User responsive transit system
First Claim
1. A demand responsive, automatically dispatched transit system for a fleet of transit vehicles serving urban and suburban regions in which local transit vehicles are dispatched in real time in response to individual requests for the system to provide transportation service from any location within the local service area to any location within the local service area, comprising:
- central dispatch controller means, said controller means including a telecommunication channel for receiving destination requests from prospective passengers and a telecommunication channel for communicating assigned dispatches to transit vehicles and receiving occupancy and vehicle location data from said vehicles, and a computer means programmed to process the received information together with stored request means in order to determine which of said vehicles can service a received destination request with minimum added travel distance, by the steps of;
(a) determining which dispatches previously assigned to each vehicle are closest to the origin and destination locations of the new service request;
(b) determining the distance from the closest previously assigned dispatches to the origin and destination locations of the new service request;
(c) calculating the total added distance for each vehicle to service the new request;
(d) determining which vehicle would have the minimum total added distance to service the new request;
(e) determining whether the vehicle with minimum added distance would have a seat available for the requesting passenger;
(f) if no, determining which of the other vehicles would have the next least total added distance to service the request;
(g) if yes, transmit the dispatch to the terminal in that vehicle,service request terminal means placed at frequent intervals and convenient locations linked by a telecommunication channel with said computer means, said service request terminal means including a data entry device operable by prospective passengers for communicating desired destinations to the central dispatch controller means, and a display means for indicating the identity of vehicles that have been assigned to provide service to said requested destinations, and;
dispatch terminal means aboard each vehicle in communication with said central dispatch controller means, said dispatch terminal means including an interactive display means to indicate the location of service requests assigned to the vehicle by said central dispatch controller means and for communicating the location of the vehicle to said central dispatch controller, and means for sensing and communicating the occupancy of the vehicle to the central dispatch controller means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A transit system includes a number of service request terminals located at frequent placement intervals in local areas served by the transit system. Transit vehicles flow throughout the local service area without predetermined routes or schedules. Movement of the vehicles is determined solely by the dispatches assigned to them in real time in response to service request. Passengers use the service request terminals to transmit a service request to a central dispatch controller that receives the request and automatically dispatches the most efficient vehicle to service the request. The central computer determines the most efficient vehicle by calculating the total added travel distance to service the request and destination in relation to the dispatches previously assigned to each vehicle. The service request is dispatched to the vehicle which would have the minimum added travel distance. The dispatched vehicle has a terminal that receives the dispatch command that was transmitted by the central dispatch controller and enters it on a graphical display of a map of the local area for convenient viewing by the vehicle operator. The order in which dispatches are serviced and the path traveled by the vehicle between dispatch locations is determined by the vehicle operator, so as to allow continuous modification in response to new dispatches, prevailing traffic conditions, etc.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. A demand responsive, automatically dispatched transit system for a fleet of transit vehicles serving urban and suburban regions in which local transit vehicles are dispatched in real time in response to individual requests for the system to provide transportation service from any location within the local service area to any location within the local service area, comprising:
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central dispatch controller means, said controller means including a telecommunication channel for receiving destination requests from prospective passengers and a telecommunication channel for communicating assigned dispatches to transit vehicles and receiving occupancy and vehicle location data from said vehicles, and a computer means programmed to process the received information together with stored request means in order to determine which of said vehicles can service a received destination request with minimum added travel distance, by the steps of; (a) determining which dispatches previously assigned to each vehicle are closest to the origin and destination locations of the new service request; (b) determining the distance from the closest previously assigned dispatches to the origin and destination locations of the new service request; (c) calculating the total added distance for each vehicle to service the new request; (d) determining which vehicle would have the minimum total added distance to service the new request; (e) determining whether the vehicle with minimum added distance would have a seat available for the requesting passenger; (f) if no, determining which of the other vehicles would have the next least total added distance to service the request; (g) if yes, transmit the dispatch to the terminal in that vehicle, service request terminal means placed at frequent intervals and convenient locations linked by a telecommunication channel with said computer means, said service request terminal means including a data entry device operable by prospective passengers for communicating desired destinations to the central dispatch controller means, and a display means for indicating the identity of vehicles that have been assigned to provide service to said requested destinations, and; dispatch terminal means aboard each vehicle in communication with said central dispatch controller means, said dispatch terminal means including an interactive display means to indicate the location of service requests assigned to the vehicle by said central dispatch controller means and for communicating the location of the vehicle to said central dispatch controller, and means for sensing and communicating the occupancy of the vehicle to the central dispatch controller means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for automatically dispatching transit vehicles in real time in response to individual service requests in which local transit vehicles operate in local service areas for providing transportation service from any location to any location within the local service area and can interface with regional transit vehicles at relay stations for providing transportation service throughout the regional area, comprising the steps of:
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transmitting a service request signal from a service request terminal; receiving the signal transmitted from the service request terminal by a central dispatch controller; searching through data concerning transit vehicles operating in the area of the service request with the central dispatch controller; selecting, with the central dispatch controller, the local transit vehicle which can most effectively service the request, as determined by the minimum added distance of travel to accomplish the service request; transmitting a dispatch command signal to the selected vehicle from the central dispatch controller; receiving the dispatch command signal at a vehicle terminal in the selected vehicle and displaying the dispatch command to the operator of the vehicle so that the operator can service the request. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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Specification