# US 2018/0023967 A1 · Method and system for identifying meeting points > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0023967 A1 - Document ID: US20180023967A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/656,011 - Filed: 2017-07-21 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-22 - Assignees: Comuto S.A. - Applicants: Comuto S.A. - Inventors: Frederic Gabriel MAZZELLA; Arnaud Marc TELLIER - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180023967A1 ## CPC - G01C 21/3438: {Rendezvous; Ride sharing} - 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 21/343: {Calculating itineraries (travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047)} - G01C 21/3446: {Details of route searching algorithms, e.g. Dijkstra, A*, arc-flags or using precalculated routes} - G06Q 50/40: Business processes related to the transportation industry (shipping G06Q10/083) - 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) - 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 ## Abstract A method of and a system for processing a ridesharing request. The method comprising receiving instructions to create a trip in the ridesharing platform; generating an original route by causing to compute an original polyline defining the original route; accessing a set of meeting points; determining from the set of meeting points, candidate meeting points which are within a distance from the original polyline; generating for each one of the candidate meeting points, a detour route by causing to compute a detour polyline defining the detour route; identifying selected candidate meeting points from the candidate meeting points; and storing the selected candidate meeting points, the selected candidate meeting points being associated with the trip. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method for execution by a ridesharing platform, the method comprising: receiving, from an electronic device associated with a driver, instructions to create a trip in the ridesharing platform, the instructions being associated with a driver departure position, a driver arrival position and a deviation threshold reflective of an acceptable deviation from an original route from the driver departure position to the driver arrival position, the deviation threshold being associated with at least one of a deviation distance and a deviation duration; generating an original route by causing to compute an original polyline defining the original route, the original polyline extending from the driver departure position to the driver arrival position, the original polyline being associated with a geographical coordinate system, the original route being associated with at least one of an original route distance and an original trip duration; accessing, from a meeting point database, a set of meeting points, each one of the meeting points of the set of meeting points being associated with the geographical coordinate system; determining, by a processor, from the set of meeting points, candidate meeting points which are within a distance from the original polyline; generating, for each one of the candidate meeting points, a detour route by causing to compute a detour polyline defining the detour route, the detour polyline extending from the driver departure position to the one of the candidate meeting points and from the one of the candidate meeting points to the driver arrival position, the detour route being associated with at least one of a detour route distance and a detour trip duration; identifying, by the processor, selected candidate meeting points from the candidate meeting points based on a comparison of the original route and the detour route; and storing, in a trip database, the selected candidate meeting points, the selected candidate meeting points being associated with the trip. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the one of the candidate meeting points is one of the driver departure position and the driver arrival position. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein causing to compute a detour polyline comprises: transmitting, to a routing engine, at least one of the instructions, the driver departure position, the driver arrival position, the original polyline and the original route and the one of the candidate meeting points; causing the routing engine to generate the detour route based on the at least one of the instructions, the driver departure position, the driver arrival position and the original route and the one of the candidate meeting points; and receiving, from the routing engine, the detour polyline, the detour route distance and the detour trip duration. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the deviation distance is one of an absolute deviation distance and a relative deviation distance. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the deviation duration is one of an absolute deviation duration and a relative deviation duration. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the original polyline comprises a first segment and a second segment, the first segment extending from the driver departure position to a waypoint and the second segment extending from the waypoint to the driver arrival position. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the detour polyline comprises a first segment and a second segment. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the distance is at least one of a predefined distance and a calculated distance, the calculated distance being based on the deviation threshold. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the distance is a shortest distance from the original polyline. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the distance is a parameterised distance from the original polyline. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the original route distance is a realistic distance and the original duration is an estimated duration. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the set of meeting points has been generated based on at least one of clustering past driver departure positions and past driver arrival positions, collecting data from users of the ridesharing platform and an external database. