BACKGROUND Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to systems and methods for coordinated ride sharing.

Description of Related Art

[0002] Various ride-sharing implementations exist at present. However the various implementations of this relatively simple idea make clear that in fact a wide field of possible embodiments exists. The current state of the art all suffer from some set of drawbacks, including allowing for ridesharing only with friends, being an invitation- only service, based the service on recurring schedule fixed-endpoint rides (carpools), lacking provision for fleet vehicles (thereby stranding passengers who happen not to be on a route), and others.

[0003] Hence, an improved method for ride sharing is still a long felt need.

BRIEF SUMMARY

[0004] An aspect of the invention provides for a method for introducing a shared-ride service comprising steps of: a. providing a shared-ride service adapted to increase occupancy of ride providers and decrease cost to riders;

b. offering rides from a first set of locations to a second set of locations to a set of riders; whereby a shared-ride service is introduced requiring service from and to a controlled set of locations, thereby facilitating introduction of said service. [0005] It is further within provision of the invention wherein said shared-ride service allows multiple riders to order shared rides having independent endpoints.

[0006] It is further within provision of the invention wherein said shared-ride service allows multiple riders to order shared rides having independent starting points.

[0007] It is further within provision of the invention wherein said first set of locations is selected from the group consisting of: hot-spots, hotels, motels, concert venues, sporting events, theatres, squares, train terminals, bus terminals, airports, sea ports.

[0008] It is further within provision of the invention wherein said first set of locations is not limited to a particular set of locations.

[0009] It is further within provision of the invention wherein said second set of locations is selected from the group consisting of: hot-spots, hotels, motels, concert venues, sporting events, theatres, squares, train terminals, bus terminals, airports, sea ports.

[0010] It is further within provision of the invention wherein said second set of locations is not limited to a particular set of locations.

[0011] The method of claim 2 wherein said cost C to riders is determined in terms of ride-provider price per ride N, premium S charged for each stop above two, and

S(X - l) + N

average number of riders per ride X by the formula X

[0012] The method of claim 8 wherein said ride-provider price per ride N is determined by factors selected from the group consisting of: areas travelled, route, areas travelled, pickup fee, dropoff fee, elapsed time, elapsed distance.

[0013] The method of claim 2 wherein said cost C to riders is determined in terms of ride-provider price N, premium S charged for each stop above two, and average

S{X - l)+ N

C≤

number of riders per ride X by the formula X

[0014] It is further within provision of the invention wherein said ride-provider price per ride N is determined by factors selected from the group consisting of: areas travelled, route, areas travelled, pickup fee, dropoff fee, elapsed time, elapsed distance.

[0015] It is within provision of the invention to disclose a system for introduction of a shared-ride service comprising: c. a shared-ride service adapted to increase occupancy of ride providers and decrease cost to riders;

d. a offer of a set of rides from a first set of locations to a second set of locations to a set of riders; whereby a shared-ride service is implemented requiring service only from and to a controlled set of locations, thereby facilitating introduction of said service.

[0016] It is further within provision of the invention wherein said shared-ride service allows multiple riders to order shared rides having independent endpoints.

[0017] It is further within provision of the invention wherein said shared-ride service allows multiple riders to order shared rides having independent starting points.

[0018] It is further within provision of the invention wherein said first set of locations is selected from the group consisting of: hot-spots, hotels, motels, concert venues, sporting events, theatres, squares, train terminals, bus terminals, airports, sea ports.

[0019] It is further within provision of the invention wherein said first set of locations is not limited to a particular set of locations.

[0020] It is further within provision of the invention wherein said second set of locations is selected from the group consisting of: hot-spots, hotels, motels, concert venues, sporting events, theatres, squares, train terminals, bus terminals, airports, sea ports.

[0021] It is further within provision of the invention wherein said second set of locations is not limited to a particular set of locations.

[0022] It is further within provision of the invention wherein said cost C to riders is determined in terms of ride-provider price per ride N, premium S charged for each stop above two, and average number of riders per ride X by the formula c ₌ S{X - l) + N

X

[0023] It is further within provision of the invention wherein said ride-provider price per ride N is determined by factors selected from the group consisting of: areas travelled, route, areas travelled, pickup fee, dropoff fee, elapsed time, elapsed distance.

