Toll Data Checksum Verification for Route Integrity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current toll collection systems for vehicles, particularly passenger vehicles, face challenges in providing reliable and cost-effective data for toll calculation due to high efforts required for data security and protection, which can lead to potential manipulation of route data.

Innovation Solution

A method and device that determine a collision-free checksum for recorded position data values, allowing secure and cost-effective data provision by sending stored checksums to toll beacons, with the ability to detect manipulation through random checks and verification of route data, utilizing a hash function like SHA-2 for tamper-proof routes without additional secure storage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional toll collection systems use GPS data recording devices with secure storage hardware, then data security and protection are improved, but device complexity and cost increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata securityVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the security-critical function from complex hardware security modules and implements it through software-based checksum calculation and verification. The checksum algorithm extracts essential security verification capability without requiring additional secure storage hardware, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining data security.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a simplified copy of the security verification function using checksum algorithms instead of complex hardware security modules. The checksum serves as a lightweight representation of data integrity verification, enabling security functions without the complexity of dedicated secure hardware.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Measurement precision

If comprehensive position data is recorded and transmitted for toll calculation, then toll calculation accuracy is improved, but data transmission volume and processing effort increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetoll calculation accuracyVSAvoiddata transmission volume
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential security verification information (checksum values) from the complete position data set. Instead of transmitting all raw position data, only the calculated checksums are transmitted for verification, dramatically reducing data transmission volume while maintaining the ability to verify toll calculation accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary checksum calculation at the data source before transmission. By pre-calculating checksums for position data segments, the system enables efficient verification without transmitting the entire data set, reducing processing effort at receiving endpoints while preserving measurement precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2994890B1Method and device for providing data for toll charging and toll system
Publication Date: 2021.01.27 CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
  • EP2994890B1 patent drawingFigure 1

AI summary

The invention relates to a method and device for providing data for toll charging and to a toll system. To provide the data for toll charging, a collision-free checksum is determined for each vehicle depending on a predefined set of acquired position data values. Each set of acquired position data values is then stored together with the associated checksum in a predefined manner. When the vehicle passes a predefined toll marker (40), a first data set, which comprises at least one of the stored checksums, is sent to the respective toll marker (40). In response to a predefined read-out signal and/or at predefined time intervals, at least some of the stored position data values are provided together with the associated checksums in a predefined manner at a predefined communication interface.