Unified Vehicle Authorization System for Mobility Services

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current authorization and payment systems for mobility services are highly fractured, requiring users to install multiple applications and maintain separate accounts for different service providers, leading to user inconvenience and inefficiency.

Innovation Solution

A centralized authorization and payment system that uses both user information from mobile devices and vehicle information to authorize mobility services, allowing for seamless integration across various providers, including refueling, parking, and toll roads, with the option to debit accounts associated with the user or vehicle.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple separate authorization systems are used for different service providers, then each service provider can maintain its own security and control mechanisms, but users must install multiple applications and maintain separate accounts, increasing system complexity and user burden

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice authorization securityVSAvoidnumber of applications and accounts
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple separate authorization systems into a single unified authorization system. The vehicle-mounted device consolidates authorization capabilities for multiple service providers (toll roads, parking facilities, refueling stations) into one integrated platform. Users authenticate once through this unified system, which then manages all service authorizations, eliminating the need for multiple separate applications and accounts while maintaining secure authorization for each service type.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The unified authorization system implements multi-functionality by serving multiple service providers and purposes through a single platform. The system can authorize toll road access, parking facility entry, refueling station access, and other mobility services all through one authorization mechanism. This universal approach allows the same vehicle-mounted device to interact with diverse service providers using standardized protocols while maintaining provider-specific security requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If users install multiple applications for different service providers, then each application can be optimized for its specific service, but users experience inconvenience and inefficiency due to managing multiple accounts and knowing which application to use for each establishment

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice-specific functionalityVSAvoiduser convenience
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The vehicle-mounted authorization system acts as an intermediary between users and multiple service providers. Instead of users directly interacting with each service provider's application, the unified system mediates all authorization requests. The vehicle device automatically identifies which service is being accessed (toll road, parking, refueling) and routes the authorization request through the appropriate protocol, eliminating the need for users to manually select applications or remember which service uses which platform.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The unified authorization system implements self-service by automatically managing service selection and authorization routing without user intervention. When the vehicle approaches a service provider, the system automatically initiates the appropriate authorization protocol based on the detected service type. Users simply need to be authenticated once; the system then handles all subsequent service-specific authorizations autonomously, eliminating the operational burden of managing multiple applications.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Ease of operation

If a centralized authorization system is implemented to unify access across multiple service providers, then user convenience is improved by requiring only a single authorization process, but the system must integrate and manage information from multiple different providers, increasing integration complexity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesingle authorization processVSAvoidintegration complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The unified authorization system uses segmentation by implementing standardized interface protocols that divide the integration complexity into manageable segments. Each service provider communicates through defined data exchange formats and protocols, allowing the vehicle-mounted system to process different service types through modular, standardized routines rather than requiring custom integration code for each provider. This segmented approach to integration reduces overall system complexity while maintaining unified user access.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2900519B1Authorization of service using vehicle information and user information
Publication Date: 2018.11.07 INRIX INC
  • EP2900519B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2900519B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2900519B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems are provided for authorizing an action using vehicle identification information (e.g., supplied by a vehicle) and user identification information (e.g., supplied by a mobile device associated with a user of the vehicle). Such an action may relate to, among other things, refueling the vehicle, parking the vehicle, using a fee-based road segment, and/or other vehicle-centric actions, for example. Moreover, in one embodiment, as part of the authorization, a payment transaction may be initiated by an authorization system configured to authorize the action.