatically removing that one mobile resource from the TCG;

automatically selecting a second mobile resource from among the members of the TCG to proceed to the service start location; and

automatically transmitting a notification of the selection to the second mobile resource.

17. The article of manufacture according to claim 16, wherein the computer program logic, when executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform the following additional operations, including:

automatically establishing a plurality of service regions within the service area, each service region incorporating a plurality of service zones;

automatically determining the location of one or more mobile resources within a given service zone; and

automatically determining the location of a plurality of mobile resources within a given service region if the number of mobile resources within the given service zone does not meet a required minimum number.

18. The article of manufacture according to claim 16, wherein the computer program logic, when executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform the following additional operations, including:

establishing a plurality of regions, each of which includes at least one service start location and at least one BCG;

electronically transmitting requests to the plurality of BCGs to accept at least one of the requests to proceed to a service start location;

electronically receiving acceptances from a plurality of members of each BCG to define a plurality of TCGs;

automatically selecting one mobile resource from among the members of each TCG to proceed to a given service start location; and

automatically transmitting a notification of the selection to each selected mobile resource.

19. The article of manufacture according to claim 18, wherein the computer program logic, when executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform the following additional operations, including:

automatically determining the location of a plurality of mobile resources within a given plurality of service regions within the service area if the number of mobile resources within the given service region does not meet a required minimum number.

20. The article of manufacture according to claim 19, wherein the computer program logic, when executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform the following additional operations, including:

automatically locating a plurality of mobile resources as a function of predefined attributes required for a mobile resource.

21. The article of manufacture according to claim 20, wherein the computer program logic, when executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform the following additional operations, including:

selecting a member of a TCG as a function of at least one of the following criteria;

whether a mobile resource is currently busy;

whether a mobile resource is currently not in service;

the distance of a mobile resource from a given service start location;

governmental regulations governing a given service request; and

any Service Level Agreement that is in effect with respect to a given request.

22. The article of manufacture according to claim 21, wherein the computer program logic, when executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform the following additional operations, including:

automatically receiving real-time traffic information to determine travel time between a member of a TCG and a given service start location to further determine whether to select that member to proceed to the given service start location.

23. An article of manufacture including a non-volatile computer readable medium having computer program logic stored thereon that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method for automated operation of a mobile resource fleet upon receipt of a service request to dispatch a mobile resource, comprising:

automatically receiving a request to dispatch a vehicle to a particular location;

automatically determining the location of a vehicle to be dispatched; and

automatically sending instructions to that vehicle to proceed to the particular location.

24. The article of manufacture according to claim 23, wherein the computer program logic, when executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform the following additional operations, including:

establishing a region that includes the particular location;

automatically determining the location of a plurality of mobile resources within the established region;

electronically transmitting a request to the plurality of mobile resources to accept a request to proceed to the particular location;

electronically receiving acceptances from at least some of the plurality of mobile resources;

automatically selecting one mobile resource from among the mobile resources for which acceptances were received; and

automatically transmitting a notification of the selection of the one mobile resource to that mobile resource.