Proactive re-routing of vehicles to control traffic flow

US9989369B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• eBay Inc. · US

Inventors

• Dane Glasgow · Los Gatos, US
• Matthew Bret MacLaurin · Woodinville, US
• Neville Rhys Newey · Pleasanton, US
• Justin VanWinkle · San Jose, US
• Christopher Michael Hall · Redwood City, US
• Trista Mcneill · San Jose, US
• David Ramadge · San Jose, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 29, 2015
• Grant date: Jun 5, 2018
• Expiry date: Mar 29, 2036

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01S19/39
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure include a navigation system and computer-implemented methods for proactively re-routing vehicles to control traffic flow. Consistent with some embodiments, the navigation system seeks to reduce traffic flow along primary navigation routes (e.g., routes with relatively short travel times) by re-routing vehicles to alternative navigation routes (e.g., routes with relatively longer travel times) using incentives. As an example, upon detecting a vehicle traveling along an alternative route instead of a primary route, the navigation system updates a data structure that represents a user account of a vehicle occupant to reflect an increased account balance. Consistent with some embodiments, the amount of value provided to an occupant of a vehicle traveling along an alternative routes may be obtained from user accounts of occupants of other vehicles that are traveling along a primary route.