Shared Mobility Dock Sensing for Accurate Vehicle Location
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shared personal mobility (SPM) management systems face challenges in accurately determining the location of SPMs due to GPS signal interference from skyscrapers and GPS dead zones, leading to difficulties in managing and verifying the presence of SPMs, which affects user accessibility and operational efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing docks equipped with proximity sensors and a low power wide area (LPWA) communication protocol to transmit sensor information to an SPM management server, enabling real-time location updates and corrections using a crawling scheme or API, ensuring accurate location tracking of SPMs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If GPS-based location determination is used for SPM tracking, then location information can be obtained, but accuracy deteriorates in urban areas with skyscrapers and GPS dead zones
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dock-based sensors as an intermediary system to verify SPM locations. When an SPM is returned to a dock, the dock's sensors detect the SPM's presence and transmit its actual location to the server, correcting any GPS errors. This intermediary verification mechanism resolves the contradiction by providing accurate location data even when GPS signals are interfered with by skyscrapers or dead zones.
2Ease of operation
If dock-less SPM service is provided allowing return at any place, then user accessibility improves, but management difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-service mechanism where docks automatically detect when an SPM is returned using onboard sensors, and the system automatically updates the SPM's location and availability status. This eliminates the need for manual verification by operators, allowing users to return SPMs anywhere while maintaining efficient automated management, thus resolving the contradiction between user accessibility and management complexity.
3Ease of operation
If SPM is left unattended for long period in dock-less service, then user convenience improves, but verification difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where docks continuously monitor SPM presence and transmit status updates to the server. When an SPM is left unattended at a dock, the system receives feedback about its location and status, enabling automatic verification without requiring user action. This resolves the contradiction by providing automated verification capability that maintains user convenience while eliminating verification difficulties.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are a system and method for managing a shared personal mobility device (SPM) capable of acquiring accurate location information of the SPM. The system for managing the SPM may include a dock configured to store SPMs, and an SPM management server configured to receive, from the dock and using an LPWA protocol, state information associated with the doc. The state information may include coordinates of the dock. The SPM management server may be further configured to receive location information associated with a returned SPM, and update, based on the coordinates of the dock, the location information associated with the returned SPM.