Method for requesting transportation services

Abstract

A method for safely and efficiently requesting transportation services through the use of mobile communications devices capable of geographic location is described. Individual and package transportation may be provided. New customers may be efficiently serviced, and the requester and transportation provider locations may be viewed in real time on the mobile devices.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to on-demand transportation of individuals and goods and, more particularly, to a method for requesting transportation using mobile or fixed communication devices capable of geographical location.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The efficiency of on-demand transportation services is often limited by the time required to acquire a new customer. For example, taxicabs, on average, are “down” 50% of the time with no passenger to transport. During this down time, taxicab drivers are typically searching for their next passenger by simply looking for a “hailing” signal. In addition to being inefficient, both the driver and passenger are anonymous when a taxicab is “hailed” on the street, and drivers are robbed or killed by unknown passengers. The U.S. State Department has issued warnings to travelers in some foreign countries not to hail taxis in the street; rather, it is recommended that a cab be called from a hotel.

The use of a cell phone by a passenger to request a taxi and by a driver to confirm a pickup allows both to be identified by their cell phone numbers, thereby improving security for both passenger and driver. The use of cell phones that can be identified also permits improved service and management features; for example, a passenger leaving an item in a taxicab can later identify the taxi and recover the item.

The delivery of service information to a mobile device where a person is notified of a personalized service based on previously stored subscriber profile information has been described, an example being hotel selection based on subscriber room requirements. However, the user must already be registered as a subscriber, and must enter subscriber preferences for storage prior to the provision of service information, thereby limiting the usefulness and availability of this service. Location-dependent matching of mobile communication devices where mobile devices are automatically matched by a central server based on user profiles has also been described. Applications of this procedure include a central server matching a passenger requesting taxi service to a nearby available taxi and dispatching a taxi thereto. However, central dispatching of taxi service may not include independently operating taxi drivers. Steps of confirming, canceling, or completing such transactions are not described.

The availability of transportation services that are provided by units operating with a predetermined schedule and route, such as city buses, are limited by the lack of real-time information concerning their actual location.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for requesting transportation services having improved efficiency and security.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method for requesting transportation services from multiple transportation service companies.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a method for communicating real-time location information of a transportation service provider to a potential passenger's mobile phone.

Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

To achieve the foregoing and other objects, and in accordance with the purposes of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the method for requesting transportation services, hereof, includes: providing a wireless communications network for routing messages; providing a computer for processing information in cooperation with the wireless communications network; sending a request for transportation services to the computer through the communications network using a first communications device having geographic location; sending the geographic location of the first communications device to the computer through the wireless communications network; storing the request and the determined location on the computer; transmitting the stored request and location of the first communications device to at least one transportation provider having a wireless communications device through the wireless communications network; generating a confirmation signal on the wireless communications network from the at least one transportation provider; selecting one transportation provider from the at least one transportation provider; and generating a second confirmation signal from the computer to the transportation requester using the wireless communications network notifying the transportation requester that transportation service has been arranged.

In another aspect of the present invention, and in accordance with its objects and purposes, the method for obtaining time-of-arrival information for at least one transportation vehicle following a predetermined route at a chosen location on the route, hereof, includes: providing a wireless communications network for routing messages; providing a computer for processing information in cooperation with the wireless communications network; sending the geographic location of the chosen location on the route using a first communications device; sending the geographic location for each vehicle of the at least one transportation vehicle at selected time intervals using a wireless mobile communications device located thereon to the computer through the wireless communications network; analyzing the geographic location information at the selected time intervals using the computer; comparing the analyzed location information with the scheduled location of the at least one vehicle along the predetermined route; and calculating the time-of-arrival of the at least one vehicle at the chosen location.

Benefits and advantages of the present invention include, but are not limited to, providing a method for safely and efficiently requesting transportation services, whereby new customers may be serviced, requester and transportation provider locations may be viewed in real time on the mobile devices, requesters may be presented with a consolidated view of transportation providers since the transportation providers may be associated with multiple companies, the process may be automated, there is no requirement that the requester subscribes to or otherwise be known to the system in advance of the request, and there is no requirement that the requester provides preference or profile information.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of the specification, illustrate an embodiment of the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of an embodiment of apparatus effective for performing the method of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating a typical request for transportation services using the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 hereof in the absence of a dispatcher.

FIG. 3 illustrates an application of the present invention to requesting transportation services from a taxicab.

FIG. 4 illustrates an application of the present invention to a traveler interested in using a city bus system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Briefly, the present invention includes a method for safely and efficiently requesting transportation services through the use of mobile communications devices capable of geographic location. Individual or package transportation may be provided. New customers may be efficiently serviced, and the requester and transportation provider locations may be viewed in real time on the mobile devices.

