Ride-sharing Server Multi-Vehicle Route Segmentation

The patent segments the ride-sharing route into multiple fixed route sections from different vehicles. Instead of allowing continuous deviation from a single planned route, the system divides the journey into discrete segments where users can switch between vehicles at predetermined transfer points. This segmentation allows user flexibility in reaching the destination while maintaining fixed routes for each vehicle segment, thus preserving driver convenience.

The server acts as an intermediary that coordinates multiple fixed routes and transfer points to achieve the user's overall journey goal. Rather than modifying individual vehicle routes, the server mediates by orchestrating a sequence of fixed-route vehicle segments with transfer points in between, allowing users to reach destinations outside any single planned route without forcing detours on individual vehicles.

The system segments the user's journey into multiple fixed-route vehicle segments. Instead of requiring a single vehicle to cover the entire route from departure to destination, the journey is divided into segments that can be covered by different vehicles with their own fixed planned routes. This allows users to access ride-sharing even when no single vehicle's planned route passes through both the desired departure and destination points.

The patent introduces a temporal dimension to the route-matching problem by allowing users to transfer between vehicles at different times and locations. Instead of matching based solely on spatial coincidence of departure and destination points, the system matches based on temporal and spatial transfer points along the journey, adding another dimension to the routing solution.

The server automatically performs the complex task of searching, comparing, and determining optimal multi-vehicle proposal routes based on user input and stored planned route information. This self-service automation handles the computational complexity of evaluating multiple route combinations and vehicle changes, presenting users with ready-made route options without requiring users to manually analyze complex data or perform complex calculations.

The system uses stored copies of planned route information from multiple vehicles to generate proposal routes. Instead of creating entirely new routes, the server combines and copies segments from existing planned routes of different vehicles, creating multi-vehicle proposal routes that leverage pre-existing route data. This copying approach reduces computational complexity compared to generating routes from scratch.