IP Library Patent Application 16920100
Patent Application
App. No. 16/920,100

TEMPORARILY ALLOCATING FIX PUBLIC TRANSPORT VEHICLES AS DYNAMIC PUBLIC TRANSPORT VEHICLES

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US None
App. No.
16/920,100
Filed
Jul 2, 2020
Art Unit
3663
USPC
701/117
Abstract

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for directing ridesharing vehicles. In some implementations, the systems and methods may include. a communications interface configured to: receive information indicative of an event associated with atypical demand for transportation, receive location information from a plurality of communication devices associated with a plurality of fixed-line ridesharing vehicles; and at least one processor configured to: determine an inability of one or more fixed-line ridesharing vehicles in the plurality of fixed-line ridesharing vehicles to address the atypical demand for transportation, access data identifying predetermined driving routes of the plurality of fixed-line ridesharing vehicles, based on the accessed data, select a fixed-line ridesharing vehicle to temporarily cease driving along its predetermined driving route, compensate for the inability of the one or more fixed-line ridesharing vehicles in the plurality of fixed-line ridesharing vehicles to address the atypical demand for transportation by directing the selected fixed-line ridesharing vehicle along a new driving route that differs from the predetermined driving route, and after abatement of the inability, terminate travel of the selected fixed-line ridesharing vehicle along the new driving route and direct the selected fixed-line ridesharing vehicle to return to traveling according to its predetermined driving route.

Claims (50)

1 - 85 . (canceled)

86 . A system for directing ridesharing vehicles, the system comprising:

a communications interface configured to:

receive information indicative of an event associated with atypical demand for transportation;

receive location information from a plurality of communication devices associated with a plurality of fixed-line ridesharing vehicles;

at least one processor configured to:

determine an inability of one or more fixed-line ridesharing vehicles in the plurality of fixed-line ridesharing vehicles to address the atypical demand for transportation;

access data identifying predetermined driving routes of the plurality of fixed-line ridesharing vehicles;

based on the accessed data, select a fixed-line ridesharing vehicle to temporarily cease driving along its predetermined driving route;

compensate for the inability of the one or more fixed-line ridesharing vehicles in the plurality of fixed-line ridesharing vehicles to address the atypical demand for transportation by directing the selected fixed-line ridesharing vehicle along a new driving route that differs from the predetermined driving route; and

after abatement of the inability, terminate travel of the selected fixed-line ridesharing vehicle along the new driving route and direct the selected fixed-line ridesharing vehicle to return to traveling according to its predetermined driving route.

87 . The system of claim 86 , wherein the event associated with the atypical demand for transportation includes at least one of: a temporary disruption of a public transportation service, a terror attack, a severe weather event.

88 . The system of claim 86 , wherein the information indicative of the event associated with atypical demand for transportation is received from communication devices of a plurality of users in need for transportation.

89 . The system of claim 86 , wherein the information indicative of the event associated with atypical demand for transportation is received from an entity associated with a municipal office.

90 . The system of claim 86 , wherein the information indicative of the event associated with atypical demand for transportation is received from an emergency dispatch center.

91 . The system of claim 86 , wherein the event associated with the atypical demand for transportation is associated with a specific location and the inability of the plurality of fixed-line ridesharing vehicles to address the atypical demand for transportation is caused at least partially by the event causing at least portions of the predetermined driving routes of the plurality of fixed-line ridesharing vehicles to become unavailable.

92 . The system of claim 91 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

determine the new driving route for the selected fixed-line ridesharing vehicle based on the specific location and at least one current traffic condition.

93 . The system of claim 91 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to compensate for the inability of the one or more fixed-line ridesharing vehicles in the plurality of fixed-line ridesharing vehicles to address the atypical demand for transportation by directing a selected group of on-demand ridesharing vehicles toward the specific location.

94 . The system of claim 93 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to reassign users scheduled to be picked up by the selected group of on-demand ridesharing vehicles to different on-demand ridesharing vehicles.

95 . The system of claim 91 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to compensate for the inability of the one or more fixed-line ridesharing vehicles in the plurality of fixed-line ridesharing vehicles to address the atypical demand for transportation by directing a selected group of fixed-line ridesharing vehicles toward the specific location.

