Billing a rented third party transport including an on-board unit

• US 20070192177A1
• Filed: 12/22/2006
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ats Tolling Llc (Verra Mobility Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Rent-A-Toll Limited
• Inventors: Balachandran, Sarath, Robinson, Benjamin
• Granted Patent: US 8,768,754 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/13
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/02 taking into account a variable factor such as distance or time, e.g. for passenger transport, parking systems or car rental systems G07B15/06 takes precedence; taximeters G07B13/00; parking meters per se G07F17/24; car rental systems per se G07B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/063 using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station identification of vehicles G08G

Abstract

A system, method, and computer readable medium for toll service activation using an on-board unit in a third party transport comprises, a third party entity, a toll rental entity, and an on-board unit communicably coupled to the third party entity and to the toll rental entity, wherein the on-board unit, receives a position signal, initiates a toll service request, converts the position signal to a toll usage, and stores the position signal, the toll service request and the toll usage.

Claims

1. A system for toll service activation using an on-board unit in a third party transport, comprising:

a third party entity;

a toll rental entity; and

an on-board unit communicably coupled to the third party entity and to the toll rental entity, wherein the on-board unit;

receives a position signal;

initiates a toll service request;

converts the position signal to a toll usage; and

stores the position signal the toll service request and the toll usage.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the toll rental entity activates the on-board unit using the toll service request; and

a customer utilizes on-board unit to activate the toll service request.

3. The system of claim 1 comprising:

a toll authority communicably coupled to at least one of the toll rental entity and the on-board unit.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the toll authority captures the toll usage using at least one of;

a dedicated short range communication;

a global positioning system;

a positioning unit or system; and

at least one of the toll authority or the TRE sends the toll usage to at least one of the toll rental entity and the on-board unit.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein:

at least one of the toll rental entity and the toll authority updates the toll usage to the on-board unit and to the third party entity.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the third party entity sends a close transaction signal to at least one of the toll rental entity and the on-board unit;

the on-board unit closes the toll service request; and

the toll rental entity receives the close transaction signal from the third party entity or from the on-board unit; and

the on-board unit sends the toll usage to at least one of the third party entity and the toll rental entity.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the on-board unit sends a toll service request activation and on-board unit information to the third party entity; and

the communication coupling is via at least one of;

wireless; and

wired; and

the sending of information from the on-board unit occurs via at least one of;

a dedicated short range communication;

a global positioning system; and

a positioning unit or system.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the on-board unit receives a close transaction signal;

the on-board unit updates the service request utilizing the close transaction signal;

the on-board unit sends the close transaction signal to the third party entity and to the toll rental entity;

the third party entity receives the close transaction signal;

the toll rental entity sends the close transaction signal to the toll rental entity;

the close transaction signal sent to the toll rental entity is at least one of a wireless signal and a wired signal.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein:

a toll authority updates the toll usage when the on-board unit is present on a toll road; and

the on-board unit stores the toll usage updated by the toll authority and the toll rental entity.

10. A method for billing a rented third party transport including an on-board unit, comprising:

receiving a toll usage;

sending a payment from a toll rental entity to a toll authority based upon the toll usage or based upon duration;

if the toll rental entity charges the third party entity by license;

charging a third party entity by a fleet size or a fleet count on at least one of;

an hourly basis, a daily basis, and a weekly basis;

transferring the toll usage to the third party entity as requested periodically; and

if the toll rental entity charges the third party entity by duration;

grouping by the toll rental entity all of the toll usage by the duration and charging the third party entity by duration;

if the toll rental entity charges the third party entity by transaction;

charging the third party entity by the toll rental entity with at least one of a service charge and an actual toll usage; and

if the toll rental entity charges a customer directly;

grouping by the toll rental entity all of the toll usage by the duration and charging the customer by the duration.

11. The method of claim 10 comprising:

sending a license fee from the third party entity to the toll rental entity for the toll usage.

12. The method of claim 10 comprising:

sending a subscription payment from at least one of;

the card service provider;

the third party entity, and

a user,

to the toll rental entity for the toll usage.

13. The method of claim 10 comprising:

sending a service charge from the toll rental entity to the third party entity for the toll usage.

14. A computer readable medium comprising instructions for:

installing toll service software component in an on-board unit;

receiving by the on-board unit an activation request from at least one of;

a customer;

a third party entity;

a toll authority; and

,

a toll rental entity;

receiving by the on-board unit a toll usage from at least one of;

a toll authority; and

the toll rental entity; and

transferring by the on-board unit the toll usage to at least one of;

a road side unit;

a GPS satellite;

another on-board unit;

the third party entity,

the toll rental entity; and

a customer, for billing.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14 comprising instructions for:

managing a plurality of rental agreements.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 14 comprising instructions for:

managing a plurality of communication channels.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein the communication channels comprise at least one of

a dedicated short range communication;

and

a global positioning system.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 14 comprising instructions for:

managing a plurality of sessions.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 14 comprising instructions for:

managing a plurality of states.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 14 comprising instructions for:

installing the toll service software component by at least one of;

a push of the software component; and

a pull of the software component.