Method, apparatus and computer program for enabling transactions using digital attributes

Abstract

A method, apparatus and computer program, the method comprising: selecting a transaction entity for a mobile entity, wherein a digital attribute account is associated with the mobile entity; and allocating one or more items of digital attributes from the digital attribute account associated with the mobile entity to the selected transaction entity, so that the allocated items can be used only for transactions between the mobile entity and the selected transaction entity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Examples of the present disclosure relate to methods, apparatus, and computer programs for enabling transactions using digital attributes. In particular, they relate to methods, apparatus, and computer programs for enabling transactions using digital attributes between mobile entities and trading stations. Background Art

[0002] Digital attributes (such as digital currency or digital certificates) enable transactions between two or more entities. For example, digital currency enables value to be digitally transferred between two or more entities. Digital certificates can enable signatures or other identification methods to be transferred between different entities.

[0003] Such transactions may involve a verification process that may take several minutes. This may be particularly problematic for mobile entities, which may need to wait until the transaction is verified before being disconnected from the transacting entity. Summary of the invention

[0004] According to various but not all examples of the present disclosure, a method is provided, including: selecting a transaction entity for a mobile entity, wherein a digital attribute account is associated with the mobile entity; and assigning one or more items of digital attributes from the digital attribute account associated with the mobile entity to the selected transaction entity, so that the assigned items can only be used for transactions between the mobile entity and the selected transaction entity.

[0005] The allocated item may include an amount of digital currency, and this amount of digital currency enables a micropayment to be made between the mobile entity and the selected transaction entity so that the transaction can be completed and the mobile entity can disconnect from the selected transaction entity before the network database is updated.

[0006] The method may include maintaining a record of micropayments and enabling at least a portion of the record to be provided to the digital currency network after the mobile entity has disconnected from the transacting entity.

[0007] One or more items of digital attributes may be temporarily assigned to selected transaction entities.

[0008] The method may include updating the selected transaction entity by selecting an additional transaction entity and revoking one or more items of the digital attribute associated with the selected transaction entity and reallocating the one or more items of the digital attribute to the additional transaction entity.

[0009] The transaction entity may be selected based on at least one of: a predicted route of the mobile entity, a current location of the mobile entity, a commodity and / or service requirement of the mobile entity, and availability of commodities and / or services at the transaction entity. The current location of the mobile entity may be obtained using at least one of: one or more location sensors on the mobile entity, one or more observations from an external observation entity.

[0010] The mobile entity may include an identification component that enables the mobile entity and a digital attribute account associated with the mobile entity to be identified.

[0011] The method may include restricting transactions from a digital attribute account associated with a mobile entity such that one or more items of digital attributes assigned to a selected transaction entity cannot be used at any other transaction entity.

[0012] According to various but not all examples of the present disclosure, a device is provided, comprising: a component for selecting a transaction entity for a mobile entity, wherein a digital attribute account is associated with the mobile entity; and a component for allocating one or more items of digital attributes from the digital attribute account associated with the mobile entity to the selected transaction entity, so that the allocated items can be used only for transactions between the mobile entity and the selected transaction entity.

[0013] According to various but not all examples of the present disclosure, there is provided an apparatus comprising means for performing any of the aforementioned methods.

[0014] According to various but not all examples of the present disclosure, there is provided a device comprising a processing circuit system; and a memory circuit system comprising a computer program code, wherein the memory circuit system and the computer program code are configured to, together with the processing circuit system, enable the device to: select a transaction entity for a mobile entity, wherein a digital attribute account is associated with the mobile entity; and assign one or more items of digital attributes from the digital attribute account associated with the mobile entity to the selected transaction entity, so that the assigned items can be used only for transactions between the mobile entity and the selected transaction entity.

[0015] According to various but not all examples of the present disclosure, there is provided an apparatus comprising a processing circuit system; and a memory circuit system comprising a computer program code, wherein the memory circuit system and the computer program code are configured to, together with the processing circuit system, enable the apparatus to perform any of the aforementioned methods.

[0016] According to various but not all examples of the present disclosure, a computer program is provided, which includes computer program instructions that, when executed by a processing circuit system, enable: selecting a transaction entity for a mobile entity, wherein a digital attribute account is associated with the mobile entity; and allocating one or more items of digital attributes from the digital attribute account associated with the mobile entity to the selected transaction entity, so that the allocated items can be used only for transactions between the mobile entity and the selected transaction entity.

[0017] According to various but not all examples of the present disclosure, a method is provided, including: receiving a request for a transaction from a mobile entity at a transaction entity; determining whether the mobile entity has a digital attribute account, the digital attribute account including one or more items of digital attributes assigned to the transaction entity; if it is determined that the mobile entity has a digital attribute account assigned to the transaction entity, using one or more items of digital attributes assigned to the transaction entity to enable one or more transactions between the mobile entity and the transaction entity.

[0018] The method may comprise enabling the network database to be updated after the mobile entity has been disconnected from the transaction entity.

[0019] According to various but not all examples of the present disclosure, a device is provided, comprising: a component for receiving a request for a transaction from a mobile entity at a transaction entity; a component for determining whether the mobile entity has a digital attribute account, the digital attribute account including one or more items of digital attributes assigned to the transaction entity; and if it is determined that the mobile entity has a digital attribute account assigned to the transaction entity, a component for enabling one or more transactions between the mobile entity and the transaction entity using the one or more items of digital attributes assigned to the transaction entity.

[0020] According to various but not all examples of the present disclosure, there is provided a device comprising a processing circuit system; and a memory circuit system comprising a computer program code, wherein the memory circuit system and the computer program code are configured to, together with the processing circuit system, enable the device to: receive a request for a transaction from a mobile entity at a transaction entity; determine whether the mobile entity has a digital attribute account, the digital attribute account comprising one or more items of digital attributes assigned to the transaction entity; and, if it is determined that the mobile entity has a digital attribute account assigned to the transaction entity, enable one or more transactions between the mobile entity and the transaction entity using the one or more items of digital attributes assigned to the transaction entity.

[0021] According to various but not all examples of the present disclosure, a computer program is provided, which includes computer program instructions that, when executed by a processing circuit system, enable: receiving a request for a transaction from a mobile entity at a transaction entity; determining whether the mobile entity has a digital attribute account, the digital attribute account including one or more items of digital attributes assigned to the transaction entity; and if it is determined that the mobile entity has a digital attribute account assigned to the transaction entity, using one or more items of digital attributes assigned to the transaction entity to enable one or more transactions between the mobile entity and the transaction entity.

[0022] According to various but not all examples of the present disclosure, a method is provided, comprising: maintaining a database of digital attribute accounts, wherein at least one digital attribute account is associated with a mobile entity; maintaining a record of one or more items of digital attributes allocated between the mobile entity and a selected transaction entity, so that the allocated one or more items of digital attributes can only be used for transactions conducted by the mobile entity at the selected transaction entity.

[0023] According to various but not all examples of the present disclosure, a device is provided, comprising: a component for maintaining a database of digital attribute accounts, wherein at least one digital attribute account is associated with a mobile entity; a component for maintaining a record of one or more items of digital attributes allocated between the mobile entity and a selected transaction entity, so that the allocated one or more items of digital attributes can be used only for transactions conducted by the mobile entity at the selected transaction entity.

