# US 10,769,558 B2 · Systems and methods for managing dynamic transportation networks using simulated future scenarios

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- Number: US 10,769,558 B2
- Document ID: US10769558B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/027,250
- Filed: 2018-07-03
- Published: 2020-01-09
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2018-07-03
- Assignees: Lyft, Inc.
- Applicants: Lyft, Inc.
- Inventors: Chinmoy Dutta
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10769558B2

## CPC

- G06Q 10/047: Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
- G01C 21/3423: {Multimodal routing}
- G01C 21/3438: {Rendezvous; Ride sharing}
- G06Q 10/067: Enterprise or organisation modelling
- G06Q 10/0674: {using process simulation}
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S)

## Abstract

The disclosed computer-implemented method may include (i) receiving a first transport request and a second transport request, (ii) evaluating a fitness of matching the first and second transport requests to be fulfilled by a transport provider, based at least partly on a transportation overlap between the first and second transport requests, (iii) generating a simulated future transport request, (iv) evaluating a fitness of matching the first transport request with the simulated future transport request, based at least in part on a transportation overlap between the first transport request and the simulated future transport request, and (v) matching the first and second transport requests based at least in part on the fitness of matching the first and second transport requests and based at least in part on the fitness of matching the first transport request with the simulated future transport request. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are disclosed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving, by a dynamic transportation matching system, a first transport request and a second transport request;
evaluating, by the dynamic transportation matching system, a fitness of matching the first transport request with the second transport request to be fulfilled by a transport provider, based at least in part on a transportation overlap between the first transport request and the second transport request when fulfilled by the transport provider;
generating a simulated future transport request;
evaluating, by the dynamic transportation matching system, a fitness of matching the first transport request with the simulated future transport request, based at least in part on a transportation overlap between the first transport request and the simulated future transport request; and
matching, by the dynamic transportation matching system, the first transport request with the second transport request based at least in part on the fitness of matching the first transport request with the second transport request and based at least in part on the fitness of matching the first transport request with the simulated future transport request.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein matching, by the dynamic transportation matching system, the first transport request with the second transport request based at least in part on the fitness of matching the first transport request with the second transport request and based at least in part on the fitness of matching the first transport request with the simulated future transport request comprises performing a multi-stage stochastic optimization, wherein:
the first transport request and the second transport request are defined within an initial stage of the multi-stage stochastic optimization; and
the simulated future transport request is defined within a subsequent stage of the multi-stage stochastic optimization.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the simulated future transport request specifies:
an origin location;
a destination location; and
a request time.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising generating a simulated future scenario that comprises:
the simulated future transport request; and
at least one simulated transportation provider.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1,
further comprising generating a plurality of distinct simulated future scenarios, each distinct simulated future scenario within the plurality of distinct simulated future scenarios specifying a corresponding set of simulated future transport requests;
wherein matching, by the dynamic transportation matching system, the first transport request with the second transport request is further based at least in part on evaluating, in each of the plurality of distinct simulated future scenarios, potential matches between the first transport request and each simulated future transport requests within the corresponding set of simulated future transport requests.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising weighting each of the plurality of distinct simulated future scenarios according to a corresponding probability assigned to each of the plurality of distinct simulated future scenarios.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein matching, by the dynamic transportation matching system, the first transport request with the second transport request is further based at least in part on evaluating, in each of the plurality of distinct simulated future scenarios, potential matches between pairs of simulated future transport requests within the corresponding set of simulated future transport requests.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving, by the dynamic transportation matching system, a third transport request and a fourth transport request;
evaluating, by the dynamic transportation matching system, a fitness of matching the third transport request with the fourth transport request to be fulfilled by a transport provider, based at least in part on a transportation overlap between the third transport request and the fourth transport request when fulfilled by the transport provider;
generating an additional simulated future transport request;
evaluating, by the dynamic transportation matching system, a fitness of matching the third transport request with the additional simulated future transport request, based at least in part on a transportation overlap between the third transport request and the additional simulated future transport request; and
declining to match, by the dynamic transportation matching system, the third transport request with the fourth transport request based at least in part on the fitness of matching the third transport request with the fourth transport request and based at least in part on the fitness of matching the third transport request with the additional simulated future transport request.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:
the dynamic transportation matching system is configured to search for a match for the first transport request within a first window of time and to search for a match for the second transport request within a second window of time; and
the simulated future transport request is simulated to take place after the first window of time and after the second window of time.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, by the dynamic transportation matching system and in response to matching the first transport request with the second transport request, transportation instructions to a transportation provider device specifying that a transportation provider:
pick up a first transportation requestor that originated the first transport request;
pick up a second transportation requestor that originated the second transport request;
transport the first transportation requestor and second transportation requestor together along the transportation overlap;
drop off the first transportation requestor; and
drop off the second transportation requestor.

