Smart Vehicle Seating Modules for Ride-Share Occupancy Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ride-sharing strategies fail to recognize and address issues related to sharing vehicles with multiple passengers traveling to different destinations, lack clear communication of reserved seating, and do not facilitate optimizing passenger logistics such as loading and unloading, nor accommodate passenger preferences for vehicle settings.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle sharing system with smart modules and a vehicle computing system (VCS) that uses BLUETOOTH Low Energy (BLE) modules to detect occupancy and passenger preferences, allowing for reserved seating, customized vehicle settings, and efficient passenger and luggage alignment, using triangulation and communication with a remote server for seamless ride-sharing experiences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If ride-sharing vehicles transport multiple passengers to different destinations, then vehicle utilization efficiency is improved, but passenger logistics management becomes complex and difficult to coordinate
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle interior is divided into multiple independently controllable seating zones, each with its own smart module. This segmentation allows the system to manage each seating location separately, tracking individual passenger destinations and preferences, thereby simplifying the coordination of multiple passengers heading to different locations.
Solution Approach 2:
Passengers interact with the system through their own mobile devices, inputting their destinations and preferences. The system automatically processes this information, assigns seating locations, and coordinates pick-up/drop-off sequences without requiring manual intervention from drivers or dispatchers, reducing logistics management complexity.
2Ease of operation
If reserved seating locations are implemented for ride-sharing passengers, then passenger convenience and preference accommodation are improved, but system complexity for tracking and managing seating assignments increases
Solution Approach 1:
The smart modules serve multiple functions: they detect occupancy status, communicate with the VCS, control visual indicators, and manage seating reservations. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate systems for each task, thereby managing complexity while providing comprehensive seating management and passenger convenience features.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors occupancy status through smart modules and provides real-time feedback to both the VCS and passengers via mobile devices. This feedback mechanism enables dynamic adjustment of seating assignments and ensures passengers are informed of their reserved locations, improving convenience while maintaining manageable system complexity through automated tracking.
3Loss of information
If visual indicators and smart modules are installed at each seating location, then passenger guidance and seating reservation communication are improved, but vehicle manufacturing cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Visual indicators use color changes (e.g., LED lights in different colors) to communicate seating reservation status and guide passengers to their assigned locations. This simple optical signaling method effectively transmits information without requiring complex displays or interfaces at each seating location, reducing manufacturing complexity while improving communication.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses inexpensive components such as LED visual indicators and BLE transceivers at each seating location. These low-cost elements effectively communicate seating information and occupancy status without requiring expensive or complex hardware, thereby reducing overall vehicle manufacturing complexity and cost.
4Productivity
If real-time occupancy detection and communication systems are implemented, then passenger pick-up and drop-off coordination is improved, but energy consumption and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The smart modules perform occupancy detection and communication at periodic intervals rather than continuously. This approach maintains real-time coordination capability while significantly reducing energy consumption compared to constant monitoring and transmission, as the system only actively communicates when occupancy status changes or when pick-up/drop-off events are anticipated.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle sharing system includes a vehicle having interior transceiver modules associated with different passenger seating areas and a vehicle computing system (VCS) including a processor and a memory in communication with the modules and programmed to detect occupancy status of each seating area based on signals from the modules and to communicate the occupancy statuses to a remote server to facilitate scheduling of ride-sharing passengers for a specified seating area of the vehicle. The reserved seating location may be used to align the seating location/door with a passenger during pick-up, adjust vehicle accessory settings associated with the reserved seating location, and activate a visual indicator to direct the passenger to the assigned/reserved seating location.