Autonomous Fleet Service Scheduling With Third-Party Maintenance Matching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicles lack an efficient system for managing their own maintenance and service scheduling, leading to fleet operational disruptions and increased costs due to the need for periodic maintenance and service, especially in high-demand areas where service centers are scarce.
Innovation Solution
A transportation management system that leverages existing third-party service providers to schedule and perform maintenance on autonomous vehicles, optimizing service times and locations to minimize downtime and maximize vehicle availability, by matching vehicles with service centers based on urgency, capacity, and location.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If autonomous vehicles are serviced at dedicated service centers, then service quality is improved, but service center availability is reduced due to scarcity in high-demand areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by enabling third-party service providers to service autonomous vehicles in addition to their primary functions. Service centers that traditionally serve conventional vehicles are made multi-functional by allowing them to also perform maintenance and repairs on autonomous vehicles, thereby expanding service availability without requiring dedicated autonomous vehicle service centers in every high-demand area.
Solution Approach 2:
The transportation management system acts as an intermediary by matching autonomous vehicles with appropriate third-party service providers based on service requirements, location, and capacity. This mediator function connects the autonomous vehicle fleet with existing service infrastructure, optimizing service allocation while maintaining service quality standards.
2Reliability
If autonomous vehicles are taken offline for maintenance, then vehicle reliability is improved, but fleet productivity is reduced due to downtime
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by proactively scheduling maintenance during predicted low-demand periods before service is urgently needed. The transportation management system monitors demand patterns and schedules vehicle servicing in advance during off-peak times, preventing service interruptions during high-demand periods while maintaining vehicle reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies dynamics by making maintenance scheduling flexible and adaptive to real-time demand conditions. The system dynamically adjusts maintenance schedules based on current and predicted ride demand, vehicle location, and service center availability, optimizing the balance between vehicle reliability and fleet productivity rather than using fixed maintenance intervals.
3Adaptability or versatility
If more service centers are established for autonomous vehicles, then service accessibility is improved, but operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service by allowing third-party service providers to autonomously manage their own capacity and pricing while the transportation management system handles the matching and coordination. Service providers independently optimize their resource utilization by accepting autonomous vehicle service requests alongside their existing conventional vehicle work, eliminating the need for the autonomous vehicle operator to establish and maintain dedicated service infrastructure.
Data Source
AI summary
In one or more embodiments, one or more systems, methods, and/or processes may determine that a first vehicle is unsafe to continue navigating to the drop-off location while the first vehicle is traveling en-route to transport one or more passengers to a drop-off location. Based on this determination, an intermediate area for the one or more passengers to be dropped off by the first vehicle and picked up by a second vehicle is determined. Instructions are then provided to the first vehicle to cause the first vehicle to navigate to the intermediate area. Further, instructions are provided to the second vehicle to navigate at least in proximity to the intermediate area to pick up the one or more passengers, and navigate to the drop-off location after picking up the one or more passengers.