Wireless Beacons for Transportation Terminal User Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Transportation services often waste time and resources by stopping at terminals where no users are present, and users may miss services or wait unnecessarily due to inefficient communication about user presence and service availability.
Innovation Solution
Implementing wireless beacon devices at transportation terminals using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) or LTE Direct to detect user proximity and communicate with user devices, allowing transportation servers to alert services of user presence and needs, optimizing service pickup and resource allocation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If transportation services stop at every terminal within a route, then all potential users can be served, but valuable time is wasted stopping at terminals where no users are present
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by detecting user presence at terminals before the transportation service arrives. Wireless beacons at terminals detect user devices and send notifications to the transportation service, allowing the service to prepare for targeted stops rather than making all stops regardless of user presence.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback loops where wireless beacons continuously monitor for user presence and provide real-time information to the transportation service. This feedback enables dynamic adjustment of service stops based on actual user availability, resolving the contradiction between comprehensive coverage and time efficiency.
2Reliability
If transportation services wait for users to be physically present at the terminal, then users can be served, but users may miss the service while running up to the terminal
Solution Approach 1:
The wireless beacon system performs preliminary detection of user presence before the transportation service arrives. Users are detected via their devices communicating with beacons at the terminal, allowing the system to notify the transportation service in advance, so the service can arrive timely without users needing to be physically present beforehand.
3Ease of operation
If transportation services make frequent stops to pick up users, then user accessibility is improved, but resource utilization decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from wireless beacon detections to optimize service routing. By receiving real-time information about user presence at various terminals, the transportation service can dynamically adjust its route to make stops only where users are actually present, improving both accessibility and resource utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements dynamic service routing based on real-time user presence data. Rather than following a fixed schedule with predetermined stops, the transportation service can adapt its route and stopping pattern dynamically based on which terminals currently have waiting users, optimizing both accessibility and efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
There are provided systems and methods for wireless beacon devices for use in managing transportation service terminals. A user may travel with a device, such as a communication device, that includes a communication module that may utilize specialized hardware features to establish short range wireless communications with nearby wireless beacons. The wireless beacons may be established at or nearby transportation service terminals, such as bus/train stops. The beacon may provide the aforementioned communication services with the communication device and be utilized to determine whether the user will utilize a transportation service for the terminal. If the user wishes to utilize the transportation service, a transportation service may be alerted. The user may also be alerted of an expected time of arrival for the transportation service, other transportation services available at the transportation terminal, and/or of nearby transportation terminals.