Dynamic Adjacent Seat Reservation System for Event Ticketing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face difficulties in securing adjacent seats for companions at events due to uncertainty about who will accompany them, leading to potential ticket wastage and increased burdensome procedures, and existing systems do not efficiently manage seat reservations, resulting in high server loads and unnecessary traffic.
Innovation Solution
A seat management system that allows users to reserve a seat for themselves and temporarily secure adjacent seats for companions, with a dynamic restriction period based on available seats, preventing non-related users from allocating these seats and optimizing server processing by varying the restriction period.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a user purchases tickets for himself and his company after knowing definitely who is going to accompany him, then the user can avoid ticket wastage, but the user may miss the chance to book tickets before the event's tickets are sold out
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically identifying potential companions and pre-reserving adjacent seats before the user finalizes their decision. The server proactively queries social networking services to find users with matching event interests and pre-books seats, eliminating the need for the user to wait until they know their companion.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by automatically handling the companion identification and seat reservation process without requiring active user intervention. The server autonomously queries social networks, identifies suitable companions, and completes bookings, allowing users to simply provide event information and receive automated service.
2Reliability
If a user purchases tickets for himself and his company first and then looks for someone to go with, then the user can secure seats early, but the tickets for possible company may be wasted if the user is not successful at finding someone
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies dynamics by making the reservation status flexible rather than fixed. Seats are reserved in a tentative state that can be automatically converted to confirmed or cancelled based on whether a companion is found. The restriction period on reserved seats dynamically adjusts based on availability, allowing the system to adapt to changing circumstances.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements discarding and recovering by automatically cancelling reservations for users who cannot be matched with companions, thereby recovering the seats and making them available for other users. This prevents ticket wastage while maintaining the benefit of early reservation for confirmed matches.
3Reliability
If the user purchases tickets in both cases, then the user can ensure seat availability, but the user needs to purchase tickets himself which burdens the user with bothersome procedures and a rather large cost
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service by automatically handling the entire booking process including companion identification, seat selection, and ticket purchase. The server autonomously queries social networking services, identifies suitable companions, selects appropriate seats, and completes transactions without requiring the user to perform these individual steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary (the automated seat management server) that mediates between the user and the complex booking procedures. The server acts as an intermediary by handling all the繁琐 procedures including social network queries, companion matching, seat reservation, and payment processing, shielding the user from complexity.
4Reliability
If the system allows tentative reservation for seats, then the user can secure seats before purchase, but allowing the user to keep the tentative reservation status longer than necessary is not beneficial to the promoter of the event
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies dynamics by making the restriction period on tentatively reserved seats flexible rather than fixed. The duration of the restriction period dynamically adjusts based on real-time seat availability - extending when seats are abundant and shortening when seats are scarce, thereby balancing user needs with promoter interests.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring seat availability and using this information to adjust the restriction period duration. The server queries seat status in real-time and modifies reservation policies accordingly, creating a feedback loop that optimizes both user convenience and promoter benefits.
Data Source
AI summary
A related user identifying unit identifies a related user who has a given relation to an assigned user to whom at least one seat has been allocated. A restriction target selecting unit selects, as a restriction target, a seat or a group of seats that is adjacent to the seat allocated to the assigned user and that is not allocated to any user. An allocation restricting unit restricts the allocation of the seat or group of seats selected as the restriction target to any user other than related users for a given restriction period. A second allocation unit allocates, in a case where the request is received from the related user, the seat selected as the restriction target, or at least one seat out of the group of seats selected as the restriction target, to the related user.