Patent ID: 8050950
Filing Date: 2011-11-01
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein for selecting standby passengers to board a transportation vehicle, the computer-readable program code comprising: computer-readable instructions for receiving a standby bid from each of a plurality of standby passengers on a standby list for the transportation vehicle; and computer-readable instructions for selecting at least one standby passenger from the plurality of standby passengers to board the transportation vehicle based on the standby bid of the at least one standby passenger, wherein the transportation vehicle has a number of total seats and a number of checked-in passengers, and wherein the computer-readable instructions for selecting at least one standby passenger from the plurality of standby passengers to board the transportation vehicle based on the standby bid of the at least one standby passenger comprises: computer-readable instructions for determining a number of available seats by subtracting the number of checked-in passengers from the number of total seats; and computer-readable instructions for repeatedly selecting a standby passenger from the plurality of standby passengers to board the transportation vehicle according to a standby passenger selection process until the number of standby passengers selected to board the transportation vehicle equals the number of available seats or until no standby passengers remain in the plurality of standby passengers, wherein the standby passenger selection process comprises: identifying a first standby passenger from the plurality of standby passengers to board the transportation vehicle in response to a determination that the standby bid of the first standby passenger is greater than or equal to the standby bid of all other standby passengers remaining in the plurality of standby passengers; identifying all standby passengers in the plurality of standby passengers that are traveling in a group with the first standby passenger; determining a group size of the standby passengers traveling in the group with the first standby passenger, the group size being the number of passengers traveling in the group with the first standby passenger including the first standby passenger; calculating a number of remaining seats by subtracting the number of standby passengers already selected to board the transportation vehicle from the number of available seats; selecting the first standby passenger and any standby passengers traveling in the group with the first standby passenger to board the transportation vehicle in response to a determination that the group size of the standby passengers traveling in the group with the first standby passenger is less than or equal to the number of remaining seats; and removing the first standby passenger and any standby passengers traveling in the group with the first standby passenger from the plurality of standby passengers.