[0024] According to various but not all examples of the present disclosure, a device is provided, including a processing circuit system; and a memory circuit system including computer program code, wherein the memory circuit system and the computer program code are configured to, together with the processing circuit system, enable the device to: maintain a database of digital attribute accounts, wherein at least one digital attribute account is associated with a mobile entity; maintain a record of one or more items of digital attributes allocated between the mobile entity and a selected transaction entity, so that the allocated one or more items of digital attributes can only be used for transactions conducted by the mobile entity at the selected transaction entity.

[0025] According to various but not all examples of the present disclosure, a computer program is provided, which includes computer program instructions that, when executed by a processing circuit system, enable: maintaining a database of digital attribute accounts, wherein at least one digital attribute account is associated with a mobile entity; maintaining a record of one or more items of digital attributes allocated between the mobile entity and a selected transaction entity, so that the allocated one or more items of digital attributes can be used only for transactions conducted by the mobile entity at the selected transaction entity. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] In order to better understand various examples that may aid in understanding the specific embodiments, reference is now made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0027] Figure 1 An example device is shown;

[0028] Figure 2 An example system is shown;

[0029] Figure 3 An example method that may be implemented by an apparatus of a mobile entity is shown;

[0030] Figure 4 An example method that may be implemented by an apparatus of a trading station is shown;

[0031] Figure 5 An example method that may be implemented by an apparatus of a network device is shown;

[0032] Figure 6 Another example method is shown;

[0033] 7A to 7E An example of the method used is shown; and

[0034] Figure 8 Another example method that may be used to enable a vehicle to be refueled is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The accompanying drawings illustrate an apparatus 1, a method, and a computer program that use digital attributes to enable transactions between a mobile entity 23 and a transaction entity 25 (such as a transaction station 25). The method involves a selected transaction entity 25, where the mobile entity 23 can conduct transactions. For example, the transaction entity 25 can be selected based on the predicted route and / or location of the mobile entity 23. Then, a number of digital attributes associated with the mobile entity 23 is assigned to the transaction entity 25. Since the number of digital attributes is pre-assigned, this can enable one or more transactions to be conducted between the mobile entity 23 and the selected transaction entity 25. A record of the one or more transactions can be stored locally at the mobile entity 23 and / or the selected transaction entity 25. Then, the record can be provided to the digital attribute network 27 so that the network database 30 can be updated. This can enable the update of the network database 30 to occur after the mobile entity 23 has been disconnected from the transaction entity 25, so that the mobile entity 23 does not need to wait for the network to verify the transaction before disconnecting. For example, the mobile entity 23 may be able to leave the transaction entity 25 and continue the journey before the network has verified the transaction. This provides a faster and more efficient system for enabling digital attribute transactions for mobile entities 23.

[0036] Figure 1 An apparatus 1 according to an example of the present disclosure is schematically shown. Figure 1 The device 1 shown may be a chip or a chipset. In some examples, the device 1 may be provided within a mobile entity 23. The mobile entity 23 may be a vehicle, an electronic device provided within a vehicle, or an electronic device that may be carried by a user. In some examples, the device 1 may be provided within a transaction entity 25 (such as a transaction station 25 and / or a network device 29). Figure 2 An example of a mobile entity 23, a transaction station 25 and a network device 29 is shown in FIG.

[0037] The apparatus 1 comprises a control circuit system 3. The control circuit system 3 may also provide means for performing at least part of the method or one or more methods of the examples of the present disclosure.

[0038] The apparatus 1 comprises a processing circuit system 5 and a memory circuit system 7. The processing circuit system 5 may be configured to read from and write to the memory circuit system 7. The processing circuit system 5 may comprise one or more processors. The processing circuit system 5 may also comprise an output interface via which data and / or commands are output by the processing circuit system 5 and an input interface via which data and / or commands are input to the processing circuit system 5.

[0039] The memory circuit 7 may be configured to store one or more computer programs 9 comprising computer program instructions (computer program code 11) which, when loaded into the processing circuit system 5, control the operation of the apparatus 1. The computer program instructions of the computer program 9 provide for enabling the apparatus 1 to perform Figures 3 to 6 as well as Figure 8 The logic and routines of the example methods shown. By reading the memory circuitry 7 , the processing circuitry 5 is able to load and execute the computer program 9 .

[0040] The computer program 9 may arrive at the apparatus 1 via any suitable delivery mechanism. The delivery mechanism may be, for example, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, a computer program product, a memory device, a recording medium (such as a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or a digital versatile disc (DVD)), or an article of manufacture that tangibly embodies the computer program. The delivery mechanism may be a signal configured to reliably transmit the computer program 9. The apparatus may propagate or transmit the computer program 9 as a computer data signal. In some examples, the computer program code 11 may be transmitted to the apparatus 1 using a wireless protocol such as Bluetooth, Bluetooth low energy, Bluetooth Smart, 6LoWPan (IPv6 for low power personal area networks), ZigBee, ANT+, near field communication (NFC), radio frequency identification (RFID), wireless local area network (wireless LAN), or any other suitable protocol.

[0041] Although the memory circuitry 7 is shown in the figures as a single component, it will be appreciated that it may be implemented as one or more separate components, some or all of which may be integrated / removable and / or may provide permanent / semi-permanent / dynamic / cached storage.

[0042] Although processing circuitry 5 is shown in the figures as a single component, it will be appreciated that it may be implemented as one or more separate components, some or all of which may be integrated / removable.

[0043] References to "computer-readable storage medium," "computer program product," "tangibly embodied computer program," etc., or "controller," "computer," "processor," etc., should be understood to cover not only computers having different architectures such as single / multi-processor architectures, Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC), and sequential (von Neumann) / parallel architectures, but also special purpose circuits such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), signal processing devices, and other processing circuit systems. References to computer programs, instructions, code, etc., should be understood to cover software for a programmable processor or firmware, such as, for example, the programmable content of a hardware device, whether instructions for a processor, or configuration settings for a fixed function device, gate array, or programmable logic device, etc.

[0044] The term "circuitry" as used in this application refers to all of the following:

[0045] (a) pure hardware circuit implementation (such as implementation in analog and / or digital circuitry only) and

[0046] (b) a combination of circuitry and software (and / or firmware), such as (as applicable): (i) a combination of processor(s), or (ii) portions of processor(s) / software (including digital signal processor(s), software, and memory(s) that work together to enable a device such as a mobile phone or server to perform various functions) and

[0047] Circuitry, such as microprocessor(s) or portion(s) of microprocessor(s), that requires software or firmware to operate even if the software or firmware does not actually exist.

[0048] This definition of “circuitry” applies to all uses of this term in this application, including in any claims. As another example, as used in this application, the term “circuitry” would also cover an implementation of only a processor (or multiple processors) or a portion of a processor and its accompanying software and / or firmware. The term “circuitry” would also cover, for example, a baseband integrated circuit or an application processor integrated circuit for a mobile phone or a similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, or other network device, if applicable to the particular claim element.

[0049] Figure 2 A system 21 that can be used to implement examples of the present disclosure is schematically shown. Figure 2 In the example of , system 21 includes a mobile entity 23 , one or more transaction entities 25 , and a network 27 including one or more network devices 29 .

[0050] System 21 may be a digital property system, such as a digital currency system or part of a digital currency system. A digital currency system may include any currency system that enables value to be digitally transferred between two or more entities. A digital currency may be a cryptocurrency, such as a virtual currency, or any other suitable currency.

[0051] The mobile entity 23 comprises an apparatus 1 comprising a memory circuitry 7 and a processing circuitry 5 as described above. Figure 2 In the example of FIG. 2 , the mobile entity 23 further includes a position sensor 20 , an identification component 22 , and a transceiver circuit system 24 .

