Patent ID: 6317720
Filing Date: 2001-11-13
Classification: G06Q,G08G

Abstract:
A method of operating a vehicle allocation system for allocating a first number of vehicles amongst a second number of vehicle ports where passengers demand the services of one or more vehicles, said method comprising the steps of:acquiring past vehicle demand data based upon past passenger transportation activity;forming predictive vehicle demand data, based upon the past vehicle demand data;storing the predictive vehicle demand data;detecting a number of available vehicles at each of the ports;sensing current vehicle demand data representing passengers actually seeking transportation at each of the ports;reading vehicle destination and arrival data of vehicles starting or in transit to one of the ports;predicting the number of arriving vehicles at each of the ports based upon the vehicle destination and arrival data;determining whether a given port has a deficiency or an excess of vehicles by analyzing the current vehicle demand data, the predictive vehicle demand data, the number of available vehicles, and the number of arriving vehicles, for a predetermined period of time; andreallocating vehicles from a port determined to have an excess of vehicles to a port determined to have a deficiency of vehicles.