WO2016142958A1

WO2016142958A1 - Route planning tool

Info

Publication number: WO2016142958A1
Application number: PCT/IT2016/000032
Authority: WO
Inventors: Luca BETTI
Original assignee: Betti Luca
Priority date: 2015-02-10
Filing date: 2016-02-08
Publication date: 2016-09-15

Abstract

A route planning tool is described, adapted to provide to at least one user one or more solutions related to at least one route request; such tool is a web application coupled with at least one social network and equipped with a modular software architecture (1), such modular software architecture (1) being adapted in real time to allow the user, with a single query, to obtain and compare the one or more solutions, combined with a plurality of user preferences and with a plurality of social information shared by a plurality of users of the social network.

Description

ROUTE PLANNING TOOL

The present invention refers to a route planning tool, in particular for intermodal and multimodal routes.

Italy and other countries in the world, with their geographic and information complexity on transports, play a relevant role in planning journeys on internet.

Planning tools for intermodal travels are known in the art, such as the Integrated Proactive Intermodal Travel Assistant (IPITA) , which use real-time maps and geo-location systems, being interfaced with transport managing systems of several Companies, but they are not able to combine in real time the possible traditional travel alternatives (cars, airplanes, trains), with models of public and private shared transports (car sharing) , with alternative solutions (city bikes, transfers on foot) , and also with housing solutions (hotels, b&b, flats) .

A planning tool web, called Rome2Rio, is also known in the art, which is able to plan a requested route by performing a search among possible traditional travel alternatives (cars, airplanes, trains) , which allow locating the geographic location of airports and stations, and planning a journey with stops.

Finally, web applications are known in the art, which allow planning the routes of a journey, optimizing the organization and saving with alternative transport modes (car sharing) , like the known applications:

- Wipolo, which allows automatically creating a travel route, and receiving warnings in real time about a train arrival, the status of a flight, etc . ;

- anderio, which allows planning a travel route on-line, showing the possible sections, comparing flights, trains and public means, and allowing the user to choose the best solution;

- Tripcase, which allows planning and managing one or more travel routes, and is equipped with a comfortable and easy interface which allows the user to easily use Tripcase before starting and during his journey;

- Globetrooper, which is an on-line service,

9 which allows finding journey companions by evaluating the proposals of routes of other travelers, or by proposing one's own route;

- Gogobot, which is an efficient social network, which allows consulting journey advices, depending on recommendations of friends and other travelers;

- BlaBlaCar, which is the first Italian site for sharing a car, which puts in contact drivers and passengers who wish to perform a journey with a common destination, optimizing car costs and use, and reducing environmental impacts;

- Tripit, which is a web application available for the majority of known operating systems, which allows highly simplifying the organization of a journey, making easily accessible for a user all information related to tickets, routes, hotels.

With the current state of the art, there are no route planning tools which allow a complete planning of a route with a single query; in particular, no planning tools are known in the art which allow a user to organize and plan a journey depending on recommendations, comments of friends and other travelers, allowing to optimize the planned journey, and with the integrated sale of all travel tickets for the selected section with a single confirmation (one click booking) .

Object of the present invention is solving the above prior art problems, by providing a route planning tool coupled with a social network, adapted to provide in real time a user with solutions related to his route request, coupling them with user preferences and with the social information shared by single users of the social network .

A further object is providing a route planning tool adapted to optimize the organization of a route for collecting users with a common destination, coupling it with social information shared by single users of the social network.

Another object is providing a route planning tool adapted to propose to the user a solution related to the requested route which lacks a fragmentation of information.

Another object is providing an intermodal and multimodal route planning tool, capable of providing the user with information related to his route, combining in real time possible traditional and alternative solutions of shared transport, and housing solutions, with a single query: having available travel planning information from an extended community of passengers, it will be possible to propose some options for optimizing travel costs and times, such as, for example, sharing of means or purchases of group tickets (group purchasing) .

