System and methods for facilitating real-time carpooling

• US 9,689,694 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2014
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Lord, Robert W., Lord, Richard T., Tegreene, Clarence T., Myhrvold, Nathan P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Antonucci, Anne M
• Application Number:
  US14/564,358
• Publication Number:
  US 20150324717A1
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: 701410
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/343 Calculating itineraries, i.e. routes leading from a starting point to a series of categorical destinations using a global route restraint, round trips, touristic trips travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047
• 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 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063114 Status monitoring or status determination for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

Computationally implemented methods and systems that are designed for receiving a request for transport of a first end user; selecting, in response to the received request, a transportation vehicle unit that is currently en route to or is currently transporting a second end user for transporting the first end user, the selection of the transportation vehicle unit being based, at least in part, on ascertaining that the transportation vehicle unit is able to accommodate transport of the first end user while transporting the second end user; and transmitting one or more directives that direct the selected transportation vehicle unit to transport the first end user. In addition to the foregoing, other aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

circuitry for receiving a request for transport of a first end user;

circuitry for selecting, responsive to the received request a transportation vehicle unit for transporting the first end user that is currently en route to or is currently transporting a second end user, the selection of the transportation vehicle unit based, at least in part, on (i) a location of the transportation vehicle unit sensed at least in part via at least one hardware-based positioning sensor of a transport computing device within the transportation vehicle unit and (ii) ascertaining that the transportation vehicle unit is able to accommodate transport of the first end user while transporting the second end user;

circuitry for transmitting one or more directives for the selected transportation vehicle unit to transport the first end user; and

circuitry for transmitting one or more notifications that the selected transportation vehicle unit has been selected to transport the first end user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said-circuitry for selecting, responsive to the received request, a transportation vehicle unit for transporting the first end user that is currently en route to or is currently transporting a second end user, the selection of the transportation vehicle unit based, at least in part, on (i) a location of the transportation vehicle unit sensed at least in part via at least one hardware-based positioning sensor of a transport computing device within the transportation vehicle unit and (ii) ascertaining that the transportation vehicle unit is able to accommodate transport of the first end user while transporting the second end user comprises:

circuitry for selecting, responsive to the received request a transportation vehicle unit for transporting the first end user that is currently en route to or is currently transporting a second end user, the selection of the transportation vehicle unit based, at least in part, on (i) a location of the transportation vehicle unit sensed at least in part via at least one satellite-based positioning sensor of a transport computing device within the transportation vehicle unit and (ii) ascertaining that the transportation vehicle unit is able to accommodate transport of the first end user while for transporting the second end user.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein circuitry for selecting, responsive to the received request, a transportation vehicle unit for transporting the first end user that is currently en route to or is currently transporting a second end user, the selection of the transportation vehicle unit based, at least in part, in (i) a location of the transportation vehicle unit sensed at least in part via at least one hardware-based positioning sensor of a transport computing device within the transportation vehicle unit and (ii) ascertaining that the transportation vehicle unit is able to accommodate transport of the first end user while transporting the second end user comprises:

circuitry for selecting a transportation vehicle unit that is currently transporting a second end user for transporting the first end user, the selection being based, at least in part, on ascertainment that the transportation vehicle unit is currently transporting the second end user and that is ascertained to be currently located within at least one of a predefined maximum distance or a predetermined maximum amount of time from a first end user rendezvous location for rendezvousing with the first end user.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein circuitry for selecting, responsive to the received request, a transportation vehicle unit for transporting the first end user that is currently en route to or is currently transporting a second end user, the selection of the transportation vehicle unit based, at least in part, on (i) a location of the transportation vehicle unit sensed at least in part via at least one hardware-based positioning sensor of a transport computing device within the transportation vehicle unit and (ii) ascertaining that the transportation vehicle unit is able to accommodate transport of the first end user while transporting the second end user comprises:

circuitry for selecting the transportation vehicle unit that is currently en route to or is currently transporting a second end user for transporting the first end user, the selection being based, at least in part on ascertainment that the transportation vehicle unit is currently transporting the second end user and that is ascertained to be currently located at a location that is same as a first end user rendezvous location for rendezvousing with the first end user.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein circuitry for selecting, responsive to the received request, a transportation vehicle unit for transporting the first end user that is currently en route to or is currently transporting a second end user, the selection of the transportation vehicle unit based, at least in part, on (i) a location of the transportation vehicle unit sensed at least in part via at least one hardware-based positioning sensor of a transport computing device within the transportation vehicle unit and (ii) ascertaining that the transportation vehicle unit is able to accommodate transport of the first end user while transporting the second end user comprises:

circuitry for selecting the transportation vehicle unit for transporting the first end user based, at least in part, on ascertainment that the transportation vehicle unit is to rendezvous with the second end user at a rendezvous location that is ascertained to be the same as the rendezvous location for the first end user.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein circuitry for selecting the transportation vehicle unit for transporting the first end user based, at least in part, on ascertainment that the transportation vehicle unit is to rendezvous with the second end user at a rendezvous location that is ascertained to be the same as the rendezvous location for the first end user comprises:

circuitry for selecting the transportation vehicle unit for transporting the first end user based on ascertainment that the first end user and the second end user are to be transported to a single destination location.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein circuitry for selecting, responsive to the received request, a transportation vehicle unit for transporting the first end user that is currently en route to or is currently transporting a second end user, the selection of the transportation vehicle unit based, at least in part, on (i) a location of the transportation vehicle unit sensed at least in part via at least one hardware-based positioning sensor of a transport computing device within the transportation vehicle unit and (ii) ascertaining that the transportation vehicle unit is able to accommodate transport of the first end user while transporting the second end user comprises:

circuitry for ascertaining that the transportation vehicle unit will be transporting the second end user to a second end user destination location that is near to a first end user destination location of the first end user.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein circuitry for selecting, responsive to the received request, a transportation vehicle unit for transporting the first end user that is currently en route to or is currently transporting a second end user, the selection of the transportation vehicle unit based, at least in part, on (i) a location of the transportation vehicle unit sensed at least in part via at least one hardware-based positioning sensor of a transport computing device within the transportation vehicle unit and (ii) ascertaining that the transportation vehicle unit is able to accommodate transport of the first end user while transporting the second end user comprises:

circuitry for selecting, responsive to the received request a transportation vehicle unit for transporting the first end user that is currently en route to or is currently transporting a second end user, the selection of the transportation vehicle unit based, at least in part, on (i) ascertaining that the transportation vehicle unit is approaching a current location of the first end user based, at least in part, on a location of the transportation vehicle unit sensed at least in part via at least one hardware-based positioning sensor of a transport computing device within the transportation vehicle unit and a location of the first end user sensed at least in part via at least one hardware-based positioning sensor of a computing device associated with the first end user sending the received request and (ii)ascertaining that the transportation vehicle unit is able to accommodate transport of the first end user a while transporting the second end user.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein circuitry for selecting, responsive to the received request, a transportation vehicle unit for transporting the first end user that is currently en route to or is currently transporting a second end user, the selection of the transportation vehicle unit based, at least in part, on (i) a location of the transportation vehicle unit sensed at least in part via at least one hardware-based positioning sensor of a transport computing device within the transportation vehicle unit and (ii) ascertaining that transport of the first end user by the transportation vehicle unit will not significantly delay transport of the second end user to a second end user destination location comprises:

circuitry for selecting, responsive to the received request a transportation vehicle unit for transporting the first end user that is currently en route to or is currently transporting a second end user, the selection of the transportation vehicle unit based, at least in part, on (i) a location of the transportation vehicle unit sensed at least in part via at least one hardware-based positioning sensor of a transport computing device within the transportation vehicle unit and (ii) ascertaining that transport of the first end user by the transportation vehicle unit will not add more than a predefined amount of permitted additional distance for transporting the second end user to a second end user destination location and as a result of transporting the first end user.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein circuitry for selecting, responsive to the received request, a transportation vehicle unit for transporting the first end user that is currently en route to or is currently transporting a second end user, the selection of the transportation vehicle unit based, at least in part, on (i) a location of the transportation vehicle unit sensed at least in part via at least one hardware-based positioning sensor of a transport computing device within the transportation vehicle unit and (ii) ascertaining that the transportation vehicle unit is able to accommodate transport of the first end user while transporting the second end user comprises:

