GB2592664A

GB2592664A - A system and method for providing last mile mobility vehicle to a user

Info

Publication number: GB2592664A
Application number: GB2003255.3A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Winkler Thomas; Reyes Anthony
Original assignee: Daimler AG
Current assignee: Mercedes Benz Group AG
Priority date: 2020-03-06
Filing date: 2020-03-06
Publication date: 2021-09-08
Also published as: GB202003255D0

Abstract

A method for providing a last mile vehicle service to a user. When the user starts a trip, a processor detects the user’s current and destination location data. The user may be notified of a parking location based on the traffic conditions so they can switch to a last mile vehicle service. Based on the location data, a plurality of last mile service providers are identified, each having a number of vehicles such as e-bikes, e-scooters and small cars. Distances between the user and the last mile service providers are determined. Travel times from the last mile service providers to the user destination are determined based on the type of vehicles at respective service providers. An optimal last mile service provider is selected based on the determined distances and travel times. Once the user arrives at the selected last mile service provider, the user destination data is synchronized into a device of a vehicle of the service provider.

Description

THE PATENTS ACT, 1970 (39 of 1970) The patent Rule, 2003

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(See section 10 and rule 13)

TITLE OF THE INVENTION

A System and a Method for Providing Last Mile Mobility Vehicle to a User Name and address of the applicant: a) Name: Daimler AG b) Nationality: Germany c) Address: 70372, Stuttgart, Germany.

[0001] PREAMBLE TO THE DESCRIPTION

[0002] The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed:

[0003] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0004] The present subject matter is related in general to a method and a system for providing last mile mobility vehicle to a user, and more particularly, providing access to a micro mobility vehicle.

I 0 [0005] BACKGROUND

[0006] Traffic jams and getting stuck in traffic has become a major issue in the metropolitan areas. One of the prime reasons for this issue is the increase in the number of vehicles on the roads. With the advances of technology, many solutions IS are available for avoiding such traffic jams, however, these available solutions also have their own limitations.

[0907] For example, one of the solutions is the use of navigation applications to predetermine the level of traffic jam. However, the use of navigation systems can only show the current traffic situation or may be only suggest alternative routes to reach the destination. In most instances if the traffic increases on the alternative routes also, the users have no other option to avoid such situation.

[0008] Thus, there is a need in the art to develop a technique for providing seamless travel experiences for the users that can react to changing traffic conditions dynamically and suggest the most appropriate means of transportation to reach the final destination

[0009] SUMMARY

[001011n one non-limiting example, a method and a system are provided for providing last mile mobility vehicle to a user. As soon as the user starts a trip, the user current location data and the user destination data is detected by the system. As the user drives towards his/her destination in his/her vehicle, the system may pop up or provide a notification to the user for switching to a last mile mobility vehicle. The system identifies a plurality of last mile service providers based on the user current location data. Further, each of the plurality of last mile service providers are provided with a plurality of service provider location data and micro mobility vehicles. Now, based on the user current location data and the plurality of service provider location data, a plurality of distance between the user and the plurality of last mile service providers are determined. Further, plurality of travel time from the plurality of last mile service providers for reaching user destination is also determined based on a type of the micro mobility vehicles, the plurality of service provider location data, and the user destination data. Based on the plurality of distance and the plurality of travel time determined, an optimal last mile service provider amongst the plurality of last mile service providers is selected. The optimal last mile service provider indicates the fastest available option for the user for reaching the user destination. Once the user arrives at the location of the optimal last mile service provider, the user destination location gets synchronized into a device for a micro mobility vehicle of the optimal last mile service provider.

[00111 The present disclosure overcomes one or more shortcomings of the prior art and provides additional advantages discussed throughout the present disclosure. Additional features and advantages are realized through the techniques of the present disclosure. Other embodiments and aspects of the disclosure are described in detail herein and are considered a part of the claimed disclosure.

[00121 The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.

[00131 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the disclosed embodiments. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The same numbers are used throughout the figures to reference like features and components. Some embodiments of system and/or methods in accordance with embodiments of the present subject matter are now described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying figures, in which: [0015] Figure I depicts an exemplary environment for providing last mile mobility vehicle to a user in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure; [0016] Figure 2 depicts the system for providing last mile mobility vehicle to a user in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure; and [0017] Figure 3 depicts method steps in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that any block diagrams herein represent conceptual views of illustrative systems embodying the principles of the present subject matter. Similarly, it will be appreciated that any flow charts, flow diagrams, state transition diagrams, pseudo code, and the like represent various processes which may be substantially represented in computer readable medium and executed by a computer or processor, whether or not such computer or processor is explicitly shown.

[0019] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] In the present document, the word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any embodiment or implementation of the present subject matter described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments.