Embodiments of the present method, and an embodiment of the apparatus for implementing the method, hereof, permits a request of transportation services initiated from a smart mobile device (MD) having geographical location determination capability and wireless communication, to be made using a computer and a communication network into which the MD may be connected. It should be mentioned that the request for transportation might be made from another type of communications device, such as a wired telephone or land line, or a laptop or desktop computer, as examples. In the case of the use of a wired telephone, geographic information might be provided from a description of the location by the requester or from a Global Positioning System (GPS) operated by the requester, to an operator who would enter this information into the system. The processing of such requests, and/or other MDs, by the computer system may be automated, as may be the subsequent dissemination of the request by a transportation service provider. That is, from request to completion of service, the present apparatus may be real-time, on-demand, and computer automated, with no required human action other than to perform the initiation, confirmation and service of the request. There is no requirement that the requester subscribes to or otherwise be known to the system in advance of the request. Further, there is no requirement that the requester provides preference or profile information. Requests for transportation services specify the initial pickup location, and may be unpremeditated, or spur of the moment. The requester simply makes a request to be transported (or requests an item to be transported) using a smart MD equipped with software effective for accomplishing this request.

Requesters and transporters may have MDs effective for automatically determining the MDs' geographical location, these locations being periodically communicated by means of a communications network to a computer system (CS) and disseminated to both requesters and all transporters (units capable of servicing the request), whereby their movements may be tracked. Potential transporters receive the request and the location of the requester on their mobile devices in real-time (typically within a few minutes), and at least one transporter performs the request either under direction from a dispatch center or the transporter independently decides to confirm and perform the request. The computer system receiving the messages from the transporters and requesters through the CS, including request information, confirmation by the potential transporter, and locations of the MDs, may store this information and track the locations of the requesters and transporters. The computer system may acknowledge the confirmation from a first transporter of a request, by sending an acknowledgement message to both the first confirming transporter and the requester, and sending rejection messages to all other transporters (if any) who subsequently sent confirmations for the same request. Other grounds for choosing a transporter may be envisioned. For example, as will be described hereinbelow, a dispatcher may make this selection. Multiple requests for transportation by a single requester may be rejected by the computer.

In another embodiment of the present invention where transporters are not specifically requested, but rather provide services on a predetermined schedule and route, the at least one transporter MD periodically sends location information to the computer system, but neither receives nor confirms requests. The computer and wireless network system disseminates transporter location information to requester MDs which request transporter location information.

Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Similar or identical structure is identified using identical reference characters. Turning now to the FIGURES, FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of one embodiment of apparatus, 100, effective for carrying out the steps of embodiments of the method for requesting transportation hereof. Requester MD, 102, may be a wireless mobile hardware device having software capable of communicating information to other mobile devices or computer system (CS), 104, and capable of determining the location of that device. An example of a mobile device is a hand-held programmable cell phone, such as an Apple® iPhone™ or a BlackBerry® Storm™, having geographical position location capability (through the cell system itself (signal triangulation), GPS, or by location specification from the user) and capability to connect to a private computer network or a public network such as the Internet through network, 106. In particular, requests may either be sent to transportation provider (transporter) MDs, 108a or 108b, or CS 104. Requester MD 102 may be tracked in the system by a unique identifier associated with MD 102.

Transporter MDs 108a and 108b may be wireless mobile hardware devices having location determination capability and software for enabling the device to communicate information with other mobile devices and with CS 104 through wireless network 106, whereby requests for transportation may be received. Such requests may be textually listed and/or displayed on a geographical map, and CS 104 and/or the requester MD 102 may be contacted confirming for CS 104 or requester MD 102 that the transportation provider will service the request (confirmation of request). An example of this device may also be a hand-held, programmable cell phone having geographical position location capability, and the capability to connect to a private computer network or a public network such as the Internet through wireless network 106, whereby messages may be transmitted to other MDs or a CS. Transporter MDs may be tracked by system 100 using a unique identifier associated with that MD.

It should be mentioned that requester MD 102 and transporter MDs 108a and 108b, may have map or textual display capabilities.

Network 106 may be a communications network effective for interconnecting computers and permits transfer of data between computers which may be a combination of land-based and wireless connections. The network may be a private network whose nodes are effective for carrying out the steps of embodiments of the method of the present invention, or an existing public network such as the Internet. Computer System (CS) 104 may be a computer system (hardware and software) for receiving and storing all requests, receiving and storing all transportation provider locations/activities, and having the capability of routing information to requester MDs, transportation provider MDs or a system for dispatching transportation services. Computer system 104 may be a computer node of a private computer network or a public network such as the Internet, may include multiple computers connected by an internal network, separate from network 106, or include transportation provider MDs connected using a private or public network.

