AUTOMATIC OPTIMAL TAXICAB MOBILE LOCATION BASED DISPATCHING SYSTEM

• US 20120232943A1
• Filed: 03/09/2011
• Published: 09/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Makor Issues & Rights Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Makor Issues & Rights Ltd.
• Inventors: MYR, DAVID
• Granted Patent: US 8,442,848 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching

Abstract

The invention discloses a method and system for real-time automatic optimal dispatching of a plurality of taxicabs to passenger pick-up locations. The system uses optimization model to optimally dispatch taxicab vehicles in order to minimize total clients waiting time and to maximize taxicab business profitability. The optimization is performed based on the data on currently available taxicabs and their location, and based on the data on new clients orders and clients'"'"' pick-up locations, wherein the data on available taxicabs and their locations is obtained by the cell phone/GPS means from taxicab in-car devices and the data on clients'"'"' pick-up locations is obtained from clients cell phones/GPS-based devices.

Claims

1. An optimal taxicab dispatching system for optimally dispatching a plurality of taxicabs in a taxicab company to client pick-up locations in response to a request from a taxi client in which objective function based optimization is performed for a plurality of taxicabs located in one common geographical area in order to minimize company'"'"'s total clients waiting time and to maximize taxicab company overall profitability, the system based on obtaining clients and taxicabs location based on mobile networks, comprising:

A central processing unit including software code repository, including taxicab dispatching optimization model code, centralized taxicab database, an order information database, taxicab status information database, and a taxicab dispatching information database;

such central processing unit is adapted to perform optimal taxicab dispatching based on the real-time optimization model performed under the various restrictive constrains;

such central processing unit is capable of communicating with a set of input/output devices(s), and with a memory;

An always-on network for communication between the central processing unit and the client'"'"'s mobile/landline phone devices, and between the central processing unit and the taxicab driver'"'"'s mobile devices.

A set of client mobile and/or GPS-based devices to transmit new orders data to the central processing unit;

A set of taxicab mobile and/or GPS-based devices to continuously transmit data on taxicab location and vacancy status;

Means for determining a location of taxicabs and taxi clients through mobile network positioning by obtaining cell phone positioning from a mobile network operator server or from the GPS.

An optimization engine to determine optimal total minimum clients waiting time for a taxicab company and maximal fees earned for a taxicab company.

2. A system of claim 1, wherein the client mobile device is a cellular phone, PDA, laptop with wireless Internet connection or a GPS-based device.

3. A system of claim 1, wherein the taxicab mobile device is a cellular phone, PDA, laptop with wireless Internet connection or a GPS-based device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of taxicabs utilize an always-on wireless network to transmit a message identifying its status as vacant, not vacant or unavailable.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the client mobile device is equipped with the “

1-touch”

order key button for quick ordering of the taxicab by pressing this key only.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the taxicab mobile device is equipped with the “

Accept Order”

key button for the quick 1-touch approval of the incoming order, and with the “

Refuse Order”

for the quick 1-touch notice of denial to take the incoming order.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising storing a landline telephone number of the taxicab customer in the central database;

cross-referencing the telephone number of the taxicab customer who has requested a taxicab with home address associated with the said telephone number and sending a taxicab to the said address according to the optimization model output.

7. An optimal taxicab dispatching mobile location-based method, comprising the steps of:

a. establishing an initial centralized taxicabs database on a central processing unit;

b. enrolling taxicabs into the centralized taxicabs database;

c. obtaining data on current vacancy status of each taxicab in the database;

d. obtaining data on new clients orders from clients mobile/GPS-enabled devices;

e. obtaining data on location of the new clients using clients mobile/GPS-enabled devices using through mobile network positioning;

f. launching the optimal taxicab-dispatching model and establishing an optimized taxicab dispatching work plan by linear programming model wherein the objective function being directed to minimizing taxicab company total clients waiting time through taking into consideration all taxicabs in a taxicab company and ensuring a preferential employment of nearest taxicab vehicle and lowing transportation costs;

g. sending optimal dispatching command to currently vacant taxicabs.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of establishing the optimized vehicle dispatching schedule is determined according to linear programming model including linear equations expressed by the restrictive conditions, and an objective function for minimization of the total transportation costs (fuel) and total waiting time for clients.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising storing a landline telephone number of the taxicab customer in the central database;

cross-referencing the telephone number of the taxicab customer who has requested a taxicab with home address associated with the said telephone number and sending a taxicab to the said address according to the optimization model output.

10. (canceled)