Continuously updatable computer-generated routes with continuously configurable virtual bus stops for passenger ride-sharing of a fleet of ride-sharing vehicles and computer transportation systems and computer-implemented methods for use thereof

• US 9,816,824 B1
• Filed: 01/19/2017
• Issued: 11/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Via Transportation Inc.
• Original Assignee: Via Transportation Inc.
• Inventors: Racah, Yaron, Sheba, Avishay, Shoval, Oren, Ramot, Daniel, Marcovitch, Shmulik
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US15/410,324
• Time in Patent Office: 299 Days
• Field of Search: 701117, 701465, 701410, 701412, 701537, 707758, 705 6, 705 727, 705 26, 705418, 705 264
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/28 with correlation of data from several navigational instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3423 Multimodal routing, i.e. combining two or more modes of transportation, where the modes can be any of, e.g. driving, walking, cycling, public transport
• 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: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3676 Overview of the route on the road map
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/39 the satellite radio beacon positioning system transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0125 Traffic data processing
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0137 for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching

Abstract

In some embodiments, the present invention provides a computer-implemented transportation system which can include at least the following components: a specialized computer machine, including: a non-transient memory, electronically storing particular computer executable program code; a specifically programmed computer processor of the specialized computer machine of the computer-implemented transportation system that is configured to perform at least the following operations: electronically receiving, in real-time, via a computer network, a plurality of electronic riding requests from a plurality of electronic computing devices operated by a plurality of ride-sharing requesting passengers; where each electronic riding request from each ride-sharing requesting passenger includes: a passenger-requested origin point, and a passenger-requested destination point; for a particular electronic riding request, dynamically determining, in real-time, from a plurality of candidate vehicles an assigned vehicle for picking up the particular ride-sharing requesting passenger and a pair of assigned virtual pickup and dropoff bus stop tasks.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented transportation system, comprising:

a non-transient memory, electronically storing particular computer executable program code; and

at least one computer processor which, when executing the particular program code, is configured to perform at least the following operations;

receiving a ride-sharing request from a first electronic computing device operated by a user, wherein the ride-sharing request includes origin location data identifying a user-identified origin point and destination location data identifying a user-requested destination point;

receiving current vehicle location data for a plurality of ride-sharing vehicles traveling within a geographic locale, wherein the current vehicle location data includes global positioning system (GPS) data generated by at least one GPS component of at least one second electronic computing device associated with each ride-sharing vehicle;

accessing a memory that stores locations of a plurality of virtual bus stops associated with the geographic locale, wherein each virtual bus stop corresponds to a geographic location point within the geographic locale at which a user can be picked up or drop-off by a ride-sharing vehicle;

accessing current ride-sharing data representative of current routes of the plurality of ride-sharing vehicles and current virtual bus stops associated with a plurality of passengers who are currently riding in the plurality of ride-sharing vehicles;

determining from among the plurality of ride-sharing vehicles a particular vehicle which can pick up the user, wherein at a time of determining, the particular ride-sharing vehicle is carrying other passengers along an existing route schedule and wherein the determining the particular vehicle is based on at least a portion of the current ride-sharing data including the current virtual bus stops, the current vehicle location data, the origin location data, and the destination location data;

assigning the particular vehicle and a pair of associated virtual bus stops for picking up and dropping off the user requesting a ride, the virtual bus stop for picking up the user being at least a block away from the point of origin of the user;

updating the existing route schedule of the particular vehicle by inserting the pair of the assigned virtual pick-up bus stop and virtual drop off bus stop into the existing route schedule; and

causing to electronically display on a screen of the at least one second electronic computing device associated with the vehicle an updated route including the pair of virtual bus stops assigned to the user.

15. The system in claim 1, further including:

tracking the current vehicle location of the first assigned vehicle and the current ride-sharing data to identify at least one condition which requires reassignment of the user to a second assigned vehicle; and

reassigning the user from the first assigned vehicle to the second assigned vehicle.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the assigned virtual bus stop for dropping off the user is at least a block away from the requested destination point of the user.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising adjusting a drop off location for an individual already in the first vehicle when the user is assigned to the first vehicle.