Another object is providing a flexible route planning tool, capable of guaranteeing the addition of new services and functionalities without affecting the already existing ones, and of allowing the interaction of single users with the planning tool.

Another object is providing parameters (cost, length, issues, etc.) for planning the route, if travelled with the user's own car, by computing, with the database owned, the actual parameters of the user' s car, returning to the user an accurate evaluation which can be immediately compared with the other transport solutions being found.

Another object is providing a route planning tool optimized in its performing and displaying speed .

Still another object is providing a route planning tool capable of allowing the user to receive actual data and immediately proceed with the purchase of a solution. The above and other objects and advantages of the invention, as will appear from the following description, are obtained with a route planning tool as claimed in claim 1. Preferred embodiments and non-trivial variations of the present invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

It is intended that all enclosed claims are an integral part of the present description.

It will be immediately obvious that numerous variations and modifications (for example related to shape, sizes, arrangements and parts with equivalent functionality) can be made to what is described, without departing from the scope of the invention as appearts from the enclosed claims.

The present invention will be better described by some preferred embodiments thereof, provided as a non-limiting example, with reference to the enclosed drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a block diagram of a preferred embodiment of the modular software architecture of the route planning tool according to the present invention.

With reference to the Figure, the route planning tool, in particular journeys, travels, routes, sections, movements having a medium or long length, etc., according to the present invention, is an intermodal tool, characterized by the use of a plurality of transport modes when planning a single route, and a multimodal tool, characterized by the use of a plurality of transport modes when planning a plurality of routes depending on one or more destinations.

The route planning tool is a web or mobile application, compatible with all main browsers of the mobile devices, such as smartphones, phablets, tablets and/or all wearable smart technology devices, guaranteeing an optimum visibility of contents on every type of display, adapted to provide a user with one or more solutions related to a route request.

It is coupled with a social network and is equipped with a modular software architecture 1, such as, for example, a layered three-tier, or multi-tier, architecture or other similar one.

The modular software architecture 1 is adapted to allow in real time a user, with a single query, to obtain one or more solutions, combined with the user preferences and with the social information shared by single users of the social network.

In particular, in the modular software architecture 1, the various functionalities are logically separated, namely divided into a plurality of mutually different software levels which mutually communicate, allowing to modify or add functionalities only at a specific level, and conferring the route planning tool a simple design and implementation, flexibility, scalability, and the capability of being developed and customized depending on required services.

As shown in the Figure, the modular software architecture 1 of the planning tool comprises:

- at least one user interface 2, such as for example a HTML, or CSS, or Javascript or JSP, or JSF or PHP or ASP.NET page, a framework, such as for example WordPress, or Java Struts, or Java Spring, or other similar one, representing the interacting means of the user with the planning tool;

- at least one user management system 18;

- at least one application engine 7, not directly accessible for the user, containing processing logic and source code in a dynamic development language, such as for example, HTML₅, CSS₃, Javascript, XML, JSON, adapted to receive and satisfy the requests of data and of processing by the user; - at least one back-office module 19, adapted to manage a plurality of persistent data related to one or more transport modes.

In particular, the user accesses through a web application, or a dedicated web site, or a mobile application, to the user interface 2 compatible with all main browsers of the mobile devices, such as smartphones, phablets, tablets, and all wearable smart technology devices, guaranteeing an optimum visibility of contents on every type of display, through a graphic page-making technique, such as for example the responsive web design technique, adapted to adapt and optimize the graphic page- making to the display on which the contents are displayed, reducing to a minimum the needs for a user to resize and browse the contents.

The modular software architecture 1, through the application engine 7, allows entering, developing, activating or de-activating new services and additional functionalities, such as for example the enrolment services, not affecting the operation of existing services and functionalities, and ensuring integrity and solidity to the planning tool.