[0021] While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiment thereof has been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail below. It should be understood, however that it is not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the disclosure is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives

falling within the scope of the disclosure.

[0022] The terms "comprises", "comprising", "include(s)", or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a setup, system or method that comprises a list of components or steps does not include only those components or steps but may include other components or steps not expressly listed or inherent to such setup or system or method. In other words, one or more elements in a system or apparatus proceeded by "comprises... a" does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other elements or additional elements in the I 5 system or apparatus.

[0023] In the following detailed description of the embodiments of the disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the disclosure may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense.

[0024] The present disclosure addresses the shortcomings of the conventional art and proposes a method and a system for providing last mile facility to a user. More particularly, the present disclosure facilitates access to micro mobility vehicles to help the users to reach their destinations in more efficient manner.

[0025] Referring to figure I, an exemplary environment for providing last mile facility to a user is shown in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

As shown in figure I, the system 102 may be a server. However, it may be understood to a skilled person that the system 102 may be implemented in different types of computing devices for providing the last mile facility to a user. In the figure I, it can be seen that, when the user gets stuck between the source and user destination, he/she may have various options for availing alternative mode of transportation.

[0026] According to an embodiment, there are three service providers (Service Provider I, Service Provider 2, Service Provider 3 are shown in figure I as an example. Apart from the service providers, the user may also have another option of using "user owned micro mobility vehicle", for example, an electric bicycle which may be carried with the user in his/her vehicle. However, the challenge may be to select which option (i.e., amongst the service providers or user owned micro mobility vehicle) would be best or the fastest for the user to reach his/her destination. For example, amongst the available service providers, some service providers may provide small cars, some may provide electric scooters, some may provide electric bicycles, and some may provide other types of vehicles applicable to this disclosure. These vehicles may be collectively called as micro mobility vehicles which may be used by the users for completing their last mile.

[0027] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the system 102 may determine the remaining distance between the user current location and user destination for selecting the best alternative transport mode. For example, in the current example shown in figure 1, the system may select one of the service providers and help the user to navigate through the location of the selected service providers.

According to another embodiments, the system 102 may also determine available parking location for the user before navigating the user to the location of the service provider.

[0028] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the selection of the service provider may be based on different factors like, user current location, user destination, distance of the available service providers from the user current location, type of the vehicle provided by the service provider, and how much travel time it may take for the micro mobility vehicle to reach to the user destination. For example, considering the traffic on the road, the small cars may take more time than the electric scooters. However, according to other embodiments of present disclosure, the system, 102 may also check of the possibility of recommending the user owned micro mobility vehicle for completing the last mile based on its current charging state and its capability of reach to the destination. Each of these factors are explained in detail in the subsequent paragraphs of the specification.

[0029] Figure 2 depicts the system for providing last mile mobility vehicle to a user in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. According to an embodiment, the system 102 comprises vehicle navigation unit 104, data aggregator module 106, routing module 108, and charging state provider module 110. These components 104-110 may refer to an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (shared, dedicated, or group) and memory that execute one or more software or firmware programs, a combinational logic circuit, and/or other suitable components that provide the described functionality. Further, the system may also comprise an 110 interface, a and a memory. The 110 interface may include a variety of software and hardware interfaces, for example, a web interface, a graphical user interface, and the like. The 1/0 interface may allow the system 102 to interact with the user directly or through user devices. Further, the I/0 interface may enable the system 102 to communicate with other devices, such as the user device or mobility vehicle device 112. The memory may further comprise a user current location data, a user destination data, and a service provider location data.

[0030] According to an embodiment, the user current location data may comprise the location of the user where he/she may get stuck in the traffic or a location from where he/she may need assistance. Further, the user destination data may comprise the location of the user destination. Further, the system 102 may also store location information of the plurality of last mile service providers i.e., service provider location data in its memory. It may be understood to the skilled person that the service provider location data may get updated into the system 102 if any changes happen in their locations.

[01)31] Once the user starts the trip, he/she may enter the user current location data and user navigation data on vehicle navigation unit 104. The vehicle navigation unit 104 may further transmits the user current location data and user navigation data to the data aggregator module 106 for further processing. On the other hand, the data aggregator module 106 also receives the service provider location data i.e., location information of available last mile service providers. Now, the data aggregator module 106 alerts about the current location of the user and also about where the user wants to reach. Based on this information, the data aggregator module 106identifies a plurality of last mile service providers which may be present nearby to the user location. As may be understood to the skilled person that, these last mile service providers may be registered with the system 102 by providing their location details (i.e., plurality of service provider location data) and micro mobility vehicles and their types or any other relevant details.. Hence, all the above mentioned information may be stored in the memory of the system 102. However, based on the user current location data, the data aggregator module 106 identifies the appropriate service providers based on the user's request.

