Coordinating transport through a common rendezvous location

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11740095-B2
Application number	US-202117223311-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 6, 2021
Priority date	Dec 8, 2017
Publication date	Aug 29, 2023
Grant date	Aug 29, 2023

Abstract

A computing system can maximize throughput for a common rendezvous location by determining estimated times of arrival (ETAs) to the common rendezvous location for matched users and/or transport providers. Based on the ETAs of each of the transport providers, the computing system can generate a dynamic queue comprising the transport providers for the common rendezvous location and manage the dynamic queue by routing the transport providers through the common rendezvous location. The computing system can further dynamically adjust the queue based on changes to the ETAs by transmitting updated navigation-related data to one or more of the matched transport providers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computing system comprising:
a network communication interface;
one or more processors; and
a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing system to:
determining a set of matched users and transport providers having a common rendezvous location, the set of matched users and transport providers comprising a first user matched to a first transport provider and a second user matched to a second transport provider;
generating a dynamic queue comprising the transport providers, the dynamic queue describing an order in which the transport providers are to arrive at the common rendezvous location to pick up the users;
routing the transport providers through the common rendezvous location in accordance with the dynamic queue at least in part by: transmitting, via the network communication interface, navigation-related data to a computing device of each of the transport providers in the dynamic queue, navigation-related data transmitted to a first transport provider causing the computing device of the first transport provider to autonomously maneuver the first transport provider to the common rendezvous location at an estimated time of arrival (ETA) for the first transport provider, and the navigation-related data transmitted to the second transport provider causing the computing device of the second transport provider to autonomously maneuver the second transport provider to the common rendezvous location at an ETA for the second transport provider, the ETA for the first transport provider being before the ETA for the second transport provider;
dynamically adjusting an order of the transport providers in the dynamic queue based on changes to the ETA of at least one of the first transport provider or the second transport provider; and
transmitting, via the network communication interface, updated navigation-related data to one or more of the transport providers, the updated navigation-related data indicating that the second transport provider is to arrive at the common rendezvous location before the first transport provider.

2. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the updated navigation-related data comprises updated turn-by-turn route data.

3. The computing system of claim 2 , wherein the updated turn-by-turn route data comprises lane-specific route data that delays a selected transport provider by routing the selected transport provider through one or more traffic-congested lanes.

4. The computing system of claim 2 , wherein the updated turn-by-turn route data comprises a route detour.

5. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the transport providers in the dynamic queue comprise one or more autonomous vehicles and one or more human-driven vehicles, and wherein the executed instructions cause the computing system to dynamically adjust the dynamic queue by prioritizing delaying the one or more autonomous vehicles over the one or more human-driven vehicles.

6. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions cause the computing system to manage ingress to and egress from the common rendezvous location by:
monitoring an incoming transport provider that is to replace a current transport provider occupying the common rendezvous location;
upon the incoming transport provider approaching the common rendezvous location, transmit an ingress notification to the computing device of the incoming transport provider to create an egress gap for the current transport provider; and
transmit an egress notification to the current transport provider to exit the common rendezvous location via the egress gap created by the incoming transport provider.

7. The computing system of claim 6 , wherein each of the incoming and current transport providers comprise autonomous vehicles, and wherein the instructions cause the computing system to monitor the incoming transport provider by receiving, via the network communication interface, a live sensor data feed from a sensor system of at least one of the incoming or the current transport provider.

8. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the common rendezvous location comprises a dedicated loading zone for at least one of user pick-up and user drop-off.

9. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the computing system to maximize throughput for the common rendezvous location by:
determine an ETA of each of the users to the common rendezvous location; and
based on the dynamic queue and the ETAs of each of the users to the common rendezvous location, swap at least one match between one or more users and one or more transport providers.

10. The computing system of claim 9 , wherein the instructions cause the computing system to swap the at least one match by transmitting updated match information of a newly user and transport provider involved in the swap.

11. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the common rendezvous location comprises multiple vehicle spaces, and wherein the instructions cause the computing system to route the transport providers through the multiple vehicle spaces by matching each user and transport provider with a specified one of the vehicle spaces, and transmitting displayable content to the computing devices of each of the user and transport provider indicating the specified vehicle space.

12. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the computing system to:
store a user profile for each user, the user profile indicating a boarding time estimate for the user;
wherein the instructions cause the computing system to prevent stacking of the transport providers at the common rendezvous location by accounting for the boarding time estimate of each of the users.

13. The computing system of claim 12 , wherein the instructions further cause the computing system to:
receive a transport request from each user, the transport request indicating a destination;
wherein the instructions cause the computing system to adjust the boarding time estimate for the user based on the destination.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to:
determining a set of matched users and transport providers having a common rendezvous location, the set of matched users and transport providers comprising a first user matched to a first transport provider and a second user matched to a second transport provider;
generating a dynamic queue comprising each of the transport providers, the dynamic queue describing an order in which the transport providers are to arrive at the common rendezvous location to pick up the users;
routing the transport providers through the common rendezvous location in accordance with the dynamic queue by transmitting navigation-related data to a computing device of each of the transport providers in the dynamic queue, navigation-related data transmitted to a first transport provider causing the computing device of the first transport provider to autonomously maneuver the first transport provider to the common rendezvous location at an estimated time of arrival (ETA) for the first transport provider, and the navigation-related data transmitted to the second transport provider causing the computing device of the second transport provider to autonomously maneuver the second transport provider to the common rendezvous location at an ETA for the second transport provider, the ETA for the first transport provider being before the ETA for the second transport provider;
dynamically adjusting an order of the transport provid

Assignees

• Uber Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Stegall Neil
• Zych Noah

Classifications

• G05D1/692

  involving a plurality of disparate vehicles · CPC title

• G05D1/227

  Handing over between remote control and on-board control; Handing over between remote control arrangements · CPC title

• G06Q50/40

  Business processes related to the transportation industry (shipping G06Q10/083) · CPC title

• G05D1/0088

  characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours (using knowledge based models G06N5/00) · CPC title

• G05D1/0287

  involving a plurality of land vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling (traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00, particularly anticollision systems G08G1/16) · CPC title