License Plate-Based Message Routing for Vehicle Occupants
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication systems fail to efficiently identify and connect users within vehicles, as license plate numbers do not uniquely identify individuals, leading to challenges in messaging and accessing locally relevant information while traveling.
Innovation Solution
An inter-vehicle communication system uses vehicle license plate numbers as identifiers to route messages and information, associating users with vehicles through roles like owner, driver, or passenger, and provides alerts and geo-aware content.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If license plate numbers are used as identifiers for routing messages, then message routing capability is improved, but identification precision deteriorates because license plates do not uniquely identify individuals
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the identification process into two parts: using the license plate number as a key to query a database, and then obtaining the specific user information from the database. This allows the license plate to serve as a routing identifier while the database provides the precise user identification.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a database as an intermediary between the license plate number and the user. The database stores the mapping relationship between license plate numbers and user information, enabling indirect identification that resolves the ambiguity of using license plates directly for user identification.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple users are associated with a single vehicle, then system versatility is improved, but message delivery reliability deteriorates due to ambiguity in recipient identification
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically determines which users should receive the message based on real-time data from the database. The database can be updated to reflect current driver, passenger, or owner information, allowing the message delivery target to change dynamically based on who is actually in or associated with the vehicle at the time of messaging.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from the database about user-vehicle associations to determine message delivery. The database provides feedback information about which users are currently associated with the vehicle, enabling the system to reliably deliver messages to the correct recipients despite the many-to-many relationship between users and vehicles.
3Device complexity
If users manually input license plate numbers for communication, then system complexity is reduced, but time consumption increases due to manual data entry requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service by automatically capturing the license plate number through the camera and extracting it using OCR technology. This eliminates the need for users to manually type the license plate number, and the system automatically uses the extracted number to query the database and initiate communication with the correct user(s).
Data Source
AI summary
An inter-vehicle communication system enables users to exchange messages, view locally-relevant information, and/or receive alerts. The system uses vehicle license plate numbers as an identifier for routing messages and other information to appropriate users. Note that although the term “license plate number” is used for convenience, it should be understood that this may include any combination of letters, numbers, or other characters displayed on a vehicle that identify the vehicle. Any given license plate number may be associated with multiple users and any given user may be associated with multiple license plate numbers. By modifying stored associations between users and license plate numbers, the ownership of a vehicle and other statuses of users relative to the vehicle (e.g., driver, passenger, etc.) may be updated. Thus, messages intended for a specified vehicle may be routed to the correct user or users.