96 . The system of claim 95 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

obtain information indicative of current utilized capacity of the plurality of fixed-line ridesharing vehicles; and

select the group of fixed-line ridesharing vehicles further based on the obtained information.

97 . The system of claim 96 , wherein the group of fixed-line ridesharing vehicles includes at least one fixed-line ridesharing vehicle without passengers and at least one fixed-line ridesharing vehicle with passengers traveling to differing locations associated with differing predetermined driving routes.

98 . The system of claim 86 , wherein the event associated with the atypical demand for transportation is associated with a geographic area and the inability of the plurality of fixed-line ridesharing vehicles to address the atypical demand for transportation is caused at least partially due to a low frequency of the plurality of fixed-line ridesharing vehicles passing through the geographic area.

99 . The system of claim 98 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

determine the new driving route for the selected fixed-line ridesharing vehicle based on a distribution of users in need for transportation within the geographic area and at least one current traffic condition.

100 . A method for directing ridesharing vehicles, the method comprising:

receiving information indicative of an event associated with atypical demand for transportation;

receiving location information from a plurality of communication devices associated with a plurality of fixed-line ridesharing vehicles;

determining an inability of one or more fixed-line ridesharing vehicles in the plurality of fixed-line ridesharing vehicles to address the atypical demand for transportation;

accessing data identifying predetermined driving routes of the plurality of fixed-line ridesharing vehicles;

based on the accessed data, selecting a fixed-line ridesharing vehicle to temporarily cease driving along its predetermined driving route;

compensating for the inability of the one or more fixed-line ridesharing vehicles in the plurality of fixed-line ridesharing vehicles to address the atypical demand for transportation by directing the selected fixed-line ridesharing vehicle along a new driving route that differs from the predetermined driving route; and

after abatement of the inability, terminating travel of the selected fixed-line ridesharing vehicle along the new driving route and direct the selected fixed-line ridesharing vehicle to return to traveling according to its predetermined driving route.

101 . The method of claim 100 , wherein the information indicative of the event associated with atypical demand for transportation is received from at least one of: a plurality of communication devices of a plurality of users in need for transportation, an entity associated with a municipal office, an emergency dispatch center.

102 . The method of claim 100 , wherein the event associated with the atypical demand for transportation is associated with a specific location and the inability of the plurality of fixed-line ridesharing vehicles to address the atypical demand for transportation is caused at least partially by the event causing at least portions of the predetermined driving routes of the plurality of fixed-line ridesharing vehicles to become unavailable.

103 . The method of claim 102 , further comprising:

compensating for the inability of the plurality of fixed-line ridesharing vehicles to address the atypical demand for transportation by directing a selected group of on-demand ridesharing vehicles toward the specific location.

104 . The method of claim 103 , further comprising:

reassigning users scheduled to be pick-up by the selected group of on-demand ridesharing vehicles to different on-demand ridesharing vehicles; and

changing the drop-off locations of users currently riding the selected group of on-demand to locations along new driving routes toward the specific location.

105 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a method for directing ridesharing vehicles, the method comprising:

receiving location information from a plurality of communication devices associated with a plurality of fixed-line ridesharing vehicles;

determining an inability of one or more fixed-line ridesharing vehicles in the plurality of fixed-line ridesharing vehicles to address the atypical demand for transportation;

accessing data identifying predetermined driving routes of the plurality of fixed-line ridesharing vehicles;

based on the accessed data, selecting a fixed-line ridesharing vehicle to temporarily cease driving along its predetermined driving route;

compensating for the inability of the one or more fixed-line ridesharing vehicles in the plurality of fixed-line ridesharing vehicles to address the atypical demand for transportation by directing the selected fixed-line ridesharing vehicle along a new driving route that differs from the predetermined driving route; and

after abatement of the inability, terminating travel of the selected fixed-line ridesharing vehicle along the new driving route and direct the selected fixed-line ridesharing vehicle to return to traveling according to its predetermined driving route.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 27, 2021
From: VIA TRANSPORTATION, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 056053/0512 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 2, 2020
From: SHOVAL, OREN; RAMOT, DANIEL; MARCOVITCH, SHMULIK
To: VIA TRANSPORTATION, INC.
Reel/Frame 053112/0466 →