METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ASSIGNING VEHICLES TO TRIPS

• US 20150066361A1
• Filed: 08/28/2013
• Published: 03/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Inventors: Stenneth, Leon
• Granted Patent: US 10,352,720 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/465
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3691 Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/123 indicating the position of vehicles, e.g. scheduled vehicles; Managing passenger vehicles circulating according to a fixed timetable, e.g. buses, trains, tramstransmission of navigation instructions to vehicles G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station

Abstract

A method, apparatus and computer program products are provided for matching a transit vehicle to a trip. An example method may comprise receiving probe data, the probe data comprising at least one of identity information, location information, or time information corresponding to the transit vehicle, causing placement of the probe data into a queue, wherein a placement in the queue is dependent on how much of the trip the transit vehicle has completed as indicated by the probe data, and causing assignment of the transit vehicle to a single candidate trip from among a set of candidate trips comprising a scheduled arrival time at a next closest stop closest to a calculated arrival time.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving probe data, the probe data comprising at least one of identity information, location information, or time information corresponding to a transit vehicle;

causing, using a processor, placement of the probe data into a queue, wherein a placement in the queue is dependent on how much of the trip the transit vehicle has completed as indicated by the probe data; and

causing assignment of the transit vehicle to a single candidate trip from among a set of candidate trips comprising a scheduled arrival time at a next closest stop closest to a calculated arrival time.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the next closest stop based on the probe data;

calculating the arrival time of the transit vehicle at the next closest stop,

wherein each candidate trip comprises a plurality of stops, each stop having a scheduled arrival time; and

determining which single candidate trip from one or more unmatched scheduled trips comprises a scheduled arrival time for the next closest stop nearest in time to the calculated arrival time.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

causing removal of the probe data from the queue once the transit vehicle is assigned to the single candidate trip; and

causing storage of information indicating a match of the transit vehicle and the single candidate trip match in memory.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the transit vehicle assigned first was first priority in the queue, the method further comprising:

causing removal of the probe data from the queue once the transit vehicle is assigned to the single candidate trip; and

causing assignment of a transit vehicle being of a second priority in the queue, to a second single candidate trip from among a set of candidate trips comprising a scheduled arrival time at a next closest stop closest to a calculated arrival time.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing assignment of a new transit vehicle to a next scheduled trip in an instance in which the queue is empty and the new transit vehicle is identified.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing monitoring, for a predetermined period of time, of one or more transit vehicles for a change in state, wherein the states of the transit vehicles are one of active at start, new, change in direction, change in route, and silent.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

identifying a change in state of at least one transit vehicle; and

causing a purging of one or more assignments from memory.

8. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

receive probe data, the probe data comprising at least one of identity information, location information, or time information corresponding to a transit vehicle;

cause placement of the probe data into a queue, wherein a placement in the queue is dependent on how much of the trip the transit vehicle has completed as indicated by the probe data; and

cause assignment of the transit vehicle to a single candidate trip from among a set of candidate trips comprising a scheduled arrival time at a next closest stop closest to a calculated arrival time.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

determine the next closest stop based on the probe data;

calculate the arrival time of the transit vehicle at the next closest stop,

wherein each candidate trip comprises a plurality of stops, each stop having a scheduled arrival time; and

determine which single candidate trip from one or more unmatched scheduled trips comprises a scheduled arrival time for the next closest stop nearest in time to the calculated arrival time.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

cause removal of the probe data from the queue once the transit vehicle is assigned to the single candidate trip; and

cause storage of information indicating a match of the transit vehicle and the single candidate trip match in memory.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the transit vehicle assigned first was first priority in the queue, and wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

cause removal of the probe data from the queue once the transit vehicle is assigned to the single candidate trip; and

cause assignment of a transit vehicle being of a second priority in the queue, to a second single candidate trip from among a set of candidate trips comprising a scheduled arrival time at a next closest stop closest to a calculated arrival time.

12. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

cause assignment of a new transit vehicle to a next scheduled trip in an instance in which the queue is empty and the new transit vehicle is identified.

13. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

cause monitoring, for a predetermined period of time, of one or more transit vehicles for a change in state, wherein the states of the transit vehicles are one of active at start, new, change in direction, change in route, and silent.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

identify a change in state of at least one transit vehicle; and

cause a purging of one or more assignments from memory.

15. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code portions stored therein, the computer-executable program code portions comprising program code instructions for:

receiving probe data, the probe data comprising at least one of identity information, location information, or time information corresponding to a transit vehicle;

causing placement of the probe data into a queue, wherein a placement in the queue is dependent on how much of the trip the transit vehicle has completed as indicated by the probe data; and

causing assignment of the transit vehicle to a single candidate trip from among a set of candidate trips comprising a scheduled arrival time at a next closest stop closest to a calculated arrival time.

16. The computer program product according to claim 15, wherein the computer-executable program code portions further comprise program code instructions for:

determining the next closest stop based on the probe data;

calculating the arrival time of the transit vehicle at the next closest stop,

wherein each candidate trip comprises a plurality of stops, each stop having a scheduled arrival time; and

determining which single candidate trip from one or more unmatched scheduled trips comprises a scheduled arrival time for the next closest stop nearest in time to the calculated arrival time.

17. The computer program product according to claim 16, wherein the computer-executable program code portions further comprise program code instructions for:

causing removal of the probe data from the queue once the transit vehicle is assigned to the single candidate trip; and

causing storage of information indicating a match of the transit vehicle and the single candidate trip match in memory.

18. The computer program product according to claim 15, wherein the transit vehicle assigned first was first priority in the queue, wherein the computer-executable program code portions further comprise program code instructions for:

causing removal of the probe data from the queue once the transit vehicle is assigned to the single candidate trip; and

causing assignment of a transit vehicle being of a second priority in the queue, to a second single candidate trip from among a set of candidate trips comprising a scheduled arrival time at a next closest stop closest to a calculated arrival time.

19. The computer program product according to claim 15, wherein the computer-executable program code portions further comprise program code instructions for:

causing assignment of a new transit vehicle to a next scheduled trip in an instance in which the queue is empty and the new transit vehicle is identified.

20. The computer program product according to claim 15, wherein the computer-executable program code portions further comprise program code instructions for:

causing monitoring, for a predetermined period of time, of one or more transit vehicles for a change in state, wherein the states of the transit vehicles are one of active at start, new, change in direction, change in route, and silent.

21. The computer program product according to claim 20, wherein the computer-executable program code portions further comprise program code instructions for:

identifying a change in state of at least one transit vehicle; and

causing a purging of one or more assignments from memory.