Onboard Unit Toll Data Anonymization via Buffer Deletion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing road toll systems using 'thin client' OBUs face challenges in data protection and confidentiality, as the control center retains location records that can reveal movement profiles, and existing solutions complicate data protection and increase data traffic.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method where the OBU waits for a period to allow the toll calculation server to process and delete location records, then discloses its identity, with a buffer memory for periodic deletion of records, ensuring hardware-level confidentiality and transparency, and optionally encrypting records for secure archiving.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the control center retains location records for processing toll data, then toll calculation accuracy is improved, but user movement profile confidentiality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the location records from the control center and stores them in a separate, dedicated storage unit within the OBU. This separation allows the control center to process toll data without permanently retaining detailed location information, thereby maintaining calculation accuracy while protecting user movement profile confidentiality.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces an intermediary mechanism where the OBU temporarily stores location records locally and provides only processed toll data to the control center. This intermediary storage unit acts as a buffer that enables accurate toll calculation without exposing the control center to raw location information that could reveal movement profiles.
2Device complexity
If the OBU sends raw location records to the control center, then processing simplicity is improved, but data protection deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies preliminary action by having the OBU store and prepare location records in a dedicated storage unit before transmitting them to the control center. This pre-processing step enables the control center to receive ready-to-use data without complex processing requirements, while the structured storage mechanism ensures data protection is maintained throughout the process.
3Ease of operation
If location records are kept centrally in the toll calculation server, then data accessibility is improved, but security risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the location record storage function from the central toll calculation server and places it in dedicated storage units within individual OBUs. This segmentation maintains data accessibility for toll calculation purposes while distributing storage across multiple secure, isolated locations, thereby reducing the security risks associated with centralized storage of sensitive location information.
Data Source
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AI summary
The method involves transmitting location records from a thin-client onboard unit (1) to a toll calculation server (5) under a source identifier (RID) i.e. random value. Location anonymous toll data (T) is calculated from the records, and the records in the server are subsequently deleted. Waiting process for a preset time span (11) is carried out in the onboard unit. An identifier (OID) i.e. vehicle device identifier, associated to the source identifier is released from the onboard unit for associating the toll data to the associated identifier. Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) a toll calculation server for executing a method for creating location-anonymous toll data from location records (2) a location-recording vehicle device comprising an identifier for executing a method for creating location-anonymous toll data from location records.