Portable Electronic Identifier for Interactive Facility Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing paper tickets with magnetic stripes used in facilities like parking garages are limited in data storage, restricting the amount of information they can provide to users and vendors, making it difficult to offer enhanced information about facilities and services.
Innovation Solution
A portable electronic device configured as an electronic identifier that displays an interactive graphical facility map, utilizing wireless communication to provide real-time location data and targeted advertising to users, enhancing their experience and allowing vendors to deliver custom information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If paper tickets with magnetic stripes are used, then the system is simple and easy to manufacture, but the data storage capacity is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the physical magnetic stripe with an electronic copy stored on a portable device. The electronic identifier contains all the information from the magnetic stripe plus additional facility information, vendor offerings, and services. This copying approach allows unlimited information storage while maintaining the ticketing function.
Solution Approach 2:
The portable electronic device serves multiple functions: it acts as the ticket identifier, provides navigation through facility maps, displays vendor information, and communicates location data. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require multiple separate systems into a single device, managing complexity while expanding capabilities.
2Adaptability or versatility
If electronic identifiers with interactive maps are implemented, then information delivery capability is enhanced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The portable electronic device is designed to perform multiple functions including displaying interactive facility maps, providing turn-by-turn navigation, showing vendor information, and tracking location. By using an existing multi-functional device rather than building a specialized system, the patent achieves high adaptability while managing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The facility server acts as an intermediary that generates and updates the facility map data, which is then transmitted to portable devices. This mediator approach allows the complex map generation and update logic to be centralized on the server, keeping the portable device relatively simple while still providing sophisticated information delivery capabilities.
3Ease of operation
If real-time location tracking is implemented, then user navigation experience is improved, but data communication requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous feedback loops where the portable device transmits location data to the facility server, which then updates the facility map and provides turn-by-turn navigation instructions back to the device. This feedback mechanism enables real-time navigation assistance, improving ease of operation while managing communication complexity through automated server-side processing.
Data Source
AI summary
A portable electronic device configured to function as an electronic identifier in a facility and to display an interactive graphical facility map of the facility, a facility mapping and visitor tracking system, and a set of facility mapping and visitor tracking processes are disclosed.