DriveOn Pay(TM) as WiMAX-compatible Menu-Driven Dashtop Mobile Payment Platform

• US 20080208680A1
• Filed: 06/05/2007
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ErgonoTech, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ErgonoTech, Inc.
• Inventors: Cho, Kyu Hwang
• Granted Patent: US 8,666,801 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/06 Arrangements for road pricing or congestion charging of vehicles or vehicle users, e.g. automatic toll systems

Abstract

DriveOn Pay™ is a location-based Privacy-friendly dashtop mobile payment platform (DMPP), based on mobile WiMAX IEEE 802-16e-2005. It is an all-in-one solution geared to integrate all other dashtop gadgets in view of the growing necessity of the real-time bridge syncing cyberworld and real world, which is central to mobile broadband technology. The VIN-based Menu-Driven Fail-safe 5-mile-range DMPP envisions a BS and a Touchscreen On-Vehicle CPE named VIMO™, powered by the vehicle battery. It works as an Unmanned Booth-free Toll-Collection Maximizer at any vehicle speed; Transportation Hub Security Enforcer for non-linear surveillance of passengers plus non-passengers, both indoors and outdoors; ‘JIT e-Commerce on the Go’ (JITeCGO) Creator; Ticket-free Biometrics-free Remote Check-In & Admission Optimizer for ballparks, expos, parking garages, and transportation hubs. After all, it is to provide an optimal solution to metropolitan traffic surges, wherever they may happen, utilizing the Disposable Ephemeral Digital ID (DEDID) and the vehicle-to-vehicle mobile P2P.

Claims

1. DriveOn Pay™

as a WiMAX-compatible Menu-driven Dashtop Mobile Payment Platform

Rationales;

1) A paradigm shift;

With Drive-On Pay™

, User carries a VIMO™

unit as a virtual payment terminal, as opposed to the current practice of merchants carrying payment terminals at storefronts. In return, a proprietary menu is respectively offered wirelessly by merchants or stores. A payment terminal at a storefront limits financial transaction one at a time, whereas Drive-On Pay™

allows thousands at a time.

2) Metropolitan Area Network-enabled wireless paying platform configured for the combined use of the following;

User-centric menu

LCD touchscreen

the programmed short keys

a bandwidth-saving protocol and time-memory tradeoff (TMTO) advantages of minimizing Codec procedures.

3) Theoretical payment processing capacity;

at a rate of 4,400 vehicles on a 6-lane toll plaza in a fraction of a second, at an average vehicle speed of 80 mph, within a 5-mile range. The above capacity is based on the MG OnGate mode.

4) 3 DAYS (TD) and Prepaid Tolls (PP), inter alia, are crucial to this paying platform. To ensure a fail-safe operation, not only digital, electronic and mechanical perfection should be optimized, but also the human fallibility needs to fully considered.

3 DAYS (TD) is an electronic pledge to pay within 3 calendar days at a surcharge of, for example, 50%. The high rate of this surcharge won'"'"'t likely lure users to have recourse to 3 DAYS.

Prepaid Tolls (PP) are not linked to any pre-setup account, like RFID-enabled electronic toll collection systems, such as FasTrak and EZ-Pass. Users may feel free to buy any dollar amount to fill the gap for the balance of PP or pay one or two times or more than that. Local toll authorities may offer some discount for the purchase of Prepaid Tolls in larger unit.

5) Payment processing method;

random and point to multipoint, non-serial processing. Non-linear processing will reduce unnecessary time wastage and improve efficiency of payment collection.

6) Creator of ‘

JIT e-commerce on the go’

featuring online ordering for JIT pickup or JIT service. JITeCGO is a new eCommerce domain to be implemented on a dashtop mobile payment platform like Drive-On Pay™

. The significant rise in demand for bridging the gap between the virtual and real world bring about some new devices and new applications.

7) New potential eCommerce domain for mobile advertising and commercials, different than on the fixed or mobile Internet. At present, cellular technology and GPS tracking techniques are configured to enable mobile advertising and marketing. Big media corporations are thriving on mobile websites, while mobile carriers are cautious to make a sales pitch on GPS-tracking mobile advertising.

8) Security enforcer at public transportation hubs, like airports. Mass surveillance and passenger screening at airports and other transportation hubs are increasingly reliant on the RFID and biometric technology, which is based on serial processing.

