A smart card-based device for intelligent control of a vehicle and a method thereof

Abstract

A smart card-based device (100) for intelligent control of a vehicle (120) is disclosed A receiving module (126) receives user verification information from a user via a smart card. A verification module (128) verifies the user verification information with a digital database (138) and verifies the user using a plurality of physical features of a plurality of legal documents via a scanner. A control module (130) triggers an ignition system. A tracking module (132) tracks a movement of the vehicle for documenting a plurality of geographical movements of the vehicle and store it using a tamper-proof technique. A display module (134) allows the user to view the user verification information and data. A notification module (136) notifies an owner about the user access, notify a live location to authorized personnel, and generates a notification to the owner upon occurrence of an accident, thereby ensuring verification and security of the vehicle.

Description

[0001] A SMART CARD-BASED DEVICE FOR INTELLIGENT CONTROL OF A VEHICLE AND A METHOD THEREOF

[0002] EARLIEST PRIORITY DATE

[0003] This Application claims priority from a Complete patent application filed in India having Patent Application No. 202411003164 filed on 16th day of January 2024 and titled A SMART CARD-BASED DEVICE FOR INTELLIGENT CONTROL OF A VEHICLE AND A METHOD THEREOF

[0004] FIELD OF INVENTION

[0005] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the field of vehicle management, and more particularly, a smart card-based device for intelligent control of a vehicle.

[0006] BACKGROUND

[0007] The fundamental goal of vehicle management and regulation is enhancing road safety. While the regulation serves as a crucial framework for road safety, current vehicle management faces notable disadvantages that warrant attention and innovation.

[0008] One significant drawback of the current vehicle management and regulation framework is the burden on Traffic Police, who find themselves tasked with the manual inspection of paper documents for every vehicle. This process not only consumes valuable time but also demands a substantial human effort, creating inefficiencies in the process.

[0009] Another disadvantage arises in the form of individuals operating vehicles without possessing a valid driving license. This poses a safety risk, leading to a higher incidence of accidents and irresponsible driving practices.

[0010] Yet another notable disadvantage of the current vehicle management and regulation lies in its inadequate mechanisms for tracking individuals using vehicles. This results in difficulties related to crime tracking, vehicle theft, and the issuance of traffic challans. The absence of such tracking mechanisms frustrates law enforcement efforts, making it challenging to identify individuals involved in criminal activities with vehicles. The issuance of traffic challans presents a unique challenge, as penalties are often assigned to the car owner, irrespective of the actual driver's actions. This leads to complications in determining the true offender, impacting the overall efficacy of the regulatory process.

[0011] Hence, there is a need for a smart card-based device for intelligent control of a vehicle which addresses the aforementioned issue(s).

[0012] BRIEF DESCRIPTION

[0013] The primary objective of invention is to develop a smart device capable of validating a plurality of legal documents associated with a vehicle, initiating an ignition system of the vehicle only upon successful validation, and thereby enabling operation of the vehicle only for authorized users.

[0014] Another objective of the invention is to enable real-time location tracking and secure storage of the vehicle's movement with tamper-proof techniques, preventing unauthorized alterations or deletions of the recorded commuting data.

[0015] Yet another objective of the invention is to verify authenticity of the user by employing a scanner in the smart device using a plurality of physical features of a plurality of legal documents, thereby enhance the accuracy and reliability of document verification.

[0016] Yet another objective of the invention is to alert the owner of the vehicle in an event of an accident.

