Public and ordered transportation trip planning
A method carried out by a computer for coordinating a route comprising a public transportation leg using a vehicle operated by a public transportation service and characterized by an estimated arrival time; and a subsequent ordered transportation leg using a vehicle operated by an ordered transportation service, the method comprising: transmitting to the ordered transportation service an order for a vehicle to provide the ordered transportation leg, the order being characterized by an estimated departure time; tracking real-time progress of the user along the public transportation leg; responsive to the tracking detecting a delay in the public transportation leg, determining a later departure time for the ordered transportation leg; transmitting to the ordered transportation service a revised order for the ordered transportation leg comprising the later departure time; and sending to the mobile communication device a rescheduling notification comprising the later departure time.
1. A method of managing a user trip comprising:
providing a user with a trip plan having a trip route comprising at least one public transportation service (PTS) leg coterminous with an ordered transportation service (OTS) leg at a coterminous leg junction;
communicating with an OTS provider to provide an OTS vehicle to transport the user over the OTS leg and arrive at the coterminous leg junction at a planned time of arrival;
tracking real-time progress of the user along the trip route;
determining a real-time of arrival of the user at the coterminous leg junction responsive to the real-time progress; and
alerting the OTS provider to adjust a provision time of the OTS vehicle for a difference between the planned time of arrival and the real-time of arrival.
2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the OTS leg follows the PTS leg.
3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the OTS leg precedes the PTS leg.
4. The method according to claim 1 wherein alerting the OTS provider comprises alerting the provider at a time determined responsive to a predetermined advance notice period.
5. The method according to claim 4 wherein the advance notice period is received from the OTS provider.
6. The method according to claim 1 wherein alerting the OTS provider comprises alerting the OTS provider responsive to a real time location of the user along the trip route.
7. The method according to claim 1 and comprising updating the user and the OTS to temporal and/or geographical changes in the trip route.
8. The method according to claim 1 wherein providing the trip plan comprises providing the user with a plurality of trip plans from which the user trip plan is selected.
9. The method according to claim 7 wherein providing the trip plan comprises providing a graphical user interface displaying for each of the plurality of trip plans a sequence of icons representing PTS and OTS vehicles used to transport the user over each leg of the trip plan.
10. The method according to claim 8 and comprising for the selected trip plan deleting a vehicle icon associated with a leg responsive to the user completing the leg.
11. A public/ordered trip system comprising:
at least one public transportation service (PTS) server;
at least one ordered transportation service (OTS) server; and a public/ordered trip server;
wherein the PTS, OTS, and public/ordered comprise hardware and software configured to cooperate and provide a user with a trip plan having a trip route according to claim 1 .