Advantageously, the operation of the route planning tool is optimized by limiting printing instructions, by using iterative cycles, by minimizing the variables and their reading operations; in particular, the route planning tool is characterized by a high speed of execution of user requests and of display the results of the requests themselves, through the use of a multi- platform technique, such as for example AJAX, combining the cURL library, which allows finding data in a much quicker way, adapted to perform a multiple and quick data exchange between user and server, updating data asynchronously without interfering with the behavior of the existing page and without a user being waiting.

Consequently, the route planning tool is able to display, on the user interface 2, the required solutions without uploading by the user, with a high time saving.

The user, by registering or profiling himself on the user interface 2, through the managing system 18 of the modular software architecture 1, after having performed a registration or profiling by entering his own personal data, or through a social network, or dedicated web site, or other similar one, accesses the user profile 4 being able to perform the following operations (these operations can be performed in any sequence and also not all together) :

entering, displaying and modifying, in a user profile 4, his personal data, such as, for example, name, surname, age, address, sex, etc.;

entering at least one own personal identification photo;

identifying the user's private means through a choice between at least one car identifiers list, through a database owned or externally consulted, and by entering other parameters which can further specify information related to the user's private means, then obtaining, for every search of a section, the actual parameters of the user's car, returning to him an accurate evaluation which can be immediately compared with the other transport solutions being found;

entering at least one personal identification photo of the user's private means;

entering further data, information and parameters and providing a payment authorization through the user's instruments (credit cards, debit cards, bank accounts, etc.) for purchasing all different tickets related to means of transport of the selected section (one click booking) ;

displaying through the interface 2 and, after having performed the access to a user profile 4, entering social information related to a route or to a single section of the route through at least one review module 10;

performing the route request, through the interface 2, through at least one search module 6; accessing at least one sharing module 8 through the interface 2;

accessing at least one events module 14 through the interface 2, wherein the user can set a place, coupling it with an event connected with one or a series of dates and recalling, for that same event, at least one or more users for sharing at least one or more means of transport to reach the event destination, to automatically organize collective journeys depending on the common destination, through the social network (proactive pooling) ; the proactive pooling will be provided in real time to the user depending on search parameters. The registered user, who will enter a section which will be travelled with his own car, will give his consent, and will automatically make available the section for the other users (of his list of friends, or of all users, according to the visibility assigned to his journey). The registered user, moreover, will have the chance of inviting the contacts of his own list and those related to a social network;

generating a list of user's contacts, creating the social network and afterwards being able to display and interact with the single users of the social network;

displaying a plurality of routes saved by the user or single users of the social network;

entering and displaying comments related to routes or to single sections of the routes of the user or of single users of the social network;

obtaining a series of merits which, proportionally to use and/or user interaction with the platform, generate the chance for a user to access a series of bonuses;

displaying, for every user, statistics related to his own journeys /movements, computing supported costs, use percentages of various vehicles, use time, and all data deriving from the use of the platform;

selling one's own means of transport on the major on-line sales portals for means of transport and on the portal itself;

comparing insurance expenses and purchasing and using the most advantageous insurance;

on-line paying car taxes, through the use of the portal;

knowing users which use and are part of the portal community;

interacting among users through an instantaneous messaging service;

displaying the historical file of purchased tickets and supported expenses;

creating events with the chance of inviting the social network to the common destination;

displaying travel offers proposed by Companies ;

setting one's home position as start / arrival ;

setting the user's position, determined through geolocation.

The user, through the simple and intuitive user interface 2, accesses the search module 6 for performing the route request; through a communication protocol, such as for example TCP/IP, or HTTP/HTTPS, or other similar one, the request made by the user is sent to the application engine 7, adapted to receive a plurality of data, such as for example, geographic coordinates, related to the route requested by the user, and to process web pages and dynamically generate contents, through at least one managing module 13, managing a plurality of queries which can comprise a database management system 9.

The application engine 7 mainly comprises the database management system 9, adapted to contain social information of users of a social network: such social information stored in the database management system, are integrated, updated and improved in real time by users of the social network and by single developers or teams of developers 11 of the route planning tool through the user interface 2.