[0017] BRIEF DESCRIPTION In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, a smart card-based device for intelligent control of a vehicle is provided. The smart card-based device is mounted in the vehicle and coupled to an ignition system of the vehicle. The ignition system is adapted to activate the vehicle only upon successful user verification. The system includes a processing subsystem hosted on a server. The processing subsystem is configured to execute on a network to control bidirectional communications among a plurality of modules. The processing subsystem includes a receiving module. The receiving module is configured to receive user verification information provided by a user operating the vehicle via the insertion of a smart card. The smart card includes an electronic chip including data related to a plurality of legal documents associated with the vehicle. The processing subsystem includes a verification module operatively coupled to the receiving module. The verification module is configured to verify the user by validating the user verification information with a digital database to ensure accurate user verification thereby preventing unauthorized driving. The digital database stores the plurality of legal documents associated to a plurality of users. The verification module is configured to verify the user using a plurality of physical features of the plurality of legal documents via a scanner. The processing subsystem includes a control module operatively coupled to the verification module. The control module is configured to trigger the ignition system for activating the vehicle upon successful user verification. The processing subsystem includes a tracking module operatively coupled to the control module. The tracking module is configured to track a movement of the vehicle for documenting a plurality of geographical movements of the vehicle. The tracking module is configured to securely store the plurality of geographical movements of the vehicle using a tamper-proof technique, thereby preventing unauthorized modifications or deletions of the stored movement of the vehicle. The processing subsystem includes a display module operatively coupled to the tracking module. The display module is configured to allow the user to view the user verification information and the data via a display unit positioned on the smart card-based device. The processing subsystem includes a notification module operatively coupled to the display module. The notification module is configured to notify an owner of the vehicle about the user accessing the vehicle, on detecting an insertion on the slot of the smart card-based device. The notification module is configured to notify a live location of the vehicle to authorized personnel upon detecting an unauthorized access of the vehicle. The notification module is configured to generate a notification to the owner of the vehicle upon occurrence of an accident of the vehicle, thereby ensuring verification and security of the vehicle.

[0018] In accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for operating a smart card-based device for intelligent control of a vehicle is provided. The method includes receiving, by a receiving module, user verification information provided by a user operating the vehicle via the insertion of a smart card. The smart card includes an electronic chip including data related to a plurality of legal documents associated with the vehicle. The method includes verifying, by a verification module, the user by validating the user verification information with a digital database to ensure accurate user verification, thereby preventing unauthorized driving. The digital database stores the plurality of legal documents associated to a plurality of users. The method includes verifying, by the verification module, the user using a plurality of physical features of the plurality of legal documents via a scanner. The method includes triggering, by a control module, the ignition system for activating the vehicle upon successful user verification. The method includes tracking, by a tracking module, a movement of the vehicle for documenting a plurality of geographical movements of the vehicle. The method includes securely storing, by the tracking module, the plurality of geographical movements of the vehicle using a tamper-proof technique, thereby preventing unauthorized modifications or deletions of the stored movement of the vehicle. The method includes allowing, by a display module, the user to view the user verification information and the data via a display unit positioned on the smart cardbased device. The method includes notifying, by a notification module, an owner of the vehicle about the user accessing the vehicle, on detecting an insertion on the slot of the smart card-based device. The method includes notifying, by the notification module, a live location of the vehicle to authorized personnel upon detecting an unauthorized access of the vehicle. The method includes generating, by the notification module, a notification to the owner of the vehicle upon occurrence of an accident of the vehicle, thereby ensuring verification and security of the vehicle.

[0019] To further clarify the advantages and features of the present disclosure, a more particular description of the disclosure will follow by reference to specific embodiments thereof, which are illustrated in the appended figures. It is to be appreciated that these figures depict only typical embodiments of the disclosure and are therefore not to be considered limiting in scope. The disclosure will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail with the appended figures.

[0020] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The disclosure will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail with the accompanying figures in which:

[0022] FIG. 1 is a block diagram representation of a smart card-based device for intelligent control of a vehicle in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a computer or a server in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] FIG. 3(a) illustrates a flow chart representing the steps involved in a method for operating a smart card-based device for intelligent control of a vehicle in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0025] FIG. 3(b) illustrates continued steps of the method of FIG. 3(a) in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Further, those skilled in the art will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and may not have necessarily been drawn to scale. Furthermore, in terms of the construction of the device, one or more components of the device may have been represented in the figures by conventional symbols, and the figures may show only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present disclosure so as not to obscure the figures with details that will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the description herein.

[0026] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the disclosure, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the figures and specific language will be used to describe them. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the disclosure is thereby intended. Such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated system, and such further applications of the principles of the disclosure as would normally occur to those skilled in the art are to be construed as being within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0028] The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process or method that comprises a list of steps does not include only those steps but may include other steps not expressly listed or inherent to such a process or method. Similarly, one or more devices or subsystems or elements or structures or components preceded by "comprises... a" does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other devices, sub-systems, elements, structures, components, additional devices, additional sub-systems, additional elements, additional structures or additional components. Appearances of the phrase "in an embodiment", "in another embodiment" and similar language throughout this specification may, but not necessarily do, all refer to the same embodiment. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this disclosure belongs. The system, methods, and examples provided herein are only illustrative and not intended to be limiting.

