System and method for determining an efficient transportation route

• US 6,356,838 B1
• Filed: 07/25/2000
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SC Innovations, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sunil Paul
• Inventors: Paul, Sunil
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hernandez, Olga
• Application Number:
  US09/625,069
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 701/209, 701/213, 701/26, 701/25, 701/201, 731/78.R
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3453 Special cost functions, i.e. other than distance or default speed limit of road segments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching

Abstract

A computer-implemented method is described for determining an efficient transportation route comprising: compiling travel data over one or more travel segments, the travel data transmitted from one or more transportation vehicles traveling over the travel segments; receiving positional data associated with a transportation request, the positional data including an origin and a destination; and providing a driver of a vehicle with a first efficient route from the origin to the destination using the travel data, the first efficient route including one or more of the travel segments.

Also described is a computer-implemented method for providing transportation services comprising: receiving a transportation request from a passenger; tracking the passenger'"'"'s position following the request using positional detection logic; and transmitting positional data identifying the passenger'"'"'s position to a pickup vehicle.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for determining an efficient transportation route comprising:

compiling travel data over one or more travel segments, said travel data transmitted from one or more transportation vehicles traveling over said travel segments;

receiving positional data associated with a transportation request, said positional data including an origin and a destination; and

providing a driver of a vehicle with a first efficient route from said origin to said destination using said travel data, said first efficient route including one or more of said travel segments,

wherein said destination is a pickup point of a passenger submitting a transportation request and said origin is a current position of said vehicle.

2. The method as in claim 1 wherein said transportation request is transmitted over a wireless network from said passenger'"'"'s wireless device.

5. The method as in claim 1 wherein said one or more drivers are selected based on a price which said passenger is willing to pay and a price said one or more drivers are willing to accept.

6. The method as in claim 5 further comprising:

transmitting a pickup confirmation to said passenger responsive to receiving a response from a first driver indicating that said first driver can service said request.

7. The method as in claim 1 wherein said travel data includes an amount of time expended by a vehicle in traveling across a portion of said travel segment.

8. The method as in claim 1 wherein said travel data includes a speed of a vehicle in traveling across a portion of said travel segment.

9. The method as in claim 1 wherein said travel data is transmitted from a wireless device configured in a vehicle.

10. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

providing a driver of a vehicle with a second efficient route from said origin to said destination using said travel data, said second efficient route including one or more of said travel segments.

11. The method as in claim 10 wherein said first and/or said second route are graphically displayed on a map.

3. The method as in claim 3 wherein said destination is determined by positional data generated by positional tracking logic in said passenger'"'"'s wireless device.

4. The method as in claim 3 wherein said positional tracking logic is global positioning system (“

GPS”

) logic and wherein said wireless device communicates with one or more GPS satellites.

12. A system for determining an efficient transportation route comprising:

communication means for receiving travel segment data from one or more transportation vehicles;

route determination means for analyzing said travel segment data and calculating a first efficient route from an origin to a destination based on said travel segment data; and

transportation request means for receiving passenger transportation requests over a wireless network from a passenger'"'"'s wireless device, said transportation requests including said destination.

13. The system as in claim 12 wherein said communication means further comprises:

wireless communication means for receiving said travel segment data over a wireless network from said one or more transportation vehicles.

14. The system as in claim 12 further comprising destination identification means for locating said destination.

15. The system as in claim 14 wherein said destination identification means includes GPS logic for locating said destination.

16. The system as in claim 12 further comprising origin identification means for locating said origin.

17. The system as in claim 16 wherein said origin identification means includes GPS logic for locating said origin.

18. A computer-implemented method for providing transportation services comprising:

receiving a transportation request from a passenger;

tracking said passenger'"'"'s position following said request using positional detection logic; and

transmitting positional data identifying said passenger'"'"'s position to a pickup vehicle.

19. The method as in claim 18 wherein said transportation request is received over a wireless network from said passenger'"'"'s wireless device.

20. The method as in claim 19 wherein said positional detection logic is embedded in said passenger'"'"'s wireless device.

21. The method as in claim 20 wherein said positional detection logic is global positioning system (“

GPS”

) logic.

22. The method as in claim 20 further comprising:

re-transmitting positional data identifying said passenger'"'"'s position to said pickup vehicle at periodic intervals.

23. The method as in claim 20 further comprising:

re-transmitting positional data identifying said passenger'"'"'s position to said pickup vehicle at periodic intervals.

24. The method as in claim 20 further comprising:

re-transmitting positional data identifying said passenger'"'"'s position to said pickup vehicle responsive to movement of said passenger.

25. A computer-implemented method for determining an efficient transportation route comprising:

compiling travel data over one or more travel segments, said travel data transmitted from one or more transportation vehicles traveling over said travel segments;

receiving positional data associated with a transportation request, said positional data including an origin and a destination; and

providing a driver of a vehicle with a first efficient route from said origin to said destination using said travel data, said first efficient route including one or more of said travel segments,

wherein said one or more drivers are selected based on a price which said passenger is willing to pay and a price said one or more drivers are willing to accept.

26. A computer-implemented method for determining an efficient transportation route comprising:

compiling travel data over one or more travel segments, said travel data transmitted from one or more transportation vehicles traveling over said travel segments;

receiving positional data associated with a transportation request, said positional data including an origin and a destination; and

providing a driver of a vehicle with a first efficient route from said origin to said destination using said travel data, said first efficient route including one or more of said travel segments,

wherein said travel data includes an amount of time expended by a vehicle in traveling across a portion of said travel segment.

27. A computer-implemented method for determining an efficient transportation route comprising:

compiling travel data over one or more travel segments, said travel data transmitted from one or more transportation vehicles traveling over said travel segments;

receiving positional data associated with a transportation request, said positional data including an origin and a destination;

providing a driver of a vehicle with a first efficient route from said origin to said destination using said travel data, said first efficient route including one or more of said travel segments; and

providing a driver of a vehicle with a second efficient route from said origin to said destination using said travel data, said second efficient route including one or more of said travel segments.