18. The system of claim 1, further comprising calculating an expected walking time from the point of origin to the pick-up virtual bus stop, and wherein determining the first assigned vehicle for picking up the user is based at least in part on the expected walking time.

19. The system of claim 1, further comprising calculating an expected user waiting time at the pick-up virtual bus stop, and wherein determining the first assigned vehicle for picking up the user is based at least in part on the expected user waiting time.

20. The system of claim 1, further comprising causing to electronically display on a screen of the first electronic computing device associated with the user the assigned virtual pick-up bus stop.

2. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a ride-sharing request from a first electronic computing device operated by a user, wherein the ride-sharing request includes origin location data identifying a user-identified origin point and destination location data identifying a user-requested destination point;

receiving current vehicle location data for a plurality of ride-sharing vehicles traveling within a geographic locale, wherein the current vehicle location data includes global positioning system (GPS) data generated by at least one GPS component of at least one second electronic computing device associated with each ride-sharing vehicle;

accessing a memory that stores locations of a plurality of virtual bus stops associated with the geographic locale, wherein each virtual bus stop corresponds to a geographic location point within the geographic locale at which a user can be picked up or drop-off by a ride-sharing vehicle;

accessing current ride-sharing data representative of current routes of the plurality of ride-sharing vehicles and current virtual bus stops associated with a plurality of passengers who are currently riding in the plurality of ride-sharing vehicles;

determining from among the plurality of ride-sharing vehicles a particular vehicle which can pick up the user, wherein at a time of determining, the particular ride-sharing vehicle is carrying other passengers along an existing route schedule and wherein the determining the particular vehicle is based on at least a portion of the current ride-sharing data including the current virtual bus stops, the current vehicle location data, the origin location data, and the destination location data;

assigning the particular vehicle and a pair of associated virtual bus stops for picking up and dropping off the user requesting a ride, the virtual bus stop for picking up the user being at least a block away from the point of origin of the user;

updating the existing route schedule of the particular vehicle by inserting the pair of the assigned virtual pick-up bus stop and virtual drop off bus stop into the existing route schedule; and

causing to electronically display on a screen of the at least one second electronic computing device associated with the vehicle an updated route including the pair of virtual bus stops assigned to the user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the assigned virtual bus stop for dropping off the user is at least a block away from the requested destination point of the user.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising adjusting a drop off location for an individual already in the first vehicle when the user is assigned to the first vehicle.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising calculating an expected walking time from the point of origin to the pick-up virtual bus stop, and wherein determining the first assigned vehicle for picking up the user is based at least in part on the expected walking time.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising calculating an expected user waiting time at the pick-up virtual bus stop, and wherein determining the first assigned vehicle for picking up the user is based at least in part on the expected user waiting time.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising causing to electronically display on a screen of the first electronic computing device associated with the user the assigned virtual pick-up bus stop.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the first virtual bus stop for picking up the user is based on at least one of:

i) a first walking distance, being a distance from the user-requested origin point to each candidate virtual pick-up bus stop,

ii) at least one first walking comfort condition associated with the first walking distance,

iii) at least one first walking safety condition associated with a first walking route, being a route from the user-requested origin point to the virtual bus stop,

iv) at least one passenger well-being related factor,

v) at least one passenger personal preference related to at least one of;

a walking distance, an expected time of arrival, a ride duration, a price, or any combination thereof, or

vi) at least one environment related factor.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the particular vehicle is based at least in part on current passenger-demand within the geographic locale.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the particular vehicle is based at least in part on predicted future passenger-demand within the geographic locale.

11. The method in claim 2, wherein determining the particular vehicle is based at least in part on real-time traffic data from at least one external electronic data source of traffic conditions.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein the first virtual bus stop for picking up the user is located in the general direction of the first assigned vehicle along at least one main road of the geographic locale.

13. The method in claim 2, further including receiving ride-sharing requests from a plurality of electronic computing devices operated by at least 1000 additional users, and assigning the 1000 additional users to additional vehicles with pre-existing assigned routes.

14. The method in claim 2 further including:

tracking the current vehicle location of the first assigned vehicle and the current ride-sharing data to identify at least one condition which requires reassignment of the user to a second assigned vehicle; and

reassigning the user from the first assigned vehicle to the second assigned vehicle.