9) Optimizer of Remote Check-In featuring ticket-free, biometrics-free admissions. Motorists can buy ball game tickets at the wheel and return them for a refund. Besides, flight passengers can check in for boarding while in the vehicles, thereby saving a long wait in the line for security checks.

10) Booth-free toll-collection maximizer and traffic flow optimizer utilizing Differential Toll Collection System. Drive-On Pay™

can surcharge all the motorists during commute hours and refund the surcharge to commuters only, thereby coaxing non-commuters to voluntarily avoid the commute hours.

11) Potential as the centerpiece of ITS (Intelligent Transportation Systems) enabling traffic data archiving, traffic data mining, analysis of motorists'"'"' behavioral shift, real-time traffic data feeds, target-specific and purpose-specific multicasting of traffic warnings with friendly advice tailored to meet motorist preferences.

12) Pre-formatted messages stored into short keys and buttons both offline and online are transmitted and received between a BS and VIMO units. No need for such input interfaces as keyboard, mouse or stylus, but a finger touch is all you need. As an exception, a pop-up keypad is added for the purpose of authenticating virtual tickets.

2. VIMO™

Rationales;

1) Size;

4″

(L)×

7″

(W)×

½

″

(D). Equipped with Touchscreen of either LCD display or other advanced technology, with the two blinking foolproof buttons at bottom, outside the screen. Powered by vehicle battery, which is an optimal solution to the need of long-life battery for mobile devices. The programmed short keys are displayed on the screen.

2) A great potential as an in-vehicle all-in-one device that is most likely to accommodate all the futuristic mobile gadgetry requirements thanks to the ‘

always on’

battery. GPS navigators, MP3 players, satellite radios, smart phones, mobile Internet, mobile TV and video games can be integrated into DriveOn Pay™

in view of their integration hierarchy.

3) Relatively large screen (6″

×

3″

) that meets not only the futuristic needs, like mobile TV, video games, traffic data feeds in “

triple play”

, GPS navigation. Good legibility for the elderly and motorists with vision problems.

3. ‘

START’

&

‘

SHOOT’

buttons

Rationales;

The two buttons are to be placed on the VIMO frame but as an alternative, they can be on the steering wheel (See FIG. 1000.1 &

FIG. 1000.2)

     1) ‘

START’

—

Vehicle data are tagged into this button offline and are propagated in encrypted data packets wirelessly, when the ‘

START’

button is hit while blinking

     2) ‘

SHOOT’

—

real-time data events are progressively saved into this button online, and the button, when hit while blinking, will merge/send those data as an integrated data packet to a BS to complete the paying transaction.

3) Color-coded in ‘

red’ and

‘

green’

respectively, and ‘

blinking’

to indicate the right timing of hitting.

4) These two buttons may be mounted on the steering wheel, with voice tags for payment option menu selection.

4. SID, CN, AP, GID, TVD, NVD, QVD, VD, V/C, VCN, CV, D/O, TBA, NTBA, TEV, PID, Ticket ID, CI, CO, TSBoo, TSBuff, MG, MP, OnGate, OffGate, GMAN, MGX, VLS, VIN PLUS

Rationales:

1) All these acronyms are vital and instrumental in implementation schemes of DriveOn Pay™

.

2) Without these acronyms, the DriveOn Pay algorithm can hardly be explained. They are not just acronyms, but have specific functions.

5. Circadian Numbering™

[C₂₄]

also called DEDID™

(Disposable Ephemeral Digital ID)

Rationales;

1) Hour-specific sorting out of traffic data is made more effectively. The selected 24 English letters, excluding I and Q, are codified to represent each hour of a day. Take a SID number, e.g. “

364K049”

, for instance. You may recognize that this number was issued at 10;

19 a.m., if you understand the simple algorithm behind it.

At present, cryptography has no time factor in it so that brute force attacks can decipher any ciphertext, given an eternity. To save bandwidth in mobile technology world, the 7-digit alphanumeric numbers, though they look fragile against birthday attacks, are given time limits of 2 hours for use so as to frustrate any attack. Circadian Numbering™

is based on a time-memory tradeoff (TMTO) advantage, giving a time factor to digital ID or authentication that has so far dwelled on a space domain.

2) Bandwidth-friendly 7-digit alphanumeric numbers that can show the exact time of issuance to the point of hour and minutes. It makes error checking and correction during transmission a lot easier.

