Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100153191 | VARIABLE TOLL FEE SELECTION FROM GEOGRAPHIC INDICIA - Methods, including service methods, systems, articles, programmable devices and articles of manufacture are provided for selecting and applying variable thoroughfare travel fees. Each of a plurality of differentiated impacts associated with a toll thoroughfare are determined, each of the impacts different from another. Each of the impacts are correlated with geographic impact regions, each impact region is proximate to the toll thoroughfare and geographically distinct from another. Travel fees are assigned to each impact region, each assigned impact region travel fee different from another. Use of the toll thoroughfare by a traveler is determined, a relation of the traveler to one of the impact regions identified and a toll is charged as a function of the determined toll thoroughfare use and the travel fee of the associated impact region. | 06-17-2010 |
20100156670 | PREEMPTIVE VARIABLE RATE TRAVEL FEES - Variable thoroughfare toll rates are applied in anticipation of an event impacting traffic flow. An event occurrence is identified and determined to cause a change in a normal traffic flow amount on an impacted section of a thoroughfare. A traveler is notified of the impacted section of the thoroughfare in association with an impacted section-choice toll rate, a bypass choice in association with a bypass-choice toll rate, and a future time period duration for an application of the bypass-choice and impacted section-choice rates. A notified traveler is charged a toll for using the thoroughfare as a function of the bypass-choice rate in response to choosing to travel upon the presented bypass choice, or as a function of an impacted section-choice toll rate in response choosing to travel upon the presented impacted section choice. | 06-24-2010 |
20100161391 | VARIABLE RATE TRANSPORT FEES BASED ON VEHICLE EXHAUST EMISSIONS - This invention provides a system and method of detecting and responding to individual vehicle exhaust emissions such that a vehicle producing exhaust emissions containing pollutants in excess of required standards is assessed a higher toll or other fees than non-offending vehicles. Upon correction of the problem when emissions are determined to be within acceptable ranges, the fees are re-adjusted. Vehicle fees can be assessed on a sliding scale regardless of “acceptable thresholds” whereupon a higher levels of pollution emitted by the vehicle require payment of a higher fee than that paid by a vehicle with a lower level. Sensors may be installed within individual vehicles, or may be externally mounted to detect emissions. The use of a computer program and program code may be used for collecting and quantifying the level of pollution in the emissions and for assessing a suitable fee based on the level. | 06-24-2010 |
20110218833 | SERVICE CLASS PRIORITIZATION WITHIN A CONTROLLABLE TRANSIT SYSTEM - An embodiment of the invention provides for multiple service classes within a controllable transit system (e.g., a PRT system), by route allocation according to service class priority. Routes are optimized for vehicles needing or entitled to the highest service level, then remaining capacity is used to optimize routes for the next lower service class. Such optimization can be extended indefinitely, through “N” service classes of service. In addition, an embodiment of the invention allows the cataloging of PRT capacity and vehicle types/roles/emissions, as well as related business models. The system provided hereunder provides a means of ensuring that various service classes of system users can be given treatment according to the service class in which they reside. Such prioritization leads to a more flexible system, with higher user satisfaction and a greater number of available business models (e.g., “pay for service class”) permissible within the transit system. | 09-08-2011 |
20110218834 | RECONCILING SERVICE CLASS-BASED ROUTING AFFECTING USER SERVICE WITHIN A CONTROLLABLE TRANSIT SYSTEM - Aspects of this invention provide gradient means for reconciling user service class prioritization. Under this approach, higher priority service classes may be maintained and used to compute routes for reaching desired destinations. However, when such treatment poses a cumulative disadvantage (e.g., an adverse impact that exceeds a predetermined “impact” threshold”) to too many users/vehicles, the routing algorithms may be adjusted to minimize overall inconvenience. As such, aspects of this invention provide a means of ensuring that various service classes of system users will not be affected negatively beyond predefined thresholds. Such reconciliation leads to a more flexible system, with higher user satisfaction permissible within the transit system. | 09-08-2011 |
20110218835 | CHANGING PRIORITY LEVELS WITHIN A CONTROLLABLE TRANSIT SYSTEM - Embodiments of the present invention provide for the changing/updating of priority levels within a controllable transit system. Specifically, vehicles and/or users thereof will be assigned a particular service level using any number of factors. Based on this service level, as well as any transit criteria specified, a route to a desired destination will be computed. Typically, the higher the service level assigned, the higher the priority that will be given to the particular vehicle/user. Under the present invention, the priority level of a vehicle/user can be changed (e.g., increased) upon request to result in an improved transit time and/or route to the desired destination. Examples of types of requests that may result in an increased priority level (but are not limited to) are: (1) payment of a fee for increased priority level; (2) trading priority levels with other vehicle/users; and (3) bidding in an auction-like environment for an improved priority level; etc. | 09-08-2011 |
20110264360 | EMERGENCY ROUTING WITHIN A CONTROLLABLE TRANSIT SYSTEM - Embodiments of the present invention provide a solution for an orderly and well-considered evacuation of a Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) system in the event of declared emergency. It describes the mapping of evacuation points and subsequent routing of PRT vehicles according to both the nature/location of the emergency and outflow capacity at each evacuation point. A PRT is defined as an automatic method by which personal transport vehicles (a/k/a “pods”) can be used to efficiently and rapidly move people between various points within a closed area (for example, a city center). In an ideal world, these pods can be thought of as intelligent automated vehicles (similar to driverless taxis) that can adapt to changing demand to optimize the movement of people. For example, an emergency may be declared within a PRT system which does not cause widespread power loss, but which does require an orderly evacuation (e.g., smoke or flooding). In such events, PRT vehicles will be routed through the means described here to an evacuation point capable of handling such outflow in an orderly manner. | 10-27-2011 |
20140129122 | EMERGENCY ROUTING WITHIN A CONTROLLABLE TRANSIT SYSTEM - Embodiments of the present invention provide a solution for an orderly and well-considered evacuation of a Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) system in the event of declared emergency. It describes the mapping of evacuation points and subsequent routing of PRT vehicles according to both the nature/location of the emergency and outflow capacity at each evacuation point. If an emergency is declared within a PRT system, which does not cause widespread power loss, but which does require an orderly evacuation (e.g., smoke or flooding), PRT vehicles will be routed to an evacuation point capable of handling such outflow in an orderly manner. | 05-08-2014 |