Selecting a Route to a Destination Based on Zones

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017363435-A1
Application number	US-201715691600-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 30, 2017
Priority date	Feb 8, 2016
Publication date	Dec 21, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A travel coordination system provides suggestions to providers for where they should go to reduce the wait time between trips. A geographic region is broken down into zones and a score is generated for each zone. A zone score can be generated by determining the estimated wait time for the zone and generating a model for the wait time. A zone score can also be generated using a model for the wait time using factors that likely contribute to the wait time. The zone score for each zone is displayed to the provider on a road map of the geographic region along with the boundaries of each of the zones and the provider's position within the region. The travel coordination system also suggests driving routes. The travel coordination system selects a target zone and generates candidate routes to the zone. A route is selected based on route scores.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
receiving, at a travel coordination system from a provider device, a current location of a provider, the current location being within a geographic region; generating a set of zone scores for a set of zones within the geographic region, each zone score of the set of zone scores representing an estimated wait time of a zone of the set of zones; selecting a zone of the set of zones based on the set of zone scores; identifying a destination for the provider within the selected zone; generating a set of candidate routes from the current location of the provider to the identified destination; generating a set of route scores for the set of candidate routes based on the set of zone scores; selecting a route from the set of candidate routes based on the set of route scores; and transmitting the selected route to the provider device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the destination is a center of the selected zone.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the destination is a border of the selected zone.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the destination is selected based on an arrival time of the provider at the destination.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the zone is selected based on the arrival time of the provider at the destination.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the destination is selected based on a provider supply model and a provider demand model.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the route is selected based on a provider supply model and a provider demand model.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the destination is selected based on preferences of the provider.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the route is selected based on amounts of time the provider would spend in zones through which the provider passes by traveling along the candidate route.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the route is selected based on an integral of the zone scores of the zones through which the provider passes on the candidate route.

11 . A non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to:
receive, at a travel coordination system from a provider device, a current location of a provider, the current location being within a geographic region; generate a set of zone scores for a set of zones within the geographic region, each zone score of the set of zone scores representing an estimated wait time of a zone of the set of zones; select a zone of the set of zones based on the set of zone scores; identify a destination for the provider within the selected zone; generate a set of candidate routes from the current location of the provider to the identified destination; generate a set of route scores for the set of candidate routes based on the set of zone scores; select a route from the set of candidate routes based on the set of route scores; and transmit the selected route to the provider device.

12 . The computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the destination is a center of the selected zone.

13 . The computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the destination is a border of the selected zone.

14 . The computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the destination is selected based on an arrival time of the provider at the destination.

15 . The computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the zone is selected based on the arrival time of the provider at the destination.

16 . The computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the destination is selected based on a provider supply model and a provider demand model.

17 . The computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the route is selected based on a provider supply model and a provider demand model.

18 . The computer-readable medium of claim 111 , wherein the destination is selected based on preferences of the provider.

19 . The computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the route is selected based on amounts of time the provider would spend in zones through which the provider passes by traveling along the candidate route.

20 . A system comprising:
a processor; and a non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to:
receive, at a travel coordination system from a provider device, a current location of a provider, the current location being within a geographic region;
generate a set of zone scores for a set of zones within the geographic region, each zone score of the set of zone scores representing an estimated wait time of a zone of the set of zones;
select a zone of the set of zones based on the set of zone scores;
identify a destination for the provider within the selected zone;
generate a set of candidate routes from the current location of the provider to the identified destination;
generate a set of route scores for the set of candidate routes based on the set of zone scores;
select a route from the set of candidate routes based on the set of route scores; and
transmit the selected route to the provider device.

Assignees

• Uber Technologies Inc

Inventors

• O'Mahony Eoin
• Nickels John Mark
• Goldman Brent
• Holden Jeff

Classifications

• G01C21/36 Primary

  Input/output arrangements for on-board computers · CPC title

• G06Q10/047

  Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem · CPC title

• G08G1/202

  Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching · CPC title

• G08G1/09685

  where the complete route is computed only once and not updated · CPC title

• G08G1/096816

  where the complete route is transmitted to the vehicle at once · CPC title