3) To head off ‘

collision’

of identical 7-digit numbers during the process of quasirandom number generation, ergodic sequence is used.

4) DEDID will help standardize the length of various alphanumeric numbers used for wireless transactions and will serve the purposes of archiving, tracking, confirmation and approval and even data mining. In bandwidth-intensive environments, 12-digit or 16-digit numbers are a waste to be avoided.

5) Utilizing C₂₄ and SID, digital ID for one-day one-time use may replace physical admission tickets, boarding passes, order numbers and other authentication needs.

6) Unlike other digital ID, it is hourly-based and has to be authenticated immediately by User, while online, and is featured with high-volume processing, as opposed to serial processing methods like biometrics authentication, RFID scanning and person-to-person ID screening. No need to do costly data updates required for RFID and biometrics

6. TBA &

NTBA

Rationales;

1) Determining whether video capture data is to be attached to VD is fundamental in saving bandwidth.

2) VD can be flagged with TBA xor NTBA by giving values like TBA=1 and NTBA=0

7. V/C &

VCN

Rationales;

V/C is essential to complete any toll-paying transaction. Without V/C, any paid toll-collection process will be void. V/C transmission of every vehicle is not justifiable in view of time-memory tradeoff advantages. To save bandwidth, V/C is to be stored in the buffer memory of digital video cameras at MGX until GMAN asks for it. V/C with NTBA status will be deleted in due course of the process, which may be customized based on local factors. Instead, VCN (Video Capture Number) will be sent to GMAN and expedite to finalize the transaction before any V/C with TBA status is asked for by GMAN.

8. The 300-second time frame and 5-mile stretch configured for MG OnGate and OffGate

Rationales:

1) In calculating an effective range of BS, a 5-mile stretch and the time frame, hypothetical assumptions were made on Cauchy behaviors of vehicle-to-vehicle distances (V2Vd) in traffic moving at an average speed of 80 mph. Given an average vehicle speed of 80 mph, the V2Vd is theoretically set at an average of 6 meters, based on empirical data.

2) The average length of vehicles was assumed to be 5 meters in a bid to seek the upper bound of traffic volume.

9. Payment Option Menu including 3 DAYS and Prepaid Tolls with the following tenet.

Rationales:

1) Six payment options are arrayed for the MG OnGate mode;

Credit, Debit, 3 DAYS, Carpool, Prepaid and Others. For other modes, four options are available;

Credit, Debit, 3 DAYS and Others.

2) 3 DAYS;

3-day or n-day float {1≦

n≦

5} secured against vehicle registration and at a 50% surcharge. The heavy surcharge is to minimize the abusive use of 3 DAYS option. The 3 DAYS toll due can be offset automatically by Prepaid Tolls, if the balance is enough.

3) Prepaid Tolls;

not only used to pay tolls, but also circulated as e-cash for DriveOn Pay™

. It enables a low-cost scenario of differential toll systems to be implemented by crediting the Prepaid Toll accounts for refunding purposes, instead of a costlier way of crediting bank accounts or mailing refund checks to motorists. This Prepaid Toll creates a solid fund pool for local toll authority and may offset the 3 DAYS toll due automatically.

4) Basically, DriveOn Pay™

is a 3-touch operation on the MG OnGate mode, if User is all set. Voice tags can be enabled so as to skip finger-touch on the screen.

10. Differential Toll System &

Prepaid Toll Account &

biweekly email statement

Rationales;

1) To optimize traffic flow during specific hours of weekdays, specific seasons, and specific periods, and by specific routes.

2) Collect an extra flat fee as a differential toll and refund it to eligible commuters in two weeks by crediting their Prepaid Toll accounts that are not linked to any bank or credit card account, as opposed to an RFID tags that require automatic debit from your bank or credit card account.

3) Biweekly statement by email—

commuters eligible for differential toll waivers get this statement, not every motorist. Eligibility criteria are to be set by local toll authority.

4) D/O;

Differential tolls for Oversized vehicles for private use. This D/O is non-refundable in any case. Vehicle length buffers are to be set by local toll authority.

11. Vehicle Length Scanner

Rationales:

1) To telemetrically measure up the lengths of vehicles running at full speeds of up to 80 mph by utilizing lane-wide vertical infrared beam curtains.