[0052] Mobile entity 23 may include any entity that can be moved between different trading stations 25 and may have a digital currency account associated with it. Mobile entity 23 may move freely through a geographic area. In some examples, mobile entity 23 may include a vehicle. In some examples, the vehicle may be an autonomous vehicle and / or a car-sharing vehicle. This enables the vehicle to conduct one or more transactions without the user or vehicle owner being involved in the one or more transactions. For example, the user or owner does not have to be in the vehicle or establish a network connection with the vehicle. Other types of vehicles may be used in other examples of the present disclosure. Device 1 may be provided at any suitable location within the vehicle.

[0053] In some examples, the mobile entity 23 may be a person. In this case, the apparatus 1 may be provided in an electronic device that may be carried or worn by a user. For example, the apparatus 1 may be provided in a personal electronic device (such as a mobile phone) that may be carried by a user, or may be provided in an identification device (such as a tag) that may be attached to a user or the user's clothing.

[0054] The mobile entity 23 is associated with a digital currency account. The association with the digital currency account enables the mobile entity 23 to conduct transactions using digital currency that does not exceed the value of the digital currency stored in the account. The digital account may store information indicating the value of the digital currency available to the mobile entity 23. The information stored in the digital currency account may be encrypted so that the information can only be accessed by authorized mobile entities 23 and / or authorized users.

[0055] exist Figure 2 In the example of , the mobile entity 23 includes a wallet 18. The wallet 18 may be stored in the memory circuitry 7 of the apparatus 1. The wallet 18 may include an amount of digital currency from a digital currency account that can be used for transactions.

[0056] exist Figure 2 In the example of , the mobile entity 23 also includes a position sensor 20. The position sensor 20 can be arranged to read from and write to the processing circuit system 5. The position sensor 20 can enable the use of a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) (e.g., a global positioning system such as GPS) to determine the location of the mobile entity 23, such as a geographic location. Alternatively or in addition, a local wireless network such as a WLAN, a Bluetooth transmitter, an indoor positioning system such as a high-precision indoor positioning system, or any combination thereof can be used to determine the positioning. In some examples, a cellular communication network, or any other suitable network, can be used to determine the positioning. Information indicating the location of the mobile entity 23 can be stored in the memory circuit system 7 and / or provided to and stored in the memory circuit system 7 of other devices within the system 21 (such as one or more network devices 29 and one or more transaction entities 25).

[0057] The mobile entity 23 also includes an identification and / or authentication component 22. The identification component 22 may include a method of enabling the mobile entity 23 to be securely identified and / or authenticated to enable transactions with the transaction entity 25 using digital currency. In some examples, the identification component 22 may include a readable code, such as a license plate on a vehicle or a barcode or QR code on a personal electronic device. These codes may be read by a scanner or any other suitable device of the observing entity. In other examples, the identification component 22 may include an RFID tag or any other machine-readable device.

[0058] In some examples, the identification component 22 may also be used to enable the location of the mobile entity 23 to be determined. For example, the identification component 22 may be read by an observing entity. The observing entity may be a fixed entity, such as a trading station 25 having a fixed geographic location. In such a case, the location of the mobile entity 23 may be determined as the location of the trading station 25. In some examples, the observing entity may include one or more other mobile entities 23 that may have a known geographic location. This may enable multiple entities to be used for verifying the location of the mobile entity 23, and may prevent the use of incorrect or fraudulent location information within the digital currency network 27.

[0059] The mobile entity also includes transceiver circuitry 24. Transceiver circuitry 24 may be arranged to interact with processing circuitry 5 to enable processing circuitry 5 to control transceiver circuitry 24. Transceiver circuitry 24 may include any components that enable mobile entity 23 to communicate with one or more transaction stations 25 and one or more network devices 29 within network 27. Transceiver circuitry 24 may enable wireless communications. Transceiver circuitry 24 may enable long-range wireless communications and / or short-range communications via any suitable protocol.

[0060] exist Figure 2 In the example system 21 of FIG. 1 , one mobile entity 23 is shown. It should be understood that in other examples of the present disclosure, the system 21 may include multiple mobile entities 23.

[0061] The system 21 also includes a plurality of transaction entities 25. Figure 2 In the example system of FIG. 21 , three transaction entities 25 are shown. It should be understood that other numbers of transaction entities 25 may be provided in other systems 21 .

[0062] The transaction entity 25 may include any entity that enables the mobile entity 23 to exchange digital currency in exchange for goods and / or services. The transaction entity 25 may be geographically distributed so that the mobile entity 23 can move between the transaction entities 25. The transaction entity 25 may be a transaction station that can be used by a vehicle, such as a gas station that enables a vehicle to be refueled in exchange for digital currency, a toll station that enables a vehicle to communicate in exchange for digital currency, a parking meter that enables a vehicle to park in exchange for digital currency, or any other suitable station. In other examples, the transaction entity 25 may be a transaction entity 25 that can be used by a user carrying or wearing the mobile entity 23. For example, the transaction entity 25 may be a store or cafe that enables a user to exchange digital currency for food and / or drinks. It may be used by a runner or any other suitable user so that they only need to carry the mobile entity 23 when traveling to purchase goods and services.

[0063] The transaction entity 25 may include the apparatus 1 as described above. Figure 2 In some examples, the transaction entity 25 may also include a transceiver circuit system 24, which may be controlled by the processing circuit system 5 to enable the transaction entity 25 to communicate with the mobile entity 23 and / or one or more network devices 29 within the digital currency network 27. In some examples, the transceiver circuit system 24 may enable the transaction entity 25 to communicate with the mobile entity 23 via the digital currency network. In some examples, the transceiver circuit system 24 may enable the transaction entity 25 to communicate directly with the mobile entity 23.

[0064] The transaction entity 25 is also associated with a digital currency account, which enables the transaction entity 25 to use digital currency polarity and receive payments. The digital currency account can be updated every time a transaction is made. Figure 2 In the example of , a transaction record 26 is stored in the memory circuit system 7 of the transaction entity 25. This record 26 can then be provided to the digital currency network 27 to enable the network database 30 to be updated. The record 26 can be provided at predetermined intervals. After one or more micropayments have been made, the record 26 can be provided to the network 27.

[0065] The record 26 may also include information indicating a mobile entity 23 having an amount of digital currency allocated to the transaction entity 25. The record may include an identification of the mobile entity 23 and an indication of the amount of digital currency allocated to the transaction entity 25. The transaction entity 25 may accept micropayments from the mobile entity 23, up to the value of the amount that has been allocated to the transaction entity 25. The micropayment may enable the mobile entity 23 to disconnect from the transaction entity 25 and leave the transaction entity 25 before the transaction has been added to the network database 30 and / or verified by the network. The transaction entity 25 may be arranged to prevent micropayments from exceeding the value allocated to the transaction entity 25, thereby preventing fraudulent use and double spending of digital currency.

[0066] The digital currency network 27 may include any network that enables the exchange of digital currency between the mobile entity 23 and the transaction entity 25. The digital currency network 27 may include one or more network devices 29. Figure 2 Only one network device 29 is shown in FIG. 1 , but any number of network devices 29 may be provided in other examples of the present disclosure. The network device 27 may be remote from the mobile entity 23 and the transaction entity 25 .

[0067] The network device 29 also includes an apparatus 1 which may include processing circuitry 5 and memory circuitry 7 as described above. The network device 29 also includes transceiver circuitry 24 which interfaces with the processing circuitry 5 to enable the processing circuitry 5 to control the transceiver circuitry 24.

