Dynamic Workspace Reservation System for Disease Risk Mitigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing workspace reservation systems fail to effectively enforce social distancing rules and ensure sanitization protocols, increasing the risk of contagious disease transmission in shared workspaces.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize a processing circuit to determine safety rules for workspace reservation based on factors like time since a hazardous incident, risk level, and sanitization, allowing only unoccupied and sanitized workspaces to be reserved, with automated sanitizing features and dynamic pricing for reservations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If workspace reservation systems allow flexible booking of shared workspaces, then workspace utilization efficiency is improved, but the risk of contagious disease transmission increases due to close proximity of workers
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by requiring workspace reservation before actual use, allowing the system to pre-assess and control occupancy patterns. The reservation system evaluates requests against safety criteria including social distancing requirements and sanitization status before allowing booking, thus preventing potential transmission risks before they occur while still enabling flexible workspace utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms by continuously monitoring workspace occupancy, sanitization status, and transmission risks. The reservation system dynamically adjusts availability based on real-time conditions, providing feedback to users about safe workspace options. This feedback loop enables the system to maintain high utilization efficiency while responding adaptively to changing safety conditions.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If workspace reservation systems enforce social distancing rules and sanitization protocols, then the risk of contagious disease transmission is reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reservation system is designed as a multi-functional platform that integrates occupancy tracking, safety rule enforcement, sanitization status monitoring, and dynamic pricing capabilities into a single unified system. This universal approach consolidates multiple safety functions into one system, reducing overall complexity compared to having separate systems for each safety function while still comprehensively addressing transmission risks.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements self-service mechanisms by automatically evaluating reservation requests against safety criteria, dynamically adjusting workspace availability, and notifying users of safe booking options without requiring manual intervention. The automated enforcement of social distancing rules and sanitization protocols reduces the need for complex manual monitoring and enforcement procedures.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If workspace stations are kept unoccupied for extended periods to ensure sanitization and social distancing, then transmission risk is reduced, but workspace utilization efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies dynamic principles by continuously adjusting workspace availability and reservation rules based on real-time occupancy patterns, sanitization status, and transmission risk levels. Rather than enforcing fixed unoccupation periods, the system dynamically determines appropriate waiting times and safety criteria, allowing workspaces to be utilized as soon as safety conditions are met, thus balancing transmission risk reduction with maximized utilization efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes key parameters such as minimum unoccupation time, social distancing requirements, and sanitization thresholds dynamically based on current transmission risk levels and occupancy patterns. This parameter adjustment allows the system to optimize the balance between safety and utilization efficiency for each specific situation, rather than applying static rules that would unnecessarily reduce workspace availability.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If automated sanitizing features and safety monitoring are implemented, then transmission risk is mitigated, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The reservation system serves as an intermediary that coordinates and manages automated sanitizing features and safety monitoring equipment. Rather than these features operating in isolation, the reservation system integrates them into a unified workflow, managing their operation based on occupancy patterns and safety requirements. This intermediary role reduces overall system complexity by providing centralized coordination.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where automated sanitizing features and safety monitors report their status to the reservation system, which then adjusts workspace availability accordingly. This feedback loop enables automated enforcement of safety protocols without requiring complex manual intervention systems, as the reservation system automatically responds to status changes from sanitizing and monitoring equipment.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach mitigates the risk of contagious disease transmission by ensuring safe workspace usage and occupancy, while also providing a flexible and efficient reservation system that adapts to changing sanitization needs.
Implementation Method 1
The automated sanitizing feature includes at least one of sanitizing light or ultraviolet violet (UV) A light, UVB light, or UVC light
Data Source
AI summary
A method for mitigating risk of transmission of a contagious disease in a building. The method includes determining, by a processing circuit including one or more processors, a safety rule to be applied to a workspace including a plurality of workspace stations, the safety rule relating to limiting the transmission of the contagious disease. The method includes receiving a request for one or more reservable workspace stations, the request including one or more request parameters. The method includes identifying the one or more reservable workspace stations from among the plurality of workspace stations by determining whether to permit the one or more reservable workspace stations to be reserved based on the safety rule. The method includes generating data identifying the one or more reservable workspace stations.