Umbrella Sharing Gate Device with Identification Sensor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional umbrella rental systems face issues such as lack of real-time monitoring of umbrella usage, inability to prevent repeated rentals with the same password, and inability to identify the user returning the umbrella, due to non-connected password locks and unchangeable passwords.
Innovation Solution
A semi-automatic umbrella sharing system featuring a gate device with a detection unit and identification sensor to monitor umbrella movement and identity in real-time, ensuring secure and efficient rental and return processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a non-replaceable password lock is used to secure umbrellas, then the locking function is simple and reliable, but the service provider cannot know when the lock is opened or closed, and cannot determine whether the umbrella has been returned
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies feedback by connecting the password lock to the service provider's system through communication modules. The lock status (opened/closed) is automatically transmitted to the service provider, enabling real-time monitoring of umbrella rental and return status without compromising the reliability of the locking function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the purely mechanical password lock with an electronic smart lock that incorporates communication capabilities. This substitution enables the lock to not only perform its mechanical locking function but also to transmit status information electronically to the service provider.
2Device complexity
If a password lock with unchangeable password is used, then the locking mechanism is simple, but the user can rent the umbrella repeatedly using the same password after it has been given to him or her
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the password changeable and dynamically updateable. The service provider can modify or reset passwords as needed, allowing the system to adapt to different rental scenarios and prevent unauthorized repeated rentals while maintaining simple lock hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by allowing automatic password management through the communication module. The service provider can remotely update passwords or authorize rentals without manual intervention at the lock itself, improving both security and operational efficiency.
3Device complexity
If traditional hardware facilities without identification capability are used, then the facility structure is simple, but the service provider is unable to identify the identity of the umbrella and cannot determine whether the user has returned the correct umbrella
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces simple mechanical identification (if any) with electronic identification systems such as RFID tags or barcode scanners. These systems can quickly and accurately identify umbrella identities and match them with rental records, preventing return errors while adding minimal structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary identification system (such as RFID tags on umbrellas and corresponding readers at the rental station) that mediates between the physical umbrella and the service provider's database. This intermediary enables automatic identification and verification without requiring complex manual checking procedures.
4Ease of manufacture
If manual password communication between user and service provider is used, then the system is simple to implement, but the service provider cannot instantly determine whether the umbrella has been returned
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements automatic feedback loops where the password lock and identification sensors continuously communicate with the service provider's system. When an umbrella is rented or returned, the status is instantly transmitted and recorded, eliminating the time delay associated with manual communication while keeping the overall system relatively simple to implement.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous monitoring and communication capabilities, ensuring that the service provider always has up-to-date information about umbrella status. This continuous action eliminates gaps in information availability that would otherwise require manual checking intervals.
Data Source
AI summary
The instant disclosure provides a gate device and an umbrella sharing system which utilizes the gate device. The gate device includes a base, an actuator, a pair of gate plates, and an identification sensor. The actuator is disposed on a top surface of the base and includes a latch extending downward through the base. The pair of gate plates are disposed on a bottom surface of the base, and each of the gate plates includes a guiding structure and a locking structure. A waiting zone for receiving an umbrella is defined between the two guiding structures. The latch of the actuator is driven to engage with the locking structures to limit the movement of the gate plates. The identification sensor is above the waiting zone and disposed on the base and is configured to identify the identity of an umbrella which enters the waiting zone. The umbrella sharing system includes a rail for receiving the umbrella and two gate devices disposed on an entrance end and an exit end of the rail to regulate the loading and the removal of the umbrella.