[0068] The network device 29 may cause a network database 30 to be maintained. The network database 30 may include a record of all transactions that have occurred between the mobile entity 23 and the transaction entity 25, and an amount of digital currency available in an account associated with the mobile entity 23 and the transaction entity 25. The network database 30, or at least a portion of the network database 30, may be stored in the memory circuitry 7 of the network device 29.

[0069] The network database 30 may be a distributed database in which different portions of the database are stored in the memory circuitry 7 of different network devices 7. Different portions of the network database 30 may be time stamped and may include links to other portions of the network database 30. A peer-to-peer architecture may be used to manage the distributed database. This may provide a secure database that does not require centralized storage of data. In some examples, the network database 30 may include a network ledger, such as a blockchain, or any other suitable type of database.

[0070] In the example of the present disclosure, the network device 29 also enables a record 32 of the transaction entity 25 and an amount of digital currency allocated from the mobile entity 23 to be maintained. This can be used in the example of the present disclosure to enable fast transactions between the mobile entity 23 and the transaction entity 25 and to prevent double spending of digital currency. The record 32 can be stored in the memory circuit system 7 of the network device 29 and can be updated in response to communications from the mobile entity 23 and the transaction entity 25.

[0071] exist Figure 2 In the example of the present disclosure, the system 21 is a digital currency system that enables value to be digitally exchanged between a mobile entity 23 and a transaction entity 25. It should be understood that other types of digital attribute systems may be used in other examples of the present disclosure. For example, the digital attribute may include a digital certification that enables authentication and verification of the mobile entity 23 by the transaction entity 25.

[0072] Figure 3 An example method is shown which may be at least partly implemented by the apparatus 1 of the mobile entity 23 .

[0073] The method includes, at block 31, selecting a transaction entity 25 for a mobile entity 23, wherein a digital attribute account is associated with the mobile entity 23. The digital attribute account may be a digital currency account, a digital authentication account, or any other suitable type of account.

[0074] The selected transaction entity 25 may be a transaction entity 25 with which it is estimated that the mobile entity 23 wants to conduct transactions.

[0075] In some examples, the transaction entity 25 may be selected in response to a triggering event. The triggering event may be a parameter of the mobile entity 23 falling below a threshold level. For example, the triggering event may include a fuel level or a battery storage level of the mobile entity 23 falling below a threshold. In other examples, the triggering event may include the mobile entity 23 entering a geographic area or any other suitable triggering event or combination thereof. After the triggering event has been detected, the transaction entity 25 may be automatically selected without any input from the user of the mobile entity 23.

[0076] Additionally or alternatively, in some examples, a transaction station 25 may be selected in response to a user input. The user input may be made via a user interface of the mobile entity 23. For example, a user of the mobile entity 23 may decide that they wish to purchase goods or services and may make a user input to request a transaction entity 25 that provides such goods and services to be selected.

[0077] Any suitable process may be used to select the transaction entity 25. The transaction entity 25 may be selected from a set of available transaction entities 25 as the transaction entity 25 that best meets the needs of the mobile entity 23. The processing circuit system 7 may analyze the needs of the mobile entity 23 and compare these needs with the available transaction entities 25 to select the best matching transaction entity 25 for the mobile entity 23.

[0078] Any suitable factors and / or combinations of factors may be used to select a transaction entity 25 for a mobile entity 23. In some examples, a transaction entity 25 may be selected based on a predicted route of the mobile entity 23. For example, entities 25 along a route traveled by the mobile entity 23 may be identified. Then, a transaction entity 25 that the mobile entity 23 is most likely to use may be selected from the subset of identified transaction entities 25.

[0079] Additionally or alternatively, in some examples, the transaction entity 25 may be selected based on the current location of the mobile entity 23. For example, the location of the mobile entity 23 may be determined using a location sensor 20 or any other suitable means. Then, the transaction entity 25 that is closest to the mobile entity 23 during a given time period may be selected.

[0080] Additionally or alternatively, in some examples, the goods and / or service requirements of the mobile entity 23 may be used to select the transaction entity 25. For example, where the mobile entity 23 is a vehicle, the vehicle's fuel level may be monitored and the transaction entity 25 may be selected based on the distance the vehicle can travel before requiring refueling.

[0081] Additionally or alternatively, in some examples, the availability of goods and / or services at a trading station 25 may be used to select a trading station 25. For example, where the mobile entity is a vehicle, the vehicle may require a parking space. The availability of parking locations within the vehicle area may be used to find the best location for parking the vehicle and the corresponding trading station 25.

[0082] Once the transaction station 25 has been selected, at box 33, the method includes allocating one or more items of digital attributes from a digital attribute account associated with the mobile entity 23 to the transaction entity 25. In the case where the digital attribute account is a digital currency account, the one or more items of digital attributes may include an amount of digital currency. In the case where the digital attribute account is a digital authentication account, the one or more items may include a verification method such as a certificate.

[0083] When one or more items of digital attributes are allocated to a transaction entity 25, the allocated items are locked to the transaction entity 25 so that the allocated items can only be used for transactions between the mobile entity 23 and the selected transaction entity 25. This enables the mobile entity 23 to use unallocated items for other transactions with other transaction entities 25, but prevents the mobile entity 23 from using the allocated items. In the case where the digital attributes include digital currency, this prevents double spending and fraudulent use of the digital currency.

[0084] In the case where the digital attribute includes digital currency, the digital currency of the allocated amount enables small payments between the mobile entity 23 and the transaction entity 25. Small payments can be transactions that occur directly between the mobile entity 23 and the transaction entity 25 without passing through the digital currency network 27. Only after completing one or more small payments, the network database 30 can be updated. Records of small payment transactions can be stored locally in the memory circuit system 7 of the mobile entity 23 and / or the transaction entity 25, and can be provided to the digital currency network 27 for verification after the transaction between the mobile entity 23 and the transaction entity 25 has been completed. This can enable the mobile entity 23 to disconnect from the transaction entity 25 and / or leave the area associated with the transaction entity 25 before the network database 30 is updated. The area associated with the transaction entity 25 can include the area where the transaction entity 25 is located and some surrounding areas. This enables faster transactions between the transaction entity 25 and the mobile entity 23.

[0085] The allocation of one or more items of digital attributes to a transaction entity 25 may be temporary. The one or more items of digital attributes may be allocated to a transaction entity 25 for a predefined time period, or may be allocated for a time period that the mobile entity 23 is within a specific area associated with the transaction entity 25. Once the time period has expired or the mobile entity 23 has left the specific area, the one or more items of digital attributes may be revoked from the selected transaction entity 25. This may unlock the one or more items of digital attributes so that the mobile station 23 may then use the one or more items of digital attributes at any available transaction entity 25.

[0086] In some examples, an amount of digital currency may be reallocated to a new transaction entity 25. The reallocation of different transaction entities 25 may be performed automatically without any specific user input. The new transaction entity 25 may be selected using the same process as used to select the original transaction entity 25. For example, it may be determined that the mobile entity 23 has changed its route or has passed through the selected transaction entity 25 or has left the area associated with the transaction entity 25. In such a case, one or more items of digital attributes associated with the mobile entity 23 may be reallocated to the new transaction entity 25. Alternatively or additionally, in some examples, if it is determined that one or more items of digital attributes have not been used at the selected transaction entity 25 within a given time period, the new transaction entity 25 may be selected for the mobile entity 23. Alternatively or additionally, in some examples, if it is determined that one or more items of digital attributes have not been used at the selected transaction entity 25 within a given time period, the new transaction entity 25 may be selected for the mobile entity 23. Alternatively or additionally, in some cases, it may be determined that the mobile entity 23 has passed through the transaction entity 25 without conducting a transaction. In this case, one or more items of digital attributes associated with the selected transaction entity 25 may be revoked and reallocated to a new transaction entity 25 .

