Vehicle Payment Server Occupant Sharing via BLE Beacons
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current mobile payment systems are unable to share payments among multiple vehicle occupants, as they are designed for a single payer and lack the ability to identify and communicate with multiple users within a vehicle, making it difficult to distribute payment requests effectively.
Innovation Solution
A payment server that receives payment requests, identifies vehicle occupants through their mobile devices, and transmits billing messages to an in-vehicle infotainment system, allowing for the sharing of payments among occupants by determining seat positions and communicating with a cloud-based platform using Bluetooth Low Energy beacons.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If current mobile payment systems are used, then single-user payment functionality is maintained, but payment sharing among multiple vehicle occupants cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the payment process by identifying individual vehicle occupants through their mobile devices and distributing payment requests to specific users based on their seat positions and occupancy status, enabling multi-user payment sharing while maintaining individual account management
Solution Approach 2:
The payment server acts as an intermediary between the payment station and multiple vehicle occupants' mobile devices, receiving payment requests, identifying occupants, and distributing billing messages to appropriate users based on occupancy data
2Adaptability or versatility
If payment requests are distributed to all vehicle occupants, then payment sharing is enabled, but communication infrastructure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses universal Bluetooth Low Energy communication that already exists in modern smartphones and vehicles, leveraging existing infrastructure to distribute payment requests without requiring specialized communication hardware or protocols
Solution Approach 2:
Each vehicle occupant's mobile device autonomously receives and processes payment requests through its existing Bluetooth and network capabilities, with the payment server automatically routing messages based on occupancy detection rather than requiring manual user configuration
3Measurement precision
If vehicle occupant identification is implemented, then accurate payment distribution is achieved, but system reliability requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors Bluetooth connectivity status and occupancy detection feedback to verify successful delivery of payment requests to the correct users, with the payment server able to track and confirm which occupants receive billing messages based on their mobile device responses
Data Source
AI summary
A payment server configured to share payments among occupants of a vehicle. The payment server receives a payment request comprising a payment amount and a vehicle identification, accesses a database record associated with the vehicle identification, the record including an identification and seat position of each vehicle occupant as determined from a mobile device of each occupant, and identifies the vehicle driver. The server transmits to an in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) system a first billing message associated with the payment request, the IVI system displaying the first billing message on a screen of an IVI head unit. The first billing message offers the driver an option to share the payment amount with a second occupant of the vehicle.