Vehicular route optimization system and method

• US 6,510,383 B1
• Filed: 03/01/2000
• Issued: 01/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Innovation Licensing Service LLC
• Original Assignee: Arrivalstar SA
• Inventors: Jones, Martin Kelly
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Dalena
• Application Number:
  US09/516,127
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 701/209, 701/200, 701/207, 701/204, 701/213, 701/117, 701/202, 701/210, 340/993, 340/994, 340/988, 340/989, 340/991, 342/357.07, 342/457, 705/5, 705/6, 455/457
• US Class Current: 701/209
• 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: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching

Abstract

A vehicular route optimization system and method changes the order that a vehicle is expected to arrive at a plurality of destinations based on requests from users so that the vehicle arrives at the plurality of destinations at more opportune times for the users. The system includes memory, a first communications device, and a data manager. The memory stores data indicating an order that a mobile vehicle is expected to arrive at the plurality of destinations. The first communications device receives a request transmitted from a remote communications device, and the data manager, in response to the request, defines a new order that the mobile vehicle is expected to arrive at the plurality of destinations. The data manager also identifies one of the destinations and a particular time period based on the request and determines whether the vehicle is expected to arrive at the one destination during the particular time period, if the vehicle travels a route based on the new order. If the vehicle is expected to arrive at the one destination during the particular time period when the vehicle travels the route based on the new order, the data manager updates the data such that the data indicates the new order. The updated data can then be displayed to a driver of the vehicle, who follows the route based on the new order. Therefore, the vehicle should arrive at the one destination during the particular time period.

Claims

1. A vehicular route optimization system, comprising:

memory storing data, said data indicating an order that a mobile vehicle is expected to arrive at a plurality of destinations;

a first communications device configured to communicate with a remote communications device; and

a data manager interfaced with said first communications device, said data manager configured to automatically analyze said data in response to a request received by said first communications device and transmitted from said remote communications device, said data manager further configured to automatically determine whether to accept said request based on said data and to update said data, in response to a determination by said data manager to accept said request, such that said data indicates a new order that said mobile vehicle is expected to arrive at said plurality of destinations.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said data manager is configured to identify one of said destinations and a first time period based on said request, said data manager further configured to accept said request in response to a determination that said vehicle is expected to arrive at said one destination during said first time period when said vehicle follows a route based on said new order.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said data manager is configured to identify one of said destinations and a first time period based on said request, said data manager further configured to reject said request in response to a determination that said vehicle is expected to arrive at said one destination outside of said first time period when said vehicle follows a route based on a new order of arrival of said vehicle at said plurality of destinations.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said data manager is further configured to determine a proximity of said vehicle and to accept said request based on said proximity of said vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said remote communications device is located at one of said destinations.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said data manager and said first communications device are coupled to said vehicle.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising a base station manager configured to select said vehicle based on said request and to transmit said request to said first communications device via said remote communications device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said data manager is located at a base station remotely located from said vehicle, said data manager further configured to transmit, via a communications device at said base station, data indicating said new order to said vehicle when said data manager determines to accept said request.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a vehicle data manager coupled to said vehicle, said vehicle data manager configured to receive said data indicating said new order and to display a vehicle schedule based on said data indicating said new order.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said data indicates when said mobile vehicle is scheduled to arrive at said plurality of destinations, and wherein said request indicates a new time that said mobile vehicle is to arrive at one of said destinations.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said data manager, in determining whether to accept said request, is configured to determine whether said vehicle is scheduled, based on said new order, to arrive at said one destination substantially at said new time and whether said vehicle is scheduled, based on said new order, to arrive at another of said destinations during a specified time period.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said request includes an item identifier, said item identifier indicating to said data manager an item of interest to a user.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein said request includes a vehicle identifier, said vehicle identifier indicating to said data manager said mobile vehicle on which an item of interest to a user is disposed.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said request further includes a destination identifier, said destination identifier indicating to said data manager said one destination.