In operation, requester MD 102 may send a request and its location to computer system 104 through network 106, CS 104 receiving the request and all locations of transportation provider MDs 108a and 108b. Computer System 104 may forward the request to all transportation provider MDs, where one of the transportation providers decides to service the request. The request status is then updated in CS 104, and MDs 108a and 108b may be notified of the change in status.

A dispatch system may be connected to network 106 (not shown in FIG. 1 hereof), including an additional computer, software, and storage, for receiving requests, cancellations, and location information from transportation providers and requesters. In addition, the dispatch system may receive requests, cancellations, and location information input by operators receiving requests from sources including telephone call-ins. The dispatch system upon receipt of such request, and upon action by an operator, may transmit a confirmation message to the requester and to a transporter with the purpose of directing that transporter to perform the request. A plurality of dispatch components may be connected to network 106.

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating a typical request for transportation services using the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 hereof in the absence of a dispatcher. A request, 200, from a requester MD, which may be a cell phone, is communicated to the known network address of a computer system (CS). As an example, the CS address may be the URL of a website and the CS and MDs communicate over the Internet with IP addresses. Requests may contain information giving the geographical location and a unique MD identification which may be the MD phone number. The request may contain additional information such as the destination location of the transportation request, the method of payment, and specific characteristics of what is to be transported. Characteristics may also include the number of individuals to be transported, the size and weight of packages to be delivered, a future time for the service to be performed and/or the type of material to be transported. The identification and location may be communicated periodically.

Transporter identification and location is communicated, 202, to the known network address of computer system (CS). The identification and location may be communicated periodically.

The CS stores, 204, the request, requester location and transporter location. The CS storage may contain all requests, requester locations and transporter locations.

The CS forwards, 206, the request and the requester's location to the transporter MDs, and the transporter locations to the requester's MD.

The transporter decides to service request and sends, 208, confirmation of this to the CS. This confirmation identifies the request with the unique MD identification of the requester.

The CS sends, 210, a positive acknowledgement of the transporter confirmation to the transporter MD and a confirmation to the requester if the transporter confirmation is the first confirmation received; otherwise, a negative acknowledgement is sent to the transporter MD. That is, any confirmations for the same request arriving after the first confirmation are rejected.

The transporter MD receives, 212, acknowledgement and commences service. The requester MD receives, 214, confirmation that includes the transporter's identification. At this point, the transporter has received the requester's telephone number and the requester has received the transporter's telephone number which permits voice communication between the two.

In the situation where no transporter is available or no transporter confirms within a chosen time limit, the requester is notified that the request has timed out.

Additional embodiments of the present invention may include, but are not limited to, the following:

(a) Company Dispatch: a request may be transmitted to a CS using its IP address on the Internet; CS software stores the requests, stores all transporters, and sends the request to a dispatch system which dispatches a transporter to the requester based on operation efficiency (transporter availability, transporter type, company policies, and distance/time of the transporter from the requester), as an example.(b) Unilateral Service Decision: a request is sent to a CS using its IP address which forwards the request to other mobile devices held by transporters; software on the transporter's MD may display multiple requests on a geographical map so that the transporter can chose a request to satisfy without being instructed by any dispatch component.(c) Distributed CS: a request is sent to an IP address which is timeshared by the active transporter mobile devices; this embodiment replaces the CS with a distributed network of transporter MDs that accomplish the functions of the CS, the mobile devices themselves carrying the addresses of the other MDs in their network and communicating and synchronizing to complete the required CS tasks in a distributed manner; and(d) Public Transportation on Scheduled Routes: here the transporter is a vehicle traveling along a predetermined scheduled route (examples include subway trains, light rail trains, commuter trains, ferries, trucks, and buses). The transporters MD may periodically send location data to the CS, the data including the location of the vehicle, a unique identifier of the MD and a time stamp. The real-time route location is disseminated by the CS to user mobile devices who wish to observe the transporter locations.

Message protocols may include message types, formats and rules that are decoded and acted upon by software supporting the computer system and by software supporting the MDs. Each message is identified with a unique identifier and time stamp. For example, if the MDs are cell phones, the unique identifier is the cell phone number. Sample messages types and actions are illustrated in the TABLE.