The database management system 9 contains:

information related to place, such as name, coordinates, etc.;

information dealing with statistics of single users ;

information of users of a social network; and information dealing with vehicles.

The application engine 7 further comprises: a managing module 13, such as for example a plugin manager or other similar one;

at least one commercial managing module 15; at least one payments managing module 17, such as for example an e-commerce layer, or an e-shop, or other similar one.

The application engine 7, through the user interface 2, is adapted to provide, with a single query by the user, possible traditional solutions, such as, for example, cars, or airplanes, or trains, or boats, or public means, or other similar ones; alternative solutions, such as for example, transfers on foot, or city bikes, or other similar ones; shared transport solutions, such as for example, car sharing, or other similar ones; and housing solutions, b&b, hotels, or other similar ones, combining them together in real time. In particular, it proposes to the user solutions for moving from a specific address to another one, analyzing all transport modes, ordering them preferably depending on one or more parameters like, for example, comfort, convenience, speed, polluting emissions, etc.

In particular, to satisfy the comfort criterion, the application engine 7 orders the found solutions depending on the number of changes to be performed during the route requested by the user or on a comfort parameter specified by the user in his own personal area; to satisfy the convenience criterion, the application engine 7 orders the found solutions depending on the price, the possible use of user's cars and possible additional costs, like, for example, car renting, car park, etc.; to satisfy the speed criterion, the application engine 7 orders the found solutions depending on necessary times for wholly completing the route, including possible wait times, like for example wait times in stations, in airports, bus stations, etc.; to satisfy the polluting emissions criterion, the application engine 7 orders the found solutions depending on C0₂ emissions foreseen for the route requested by the user.

Advantageously, the application engine 7 is adapted to process the solutions related to the route requested by the user, customizing and optimizing them with social information stored in the database management system 9, providing the user with solutions lacking a data fragmentation, being such data shared by users of the social network coupled with the planning tool.

The managing module 13 of the application engine 7 is characterized by a plurality of instructions, and is adapted to allow performing or not one or more operations like the multimodal search, providing possible solutions to the request performed by the user; the optimization of possible solutions with a plurality of additional information, such as, for example, consumption of carbon dioxide, fuel costs, link to possible transport companies, through an API query or scraping techniques, journey length, private car cost, etc.; the display of social information related to the route requested by the user and/or to single sections of the route.

Finally, the application engine 7 allows the user to receive in real time actual data related to possible requested solutions, and consequently, to purchase the preferred solution immediately, through the commercial managing module 15.

The commercial managing module 15 is adapted to manage the reservation and/or cancellation processes by a user or a group of users, for a route, or for a single route section. Advantageously, the commercial managing module 15 allows the user to perform with a single operation, in real time, reservations of different types of transport offered by a plurality of companies, normalizing the different types of transport and standardizing the plurality of received requests (one-click booking) .

Finally, the commercial managing module 15 sends the plurality of received and standardized requests to at least one payments managing module 17 adapted to perform economic transactions.

The payments managing module 17 is equipped with at least one integrated purchasing interface, which provides the user with all payment instruments (credit cards, debit cards, bank accounts, etc.) for all different tickets related to means of transport of the selected section (one- click booking) , and is characterized by a high compatibility with existing mobile devices and/or wearable smart technology devices or other similar ones .

The payments managing module 17 is interfaced with at least one back-office module 19 adapted to be interfaced with the transport managing systems of one or more services suppliers and to manage a plurality of persistent data related to types of means of transport, making the route planning tool a global standardization means. The sharing module 8 of the managing system 18 allows the users to optimize costs and times, and to obtain complete information, allowing the user to optimize the organization of a collection route for users with a common destination, coupling it with comments and sharing of single users of the social network, together with the chance of managing purchases of groups or individuals.

The sharing module 8, through the user interface 2, is adapted to favour the sharing of social information by single users of the social network, and to provide the user with a route planning tool suitable for an optimized planning of his own route.