[0029] In the following specification and the claims, reference will be made to a number of terms, which shall be defined to have the following meanings. The singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0030] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a smart card-based device for intelligent control of a vehicle. The smart card-based device is mounted in the vehicle and coupled to an ignition system of the vehicle. The ignition system is adapted to activate the vehicle only upon successful user verification. The system includes a processing subsystem hosted on a server. The processing subsystem is configured to execute on a network to control bidirectional communications among a plurality of modules. The processing subsystem includes a receiving module. The receiving module is configured to receive user verification information provided by a user operating the vehicle via the insertion of a smart card. The smart card includes an electronic chip including data related to a plurality of legal documents associated with the vehicle. The processing subsystem includes a verification module operatively coupled to the receiving module. The verification module is configured to verify the user by validating the user verification information with a digital database to ensure accurate user verification thereby preventing unauthorized driving. The digital database stores the plurality of legal documents associated to a plurality of users. The verification module is configured to verify the user using a plurality of physical features of the plurality of legal documents via a scanner. The processing subsystem includes a control module operatively coupled to the verification module. The control module is configured to trigger the ignition system for activating the vehicle upon successful user verification. The processing subsystem includes a tracking module operatively coupled to the control module. The tracking module is configured to track a movement of the vehicle for documenting a plurality of geographical movements of the vehicle. The tracking module is configured to securely store the plurality of geographical movements of the vehicle using a tamper-proof technique, thereby preventing unauthorized modifications or deletions of the stored movement of the vehicle. The processing subsystem includes a display module operatively coupled to the tracking module. The display module is configured to allow the user to view the user verification information and the data via a display unit positioned on the smart card-based device. The processing subsystem includes a notification module operatively coupled to the display module. The notification module is configured to notify an owner of the vehicle about the user accessing the vehicle, on detecting an insertion on the slot of the smart card-based device. The notification module is configured to notify a live location of the vehicle to authorized personnel upon detecting an unauthorized access of the vehicle. The notification module is configured to generate a notification to the owner of the vehicle upon occurrence of an accident of the vehicle, thereby ensuring verification and security of the vehicle.

[0031] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a smart card-based device (100) for intelligent control of a vehicle (120) in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The smart card-based device (100) is mounted in the vehicle (120) and coupled to an ignition system (122) of the vehicle (120). Examples of the vehicle (120) includes, but not limited to a car, truck, motorcycle, SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle), and the like. The ignition system (122) is adapted to activate the vehicle (120) only upon successful user verification. The user verification is performed by the smart card-based device (100), ensuring that only authorized users start the vehicle (120). Examples of the ignition system (122) include, but is not limited to, conventional breaker-point ignitions, high energy (electronic) ignitions, distributor-less (waste spark) ignition, coil-on-plug ignitions, and the like. The system (100) includes a processing subsystem (105) hosted on a server (108). In one embodiment, the server (108) may include a cloud-based server. In another embodiment, parts of the server (108) may be a local server coupled to a user device (not shown in FIG.l). The processing subsystem (105) is configured to execute on a network (115) to control bidirectional communications among a plurality of modules. In one example, the network (115) may be a private or public local area network (LAN) or Wide Area Network (WAN), such as the Internet. In another embodiment, the network (115) may include both wired and wireless communications according to one or more standards and / or via one or more transport mediums. In one example, the network (115) may include wireless communications according to one of the 802.11 or Bluetooth specification sets, or another standard or proprietary wireless communication protocol. In yet another embodiment, the network (115) may also include communications over a terrestrial cellular network, including, a global system for mobile communications (GSM), code division multiple access (CDMA), and / or enhanced data for global evolution (EDGE) network.

[0032] The processing subsystem (105) includes a receiving module (126) configured to receive user verification information provided by a user operating the vehicle (120) via the insertion of a smart card through a slot. As used herein, the user refers to an individual who operates or drives the vehicle (120). The slot is positioned on at least one of a top portion or a lateral portion of the smart card-based device (100). The slot is adapted to receive the smart card. The smart card is a card embedded with an electronic chip that contains digital information related to a plurality of legal documents associated with the vehicle and its user issued by corresponding authorities of a country. The plurality of legal documents includes but not limited to registration certificate, insurance, pollution certificate, driving license, and the like of the user. The user verification information is retrieved directly from the electronic chip of the smart card. The user verification information includes but not limited to username, address, license number, license issue date, license expiry date, permitted vehicle categories, registration number, owner's name, vehicle model, vehicle insurance details, pollution certificate number, validity period and the like.

