Car Sharing Fleet Allocation for On-Demand and Reserved Use
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle management systems for car sharing and car rental struggle to efficiently manage vehicles for both reservation and on-demand use, leading to inefficiencies in vehicle allocation and user convenience.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle management device and system that distinguishes between 'first vehicles' for on-demand use and 'second vehicles' for reservation use, dynamically adjusting the allocation of vehicles based on demand, with processors controlling vehicle movements and schedules to maintain an optimal number of available vehicles for on-demand use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If vehicles are allocated to on-demand use, then user convenience is improved, but the number of available vehicles for reservation use decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the allocation of vehicles between on-demand use and reservation use based on real-time demand conditions. The management device monitors the number of vehicles in each category and automatically changes allocation status when thresholds are met, enabling flexible adaptation to changing user needs without manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameter of vehicle allocation status between two states: on-demand use and reservation use. When the number of on-demand vehicles falls below a predetermined threshold, the system changes the allocation status of available vehicles from reservation use to on-demand use, thereby adjusting the quantity distribution to maintain optimal service levels.
2Productivity
If vehicles are frequently moved between on-demand and reservation areas, then vehicle allocation efficiency is improved, but operational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The management device implements a feedback mechanism that continuously monitors the number of vehicles in on-demand use and compares it against a predetermined threshold. When the threshold is not met, the system automatically triggers a reallocation action by changing the status of available vehicles, creating a closed-loop control system that maintains optimal vehicle distribution without requiring complex manual coordination.
3Ease of operation
If the number of on-demand vehicles is maintained above a threshold, then user convenience is improved, but the number of vehicles for reservation use decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system establishes a dynamic balance between on-demand and reservation vehicle allocation by setting a predetermined threshold for on-demand vehicles. When the on-demand vehicle count falls below this threshold, the system automatically converts available reservation vehicles to on-demand status, ensuring user convenience is maintained while optimizing overall fleet utilization.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle management device includes one or more processors configured to: manage a plurality of vehicles to be provided for users in a car sharing service; manage, as a plurality of first vehicles, a part of the vehicles to be allocated to an on-demand use in which the users use the car sharing service without reservation; manage, as a plurality of second vehicles, a part of the vehicles to be allocated to a reservation use in which the users use the car sharing service with the reservation; and change at least one of the second vehicles to the first vehicles when the number of the first vehicles is less than a first predetermined number.