[0024] It is further within provision of the invention wherein said cost C to riders is determined in terms of ride-provider price N, premium S charged for each stop above c _≤ S{X -l)+ N

two, and average number of riders per ride X by the formula X

[0025] It is further within provision of the invention wherein said ride-provider price per ride N is determined by factors selected from the group consisting of: areas travelled, route, areas travelled, pickup fee, dropoff fee, elapsed time, elapsed distance.

[0026] These, additional, and/or other aspects and/or advantages of the present invention are: set forth in the detailed description which follows; possibly inferable from the detailed description; and/or learnable by practice of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] In order to understand the invention and to see how it may be implemented in practice, a plurality of embodiments will now be described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a system diagram consistent with an implementation of the invention; and

FIG. 2 illustrates a comparison of the invention with two alternate methods; and, FIG. 3 illustrates a ride-ordering interface of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The following description is provided, alongside all chapters of the present invention, so as to enable any person skilled in the art to make use of said invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventor of carrying out this invention. Various modifications, however, will remain apparent to those skilled in the art, since the generic principles of the present invention have been defined specifically to provide a means and method for providing a system and method for ride sharing.

[0029] In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present invention. However, those skilled in the art will understand that such embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention.

[0030] The term 'plurality' refers hereinafter to any positive integer (e.g, 1,5, or 10).

[0031] The invention utilizes communication and information technologies based on cloud computing platforms and GIS services to provide shared rides having multiple stops and optimized routes, where the stops are optionally at riders' doors. The inventive algorithm is able to analyze ride orders, preferably in real-time or pre defined time intervals, producing an optimal solution taking into account such metrics as ride price and service level.

[0032] The invention comprises a system and method for an alternative in transportation, namely a cost-effective, dynamic and intelligent transportation service. The invention offers a door to door transportation service for the price of a bus-ride or less than full fare taxi by means of (inter alia) an algorithm that matches rides ordered by different passengers into a single shared route, calculating the most efficient transportation route based upon any of number of metrics such as total cost, total time elapsed, total distance travelled, and the like.

[0033] In one embodiment consistent with the invention, the existing taxi market is addressed which is currently extremely wasteful and expensive. The invention buys taxi rides from taxi stations at a fixed price, and sells them to users who share taxis for a lowered and much more attractive price. This model allows the invention to be profitable (since more than one rider may share the taxi, generating more than one user fare, while the system has bought only one rider). This is a system thus offering a 'win-win' to all parties.

[0034] Factors affecting the ride pricing include the following: a. Ride-provider price per ride. This may be a fixed predetermined price, or may be variable with various parameters including ride duration, length, number of stops, and the like. b. Average occupancy at a given time. As described above the price for a given passenger depends on the ratio of the number of vehicles to the number of passengers. This value may be recalculated continuously, or as an average value over a minute, hour, day, week, or the like. c. Historical data. Since the current price may not be known due to fluctuations in ride prices, rider price may be based on projections from historical data as to the price of their ride given the time of day, total occupancy, average occupancy, number of vehicles, time of day, season, and the like. d. Advertising budget. Since price for a given rider drops as the number of riders increases, it behooves both system operator and rider to advertise so as to bring more riders into the system. Thus the system operator may also provide incentives to riders such as coupons, discounts, or the like for recruiting new riders into the system. e. Desired price. Fixing a relatively low price may serve to attract potential riders to the system. f. Underwriting and partnerships. It is possible o collaborate with other groups in covering operational costs with financial and/or environmental interest in the success of the system, to aid in reducing the costs of rides. g. Profitability for the system operator h. Profitability of the system. i. Quality of service j. Different prices for different riders, based on ride distance, time, etc.

[0035] Amongst the novel aspects of the invention are the pricing algorithms for public or shared transport. Extant methods of pricing include fixing a price beforehand as in most standard forms of public transportation, determining a price based on distance and time (as in taxis), or taking a given price and dividing equally as in a shared taxi ride, the price determined by the inventive method involves the average system-wide ride price. This ride price is determined by the price the system operator must pay to provide the transport, as explained above, consisting of (for example) a number M of taxis hired, for a number K of riders. The price to the operator will be, in an artificially simplified example, M times the average taxi price N. The cost per rider will then be MN/K, which will decrease as K increases. Thus as the number of riders (or actually occupancy K M) increases, the average price per rider MN/K will decrease.