[0087] In some examples of the present disclosure, Figure 3 The method may be implemented by the control circuit system 3 of the apparatus 1 of the mobile entity 23. In other examples, different parts of the method may be performed by different parts of the system 21. For example, one or more network devices 29 may be used to identify and select an available trading station 25, and then notify the mobile entity 23 of the selected trading station 25.

[0088] Figure 4 An example method that may be implemented by the apparatus 1 of the transaction station 25 is shown.

[0089] At block 41, the method includes receiving a request for a transaction from a mobile entity 23 at a transaction station 25. The request may be received in response to a user input, for example, a user of a mobile input may make a user input indicating that the user wishes to purchase goods and / or services. In other examples, the request may be automatically issued without any input from the user. For example, the request may be received in response to detecting that the mobile entity 23 is located at a transaction entity 25 or in an area associated with a transaction entity 25, or in response to any other suitable triggering event or combination thereof.

[0090] At box 43, the method includes determining, by the transaction entity 25, whether the mobile entity 23 that issued the request has a digital attribute account assigned to the transaction entity 25. In addition, the transaction entity 25 may check the record 26 to determine whether the digital attribute account includes one or more items of the digital attribute assigned to the transaction entity 25. In some examples, the record 26 may be stored in the memory circuit system 7 of the transaction entity 25. In this case, the transaction entity 25 may determine that the mobile device entity 23 has a digital attribute account assigned to the transaction entity 25, and may further determine that the digital attribute account includes one or more items of the digital attribute without having to access the digital attribute network 27. In other examples, the transaction entity 25 may access the network device 27 to check the record 32 stored at the network device 29.

[0091] If it is determined that the mobile entity 23 has a digital attribute account assigned to the transaction entity 25, then at block 45, one or more transactions between the mobile entity 23 and the transaction entity 25 using one or more assigned items of digital attributes are enabled. Where the digital attribute comprises digital currency, the transaction may comprise one or more micropayments.

[0092] The transaction record may be stored locally in the memory circuitry 7 of the mobile entity 23 and / or the transaction entity 25, and may be provided to the digital currency network 27 and the network database 30 for verification after the transaction between the mobile entity 23 and the transaction entity 25 has been completed. This may enable the network database 30 to be updated after the mobile entity 23 has been disconnected from the transaction entity 25. Once the mobile entity 23 has been disconnected from the transaction entity 25, the mobile entity 23 may leave the area associated with the transaction entity 25.

[0093] Figure 5 An example method that may be implemented by the apparatus 1 of the network device 29 is shown.

[0094] The method includes, at block 51, maintaining a database 30 of one or more digital attribute accounts. At least one digital attribute account is associated with a mobile entity 23. At least one digital attribute account is associated with a transaction entity 25. At least one identical digital currency account is associated with a mobile entity 23 and one or more transaction entities 25. The database 30 may include information about items of digital attributes available in each account. For example, where the digital attributes include digital currencies, the database 30 may include information about an amount of digital currencies available in each account.

[0095] After each transaction has been completed, the database 30 may be updated. The database 30 may be encrypted so that it can only be accessed by authorized entities.

[0096] At box 53, the method includes maintaining a record 32 of at least one digital attribute account and one or more items of digital attributes that have been allocated between the mobile entity 23 and the selected transaction entity 25. In the event that the digital attribute includes digital currency, the record 32 may include information indicating the amount of digital currency allocated between the mobile entity 23 and the selected transaction entity 25. In some examples, the transaction entity 25 may be selected by the network device 29. In other examples, the transaction entity 25 may be selected by the mobile entity 23, and the mobile entity 23 may then send a communication to the network device 29 indicating the selected transaction entity 25. In addition, the selection of the transaction entity 25 may be updated based on the location of the mobile entity 23.

[0097] Once the network device 29 has information indicating the selected transaction entity 25 and mobile entity 23 and at least one digital attribute account and one or more items of digital attributes to be allocated, the network device 29 updates the record 32. The network device 29 can then control the transfer of the digital attribute so that the allocated one or more items of digital attributes can be used only at the selected transaction entity 25. In some examples, the network device 27 can be configured to prevent the allocated one or more items of digital attributes from being spent at a different transaction entity 25 when they are allocated to the selected transaction entity 25.

[0098] The network device 29 may be arranged to update the record 32 each time a transaction is completed or if a new transacting entity 25 is selected.

[0099] In some examples, the network device 29 may be arranged to enable the transaction entity 25 to access the record 32 and determine whether at least one digital attribute account and one or more items of digital attributes have been assigned to the transaction entity 25. In addition, the network device 29 may be arranged to enable one or more transaction entities 25 to access the record 32 and determine whether at least one digital currency account and / or an amount of digital currency have been assigned to the one or more transaction entities 25.

[0100] Figure 6 Another example method that may be used to allocate digital currency in an account associated with a vehicle (such as a digital currency account) to a transaction entity 25 is shown. Figure 6 In the example of , the vehicle is a car such as an autonomous vehicle. Other types of vehicles may be used in other examples of the present disclosure. The system 21 described above may be used to implement Figure 6 method.

[0101] At block 61, the car requests a currency lock by allocating an amount of digital currency on the account to the transaction entity 25. Block 61 may be optional and may be omitted in other implementations. In other examples, a currency lock may be automatically initiated by determining that a triggering event has occurred. The triggering event may be the car's fuel level falling below a threshold, or any other suitable event as previously described.

[0102] At box 63, location data for the car is collected from one or more sources. In some examples, a single source may be used to determine the location of the car. For example, the car may include a location sensor 20 that can provide accurate and reliable information indicating the location of the car. In other examples, location data may be collected from multiple sources as previously described. For example, multiple observation entities may be arranged to identify the car and provide information indicating the current location of the car. At box 65, the collected location data is used to calculate the most statistically likely location of the car, such as the next location.

[0103] At box 67, the method includes locating the nearest transaction entity 25 to the car. The nearest transaction entity 25 may be the transaction entity 25 with the smallest radial distance from the car's location. Additionally or alternatively, the direction the car is facing may be considered so that the nearest transaction entity 25 is the nearest transaction entity 25 in the direction the car is traveling. Additionally or alternatively, when determining the nearest transaction entity 25 in the direction the car is traveling, the speed at which the car is traveling may be considered. It should be understood that additionally or alternatively, other criteria for selecting a transaction entity 25 may be used in other examples of the present disclosure as previously described.

[0104] At block 69, at least one digital currency account and / or a number of digital currency accounts are assigned to the selected transaction entity 25 so that the account and / or currency is locked to the transaction entity 25 and cannot be spent at other transaction entities 25. Once the account and / or currency is locked, the record 26, 32 indicating the locked account and / or currency can be updated. The record can be stored at the network device 29 and / or the transaction entity 25.

