5 th Mediterranean Conference on Embedded Computing

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Cloud Based Web Application Supporting Vehicle

Toll Payment System
Branimir Cviji6
Lanaco d.o.o
Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Dusanka Bundalo
University ofBanja Luka
Faculty of Philosophy
Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Drazen Pasali6
Sberbank AD Banja Luka
Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Zlatko Bundalo
University of Banja Luka
Faculty of Electrical Engineering
Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract-The requirements for new web applications supporting

different types of devices and purposes are continuously growing.
The main advantages of web application development as well as
popular development features covering integration with different
technologies are considered initially in this paper. Integration
and possibilities of application of cloud based web applications in
real scenarios with different embedded Internet of Things (loT)
devices are considered and described in this paper. The design
and implementation of a cloud based web application supporting
vehicle toll payment system using loT device is presented and
described. The development framework as well as featured and
popular technologies used to realize a vehicle toll payment by loT
device are described. The concept of vehicle toll payment over an
online payment system is also described. Processing, monitoring
and control in the cloud based web application of such payments
using loT devices are described and presented.

Keywords-cloud based systems, web application design, Internet

of Things concept, vehicle toll payment

1.

public and the corresponding services for renting represent the

utility computing. A private cloud is considered as an internal
data center in an enterprise or a company [1]. From the web
application and loT world perspective, all three types of cloud
can be considered for web application development and
hosting, depending on the security requirements of the web
application and the loT application domain. In case of a web
application, security is on a high level because of the access to
a single central server, rather than using large amounts of
workstations. Furthermore, the cloud system, either public or
private, provides both the applications delivered as services
over the Internet as well as the hardware and systems software
in the data centers which provide those services [1]. Therefore,
moving web applications and corresponding services to the
cloud gives more reliability and scalability to the whole
system, while simultaneously allowing management and
administration trom one location.
11.

INTRODUCTION

The use of WEB applications in the business environment

has become the standard. Main reasons are ease of maintenance
as well as version release as it's made only on the central
server without the need for access to a user's computer. In
addition, WEB oriented applications are available over the
Internet for use in any location and on any kind of small or
resource constrained device. Such web applications can be
integrated with different other applications, control and
management services, and other applications as well, to realize
management, monitoring reporting, etc. Usage of WEB based
applications is operation system independent which means that
usage of a cloud system has the advantage of hosting a specific
web application. The cloud systems themselves can be divided
into private, public or hybrid. Public cloud systems are
provided by other organizations in a manner of renting distinct
volumes of system resources, services and storage. Public
cloud is considered as a pay-as-you-go manner to the general

INTEGRATION OF CLOUD BASED WEB

APPLICATIONS AND THE loT WORLD

Cloud based systems along with virtualization enables data

storing, monitoring, processing, reporting, reuse, access to
specific applications and development environments, etc.
Cloud based systems, regardless of cloud types, represent a
centralized system for hosting web applications and services
with which loT devices can realize communication and data
transmission. Such an approach in which the main role is
represented by Internet services and data observations from loT
devices, is considered as Internet centric approach [2].
Furthermore, the usage of a cloud system, either a private or a
public cloud, ensures the safety of hosted applications in a
manner of clustering, distribution, and scalability. The concern
about cloud systems represents the security and data
confidentiality [I]. The web application has to be secured to
prevent phishing, data misuse, cross-site scripting, arbitrary
code execution and other vulnerabilities types. On the trom the
Internet accessed cloud side (either private or public), guard

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against theft or denial-of-service attacks by users has to be
provided [1]. Using virtualization on such cloud systems,
simplifies the control, management and monitoring features of
system resources such as CPU, working memory and storage.
Furthermore, the cloud systems enable the usage of platforms
and software as services for the ToT world, Platform as a
Service (PaaS) and Software as a Service (SaaS), respectively
[2]. The virtualized PaaS will provide scalable storage and
infrastructure, system management and provisioning, clustering
whereas SaaS provides hosting web applications including
services (for example security) to the loT end users. Therefore,
cloud systems along with virtualization will fulfill the business
impact and the business continuity of ToT devices and their
generated large data volumes.
Tn order to establish common standards between different
ToT devices and web applications on the cloud, or enterprise
systems, the usage of a middleware is essential, as it acts as a
binding framework between different heterogeneous ToT
applications [3]. The framework itself is considered to support
different well known object-oriented programming languages
and Integrated Development Environments (IDEs). A
middleware framework represents a software framework
which enables: profiling, configuration, control, monitoring
and management of loT devices, organizing devices in groups,
etc. The framework itself contains several services and
Application Programming Interfaces (APls) and provides
interfaces to the physical layer [3]. The services themselves
are dependent on the middleware framework, and they are
used by ToT middleware components for processing APT calls,
stored data in the database, received requests from ToT
devices, clustering, notifications, etc. The most ToT
middleware will be implemented and configured on the cloud
system, but it can be integrated into small embedded devices
as well, which results in forming of an loT gateway.
Ill. DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK AND
TECHNOLOGIES USED FOR VEHICLE TOLL PAYMENT
SYSTEM
We propose a concept, design and implementation of a
cloud based web application used for vehicle toll payment. The
design and implementation model implies usage of an loT
device which initiates vehicle toll payments request calling
web application's web service functions. Further, the web
application realizes the user (driver) desired toll payment over
an electronic payment system. The cloud based web
application itself is developed to be hosted on a server directly
or on a virtual machine using virtualization technology on the
physical server.
For the WEB application development for the vehicle toll
payment, we propose ASP.NET framework using the MVC
pattern [4]. For this purpose we used ASP.NET 4.6. As a
programming language was C#. [5] The Tool used for
development was Visual Studio 2015 Community Edition. For
creating Object Relational Model (ORM) we used Entity
Framework 6 [6]. It is an object-relational mapper that enables
.NET communication with relational data using domain-