TABLE
Initial        The requester and/or transporter signals initial
               communication with computer network.
Request        The requester sends service request, whereby the
               request and location information are stored in the
               computer network; the requester is prevented from
               sending another request message.
Confirm        The transporter sends confirmation and location
               information for a particular request, whereby the
               confirmation is stored in the computer; the transporter
               receive a response to this message containing a
               positive or negative acknowledgement status, whereby
               positive acknowledgement is sent only if the transporter
               is first to confirm, there is no prior dispatch message,
               and there is no prior requester Cancel; the transporter is
               prevented from sending another confirm message; upon
               receipt of positive acknowledgment, the sending of a
               pickup message is enabled.
Pickup         The transporter signals that pickup has occurred and
               service has begun; enables sending of dropoff
               message.
Dropoff        The transporter signals that dropoff has occurred and
               service has been completed, wherein the service fare is
               communicated and whereby the transporter confirm
               message is erased; this enables a cash or credit
               information message to be sent.
Cash           The requester signals payment by cash which enables
               the sending of a requester stop message.
Credit         The requester signals payment by credit card; a
information    message containing credit card information is sent
               which effects a credit card authorization to a merchant
               bank that will be returned in a subsequent requester
               and transporter heartbeat message.
Requester      The requester signals cancellation of the previously
Cancel         sent request; a stop message is automatically sent.
Transporter    The transporter signals cancellation of the previously
Cancel         sent confirmation message.
Stop           The requester/transporter signals the end of the
               communication with network, whereby any request
               and location information is erased from storage.
Requester      Message periodically sent by requester MD with
Heartbeat      information including requester's most recent location,
               whereby the location is stored in the computer; the
               requester receives responses to this message type
               containing information including location of
               transporters, the identity of the transporter
               acknowledged to service request, service fare, and
               credit card authorization status.
Transporter    Message periodically sent by transporter MD with
Heartbeat      information including the most
               recent location, whereby the location
               is stored in the computer; the transporter
               receives a response to this message type containing
               information including location of requesters, payment
               type of cash or payment type of credit card, and
               authorization status.
Dispatcher Get Message periodically sent by the dispatcher; the
Information    dispatcher receives a response to this message type
(optional)     containing information including location of requesters
               and transporters.
Dispatcher     The dispatcher sends a service request from a
Request        requester who placed the request from a telephone,
(optional)     whereby the request and location information is stored
               in the computer network.
Dispatch       The dispatcher signals that the transporter is to pick up
(optional)     the requester, wherein the requester and the transporter
               are identified; the dispatcher is prevented from sending
               another dispatch message identifying the same
               requester or transporter; the dispatcher receives a
               response to this message type containing a positive or
               negative acknowledgement, whereby a positive
               acknowledgement is sent only if there
               are no other prior dispatch messages
               identifying the same requester or
               transporter, there are no confirm messages of the
               identified requester's request, and there are no confirm
               messages from the same transporter.

Having generally described embodiments of the present invention, the following EXAMPLES provide additional details thereof.

Example 1

FIG. 3 illustrates an application of the present invention to requesting transportation services from a taxicab, without the services of a dispatcher. Requester 300, located on 55^th Street, wishes to acquire the services of a taxi, although no taxicab is visible to requester 300. The MDs of taxis 302 and 304 automatically and periodically wirelessly communicate their location information to CS 104 through network 106. The request for transportation services from requester 300 is achieved by the requester pushing a button on his or her programmable cell phone, and in step 306, the “hail a taxi” request is sent to computer system CS 104 which is receiving and tracking all active taxi locations. In steps 308a and 308b, the request is simultaneously forwarded to taxis 302 and 304, respectively. It should be mentioned, that all taxis in a county, city or borough, depending on the geographical size of these administrative entities, might receive the request. In step 310, taxi 302 decides to pick up requester 300 and sends a confirming signal to CS 104. In step 312, CS 104 confirms to requester 300 that a taxi is on the way. Computer system 104 also communicates the confirmation to taxi 304 in step 314. As stated hereinabove, multiple requests from requester 300 would be rejected by CS 104. Additionally, location information for taxi 302 may be provided to requester 300.

FIG. 4 illustrates an application of the present invention to a traveler interested in using a city bus system. In this application, city buses, 400, 402, 404, and 406 periodically transmit their geographic locations using MDs thereon to a computer 104 through wireless network 106. Computer 104 analyzes the time-varying geographic location data, matches the locations with bus schedules, and computes times-of-arrival and other route information. This information may be transmitted to traveler 408 where it is displayed on his or her cell phone in real time.

The foregoing description of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto.

