Mobile Device Location and Authentication for Transport Vehicle Access

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current systems face challenges in accurately navigating and securely accessing transport vehicles, especially in dense urban areas with signal obstructions, and in scenarios involving driverless vehicles where human intervention is absent, leading to issues with passenger identification and secure entry.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus using a mobile device to determine its location, send a request to a dispatch server, receive and verify transport identifiers, and enable secure access to a transport vehicle, leveraging multiple wireless transceivers and camera systems for navigation and authentication.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If traditional car navigation systems are used, then street level lane level accuracy is provided, but accurate navigation to potential passengers in dense urban areas with signal obstructions cannot be achieved

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelocation determination accuracyVSAvoidsignal obstructions
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple location determination methods (GPS, Wi-Fi positioning, cellular tower triangulation, and visual landmark recognition) to overcome signal obstructions in dense urban areas. By merging these different positioning approaches, the system achieves accurate location determination even when traditional GPS signals are blocked by buildings.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The mobile device acts as an intermediary between the transport vehicle and the dispatch server, facilitating communication and coordinate sharing. The mobile device receives location data from multiple sources, processes it, and transmits the refined location information to both the dispatch server and transport vehicle, enabling accurate navigation despite environmental obstacles.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Extent of automation

If driverless transport vehicles are deployed, then automation of the transportation industry is enabled, but challenges in detecting correct potential passenger in a crowd and securely enabling entry arise

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransport vehicle automationVSAvoidpassenger identification
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback loops where the mobile device continuously communicates location and identification data to the dispatch server, which then provides feedback to the transport vehicle. The vehicle's sensors detect the passenger's presence and send confirmation back to the mobile device, creating a closed-loop verification system that enables secure automated entry.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The mobile device performs preliminary actions by pre-establishing the passenger's location, sending identification data, and preparing authentication credentials before the transport vehicle arrives. This preliminary setup enables the automated vehicle to quickly verify and enter without human intervention at the moment of arrival.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If transport identifiers are exchanged between mobile device and transport vehicle, then secure verification of correct vehicle is enabled, but additional communication steps and verification processes are required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevehicle identification accuracyVSAvoidcommunication protocol complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The mobile device serves multiple functions: it acts as a location sensor, communication relay, authentication credential holder, and verification terminal. By making the mobile device universal and multi-functional, the system reduces the need for separate dedicated components in the transport vehicle, simplifying overall system complexity while maintaining high reliability through the smartphone's existing capabilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP4462079A1Method and apparatus for requesting a transport vehicle from a mobile device
Publication Date: 2024.11.13 QUALCOMM INC
  • EP4462079A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4462079A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4462079A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Techniques are provided which may be implemented using various methods and/or apparatuses in a mobile device to request a transport vehicle. Techniques are provided which may be implemented using various methods and/or apparatuses in a transport vehicle to respond to a request from a mobile device. Various embodiments include customer and transport authentication and security techniques. Various embodiments include location update techniques to enable a transport vehicle to navigate to a mobile device, even in areas of low position accuracy for traditional GNSS and terrestrial transceiver-based systems.