15. A vehicular route optimization system, comprising:

memory storing data, said data indicating an order that a mobile vehicle is expected to arrive at a plurality of destinations;

a first communications device configured to receive a request transmitted from a remote communications device; and

a data manager interfaced with said first communications device, said data manager configured to automatically define, in response to said request, a new order that said mobile vehicle is expected to arrive at said plurality of destinations, said data manager further configured to identify one of said destinations and a particular time period based on said request and to determine whether said vehicle is expected to arrive at said one destination during said particular time period if said vehicle travels a route based on said new order, said data manager further configured to automatically accept said request and update said data, in response to a determination that said vehicle is expected to arrive at said one destination during said particular time period if said vehicle travels said route based on said new order, such that said data indicates said new order.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said data manager is further configured to determine a proximity of said vehicle and to determine whether said vehicle is expected to arrive at said one destination during said particular time period based on said proximity of said vehicle.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising a base station manager configured to select said vehicle and to transmit said request to said first communications device via said remote communications device.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein said data manager is located at a base station remotely located from said vehicle, said data manager further configured to transmit, via a communications device at said base station, data indicating said new order to said vehicle.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising a vehicle data manager coupled to said e vehicle, said vehicle data manager configured to receive said data indicating said new order and to display a vehicle schedule based on said data indicating said new order.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein said data indicates when said mobile vehicle is scheduled to arrive at said plurality of destinations, and wherein said request indicates a new time that said mobile vehicle is to arrive at said one destination.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said data manager, in determining whether to accept said request, is configured to determine whether said vehicle is scheduled, based on said new order, to arrive at said one destination substantially at said new time and whether said vehicle is scheduled, based on said new order, to arrive at another of said destinations during a second specified time period.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein said selecting step includes the step of selecting said vehicle based on an item identifier contained in said request, said item identifier identifying an item of interest to a user.

38. The method of claim 20, wherein said request contains a destination identifier, said destination identifier identifying said one destination.

22. A vehicular route optimization method, comprising the steps of storing data, said data defining an order that a mobile vehicle is expected to arrive at a plurality of destinations;

receiving a request for said vehicle to arrive at one of said destinations during a particular time period;

analyzing said data in response to said request;

automatically determining whether to accept said request based on said analyzing step;

automatically modifying said order in response to a determination in said determining step to accept said request;

rendering said data; and

indicating said modified order via said rendering step.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said determining step further includes the steps of determining whether said vehicle is expected to arrive at said one destination during said particular time period if said vehicle follows said modified order.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein said determining step further includes the steps of:

determining a proximity of said vehicle; and

determining, based on said proximity, whether said vehicle is expected to arrive at said one destination during said particular time period if said vehicle follows said modified order.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising the steps of:

selecting said vehicle based on said request; and

transmitting said request to said vehicle based on said selecting step.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said selecting step includes the step of selecting said vehicle based on a vehicle identifier contained in said request.

28. The method of claim 22, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting said data from a base station to said vehicle subsequent to said modifying step; and

performing said rendering and indicating steps at said vehicle.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein said data indicates when said mobile vehicle is scheduled to arrive at said plurality of destinations, and wherein said determining step further includes the step of determining whether said vehicle is scheduled, based on said modified order, to arrive at another of said destinations during a second specified time period.

30. The method of claim 22, wherein said request contains a destination identifier, said destination identifier identifying said one destination.

performing said rendering and indicating steps at said vehicle.

31. A vehicular route optimization method, comprising the steps of:

storing data, said data defining an order that a mobile vehicle is expected to arrive at a plurality of destinations;

receiving a request for a vehicle to arrive at one of said destinations during a particular time period;

automatically defining, in response to said request, a new order that said mobile vehicle is expected to arrive at said plurality of destinations;

automatically determining whether said vehicle is expected to arrive at said one destination during said particular time period if said vehicle travels a route based on said new order;

automatically updating said data such that said data indicates said new order that said mobile vehicle is expected to arrive at said plurality of destinations;

performing said updating step in response to a determination in said determining step that said mobile vehicle is expected to arrive at said one destination during said particular time period if said vehicle travels said route based on said new order; and

rendering said updated data.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising the steps of:

monitoring said vehicle as said vehicle travels;

determining a current location of said vehicle based on said monitoring step; and

determining whether to accept said request based on said current location of said vehicle.

33. The method of claim 31, further comprising the steps of:

selecting said vehicle based on said request; and

transmitting said request to said vehicle based on said selecting step.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein said selecting step includes the step of selecting said vehicle based on a vehicle identifier contained in said request.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein said selecting step includes the step of selecting said vehicle based on an item identifier contained in said request, said item identifier identifying an item of interest to a user.

36. The method of claim 31, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting said data from a base station to said vehicle in response to said updating step; and

performing said rendering step at said vehicle.

37. The method of claim 31, wherein said data indicates when said mobile vehicle is scheduled to arrive at said plurality of destinations, and wherein said determining step further includes the step of determining whether said vehicle is scheduled, based on said new order, to arrive at another of said destinations during a second specified time period.