Real-time Seat Occupancy Management via Mobile Self-Service

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current ticket collection processes in passenger vehicles are manual and inefficient, leading to errors and inconveniences for both ticket collectors and passengers, as they require repeated checks and lack real-time tracking of seat occupancy and payment status.

Innovation Solution

A system that uses a computing device to receive and display seat occupancy details, retrieve and update seating charts, and alert both passengers and ticket collectors about payment status, seat changes, and missed stops, utilizing NFC tags and mobile devices for real-time data transmission and visualization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If manual ticket checking is used, then ticket collectors can verify passenger tickets, but the process is time-consuming and requires repeated checks

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveticket checking efficiencyVSAvoidwait time for ticket checking

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by having passengers self-report their seat occupancy and payment status through mobile devices before the ticket collector arrives. This pre-collection of data eliminates the need for manual ticket verification during the ride, significantly reducing wait times and improving checking efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Passengers use their own mobile devices to automatically report their seat occupancy and payment status, eliminating the need for ticket collectors to manually verify tickets. This self-service approach allows passengers to complete the verification process independently, freeing up ticket collectors for other tasks and reducing overall processing time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If ticket collectors manually check each passenger's ticket, then payment verification is possible, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepayment verification accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical manual ticket checking process with an automated electronic system. Mobile devices communicate with the central server to automatically verify payment status and seat occupancy, eliminating the need for physical ticket inspection and reducing system complexity despite the automated infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements continuous feedback loops where mobile devices automatically report seat occupancy and payment status to the central server, which then provides real-time updates to ticket collectors. This automated feedback mechanism ensures accurate payment verification without requiring complex manual verification procedures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Productivity

If real-time seat occupancy tracking is implemented, then operational efficiency improves, but data processing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperational efficiencyVSAvoiddata processing volume

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts only the essential data elements needed for operational efficiency - specifically seat occupancy status and payment verification - from the broader set of possible passenger data. By focusing on these critical parameters and excluding unnecessary information, the system achieves real-time tracking capability while minimizing data processing volume.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Ease of operation

If manual ticket checking is used, then passengers can be served, but customer service quality deteriorates due to repeated interruptions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepassenger convenienceVSAvoidpassenger wait time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS11321641B2Managing seat occupancy details of one or more passengers

Publication Date: 2022.05.03 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION

AI summary

A computer-implemented method for managing seat occupancy details of one or more passengers. The method includes receiving seat occupancy details of the one or more passengers associated with one or more seats, wherein the received seat occupancy details of the one or more passengers includes destination information of the one or more passengers. The method further includes retrieving a seating chart for a transit venue from a database, updating the seating chart for the transit venue based on the seat occupancy details of the one or more passengers, and displaying the seating chart, together with the seat occupancy details of the one or more passengers, on a computing device. The received seat occupancy details of the one or more passengers may be depicted on the seating chart by use of one or more distinct visualizations associated with the one or more seats.