[0036] In simple terms the system buys a set of rides at a fixed price and sells them to a larger number of riders for a fee determined by the number of riders, such that individual riders pay less than they would if each rider took a ride alone.

[0037] As mentioned before, a price is agreed upon beforehand with some set of taxi drivers, ride services, or other ride providers. This price N may be dependent upon distance, time elapsed, with a premium S charged for each stop above the minimum two necessary for a given ride. Thus for a given ride the price for the system operator will be N, and if the average number of riders is X then the average cost per rider will be computed as S(X - l)+ N

X

[0038] This is a base price with no provision for profit of the system operator; to this base price a given fixed or percentage premium may be added for to provide a profit to the system operator.

[0039] As an example of the operation of the system consider the following scenarios: An average ride in Tel Aviv costs 35NIS under a certain set of circumstances. If two riders are found to share this ride, their cost will be 35/2 or 17.5N1S each. If two rides are employed and three passengers served, the price will be 35X2/3=23.3NIS. Thus the cost of a ride (for the rider) is determined not by the number of riders in a given vehicle but rather by the average occupancy over the entire system.

[0040] A key element of the invention is an optimization algorithm adapted to group riders based on their routes. Riders who order rides by means of the internet (e.g. through a dedicated site) agree to shared rides such that there is no expectation that the service provides standard lone taxi rides.

[0041] The algorithm may be adapted to minimize ride costs and/or to adapted to maximize the occupancy while maintaining a certain standard of service. There are obviously tradeoffs involved between the average occupancy, average ride time, and average ride distance which may be treated as dependent variables in an optimization problem, the independent 'variable' being the set of routes chosen.

[0042] We note that prior to introduction of this service, each passenger faced the world alone. With the aid of the inventive system, those riders willing to share a ride face the taxi operators as a group, allowing economies of scale and more efficient operation from the perspective both of the riders and the ride providers.

Operation of the system

In order to kick start the system, making it attractive for riders even when there are few riders participating and various steps may be taken. These include but are not limited to: a. Limiting area of coverage. The area covered may be limited to certain hotspots having a known high density of riders, such as transport hubs, entertainment districts, business centers, and the like. Likewise, hours of operation may be restricted to known hours of high transport demand.

b. Fixing an attractive price artificially intended to attract riders, until such time as enough riders use the system that the price is naturally attractive. For example, to enable a 10NIS ride economically, one needs (for example) 100 riders. 100 people would be happy to ride for this price; therefore it is worthwhile to offer rides for 10NIS even before there are 100 riders, in an attempt to attract at least this number of riders.

c. Use of taxis. Taxis are expensive, and therefore it may be worthwhile to offer taxi riders a considerable sum for the first phase of operation.

[0043] Simulations using various scenarios and data sources have been carried out with remarkable results. Compared to a private taxi service, the simulations show a drastic reduction in ride prices (up to 80%), and with an average increase of ride time of only 15%.

[0044] To achieve profitable operation, the system attempts to maximize occupancy rates, which generally will be easier to achieve in locales of higher population density. To overcome the difficulty of reaching critical mass of users the invention first focuses on hotspots, these being hubs of activity such as train stations, universities, events and the like, and will offer the service from/to these hot-spots.

[0045] The invention brings public transportation to the information age, enabling for the first time a real and dynamic match of supply to demand. At the system level, using this approach ensures higher average car occupancy and therefore fewer vehicles, and from the passenger's perspective it provides a service that fits his/her individual needs, optimizing any combination of cost, time, and the like.

[0046] The inventive method comprises the following experience for passengers: they are picked up at their door step and taken all the way to their final destination. It enables them to simply order rides in a few mouse-clicks (by means of computer, smartphone, or the like using a webpage or other proxy of the service), pay automatically with an online account, enjoy a reserved seat, have all the information accessible, order rides automatically by means of a calendar, and the like.

[0047] Being a highly efficient and sustainable transportation system, the invention reduces C02 emissions and cuts down traffic. Its approach to the user experience and personalization results in great service so that people may in fact elite the private car, and use the inventive method to get around.

[0048] The invention exploits the existence of social networks for public transportation, in effect offering a social transportation system. The invention turns urban density from a problem into an opportunity: the more people that use the service, the better and cheaper it is for everyone.