Advantageously, the operation of the sharing module 8 is based on a dedicated algorithm, which performs in real time an analysis of solutions related to the route requested by the user, locating in the database management system 9, through the application engine 7, those users of the social network who can follow the request for the same route, or a single route section. The algorithm uses specific parameters, such as for example residence place, preferred means of transport, traveler's preferences, users lists, allowing the user to display those users of the social network interested in sharing their own route or a single route section.

Moreover, the algorithm of the sharing module 8 allows updating the user about requests of routes performed by the other users belonging to the social network, favoring the user in optimizing his own route, tempting to share the route, and providing the user with a safe tool, being a service dedicated to users of the social network.

The sharing module 8 is an active service for users accessing their user profile 4, and through the dedicated algorithm allows the user to take care of organizing group journeys, purchasing cumulative tickets exploiting possible discounts, and allowing the user to receive actual data and proceed with the purchase of a solution immediately and safely and efficiently through the payments managing module 17 of the application engine 7.

The route planning tool is moreover adapted to automatically analyze and evaluate the contents of all comments written by users, monitoring the quality of the contents, through a dedicated program, such as for example a semantic parsing, or other similar one. Moreover, the user can access, through the user interface 2, the events module 14, and display web pages related to events: the events module 14 provides useful information to the user, enabling him to reach the place housing the event.

Finally, the route planning tool is equipped with an integrated revision system, which records all performed actions and modifications; and with a modular development system, which arranges possible expansions and wherein the single developers or teams of developers 11 intervene on individual areas .

Moreover, this modular development system is equipped with a "flexible project management web application" program, like, for example, Redmine or other similar one, which keeps a synchrony on workflows produced by developers or by teams of developers 11 locate in remote places, increasing the productivity and the cooperation between company departments, being able to manage timings and urgencies.

Claims

1. Route planning tool adapted to provide to at least one user one or more solutions related to at least one route request, said route planning tool being a web or mobile application, compatible with all main browsers of the mobile devices, such as smart-phones, phablets, tablet and/or all wearable smart technology devices, coupled with at least one social network and equipped with at least one modular software architecture (1), said modular software architecture (1) being adapted in real time to allow said user, with a single query, to obtain said one or more solutions, combined with a plurality of preferences of said user and with a plurality of social information shared by a plurality of users of said social network, said social information being preferably comments, feedback, and experiences shared by said plurality of users of said social network, said modular software architecture (1) comprising:

- at least one user interface (2) representing interacting means of said user with said planning tool;

- at least one user management system (18);

- at least one application engine (7) containing the processing logic of said route planning tool, and adapted to analyze and combine a plurality of transport modes and a plurality of housing solutions depending on one or more parameters; and - at least one back-office module (19) adapted to manage a plurality of persistent data related to one or more types of means of transport;

characterized in that said modular software architecture (1) allows said user, through at least one sharing module (8), to optimize an organization of at least one collection route of said plurality of users with common destination coupling it with said plurality of social information.

2. Tool according to the previous claim, characterized in that said user management system (18) is adapted to allow said user, through said user interface (2) , to perform the following operations :

entering, displaying and modifying, in a user profile (4), personal data, such as name, surname, age, address, sex, etc . ;

entering at least one own personal identification photo;

identifying the user's private means through the choice among at least one car identifiers list, through a database owned or externally consulted, and through the entry of other parameters which further specify information relative to the user's private means, then obtaining, for every search of a section, the actual parameters of the user's car, returning to the user an accurate evaluation to be immediately compared with the other transport solutions being found;

entering further data, information and parameters and providing a payment authorization through user's instruments, like credit cards, debit cards, bank accounts, for purchasing all different tickets related to means of transport of the selected section;

displaying through the user interface (2) and, after having performed an access to a user profile (4), entering social information related to a route or to a single route section through at least one review module (10);

performing the route request, through the user interface (2), through at least one search module (6) ;

accessing at least one sharing module (8) through the user interface (2) ;

