Detecting the number of vehicle passengers
An automated ridesharing dispatch system includes a communications interface configured to electronically receive ride requests from a plurality of users and a memory configured to store a capacity threshold for each of a plurality of ridesharing vehicles. The system also includes at least one processor configured to process the ride requests received from the communications interface and to assign to a single ridesharing vehicle the plurality of users for pick up at a plurality of differing pick-up locations and for delivery to a plurality of differing drop-off locations, determine a route for the ridesharing vehicle, receive from at least one sensor within the ridesharing vehicle, information indicative of a current number of passengers in the ridesharing vehicle, and determine whether to assign additional users to the ridesharing vehicle based on the received information from the sensor and the capacity threshold associated with the ridesharing vehicle.
1. An automated ridesharing dispatch system, comprising:
a communications interface configured to electronically receive ride requests from a plurality of users;
memory configured to store a capacity threshold for each of a plurality of ridesharing vehicles;
at least one processing device configured to:
process the ride requests received from the communications interface and to assign to a single ridesharing vehicle the plurality of users for pick up at a plurality of differing pick-up locations and for delivery to a plurality of differing drop-off locations;
determine a first route for the ridesharing vehicle;
receive from at least one sensor within the ridesharing vehicle, information indicative of a current number of passengers in the ridesharing vehicle;
determine whether to assign additional users to the ridesharing vehicle and reassign one of the passengers to another ridesharing vehicle based on the received information from the sensor and the capacity threshold associated with the ridesharing vehicle;
calculate, based on the assignment determination, a difference between the current number and an expected number of passengers for the ridesharing vehicle; and
based on the calculated difference, change the first route for the ridesharing vehicle to a shorter second route to prevent pick-up of additional passengers.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor includes an image sensor configured to detect the current number of passengers in the ridesharing vehicle.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor includes a plurality of image sensors configured to detect the current number of passengers in the ridesharing vehicle.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor includes an image sensor associated with a mobile communications device within the ridesharing vehicle and configured to detect the current number of passengers in the ridesharing vehicle.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor includes a plurality of pressure sensors associated with seats in the ridesharing vehicle and configured to detect the current number of seats occupied in the ridesharing vehicle.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor includes a thermal sensor configured to detect the current number of passengers in the ridesharing vehicle.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor includes a proximity sensor configured to detect the current number of passengers in the ridesharing vehicle.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor includes a short-range transceiver configured to determine an actual number of users entering the ridesharing vehicle by communicating with mobile devices of the users.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processing device is configured to receive from the communications interface an actual number of individuals entering the ridesharing vehicle.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processing device is configured to receive from the communications interface an actual number of occupants in the ridesharing vehicle.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processing device is further configured to implement a threshold block that prevents assignment of the additional users to the ridesharing vehicle when the ridesharing vehicle's current utilized capacity is above a threshold being less than the ridesharing vehicle's capacity threshold.
12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the ridesharing vehicle is part of an autonomous vehicle and the at least one processor is further configured to determine a discrepancy between a number of users expected to enter the ridesharing vehicle and the actual number of passengers entering the ridesharing vehicle.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one processing device is further configured to change the determined route of the ridesharing vehicle in response to a detected discrepancy.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one processing device is further configured to reassign at least one of the plurality of users scheduled to be picked up by the ridesharing vehicle to a different ridesharing vehicle.
15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processing device is further configured to change an assigned drop-off location of at least one of the passengers in the ridesharing vehicle.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the at least one processing device is further configured to communicate with at least one mobile communications device associated with the at least one passenger to inform the at least one passenger about the change in the assigned drop-off location.
17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processing device, cause the at least one processing device to perform a method for automatically dispatching ridesharing vehicles, the method comprising:
storing a capacity threshold for each of a plurality of ridesharing vehicles;
receiving ride requests from a plurality of users;
assigning to a particular ridesharing vehicle the plurality of users for pick up at a plurality of differing pick-up locations and for delivery to a plurality of differing drop-off locations;
determining a first route for the ridesharing vehicle;
receiving at a location remote from the particular vehicle, and based on sensor data transmitted from the particular vehicle, information indicative of a current number of passengers in the particular vehicle;
comparing the sensor data from the particular vehicle with the capacity threshold of the particular vehicle;
determining, based on comparing, whether a number of actual users within the particular vehicle exceeds a number of users assigned to the particular vehicle;
reassigning to another vehicle a subsequent user already assigned to the particular vehicle if, from the sensor data, actual users detected exceeds the number of assigned users;
calculating, based on the assignment determination, a difference between the current number and an expected number of passengers for the ridesharing vehicle; and
based on the calculated difference, changing the first route for the ridesharing vehicle to a shorter second route to prevent pick-up of additional passengers.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 17 , wherein the sensor data includes data from at least one of an image sensor, a pressure sensor, a thermal sensor, a proximity sensor, and a short-range transceiver.