### Claim 11

A system comprising one or more physical processors and one or more memories coupled to one or more of the physical processors, the one or more memories comprising instructions operable when executed by the one or more physical processors to cause the system to perform operations comprising:
receiving, by a dynamic transportation matching system, a first transport request and a second transport request;
evaluating, by the dynamic transportation matching system, a fitness of matching the first transport request with the second transport request to be fulfilled by a transport provider, based at least in part on a transportation overlap between the first transport request and the second transport request when fulfilled by the transport provider;
generating a simulated future transport request;
evaluating, by the dynamic transportation matching system, a fitness of matching the first transport request with the simulated future transport request, based at least in part on a transportation overlap between the first transport request and the simulated future transport request; and
matching, by the dynamic transportation matching system, the first transport request with the second transport request based at least in part on the fitness of matching the first transport request with the second transport request and based at least in part on the fitness of matching the first transport request with the simulated future transport request.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein matching, by the dynamic transportation matching system, the first transport request with the second transport request based at least in part on the fitness of matching the first transport request with the second transport request and based at least in part on the fitness of matching the first transport request with the simulated future transport request comprises performing a multi-stage stochastic optimization, wherein:
the first transport request and the second transport request are defined within an initial stage of the multi-stage stochastic optimization; and
the simulated future transport request is defined within a subsequent stage of the multi-stage stochastic optimization.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the simulated future transport request specifies:
an origin location;
a destination location; and
a request time.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise generating a simulated future scenario that comprises:
the simulated future transport request; and
at least one simulated transportation provider.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11,
wherein the operations further comprise generating a plurality of distinct simulated future scenarios, each distinct simulated future scenario within the plurality of distinct simulated future scenarios specifying a corresponding set of simulated future transport requests;
wherein matching, by the dynamic transportation matching system, the first transport request with the second transport request is further based at least in part on evaluating, in each of the plurality of distinct simulated future scenarios, potential matches between the first transport request and each simulated future transport requests within the corresponding set of simulated future transport requests.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise weighting each of the plurality of distinct simulated future scenarios according to a corresponding probability assigned to each of the plurality of distinct simulated future scenarios.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise matching, by the dynamic transportation matching system, the first transport request with the second transport request is further based at least in part on evaluating, in each of the plurality of distinct simulated future scenarios, potential matches between pairs of simulated future transport requests within the corresponding set of simulated future transport requests.

### Claim 18 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving, by a dynamic transportation matching system, a third transport request and a fourth transport request;
evaluating, by the dynamic transportation matching system, a fitness of matching the third transport request with the fourth transport request to be fulfilled by a transport provider, based at least in part on a transportation overlap between the third transport request and the fourth transport request when fulfilled by the transport provider;
generating an additional simulated future transport request;
evaluating, by the dynamic transportation matching system, a fitness of matching the third transport request with the additional simulated future transport request, based at least in part on a transportation overlap between the third transport request and the additional simulated future transport request; and
declining to match, by the dynamic transportation matching system, the third transport request with the fourth transport request based at least in part on the fitness of matching the third transport request with the fourth transport request and based at least in part on the fitness of matching the third transport request with the additional simulated future transport request.

### Claim 19 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein:
the dynamic transportation matching system is configured to search for a match for the first transport request within a first window of time and to search for a match for the second transport request within a second window of time; and
the simulated future transport request is simulated to take place after the first window of time and after the second window of time.

### Claim 20

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-readable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:
receive, by a dynamic transportation matching system, a first transport request and a second transport request;
evaluate, by the dynamic transportation matching system, a fitness of matching the first transport request with the second transport request to be fulfilled by a transport provider, based at least in part on a transportation overlap between the first transport request and the second transport request when fulfilled by the transport provider;
generate a simulated future transport request;
evaluate, by the dynamic transportation matching system, a fitness of matching the first transport request with the simulated future transport request, based at least in part on a transportation overlap between the first transport request and the simulated future transport request; and
match, by the dynamic transportation matching system, the first transport request with the second transport request based at least in part on the fitness of matching the first transport request with the second transport request and based at least in part on the fitness of matching the first transport request with the simulated future transport request.
