Digital Vehicle Key With Integrated Charging and Usage Reconciliation
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need to efficiently track and reconcile vehicle usage history, including charging, mileage, and other incidentals, in leasing, rentals, and temporary ownership arrangements, as existing methods are manual and time-consuming.
Innovation Solution
A digital vehicle key with integrated charge tracking capabilities, enabling automatic tracking and reimbursement for vehicle usage events, including charging sessions, mileage, and other incidents, with features to disable the key if outstanding balances exceed a threshold.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual tracking methods are used for vehicle usage history, then implementation simplicity is maintained, but tracking efficiency and time consumption are poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual tracking methods with an automated digital system that uses electronic data capture and processing. The system automatically records vehicle usage events, charging sessions, and mileage through digital sensors and communication protocols, eliminating the need for manual data collection and reconciliation processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables automatic tracking and reimbursement processing without requiring manual intervention. The digital vehicle key system self-monitors usage events, automatically calculates charges, and processes reimbursements through integrated software that continuously tracks and reconciles vehicle usage data.
2Measurement precision
If integrated charge tracking is implemented in digital vehicle key, then tracking precision and automation are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines charge tracking functionality with the existing digital vehicle key system. By integrating the tracking, monitoring, and reimbursement processing features into the already-deployed digital key infrastructure, the system achieves precise tracking without requiring separate standalone devices or complex additional hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
The digital vehicle key system is designed to perform multiple functions including access control, usage tracking, charge monitoring, and reimbursement processing. This multi-functional approach allows precise tracking capabilities to be added to an existing universal platform rather than creating a specialized single-function device.
3Productivity
If automatic tracking and reimbursement is implemented, then productivity is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a server as an intermediary component that handles the complex processing of usage data, charge calculations, and reimbursement transactions. This centralizes the computational complexity in a dedicated backend system while keeping the mobile device and vehicle interfaces relatively simple, allowing automatic tracking and reimbursement to proceed efficiently.
4Reliability
If digital vehicle key with charge tracking is used, then loss prevention is improved, but ease of operation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides automatic feedback through the mobile application regarding usage events, charge accumulations, and reimbursement statuses. This continuous feedback loop ensures accurate loss prevention by monitoring all vehicle usage while maintaining ease of operation through automated notifications and transparent tracking that require no additional user effort.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods are described to provide a digital vehicle key with integrated support for tracking charging. A method comprises causing storage of a digital vehicle key comprising a vehicle identifier and a user identifier, wherein the digital vehicle key enables access and operation of a vehicle associated with the vehicle identifier. The method further comprises providing the digital vehicle key to a mobile device associated with the user identifier. The method further comprises retrieving vehicle usage data associated with the vehicle identifier. The method further comprises adding a transaction into a queue for a digital account associated with the user identifier, wherein the transaction includes a value based on the vehicle usage data. Other methods are also provided for home charging tracking and for disabling operation of a vehicle via a digital vehicle key when detecting unsafe conditions or a past due account.