System, method and computer readable medium for billing tolls

• US 20070124198A1
• Filed: 09/06/2006
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Traffic Solutions Consolidated LLC
• Original Assignee: Ats Tolling Llc (Verra Mobility Corp.)
• Inventors: Lemon, Debbie, Balachandran, Sarath, Robinson, Benjamin
• Granted Patent: US 8,768,753 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/00 Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/04 comprising devices to free a barrier, turnstile, or the like turnstiles with registering means G07C9/10; coin-freed aspects G07F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/063 using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station identification of vehicles G08G
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0175 by photographing vehicles, e.g. when violating traffic rules
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

Billing tolls accumulated during a rental period comprises a third party entity, a toll authority, and a toll rental entity coupled to the third party entity and to the toll authority, wherein the third party entity sends a request for service to the toll rental entity, wherein the toll rental entity sends the request for service during the rental period to the toll authority, wherein the toll authority stores the request, wherein the toll authority sends toll data to the toll rental entity based on the request, wherein the toll rental entity sends toll rental data to the third party entity based on the toll data, and wherein the third party entity generates a bill based on the toll rental data.

Claims

1. A system for billing tolls accumulated during a rental period, comprising:

a third party entity;

a toll authority; and

a toll rental entity coupled to the third party entity and to the toll authority;

wherein the third party entity sends a request for service to the toll rental entity;

wherein the toll rental entity sends the request for service during the rental period to the toll authority;

wherein the toll authority stores the request;

wherein the toll authority sends toll data to the toll rental entity based on the request;

wherein the toll rental entity sends toll rental data to the third party entity based on the toll data; and

wherein the third party entity generates a bill based on the toll rental data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the third party entity receives information related to an individual or an entity wishing to rent a transport.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the information includes information of the individual or the entity and information regarding the transport.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the individual'"'"'s information includes at least one of:

the individual'"'"'s name;

the individual'"'"'s address;

the individual'"'"'s driver license number;

the individual'"'"'s driver license state;

the individual'"'"'s credit card number;

the individual'"'"'s debit card number;

the individual'"'"'s electronic account number;

the individual'"'"'s insurance information;

the individual'"'"'s email address; and

the individual'"'"'s phone number.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the entities'"'"' information includes at least one of:

a name of the entity;

an address of the entity;

a phone number of the entity;

an email address of the entity;

a contact person for the entity;

an email address of the contact person;

a tax identification number;

a credit card number for the entity; and

a bank number for the entity.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the information regarding the transport includes at least one of:

an owner of the transport;

a license plate number of the transport;

a vehicle identification number of the transport;

an identification of the number;

a type of the transport;

a color of the transport;

a year of manufacture of the transport; and

a condition of the transport.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the request for service includes at least one of:

an individual'"'"'s name requesting the service;

a license plate number of a transport that is to be utilized;

a payment for the service; and

rental contract information related to the transport, wherein the rental contract includes at least one of;

a start date and a start time; and

an end date and an end time.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the service begins at a date and a time that a transport leaves a particular area, and wherein the service ends at a date and a time that the transport returns to the particular area.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the service begins at a date and a time that a transport leaves a particular area, and wherein the service ends at a date and a time that the transport returns to a different area.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the toll data includes at least one of:

information related to a transport;

information related to a license plate of the transport;

a location of the transport;

a direction of the transport;

a time stamp related to the transport; and

a toll amount incurred by the transport.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the toll rental data includes information related to a transport based on at least one of:

a reading of a license plate of the transport, to an individual associated with the request, and to an entity associated with the request.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the third party entity is at least one of:

a rent-a-car entity;

an entity that rents transports comprising license plates;

an entity that rents transports comprising information that can be acquired;

an entity or individual that owns transports;

an entity or individual that leases transports;

an entity or individual that loans transports;

an entity or individual that lends transports; and

an entity or individual that operates transports.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the third party entity generates a bill in at least one of:

before the rental period;

during the rental period;

at an end of the rental period; and

at a time after the end of the rental period.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the request, the toll data, and the toll rental data is sent in at least one of a following medium:

wireless; and

wired.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the bill is generated to at least one of:

a transport operator;

a transport or entity renter;

a transport or entity owner;

a transport or entity leaser;

a transport or entity loaner and;

a transport or entity lender.

