Fully Automated Vehicle Dispatching, Monitoring and Billing

Abstract

A system for controlling vehicles ( 20 ) to provide transportation services without need for human intervention. A database ( 10 ) stores records each documenting needed transportation services. Processing circuitry (which may be one or several networked computers) performs a dispatching process ( 26 ) which reviews these records, locates records indicating a need for immediate transportation service, and instructs vehicles to provide the service. The processing circuitry also performs a monitoring process ( 28 ) which monitors vehicle activities by reviewing the records, and automatically obtained vehicle activity information, to identify transportation services which are not being adequately provided, and refer these to human dispatchers ( 16 ) for special attention. A variety of methods for obtaining and updating vehicle activity information are disclosed, as are various applications for the system.

1 . A system for controlling vehicles to provide transportation services without need for human intervention, comprising:
 a database including records each documenting needed transportation services;   processing circuitry performing a dispatching process including reviewing said records, locating a record indicating a need for immediate transportation service, and instructing a vehicle to provide said transportation service; said processing circuitry further performing a monitoring process including reviewing said records and vehicle activity information to identify transportation services which are not being adequately provided; and   communication circuitry forwarding instructions produced by said dispatching process from said processing circuitry to a vehicle; said communication circuitry further providing vehicle activity information relating to said vehicle to said processing circuitry for review by said monitoring process.