Ride chaining

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9679489-B2
Application number	US-201514723134-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 27, 2015
Priority date	Jul 22, 2014
Publication date	Jun 13, 2017
Grant date	Jun 13, 2017

Abstract

A system for determining a dispatch includes an input interface, a processor, and an output interface. The input interface is to receive a request for a first pickup including a first pickup location and a first destination. The processor is configured to determining a driver to dispatch to the first pickup location. The output interface is to provide a first pickup indication to the driver to go to the first pickup location. The input interface is further to receive a first pickup arrival indication indicating the driver arrived at the first pickup location. The output interface is further to provide a first destination indication indicating to the driver to go to the first destination. The input interface is further to receive a request for a second pickup including a second pickup location and a second destination.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
an input interface of a computer configured to receive a ride sharing acceptability indication;
a processor in communication with the input interface, the processor configured to determine a vehicle to dispatch to the first pickup location for a first ride upon a verification of the ride sharing acceptability indication;
an output interface in communication with the processor and configured to provide a first pickup indication to a driver device of the vehicle, wherein the first pickup indication indicates to the driver to go to the first pickup location;
the input interface configured to receive a request for a second ride;
the processor configured to share at least a first portion of the first ride with at least a second portion of the second ride; and
the processor configured to provide a second pickup indication to the driver device, the second pickup indication modifying a route from the first pickup indication for the driver device.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is not associated with a ride from the system prior to the first ride.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is associated with a ride from the system prior to the first ride.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the input interface is configured to receive the request for the second ride prior to a request for the first ride.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the input interface is configured to receive the request for the second ride after the determination of the vehicle to dispatch to the first pickup location.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the input interface is configured to receive the request for the second ride after providing the first pickup indication.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the input interface is configured to receive the request for the second ride after receiving a first pickup arrival indication indicating the driver arrived at a first pickup location of the first ride.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine the vehicle to dispatch based at least in part on a determination of a set of vehicles with having routes with delay criteria for detour from an existing ride.

9. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to determine the vehicle to dispatch based at least in part on a determination of a select vehicle with a minimum delay time from the set of vehicles within the delay criteria.

10. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to qualify for the delay criteria based at least in part on a detour time from an existing ride.

11. The system according to claim 1 , the processor is configured to determine the vehicle to dispatch based at least in part on a determination that no other vehicles meets a delay criteria for detour from an existing ride.

12. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to determine the vehicle to dispatch based at least in part on assigning a nearest vehicle to the first pickup location and wherein the nearest vehicle is not associated with a ride from the system.

13. A method, comprising:
receiving, at an input interface, a ride sharing acceptability indication;
determining, using a processor in communication with the input interface, a vehicle to dispatch to the first pickup location for a first ride upon a verification of the ride sharing acceptability indication;
providing a first pickup indication to a driver device of the vehicle, wherein the first pickup indication indicates to the driver to go to the first pickup location;
receiving, at the input interface, a request for a second ride;
sharing, using the processor, at least a first portion of the first ride with at least a second portion of the second ride; and
providing, from the processor to the driver device a second pickup indication for modifying a route from the first pickup indication for the driver device.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the input interface is configured to receive a first destination arrival indication indicating the vehicle arrived at a first destination of the first ride.

15. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the vehicle is associated with a ride from the system prior to the first ride.

16. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the determining for the vehicle to dispatch is based at least in part on a determination that no other vehicles meets a delay criteria for detour from an existing ride.

17. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the receipt of the request for the second ride, via the input interface, is after the determination of the vehicle to dispatch to the first pickup location.

18. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the receipt of the request for the second ride, via the input interface, is after providing the first pickup indication.

19. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the receipt of the request for the second ride, via the input interface, is after receiving a first pickup arrival indication indicating the vehicle arrived at the first pickup location.

20. A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions that when executed on a processor configures a computer in communication with the processor to:
receive, at an input interface, a ride sharing acceptability indication;
determine, using the processor in communication with the input interface, a vehicle to dispatch to a first pickup location for a first ride upon a verification of the ride sharing acceptability indication;
provide a first pickup indication to a driver device of the vehicle, wherein the first pickup indication indicates to the driver to go to the first pickup location;
receive, at the input interface, a request for a second ride;
share, using the processor, at least a first portion of the first ride with at least a second portion of the second ride; and
provide, from the processor to the driver device a second pickup indication for modifying a route from the first pickup indication for the driver device.

Assignees

• Lyft Inc

Inventors

• Lambert Chris
• Green Logan
• Yoo Frank Taehyun
• Haumann Marc
• Dryjanski David
• Popov Lev

Classifications

• G06Q10/00

  Administration; Management · CPC title

• G06Q10/08

  Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management · CPC title

• G01C21/3446

  Details of route searching algorithms, e.g. Dijkstra, A*, arc-flags or using precalculated routes · CPC title

• G01C21/3438

  Rendezvous; Ride sharing · CPC title

• G08G1/123

  indicating the position of vehicles, e.g. scheduled vehicles; {Managing passenger vehicles circulating according to a fixed timetable, e.g. buses, trains, trams}(transmission of navigation instructions to vehicles G08G1/0968) · CPC title