Toll System Gap Detection Using Travel Direction Angle

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current toll systems face challenges in reliably distinguishing between genuine and false route section gaps, particularly due to errors in data acquisition or detection, which can lead to incorrect assumptions about vehicle movement outside toll roads, compromising user data privacy and system accuracy.

Innovation Solution

A method that examines sequences of route section identifiers for gaps, using vehicle movement parameters such as travel direction angle information to differentiate between real and spurious gaps by comparing measured angle values with reference parameters, allowing for more accurate identification of errors and ensuring data protection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the toll system uses basic route section identifier sequences to track vehicle movement, then the system structure remains simple, but the accuracy of detecting genuine versus false gaps deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegap detection accuracyVSAvoiddata processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-calculates and stores reference travel time values for all possible route section transitions in a database. These reference values are computed in advance based on historical data and route characteristics, allowing the plausibility check to quickly compare actual travel times against expected ranges without complex real-time calculations, thus improving detection accuracy while maintaining system simplicity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces travel time as an intermediary parameter to verify gap sequences. Instead of directly analyzing complex spatial and temporal patterns of vehicle movement, the system uses travel time measurements as a mediator to validate whether a gap represents genuine off-road travel or a detection error, simplifying the verification process while enhancing accuracy

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If the system records detailed position data to verify vehicle routes, then the accuracy of route verification improves, but user data privacy protection deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveroute verification accuracyVSAvoiduser data privacy
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts only the essential verification parameter (travel time) from the complete position data set. Instead of storing and processing detailed GPS coordinates and position information, the system merely records the timestamp when the vehicle enters and exits route sections, calculating travel time while discarding the sensitive positional information, thus maintaining verification accuracy while protecting user privacy

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses transient timestamp data that serves its verification purpose and is then discarded. The system records entry and exit times for gap verification but does not retain detailed position histories, effectively using short-lived data objects that fulfill the verification function without creating persistent privacy-sensitive records

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

3Reliability

If the system assumes all gap sequences indicate off-road travel, then the system operation remains simple, but the reliability of toll collection deteriorates due to false errors

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetoll collection reliabilityVSAvoidgap sequence verification complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements a feedback mechanism where travel time measurements from gap sequences are compared against reference values to validate whether gaps are genuine. This feedback loop allows the system to automatically distinguish between real off-road travel and detection errors, improving toll collection reliability by correcting false error identifications while maintaining straightforward operation through automated verification

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP2922031B1Method and devices for error detection in a toll system
Publication Date: 2017.03.15 TOLL COLLECT GMBH
  • EP2922031B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2922031B1 patent drawingFigure 2a
  • EP2922031B1 patent drawingFigure 2b

AI summary

To detect errors in a toll system, methods and devices are proposed that subject sequences of detected toll sections to a plausibility check. This check takes into account a vehicle movement parameter determined by a decentralized data processing device carried by the toll vehicle in connection with the detection of the toll sections. According to the invention, the vehicle movement parameter is a direction-of-travel angle information derived from angle values ​​recorded by the vehicle on the route between two toll sections in the aforementioned sequence.