Connected user communication and interface system with shuttle tracking application

Abstract

A system and connected user mobile device interface for tracking one or more shuttle buses and providing a visual display thereof along with estimated times of arrival at the connected user's location or at the shuttle bus stop closest to the connected user. The tracking system is a learning-based model that tracks vehicle movement to estimate arrival time at pre-determined geo-fence locations based on historical behavior for similar time periods and conditions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for tracking shuttle vehicles, comprising:
 a plurality of shuttle vehicles, each shuttle vehicle configured with an electronic control device operable to determine shuttle vehicle location along a planned route;   at least one computer server with a server microprocessor programmed to:
 store a route map encompassing the planned route; 
 store historical travel time data for shuttle vehicles traveling along the route map; 
 receive, via wireless electronic communication, a location report from the electronic control device in a particular one of said plurality of shuttle vehicles; and 
 calculate an expected time of arrival or until arrival for a shuttle vehicle to arrive at a particular shuttle vehicle stop site based upon the particular shuttle's vehicles last location report with regard to entering or leaving a shuttle vehicle stop site or shuttle vehicle route site, a route-based relationship of such reported shuttle vehicle stop site or shuttle vehicle route site to the particular shuttle vehicle stop site, and at least some of said historical travel time data. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic control device determines when its associated shuttle vehicle enters or leaves a shuttle vehicle stop site or shuttle vehicle route site by comparing the shuttle vehicle's GPS location with location data for said shuttle vehicle stop site or shuttle vehicle route site. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a mobile computing device with a microprocessor programmed to:
 receive, via wireless electronic communications in real-time, shuttle vehicle location information from the server microprocessor;   receive, via wireless electronic communications in real-time, estimated arrival time or times for one or more shuttle vehicles at one or more locations along the planned route; and   present, on a visual display in real-time, a map showing one or more of the following: location of the mobile computing device; location of one or more shuttle vehicles; and one or more locations along the planned route.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the one or one or more locations along the planned route comprise one or more shuttle vehicle stop sites. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , further wherein the visual display further comprises one or more estimates of time for a shuttle vehicle to arrive at a particular shuttle vehicle stop site. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the calculation of expected time of arrival or until arrival is not based on general traffic usage, patterns, or conditions for the area in which the planned route is located. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least some of said historical travel data is for a particular time of day. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least some of said historical travel data is for a particular date or day of the week. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least some of said historical travel data is from a historical data window. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the historical data window extends back continuously for a set period of time from the time of calculation. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the historical data window is limited to a selected period of time from the prior year. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of shuttle vehicles comprise shuttle buses at an airport. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of shuttle vehicles comprise passenger buses. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the shuttle vehicle route sites include deviation sites not overlaying the planned route, and are placed to indicate shuttle vehicle deviations from the planned route.