ARRANGING A TRANSPORT SERVICE FOR MULTIPLE USERS

• US 20160034845A1
• Filed: 07/30/2015
• Published: 02/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Novak, Kevin, Hiyama, Hiroki, Hester, Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 11,107,019 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3438 Rendez-vous, i.e. searching a destination where several users can meet, and the routes to this destination for these users; Ride sharing, i.e. searching a route such that at least two users can share a vehicle for at least part of the route
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063114 Status monitoring or status determination for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

A system can arrange a transport service for a rider. The system can receive, from a first computing device of a first rider, a request for a transport service. The request can include a first pickup location and a first destination location. Based on the first pickup location and the first destination location, the system can determine a plurality of candidate drivers that are each currently assigned to provide a transport service for a respective rider. The system can perform a selection process to select a driver from the plurality of candidate drivers by, for each candidate driver, determining a set of possible travel sequences in which that candidate driver can provide both the transport service for the respective rider and the transport service for the first rider and computing a score for each possible travel sequence.

Claims

1. A method of arranging a transport service for a rider, the method being performed by a computing system and comprising:

receiving, from a first computing device, a request for a transport service for a first rider, the request including a first pickup location and a first destination location;

determining, based on the first pickup location and the first destination location, a plurality of candidate drivers, each candidate driver being currently assigned to provide a transport service for a respective rider; and

performing, at the computing system, a selection process to select a driver from the plurality of candidate drivers, wherein performing the selection process includes;

for each candidate driver in the plurality of candidate drivers, determining a set of possible travel sequences in which that candidate driver can provide both the transport service for the respective rider and the transport service for the first rider by traveling to at least the first pickup location, the first destination location, and a destination location of the respective rider, wherein each possible travel sequence in the set is different from other possible travel sequences in the set;

computing a score for each possible travel sequence in the sets of possible travel sequences of the plurality of candidate drivers;

selecting a possible travel sequence, from the sets of possible travel sequences, based on the computed scores; and

identifying the candidate driver to provide the transport service for the first rider based on the selected possible travel sequence.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein for each candidate driver in the plurality of candidate drivers, determining the set of possible travel sequences is further based on a state of that candidate driver.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the state corresponds to a first state in which an individual candidate driver has not picked up the respective rider or a second state in which the individual candidate driver has picked up the respective rider.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the score for each possible travel sequence is based on a distance measurement.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein for each candidate driver in the plurality of candidate drivers, determining the set of possible travel sequences includes:

determining a plurality of possible travel sequences, wherein a number of possible travel sequences in the plurality is greater than or equal to a number of possible travel sequences in the set;

for each possible travel sequence in the plurality of possible travel sequences, computing a first distance score for the first rider and a second distance score for the respective rider currently assigned to that candidate driver, wherein the first distance score is based, at least in part, on a shared distance in which the first rider and the respective rider would travel together and an individual distance in which the first rider would travel without the respective rider, and wherein the second distance score is based, at least in part, on the shared distance and an individual distance in which the respective rider would travel without the first rider; and

identifying the set of possible travel sequences, from the plurality of possible travel sequences, that each have the first distance score and the second distance score that satisfy a first condition.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein computing the score for each possible travel sequence in the sets of possible travel sequences includes:

for each possible travel sequence in the sets of possible travel sequences, computing (i) an original distance that that candidate driver would travel to provide the transport service for the respective rider currently assigned to that candidate driver, and (ii) a projected distance that that candidate driver would travel for that possible travel sequence in the set; and

for each possible travel sequence in the sets of possible travel sequences, computing the score based on the original distance and the projected distance.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein for each possible travel sequence in the sets of possible travel sequences, computing the score based on the original distance and the projected distance includes subtracting the original distance from the projected distance;

and

wherein selecting the possible travel sequence from the sets of possible travel sequences includes determining which possible travel sequence from the sets has the lowest score.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the original distance and the project distance are either (i) Cartesian or Haversine distances, or (ii) routed distances based on determined routes of travel.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the score for each possible travel sequence is based on a combination of a distance measurement and a time measurement.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein for each candidate driver in the plurality of candidate drivers, determining the set of possible travel sequences includes:

determining a plurality of possible travel sequences, wherein a number of possible travel sequences in the plurality is greater than or equal to a number of possible travel sequences in the set;

for each possible travel sequence in the plurality of possible travel sequences, (i) computing a savings score based, at least in part, on a first predicted score of the first rider in which the first rider is transported individually, a second predicted score for the respective rider in which the respective rider is transported individually, and a third predicted score in which the first rider and the respective rider would travel together for at least a duration of time, and (ii) determining a savings ratio based on the savings score; and