[0033] In one embodiment, the receiving module (126) receive user verification information by scanning the smart card via a scanner. It must be noted that the scanner is inbuilt in the smart card-based device (100).

[0034] In another embodiment, the user may use a mobile application to scan the smart card for user verification through a user device. The mobile application is configured to be connected to the smart card-based device (100), facilitating reception of user verification information thereby ensuring user convenience.

[0035] It is to be noted that the user device may comprise, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, desktop computer, portable digital assistant (PDA), smart phone, tablet, ultra-book, netbook, laptop, multi-processor system, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronic system, or any other communication device that a user may use. In further embodiments, the user device may comprise one or more of touch screens, accelerometers, gyroscopes, cameras, microphones, global positioning system (GPS) devices, and so forth.

[0036] In one embodiment, the receiving module (126) employs Optical Character Recognition technologies to extract the user verification information from the plurality of legal documents.

[0037] In one embodiment, the receiving module (126) incorporates advanced biometric authentication techniques for user verification within the processing subsystem (105). The advanced biometric authentication techniques include but are not limited to fingerprint identification, voice recognition, facial recognition, iris pattern identification, and similar advanced techniques. The integration the advanced biometric authentication techniques providing an additional layer of data security. The processing subsystem (105) includes a verification module (128) configured to verify the user by validating the user verification information with a digital database (138) to ensure accurate user verification thereby preventing unauthorized driving. The digital database (138) stores the information related to registration certificate, insurance, and driving license of the user of a plurality of users. Examples for the digital database (138) utilized to store driving and vehicle -related data in India includes, but is not limited to, Digi locker, Pari Vahan Portal, VAHAN database, and the like. The digital database (138) generally provides a secure online space to store, access, and share important documents in digital format. It must be noted that the digital database (138) may be specific to different countries.

[0038] The verification module (128) is configured to verify the user using a plurality of physical features of the plurality of legal documents via the scanner. The plurality of physical features for user verification includes but not limited to hologram, watermark, characters, font, font size, spacing, spelling and the like of the plurality of legal documents.

[0039] The processing subsystem (105) includes a control module (130) operatively coupled to the verification module (128). The control module (130) is triggering the ignition system (122) for activating the vehicle (120) upon successful user verification. Upon confirming the authenticity of the user through the user verification, the control module (130) activates the ignition system (122), thereby enabling the user to start and operate the vehicle (120).

[0040] The processing subsystem (105) includes a tracking module (132) to track movement of the vehicle (120) for documenting a plurality of geographical movements of the vehicle (120). The tracking module (132) is equipped with a global positioning system (GPS) to track the commuting activity of the vehicle (120). The integration of GPS enables accurate location tracking for route optimization, real-time monitoring of position of the vehicle (120), and the like. The tracking module (132) is configured to securely store the plurality of geographical movements of the vehicle (120) using a tamper-proof technique, thereby preventing unauthorized modifications or deletions of the stored movement of the vehicle (120). The tamper-proof technique is a methodology used to hinder, deter, or detect unauthorized access to a device or circumvention of a security system. The tamperproof technique is a combination of many techniques.

[0041] In one embodiment, the tracking module (132) is configured to communicate user verification information from the plurality of legal documents for collaborating entities. The collaborating entities include law authorities, particularly during instances of traffic violations.

[0042] The processing subsystem (105) includes a display module (134) that allows the user to view the user verification information and the data via a display unit positioned on the smart card-based device (100). Examples for the display unit includes, but is not limited to, Light Emitting Diode (LED) display, Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) screen, Liquid Crystal Display screen, touch screen, and the like.

[0043] The processing subsystem (105) includes a notification module (136) operatively coupled to the display module (134). The notification module (136) is configured to notify an owner of the vehicle (120) about the user accessing the vehicle (120), on detecting an insertion on the slot of the smart card-based device (100). The notification module (136) is configured to notify a live location of the vehicle (120) to an authorized personnel upon detecting an unauthorized access of the vehicle (120). The authorized personnel include but is not limited to vehicle owners, operators, government authorities, law enforcement officials and the like. The notification module (136) is configured to generate a notification to the owner of the vehicle (120) upon occurrence of an accident of the vehicle (120), thereby ensuring verification and security of the vehicle (120). In one embodiment, the notification module (136) is configured to generate the notification to the user operating the vehicle (120) in response to an occurrence of one or more instances of traffic violations.

