Fiber Optic Seat Illumination for Rideshare Identification
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Solution Overview
Problem
In ridesharing environments, passengers face challenges in efficiently locating and boarding designated seats within vehicles due to the dynamic nature of passenger entry and exit points and the lack of clear identification methods for reserved seats and vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing light-diffusing fiber optic light sources attached to seats or vehicles, controlled by a controller that generates and applies illumination schemes based on occupancy, reservation, and passenger preferences, allowing for color-coded identification of reserved seats and vehicles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If passengers rely on traditional non-illuminated seats and vehicles in a ridesharing environment, then the system structure remains simple, but passengers face challenges in efficiently locating and boarding designated seats due to lack of clear identification methods
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies color-coded illumination to seats and vehicles to indicate their status (reserved, occupied, available). Different colors help passengers quickly identify their designated seats and vehicles from a distance, solving the problem of locating reserved seats without requiring complex interaction systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The illumination system acts as an intermediary between the reservation system and passengers. Instead of requiring passengers to directly query or interact with complex reservation databases, the visual illumination provides immediate, intuitive information about seat and vehicle status, simplifying the passenger experience.
2Loss of information
If the system provides detailed information about driver ratings and health status through illumination schemes, then information completeness improves, but the complexity of the illumination control system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination system segments information presentation by using different colors and illumination patterns to represent different types of information (seat status, vehicle status, driver ratings, health status). This allows multiple information dimensions to be communicated through a unified visual interface without requiring a single complex display system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses parameter changes in illumination (color, intensity, pattern) to encode different information about drivers and vehicles. For example, different colors may indicate different driver rating ranges or health status levels, allowing rich information communication through simple visual parameters that passengers can quickly interpret.
3Productivity
If passengers must manually search for their reserved seats in large vehicles, then the system remains simple, but boarding time increases contributing to traffic congestion
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination system is activated in advance to guide passengers to their reserved seats before they need to board. By having the designated seats illuminated and visible from outside the vehicle, passengers can approach the correct seat directly without searching, significantly reducing boarding time and improving overall boarding efficiency.
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
Enhances passenger convenience by enabling quick identification of reserved seats and vehicles, reducing boarding time and traffic congestion, while also providing additional information such as driver ratings and health status through customizable illumination schemes.
Implementation Method 1
A rideshare vehicle or at least one of the seats in the rideshare vehicle includes a light-diffusing fiber optic light source attached to the vehicle or the seat
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, and devices for indicating a status of a vehicle or a seat in a vehicle are disclosed herein. A system includes a plurality of seats in a vehicle, a light-diffusing fiber optic light source attached to at least one of the seats, a receiver configured to receive a status of at least one of the seats, and a controller. The controller may be configured to determine an illumination scheme based on the status of at least one of the seats and illuminate the light-diffusing fiber optic light source according to the illumination scheme.