Location-Based Distributed Ledger for Vehicular Data Integrity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current vehicular communication systems lack efficient mechanisms for location-based data sharing and consensus-building among vehicles and roadside units, which is crucial for enhancing safety and efficiency on roads, especially in scenarios like merging areas where coordinated actions are necessary.

Innovation Solution

A location-based distributed ledger system using a blockchain architecture, where vehicles and roadside units form groups based on physical proximity, allowing for secure and efficient storage and verification of vehicular data, including smart contracts that define behavioral rules and prioritize actions, with consensus mechanisms ensuring data integrity and accuracy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a distributed ledger system is implemented for vehicular communication, then data integrity and security are improved, but system complexity increases

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

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the vehicular network into multiple geographic zones, each with its own distributed ledger node. This segmentation allows localized data processing and consensus, reducing the complexity burden on individual vehicles while maintaining overall system reliability through distributed validation across zones.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Roadside units serve as intermediary nodes between vehicles and the central server. These intermediaries pre-process and validate data before it enters the distributed ledger, reducing the computational burden on individual vehicles and simplifying the consensus process while maintaining data integrity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If location-based access permission is implemented, then data security is improved, but measurement precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata securityVSAvoidlocation accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements different access permission levels for different geographic zones. Instead of requiring high-precision location data everywhere, the system creates localized security zones where vehicles within specific geographic boundaries automatically receive appropriate access permissions, reducing measurement precision requirements while maintaining security.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates virtual copies of geographic zones and access permissions that can be independently managed. Multiple virtual zones can be instantiated without requiring precise physical delimitation, allowing flexible security zones based on logical rather than purely physical boundaries.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Loss of time

If real-time data verification is implemented, then response time is improved, but processing speed requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresponse timeVSAvoidprocessing speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary validation of data format and basic integrity checks at the roadside unit level before data enters the distributed ledger. This preliminary action filters out obviously invalid data early, reducing the processing burden during real-time verification and allowing faster response times without requiring extremely high processing speeds for all validation steps.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements selective verification where not all data requires full cryptographic validation. For critical safety data, full verification is performed; for less critical data, lighter validation is applied. This partial action approach maintains real-time response for essential operations while reducing overall processing speed requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP3525498B1Electronic devices, systems and methods for vehicular communication
Publication Date: 2022.04.20 SONY GROUP CORP
  • EP3525498B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3525498B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3525498B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An electronic device that is configured as a host of a distributed ledger, the permission to access the distributed ledger being location based. Applications are in vehicle to vehicle communication, vehicle to infrastructure communication, unmanned aerial vehicle control and retail.