AUTOMATIC TOLL COLLECTION SYSTEM FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE

• US 20020004741A1
• Filed: 09/04/1998
• Published: 01/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: YOSHIDA, ICHIRO
• Granted Patent: US 6,658,392 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/13
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/063 using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station identification of vehicles G08G

Abstract

An automatic toll collection system for automotive vehicles moving along a roadway is provided which includes a toll collecting facility and an inspecting facility. The toll collecting facility is installed in a toll booth on the roadway to collect the tolls from an in-vehicle unit through radio communication. The inspecting facility is provided outside the roadway and troubleshoots the in-vehicle unit when an abnormal condition in which it is impossible to collect the tolls from the in-vehicle unit correctly is encountered.

Claims

1. A system for automatic collection of tolls from a vehicle moving along a roadway comprising:

a toll collecting facility installed on the roadway, said toll collecting facility collecting the tolls from an in-vehicle unit installed in the vehicle through radio communication with the in-vehicle unit; and

an inspecting facility inspecting the in-vehicle unit when an abnormal condition in which it is impossible to collect the tolls from the in-vehicle unit correctly is encountered, said inspecting facility being located outside the roadway.

2. A system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said toll collecting facility determines whether the abnormal condition is encountered or not through radio communication with the in-vehicle unit.

3. A system as set forth in claim 2, further comprising a guidance unit which provides a guidance signal to the in-vehicle unit for leading the vehicle to said inspecting facility when the abnormal condition is encountered.

4. A system as set forth in claim 2, further comprising an image pickup sensor and a gate which are installed on an automatic toll collection lane provided on the roadway, and wherein when a driver of the vehicle takes action to open the gate, said image pickup sensor picks up an image of the vehicle and the driver.

5. A system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said inspecting facility includes a testing unit which locate an abnormality of the in-vehicle unit through radio communication therebetween.

6. A system as set forth in claim 2, wherein said inspecting facility compares a result of inspection of the in-vehicle unit with determination of whether the abnormal condition is encountered or not made by said toll collecting facility to determine whether the abnormal condition is caused by the in-vehicle unit or said toll collecting facility.

7. A system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a means for determining whether the abnormal condition is encountered or not prior to communication between the in-vehicle unit and said toll collecting facility, and wherein when it is determined that the abnormal condition is encountered, said means leads the vehicle to said inspecting facility.