[0032] Further, the data aggregator module 106 determines a plurality of distance between the user and the plurality of last mile service providers based on the user current location data and the plurality of service provider location data. This helps the system 102 to understand which of the service providers are closer and/or farther to the user's real-time location. In addition to above, the data aggregator module 106 may also determine a plurality of travel time from the plurality of last mile service providers for reaching user destination based on a type of the micro mobility vehicles, the plurality of service provider location data, and the user destination data. The distance and the travel time information are provided to the routing module 108 by the data aggregator module 106. This way, the system 102 now also understands that how much it may take for the user if he/she selects any of the available service providers. The above identified information can be seen in the below table I. Micro mobility Vehicle Distance between user and Travel time service provider Small car (Service Provider 1) 500 meters 25 minutes E-Scooter (Service Provider 2) 700 meters 10 minutes [-Bicycle (Service Provider 3) 200 meters 15 minutes [0033] From the above table 1, it can be observed that though the E-scooter is at the farthest distance from the user, however, it takes only 10 minutes if the user choses that option. This is because, considering the traffic, driving the e-scooter is faster than driving a small car or even a bicycle based on the pre-calculated traffic. Hence, by considering the above factors, the routing module 108 may select e-scooter (provided by Service provider 2) as an optimal last mile service provider amongst the other last mile service providers (Service provider 1 and Service provider 3). Thus, the selected 1.0 last mile service provider indicates a fastest available option for the user for reaching the user destination. In addition, the routing module 108 may also calculate different routes and travel times with various travel modes (driving, walking, riding) and may determine an optimal itinerary for reaching to the destination. It may be understood to the skilled person that the above taken example in table 1 is just for the explanation IS purpose and it should not be considered to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0034] Once the service provider is selected, the system 102 may also provide navigation information on user's device 112 or a device installed upon the micro mobility vehicle 112 to help the user to reach to a location of selected last mile service provider. Further, the arrival of the user at the location of the optimal last mile service provider is also detected by using at least one of Bluetooth technique and/or a Near Field Communication (NFC) technique.

[0035] That is, the data aggregator module 106 is configured to synchronize the user's destination data into a device of the micro mobility vehicle (e-scooter in this case) of the optimal last mile service provider (service provider 2) once the user arrives at the location of the optimal last mile service provider. This way, the system 102 provides a seamless experience to die user while switching from one mode to another mode.

[00361 According to other embodiments, the charging state provider module 110 may also determine charging state of user owned micro mobility vehicle. It may happen alai the user may carry his/her own small vehicle like e-bicycle in his/her vehicle. In that scenario, the system 102 may determine a travel distance capacity of the user owned micro mobility vehicle based on its charging state. The travel distance capacity indicates the ability that how far the owned micro mobility vehicle may go with the current charging state.. If the travel distance capacity is within a travel range of the user destination, then the system 102 may recommend the user about the user owned micro mobility vehicle also. For example, if the system 102 estimates that, with the current charging state (e.g., 60%), the user owned vehicle can up to 20 kms and the distance to reach user's destination is only 15kms, then the system 102 may also recommend the user to user his/her vehicle for completing his/her the last mile trip.

[0037] According to other embodiments, the system 102 may also determine traffic condition based on the user destination data when the user starts moving toward the user destination. If the system 102 determines that the traffic is going to be heavy, the system 102 may notify the same to the user and also let him/her know about an available parking slot location so that user can park his/her vehicle and take an alternative mode to reach his/her destination faster.

[0038] Referring to figure 3, the method 300 for providing last mile mobility vehicle to a user in accordance with one aspect of the invention is described in detail. The method 300 for providing last mile facility to the user, comprising at step 310, detecting user current location data and user destination data. At step 320, the method comprises identifying a plurality of last mile service providers based on the user current location data. Further, ach of the plurality of last mile service providers are provided with a plurality of service provider location data and micro mobility vehicles. At step 330, the method comprises determining a plurality of distance between the user and the plurality of last mile service providers based on the user current location data and the plurality of service provider location data. At step 340, the method comprises determining a plurality of travel time from the plurality of last mile service providers for reaching user destination based on a type of the micro mobility vehicles, the plurality of service provider location data, and the user destination data. At step 350, the method comprises selecting an optimal last mile service provider amongst the plurality of last mile service providers based on the plurality of distance and the plurality of travel time determined. At step 360, the method comprises synchronizing the user destination data into a device of a micro mobility vehicle of the optimal last mile service provider once the user arrives at the location of the optimal last mile service provider.

[003911n one embodiment, the present disclosure is executed in a computer-readable program product comprising a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium may comprise computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media includes volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Computer storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other solid state memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks ("DVD"), or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to store the desired information and which can be accessed by a computer.

