Time-Bound Wireless Linkages for Automated Facility Scheduling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional scheduling tools for reservable physical facilities fail to efficiently find appropriate locations, integrate with automated mapping, track attendance, and manage access infrastructure, leading to suboptimal reservation experiences.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing time-bound logical linkages between wireless location anchors and finders in a built physical environment to automate reservation events, enabling wireless mapping, attendance tracking, and access control of reservable facilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If conventional scheduling tools are used for reserving physical facilities, then basic reservation functionality is provided, but automated location finding, mapping integration, attendance tracking, and access control are not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple previously separate functions (scheduling, location finding, mapping, attendance tracking, and access control) into a single integrated system. The scheduling tool now automatically coordinates with wireless location anchors, mapping services, access control infrastructure, and attendance tracking mechanisms through a unified backend computational environment, eliminating the need for separate manual processes for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The scheduling system has been transformed into a multi-functional platform that not only reserves facilities but also provides automated location finding, generates dynamic maps, tracks attendee presence, and manages physical access controls. This universal system handles diverse operational tasks through a single interface and backend processing environment.
2Productivity
If manual location finding and facility selection are used, then users can reserve facilities, but the process is time-consuming and inefficient in finding the most appropriate locations
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-establishes wireless location anchors at various facility locations and pre-configures the backend computational environment with facility data and capabilities. When a user initiates a reservation, the system immediately queries available facilities matching criteria and generates optimized routing paths, eliminating the need for users to manually search and compare locations during the reservation moment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides real-time feedback to users about facility availability, characteristics, and optimal routing. The backend computational environment continuously monitors facility status and uses this feedback to dynamically update reservation options and generate accurate, time-sensitive routing information, enabling users to make informed decisions quickly.
3Ease of operation
If no automated mapping integration is provided, then scheduling is simple, but users lack assistance in finding the correct location at the correct time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a backend computational environment as an intermediary between the scheduling system and mapping infrastructure. This intermediary processes scheduling requests, determines optimal routes, and generates dynamic maps that guide users to facilities. The mapping integration is transparent to users, who simply receive turn-by-turn directions without needing to understand the underlying complex coordination between scheduling and navigation systems.
4Reliability
If no automated access control integration is provided, then reservation management is simpler, but physical access to reserved facilities cannot be automatically controlled
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-configures access control permissions for each reserved facility and time slot. When a reservation is made, the backend computational environment automatically provisions access credentials and configures physical access control systems in advance, ensuring that authorized users can seamlessly access their reserved facilities without manual intervention at the point of entry.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are described for scheduling reservable physical facilities (RPFs) based on time-bound logical linkages (TBLLs) between wireless location anchors (WLAs) and wireless location finders (WLFs) in a built physical environment (BPE). A reservation event is generated for a selected event RPF of the BPE, identifying an invitee, start time, etc. Based on the reservation event, embodiments identify a WLA as having a respective physical location corresponding to a selected event RPF, a WLF as integrated into a client CE determined to have an association with the event invitee, and an event window based on the event start time. One or more TBLL entries are generated, accordingly, to define a logical linkage between the identified WLA and the identified WLF to be active during the event window. Embodiments can perform several automated features based on the stored TBLL entries during the event window.