Business advantages

[0049] As opposed to a conventional shared ride in which the service cost depends on the number of riders, in the present inventive method it is possible to offer riders willing to share rides a reduced price even if they are not in fact sharing a ride for a given leg, or are sharing a ride but one having less than the average occupancy.

[0050] It is possible to reduce the cost of rides and 'kick start' the system while maintaining profit by means of an initial investment covering the losses expected during the phase of recruiting enough riders to maintain the initial artificially low price.

[0051] Furthermore, introduction of the system into hotspots initially will serve to attract customers while minimizing costs.

[0052] The rider perspective may be presented attractively by pointing out that all riders share costs and increase occupancy rates in order to achieve reduced overall prices for rides.

[0053] The system operator may profit in a number of ways, including: a. charging per customer (either flat rate, based on distance/time, or the like) b. charging customers a percentage of their calculated savings c. Advertising d. Purchases of ride services from venue operators, hotels, etc. e. Information sales (to riders, or to others concerning rider information such as distribution, frequency, etc.)

[0054] The ride optimization algorithm is presented in Fig. 1. Here the route calculation algorithm has a number of inputs including historical information, fleet data, geospatial data, traffic data, and real time taxi (or other ride provider) data, in addition to the current rider requests which form the most recent historical data. An optimization algorithm calculates a set of routes serving the current requests, and a comparison algorithm scores the routes using one or more metrics and/or directly compares routes in a binary fashion (comparing two sets of routes and deciding which is better and which is worse). If the metric is poor (has a low metric) and/or is worse than previously generated routes, the comparison function returns to the route calculation block which generates another possible set of routes.

[0055] Fig. 2 displays a flowchart comparing current and inventive methods. The top block depicts the current situation; a passenger pays some 50NIS cash to the driver. The middle block depicts a 'voucher rider' such as is often provided by businesses; the passenger is given ride privileges by his business, for example for free. The business pays a ride-provider (such as a taxi station, transport service or the like) a monthly fee of 45NIS for a seat, of which the station keeps 5 and forwards 40 to the driver. The inventive method is shown in the last block; here three passengers all share a 23NIS fee. The system operator takes from the combined 69NIS a 7NIS surcharge, leaving 62NIS. The ride provider (such as taxi station or like) similarly takes another 7NIS leaving 55NIS. This the driver takes as his fee for transporting the three passengers.

[0056] Fig. 3 discloses a possible user interface 300 for booking rides from a hotspot. This may be implemented as a web page, app window, or the like. The system offers a list menu 301 of possible starting points (which generally will be limited due to the finite number of hotspots) and another list menu 302 of possible start times. A free text field 303 may be used for the end point (since generally the possible endpoints will be unlimited in number), although it is within provision of the invention to use list menus for both start and end points, free text fields for either or both, or any other information input method as will be clear to one skilled in the art including voice input, guesses based on current location (as determined e.g. by GPS), historical requests, or the like. Once these fields have been filled (or conceivable beforehand simply given the current average occupancy) a price 304 is generated and displayed, as is an estimated ride time 305.

[0057] A concise outline of the method of operation is presented below: a. The system operator has agreements with ride providers, which include (inter alia) an agreed-upon ride pricelist (by means of route, areas travelled, pickup fee, dropoff fee, elapsed time, elapsed distance, and combinations of these) b. The system operator offers customers the possibility of ordering rides by means of the computerized system of the invention, paying by any suitable means such as credit card, online means such as paypal, or the like. Fee is determined by rates settled with the ride provider aforehand or in realtime. Members of the riding community may order rides in a shared vehicle, and thereby enjoy saving as described above. c. The system operator sends the ride provider a ride order including start, pickup points, dropoff points, pickup times, and endpoint. d. Users sign into the computer server of the system by means of a secure connection such as that provided by https. Fees are paid to the system operators' account. e. The system operator pays the ride provider a payment for the ordered route (once executed) in keeping with the agreements concerning such. The rider does not pay the driver; riders cannot choose their driver, and the driver cannot directly receive payment from any passenger. The passenger is listed by the system operator's server, and pays the system operator via a web service. f. Each month, riders are sent itemized bills for the rides they have taken and paid for using the system.

[0058] Although selected embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments. Instead, it is to be appreciated that changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and the equivalents thereof.