[0044] In one embodiment, the various functional components of the system may reside on a single computer, or they may be distributed across several computers in various arrangements. The various components of the system may, furthermore, access one or more databases, and each of the various components of the system may be in communication with one another. Further, while the components of FIG. 1 are discussed in the singular sense, it will be appreciated that in other embodiments multiple instances of the components may be employed.

[0045] Let’s consider an example, a user, 'X,' who intends to operate the vehicle equipped with the smart card-based device. As user 'X' prepares to drive, he / she insert a smart driving license card into the slot on the smart card-based device. The smart driving license card contains essential details about user 'X,' including personal information, license number, issue and expiry dates, permitted vehicle categories, and other relevant data. The receiving module of the smart card-based device receives the user verification information from the inserted smart driving license card. The verification module verifies the information along with a country specific digital database. The control module triggers the ignition system for activating the vehicle upon successful user verification of user ‘X’ allowing user 'X' to enjoy their drive. Meanwhile the tracking module tracks the movement of the vehicle for documenting the plurality of geographical movements of the vehicle and stores the data using the tamper-proof technique. The display module on the smart card-based device facilitates user 'X' in viewing both user verification information and stored data during the drive. In the event of an accident, the notification module promptly generates notifications for user 'X.' After reaching the destination and parking the vehicle, user 'X' receives notifications about unauthorized access to the live location of the vehicle, allowing them to prevent potential theft by reaching the location promptly.

[0046] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a computer or a server in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The server (200) includes processor(s) (230), and memory (210) operatively coupled to the bus (220). The processor(s) (230), as used herein, means any type of computational circuit, such as, but not limited to, a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a complex instruction set computing microprocessor, a reduced instruction set computing microprocessor, a very long instruction word microprocessor, an explicitly parallel instruction computing microprocessor, a digital signal processor, or any other type of processing circuit, or a combination thereof.

[0047] The memory (210) includes several subsystems stored in the form of executable program which instructs the processor (230) to perform the method steps illustrated in FIG. 1. The memory (210) includes a processing subsystem (105) of FIG.l. The processing subsystem (105) further has following modules: a receiving module (126), a verification module (128), a control module (130), a tracking module (132), a display module (134), and a notification module (136).

[0048] In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, a smart card-based device (100) for intelligent control of a vehicle (120) is provided. The smart card-based device (100) is mounted in the vehicle (120) and coupled to an ignition system (122) of the vehicle (120). The ignition system (122) is adapted to activate the vehicle (120) only upon successful user verification. The system (100) includes a processing subsystem (105) hosted on a server (108). The processing subsystem (105) is configured to execute on a network (115) to control bidirectional communications among a plurality of modules. The processing subsystem (105) includes a receiving module (126). The receiving module (126) is configured to receive user verification information provided by a user operating the vehicle (120) via the insertion of a smart card. The smart card includes an electronic chip including data related to a plurality of legal documents associated with the vehicle. The processing subsystem (105) includes a verification module (128) operatively coupled to the receiving module (126). The verification module (128) is configured to verify the user by validating the user verification information with a digital database (138) to ensure accurate user verification thereby preventing unauthorized driving. The digital database (138) stores the plurality of legal documents associated to a plurality of users. The verification module (128) is configured to verify the user using a plurality of physical features of the plurality of legal documents, via a scanner. The processing subsystem (105) includes a control module (130) operatively coupled to the verification module (128). The control module (130) is configured to trigger the ignition system (122) for activating the vehicle (120) upon successful user verification. The processing subsystem (105) includes a tracking module (132) operatively coupled to the control module (130). The tracking module (132) is configured to track a movement of the vehicle (120) for documenting a plurality of geographical movements of the vehicle (120). The tracking module (132) is configured to securely store the plurality of geographical movements of the vehicle (120) using a tamper-proof technique, thereby preventing unauthorized modifications or deletions of the stored movement of the vehicle (120). The processing subsystem (105) includes a display module (134) operatively coupled to the tracking module (132). The display module (134) is configured to allow the user to view the user verification information and the data via a display unit positioned on the smart cardbased device (100). The processing subsystem (105) includes a notification module (136) operatively coupled to the display module (134). The notification module (136) is configured to notify an owner of the vehicle (120) about the user accessing the vehicle (120), on detecting an insertion on the slot of the smart card-based device (100). The notification module (136) is configured to notify a live location of the vehicle (120) to authorized personnel upon detecting an unauthorized access of the vehicle (120). The notification module (136) is configured to generate a notification to the owner of the vehicle (120) upon occurrence of an accident of the vehicle (120), thereby ensuring verification and security of the vehicle (120). The bus (220) as used herein refers to internal memory channels or computer network that is used to connect computer components and transfer data between them. The bus (220) includes a serial bus or a parallel bus, wherein the serial bus transmits data in bitserial format and the parallel bus transmits data across multiple wires. The bus (220) as used herein may include but not limited to, a system bus, an internal bus, an external bus, an expansion bus, a frontside bus, a backside bus and the like.