Claims

1. A method operative in a distributed computing network, wherein the distributed computing network includes a plurality of nodes distributed to receive and assign requests for transportation services, the method comprising: periodically determining, by the distributed computing network, one or more real time geographic locations of transportation providers;receiving, by the distributed computing network, an initialization message from a cellular mobile device;after receiving the initialization message, receiving, by the distributed computing network, a request for transportation services from the cellular mobile device, wherein the request includes the geographical location of the cellular mobile device;processing the request by the distributed computing network, to select a transportation provider in the transportation providers according to an availability of the transportation provider and an estimated time it takes for the transportation provider to travel to the geographical location of the cellular mobile device; andsending a real-time geographic location of the selected transportation provider to the cellular mobile device for presentation on a map displayed on the cellular mobile device;wherein the plurality of nodes includes a plurality of wireless mobile devices associated with the transportation providers; andthe wireless mobile devices associated with the transportation providers periodically receive and store information identifying at least one node in the distributed computing network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein an IP address time-shared by a set of mobile devices associated with the transportation providers is used to receive the request for transportation services.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each of the set of mobile devices associated with the transportation providers stores information identifying network addresses of other mobile devices in the set of mobile devices.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein mobile devices in the set of mobile devices communicate and synchronize with each other to fulfill the request for transportation services.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the set of wireless mobile devices includes a mobile phone, the method further comprising: identifying the transportation requester in accordance with a phone number associated with the mobile phone of the cellular mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: notifying the selected transportation provider of a material to be transported by the transportation provider.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless mobile devices of the plurality of transportation providers perform all functions of the distributed computing system in a distributed manner.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said processing of the request to select the transportation provider is performed by the wireless mobile devices of the plurality of transportation providers in a distributed manner.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of nodes comprises a computer system which receives the request and communicates with one or more of the transportation providers to perform said processing of the request.

10. A system comprising: a network connection to communicate wirelessly with a wireless mobile device of a transportation requester and with respective wireless mobile devices of a plurality of transportation providers;a distributed computing system comprising the wireless mobile devices of the transportation providers but not the wireless mobile device of the transportation requester, and configured to: receive an initialization message from the transportation requester, according to a message protocol of the transportation requester, via the network connection;store a transportation request message after receipt of the initialization message, according to a message protocol of the transportation requester, received via the network connection;after receipt of the initialization message including before and after receipt of the transportation request message, automatically and periodically track a geographic location of the transportation requester using messages containing geographic location information according to the message protocol provided by the wireless mobile device of the transportation requester via the network connection;automatically and periodically track a time-varying geographic location of each of the plurality of transportation providers using messages containing time-varying geographic location information, according to the message protocol, provided by the wireless mobile devices of the plurality of transportation providers via the network connection;select, as a selected transportation provider, one of the plurality of transportation providers;send, via the network connection, a confirmation message, according to the message protocol, to the transportation requester that a transportation has been arranged with the selected transportation provider; andpresent a real-time geographic location of the selected transportation provider on the wireless mobile device of the transportation requester, wherein the real-time geographic location of the selected transportation provider is presented on a map displayed on the wireless mobile device of the transportation requester.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the selected transportation provider is selected further based on one or more company policies associated with the system.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the wireless mobile devices of the plurality of transportation providers are configured to perform all functions of the distributed computing system in a distributed manner.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one transportation provider in the plurality of transportation providers is operable to travel on a predetermined travel route.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the message protocol includes information identifying one or more message types, formats and rules that are decoded and acted upon by software supporting the distributed computing system and by software supporting the wireless mobile device of the transportation requester.

15. The system of claim 10, further configured to: present a real-time geographic location of the transportation requester on a wireless mobile device of the selected transportation provider.

16. The system of claim 10, which includes an automated transportation request processing and dispatching system.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the wireless mobile device of the transportation requester is a mobile phone and the distributed computing system identifies the transportation requester in accordance with a phone number associated with the mobile phone.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the transportation request message includes information identifying a material to be transported by the selected transportation provider.

19. The system of claim 10, which includes one or more central computers and the wireless mobile devices of the plurality of transportation providers.

20. The system of claim 10, wherein the wireless mobile devices of the plurality of the transportation providers are configured to timeshare an address, and to receive the transportation request message at said timeshared address.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the wireless mobile devices of the plurality of the transportation providers are configured to timeshare an address, and to receive the transportation request message at said timeshared address.

22. The system of claim 10, wherein each of the wireless mobile devices of the plurality of the transportation providers is configured to carry an address of every other one of the wireless mobile devices of the plurality of the transportation providers.