[0105] Figures 7A to 7E An example of the above method in use is shown. Figures 7A to 7EIn the example of , the mobile entity 23 is a vehicle 77 that requires goods and / or services. For example, the vehicle 77 may require refueling, battery charging, cleaning, oil change, tire change or replacement, and / or any goods and / or services, or any combination thereof. In this example, the transaction entity 25 includes a gas station, a battery charging station, and / or a repair station. Other types of mobile entities 23 (e.g., mobile communication devices) may be used in other examples of the present disclosure. Alternatively or additionally, other types of transaction entities 25 (such as toll booths or parking meters) may be used in other examples of the present disclosure. Alternatively or additionally, other goods and / or services, such as toll road payment or parking payment, may be used in other examples of the present disclosure.

[0106] exist Fig. 7A In FIG. 7 , vehicle 77 travels in the direction indicated by arrow 75. Fig. 7A As shown in FIG. 1 , a vehicle 77 has a digital currency account that can be shared between one or more transaction entities 25. An amount of currency from an account associated with the vehicle 77 is locked to a first transaction entity 25A, i.e., the selected transaction entity 25A. The first transaction entity 25A is the transaction entity 25 that is currently closest to the vehicle 77. An amount of digital currency can be locked to a geographic area so that the amount of currency can only be spent when the vehicle 77 is within the geographic area and connected to the first transaction entity 25. The geographic area is defined by Fig. 7A The first transaction entity 25A is included in the geographical area 73 .

[0107] exist Figure 7B In , the vehicle 77 is moving away from the first transaction entity 25. Figure 7B In the example, a number of digital currencies are still allocated to the first transaction entity 25A. However, this allocation is now disadvantageous to the vehicle 77 because it prevents the allocated number of digital currencies from being spent at another transaction entity 25.

[0108] exist Figure 7B In , the new position of the vehicle 77 is used to select a new transaction entity 25. Figure 7B In the embodiment of the present invention, the new position of the vehicle 77 can be calculated using the position data and / or direction data provided from other vehicles 71. The position data and / or direction data can be provided in a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) manner. Using the position and / or direction data obtained from other vehicles 71 can provide more accurate position data and can make fraudulent position data more difficult to use. Additionally or alternatively, the new position can be calculated using the position and / or direction data provided by any other technology as previously described.

[0109] exist Figure 7B, the next transaction entity 25 is identified. The next transaction entity 25B is the nearest station in the direction of travel of the vehicle 77. The next transaction entity 25B may be identified by one or more network devices 29 or by the vehicle 77. The geographical area where the next transaction entity 25B is located is determined by Figure 7B The area 79 in the figure is indicated.

[0110] exist Figure 7C , the next transaction entity 25B has been selected and an amount of digital currency is allocated to the transaction entity 25B, as shown in the gray area 73.

[0111] exist Fig.7D In the process, vehicle 77 moves past transaction entity 25B again. Figure 7B and 7C The process described in 25C causes the digital currency to be distributed to the next transaction entity.

[0112] exist Fig. 7E In the example, vehicle 77 moves to transaction entity 25C and obtains fuel. The fuel is paid for using the allocated amount of digital currency. The fuel can be paid for using one or more micropayments.

[0113] Figure 8 Another example method that may be used to enable a vehicle to be refueled is shown. Figure 8 In the example of , the vehicle is a car and the transaction entity 25 is a gas station. Other types of vehicles or mobile entities 23 and transaction entities 25 can be used in other examples of the present disclosure.

[0114] At box 81, the car has arrived at the transaction entity 25 and requested to refuel. The refueling request can be automatically issued, for example, it can be issued in response to determining that the car is at a refueling location. In other examples, the refueling request can be issued in response to user input at the vehicle.

[0115] In response to the refueling request, at block 83, the transaction entity 25 checks whether the car has a digital currency account and / or an amount of digital currency assigned to the transaction entity 25. Figure 8 In the example of , a shared digital currency account can be provided between the car and one or more transaction entities 25. Each of the transaction entities 25 can have a unique service identifier. The unique service identifier enables the transaction entity 25 to identify the transaction entity 25 to which the digital currency account and / or digital currency is assigned.

[0116] If it is determined that the digital currency account and / or an amount of digital currency is assigned to a different transaction entity 25 , then at block 85 , the transaction entity 25 rejects the car and prevents the transaction from proceeding.

[0117] If it is determined that the digital currency account and / or an amount of digital currency is assigned to the current transaction entity 25, the transaction entity 25 continues the transaction. At box 87, the transaction entity 25 and the car reach an agreement on the terms of the transaction. The terms of the transaction may include fuel ratio, refueling speed, amount of fuel to be transferred, or any other terms or conditions, or any combination thereof. In the example where the car is an electric car, the terms of the transaction may include electricity price, charging speed, charging voltage and current rate, current type, power rate, amount of electricity to be transferred, or any other terms or conditions, or any combination thereof. In the case of a hybrid car, the terms of all the above transactions may be included.

[0118] Once the car and the transaction entity 25 have agreed to the terms of the transaction, they initiate the exchange of fuel and / or electricity and payment via digital currency according to the agreed terms and conditions. In some examples, they can initiate the exchange of fuel and / or electricity and payment via digital currency at substantially the same time.

[0119] At box 91, it is determined whether the car or the transaction entity 25 has violated any terms or conditions of the agreement. If it is determined that any terms and conditions have been violated, the exchange is terminated at box 93. If it is determined that no violation has occurred, the transaction will continue until the agreed amount of fuel and / or electricity has been provided to the car.

[0120] The transaction may include one or more small payments. As described above, one or more small payments and a determination as to whether the car or transaction entity 25 has violated any terms or conditions of the agreement enable the transaction to be terminated. This may be useful in situations where the transaction entity 25 and / or the vehicle is unreliable or untrustworthy. For example, the transaction entity 25 may be someone's private electric vehicle charging point, which may not be as safe and reliable as a commercial refueling point. In such an example, the allocation of an amount of digital currency ensures that the vehicle has sufficient funds to pay for the requested fuel.

[0121] Additionally, during a transaction, one or more micropayments may include a micropayment made by the vehicle in exchange for a small amount of fuel. The transaction entity 25 and the vehicle may record the micropayments locally without transmitting each micropayment to the network 27. This may enable transactions to be completed more quickly.

[0122] As an example, during refueling, the vehicle may sign the first transaction Tx1

[0123] Tx1={pay(TO: FuelStation_ID, from: SHARED_FUEL_ACCOUNT_ID),

[0124] MICRO_AMOUNT_1, TIMESTAMP()}[CAR_SIGNATURE]

[0125] FuelStation_ID is the unique identifier of the trading entity 25

[0126] SHARED_FUEL_ACCOUNT_ID is a unique identifier of a digital currency account shared by the car and the transaction entity 25 .

[0127] MICRO_AMOUNT_1 is the first micropayment for the first batch of fuel;

[0128] TIMESTAMP() is the time when the transaction was generated

[0129] CAR_SIGNATURE is the car's unique signature that verifies the micropayment.

[0130] In such an example, a timestamp (TIMESTAMP()) may be used to link multiple small payments together into an indisputable order agreed upon by the vehicle and the transaction entity 25.

[0131] The transaction station 25 receives Tx1. The transaction station 25 does not transmit Tx1 to the network 27, but maintains a local record of the transaction 26. After the first transaction, the vehicle signs a second transaction Tx2 to continue the exchange.

[0132] Tx2={pay(TO: FuelStation_ID, from: SHARED_FUEL_ACCOUNT_ID),

[0133] MICRO_AMOUNT_1+MICRO_AMOUNT_2, TIMESTAMP()}[CAT_SIGNATURE]

[0134] The second transaction Tx2 is similar to the first transaction Tx1, but the payment in the second transaction Tx2 is the cumulative amount so far.