circuitry for ascertaining that transport of the first end user to a first end user destination location by the transportation vehicle unit will not result in the transportation vehicle unit to have a total number of passenger drop offs that exceed a predefined number of maximum passenger drop offs allowed for the transportation vehicle unit during one trip transporting a group of end users to one or more end user destination locations.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein circuitry for selecting, responsive to the received request, a transportation vehicle unit for transporting the first end user that is currently en route to or is currently transporting a second end user, the selection of the transportation vehicle unit based, at least in part, on (i) a location of the transportation vehicle unit sensed at least in part via at least one hardware-based positioning sensor of a transport computing device within the transportation vehicle unit and (ii) ascertaining that the transportation vehicle unit is able to accommodate transport of the first end user while transporting the second end user comprises:

circuitry for ascertaining that transport of the first end user to a first end user destination location by the transportation vehicle unit will not result in the transportation vehicle unit to have an amount of passenger drop offs that exceed a predefined number of maximum passenger drop offs allowed for the transportation vehicle unit prior to drop off of the second end user at a second end user destination location.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein circuitry for selecting, responsive to the received request, a transportation vehicle unit for transporting the first end user that is currently en route to or is currently transporting a second end user, the selection of the transportation vehicle unit based, at least in part, on (i) a location of the transportation vehicle unit sensed at least in part via at least one hardware-based positioning sensor of a transport computing device within the transportation vehicle unit and (ii) ascertaining that the transportation vehicle unit is able to accommodate transport of the first end user while transporting the second end user comprises:

circuitry for ascertaining that transport of the first end user and at least the second end user by the transportation vehicle unit will not result in the transportation vehicle unit to have an amount of passenger drop offs that exceed a predefined number of maximum passenger drop offs allowed for the transportation vehicle unit prior to drop off of the first end user at a first end user destination location.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein circuitry for selecting, responsive to the received request, a transportation vehicle unit for transporting the first end user that is currently en route to or is currently transporting a second end user, the selection of the transportation vehicle unit based, at least in part, on (i) a location of the transportation vehicle unit sensed at least in part via at least one hardware-based positioning sensor of a transport computing device within the transportation vehicle unit and (ii) ascertaining that the transportation vehicle unit is able to accommodate transport of the first end user while transporting the second end user comprises:

circuitry for selecting the transportation vehicle unit that is currently en route to or is currently transporting a second end user for transporting the first end user only after ascertaining that no non-carpooling vehicle is available for transporting the first end user.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein circuitry for selecting, responsive to the received request, a transportation vehicle unit for transporting the first end user that is currently en route to or is currently transporting a second end user, the selection of the transportation vehicle unit based, at least in part, on (i) a location of the transportation vehicle unit sensed at least in part via at least one hardware-based positioning sensor of a transport computing device within the transportation vehicle unit and (ii) ascertaining that the transportation vehicle unit is able to accommodate transport of the first end user while transporting the second end user comprises:

circuitry for ranking two or more candidate transportation vehicle units as candidates for transporting the first end user, each of the two or more candidate transportation vehicle units currently en route to or currently transporting one or more end users, and the transportation vehicle unit selected from the two or more candidate transportation vehicle units, the two or more candidate transportation vehicle units ranked according to their suitability for transporting the first end user.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein comprises:

circuitry for ranking two or more candidate transportation vehicle units as candidates for transporting the first end user, each of the two or more candidate transportation vehicle units currently en route to or currently transporting one or more end users, and the transportation vehicle unit selected from the two or more candidate transportation vehicle units, the two or more candidate transportation vehicle units ranked according to their suitability for transporting the first end user comprises;

circuitry for ranking the two or more candidate transportation vehicle units based, at least in part, on their efficiency in transporting the first end user and other end users to their end user destination locations.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein circuitry for ranking the two or more candidate transportation vehicle units based, at least in part, on their efficiency in transporting the first end user and other end users to their end user destination locations comprises:

circuitry for ranking the two or more candidate transportation vehicle units based, at least in part, on the number of passenger drop offs they will each have if each of the candidate transportation vehicle units transport the first end user.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein circuitry for ranking the two or more candidate transportation vehicle units based, at least in part, on their efficiency in transporting the first end user and other end users to their end user destination locations comprises:

circuitry for ranking the two or more candidate transportation vehicle units based, at least in part, on the distances they will each have to travel to drop off each of their currently assigned passengers and if each of the candidate transportation vehicle units transport the first end user.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein said circuitry for selecting, responsive to the received request, a transportation vehicle unit for transporting the first end user that is currently en route to or is currently transporting a second end user, the selection of the transportation vehicle unit based, at least in part, on (i) a location of the transportation vehicle unit sensed at least in part via at least one hardware-based positioning sensor of a transport computing device within the transportation vehicle unit and (ii) ascertaining that the transportation vehicle unit is able to accommodate transport of the first end user while transporting the second end user comprises:

circuitry for providing a transport rate for transporting the second end user that is discounted as a result, at least in part, of the transportation vehicle unit being assigned to transport the first end user.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein circuitry for selecting, responsive to the received request, a transportation vehicle unit for transporting the first end user that is currently en route to or is currently transporting a second end user, the selection of the transportation vehicle unit based, at least in part, on (i) a location of the transportation vehicle unit sensed at least in part via at least one hardware-based positioning sensor of a transport computing device within the transportation vehicle unit and (ii) ascertaining that the transportation vehicle unit is able to accommodate transport of the first end user while transporting the second end user comprises:

circuitry for providing a transport rate for transporting the first end user that is a discounted rate for the first end user to be transported by the selected transportation vehicle unit transporting one or more other end users including the second end user, the discounted rate being a rate that has been discounted from a rate that would be charged if the selected transportation vehicle unit was transporting fewer end users.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein circuitry for providing a transport rate for transporting the first end user that is a discounted rate for the first end user to be transported by the selected transportation vehicle unit transporting one or more other end users including the second end user, the discounted rate being a rate that has been discounted from a rate that would be charged if the selected transportation vehicle unit was transporting fewer end users comprises:

circuitry for providing a transport rate for transporting the first end user that is a discounted rate for the first end user to be transported by the selected transportation vehicle unit transporting one or more other end users including the second end user, the discounted rate being based, at least in part, on the number of passenger drop offs that are scheduled to occur prior to drop off of the first end user at a first end user destination location.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein circuitry for selecting, responsive to the received request, a transportation vehicle unit for transporting the first end user that is currently en route to or is currently transporting a second end user, the selection of the transportation vehicle unit based, at least in part, on (i) a location of the transportation vehicle unit sensed at least in part via at least one hardware-based positioning sensor of a transport computing device within the transportation vehicle unit and (ii) ascertaining that the transportation vehicle unit is able to accommodate transport of the first end user while transporting the second end user comprises:

circuitry for providing a transport rate for transporting the first end user that is a premium rate for the first end user to be transported by the selected transportation vehicle unit transporting the second end user, the premium rate being a higher rate than a rate that would be charged if the selected transportation vehicle unit was not transporting the second end user.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein circuitry for transmitting one or more directives for the selected transportation vehicle unit to transport the first end user comprises:

circuitry for transmitting the one or more directives electronically to at least one of a passenger/vehicle coordinating network system or the transport computing device within the selected transportation vehicle unit via at least one of one or more wireless networks or one or more wired networks.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein circuitry for transmitting one or more directives for the selected transportation vehicle unit to transport the first end user comprises:

circuitry for transmitting transport rate data that indicates at least one transport rate for the first end user being transported by the transportation vehicle unit and that is based, at least in part, on the transportation vehicle unit transporting one or more other end users including the second end user.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein circuitry for transmitting transport rate data that indicates at least one transport rate for the first end user being transported by the transportation vehicle unit and that is based, at least in part, on the transportation vehicle unit transporting one or more other end users including the second end user comprises:

circuitry for transmitting transport rate data that indicates at least one discounted transport rate for the first end user being transported by the transportation vehicle unit, the discounting of the discounted transport rate being based, at least in part, on the transportation vehicle unit transporting one or more other end users including the second end user.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein circuitry for transmitting one or more directives for the selected transportation vehicle unit to transport the first end user comprises:

circuitry for transmitting at least one transport rate data for the second end user based, at least in part, on the transportation vehicle unit transporting the first end user.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein circuitry for transmitting at least one transport rate data for the second end user based, at least in part, on the transportation vehicle unit transporting the first end user comprises:

circuitry for transmitting at least one discounted transport rate for the second end user based, at least in part, on the transportation vehicle unit transporting the first end user.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein said-circuitry for transmitting one or more notifications that the selected transportation vehicle unit has been selected to transport the first end user comprises:

circuitry for transmitting to an end user device associated with the second end user at least one notification that the selected transportation vehicle unit has been selected to transport the first end user.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein circuitry for transmitting to an end user device associated with the second end user at least one notification that the selected transportation vehicle unit has been selected to transport the first end user comprises:

circuitry for transmitting to the end user device associated with the second end user at least one transport rate for the second end user based, at least in part, on the transportation vehicle unit transporting the first end user.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein circuitry for transmitting to the end user device associated with the second end user at least one transport rate for the second end user based, at least in part, on the transportation vehicle unit transporting the first end user comprises:

circuitry for transmitting to the end user device associated with the second end user at least one transport rate for the second end user that is a revised version of an original transport rate previously provided for the second end user based, at least in part, on the transportation vehicle unit transporting the first end user.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein said-circuitry for transmitting to an end user device associated with the second end user at least one notification that the selected transportation vehicle unit has been selected to transport the first end user comprises:

circuitry for transmitting to the end user device associated with the second end user at least one notification that provides an option to reject the transport of the first end user by the selected transportation vehicle unit.

31. The system of claim 1, wherein transmitting one or more notifications that the selected transportation vehicle unit has been selected to transport the first end user comprises:

circuitry for transmitting to an end user device associated with the first end user at least one notification that the selected transportation vehicle unit has been selected to transport the first end user.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein circuitry for transmitting to an end user device associated with the first end user at least one notification that the selected transportation vehicle unit has been selected to transport the first end user comprises:

circuitry for transmitting to the end user device associated with the first end user a transport rate data that indicates a transport rate for the first end user that is based, at least in part, on the selected transportation vehicle unit transporting the second end user.

33. The system of claim 1, wherein circuitry for receiving a request for transport of a first end user comprises:

circuitry for receiving a request for a carpooling vehicle to transport the first end user and that will be transporting one or more other end users not associated with the first end user.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein circuitry for receiving a request for a carpooling vehicle to transport the first end user and that will be transporting one or more other end users not associated with the first end user comprises:

circuitry for receiving a request for a carpooling vehicle to transport the first end user and that will be transporting one or more other end users not associated with the first end user by receiving a request that requests, as a first option, a carpooling vehicle to transport the first end user and, if no carpooling vehicle is found to transport the first end user, a second option for a non-carpooling vehicle to transport the first end user.

35. The system of claim 1, wherein circuitry for transmitting one or more notifications that the selected transportation vehicle unit has been selected to transport the first end user comprises:

circuitry for transmitting, to an end user device associated with the first end user, at least one notification identifying at least one rendezvous location for the selected transportation vehicle unit to rendezvous with the first end user, the at least one rendezvous location other than a current location of the first end user determined based, at least in part, on the current location of the first end user sensed at least in part via at least one hardware-based positioning sensor of a computing device associated with the first end user sending the received request.

36. A method, comprising:

receiving a request for transport of a first end user;

selecting, responsive to the received request, a transportation vehicle unit for transporting the first end user that is currently en route to or is currently transporting a second end user, the selection of the transportation vehicle unit based, at least in part, on (i) a location of the transportation vehicle unit sensed at least in part via at least one hardware-based positioning sensor of a transport computing device within the transportation vehicle unit and (ii) ascertaining that the transportation vehicle unit is able to accommodate transport of the first end user while transporting the second end user;

transmitting one or more directives for the selected transportation vehicle unit to transport the first end user and

transmitting one or more notifications that the selected transportation vehicle unit has been selected to transport the first end user,

wherein at least one of the receiving, selecting, or transmitting is at least partially implemented using at least one processing device.

37. A system, comprising:

at least one computing device; and

one or more instructions which, when executed by the at least one computing device, cause the at least one computing device to perform one or more operations including at least;

receiving a request for transport of a first end user;

selecting, responsive to the received request, a transportation vehicle unit for transporting the first end user that is currently en route to or is currently transporting a second end user for, the selection of the transportation vehicle unit being based, at least in part, on (i) a location of the transportation vehicle unit sensed at least in part via at least one hardware-based positioning sensor of a transport computing device within the transportation vehicle unit and (ii) ascertaining that the transportation vehicle unit is able to accommodate transport of the first end user while transporting the second end user;

transmitting one or more directives for the selected transportation vehicle unit to transport the first end user and

transmitting one or more notifications that the selected transportation vehicle unit has been selected to transport the first end user.