EP2503514A2 - System for verifying a carpool operation - Google Patents

Abstract

The system has a carpooling server (12) programmed to compare data of personal digital assistants (PDAs) (9) for determining carpooling operation. An acquisition unit is arranged to acquire independent data of positions of passengers (a1, b1, c1) or arranged to acquire the positions of the passengers. The server or each PDA is programmed for converting the positions of the passengers into independent data, where the server compares the positions acquired by the PDAs on the basis of independent data of the positions of the passengers. An independent claim is also included for a computer program comprising a set of instructions for implementing steps for verifying a carpooling operation.

Description

The invention relates to a system for verifying that a vehicle parked on a location giving a right to a carpool privilege, has actually been the object of simultaneous use by at least two separate passengers in the period which precedes or gives the right to the privilege.

Carpool refers to the joint and organized use of a vehicle generally driven by its owner when accompanied by one or more third-party passengers, for the purpose of making a common journey. This practice allows passengers to save on fuel costs. The community gains by reducing congestion, pollution and road accidents. Carpooling is therefore strongly encouraged by the authorities especially during peak pollution and is all the more practiced when the price of fuel increases.

To date, there is a multitude of sites and means of linking carpool partners as well as some "political" measures of encouragement by granting privileges. We know the provision of a fast motorway track reserved only for cars occupied by at least two passengers. Automatic control systems have been developed, one of them unveils an external monitoring device US2008 / 0175438 while the other reveals an internal monitoring device to the vehicle US2006 / 0180377 .

Some car parks are also reserved for carpooling cars. Some are located near highways and serve to consolidate carpoolers and others located in the city and serve to encourage the use of carpooling. Monitoring the proper use of these car parks is not practiced as it is rather difficult. When monitored, this is direct visual observation or with the aid of cameras and image storage devices for later analysis. Automatic monitoring of the number of passengers in a vehicle with the help of cameras is not yet able to ensure a sufficient success rate.

In this document, it will often be question of AN (Digital Assistant). In fact, it may be PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) or GSM-type mobile phone (Global System for Mobile Communications, historically "Mobile Special Group") associated with a carpool server, the PDA generally having the device of geo-location based on the positions of the GPS satellites (Global Positioning System) while the mobile phone type AN has in addition to the elements of communication (GSM, GPRS, UMTS, and 3G or even 4G) a geolocation application based on the triangulation of the coordinates of the connecting antennas. All these devices have means of storing information and are able to process applications downloaded from a server.

The invention relates more particularly to a system for verifying a carpool operation comprising a server, two digital assistants each equipped with data acquisition means during a time interval corresponding to a displacement of a carrier of the digital assistant and a communication network between the server and the two digital assistants, the server being programmed to compare the data of the two digital assistants to determine a carpool.

A system for monitoring a carpool operation is known from the document WO2009 / 007752 . The goal is to calculate the price of a penetration tax in urban center also called congestion tax. This system includes a computer, two digital assistants in the form of mobile phones and a short-distance communication network between the computer and the two digital assistants. The computer is programmed to compare the signals sent on the communication network by the two digital assistants, not only during a trip on board the vehicle, but also during the phases in which the digital assistants' carrier approaches the vehicle. or leave him. The relative positions of the two digital assistants draw figures of approach, movement and exit of the vehicle that are used to verify that the carpool has been made by two different carriers. The short-haul communication network requires to board the computer in the carpool vehicle.

The document US 20040049424 discloses a system for monitoring a carpool operation in accordance with the preamble recalled in the introduction. The digital assistants are in the form of mobile phones equipped with a GPS Global Positioning System type of geo-location and the communication network is the Internet network. Based on the positions acquired by the means of geo-location of the two mobile phones, the server determines whether two carriers have traveled together, for example along a lane reserved for carpooling. To verify that the two digital assistants have been used by two different carriers, it is planned to contact the porters and ask them for confirmation of the carpool undertaken.

The document EP 1251475 discloses a system of organizing a carpool also in accordance with the preamble recalled in the introduction. The movement of carpoolers is monitored using digital assistants equipped with a means of geolocation. The positions of the two people are sent to a server programmed to compare and determine certain carpool characteristics as long as the positions match. To detect the time of departure, when the two people meet, the server is programmed to check if the positions of the carriers are moving at the same speed and in the same direction, that is to say if the two digital assistants occupy a position. same position at the same moment.

