Ride Hailing Vehicle Authentication via Dynamic Light Patterns
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ride hailing platforms fail to securely and accurately identify vehicles and authenticate drivers, especially in crowded areas where multiple vehicles are present, leading to difficulties in the last few meters of the pickup process.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses point-to-point communication between passenger and driver devices, employing unique tokens and location data to establish communication zones and guide each other accurately, incorporating augmented reality and biometric verification for secure authentication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional vehicle identification methods (make, model, license plate) are used, then passengers can identify vehicles from a distance, but passengers cannot reliably distinguish vehicles in crowded areas where multiple similar vehicles are present
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs colored lights that change or flash in specific patterns as a visual identifier for the vehicle. The passenger's device detects these color changes and patterns to authenticate the vehicle, providing a reliable distinction method that works in crowded areas where traditional visual identification fails.
2Ease of operation
If drivers and passengers communicate through a central server, then authentication can be performed, but communication efficiency and accuracy in the final approach (last few meters) is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the vehicle's colored light system as an intermediary signal between the driver and passenger. The light patterns convey authentication information directly to the passenger's device, eliminating the need for continuous server mediation during the critical final approach phase and reducing communication delays.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-authentication where the passenger's device automatically detects the vehicle's light patterns and verifies authentication status without requiring manual intervention or continuous server communication, allowing the pickup process to proceed efficiently once the vehicle is in range.
3Measurement precision
If no point-to-point communication is established, then system complexity is low, but location accuracy and directional guidance between driver and passenger is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the communication system into two distinct modes: server-based communication for initial connection and authentication setup, and point-to-point direct communication for final approach and precise location guidance. This segmentation allows the system to gain high location accuracy when needed while maintaining low overall complexity by using simple communication methods for the majority of the interaction.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of authentication in ride hailing situations may include directing, by a first computing device of a passenger, the passenger to point a camera of the first computing device toward a location of a second computing device of a driver located in a vehicle, receiving data from the camera, wherein the data comprises streaming image frames including vehicle information pertaining to a vehicle included in the streaming image frames, analyzing the data to obtain the vehicle information, and determining whether the vehicle in the streaming image frames corresponds to an expected vehicle for the driver, the determination based on the vehicle information and expected vehicle information.