Ride-sharing seat allocation using sensor data and preferences
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Solution Overview
Problem
In ride-sharing systems, passengers often do not get their preferred seats, leading to discomfort and potential cancellations, which can result in lost business for cab service providers due to inadequate seat allocation methods.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that allocates seats to passengers in ride-sharing systems by using real-time vehicle status and position information, historical travel data, and sensor data to select preferred seat types and set optimal fares, allowing passengers to choose their seats and fare options through a user interface, while also maximizing bookings and reducing vehicle occupancy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If ride-sharing is implemented to reduce the number of cabs and CO2 emissions, then environmental impact is reduced, but passengers may not get their preferred seats leading to discomfort and cancellations
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary seat allocation before the passenger boards the vehicle. By detecting vehicle status and sensor data in advance, the system pre-assigns seats to passengers based on their preferences and vehicle availability, ensuring preferred seats are reserved before the passenger arrives, thus maintaining comfort while enabling ride-sharing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses sensor data from seats (occupancy detection, passenger presence) to provide real-time feedback about vehicle status. This feedback loop allows the system to dynamically adjust seat allocations and notify passengers of their assigned seats, ensuring they get their preferred seats while coordinating multiple passengers in the ride-sharing arrangement.
2Device complexity
If simple first-come-first-served seat allocation is used, then system complexity is low, but passenger experience is degraded and cancellations increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables passengers to self-select their preferred seats through a user interface that displays available seats based on real-time vehicle status. Passengers can choose their own seats from the available options, and the system automatically confirms the allocation, reducing complexity while improving reliability and passenger satisfaction.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary detection of vehicle status and sensor data to determine seat availability before presenting options to passengers. This preliminary action allows the system to pre-calculate optimal seat allocations and present confirmed assignments to passengers, ensuring reliable booking fulfillment without complex manual coordination.
3Measurement precision
If real-time vehicle status and sensor data are used for seat allocation, then seat allocation accuracy is improved, but system complexity and data processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces manual seat allocation processes with automated electronic detection using sensors in the vehicle. These sensors automatically detect seat occupancy and vehicle status, substituting mechanical/manual operations with electronic sensing and digital data processing, thereby improving accuracy while managing complexity through automation.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor system in the vehicle serves multiple functions: detecting seat occupancy, identifying passenger presence, and providing real-time vehicle status information. This multi-functional sensing approach improves measurement precision for seat allocation while reducing the need for separate specialized systems, thereby managing overall system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and a system for allocating seats in a vehicle for a share-ride in a ride-sharing system are provided. The vehicle is detected in a geographical area and includes one or more seats that are available for the share-ride. A share-ride fare for each available seat is determined based on a defined fare range associated with each available seat. The one or more seats of the vehicle are allocated to one or more passengers based on preferences of the one or more passengers for one or more seat types. The preferences of each passenger are determined based on at least historical travel data or a real-time booking request.