PREEMPTIVELY NAVIGATING DRIVERS TO AN EVENT LOCATION TO TRANSPORT PASSENGERS UPON COMPLETION OF THE EVENT

• US 20190318630A1
• Filed: 06/26/2019
• Published: 10/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LYFT Incorporated
• Original Assignee: GT GetTaxi Limited
• Inventors: Marco, Talmon, Haparnas, Ziv, Agasi, David
• Granted Patent: US 12,087,166 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• 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: G01C 21/362 received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063118 Staff planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0223 based on inventory
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/60 Business processes related to postal services shipping G06Q10/083; franking apparatus G07B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching

Abstract

A method includes, transmitting, prior to an end time of an event to a plurality of driver computing devices, navigational data to direct the plurality of driver computing devices to navigate to a location of the event to transport passengers. The transmitting is based on a schedule for arriving at the location of the event prior to receipt of transportation requests. The method further includes, subsequent to the transmitting of the navigational data, communicating with an event information source of a second server device during the event to obtain updated information regarding how much time is remaining prior to the end time of the event. The method further includes, responsive to generating an updated schedule based on the updated information received during the event, directing the plurality of driver computing devices to the location of the event based on the updated schedule.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting, prior to an end time of an event by a processing device of a first server device to a plurality of driver computing devices, navigational data to direct the plurality of driver computing devices to navigate to a location of the event to transport passengers, the transmitting based on a schedule for arriving at the location of the event prior to receipt of transportation requests;

subsequent to the transmitting of the navigational data, communicating with an event information source of a second server device during the event to obtain updated information regarding how much time is remaining prior to the end time of the event; and

responsive to generating an updated schedule based on the updated information received during the event, directing the plurality of driver computing devices to the location of the event based on the updated schedule.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying a plurality of historical events similar to the event; and

analyzing the plurality of historical events to determine patterns in corresponding end times of the plurality of historical events to predict the end time of the event.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying a plurality of historical events similar to the event;

analyzing the plurality of historical events to determine patterns in corresponding quantities of historical transportation requests to determine an estimated demand for drivers for the event; and

generating the schedule based on the estimated demand for drivers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting of the navigational data based on the schedule comprises progressively directing drivers to the location of the event based on the end time of the event and an estimate of when subsets of the transportation requests are to be received.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving the transportation requests from a plurality of passenger computing devices associated with the end time of the event; and

pairing the transportation requests with the plurality of driver computing devices for fulfillment of the transportation requests.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the directing of the plurality of driver computing devices to the location of the event based on the updated schedule comprises updating corresponding times of beginning to direct subsets of the plurality of driver computing devices to the location of the event.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the event is associated with a plurality of intervals, wherein the updated information is associated with a quantity of intervals of the event that have occurred.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the event is associated with transportation to the location of the event and the end time of the event is an expected arrival time, wherein the updated information indicates an updated expected arrival time corresponding to the end time of the event.

9. A system comprising:

a memory; and

a processing device coupled to the memory, the processing device to;

transmit, prior to an end time of an event to a plurality of driver computing devices, navigational data to direct the plurality of driver computing devices to navigate to a location of the event to transport passengers, wherein transmitting of the navigational data is based on a schedule for arriving at the location of the event prior to receipt of transportation requests;

subsequent to transmitting the navigational data, communicate with an event information source of a server device during the event to obtain updated information regarding how much time is remaining prior to the end time of the event; and

responsive to generating an updated schedule based on the updated information received during the event, direct the plurality of driver computing devices to the location of the event based on the updated schedule.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processing device is further to:

identify a plurality of historical events similar to the event; and

analyze the plurality of historical events to determine patterns in corresponding end times of the plurality of historical events to predict the end time of the event.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the processing device is further to:

identify a plurality of historical events similar to the event;

analyze the plurality of historical events to determine patterns in corresponding quantities of historical transportation requests to determine an estimated demand for drivers for the event; and

generate the schedule based on the estimated demand for drivers.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein to transmit the navigational data based on the schedule, the processing device is to progressively direct drivers to the location of the event based on the end time of the event and an estimate of when subsets of the transportation requests are to be received.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the processing device is further to:

receive the transportation requests from a plurality of passenger computing devices associated with the end time of the event; and

pair the transportation requests with the plurality of driver computing devices for fulfillment of the transportation requests.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein to direct the plurality of driver computing devices to the location of the event based on the updated schedule, the processing device is to update corresponding times of beginning to direct subsets of the plurality of driver computing devices to the location of the event.

15. A computer-readable non-transitory media storing one or more instructions which, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to:

transmit, prior to an end time of an event to a plurality of driver computing devices, navigational data to direct the plurality of driver computing devices to navigate to a location of the event to transport passengers, wherein transmitting of the navigational data is based on a schedule for arriving at a location of the event prior to receipt of transportation requests;

subsequent to transmitting the navigational data, communicate with an event information source of a server device during the event to obtain updated information regarding how much time is remaining prior to the end time of the event; and

responsive to generating an updated schedule based on the updated information received during the event, direct the plurality of driver computing devices to the location of the event based on the updated schedule.

16. The computer-readable non-transitory media of claim 15, wherein the processing device is further to:

identify a plurality of historical events similar to the event; and

analyze the plurality of historical events to determine patterns in corresponding end times of the plurality of historical events to predict the end time of the event.

17. The computer-readable non-transitory media of claim 15, wherein the processing device is further to:

identify a plurality of historical events similar to the event;

analyze the plurality of historical events to determine patterns in corresponding quantities of historical transportation requests to determine an estimated demand for drivers for the event; and

generate the schedule based on the estimated demand for drivers.

18. The computer-readable non-transitory media of claim 15, wherein to transmit the navigational data based on the schedule, the processing device is to progressively direct drivers to the location of the event based on the end time of the event and an estimate of when subsets of the transportation requests are to be received.

19. The computer-readable non-transitory media of claim 15, wherein the processing device is further to:

receive the transportation requests from a plurality of passenger computing devices associated with the end time of the event; and

pair the transportation requests with the plurality of driver computing devices for fulfillment of the transportation requests.

20. The computer-readable non-transitory media of claim 15, wherein to direct the plurality of driver computing devices to the location of the event based on the updated schedule, the processing device is to update corresponding times of beginning to direct subsets of the plurality of driver computing devices to the location of the event.