The invention aims at a verification of a carpooling operation which guarantees the participants a degree of confidentiality with respect to their movement. It also aims to perform this verification in a manner other than simply a posteriori declaration by the holders of digital assistants, but without installing a computer in each carpool vehicle.

For this purpose, the subject of the invention is a system conforming to that indicated above, characterized in that , in order to prevent any reconstitution of the movement of the carrier, the acquisition means is configured to acquire data independent of the positions of the carrier or is configured to acquire bearer positions and the server or digital assistant is programmed to convert them to data independent of these positions, the comparison between the two digital assistants being performed by the server on the basis of these independent data positions.

The system thus allows a confidentiality treatment when the carpool requires it.

The acquisition means is preferably configured as an accelerometer for acquiring accelerations or as an electronic compass for acquiring orientations.

When the acquisition means is configured by means of geolocation, the server or the digital assistant is programmed to derive the positions in speeds, accelerations or rotations.

Advantageously, the server or the digital assistant is programmed to extract before conversion a position acquired at a time corresponding to an end of the movement of the carrier and the server is programmed to compare two such positions acquired by the two digital assistants.

These two positions and these two instants identical to an uncertainty are used by the server to confirm the comparison made on the basis of data acquired during the time interval corresponding to the movement of one or the other carrier of the digital assistant. The mere knowledge of the point of arrival of the trip does not call into question the confidentiality guaranteed to the participants.

The system provides a digital monitoring assistant connected to the server to enable ASVPs to check that a vehicle that is parked in a privileged location has actually been carpooled in the period which preceded the start of the parking operation. The digital monitoring assistant is connected to the carpooling server directly or via a local parking management server. Privileges can take the form of a reduced or free rate, a space available in a specific car park or better located, or even associated services such as a public transport subscription or the provision of facilities such as a shuttle bus or a bike. In addition, the implementation of the system makes it possible to know the characteristics of the journeys made and thus to have a mass of highly useful data to accelerate the extension or the generalization of carpooling.

Preferably, the server comprises a memory in which positions are stored for their correspondence with parking spaces or gantries with access to parking spaces reserved for a carpool and is programmed to compare the stored positions with the parking position. the digital assistant corresponding to the end of the movement of the carrier.

Advantageously, a digital assistant is equipped with a biometric identification means and programmed to acquire data during the time interval during which this digital assistant acquires the geo-location, orientation or acceleration data and the server is programmed to compare both the geo-location, orientation or acceleration data and the biometric identification data of the digital assistant with the data of the other digital assistant to verify that the carpool has was done by two different people.

While geo-location data, converted to derived data, orientation data, or acceleration data allow the server to determine whether the carriers of the PDAs have made a joint trip, the biometric identification data allows to determine if the two carriers were two different people. The acquisition during the same time interval of the data of the two types makes it possible to ensure, for each digital assistant, the temporal coincidence between the displacement and the biometric identification. In other words, the server has the task of checking the temporal correspondence of the characteristics of the journeys made. The joint movement can represent only the same section of common path.

Preferably, the digital assistant acquires the biometric identification data in the form of a voice wave sequence, a fingerprint or a photograph.

The system further comprises a parking terminal connected to the server by the communication network and equipped with means for reading the biometric identification data and geolocation data, possibly converted into derived data, orientation data. or acceleration data from the digital assistant. The same parking terminal can be split to form a gantry access to a parking privilege. It can also be associated in a gantry with a parking terminal equipped with means for reading geo-location, orientation or acceleration data acquired by a digital assistant and a data detection means. biometric identification, such as a means for detecting the profile of the hand.

The reading is obtained by means of a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) type radio reader, capable of reading an identification, subscription card or the content presented by the AN having the proximity dialogue commonly called NFC (Near Field Communication). ). Thus, during the presentation of the ANs on the parking terminal, the characteristics of the passenger routes or carpools are transferred to the control server. The latter is programmed to compare the data acquired by the digital assistants of the various carriers and to determine whether there has been carpooling and then to determine the characteristics of the trip such as its length, duration or arrival point according to the information collected. . This same server can also have the identification number of the vehicle that can be entered through a camera with automatic recognition or taken data from the AN, these data being then provision of ASVP or gantries for access to privileged car parks.

