Dynamic real-time carpool matching

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016138928-A1
Application number	US-201414543949-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 18, 2014
Priority date	Nov 18, 2014
Publication date	May 19, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

According to one exemplary embodiment, a method for real-time carpool matching is provided. The method may include receiving a plurality of carpool requests having a plurality of carpool route segments. The method may include determining at least one carpool match in real-time based on the plurality of carpool route segments. The method may include assigning each carpool match a viability value. The method may then include assigning a selected carpool match automatically for a user associated with the determined at least one carpool match, based on the assigned viability value associated with each carpool match within the at least one carpool match. The method may further include choosing a driver from a plurality of carpool participants, whereby the plurality of carpool participants is based on the selected carpool match. The method may also include sending the selected carpool match to the plurality of carpool participants.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for real-time carpool matching, the method comprising:
receiving a plurality of carpool requests; determining at least one carpool match in real-time based on the received plurality of carpool requests; assigning each carpool match within the at least one carpool match a viability value; assigning a selected carpool match automatically for a user associated with the determined at least one carpool match, based on the assigned viability value associated with each carpool match within the at least one carpool match; choosing a driver from a plurality of carpool participants, wherein the plurality of carpool participants is based on the selected carpool match; and sending the selected carpool match to the plurality of carpool participants.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining if a user associated with the determined at least one carpool match has opted out of automatic carpool matching; sending the at least one carpool match to the user based on determining that the user has opted out of automatic carpool matching; and receiving a selected carpool match from the user based on the sent at least one carpool match.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each carpool request within the plurality of carpool requests has a route and a plurality of passenger acceptability criteria.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the determining at least one carpool match comprises comparing the plurality of carpool requests based on a route overlap value and the plurality of passenger acceptability criteria.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the route comprises a plurality of route segments and the route overlap value comprises a number of route segments matching between a first plurality of route segments and a second plurality of route segments.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein choosing the driver from the plurality of carpool participants comprises randomly choosing the driver or allowing the plurality of carpool participants to consent to choose the driver from the plurality of carpool participants.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
monitoring a geolocation associated with the plurality of carpool participants; determining if a distance between the geolocation and a carpool route associated with the selected carpool match is outside of a predefined threshold value; and generating an alert based on determining that the distance is outside of the predefined threshold value.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each carpool request within the plurality of carpool requests has a distance flexibility preference and a time flexibility preference.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the determining the at least one carpool match comprises considering an alternate route that fits within the time flexibility preference and the distance flexibility preference.

10 . A computer system for real-time carpool matching, comprising:
one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories, one or more computer-readable tangible storage medium, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more tangible storage medium for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, wherein the computer system is capable of performing a method comprising: receiving a plurality of carpool requests; determining at least one carpool match in real-time based on the received plurality of carpool requests; assigning each carpool match within the at least one carpool match a viability value; assigning a selected carpool match automatically for a user associated with the determined at least one carpool match, based on the assigned viability value associated with each carpool match within the at least one carpool match; choosing a driver from a plurality of carpool participants, wherein the plurality of carpool participants is based on the selected carpool match; and sending the selected carpool match to the plurality of carpool participants.

11 . The computer system of claim 10 , further comprising:
determining if a user associated with the determined at least one carpool match has opted out of automatic carpool matching; sending the at least one carpool match to the user based on determining that the user has opted out of automatic carpool matching; and receiving a selected carpool match from the user based on the sent at least one carpool match.

12 . The computer system of claim 10 , wherein each carpool request within the plurality of carpool requests has a route and a plurality of passenger acceptability criteria.

13 . The computer system of claim 12 , wherein the determining at least one carpool match comprises comparing the plurality of carpool requests based on a route overlap value and the plurality of passenger acceptability criteria.

14 . The computer system of claim 13 , wherein the route comprises a plurality of route segments and the route overlap value comprises a number of route segments matching between a first plurality of route segments and a second plurality of route segments.

15 . The computer system of claim 10 , wherein choosing the driver from the plurality of carpool participants comprises randomly choosing the driver or allowing the participants to consent to choose the driver from the plurality of carpool participants.

16 . The computer system of claim 10 , further comprising:
monitoring a geolocation associated with the plurality of carpool participants; determining if a distance between the geolocation and a carpool route associated with the selected carpool match is outside of a predefined threshold value; and generating an alert based on determining that the distance is outside of the predefined threshold value.

17 . The computer system of claim 10 , wherein each carpool request within the plurality of carpool requests has a distance flexibility preference and a time flexibility preference.

18 . A computer program product for real-time carpool matching, comprising:
one or more computer-readable storage medium and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more tangible storage medium, the program instructions executable by a processor, the program instructions comprising: program instructions to receive a plurality of carpool requests; program instructions to determine at least one carpool match in real-time based on the received plurality of carpool requests; program instructions to assign each carpool match within the at least one carpool match a viability value; program instructions to assign a selected carpool match automatically for a user associated with the determined at least one carpool match, based on the assigned viability value associated with each carpool match within the at least one carpool match; program instructions to choose a driver from a plurality of carpool participants, wherein the plurality of carpool participants is based on the selected carpool match; and program instructions to send the selected carpool match to the plurality of carpool participants.

19 . The computer program product of claim 18 , further comprising:
program instruction to determine if a user associated with the determined at least one carpool match has opted out of automatic carpool matching; program instruction to send the at least one carpool match to the user based on determining that the user has opted out of automatic carpool matching; and program instructions to receive a selected carpool match from the user based on the s

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Guo Shang Q
• Isci Canturk
• Lenchner Jonathan
• Mukherjee Maharaj

Classifications

• G06Q50/30

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F17/30241

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F17/30864

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06Q10/02

  Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events · CPC title

• G01C21/3438 Primary

  Rendezvous; Ride sharing · CPC title