Portable Computing Device On-Demand Service Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current on-demand services, such as fleet management systems for taxis and limousines, lack communication with waiting customers and do not effectively track individual fare information, relying on direct payment methods like credit cards or cash.
Innovation Solution
A system and method utilizing portable computing devices to enable users to request on-demand services through a simplified user interface, providing region-specific information on available services, estimated fees, and service providers, with the ability to select and confirm services via a mobile application.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If conventional fleet management systems use onboard metering devices and radios for dispatch, then service provisioning capability is maintained, but customer communication and fare tracking capabilities are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The portable computing device serves multiple functions: it acts as a service request interface, a communication device between customers and providers, a fare tracking system, and a payment processing terminal. By consolidating these functions into a single universal device, the system recovers lost information capabilities without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The portable computing device serves as an intermediary between customers, service providers, and the fleet management system. It captures customer requests, communicates provider availability, tracks fares in real-time, and facilitates payments, thereby recovering information that would otherwise be lost in conventional systems while distributing complexity across multiple components.
2Loss of information
If direct payment methods (cash or credit card) are used between customer and driver, then transaction simplicity is maintained, but service information tracking and communication capabilities are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the payment process with service information tracking by integrating payment processing functionality into the portable computing device that also tracks fares and service details. This combination enables automated payment based on tracked service information, recovering information capabilities while maintaining operational simplicity through automation.
Solution Approach 2:
The portable computing device enables self-service functionality where the system automatically tracks service information, calculates fares, and processes payments without requiring manual intervention. This allows the system to recover information tracking capabilities while maintaining ease of operation through automated processes that reduce user burden.
3Ease of operation
If portable computing devices are integrated into the on-demand service system, then customer communication and fare tracking capabilities are improved, but device complexity and implementation requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments functionality between the portable computing device and the fleet management system. The portable device handles customer interface, communication, and local fare tracking, while the fleet management system provides backend support. This segmentation improves customer communication capabilities while distributing implementation complexity across manageable components.
4Measurement precision
If real-time fare tracking and service information monitoring are implemented, then information accuracy is improved, but system complexity and data processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The portable computing device implements real-time feedback mechanisms where service information is continuously tracked, fare calculations are automatically updated based on tracked data, and payment amounts are dynamically adjusted. This feedback loop ensures high measurement precision for fare tracking while managing data processing complexity through automated algorithms that process information incrementally rather than requiring complex batch processing.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer system operable to communicate with each of a plurality of provider computing devices to obtain location information. The computer system can determine multiple types of dynamic values for a given geographic region by (i) receiving set of data from a computing device operated by a requester, the set of data indicating a current location of the requester, (ii) determining a first set of dynamic values based at least in part on location information communicated by multiple provider computing devices of the plurality of provider computing devices that are associated with a first service type, and (iii) determining a second set of dynamic values based at least in part on the current location of the requester and location information communicated by one or more of the multiple provider computing devices that are associated with the first service type. Each of the multiple types of dynamic values being associated with one of the multiple possible service types.