accessing at least one events module (14) through the user interface (2), wherein the user sets a place coupling it with an event connected with one or a series of dates and recalling, for that same event, at least one or more users for sharing at least one or more means of transport to reach the event destination, for automatically organizing collective journeys depending on the common destination, through the social network, thereby performing a proactive pooling provided in real time to the user depending on search parameters, the registered user, which enters a section which he will travel with his own car, giving his consent, and making automatically available the section for other users, the registered user having moreover the chance of inviting the contacts of his own list and those related to a social network;

making a list of user's contacts, creating the social network and afterwards being able to display and interact with single users of the social network;

displaying a plurality of routes saved by the user or single users of the social network; entering and displaying comments related to routes or to single route sections of the user or of single users of the social network;

obtaining a series of merits which, proportionally to use and/or user interaction with the platform, enable the user to access a series of bonuses ;

displaying to every user statistics related to his own journeys/movements, computing supported costs, use percentages of various vehicles, use time, and all data deriving from the use of the platform;

selling one's own means of transport on major on-line sales portals for means of transport and on the portal itself;

on-line paying car taxes, through the use of the portal;

knowing users which use and are part of the community of the portal;

interacting among users through an instantaneous messaging service;

displaying an historical file of purchased tickets and of supported expenses; creating events with the chance of inviting the social network to the common destination;

displaying travel offers proposed by Companies;

setting a home position as start /arrival;

setting a user position, determined through geo-location .

3. Tool according to claim 1, characterized in that said application engine (7) comprises:

at least one database management system (9), adapted to contain said plurality of social information of said plurality of users of said social network, said social information being integrated, updated and improved in real time by said plurality of users of said social network and by a plurality of developers or teams of developers (11) of said route planning tool through said user interface (2), the database management system (9) containing: information related to place, such as name and coordinates; information dealing with statistics of single users; information about users of the social network; and information dealing with the vehicles;

at least one managing module (13), such as for example a plugin manager or other similar one, composed of a plurality of instructions adapted to allow or not a plurality of operations of said application engine (7);

at least one commercial managing module (15) adapted to allow said user to purchase said one or more solutions, said one or more solutions being received in real time by said user;

at least one payments managing module (17) equipped with at least one flexible integrated payment interface and adapted to receive a plurality of requests sent and standardized by said commercial managing module (15) , and to be interfaced with said back-office module (19).

4. Tool according to the previous claim, characterized in that said application engine (7) is adapted to received from said search module (6), through at least one communication protocol, a plurality of data related to said route request by said user, and to process at least one web page and dynamically generate a plurality of contents, through said managing module (13) , managing a plurality of queries to said database management system ( 9) .

5. Tool according to claim 1, characterized in that said application engine (7) is adapted to process said one or more customized and optimized solutions with said plurality of social information of said plurality of users of said social network, stored in said database management system (9), providing said user with said one or more solutions lacking a data fragmentation, said data being arranged by said plurality of users of said social network coupled with said planning tool.

6. Tool according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said sharing module (8) is adapted, through at least one dedicated algorithm, to locate in real time, in said database management system (9) through said application engine (7), one or more users of said social network adapted to perform at least one route request of said user.

7. Tool according to claim 2, characterized in that said user profile (4) is adapted to allow the user, through said user interface (2), to perform the following operations:

entering, displaying and modifying personal data;

making at least one list of contacts of said user, creating said social network;

displaying a plurality of routes saved by said user; entering and displaying said plurality of social information related to said plurality of routes or to at least one section of said plurality of routes, of said user or of said plurality of users of said social network;

entering at least one or more data related to at least one private means of transport of said user, obtaining said one or more solutions comprising costs and consumptions of said private means of transport of said user.

8. Tool according to claim 3, characterized in that said commercial managing module (15) is adapted, in real time, to manage at least one reservation and/or cancellation process by said user or of at least one group of said users, of said route, normalizing said one or more types of means of transport offered by a plurality of companies.