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specific objects while eliminating data-access code necessary

to access data. Communication between all segments of the
system, including payment is realized using Windows
Communication Foundation (WCF) WEB services. [7].
Clients of services can accept messages in various formats,
and in this paper, most of WEB services use JSON format as
output as well as input formatted data. The WCF enables the
possibility of secure communication using SSL protocol, and
it allows different types of data to be transferred. Some of
these types are XML, JSON and plain text. As data storage
appliance for storing realized toll payments a central database
is implemented using the MS SQL 2014 Server Express, the
latest Microsoft product used to manage and store information
[8].
TV.

CONCEPT OF WEB APPLICATION FOR VEHICLE

TOLL PAYMENT SYSTEM

The centerpiece of the system is a multilayer Web

application that performs basic operations, management and
administration of the loT based toll payment system. The
application and the central database are located on dedicated
virtual servers with the use of HTTPS security protocol for
communication and accessing purposes. Central database is
located on a dedicated virtual server, also. All WEB services
are on virtual machine dedicated for that purpose. All virtual
machines are on a central server in the cloud. Initiation of
payments is made with the TOT devices. The ToT device itself
can be integrated into a vehicle which has the embedded
application integrated in the vehicle's main navigation board,
or represent a mobile device with a mobile application for
vehicle toll payment. The overall concept is presented on Fig.
1.
Tn this concept we used the Raspberry PT embedded board
as an loT device with developed embedded application for
vehicle toll payment [9]. The ToT embedded application was
developed using Java programming language [10]. The loT
embedded application has a main Graphical User Tnterface
(GUI) on which the user performs several actions. In the first
step, the user has the ability to enter the source and destination
points (and optionally an intermediate point) through the loT
embedded application. The embedded application performs
local search or by calling web application's web service
(depending on the user's settings) and presents all possible toll
stations or vignettes for payment between the specified source
and destination points in the main interface. As a result, the
user specifies the desired tolls (or vignettes) for payment,
vehicle category, and initiates a payment request through the
embedded application calling web application's web service
(step 2 on Fig. 1). This confirmation causes the web service
method PayTicketO to be called which receives user TD
contained in the request, also. As the web application supports
reception of search requests from the ToT device, the web
application performs the search in the database to fmd the best
possible driving routes along with toll and payment
information. In order to perform this, the web service method
FindTripO is used. This method simply selects sections of toll
motorway on the selected trip from the central database. In step

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3 on Fig. 1, the PayTicketO web service method is developed

to receive JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) fonnatted data
which processes and transforms such data into JSON format
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border, subscription status is changed in the database to

indicate that the subscription for the passage was used.

1:.

WCF
WEB

services for
Payment

WEB
HMe .. for
CRUD
operations

TRAPS Database

Figure 2. Proposed cloud based web application design for vehicle toll
payment

The database segment that directly affects enrollment and

reading of travel data is shown in Fig. 3.
Figure 1. Proposed vehicle toll payment system

Thereafter, in step 4 on Fig. 1, after entering parameters in

the database, the communication with the selected institution
for payment is perfonned in which the web service methods
transmit the new JSON formatted data to an electronic payment
service for the purpose of payment. Payment can be carried out
in several ways, but in this case the payment was performed via
the test environment of PayPal online payment system [II].
This requires that the user has a PayPal account and special
PayPal application parameters, required for payment. After the
payment is completed successfully, a response is received as a
JSON fonnatted data in step 5. Tn step 6 on Fig. 1, the status of
paid transactions in the database is changed to a True value and
processing of such response (in step 5) is realized to prepare a
response to the loT device (user) regarding the status of the
payment. Tn the last step on Fig. 1, the payment status is sent to
the loT device after receiving a query for payment status.
From that moment, vehicles for which travel payment is
realized have a free passage on the whole chosen path or only
paid tolls on the road. A condition represents the control
system on toll stations or country borders (in case vignette), on
which the vehicle approaches the billing places. Such control
system implies usage of any WiFi device, or a special camera
on billing places, for recognizing and transmitting the license
plate of the vehicle, for payment comparison against the web
applications database. The control itself, of an upcoming
vehicle, to the billing place is required to be performed at a
specific distance from the billing place. The most important
thing is that the vehicles have a record of payment for passage
through the toll gate in the central database.
The payment request can be realized using the General
Packet Radio Transmission (GPRS) or using wireless network
(in case of a mobile application). Tn Fig. 2 a proposed design
model of the cloud based web application supporting vehicle
toll payment is presented. After passing the toll or crossing

