Patent ID: 8566035

Claim:
A method for optimizing routes, comprising: receiving, using at least one computing device, a request for a route from a requester, the requester having a vehicle associated therewith; determining, using the at least one computing device, an optimized route and a potential position of the requester within the optimized route based on the request; providing, using the at least one computing device, a proposal in response to the request, the proposal comprising the optimized route and the potential position; receiving, using the at least one computing device, a response to the proposal; assigning, using the at least one computing device, the requester to the optimized route, the potential position, and a start time when the response comprises an acceptance of the proposal; providing, using the at least one computing device, an incentive to the requester based on an advance time of at least one of the request for the route and a reservation of the route; dynamically adjusting, using the at least one computing device, the incentive based on real-time changes to the route; and automatically generating, using the at least one computing device, an alternate route in response to a detection, via Global Positioning Satellite technology, that the requester started the vehicle at a different time from the assigned start time, the alternate route accounting for the different time.