2) Comparison between the registered vehicle lengths and the actually measured lengths.

3) Utilizing lane-wide vertical infrared beam curtains and speed readers.

4) L=0.044694*T/100 (if V in miles) or L=0.027778V*T/100 (if V in kilometers) Vehicle lengths come in meters, not in yards. To avoid strictness in vehicle lengths, an allowable length buffer (e.g. 1 meter) can be given.

12. Ticket ID and Remote Check-In

Rationales:

1) Utilize SID to generate a Ticket ID that is a virtual ticket to replace a physical ticket to save trees and save the ticket-collecting labor.

2) Authentication by entering DOB (Date of Birth) in 8-digit [mmddyyyy] format, which can survive even birthday attacks and brute force attacks in view of its one-time and ephemeral use.

3) Date of Birth should not be identical to User'"'"'s biological DOB, but can be replaced by any 8-digit numbers that should not escape User'"'"'s memory even at some hectic moments. Portability of the growing list of digital authentication means like usernames and passwords is out of the question in wireless mobile technology.

13. Customization of VIMO

Rationales:

Customization of VIMO is recommended for elderly motorists, and motorcyclists, and others who may prefer customization.

1) Though efficiency and dexterity can be gained through repeated use, customizing it into a two-touch operation, skipping the process of menu selection, might be a better choice.

2) Two payment options, one primary and another secondary, are to be stored into VIMO offline prior to use.

3) Customized VIMO may still display the ‘

CARPOOL’

payment option key during carpool hours making it a three-touch operation in that case.

14. Trigger &

Trigger blocker

Rationales;

1) The Trigger signals are an infinite loop that is designed to touch off automatic transmission of Answerback signals from VIMO in order to send location-specific Welcome data to VIMO. Therefore, right after the Welcome screen is on, VIMO should be blocked from Triggers and the Trigger blocker is synchronized with the OnGate session timer initially set for 300 seconds.

2) Any extension caused by a minor accident near a GMAN tollgate will synchronize Trigger blocker with the OnGate session timer

15. Clock-In &

Clock-Out Crossbar or Crossbeam or equivalent structure

Rationales;

Utilizing Infrared Beams to check Clock-In and Clock-Out of vehicles

1) MP sessions require Clock-In and Clock-Out to seek the accuracy of length of service hours. In an MP Airport session, a motorist has to prepay for the first hour, for example, and later pay extra for every quarter of an hour exceeding the first one hour. In this case, it is fair that the first hour starts counting only after the vehicle has passed under the Clock-In crossbar, while extra charges plus valet service fee, if any, will be paid at the moment of passing under the Clock-Out crossbar.

2) In MP Public Parking session, motorists may clock into a parking garage either on the spot or after PID has been assigned to them through Remote Check-In. The moment PID is assigned to a motorist, the parking time starts ticking away in most cases, except when there has been an abnormal delay caused by a gridlock or accident on the way to the parking garage. Such an abnormal delay might be deducted from the parking time.

16. 11 flowcharts &

10 pseudocodes for 8 major implementation schemes

Rationales;

1) The 11 flowcharts and 10 pseudocodes constitute the entire algorithm for DriveOn Pay™

.

2) The 128 drawings plus 5 select displays of VIMO™

17. Message Format

Rationales:

Different than Text Messaging (SMS) on mobile phone and Internet chatting, only the formatted messages can be sent and received between a BS and VIMO. As an exception to the rule, a brief entry of short numbers and characters can be made on the VIMO keypad that pops up, when necessary.

1) As a space-time tradeoff, Codec and encryption are limited to critical data only, while abbreviated plaintexts are used.

2) Prototype of message format;

[BOM]—

Beginning of Message indicating sender, receiver &

date &

time

[HEADER]—

Title of Message+encrypted hash value

[BODY]—

Full Content of Message

[EOM]—

End of Message

18. TriageCasting™

Rationales;

1) It is analogous to multicasting, but differs in that node to node connections are inversely aligned in travel direction of vehicles. Each VIMO becomes a node in this case. Its purpose is to balance the road occupancy status in the event of accidents or natural disasters, triaging the traffic overloads on the roads.

2) Each motorist'"'"'s travel log is kept and maintained in VIMO™

at his/her discretion, in order to appease privacy concerns.

