Mobile Apparatus Dynamic Stand-by Positioning for Service Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile apparatuses that provide services like printing by autonomously traveling within a predetermined space face significant delays when users are distant from their home charging position, leading to prolonged waiting times and decreased service quality.
Innovation Solution
A mobile apparatus that determines a priority stand-by position based on user locations within the service provision area, allowing it to travel directly to users and optimize its route to minimize total traveling time, thereby reducing delays and improving service quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the mobile apparatus returns to a fixed home position and stands by for charging, then the apparatus can maintain power supply reliability, but the traveling time to reach distant users increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the stand-by position flexible rather than fixed. The mobile apparatus dynamically changes its stand-by position based on user locations and service requests. Multiple stand-by positions are established throughout the service area, allowing the apparatus to remain stationary at the most convenient location for current users while maintaining charging capability through periodic returns to the home position.
Solution Approach 2:
The service area is segmented into multiple stand-by positions distributed throughout the space. Instead of having a single home position, the system divides the area into zones with designated stand-by points, reducing the average distance to users and minimizing traveling time while maintaining reliable power supply through coordinated charging cycles.
2Device complexity
If the mobile apparatus stands by at a fixed home position, then the system structure is simple, but the service quality deteriorates due to long waiting times
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a static fixed stand-by position to a dynamic multi-position stand-by system. The mobile apparatus can select from multiple predetermined stand-by positions based on real-time user locations and service requests, improving service quality by reducing travel time while maintaining manageable system complexity through automated position selection algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple stand-by positions are predetermined and established in advance throughout the service area. This preliminary arrangement of positions allows the apparatus to quickly respond to service requests without complex real-time calculations, balancing system simplicity with improved service quality through pre-planned optimal locations.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the mobile apparatus travels to multiple user locations, then the service coverage is improved, but the total traveling time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The service area is divided into multiple zones with dedicated stand-by positions. By segmenting the service area and assigning specific stand-by positions to different zones, the apparatus can serve multiple users efficiently by remaining at appropriate stand-by positions rather than traveling between locations, thus improving service coverage while minimizing total traveling time.
Solution Approach 2:
The apparatus dynamically selects which stand-by position to occupy based on the distribution of users and service requests. This dynamic position selection allows the system to adapt to varying service patterns, providing broad service coverage across multiple locations while reducing the need for extensive traveling between users.
Data Source
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AI summary
A mobile apparatus travels within a predetermined service provision area and, in response to receiving an instruction to provide a service from at least one user present in the service provision area, travels to the user to provide the service to the user. The mobile apparatus moves to a priority stand-by position which is determined based on a location of the at least one user from a plurality of stand-by positions provided within the service provision area and waits for the instruction to provide a service.