[0135] In this example, both the vehicle and the transaction entity 25 have the latest transaction, so that both the vehicle and / or the transaction entity 25 can transmit the latest transaction to the digital currency network 27 for verification and addition to the transaction block.

[0136] When the fuel exchange is complete, the vehicle and / or the transaction entity 25 broadcasts the final transaction onto the digital currency network 27. Since both the vehicle and the transaction entity 25 can transmit the final transaction, this can prevent either entity from attempting to claim an incorrect value for the digital currency. For example, the amount that the vehicle may be requesting to transfer can be checked against the amount that the transaction entity 25 reports has been transferred.

[0137] In this document, the term "comprising" is used in an inclusive rather than exclusive sense. That is, any reference to X including Y means that X may include only one Y or may include more than one Y. If the exclusive meaning of "comprising" is intended, it will be clear from the context by referring to "including only one..." or by using "consisting of..."

[0138] In this brief description, reference has been made to various examples. The description of the features or functions of an example indicates that those features or functions are present in the example. Whether explicitly stated or not, the use of the term "example" or "for example" or "may" in this article indicates that such features or functions are present at least in the described example, whether or not described as an example, and they may but not necessarily be present in some or all other examples. Therefore, "example", "for example" or "may" refers to a specific instance in a class of examples. The attributes of an instance may be attributes of only the instance, or attributes of a class, or attributes of a subclass of the class, which class includes some but not all instances in the class. Therefore, it is implicitly disclosed that the features described with reference to one example rather than with reference to another example can be used in the other example where possible, but not necessarily in the other example.

[0139] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in the preceding paragraphs with reference to various examples, it should be appreciated that modifications to the examples given can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed.

[0140] Features described in the preceding description may be used in combinations other than the combinations explicitly described.

[0141] Although functions have been described with reference to certain features, those functions may be performable by other features whether described or not.

[0142] Although features have been described with reference to certain embodiments, those features may also be present in other embodiments whether described or not.

[0143] Although an effort has been made to draw attention in the foregoing description to features of the present invention considered to be of particular importance, it will be understood that the applicants claim protection for any patentable feature or combination of features referenced above and / or shown in the accompanying drawings whether or not specifically emphasized therein.

Claims

1. A method for use in a vehicle, comprising: selecting, by one or more processors of the vehicle, a first transaction entity from among one or more transaction entities for the vehicle in response to a first triggering event, wherein the first triggering event comprises: detecting that the vehicle has entered a geographic area associated with a predicted route of the vehicle and the one or more transaction entities; and detecting that a fuel level or a battery storage level of the vehicle is below a threshold; and pre-allocating one or more items of digital attributes from a digital attribute account associated with the vehicle to the selected first transaction entity before the vehicle arrives at the selected first transaction entity, wherein the one or more items of digital attributes are locked to the selected first transaction entity and cannot be used at other transaction entities; selecting, by the one or more processors, a second transaction entity from among the one or more new transaction entities for the vehicle in response to a second triggering event, wherein the second triggering event comprises: detecting that the vehicle has left the geographic area and entered a new geographic area associated with the predicted route of the vehicle and the one or more new transaction entities; Based on the detection, the one or more items of the digital attribute allocated to the first transaction entity are revoked, and before the vehicle arrives at the selected second transaction entity, the one or more items of the digital attribute in the digital attribute account are reallocated to the selected second transaction entity.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the allocated item includes an amount of digital currency, and the amount of digital currency enables small payments to be made between the vehicle and the selected transaction entity so that the transaction can be completed and the vehicle can be disconnected from the selected transaction entity before the network database is updated, wherein the vehicle is an automatic vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 2, comprising: Maintaining a record of the micropayments and enabling at least a portion of the record to be provided to a digital currency network after the vehicle has been disconnected from the transaction entity.

4. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the one or more items of digital attributes are temporarily assigned to the transaction entity.

5. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a transaction entity is selected based on at least one of: a predicted route of the vehicle, a current location of the vehicle, goods and / or service requirements of the vehicle, and availability of goods and / or services at the transaction entity.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the current position of the vehicle is obtained using at least one of: one or more position sensors on the vehicle, one or more observations from an external observation entity.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the vehicle includes an identification component that enables the vehicle and the digital attribute account associated with the vehicle to be identified.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising: Transactions from the digital attribute account associated with the vehicle are restricted such that the one or more items of digital attributes assigned to the selected transaction entity cannot be used at any other transaction entity.

9. A device for use in a vehicle, comprising components for: selecting, by one or more processors of the vehicle, a first transaction entity from among one or more transaction entities for the vehicle in response to a first triggering event, wherein the first triggering event comprises: detecting that the vehicle has entered a geographic area associated with a predicted route of the vehicle and the one or more transaction entities; as well as detecting that a fuel level or a battery storage level of the vehicle is below a threshold; as well as pre-allocating one or more items of digital attributes from a digital attribute account associated with the vehicle to the selected first transaction entity before the vehicle arrives at the selected first transaction entity, wherein the one or more items of digital attributes are locked to the selected first transaction entity and cannot be used at other transaction entities; selecting, by the one or more processors, a second transaction entity from among the one or more new transaction entities for the vehicle in response to a second triggering event, wherein the second triggering event comprises: detecting that the vehicle has left the geographic area and entered a new geographic area associated with the predicted route of the vehicle and the one or more new transaction entities; Based on the detection, the one or more items of the digital attribute allocated to the first transaction entity are revoked, and before the vehicle arrives at the selected second transaction entity, the one or more items of the digital attribute in the digital attribute account are reallocated to the selected second transaction entity.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the allocated item includes an amount of digital currency, and the amount of digital currency enables small payments to be made between the vehicle and the selected transaction entity so that the transaction can be completed and the vehicle can be disconnected from the selected transaction entity before the network database is updated, wherein the vehicle is an automatic vehicle.

11. A device for use in a vehicle, comprising: processing circuitry; and memory circuitry including computer program code, the memory circuitry and the computer program code being configured to, with the processing circuitry, enable the apparatus to: selecting, by one or more processors of the vehicle, a first transaction entity from among one or more transaction entities for the vehicle in response to a first triggering event, wherein the first triggering event comprises: detecting that the vehicle has entered a geographic area associated with a predicted route of the vehicle and the one or more transaction entities; and detecting that a fuel level or a battery storage level of the vehicle is below a threshold; and pre-allocating one or more items of digital attributes from a digital attribute account associated with the vehicle to the selected first transaction entity before the vehicle arrives at the selected first transaction entity, wherein the one or more items of digital attributes are locked to the selected first transaction entity and cannot be used at other transaction entities; selecting, by the one or more processors, a second transaction entity from among the one or more new transaction entities for the vehicle in response to a second triggering event, wherein the second triggering event comprises: detecting that the vehicle has left the geographic area and entered a new geographic area associated with the predicted route of the vehicle and the one or more new transaction entities; Based on the detection, the one or more items of the digital attribute allocated to the first transaction entity are revoked, and before the vehicle arrives at the selected second transaction entity, the one or more items of the digital attribute in the digital attribute account are reallocated to the selected second transaction entity.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the allocated item includes an amount of digital currency, and the amount of digital currency enables small payments to be made between the vehicle and the selected transaction entity so that the transaction can be completed and the vehicle can be disconnected from the selected transaction entity before the network database is updated, wherein the vehicle is an automatic vehicle.

