Vehicle Platooning Payment via Blockchain Smart Contracts
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing platooning assistance systems face high equipment and maintenance costs due to the communication environment required for distributing the effect of platooning and making payments among vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A platooning assistance device and method utilizing a blockchain network to generate and transmit transaction data, including platoon and vehicle identification information, and fuel consumption amounts, with smart contracts programmed to execute the process of distributing the platooning effect and making payments, eliminating the need for a dedicated server.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a server-based communication system is used to distribute platooning effects and process payments, then the platooning effect distribution and payment functionality is achieved, but the equipment cost and maintenance cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a decentralized system where each vehicle's terminal independently participates in blockchain consensus to validate and record platooning effect data. The system eliminates the need for a centralized server by enabling vehicles to self-verify and self-record their fuel consumption data and platooning benefits directly on the blockchain network, with each node serving itself and others through the distributed ledger
Solution Approach 2:
The blockchain network acts as an intermediary layer between vehicles, replacing the traditional server. Smart contracts serve as automated intermediaries that automatically calculate and distribute platooning effects based on pre-programmed rules, eliminating the need for human intervention or complex server-based processing while maintaining transparency and trust
2Ease of operation
If a centralized server is deployed for platooning management, then centralized control and data processing is achieved, but the maintenance cost and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the centralized server functionality into distributed nodes across multiple vehicles. Each vehicle terminal becomes an independent node that contributes to the overall system, sharing the computational load and data storage requirements. This segmentation eliminates the single point of failure and reduces the burden on any single stationary object, distributing maintenance responsibilities across the mobile fleet
3Loss of information
If traditional communication infrastructure is used for vehicle-to-server communication, then data transmission is achieved, but the equipment cost and network dependency increase
Solution Approach 1:
The blockchain network provides a universal communication layer that serves multiple functions simultaneously: data transmission, data validation, data storage, and consensus achievement. This multi-functional approach replaces the need for separate dedicated communication infrastructure, as the same distributed network handles all data exchange between vehicles without requiring specialized hardware or protocols
Data Source
AI summary
A platooning assistance device and a program with which it is possible to distribute the effect of platooning, and make payment. The platooning assistance device lets each of a plurality of vehicles forming a platoon have: a transaction data generation unit that generates platoon identification information identifying the platoon, vehicle identification information identifying the vehicle, and fuel consumption of the vehicle during platooning as transaction data; and a communication unit that transmits the generated transaction data to a network, and receives, from the network, data is the transaction data of each of the plurality of vehicles, and approved by a blockchain function. Any one of the plurality of vehicles has: a storage unit that stores smart contract data having a programmed, process for distributing the effect of platooning and making payment; and an execution unit that executes the process, on the basis of the approved data, in the blockchain.