identifying the set of possible travel sequences, from the plurality of possible travel sequences, that each have the savings ratio that satisfy a first condition.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein computing the score for each possible travel sequence in the sets of possible travel sequences includes identifying the savings score for each possible travel sequence in the sets of possible travel sequences.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein selecting the possible travel sequence, from the sets of possible travel sequences, includes determining which possible travel sequence from the sets has the highest savings score.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein selecting the possible travel sequence, from the sets of possible travel sequences, includes determining which possible travel sequence from the sets has the highest savings ratio.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein for each possible travel sequence in the plurality of possible travel sequences for each candidate driver, the savings score is also based on whether a toll to use a particular roadway, tunnel, or bridge would be assessed for that possible travel sequence.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to:

receive, from a first computing device, a request for a transport service for a first rider, the request including a first pickup location and a first destination location;

determine, based on the first pickup location and the first destination location, a plurality of candidate drivers, each candidate driver being currently assigned to provide a transport service for a respective rider; and

perform, at the computing system, a selection process to select a driver from the plurality of candidate drivers, wherein performing the selection process includes;

for each candidate driver in the plurality of candidate drivers, determine a set of possible travel sequences in which that candidate driver can provide both the transport service for the respective rider and the transport service for the first rider by traveling to at least the first pickup location, the first destination location, and a destination location of the respective rider, wherein each possible travel sequence in the set is different from other possible travel sequences in the set;

compute a score for each possible travel sequence in the sets of possible travel sequences of the plurality of candidate drivers;

select a possible travel sequence, from the sets of possible travel sequences, based on the computed scores; and

identify the candidate driver to provide the transport service for the first rider based on the selected possible travel sequence.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions cause the computing system to, for each candidate driver in the plurality of candidate drivers, determine the set of possible travel sequences by:

determining a plurality of possible travel sequences, wherein a number of possible travel sequences in the plurality is greater than or equal to a number of possible travel sequences in the set;

for each possible travel sequence in the plurality of possible travel sequences, computing a first distance score for the first rider and a second distance score for the respective rider currently assigned to that candidate driver, wherein the first distance score is based, at least in part, on a shared distance in which the first rider and the respective rider would travel together and an individual distance in which the first rider would travel without the respective rider, and wherein the second distance score is based, at least in part, on the shared distance and an individual distance in which the respective rider would travel without the first rider; and

identifying the set of possible travel sequences, from the plurality of possible travel sequences, that each have the first distance score and the second distance score that satisfy a first condition.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions cause the computing system to compute the score for each possible travel sequence in the sets of possible travel sequences by:

(i) for each possible travel sequence in the sets of possible travel sequences, computing (a) an original distance that that candidate driver would travel to provide the transport service for the respective rider currently assigned to that candidate driver, and (b) a projected distance that that candidate driver would travel for that possible travel sequence in the set; and

(ii) for each possible travel sequence in the sets of possible travel sequences, computing the score by subtracting the original distance from the projected distance; and

wherein the instructions cause the computing system to select the possible travel sequence from the sets of possible travel sequences by determining which possible travel sequence from the sets has the lowest score.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions cause the computing system to, for each candidate driver in the plurality of candidate drivers, determine the set of possible travel sequences by:

determining a plurality of possible travel sequences, wherein a number of possible travel sequences in the plurality is greater than or equal to a number of possible travel sequences in the set;

for each possible travel sequence in the plurality of possible travel sequences, (i) computing a savings score based, at least in part, on a first predicted score of the first rider in which the first rider is transported individually, a second predicted score for the respective rider in which the respective rider is transported individually, and a third predicted score in which the first rider and the respective rider would travel together for at least a duration of time, and (ii) determining a savings ratio based on the savings score; and

identifying the set of possible travel sequences, from the plurality of possible travel sequences, that each have the savings ratio that satisfy a first condition.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions cause the computing system to compute the score for each possible travel sequence in the sets of possible travel sequences by identifying the savings score for each possible travel sequence in the sets of possible travel sequences;

and

wherein the instructions cause the computing system to select the possible travel sequence, from the sets of possible travel sequences, by determining which possible travel sequence from the sets has the highest savings score.

20. A system, comprising:

one or more communication interfaces;

one or more processors; and

memory resources storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to;

receive, from a first computing device via the one or more communication interfaces, a request for a transport service for a first rider, the request including a first pickup location and a first destination location;

determine, based on the first pickup location and the first destination location, a plurality of candidate drivers, each candidate driver being currently assigned to provide a transport service for a respective rider; and

perform, at the computing system, a selection process to select a driver from the plurality of candidate drivers, wherein performing the selection process includes;

for each candidate driver in the plurality of candidate drivers, determine a set of possible travel sequences in which that candidate driver can provide both the transport service for the respective rider and the transport service for the first rider by traveling to at least the first pickup location, the first destination location, and a destination location of the respective rider, wherein each possible travel sequence in the set is different from other possible travel sequences in the set;

compute a score for each possible travel sequence in the sets of possible travel sequences of the plurality of candidate drivers;

select a possible travel sequence, from the sets of possible travel sequences, based on the computed scores; and

identify the candidate driver to provide the transport service for the first rider based on the selected possible travel sequence.