In this case too and as above, passengers are distinguished by way of the biometric characteristics.

In addition, the automatic capture of the data acquired by the digital assistants leads to the knowledge of carpool trips and their storage on the server, these data being then available for other dedicated servers for example to the analysis of mobility, in the goal of accelerating the introduction of carpooling.

In other words, the invention makes it possible to verify the link between the parking space object of the privilege, the vehicle present on this site and the "carpoolers" by the establishment of means of distinction of these carpoolers, when it is done use of personal assistants with acquisition of biometric identification data. The ANs are then equipped with a means of biometric identification of the carrier in addition to the geolocation means associated with a periodic storage function geographical positions or derived information and dialogue directly with the carpool server through link of type GSM, GPRS or UMTS to transfer all data acquired by the digital assistants characterizing the journeys traveled.

• convertir des positions en vitesses, accélérations ou rotations,
• comparer des signatures ou des profils de vitesse, d'accélération, de rotation, ou d'orientation,
• extraire avant conversion et comparer deux positions de deux assistants numériques à deux instants correspondant chacun à une fin du déplacement de l'un et de l'autre porteur des assistants numériques,
• mémoriser des positions pour leur correspondance avec des places de stationnement ou avec des portiques d'accès à des places de stationnement réservées à un covoiturage et comparer les positions mémorisées avec la position de l'assistant numérique correspondant à la fin du déplacement du porteur,
• acquérir dans un même intervalle de temps, des données de géo-localisation, d'orientation ou d'accélération et des données d'identification biométrique et comparer à la fois les données de géo-localisation, converties en données indépendantes des positions, les données d'orientation ou les données d'accélération et les données d'identification biométrique de l'assistant numérique avec les données d'un autre assistant numérique en vue de vérifier qu'un covoiturage a été effectué par deux personnes différentes portant chacune un assistant numérique.

The invention extends to a computer program comprising instructions that allow a server or digital assistant in which it is loaded and with which a system according to one of the preceding claims is implemented, of

• convert positions into velocities, accelerations or rotations,
• compare signatures or profiles of speed, acceleration, rotation, or orientation,
• extract before conversion and compare two positions of two two-minute digital assistants each corresponding to an end of the movement of the one and the other carrier of the digital assistants,
• storing positions for their correspondence with parking spaces or gantries with access to parking spaces reserved for a car pool and comparing the memorized positions with the position of the digital assistant corresponding to the end of the movement of the carrier,
• acquiring geo-location, orientation or acceleration data and biometric identification data in the same time interval and comparing both the geo-location data, converted to position-independent data, the data guidance or acceleration data and biometric identification data from the digital assistant with data from another digital assistant to verify that a carpool was performed by two different people each carrying a digital assistant .

The figures below illustrate some embodiments of the invention.

The figure 1 has a parking entrance gantry with a ticket distributor device on the left entrance and to the right a check mark of presence of a passenger.

The figure 2 has an entrance gantry similar to that of the figure 1 , the verification of the presence of the passengers being made however by means of a system of measurement of the profile of the hand.

The figure 3 presents a section of car-sharing route giving access to three types of parking.

The figure 4 presents the information flow relating to the carpool processing.

The figure 5 presents two speed profiles corresponding to two carpooling trips.

The figure 1 has a gantry access to a parking. On the left there is the distribution terminal of the access ticket 1, in the center the vehicle 2 and on the right the identification terminal of the passenger 3. On the ground, under the vehicle, a detection loop of presence of said vehicle 4.

The figure 2 has a device for capturing carpools improved in terms of perception. This gantry can be equipped with two terminals 5 and 6 similar to the left terminal 5 or two terminals similar to the right terminal 6.

Thus, in the first case, the two terminals are equipped with biometric detection means such as the fingerprint capture, the analysis of the hand profile 7 placed on a light or bright surface 8 with profile capture camera or two ID card, driver's license or two-reader readers or carpool or carpool membership cards. These latter methods identify passengers in order to prevent the same person from being repeatedly accepted within a given period of time.