[0049] FIG. 3(a) illustrates a flow chart representing the steps involved in a method (300) for operating a smart card-based device for intelligent control of a vehicle in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0050] FIG. 3(b) illustrates continued steps of the method (300) of FIG. 3(a) in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The smart card-based device is mounted in the vehicle and coupled to an ignition system of the vehicle. Examples for vehicle includes but not limited to car, truck, motorcycle, SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle), and the like. The ignition system is adapted to activate the vehicle only upon successful user verification. The method (300) includes receiving, by a receiving module, user verification information provided by a user operating the vehicle via the insertion of a smart card through a slot. The user refers to an individual who operates or drives the vehicle. The slot is positioned on at least one of a top portion or a lateral portion of the smart card-based device. The slot is adapted to receive the smart card. The smart card includes an electronic chip including data related to a plurality of legal documents associated with the vehicle in step 302. The plurality of legal documents includes but not limited to registration certificate, insurance, pollution certificate, driving license, and the like of the user. The user verification information includes but not limited to username, address, license number, license issue date, license expiry date, permitted vehicle categories, registration number, owner's name, vehicle model, vehicle insurance details, pollution certificate number, validity period and the like. In one embodiment, the receiving module receive user verification information by scanning the smart card via a scanner.

[0051] In one embodiment, the scanner includes an inbuilt scanner directly onto the smart card-based device. The inbuilt scanner allows users to conveniently scan the smart card directly through the smart card-based device.

[0052] In another embodiment, the user may use a mobile application to scan the plurality of legal documents for user verification through a user device. The mobile application is designed to be connected to the smart card-based device, facilitating reception of user verification information thereby ensuring user convenience.

[0053] In one embodiment, the receiving module employs Optical Character Recognition technologies to extract the user verification information from the smart card.

[0054] In one embodiment, the receiving module incorporates advanced biometric authentication techniques for user verification within the processing subsystem. The advanced biometric authentication techniques includes, but is not limited to, fingerprint identification, voice recognition, facial recognition, iris pattern identification, and similar advanced techniques. The integration the advanced biometric authentication techniques providing an additional layer of data security.

[0055] The method (300) includes verifying, by a verification module, the user by validating the user verification information with a digital database to ensure accurate user verification, thereby preventing unauthorized driving. The digital database stores the plurality of legal documents associated to a plurality of users in step 304. The digital database stores the information related to registration certificate, insurance, and driving license of the user of a plurality of users. Examples for the digital database utilized to store driving and vehicle -related data in India include Digi locker, Pari Vahan Portal, VAHAN database, and the like. The method (300) includes verifying, by the verification module, the user using a plurality of physical features of the plurality of legal documents via the scanner in step 306. The plurality of physical features for user verification includes but not limited to hologram, watermark, characters, font, font size, spacing, spelling and the like of the plurality of legal documents.

[0056] The method (300) includes triggering, by a control module, the ignition system for activating the vehicle upon successful user verification in step 308. Upon confirming the authenticity of the user through the user verification, the control module activates the ignition system, thereby enabling the user to start and operate the vehicle.

[0057] The method (300) includes tracking, by a tracking module, a movement of the vehicle for documenting a plurality of geographical movements of the vehicle in step 310. The tracking module is equipped with a global positioning system (GPS) to track the commuting activity of the vehicle. The integration of GPS enables accurate location tracking for route optimization, real-time monitoring of position of the vehicle, and the like.

