Modular Parking Lot Media Canopy With EV Charging and Solar Power
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Commercial parking lots face challenges in providing enhanced customer experience, branding, and integration of renewable energy and EV charging solutions, leading to lost sales and inadequate utility management.
Innovation Solution
A fully integrated customer engagement platform that combines weather protection, renewable energy generation, energy storage, and EV charging capabilities, utilizing a modular design with digital screens for communication and customizable advertising, integrated into a concrete parking lot substrate with solar photovoltaic canopies and EV charging stations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If curbside pickup is implemented in commercial parking lots, then ecommerce activities are enabled, but customer communication access and enhanced customer experience are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into a single integrated customer engagement platform that merges communication devices, digital signage, EV charging stations, and weather protection structures. This consolidation enables ecommerce activities while simultaneously providing customer communication access, thereby resolving the contradiction between versatility and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The customer engagement platform is designed as a universal system that performs multiple functions including two-way communication, digital advertising, EV charging, and weather protection. This multi-functionality allows the system to support both ecommerce operations and customer interaction, eliminating the trade-off between these capabilities.
2Reliability
If traditional EV charging stations are installed in parking lots, then electric vehicle charging is provided, but design flexibility and physical footprint for expansion are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The EV charging system is segmented into modular units that can be independently installed and configured within the customer engagement platform. Each charging station is a discrete module that can be added or removed without affecting the entire system, enabling flexible expansion and adaptation to different parking lot configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs dynamic, adjustable components including height-adjustable support structures and reconfigurable mounting mechanisms. These dynamic elements allow the EV charging stations to be positioned at various heights and locations, providing design flexibility and enabling future expansion without fixed physical constraints.
3Loss of energy
If solar photovoltaic canopies are integrated into the customer engagement platform, then renewable energy generation is increased, but device complexity and integration requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The solar photovoltaic canopy is merged with the customer engagement platform structure, serving dual purposes as both a protective cover and an energy generation system. The canopy is integrated with the support column and frame structures, eliminating the need for separate installations and reducing overall system complexity despite the added renewable energy capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The canopy structure is designed as a multi-functional element that provides weather protection, structural support for digital signage and communication devices, and solar energy generation. This universal design consolidates multiple functions into a single structure, reducing the net complexity increase from integrating renewable energy systems.
4Ease of operation
If a fully integrated customer engagement platform is deployed, then customer experience and branding are enhanced, but initial system complexity and installation requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The customer engagement platform is divided into modular, independently installable components including communication devices, digital signage, EV charging stations, and canopy structures. Each module can be installed and tested separately before being integrated into the complete system, managing installation complexity while delivering the full enhanced customer experience.
Solution Approach 2:
A central control system acts as an intermediary that coordinates communication between all platform components and provides unified management. This intermediary layer simplifies the integration complexity by providing a single point of control that manages the interactions between diverse subsystems, enabling the enhanced customer experience without proportionally increasing operational complexity.
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 customer experience, supports branding, increases renewable energy usage, and provides efficient energy management, reducing utility costs while enabling impulse sales and improved customer interaction.
Implementation Method 1
An upper surface of the first deck defines a mounting surface for solar photovoltaic modules that each receive energy from light rays and convert the energy from light rays into electricity.
Data Source
AI summary
A customer engagement platform assembly includes a base configured to be secured to a terrain, a support column fixedly secured to the base and extending outwardly therefrom. The assembly includes a frame removably secured to the mounting base and having a height extension section, a display mounting section removably secured to the height extension section, and a cover extending over the display mounting section. The display mounting section includes one or more audio video communication devices for communicating information therefrom. The assembly includes a bracket system in fixed relation to the support column and extending through the frame. The audio video communication device is removably secured to the bracket system.