16. A method for billing tolls accumulated during at least one of:

a rental period and a service period, comprising;

sending a service request to a toll authority, wherein the service request is associated with a license plate number;

receiving license plate images from the toll authority;

providing a charge during the rental period if one of the received license plate images equates to the license plate number associated with the service request; and

providing a violation during the rental period if one of the received license plate images does not equate to the license plate number associated with the service request.

19. The method of claim 16 comprising sending a payment associated with the license plate number when the service request to the toll authority is sent.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the payment is sent in lieu of providing the charge during at least one of the periods.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the payment is sent in lieu of providing the violation during at least one of the periods.

22. The method of claim 16 comprising providing a charge during at least one of the periods if one of the received license plate images is similar to the license plate number associated with the service request.

23. The method of claim 16 comprising providing a violation during at least one of the periods if one of the received license plate images is not similar to the license plate number associated with the service request.

17. The method of 16 comprising receiving time stamps and location information from the toll authority.

18. The method of claim 17 comprising collecting the license plate images, the time stamps, and the location information when transports utilize the toll authority.

24. A system, comprising:

a first module that receives a service request, wherein the service request is associated with a license plate number; and

a second module that sends the service request and a payment associated with the service request, wherein the payment is utilized to provide a service at a toll authority.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the payment is sent prior to the service.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the payment is sent during the service.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the payment is sent after the service.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein the payment is sent for a certain period.

29. The system of claim 24, wherein the payment is sent for a rental period.

30. The system of claim 24, wherein the payment is sent for a service period.

31. The system of claim 24, wherein the payment is sent by at least one of:

at least one toll rental entity; and

at least one third party entity.

32. The system of claim 24, wherein the first module receives the service request from at least one of:

at least one third party entity; and

at least one toll authority.

33. The system of claim 24, wherein the first module sends information to a third party entity.

34. The system of claim 24, wherein the second module sends the service request to a toll authority.

35. The system of claim 24, wherein the second module receives information from a toll authority.

36. The system of claim 24 comprising a third module that receives information from at least one of:

the first module; and

the second module.

37. A computer readable medium comprising instructions for:

receiving a service request comprising at least a license plate number;

receiving a payment related to the service request;

sending the payment to a toll authority;

receiving toll usage information from the toll authority;

if the toll usage is related to the license plate number, sending an acknowledgement to the toll authority; and

if the toll usage is not related to the license plate number, sending a violation to the toll authority.

38. The computer readable medium of claim 37 comprising instructions for receiving the service request before a transport is rented.

39. The computer readable medium of claim 38, wherein the payment coincides with a first rate.

40. The computer readable medium of claim 37 comprising instructions for receiving the service request after a transport is rented.

41. The computer readable medium of claim 40, wherein the payment coincides with a second rate.

42. A system for billing tolls accumulated during a service period, comprising:

a third party entity;

a toll authority; and

a toll rental entity coupled to the third party entity and to the toll authority;

wherein the third party entity sends a request for service to the toll rental entity;

wherein the toll rental entity sends the request for service during the service period to the toll authority; and

wherein the toll authority sends toll data and a bill to the toll rental entity based on the request.

43. A computer readable medium comprising instructions for:

sending a payment to a toll authority;

receiving a violation notification from a toll authority, wherein the violation identifies a transport; and

obviating the violation if the payment was intended for the transport.

44. A method for billing tolls, comprising:

capturing at least one picture of a license plate of a vehicle;

charging the vehicle if a number associated with the captured license plate is listed in a toll rental entity database; and

marking a toll violation if the number associated with the captured license plate is not listed in the toll rental entity database.

45. A toll rental entity server that communicates toll billing data during a service period between a toll authority and a third party entity, the toll rental entity server comprising:

a first interface that communicates with the toll authority;

at least one database;

a second interface that communicates with the third party entity;

wherein the communication between the toll authority and the third party entity occurs in real-time;

wherein the toll rental entity server;

receives a request for service from the third party entity;

sends the request for service during the service period to the toll authority; and

receives, based on the request, toll data and a bill from the toll authority.