ARRANGEMENT AND METHOD FOR TRANSPORT SHARING

• US 20120290652A1
• Filed: 09/22/2011
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bravioz Oy
• Original Assignee: Sami Raisanen, Zeljko Boskovic
• Inventors: BOSKOVIC, Zeljko
• Granted Patent: US 8,880,601 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal

Abstract

An arrangement, of functionally connected electronic devices includes: a data input entity, configured to obtain user in-formation relative to a plurality of users, data indicative of trust between multiple users and data indicative of a number of ride requests and ride offers by the users, a trust network knowledgebase entity configured to establish and manage a number of trust networks on the basis of the obtained data. The knowledgebase entity groups a plurality of users into a number of trust networks, a scheduling entity configured, on the basis of the obtained data, to determine a potential transport sharing scenario for a plurality of users belonging to the same trust network. The scheduling entity is configured to find potential matches between the ride requests and ride offers to determine the scenario, and a data output entity configured to indicate the scenario to multiple users of the plurality.

Claims

1. An arrangement, such as one or more at least functionally connected electronic devices like servers, comprising:

a data input entity configured to obtain user information relative to a plurality of users, data indicative of trust between multiple users and data indicative of a number of ride requests and ride offers by the users, optionally also public transportation data such as schedule and route data, user location data, contextual data such as transport method and/or vehicle details data relative to a user, user calendar data, ride plan data, user history data relative to time and/or location, POI (place of interest) data, area calendar data such as city event calendar data, real-time traffic data, date data, time data, and/or event data,

a trust network knowledgebase entity configured to establish and manage a number of trust networks on the basis of the obtained data, wherein the knowledgebase entity groups a plurality of users into a number of trust networks,

a scheduling entity configured to, on the basis of the obtained data, to determine a potential transport sharing scenario for a plurality of users belonging to the same trust network, wherein the scheduling entity is configured to find potential, at least partial matches between the ride requests and ride offers in order to determine said scenario, and

a data output entity configured to indicate the scenario preferably to multiple users of said plurality, wherein the determined one or more shared legs are indicated at least to the concerned users and preferably also the private legs of the overall journey of each user, if any, are indicated, wherein each private leg is optionally indicated to the concerned user only.

2. The arrangement of claim 1, configured to establish or update a trust network utilizing a number of criteria including at least one element selected from the group consisting of:

indicated personal trust between multiple users, trust credentials such as a common employer, association or other organization between multiple users, inherited trust wherein a first user trusted by a second user is then also trusted by a third user trusting the second user, user reputation optionally at least partially determined by a number of other users through rating, voting, or some other method, and validation status of the identity of a user.

3. The arrangement of claim 1, configured to validate a user utilizing at least one element selected from the group consisting of:

e-mail address, phone number, personal digital certificate such as mobile certificate, social security code, bank account, and TUPAS authentication.

4. The arrangement of claim 1, configured to remove a user from a trust network based on indication of a fulfillment of at least one predetermined criterion, the criterion being selected from the group consisting of:

distrust indicated by other user, the user leaving a company or other organization providing the trust associated with the user, user inactivity relative to the service, and user passivity relative to a sent request.

5. The arrangement of claim 1, configured to utilize a ride request incorporating at least one element selected from the group consisting of:

location of departure, destination location, desired date, desired time, desired date or time of arrival, desired date or time of departure, and desired vehicle details.

6. The arrangement of claim 1, configured to utilize a ride offer incorporating at least one element selected from the group consisting of:

location of departure, destination location, desired date, desired time, desired date or time of arrival, desired date or time of departure, used vehicle details such as fuel or energy status or capacity, and used vehicle theoretical and/or current range.

7. The arrangement of claim 1, configured to automatically deduce at least portion of a ride request or ride offer relative to a user on the basis of at least one element selected from the group consisting of:

user location, date, time, user calendar data, history data associated with the user, and POI (place of interest) data.

8. The arrangement of claim 1, configured to send a notification to a number of users and optionally update the associated transport sharing scenario based on at least one element selected from the group consisting of:

traffic jam data, traffic accident data, protest data, parking situation data, weather information, vehicle fuel or energy information, calendar data change, ride provider—

related data, ride requestor—

related data, flight schedule change, public trans-portation schedule change, and private ride schedule change.

9. The arrangement of claim 1, configured to classify a more general user input as a ride request or a ride offer based on predetermined logic and available data, preferably substantially real-time data and/or history data associated with the user.

10. The arrangement of claim 1, configured to determine an area or radius of interest indicative of the area for the determination of the transport sharing scenario relative to the departure and/or destination location of a ride request, wherein the area is preferably considered to include the locations considered as relevant in the light of the determination, said locations being associated with the users belonging to at least one trust network of the ride requestor and/or with public transportation locations such as stops.

11. The arrangement of claim 1, configured to apply carbon footprint data associated with potential transportation method or vehicle for determining the scenario, preferably to minimize the carbon emissions.

12. A method for managing transport sharing comprising:

obtaining user information relative to a plurality of users, data indicative of trust between multiple users and data indicative of a number of ride requests and ride offers by the users, optionally also public transportation data such as schedule and route data, user location data, contextual data such as transport method and/or vehicle details data relative to a user, user calendar data, ride plan data, user history data relative to time and/or location, POI (place of interest) data, area calendar data such as city event calendar data, real-time traffic data, date data, time data, and/or event data,

managing a database of trust networks on the basis of the obtained data, wherein the knowledgebase entity groups a plurality of users into a number of trust networks,

determining a potential transport sharing scenario for a plurality of users belonging to the same trust network, wherein the scheduling entity is configured to match a ride request with a ride offer in order to determine said scenario, and

indicating the scenario to said plurality of users, wherein at least a shared leg of the potentially different personal overall journeys of said plurality of users is indicated, said indication optionally including schedule data, map data, location data, route data and/or personal contact data.

13. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable carrier medium having program code embodied therein for causing, when run on a computer, the computer to

obtain user information relative to a plurality of users, data indicative of trust between multiple users and data indicative of a number of ride requests and ride offers by the users, optionally also public transportation data such as schedule and route data, user location data, contextual data such as transport method and/or vehicle details data relative to a user, user calendar data, ride plan data, user history data relative to time and/or location, POI (place of interest) data, area calendar data such as city event calendar data, real-time traffic data, date data, time data, and/or event data,

manage a database of trust networks on the basis of the obtained data, wherein the knowledgebase entity groups a plurality of users into a number of trust networks,

determine a potential transport sharing scenario for a plurality of users belonging to the same trust network, wherein the scheduling entity is configured to match a ride request with a ride offer in order to determine said scenario, and

indicate the scenario to said plurality of users, wherein at least a shared leg of the potentially different personal overall journeys of said plurality of users is indicated, said indication optionally including schedule data, map data, location data, route data and/or personal contact data.