# US 11,113,974 B1 · System and method for automated routing of mass transit vehicles > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,113,974 B1 - Document ID: US11113974B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 17/107,010 - Filed: 2020-11-30 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2020-11-30 - Assignees: Pantonium Inc. - Applicants: Pantonium Inc. - Inventors: Khun Yee Fung - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11113974B1 ## CPC - G08G 1/202: {Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching} - G01C 21/3415: {Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents} - G01C 21/3438: {Rendezvous; Ride sharing} - G01C 21/3605: {Destination input or retrieval} - G01C 21/3691: {Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions (arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09)} - G08G 1/123: 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) - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) - 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 A computer implemented system and method for routing a vehicle. The method includes establishing, in a computer memory, a set of parameters comprising a plurality of hub stops and a threshold time, receiving a service request comprising a service location, determining a current location of the vehicle, determining an upcoming travel time for the vehicle to travel from the current location to the service location, and determining, via a processor, a next stop for the vehicle selected from: if the upcoming travel time does not exceed the threshold time, the service location; and if the upcoming travel time exceeds the threshold time, one of the plurality of hub stops. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer implemented method for routing a vehicle, comprising: establishing, in a non-transitory computer memory, a set of parameters comprising a plurality of hub stops and a threshold time; receiving a service request comprising a service location; determining a current location of the vehicle; determining an upcoming travel time for the vehicle to travel from the current location to the service location; and determining, via a routing component comprising a processor, a next stop for the vehicle selected from: if the upcoming travel time does not exceed the threshold time, the service location; and if the upcoming travel time exceeds the threshold time, an intermediate stop on route to the service location selected from one of the plurality of hub stops, wherein the routing component retains the service location as a stop to be made subsequent to travelling to the intermediate stop. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the set of parameters further comprises a minimum allowed waytime and a minimum progress time, and wherein selecting one of the plurality of hub stops comprises: generating a first subset of hub stops for which travel time from the current location to the respective hub stop is greater than the minimum allowed waytime; determining a residue travel time for each of the plurality of hub stops, the respective residue travel time being travel time between the respective hub stop and the service location; generating a second subset of hub stops for which the difference between upcoming travel time and residue travel time is greater than the minimum progress time; generating a third subset of hub stops for which travel time from the current location of the vehicle to each respective hub stop is less than the threshold time; and selecting a hub stop occurring within each one of the first subset, second subset and third subset. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein if more than one of the plurality of hub stops occurs within each one of the first subset, second subset and third subset, selecting one of the plurality of hub stops further comprises selecting the hub stop having the least travel time for travelling from the current location to the respective hub stop. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein if more than one of the plurality of hub stops occurs within each one of the first subset, second subset and third subset, selecting one of the plurality of hub stops further comprises selecting the hub stop having the greatest travel time for travelling from the current location to the respective hub stop. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein if more than one of the plurality of hub stops occurs within each one of the first subset, second subset and third subset, selecting one of the plurality of hub stops further comprises selecting the hub stop randomly or pseudorandomly. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein if more than one of the plurality of hub stops occurs within each one of the first subset, second subset and third subset, selecting one of the plurality of hub stops further comprises selecting the hub stop having the least travel time from the respective hub stop to the service location. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein if more than one of the plurality of hub stops occurs within each one of the first subset, second subset and third subset, selecting one of the plurality of hub stops further comprises selecting the hub stop with the shortest combined travel time from the current location to a respective hub stop, and from the respective hub stop to the service location. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein if more than one of the plurality of hub stops occurs within each one of the first subset, second subset and third subset, selecting one of the plurality of hub stops further comprises selecting the hub stop with the greatest combined travel time from the current location to a respective hub stop, and from the respective hub stop to the service location. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the service request further comprises a requested time to service the service location, the requested time being contemporaneous with receiving the service request. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the service request further comprises a requested time to service the service location, the requested time being in the future relative to receiving the service request. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the routing component periodically evaluates the service request until such time as servicing the service request results in a route arriving at the service location at approximately the requested time. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the service location is a pickup location and the service request further comprises a dropoff location and a pickup time. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the service location is a dropoff location and the service request further comprises a pickup location and a dropoff time. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the service request is provided via a service requesting device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the service requesting device is a mobile device operated by a requesting passenger. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein upon a cancellation of the service request, the routing component directs the vehicle to continue to the next stop, removes the service location from the vehicle's route and thereafter reroutes the vehicle based on additional service requests.