Ride chaining

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9978282-B2
Application number	US-201715603240-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2017
Priority date	Jul 22, 2014
Publication date	May 22, 2018
Grant date	May 22, 2018

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:
at least one processor; and
at least one non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause a computing device to:
receive, from a first requestor client device, a first request for a first ride, wherein the first request comprises a first number of passengers and a first pickup location;
receive, from a second requestor client device, a second request for a second ride, wherein the second request comprises a second number of passengers and a second pickup location;
determine to combine the first ride with the second ride based on a passenger capacity associated with a vehicle being greater than or equal to a sum of the first number of passengers of the first ride and the second number of passengers of the second ride;
select an alternative pickup location to replace the second pickup location of the second ride based on the determination to combine the first ride and the second ride;
generate a combined route comprising the alternative pickup location; and
provide, to a provider client device associated with the vehicle, dispatch instructions to travel the combined route comprising the alternative pickup location.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to determine an updated available space associated with the vehicle based on combining the first ride with the second ride.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to:
receive an indication of an actual number of passengers picked up at the first pickup location; and
determine an updated available space associated with the vehicle based on the actual number of passengers being different from the first number of passengers included with the first request.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to determine an updated available space associated with the vehicle based on receiving an indication of a number of passengers dropped off at a dropoff location associated with the first ride.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the number of passengers dropped off at the dropoff location associated with the first ride is less than the first number of passengers associated with the first ride.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to determine that the first ride and the second ride are similar, and wherein determining to combine the first ride with the second ride is further based on determining that the first ride and second ride are similar.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the first ride and the second ride are determined as similar based on a combination of at least two of:
a first distance criterion between the first pickup locations and the second pickup location;
a second distance criterion between a first dropoff locations for the first ride and a second dropoff location for the second ride; and
an amount of overlapping route portions between a first route corresponding to the first ride and a second route corresponding to the second ride.

8. The system of claim 6 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to:
determine a charge for the second ride based on the second pickup location and a second dropoff location associated with the second ride;
determine a discount for the second ride based on an amount of similarity between the first ride and the second ride; and
applying the discount to the charge for the second ride.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to provide the alternative pickup location to the first requestor client device and the second requestor client device.

10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to:
receive a ride completed indicator for the first ride;
provide a ride rating request to the first requestor client device associated with the first ride;
receive a ride rating indicator from the first requestor client device;
update a vehicle profile rating of the vehicle based on the ride rating indicator;
provide a rider rating request to the first requestor client device associated with the first ride;
receive a rider rating indicator from the first requestor device; and
update a rider profile rating of a second requestor associated with the second ride based on the rider rating indicator.

11. A method, comprising:
receiving, from a first requestor client device, a first request for a first ride, wherein the first request comprises a first number of passengers and a first pickup location;
receiving, from a second requestor client device, a second request for a second ride, wherein the second request comprises a second number of passengers and a second pickup location;
determining to combine the first ride with the second ride based on a passenger capacity associated with a vehicle being greater than or equal to a sum of the first number of passengers of the first ride and the second number of passengers of the second ride;
selecting an alternative pickup location to replace the second pickup location of the second ride based on the determination to combine the first ride and the second ride;
generating a combined route comprising the alternative pickup location; and
providing, to a provider client device associated with the vehicle, dispatch instructions that instruct the vehicle to travel the combined route comprising the alternative pickup location.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising determining an updated available space associated with the vehicle in response to combining the first ride with the second ride.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving an indication of an actual number of passengers picked up at the first pickup location; and
determining an updated available space associated with the vehicle based on the actual number of passengers being different from the first number of passengers included with the first request.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a computer system to:
receive, from a first requestor client device, a first request for a first ride, wherein the first request comprises a first number of passengers and a first pickup location;
receive, from a second requestor client device, a second request for a second ride, wherein the second request comprises a second number of passengers and a second pickup location;
determine to combine the first ride with the second ride based on a passenger capacity associated with a vehicle being greater than or equal to a sum of the first number of passengers of the first ride and the second number of passengers of the second ride;
select an alternative pickup location to replace the second pickup location of the second ride based on the determination to combine the first ride and the second ride;
generate a combined route comprising the alternative pickup location; and
provide, to a provider client device associated with the vehicle, dispatch instructions that instruct the vehicle to travel the combined route comprising the alternative pickup location.

15. The non-t

Assignees

• Lyft Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• G07B15/00

  Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points (handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00) · CPC title

• G06Q10/047

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

• G06Q10/08

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

• G01C21/36

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