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise at least one of a driver stopover, a driver departure date, a driver departure time, a number of available seats and a distance rate to be paid by a passenger. ### Claim 14 A computer-implemented method for execution by a ridesharing platform, the method comprising: receiving, from an electronic device associated with a potential passenger, a rideshare request, the rideshare request being associated with (1) a search departure position and (2) a search arrival position; accessing, from a trip database, trips associated with selected meeting points, the selected meeting points being associated with a geographical coordinate system; selecting, by a processor, candidate trips from the trips based on a comparison of at least one of the search departure position and the search arrival position and the selected meeting points, the comparison comprising a determination as to whether a given selected meeting point is within a distance from the at least one of the search departure position and the search arrival position; and transmitting, to the electronic device, the candidate trips for displaying to the potential passenger. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the given selected meeting point is one of the search departure position and the search arrival position. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the rideshare request is further associated with at least one of a potential passenger departure date, a potential passenger departure time, a number of required seats. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein each one of the trips is associated with a driver departure date, a driver departure time and a number of available seats. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein selecting candidate trips from the trips further comprises filtering trips based on a comparison of the driver departure date, the driver departure time and the number of available seats with the potential passenger departure date, the potential passenger departure time and the number of required seats. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising: generating, by the processor, a search route distance and a search route duration, the search route distance and the search route duration being based on the potential passenger departure position and the potential passenger arrival position. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein selecting candidate trips from the trips further comprises comparing at least one of the search route distance and the search route duration with at least one of a driver original route, a driver original route distance, a driver original route duration, a driver deviation threshold, a driver deviation distance and a driver deviation duration, the driver original route, the driver original route distance, the driver original route duration, the driver deviation threshold, the driver deviation distance and the driver deviation duration being associated with a given trip of the trips. ### Claim 21 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein each one of the selected meeting points has been previously selected based on a distance from an original polyline extending from a driver departure position to a driver arrival position, the driver departure position and the driver arrival position being associated with a trip, the trip being associated with a corresponding selected meeting point. ### Claim 22 A computer-implemented system for processing a rideshare request, the system comprising: a non-transitory computer-readable medium; a processor configured to perform: receiving, from an electronic device associated with a driver, instructions to create a trip in the ridesharing platform, the instructions being associated with a driver departure position, a driver arrival position and a deviation threshold reflective of an acceptable deviation from an original route from the driver departure position to the driver arrival position, the deviation threshold being associated with at least one of a deviation distance and a deviation duration; generating an original route by causing to compute an original polyline defining the original route, the original polyline extending from the driver departure position to the driver arrival position, the original polyline being associated with a geographical coordinate system, the original route being associated with at least one of an original route distance and an original trip duration; accessing, from a meeting point database, a set of meeting points, each one of the meeting points of the set of meeting points being associated with the geographical coordinate system; determining, by a processor, from the set of meeting points, candidate meeting points which are within a distance from the original polyline; generating, for each one of the candidate meeting points, a detour route by causing to compute a detour polyline defining the detour route, the detour polyline extending from the driver departure position to the one of the candidate meeting points and from the one of the candidate meeting points to the driver arrival position, the detour route being associated with at least one of a detour route distance and a detour trip duration; identifying, by the processor, selected candidate meeting points from the candidate meeting points based on a comparison of the original route and the detour route; and storing, in a trip database, the selected candidate meeting points, the selected candidate meeting points being associated with the trip. ### Claim 23 A computer-implemented system for processing a rideshare request, the system comprising: a non-transitory computer-readable medium; a processor configured to perform: receiving, from an electronic device associated with a potential passenger, a rideshare request, the rideshare request being associated with a search departure position and a search arrival position; accessing, from a trip database, trips associated with selected meeting points, the selected meeting points being associated with a geographical coordinate system; selecting, by a processor, candidate trips from the trips based on a comparison of at least one of the search departure position and the search arrival position and the selected meeting points, the comparison comprising a determination as to whether a given selected meeting point is within a distance from the at least one of the search departure position and the search arrival position; and transmitting, to the electronic device, the candidate trips for displaying to the potential passenger.