/I HighwaySectionld
II PaymentMethod...
/I Tid:etDetail sPa id
II TicketDetailsUsed

JI

HighwaySectionld

El Navigation Properties
~ HighwaySection

El Navig ation Properties

~ HighwaySection
.,.~ PaymentMethod

~ Tictet

JI
JI
/II
JI

UserAccoun tid
Ticketdate
TicketPaid
TicketUsed

" Tripld

/II Vehicleld

El Navigation Properties
.,r;] UserAccount

,r:J Tnp
~Vehi(le

/II
/II
/II
/II

Location
HighwayName

Address
Direction

EI Navigation Properties
~ Country
~ HighwaySection
~ HighwaySection1

Figure 3. Travel data database segment

The entire process can be monitored from any toll gate

through the central application dashboard. Tn this way,
employees controllers in the toll or vignette sold places on the
borders have a complete insight into the status at any time of
all the vehicles that are currently passing through the system.
Search button allows them to control the license plate of
vehicles that possibly have a problem with the passing. As
with other forms of communication with the central web
application, search method also calls a web service that selects

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paid or used travel tickets for the selected user. This method is
FindTicketO and it is shown in Fig. 4.
pub l ic Tic k et F ind T icket( s t r i n g id)
{

usi ng

<!!"APS En t i t i e s e n t

n e w T rA P S En t i t i e s (

{
v ar n i d = Con ver t . ToI n t 32(id ) ;
ret u r n e n t . T i c k e t . Wh ere (p = > p_ T i c k e t I d
.Selec t (p => n e w Ti c ke t

==

nid)

{
Ti c ketId = p . T ic k etId~
UserAc c o u n t id = p_UserAccountid ~
Ticket d ate = p . Ticket d a te ~
T i cketPa i d = p _ T i cke t Pa i d~
Ticke tUse d = p _ T i cke tUsed ~
T r i pI d = p _ T ri pI d~
Ve h ic l e I d = p _ Vehic l eId..
T i cketDe t a i l s E n t i t y = P _ T i cketDeta i l s .As E nu merable()
_ Selec t ( z => n e w Ti ck e t De t a i l s Ent i t y
{
T i cke tDe t a i l sI d = z _ T ic k e t Deta i l sI d ~
H ig h waySec t ion Id = z . High w aySectio n I d ,
P aymentM et h odI d

Z _ Payme n tMet h o d I d

} )
} ). First( );

Figure 4. Web service method

The main page that users have in front of them is shown in

Fig. 5. Tn addition to the display of the vehicle which is
currently passing through a toll gate or crossing the border, a
controller in the application does not have an insight into the
details of the payment or the way in which the payment IS
realized.

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payment application the number of devices can be enormous,

the scalability of the application is supported and represents a
vital role. Besides the fact that this system is easy to use for
travelers as well as for companies engaged in the highway
management, advantages of such system could be multiple in
other segments of service as well. The infonnation contained in
the database can be used to easily create reports about the
number of vehicles and the category of vehicles that pass
through the system of payment per day. In addition, it can be
easy at any time to retrieve the data on the amount of money
that is on daily or any other period paid at the cash register.
This approach opens multiple possibilities because additional
benefits in systems with toll can be introduced. New
possibilities can exist in the form of loyalty program for
travelers who frequently use certain segments of the road, in
order to attract as many passengers to use precisely this route.
These programs may provide discounts on tolls, free
refreshments at rest stops along the road, integrate with other
products (e.g. vacations, traveling agencies) in order to use
specific routes with such kind of payment, etc. Apart from
paying tolls system, such a system could be applicable to many
other systems, such as systems for parking payment, parking
garage payment, or any transaction involving some of ToT
devices that can communicate with the aforementioned Webcentric central system.
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Tickets

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III'

16C1:' ~

Vila

'''101
COr!alI

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p,,,

Ticket Details

[2]

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(loT): A vision, architectural elements,and future directions", Future
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S. Bandyopadhyay, M. Sengupta, S. Maiti, S. Dutta. (2011, August). Role

ofthe Middleware for Internet of Things: A Study. International Journal
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U1t~

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1l:1li_1

Sllat

..

[1]

TlII:btll

[4]
[5]

[6]
Figure 5. Web application Dashboard

The user interface of the application is consistent, simple

and intuitive.On the user side, the payment system is simple, it
is only required to choose the route prior to departure, the
payment type and category of vehicle. After a simple and quick
method of payment the user can take his journey, not thinking
about the toll on the sections in any country which he passes on
the trip.
V.

CONCLUSION

The web application is developed to support integration

into the cloud or an enterprise system. As in the vehicle toll

[7]
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R.Mistry, S.Misner, "Introducing Microsoft SQL server 2014, Technical

Overview", Microsoft Press, USA 2014.

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Pte.
Ltd.
[Online].
Available:
https://www.paypal.com/balwebapps/mpp/home

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