[0058] The method (300) includes securely storing, by the tracking module, the plurality of geographical movements of the vehicle using a tamper-proof technique, thereby preventing unauthorized modifications or deletions of the stored movement of the vehicle in step 312. The tamper-proof technique is a methodology used to hinder, deter, or detect unauthorized access to a device or circumvention of a security system. The tamper-proof technique is a combination of many techniques.

[0059] The method (300) includes allowing, by a display module, the user to view the user verification information and the data via a display unit positioned on the smart cardbased device in step 314. Examples for the display unit include but not limited to Light Emitting Diode (LED) display, Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) screen, Liquid Crystal Display screen, touch screen, and the like. The method (300) includes notifying, by a notification module, an owner of the vehicle about the user accessing the vehicle, on detecting an insertion on the slot of the smart card-based device in step 316.

[0060] The method (300) includes notifying, by the notification module, a live location of the vehicle to authorized personnel upon detecting an unauthorized access of the vehicle in step 318.

[0061] The method (300) includes generating, by the notification module, a notification to the owner of the vehicle upon occurrence of an accident of the vehicle, thereby ensuring verification and security of the vehicle in step 320.

[0062] Various embodiments of the smart card-based device for intelligent control of the vehicle and the method thereof as described above provide a smart device capable of validating the plurality of legal documents associated with the vehicle and initiating the ignition system of the vehicle through the insertion of the smart card, thereby enabling operation of the vehicle only for authorized users. The validation of the plurality of legal documents eliminates the need for manual inspection, saving time and human effort. The smart card-based device also enables real-time location tracking and secure storage of the vehicle's movement with tamper-proof techniques, preventing unauthorized alterations or deletions of the recorded commuting data. This facilitates efficient tracking of individuals using vehicles, aiding in crime tracking, preventing vehicle theft, and ensuring accurate issuance of traffic challans. Further, the system ensures that traffic challans are issued based on the actions of an actual driver, addressing the challenge of assigning penalties to the correct individual. Furthermore, to alert the owner of the vehicle in an event of an accident.

[0063] The techniques described in this disclosure may be implemented, at least in part, in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. For example, various aspects of the described techniques may be implemented within one or more processors, including one or more microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or any other equivalent integrated or discrete logic circuitry, as well as any combinations of such components. The term “processor” or “processing subsystem” may generally refer to any of the foregoing logic circuitry, alone or in combination with other logic circuitry, or any other equivalent circuitry. A control unit including hardware may also perform one or more of the techniques of this disclosure.

[0064] Such hardware, software, and firmware may be implemented within the same device or within separate devices to support the various techniques described in this disclosure. In addition, any of the described units, modules, or components may be implemented together or separately as discrete but interoperable logic devices. Depiction of different features as modules or units is intended to highlight different functional aspects and does not necessarily imply that such modules or units must be realized by separate hardware, firmware, or software components. Rather, functionality associated with one or more modules or units may be performed by separate hardware, firmware, or software components, or integrated within common or separate hardware, firmware, or software components.

[0065] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory of the disclosure and are not intended to be restrictive thereof.

[0066] While specific language has been used to describe the disclosure, any limitations arising on account of the same are not intended. As would be apparent to a person skilled in the art, various working modifications may be made to the method in order to implement the inventive concept as taught herein.

[0067] The figures and the foregoing description give examples of embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that one or more of the described elements may well be combined into a single functional element. Alternatively, certain elements may be split into multiple functional elements. Elements from one embodiment may be added to another embodiment. For example, the order of processes described herein may be changed and are not limited to the manner described herein. Moreover, the actions of any flow diagram need not be implemented in the order shown; nor do all of the acts need to be necessarily performed. Also, those acts that are not dependent on other acts may be performed in parallel with the other acts. The scope of embodiments is by no means limited by these specific examples.

