Multi-purpose Property Capacity Management System

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for managing business premises utilization are inefficient, with high costs due to occupancy-based contracts, leading to low utilization rates (5-10%) and unnecessary environmental impacts, as premises are heated or cooled continuously regardless of use.

Innovation Solution

A method that dynamically adjusts the use of multi-purpose premises through convertible furnishings and a system that forecasts and optimizes booking parameters, allowing for secondary use of underutilized capacity by calculating statistical departure times and providing a user interface for efficient capacity management, including access control and incentives for optimal booking.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If occupancy-based contracts are used for premises, then revenue stability is improved, but utilization rate deteriorates (5-10%)

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverevenue stabilityVSAvoidutilization rate
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts premises allocation and pricing based on real-time utilization data, client behavior patterns, and forecasted demand. The capacity management system continuously optimizes booking parameters including pricing, availability, and allocation to maximize utilization while maintaining revenue stability through adaptive rather than static contracts.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements closed-loop feedback by tracking actual utilization rates, client departure times, and booking patterns. This data feeds back into the capacity management algorithm to continuously refine pricing strategies, allocation decisions, and utilization forecasts, enabling the system to learn from past performance and improve future utilization without compromising revenue reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Ease of operation

If premises are heated or cooled continuously to maintain occupancy, then comfort level is improved, but energy consumption deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomfort levelVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system transitions from continuous climate control to periodic or on-demand climate adjustment based on actual premises utilization. Climate systems are activated only during confirmed booking periods and deactivated during forecasted idle times, maintaining comfort for actual users while dramatically reducing energy consumption during unutilized periods through data-driven temporal control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically changes operational parameters of climate control systems based on utilization data. When premises are booked, climate parameters are set to comfortable levels; when premises are forecasted to be idle, parameters are adjusted to energy-saving modes or completely shut down, optimizing the balance between comfort provision and energy consumption through adaptive parameter control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Adaptability or versatility

If multi-purpose premises with convertible furnishings are implemented, then versatility is improved, but device complexity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemulti-purpose capabilityVSAvoidconvertible furnishings complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements multi-functionality at the software and coordination level rather than requiring complex physical transformations. A single premises configuration serves multiple purposes through intelligent allocation and booking management, where the same physical space is assigned to different client types and uses based on real-time demand, eliminating the need for elaborate convertible furnishings while achieving versatility through information management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates virtual copies of premises configurations through digital twins and booking simulations. Rather than physically transforming spaces, the system uses digital representations to model different use scenarios, allowing multiple virtual configurations of the same physical premises without requiring physical complexity, thereby achieving versatility through information rather than material transformation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

4Measurement precision

If capacity is managed per room with separate agreements, then control precision is improved, but administrative overhead deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecapacity management precisionVSAvoidadministrative overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system merges individual room management into a unified capacity management platform that handles multiple premises simultaneously. By consolidating booking, pricing, and allocation functions into a single integrated system, the platform maintains precise control over each individual room while dramatically reducing administrative overhead through automated processes and centralized coordination rather than separate manual agreements for each space.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements self-service capabilities that allow clients to autonomously manage their own bookings, preferences, and capacity allocations. Through automated capacity management algorithms and client-facing interfaces, the system performs what would traditionally require administrative intervention, enabling precise capacity control across multiple premises without proportional increases in administrative overhead through automation and client empowerment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP4361906A1Method for managing the utilisation capacity of a multi-purpose property
Publication Date: 2024.05.01 VALO GRP OY
  • EP4361906A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4361906A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4361906A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention relates to a method for managing the utilisation capacity of a multi-purpose property, the multi-purpose property comprising numerous bookable premises, the purpose of use of which can be changed according to need between use as accommodation premises, office work premises or meeting rooms. For managing the utilisation capacity, a system is provided by means of which is determined the booking and the booking parameters for each of the premises related to it for each moment of time, the booking parameters including the client, the client type, the booking type according to the allocated use, the starting and ending time of the booking, as well as recorded the actual time of departure, whereupon in the method is calculated a forecast of the secondary period of use which remains between the actual departure times and starting times of the bookings of different clients, which is released for booking for other than primary use. The invention also relates to furnishings suitable for the purpose.