Vehicle Delivery Interface Using Sensor-Based Task Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing delivery guidance and assistance systems rely on mobile devices, which suffer from poor battery life, limited information conveyance on small screens, and excessive cognitive load on delivery personnel, making them inefficient for last-mile delivery tasks.
Innovation Solution
A multi-screen package delivery guidance and assistance system is implemented in vehicles, using sensors to determine the current delivery task and presenting optimized graphical user interfaces on integrated display units, reducing the need for manual interactions and improving navigation, route planning, and package retrieval processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If mobile devices are used for delivery guidance systems, then portability is improved, but information conveyance capability deteriorates due to small screens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple display devices (mobile device, vehicle head unit, and additional display screens) into an integrated delivery guidance system. The mobile device communicates with the vehicle's head unit via wireless connection, allowing delivery instructions, navigation, and package information to be displayed across multiple screens simultaneously, thereby overcoming the limited display area of mobile devices while maintaining portability.
2Ease of operation
If mobile devices are used for delivery guidance systems, then portability is improved, but battery life deteriorates due to continuous operation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the mobile device's processing capabilities with the vehicle's power supply and display resources. The mobile device acts as a communication bridge while the vehicle's head unit and additional displays handle the computationally intensive tasks of displaying delivery information, navigation maps, and package details, thereby reducing the mobile device's energy consumption while maintaining its portable role.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile device serves as an intermediary between the delivery management system and the vehicle's display system. It receives delivery data via wireless connection and transmits it to the vehicle's head unit, which then displays the information on larger screens. This intermediary role allows the mobile device to remain portable while offloading the energy-intensive display functions to the vehicle's powered systems.
3Adaptability or versatility
If delivery personnel manually manage logistics applications on mobile devices, then flexibility is improved, but cognitive load increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements automated state detection and interface adaptation. Sensors in the delivery vehicle automatically detect the driver's state (driving, parked, delivering) and the system autonomously adjusts the displayed information and controls accordingly. This self-service capability reduces the cognitive load on delivery personnel by eliminating the need for them to manually manage application states while maintaining flexible adaptation to different delivery scenarios.
Solution Approach 2:
The graphical user interface dynamically adapts its content and layout based on the detected vehicle state and delivery context. During driving, the system displays simplified navigation instructions; when parked or during delivery, it presents detailed package information and delivery instructions. This dynamic adaptation maintains flexibility in handling different delivery situations while reducing cognitive load by presenting only relevant information at each stage.
4Device complexity
If standardized interfaces are used across all delivery scenarios, then device complexity is reduced, but task-specific optimization deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a standardized base interface that dynamically transforms into task-specific optimized interfaces based on detected states. The core communication protocol and data structures remain standardized, but the displayed graphical user interface automatically adapts to show driving-optimized navigation views, parking-optimized location selection views, or delivery-optimized package handling views. This dynamic specialization maintains interface standardization while achieving task-specific optimization for different delivery phases.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the interface are optimized for different tasks while maintaining overall system standardization. The navigation portion uses standardized map data but displays driving-direction-specific information; the package management portion uses standardized data structures but presents delivery-specific details. This local quality approach allows each interface segment to be optimized for its specific function while the system as a whole maintains standardized architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, devices, and methods are provided for package delivery guidance and assistance. A vehicle may comprise one or more sensors. A processing unit of the vehicle may determine, based on vehicle data obtained from the one or more sensors, that the vehicle is in a first state, determine that the first state corresponds to a first sub-task of the plurality of sub-tasks, determine a first graphical interface for performance of the first sub-task, present the first graphical interface on a first display screen of the at vehicle, responsive to additional vehicle data obtained from the one or more sensors indicating that the vehicle is in a second state: determine that the second state corresponds to a second sub-task of the plurality of sub-tasks, and update the first display screen with a second graphical interface that is for performance of the second sub-task.