[0946] The illustrated steps are set out to explain the exemplary embodiments shown, and it should be anticipated that ongoing technological development will change the manner in which particular functions are performed. These examples are presented herein for purposes of illustration, and not limitation. Further, the boundaries of the functional building blocks have been arbitrarily defined herein for the convenience of the description. Alternative boundaries can be defined so long as the specified functions and relationships thereof are appropriately performed. Alternatives (including equivalents, extensions, variations, deviations, etc., of those described herein) will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) based on the teachings contained herein. Such alternatives fall within the scope and spirit of the disclosed embodiments. It must also be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[00471Ad vantages of the embodiment of the present disclosure are illustrated herein a. The present disclosure provides seamless travel experience to the users when the user switches between one vehicle to another vehicle.

b. The present disclosure provides an optimal last mile service provider details to help the user to reach to their destinations in faster manner.

J00481 Referral Numerals:

Reference Number Description

102 System 104 Vehicle Navigation Unit 106 Data Aggregator Module 108 Routing Module Charging State Provider Module 112 User Device/Mobility Vehicle Device 300 Method 310-360 Method steps

Claims

[00491 Claims: We Cairn: 1. A method for providing last mile mobility vehicle to a user, the method comprising the steps of: detecting, by a processor, the user current location data and the user destination data when the user starts a trip; identifying, by the processor, a plurality of last mile service providers based on the user current location data, wherein each of the plurality of last mile service providers are provided with a plurality of service provider location data and micro mobility vehicles; determining, by the processor, a plurality of distance between the user and the plurality of last mile service providers based on the user current location data and the plurality of service provider location data, and a plurality of travel time from the plurality of last mile service providers for reaching user destination based on a type of the micro mobility vehicles, the plurality of service provider location data, and the user destination data; selecting, by the processor, an optimal last mile service provider amongst the plurality of last mile service providers based on the plurality of distance and the plurality of travel time determined, wherein the optimal last mile service provider selected indicates a fastest available option for the user for reaching the user destination; and synchronizing, by the processor, the user destination data into a device of a micro mobility vehicle of the optimal last mile service provider once the user arrives at the location of the optimal last mile service provider.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising providing navigation information on user's device to help the user to reach to a location of optimal last mile service provider.
3. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising detecting arrival of the user at the location of the optimal last mile service provider by using at least one of Bluetooth technique and a Near Field Communication (NFC) technique.
4. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising determining charging state of user owned micro mobility vehicle, determining a travel distance capacity of the user owned micro mobility vehicle based on the charging state; and recommending the user about the user owned micro mobility vehicle when the travel distance capacity is within a travel range of the user destination, wherein the travel range is determined based on the user current location data and the user destination data.
5. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: determining traffic condition based on the user destination data when the user starts moving toward the user destination, and notifying the user about an available parking slot location based on the traffic condition.
6. A system for providing last mile facility to a user, the system comprises: a processor; and a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, wherein the memory further stores processor-executable instructions, which, on execution, causes the processor to: detect the user current location data and the user destination data when the user starts a trip; identify a plurality of last mile service providers based on the user current location data, wherein each of the plurality of last mile service providers are provided with a plurality of service provider location data and micro mobility vehicles; determine, a plurality of distance between the user and the plurality of last mile service providers based on the user current location data and the plurality of service provider location data, and a plurality of travel time from the plurality of last mile service providers for reaching user destination based on a type of the micro mobility vehicles, the plurality of service provider location data, and the user destination data; select an optimal last mile service provider amongst the plurality of last mile service providers based on the plurality of distance and the plurality of travel time determined, wherein the optimal last mile service provider selected indicates a fastest available option for the user for reaching the user destination; and synchronize the user destination into a device of a micro mobility vehicle of the optimal last mile service provider once the user arrives at the location of the optimal last mile service provider.
7. The system as claimed in claim 6 is further configured to provide navigation information on user's device to help the user to reach to a location of optimal last mile service provider.
8. The system as claimed in claim 7 is further configured to detect arrival of the user at the location of the optimal last mile service provider by using at least one of Bluetooth technique and a Near Field Communication (NFC) technique.
9. The system as claimed in claim 6 is further configured to: determine charging state of user owned micro mobility vehicle, determine a travel distance capacity of the user owned micro mobility vehicle based on the charging state; and recommend the user about the user owned micro mobility vehicle when the travel distance capacity is within a travel range of the user destination, wherein the travel range is determined based on the user current location data and the user destination data
10. The system as claimed in claim 6 is further configured to: determine traffic condition based on the user destination data when the user starts moving toward the user destination, and notify the user about an available parking slot location based on the traffic condition.