Importance

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Abstract

A transit system includes a number of service request terminals located at frequent placement intervals in local areas served by the transit system. Transit vehicles flow throughout the local service area without predetermined routes or schedules. Movement of the vehicles is determined solely by the dispatches assigned to them in real time in response to service request. Passengers use the service request terminals to transmit a service request to a central dispatch controller that receives the request and automatically dispatches the most efficient vehicle to service the request. The central computer determines the most efficient vehicle by calculating the total added travel distance to service the request and destination in relation to the dispatches previously assigned to each vehicle. The service request is dispatched to the vehicle which would have the minimum added travel distance. The dispatched vehicle has a terminal that receives the dispatch command that was transmitted by the central dispatch controller and enters it on a graphical display of a map of the local area for convenient viewing by the vehicle operator. The order in which dispatches are serviced and the path traveled by the vehicle between dispatch locations is determined by the vehicle operator, so as to allow continuous modification in response to new dispatches, prevailing traffic conditions, etc.

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First Claim