Claims

I CLAIM:

1. A smart card-based device (100) for intelligent control of a vehicle (120) comprising: characterized in that, wherein the smart card-based device (100) is mounted in the vehicle (120) and coupled to an ignition system (122) of the vehicle (120), wherein the ignition system (122) is adapted to activate the vehicle (120) only upon successful user verification; a processing subsystem (105) hosted on a server (108) and configured to execute on a network (115) to control bidirectional communications among a plurality of modules, wherein the plurality of modules comprising: a receiving module (126) configured to receive user verification information provided by a user operating the vehicle (120) via the insertion of a smart card, wherein the smart card comprises an electronic chip comprising data related to a plurality of legal documents associated with the vehicle; a verification module (128) operatively coupled to the receiving module (126), wherein the verification module (128) is configured to: verify the user by validating the user information with a digital database (138) to ensure accurate user verification, thereby preventing unauthorized driving, wherein the digital database (138) stores the plurality of legal documents associated to a plurality of users; and verify the user using a plurality of physical features of the plurality of legal documents via a scanner; a control module (130) operatively coupled to the verification module (128), wherein the control module (130) is configured to trigger the ignition system (122) for activating the vehicle (120) upon successful user verification;a tracking module (132) operatively coupled to the control module (130), wherein the tracking module (132) is configured to: track a movement of the vehicle (120) for documenting a plurality of geographical movements of the vehicle (120); and securely store the plurality of geographical movements of the vehicle (120) using a tamper-proof technique, thereby preventing unauthorized modifications or deletions of the stored movement of the vehicle (120); a display module (134) operatively coupled to the tracking module (132), wherein the display module is configured to allow the user to view the user verification information and the data via a display unit positioned on the smart card-based device (100); a notification module (136) operatively coupled to the display module (134), wherein the notification module (136) is configured to: notify an owner of the vehicle (120) about the user accessing the vehicle (120), on detecting an insertion on the slot of the smart cardbased device (100); notify a live location of the vehicle (120) to an authorized personnel upon detecting an unauthorized access of the vehicle (120); and generate a notification to the owner of the vehicle (120) upon occurrence of an accident of the vehicle (120), thereby ensuring verification and security of the vehicle (120).

2. The smart card-based device (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of legal documents comprises registration certificate, insurance, pollution certificate, and driving license of the user.

3. The smart card-based device (100) as claimed in claim 1, comprising a slot positioned on at least one of a top portion or a lateral portion of the smart card-based device (100), wherein the slot is configured to receive the smart card.

4. The smart card-based device (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receiving module (126) employs Optical Character Recognition technologies to extract the user information from the plurality of legal documents.

5. The smart card-based device (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tracking module (132) is equipped with a global positioning system to track the commuting activity of the vehicle (120).

6. The smart card-based device (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of physical features for user verification comprise hologram, watermark, characters, font, font size, spacing, and spelling of the plurality of legal documents.

7. The smart card-based device (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tracking module (132) is configured to communicate user information from the plurality of legal documents for collaborating entities, wherein the collaborating entities comprises law authorities, particularly during instances of traffic violations.

8. The smart card-based device (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the notification module (136) is configured to generate the notification to the user operating the vehicle (120) in response to an occurrence of one or more instances of traffic violations.

9. A method (300) for operating a smart card-based device for intelligent control of a vehicle comprising:characterized in that, receiving, by a receiving module, user verification information provided by a user operating the vehicle via the insertion of a smart card, wherein the smart card comprises an electronic chip comprising data related to a plurality of legal documents associated with the vehicle; (302) verifying, by a verification module, the user by validating the user information with a digital database to ensure accurate user verification, thereby preventing unauthorized driving, wherein the digital database stores the plurality of legal documents associated to a plurality of users; (304) verifying, by the verification module, the user using a plurality of physical features of the plurality of legal documents via a scanner; (306) triggering, by a control module, an ignition system for activating the vehicle upon successful user verification; (308) tracking, by a tracking module, a movement of the vehicle for documenting a plurality of geographical movements of the vehicle; (310) securely storing, by the tracking module, the plurality of geographical movements of the vehicle using a tamper-proof technique, thereby preventing unauthorized modifications or deletions of the stored movement of the vehicle; (312) allowing, by a display module, the user to view the user verification information and the data via a display unit positioned on the smart card-based device; (314) notifying, by a notification module, an owner of the vehicle about the user accessing the vehicle, on detecting an insertion on the slot of the smart card-based device; (316) notifying, by the notification module, a live location of the vehicle to an authorized personnel upon detecting an unauthorized access of the vehicle; (318)generating, by the notification module, a notification to the owner of the vehicle upon occurrence of an accident of the vehicle, thereby ensuring verification and security of the vehicle. (320)

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