Fuel Dispenser Slot Allocation for Peak-Time Congestion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fueling station users face challenges in finding available dispensers during peak times, leading to congestion and safety risks, and payment authorization occurs on-site, increasing wait times and traffic congestion.
Innovation Solution
A system that allows users to reserve a fuel dispenser via a client device based on location, availability, and configuration, using a unique code for unlocking at the allocated time, enabling pre-authorization and reducing on-site interactions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If users arrive at fueling station during peak times, then fueling demand increases, but dispenser availability decreases and congestion increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system allows users to pre-book fuel dispensers before arriving at the station. Users can select desired time slots and dispenser configurations through a remote interface, and the system reserves the selected dispenser for the user's arrival time. This preliminary reservation action ensures dispenser availability during peak times without reducing overall fueling throughput.
2Ease of operation
If users manually locate and maneuver to unoccupied dispensers, then on-site coordination is required, but wait time and congestion increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables users to independently complete fueling-related tasks remotely without requiring on-site coordination with attendants or other users. Users can book dispensers, select fuel types and quantities, authorize payments, and receive real-time notifications about their reservation status and arrival timing. This self-service capability eliminates on-site wait time and congestion while maintaining ease of operation.
3Extent of automation
If payment authorization occurs on-site at the fuel dispenser, then users must be present at the station, but traffic congestion and safety risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables users to authorize payments for their fuel purchases before arriving at the station. During the online booking process, users can select payment methods and pre-authorize the transaction. The system stores this authorization information and automatically processes the payment when the user arrives and uses the reserved dispenser. This preliminary payment authorization eliminates the need for on-site payment interactions, reducing traffic congestion and safety risks while increasing automation.
4Productivity
If multiple users attempt to access the same dispenser simultaneously, then resource contention occurs, but accident risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides real-time feedback to users about dispenser availability, reservation status, and expected wait times. The central server continuously monitors dispenser states and communicates this information to users through the interface. When a user books a dispenser, the system provides feedback confirming the reservation and notifying the user of the allocated time slot. This feedback mechanism coordinates user arrivals to match dispenser availability, maximizing utilization while preventing simultaneous access conflicts that could lead to accidents.
Data Source
AI summary
In one aspect, data characterizing fueling station user's location relative to a fueling station, a time slot of availability of a fuel dispenser at the fueling station, and a configuration of the fuel dispenser for fuel dispensing operations can be received. An arrival time of the fueling station user at the fueling station can be determined based on the location data. A selection prompt characterizing the fuel dispenser configuration data can be determined, and the selection prompt can include a field for specifying an operating parameter of the fuel dispenser. Selection data characterizing the operating parameter can be determined in response to an input of the operating parameter into the field. A fueling station allocation can be determined based on the arrival time, the time slot data, and the selection data. The fueling station allocation can be provided. Related apparatus, systems, methods, techniques, and articles are also described.