In the second case, the two terminals 6 are equipped with an RFID type radio reader 10, capable of reading an identification or subscription card or the content presented by an AN 9 having the proximity dialogue commonly called NFC . The AN 9 is equipped with a geolocation device associated with a function of periodic storage of the characteristics of the carrier's geographical positions.

During the presentation of the ANs, it is the characteristics of the passenger positions and the corresponding time that are transferred to the gantry control server, the latter being programmed to convert the positions into speeds, accelerations or rotation and to compare them in order to determine that there has been carpooling, and then determine the duration. This same server can also have the vehicle identification number entered either through a camera with automatic recognition of the registration number or taken from the data of the driver's PDA, these data then being made available to a server him. - even putting all these data at the disposal of the ASVP or gantries of access to privileged car parks.

The figure 3 has a carpool section with V1 in position, the driver-carpool vehicle a1 from point a, in position V2, the vehicle of a second passenger b1 from point b and having already parked in the parking relay P1, V3 position , the vehicle of a third passenger c1 coming from point c and going to park in P1. The three passengers continue together on their way to one of the P2 or P3 car parks or the E or H section.

This same figure 3 presents some cases of privileges for carpoolers starting with the opening on a section reserved for buses and carpool or a stretch of a paid area e, the latter may be equipped with cameras 11 for entering the registration number of the vehicle, the latter put available to a server 12 "car pooling" to allow to check the real carpool then to act in the opposite case. The entry f leads to a P2 car park, part of which is reserved for car-borne vehicles, access by a barrier 13 is given when the camera 11 associated with the car pooling server 12 and then the car park server 14 checks the right to to park there.

Figure 4 , the two servers 12 and 14 communicate with each other by a network 19 in a known manner, for example by the Internet. Entrance g leads to a paying P3 car park with a privileged, hatched area, reserved only for carpool vehicles that may be free or at preferential rates. Entry H has parking spaces 20 on the road that can benefit either from a reservation or simply a preferential rate. The tax can be paid using the AN 9 or an HD time clock that has a function "tariff for carpooling", this function can be generated by a button. In the latter case, the check is performed by the ASVP 17 by means of a specific AN 15 which is in relation with the parking server 14, the digital assistant 15 informing him, as soon as the registration number of the vehicle under control or on the basis of its instantaneous position given by its own location device, the right of the vehicle to park there or not according to whether it has actually been the subject of a carpool. Similarly, a parking lot and blue zone can also be used for carpool cars with longer duration; in this case, the carpooler will judiciously have a vignette this to facilitate the control.

In the case of figure 3 , each of the passengers al, b1, c1 has an AN 9 which has been the subject of loading the function, that is to say the "carpool" program. This function first involves a pre-registration that will be sent to the carpool server. The requested information is related to the identity of the individuals and their AN and the identification number / s of the vehicle of the driver or vehicles when the two persons take turns their vehicle.

The invention makes it possible to respond to a request for confidentiality of a participant, refusing that his route is traced and memorized but accepting that only the speed profile and the final destination are transferred to the carpool server and then, for example, deleted after 48 hours. .

For a carpool, the two individuals, driver and passenger, are asked to start the carpool function when they leave their home, or even when they meet. Advantageously, there are two launch keys, one called "Start Chauffeur" and the other called "Start Passenger". These two keys are completed by a third common key called "STOP". This "STOP" key may be coupled with a second "STOP PREMATURE" key, this only on the passenger's PDA. It will press this key when it leaves the vehicle before arriving at the parking space 20. During all the time when the "carpool" function is active, the coordinates of the points of the journeys or information derived from these points are stored in the AN.

One of the possible processing algorithms consists in transmitting, on the carpool server 12, the various points of the passenger coordinates a1, b1, c1 at the moment of pressing the "STOP" key, this being done at the moment when the persons leave the vehicle on its parking space.

The first level is to place the received files by grouping them according to the parking locations this after comparing the arrival coordinates with the various locations or parking areas.

The second level of analysis consists in comparing, when a "passenger" file arrives, its arrival time with respect to the arrival times of the "driver" files recorded on the same location or zone parking and not yet allocated to assign it to a driver that is to say a vehicle.