3) It will be a solid basis for simulating the intelligent behaviors of ITS (Intelligent Transportation Systems). This is also geared to addressing anomalies or panicky motorist responses arising out of broadcasting to motorists in general some real-time target-specific traffic data feeds that should reach the targeted traffic only.

4) By targeting or grouping motorists for specific purposes, based on their travel patterns, including destinations, travel frequency, travel time, travel hours, average speed, target-specific traffic data are to be TriageCast to those motorists targeted in Group {A,B,C, . . . ,}.

19. Keypad, Fill-In Box and Diamond Key

Rationales:

1) To enter variable integers, like Date of Birth, third party mobile phone numbers, currency, the keypad is accompanied by the Fill-In Box that varies depending on the situation.

2) A diamond key for releasing my stored mobile phone number to a BS′

for one-time use only so as to receive Ticket ID information. The diamond key should be hit only after DOB entry is completed. For authentication purposes, the entered DOB is not shown in the Ticket ID information received on a mobile number

20. Pay per frame hierarchy in MP DAS sessions

Rationales:

The untrodden path of determining ad rates for on-screen commercials in the domain of JIT e-Commerce on the Go, which is different from Internet e-Commerce.

The differential ad rates for the on-screen commercials are to be determined by the following criteria;

Pay per frame hierarchy;

A set of banners shown on the VIMO screen (e.g. 7 banners on the screen) is called a frame. These banners, when pressed and held, will lead to related on-screen menu, respectively. If a total of 35 banners are to be displayed by any BS, then a total of 5 frames will rotate one after another at a pre-set interval. In other words, which frame comes first after EVENTS key is hit, and which comes second, and so on. The rotating order of the frames as above-mentioned will determine the ad rates.

Ergonomic considerations are given so as to avoid a tiled array of more than 7 icons on a touchscreen. For human eyes, a maximum of 7 items can be randomly scanned and recognized fast at a glance. In this case, rectangular shapes are avoided and irregular shapes are recommended to maximize the effect of fast-scanning at a glance, which is a must for a motorist behind the wheel.

Besides, the icons or banners of irregular shapes are not supposed to keep the same positions, but are placed in a rotating sequence.

Pay per replacement hierarchy;

banner or frame

If a banner is pressed, then it will go off the screen. If a banner is zapped off the screen, then there comes a replacement banner popping up from another frame. Meantime, if you want to flip the entire frame to see another frame, you can press ‘

FLIP’

key. When a frame is flipped by User, the replacement frame does not come in the regular rotating order, but follows the exceptional rotating order. The differential rates are applicable, depending on whether to replace

1) banner

2) frame.

There are more variations that are to be further elaborated separately.

21. Flight Information

Rationales:

1) Departing flight passengers'"'"' ticket information plus personal profiles are stored in VIMO and are transmitted to a BS, when the “

Flight Info”

key is hit.

2) It is an important ingredient to Remote Check-In for boarding at airports, and shortening the lengthy and tedious security check procedures.

22. Gift Coupon Arsenal in MP DAS

Rationales:

1) Not only gift coupons but also gift certificates, discount coupons, are stored in “

Gift Coupon Arsenal”

for you, and they will show up for immediate use, whenever you happen to be within the effective range of the BS. You are free from clipping coupons to carry them in your wallet. There is no need to download and print gift certificates from a website. Or else you will keep some bulky certificates in your wallet, looking for a chance to use it.

2) Gift Coupon Arsenals will guarantee faster turnaround of the commercial come-ons like this.

23. JITeCGO—

JIT e-Commerce on the Go

Rationales;

1) Each session needs a TID for one-time use only.

2) JIT pickup or JIT service guaranteed

3) PP as e-cash

4) Non-Internet shopping domain

5) Brief commercials targeted at passing-by motorists

6) Need to prepay or make a deposit

7) It is a location-based wireless shopping domain on the move

8) Access to any commercial is strictly subject to your consent.

24. AutoCite—

Rationales;

1) Unmanned citation of parking violations

2) Labor-saving

3) Paperless citation

4) Send email alert to User regarding the citation.

25. Configuration of START &

SHOOT BUTTONS on Steering Wheel

for voice tags

1) Speech Technology may either complement technological limitations of Touchscreen or replace Touchscreen.

2) Ergonomic design consideration for heedless motorists.

3) See FIG. 1000.2