Systems and Methods for Vehicle Ridesharing Management

• US 20170365030A1
• Filed: 06/20/2017
• Published: 12/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Via Transportation Inc.
• Original Assignee: Via Transportation Inc.
• Inventors: Shoham, Avishai P., Lavoi, Alex J., Richer, Megan B., Abrams, Erin H., Ramot, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US15/628,135
• Publication Number:
  US 20170365030A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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: G07B 15/02 taking into account a variable factor such as distance or time, e.g. for passenger transport, parking systems or car rental systems G07B15/06 takes precedence; taximeters G07B13/00; parking meters per se G07F17/24; car rental systems per se G07B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/207 with respect to certain areas, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas with possible alerting when inside or outside boundaries

Abstract

Systems and methods provide vehicle ridesharing and vehicle ridesharing management. In one implementation, a system includes a memory storing ridesharing-related instructions and at least one processor configured to execute the instructions to: receive, a first ride request from a first user, the first ride request including a first starting point and a first desired destination; send a confirmation to the first user with an indication of an estimated pick-up time; direct a taxi to pick up the first user; receive a second ride request from a second user; direct the taxi to pick up the second user; and send to the first user a fare amount including a first fare portion corresponding to a first portion of the ride before picking up the second user and a second fare portion corresponding to a second portion of the ride after picking up the second user.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor associated with a taxi fleet, cause the at least one processor to perform a method for taxi ridesharing management, the method comprising:

receiving a first ride request from a first wireless mobile communications device of a first user, the first ride request including a first starting point and a first desired destination;

calculating a first estimated pick-up time based on a first current location of a taxi in the fleet and the first starting point;

sending a first confirmation to the first wireless mobile communications device, the first confirmation being configured to cause an indication of the calculated first estimated pick-up time to appear on a display of the first wireless mobile communications device;

guiding the taxi to a first pick-up location for picking up the first user;

receiving, after picking up the first user and before dropping off the first user at a first drop-off location, a second ride request from a second wireless mobile communications device of a second user, the second ride request including a second starting point and a second desired destination;

calculating a second estimated pick-up time based on a second current location of the taxi and the second starting point;

sending a second confirmation to the second wireless mobile communications device, the second confirmation configured to cause an indication of the calculated second estimated pick-up time to appear on a display of the second wireless mobile communications device; and

guiding the taxi to a second pick-up location for picking up the second user before dropping off the first user at a place associated with the first drop-off location.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the instructions are configured to cause the at least one processor to set the first pick-up location at least a half a block away from the first starting point.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2, wherein the instructions are configured to cause the at least one processor to set a maximum walking distance to the first pick-up location based on input from the first wireless mobile communications device.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the instructions are configured to cause the at least one processor to set the first drop-off location at least a half a block away from the desired destination.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 4, wherein the instructions are configured to cause the at least one processor to set a maximum walking distance based on input from the first wireless mobile communications device.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the instructions are configured to cause the at least one processor to calculate the first estimated pick-up time based on real-time traffic information received from a real-time traffic monitor.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the instructions are configured to cause the at least one processor to calculate the first estimated pick-up time based on prediction of traffic condition based on historical traffic data.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

changing the first drop-off location after receiving the second ride request, without pre-approval of the first user.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving taxi location information from at least one of a wireless mobile communications device associated with the taxi, the first wireless mobile communications device, and the second communications device;

calculating an overlap when the first user and the second user are both inside the taxi;

calculating, based on the overlap, a fare split between the first user and the second user; and

presenting at least one indication of the calculated fare split on each of the display of the first wireless mobile communications device and the display of the second wireless mobile communications device.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

calculating a first fare amount corresponding to a first portion of the first ride before picking up the second user;

calculating a second fare amount corresponding to a second portion of the first ride after picking up the second user; and

transmitting, for presentation on the display of the first wireless mobile communications device, at least one indication of the first fare amount and the second fare amount.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving a toil roads selection input from at least one of the first wireless mobile communications device and the second wireless mobile communications device; and

adjusting fare amount for a corresponding user based on the toll roads selection input and toll charges incurred.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving a third ride request, while at least one of the first user and the second user is in the taxi, from a third wireless mobile communications device of a third user, the third ride request including a third starting point and a third desired destination;

calculating a third estimated pick-up time based on a third current location of the taxi and the third starting point;

sending a third confirmation to the third wireless mobile communications device, the third confirmation configured to cause an indication of the calculated third estimated pick-up time to appear on a display of the third wireless mobile communications device; and

guiding the taxi to a third pick-up location for picking up the third user.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving a third ride request from a third wireless mobile communications device of a third user, the third ride request including a third starting point and a third desired destination at least one of which is proximate to a route associated with the taxi;

calculating an estimated delay that is expected to occur to the first user if the third user were to be picked up; and

assigning the third ride request to another taxi if the estimated delay exceeds a predetermined detour threshold.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

assigning a masked phone number for interaction between a wireless mobile communications device of a driver of the taxi and at least one of the first wireless mobile communications device and the second wireless mobile communications device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving driver login input from a wireless mobile communications device of a driver of the taxi;

accessing a driver profile database storing driver profiles associated with a plurality of drivers; and

verifying driver identity based on the driver login input and a corresponding driver profile.

16. A system for taxi ridesharing management, comprising:

a memory storing a set of ridesharing-related instructions; and

at least one processor configured to execute the instructions to;

receive, at a taxi ridesharing management server, a first ride request from a first user, the first ride request including a first starting point and a first desired destination;

send a confirmation to the first user with an indication of an estimated pick-up time;

direct a taxi to pick up the first user at a pick-up location;

after pick-up of the first user, receive at the taxi ridesharing management server, a second ride request from a second user, the second ride request including a second starting point and a second desired destination;

direct the taxi to pick up the second user at a second pick-up location while the first user is in the taxi; and

send to the first user a fare amount including a first fare portion corresponding to a first portion of the ride before picking up the second user and a second fare portion corresponding to a second portion of the ride after picking up the second user.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:

set the second pick-up location at least a half a block away from the second starting point.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:

set the second pick-up location at substantially a same location as the first pick-up location.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the first pick-up location is selected to substantially differ from the first starting point and wherein the second pick-up location is selected by the system to substantially differ from the second starting point, and the system is further configured to guide the first user to the first pick-up location and to guide the second user to the second pick-up location.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the first pick-up location is substantially the same as the first starting point and wherein the second pick-up location is selected by the system to substantially differ from the second starting point, and the system is further configured to guide the second user to the second pick-up location.