It should be recalled, in connection with the figure 3 9 is understood to mean a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) or a mobile phone communicating with the carpooling server. 12 by a network 18 of the GSM type (Global System for Mobile Communications, historically "Mobile Special Group"), the PDA generally having the geo-location device based on the positions of the GPS satellites (Global Positioning System) while the mobile phone AN type has in addition to the communication elements (GSM, GPRS, UMTS, 3G and even 4G) of a geo-location application based on the triangulation of the coordinates of the link antennas.

As stated previously, to guarantee confidentiality, the invention provides for processing quantities resulting from locations without being locations. It is easy to process the speeds, the latter being obtained by calculating, in a non-vectorized manner, the differences between the points of the course and then placing them in a table which corresponds to the "speed" profile of the course.

Figure 5 a diagram shows two velocity profiles V1 and V2. On the abscissa, the time t is indicated in seconds. In ordinate, the speed V is indicated in km / h. Profile V1 corresponds to the journey made by the driver of the vehicle used. It was calculated from the path positions acquired by the digital assistant of this first carrier and transmitted for processing to the server. Profile V2 is the path performed by the passenger of the vehicle used. It was calculated at positions acquired by the digital assistant of this second carrier and transmitted for processing to the server. For each profile, the server converted the positions into velocities, calculating the algebraic distance between two path positions acquired at two successive instants. The superposition of the two speed profiles allowed the server to establish a carpooling between the driver and the passenger during the time interval corresponding to the superposition of the two profiles.

Similarly, it is possible to record the accelerations that can be obtained from the speed differentials or accelerometers or to rotations obtained unsigned from the deviations of the points of travel or an electronic compass. Profiles similar to those of the figure 5 are obtained for orientations acquired by the acquisition means configured as an electronic compass or for accelerations acquired by the acquisition means configured as an accelerometer.

All of these latter devices are combined with the biometric identification means for confirmation that they are different individuals. When the AN is a simple model such as a mobile phone using SMS short messages, it is advisable to take into account only one signature of the trip, for example the times of ten speed spikes, then to check that at least five of them correspond to information from the AN of the other carpool.

The confidentiality of the driver or owner of the vehicle can also be increased and controls facilitated by the introduction of a "Covoiturage" badge which is placed behind the vehicle's breeze and contains an identification number or an identification number. parking spaces, these numbers may be in the form of traditional characters or coded with bar-code or equivalent. Thus, at the end of a journey, the driver enters the code that is on the badge or on the parking space by means of his AN. It will be the same during the control by the ASVP 17.

Among the possibilities of cheating, there are those which consist of associating false paths or simulated or even carried out journeys by taking the characteristics of a carpool and associating them with another vehicle or vice versa while reporting on the AN of the vehicle , the characteristics of other carpools. To handle these cases, it is important to ensure, by data encryption, the veracity of data from the positions or registration numbers and to ensure the actual location on which the vehicle is parked.

Still in cheating, there is also the method that the driver takes two years and that it simulates the activity of a passenger. The invention provides for remedying this by introducing, in the carpool function of the ANs, a biometric authentication request such as voice recognition or fingerprint recognition.

Similarly, it may be possible to envisage a device based on a single AN, attached to the vehicle or the driver, a highly secure application having a biometric verification mechanism of voice type, fingerprint, facial analysis or the like, the processing being able to take place on the PDA or be deported to the carpooling server. A simple variant is to enter the order "STOP" by the voice, the voice wave sequences being sent to the server along with the other information, the server can then compare this sequence with that of the other carpoolers and confirm or not the distinction between individuals. The word "STOP" can also be followed by a digit or another word proposed randomly by the NA to ensure the spontaneity of the thing and avoid imitations or copies of voices.

This same technology can also be used when the parking is controlled by barriers 13. In this case, it is within a few meters before the entrance of such a parking lot that the individuals press the "STOP" key, the information being sent to the carpool server which, after verification will give the signal of release of the entry.

The point of arrival of the carpool vehicle can also be determined automatically. In this case, the AN has in memory or on the carpool server locations of parking locations and the location determination is derived from the comparison of the arrival point with the position of the parking spaces 20.

