Vehicle Computing Device Road Usage Charging Encryption
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing fuel tax model for funding road infrastructure becomes inadequate as the market shifts towards electrified vehicles, leading to funding shortfalls and privacy concerns due to the need for vehicles to report detailed location and time data for road usage charging (RUC).
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system where a security-hardened vehicle computing device (VCD) computes and encrypts road usage charges based on charge policies, allowing for private operation by not transmitting detailed time and location data, while enabling remote verification by service providers and charging entities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If vehicles report detailed location and time data for road usage charging, then accurate road usage charging can be achieved, but driver privacy is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential charging amount information from the vehicle usage data, separating it from the sensitive location and time details. The vehicle computing device calculates the RUC charge locally and transmits only the encrypted charging amount to the service provider, eliminating the need to report detailed location and time data while maintaining charging accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle computing device acts as an intermediary between the vehicle sensors and the service provider. It processes the raw location and time data locally to compute the RUC charge, then transmits only the encrypted result to the service provider. This intermediary processing layer protects driver privacy while ensuring accurate charging calculation.
2Quantity of substance
If fuel tax model is used for funding road infrastructure, then funding can be collected, but it becomes insufficient as electrified vehicles increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the basis of taxation from fuel consumption (gallons) to road usage metrics (distance traveled, vehicle weight, road type). This parameter change allows the system to generate revenue from both traditional combustion vehicles and electrified vehicles equally, ensuring continued funding as the vehicle fleet transitions to electric powertrains.
3Measurement precision
If service providers collect detailed RUC data from vehicles, then accurate charging can be calculated, but security and trust requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle computing device performs self-service by autonomously calculating the RUC charge using onboard sensors and stored charge policies. It encrypts the calculated charge locally and transmits only the encrypted result to the service provider. This self-service approach eliminates the need for the service provider to handle sensitive raw data, reducing security risks while maintaining charging accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The service provider stores and processes encrypted copies of the RUC charge data rather than the original sensitive location and time information. The vehicle computing device creates an encrypted copy of the charging amount that preserves the financial information while removing personally identifiable data, enabling accurate billing without compromising security.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are systems and techniques for road usage charging. For example, a vehicle (e.g., using a vehicle computing device (VCD)) can receive an encryption key of a first charging entity and determine a first road usage charge associated with the first charging entity based on a first charge policy. The vehicle can determine a total usage charge (based on the first road usage charge) for road usage (e.g., associated with the first charging entity) and can encrypt the total usage charge based on the encryption key. The vehicle can determine information associated with the total usage charge and can encrypt the information associated with the total usage charge based at least in part on the encryption key. The vehicle can transmit the encrypted total usage charge to a first network entity and can transmit the encrypted information to a second network entity for verifying the encrypted total usage charge.