13. A computer program product comprising computer program instructions which, when executed by processing circuitry of a vehicle, enable: selecting, by one or more processors of the vehicle, a first transaction entity from among one or more transaction entities for the vehicle in response to a first triggering event, wherein the first triggering event comprises: detecting that a vehicle has entered a geographic area associated with a predicted route of the vehicle and the one or more transaction entities; as well as detecting that a fuel level or a battery storage level of a vehicle is below a threshold; and pre-allocating one or more items of digital attributes from a digital attribute account associated with the vehicle to the selected first transaction entity before the vehicle arrives at the selected first transaction entity, wherein the one or more items of digital attributes are locked to the selected first transaction entity and cannot be used at other transaction entities; selecting, by the one or more processors, a second transaction entity from among the one or more new transaction entities for the vehicle in response to a second triggering event, wherein the second triggering event comprises: detecting that the vehicle has left the geographic area and entered a new geographic area associated with the predicted route of the vehicle and the one or more new transaction entities; Based on the detection, the one or more items of the digital attribute allocated to the first transaction entity are revoked, and before the vehicle arrives at the selected second transaction entity, the one or more items of the digital attribute in the digital attribute account are reallocated to the selected second transaction entity.

14. A computer program product according to claim 13, wherein the allocated item includes an amount of digital currency, and the amount of digital currency enables small payments to be made between the vehicle and the selected transaction entity so that the transaction can be completed and the vehicle can be disconnected from the selected transaction entity before the network database is updated, wherein the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle.

15. A method for communication, comprising: maintaining a database of digital attribute accounts, wherein at least one digital attribute account is associated with a vehicle; maintaining a record of one or more items of digital attributes pre-assigned between a vehicle and a selected first transaction entity among one or more transaction entities for the vehicle before the vehicle arrives at the selected first transaction entity, the selected first transaction entity being selected in response to a first triggering event, wherein the one or more items of digital attributes are locked to the selected first transaction entity and cannot be used at other transaction entities, wherein the first triggering event comprises: detecting that the vehicle has entered a geographic area associated with a predicted route of the vehicle and one or more transaction entities; and detecting that a fuel level or a battery storage level of the vehicle is below a threshold; selecting a second transaction entity among the one or more new transaction entities for the vehicle in response to a second triggering event, wherein the second triggering event comprises: detecting that the vehicle has left the geographic area and entered a new geographic area associated with the predicted route of the vehicle and the one or more new transaction entities; Based on the detection, the one or more items of the digital attribute allocated to the first transaction entity are revoked, and before the vehicle arrives at the selected second transaction entity, the one or more items of the digital attribute in the digital attribute account are reallocated to the selected second transaction entity.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the allocated item includes an amount of digital currency, and the amount of digital currency enables small payments to be made between the vehicle and the selected transaction entity so that the transaction can be completed and the vehicle can be disconnected from the selected transaction entity before the network database is updated, wherein the vehicle is an automatic vehicle.

17. An apparatus for communication, comprising means for: maintaining a database of digital attribute accounts, wherein at least one digital attribute account is associated with a vehicle; maintaining a record of one or more items of digital attributes pre-assigned between a vehicle and a selected first transaction entity among one or more transaction entities for the vehicle before the vehicle arrives at the selected first transaction entity, the selected first transaction entity being selected in response to a first triggering event, wherein the one or more items of digital attributes are locked to the selected first transaction entity and cannot be used at other transaction entities, wherein the first triggering event comprises: detecting that the vehicle has entered a geographic area associated with a predicted route of the vehicle and one or more transaction entities; as well as detecting that a fuel level or a battery storage level of the vehicle is below a threshold; selecting a second transaction entity among the one or more new transaction entities for the vehicle in response to a second triggering event, wherein the second triggering event comprises: detecting that the vehicle has left the geographic area and entered a new geographic area associated with the predicted route of the vehicle and the one or more new transaction entities; Based on the detection, the one or more items of the digital attribute allocated to the first transaction entity are revoked, and before the vehicle arrives at the selected second transaction entity, the one or more items of the digital attribute in the digital attribute account are reallocated to the selected second transaction entity.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the allocated item includes an amount of digital currency, and the amount of digital currency enables small payments to be made between the vehicle and the selected transaction entity so that the transaction can be completed and the vehicle can be disconnected from the selected transaction entity before the network database is updated, wherein the vehicle is an automatic vehicle.

19. An apparatus for communication, comprising: processing circuitry; and memory circuitry including computer program code, the memory circuitry and the computer program code being configured to, with the processing circuitry, cause the apparatus to: maintaining a database of digital attribute accounts, wherein at least one digital attribute account is associated with a vehicle; maintaining a record of one or more items of digital attributes pre-assigned between a vehicle and a selected first transaction entity among one or more transaction entities for the vehicle before the vehicle arrives at the selected first transaction entity, the selected first transaction entity being selected in response to a first triggering event, wherein the one or more items of digital attributes are locked to the selected first transaction entity and cannot be used at other transaction entities, wherein the first triggering event comprises: detecting that the vehicle has entered a geographic area associated with a predicted route of the vehicle and one or more transaction entities; and detecting that a fuel level or a battery storage level of the vehicle is below a threshold; selecting a second transaction entity among the one or more new transaction entities for the vehicle in response to a second triggering event, wherein the second triggering event comprises: detecting that the vehicle has left the geographic area and entered a new geographic area associated with the predicted route of the vehicle and the one or more new transaction entities; Based on the detection, the one or more items of the digital attribute allocated to the first transaction entity are revoked, and before the vehicle arrives at the selected second transaction entity, the one or more items of the digital attribute in the digital attribute account are reallocated to the selected second transaction entity.

20. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the allocated item includes an amount of digital currency, and the amount of digital currency enables small payments to be made between the vehicle and the selected transaction entity so that the transaction can be completed and the vehicle can be disconnected from the selected transaction entity before the network database is updated, wherein the vehicle is an automatic vehicle.

21. A computer program product comprising computer program instructions which, when executed by processing circuitry, enable: maintaining a database of digital attribute accounts, wherein at least one digital attribute account is associated with a vehicle; maintaining a record of one or more items of digital attributes pre-assigned between a vehicle and a selected first transaction entity among one or more transaction entities for the vehicle before the vehicle arrives at the selected first transaction entity, the selected first transaction entity being selected in response to a first triggering event, wherein the one or more items of digital attributes are locked to the selected first transaction entity and cannot be used at other transaction entities, wherein the first triggering event comprises: detecting that the vehicle has entered a geographic area associated with a predicted route of the vehicle and one or more transaction entities; as well as detecting that a fuel level or a battery storage level of the vehicle is below a threshold; selecting a second transaction entity among the one or more new transaction entities for the vehicle in response to a second triggering event, wherein the second triggering event comprises: detecting that the vehicle has left the geographic area and entered a new geographic area associated with the predicted route of the vehicle and the one or more new transaction entities; Based on the detection, the one or more items of the digital attribute allocated to the first transaction entity are revoked, and before the vehicle arrives at the selected second transaction entity, the one or more items of the digital attribute in the digital attribute account are reallocated to the selected second transaction entity.

22. A computer program product according to claim 21, wherein the allocated item includes an amount of digital currency, and the amount of digital currency enables small payments to be made between the vehicle and the selected transaction entity so that the transaction can be completed and the vehicle can be disconnected from the selected transaction entity before the network database is updated, wherein the vehicle is an automatic vehicle.

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