Document Type
Patent
Publication Date
March 2012
Patent Number
8140256
Abstract
A ride matching method is disclosed herein. The ride matching method addresses many of the limitations associated with traditional dynamic ride matching applications. The method is unique in its ability to accept trips with schedules that cannot be expressed in terms of a simple recurrence pattern (e.g. Monday thru Friday work schedule). It can handle one-time and occasional trips. It is also distinct in its use of spatial analysis techniques to locate matches. Specifically, the use of a shortest path solver enables the ride matching method to perform a search along the path of a user's trip, in addition to the customary radial search around the endpoints. The shortest path solver is also used to calculate the driving distance between the user and a match. This provides a more accurate measurement than the straight-line distance used by other methods, especially in the presence of barriers.
Application Number
11/839,942
Recommended Citation
dos-Santos, Sasha; Barbeau, Sean J.; Winters, Philip L.; Perez, Rafael; and Labrador, Miguel, "Dynamic ride matching system" (2012). USF Patents. 306.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/usf_patents/306
Assignees
University of South Florida
Filing Date
08/16/2007
Primary/U.S. Class
701/202