Depending on the chosen technique and in particular when the passenger is disembarked before the vehicle's parking place, the passenger may also be asked to enter on his AN, during the carpool or at the time of the stop, the identity of the car. partner or his vehicle subject to the carpool. Judiciously, this function will be launched automatically by the passenger's AN and through local connections such as NSC or Bluetooth or the exchange dialogue by infrared which allows the passenger's AN to enter the information linking it to the driver.

All carpooling cases followed by the system described above are stored, figure 4 in a memory 16 connected to the server 12. This is mainly the position-independent data acquired by the digital assistants or resulting from the conversion performed by the server or the digital assistants, possibly with the end point, the time, the possible identities of the participants or the registration number of the vehicle, this information can then be made available to the servers for the purpose of editing maps for the various services dealing with mobility and thus promoting the generalization of this mode of transport. This information can also be made available to the surveillance agents 17 who have a portable terminal 15 connected by radio or a PDA or GSM, this terminal allowing the agent, after entering the registration number or simply on the base geo-location of the agent, to verify that the beneficiary of a privilege has actually made a carpool.

Claims (10)

System for checking a carpool operation comprising a server (12), two digital assistants (9) each equipped with data acquisition means during a time interval corresponding to a movement of a carrier (a1, b1, c1 ) of the digital assistant (9) and a communication network (18) between the server (12) and the two digital assistants (9), the server (12) being programmed to compare the data of the two digital assistants (9) for determining a carpool, characterized in that , in order to prevent any reconstitution of the carrier's movement, the acquisition means is configured to acquire data independent of the carrier's positions (a1, b1, c1) or is configured to acquire bearer positions (a1, b1, c1) and the server (12) or the digital assistant (9) is programmed to convert them to data independent of these positions, the comparison between the two digital assistants being ef performed by the server (12) based on these location independent data. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the acquisition means is configured by means of geolocation and the server or the digital assistant is programmed to derive the instantaneous positions in speeds, accelerations or rotations. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the acquisition means is configured as an accelerometer to acquire accelerations. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the acquisition means is configured as an electronic compass to acquire orientations. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the server (12) or the digital assistant (9) is programmed to extract before conversion a position acquired at a time corresponding to an end of the movement of the carrier (a1, b1, c1) and the server is programmed to compare two such positions acquired by the two digital assistants (9). System according to Claim 5, characterized in that the server (12) comprises a memory (16) in which positions are stored for their correspondence with parking spaces (20) or access gates (1, 3). parking spaces (20) reserved for a carpool and is programmed to compare the memorized positions with the position of the digital assistant (9) corresponding to the end of the movement of the carrier (a1, b1, c1). System according to claim 1, characterized in that a digital assistant (9) is equipped with a biometric identification means and programmed to acquire data during the time interval corresponding to the movement of the carrier and the server (12) is programmed to compare the biometric identification data acquired by the two digital assistants in order to verify that the carpooling was carried out by two different persons (a1, b1, c1). System according to Claim 7, characterized in that the digital assistant (9) acquires the biometric identification data in the form of a vocal wave sequence, a fingerprint or a photograph. System according to Claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a parking terminal (5, 6) connected to the server (12) by the communication network (18) and equipped with means for reading the data of the assistant. digital. Computer program comprising instructions that enable a server or digital assistant in which it is loaded and with which a system according to one of the preceding claims is implemented, to - convert positions into speeds, accelerations or rotations, - compare signatures or profiles of speed, acceleration, rotation, or orientation, extracting before conversion and comparing two positions of two two-minute digital assistants each corresponding to an end of the movement of the one and the other carrier of the digital assistants, memorizing positions for their correspondence with parking spaces or gantries with access to parking spaces reserved for carpooling and comparing the memorized positions with the position of the digital assistant corresponding to the end of the movement of the carrier, or acquiring geolocation, orientation or acceleration data and biometric identification data in the same time interval, and compare both geo-location data, converted to velocities, accelerations or rotations, orientation data or acceleration data and biometric identification data of the digital assistant with data from another assistant digital to verify that a carpool has been done by two different people each carrying a digital assistant.

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