System, method and computer readable medium for billing based on a duration of a service period

• US 20070299721A1
• Filed: 10/13/2006
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Traffic Solutions Consolidated LLC
• Original Assignee: Rent-A-Toll Limited
• Inventors: Lemon, Debbie, Balachandran, Sarath, Robinson, Benjamin
• Granted Patent: US 8,195,506 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 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0284 Time or distance, e.g. usage of parking meters or taximeters
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• 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

Abstract

A system, method, and computer readable medium for billing based on a duration of a service period, comprises sending fleet data from a third party entity to a toll authority via a toll rental entity, matching toll data with the fleet data by the toll authority, if the toll data matches the fleet data: charging an account by the toll authority and sending the matched data to the toll rental entity, determining, by the toll rental entity, if the sent matched data is related to an opt-in for duration based tolling or an opt-out for duration based tolling, if the sent matched data is related to an opt-in for duration based tolling, charging the third party entity for the duration based tolling, and if the sent matched data is related to an opt-out for duration based tolling, applying at least one of: a fee for the duration based tolling, a toll usage amount, a service fee for the duration based tolling, and a service fee for the toll usage.

Claims

1. A method for billing based on a duration of a service period, comprising:

sending fleet data from a third party entity to a toll authority via a toll rental entity;

matching toll data with the fleet data by the toll authority;

if the toll data matches the fleet data;

charging an account by the toll authority; and

sending the matched data to the toll rental entity;

determining, by the toll rental entity, if the sent matched data is related to an opt-in for duration based tolling or an opt-out for duration based tolling;

if the sent matched data is related to an opt-in for duration based tolling, charging the third party entity for the duration based tolling; and

if the sent matched data is related to an opt-out for duration based tolling, applying at least one of;

a fee for the duration based tolling;

a toll usage amount;

a service fee for the duration based tolling; and

a service fee for the toll usage.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising sending a disputed status to the toll authority by the toll rental entity based on a dispute with the matched data.

3. The method of claim 1 comprising setting up the account by the toll authority with the toll rental entity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the account is at least one of

a prepaid account;

a prepaid account with a minimum balance; and

a postpaid account.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the fleet data includes at least one of:

a license plate number, a license plate state, a license state type, an RFID transponder identification, a vehicle identification number, a vehicle owner, a vehicle make, a vehicle model, and a vehicle color.

6. The method of claim 1 comprising providing a violation by the toll authority if the toll data does not match the fleet data.

7. The method of claim 1 comprising sending a service subscription from the third party entity to the toll rental entity based on an activation of the service period.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein no vehicles, or one or more vehicles, associated with the fleet includes a transponder.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the service period is at least one of:

seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, and years.

10. The method of claim 1 comprising billing based on a duration of a rental period, wherein the rental period is equal to or greater than the service period.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the rental period is at least one of:

a duration based transport rental service;

a pre-authorized transport rental service;

a pre-authorized, duration based transport rental service;

an unlimited transport rental service; and

a location based transport rental service.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the service period is related to a toll service.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the toll service is at least one of:

a duration based toll service;

a pre-authorized toll service;

a pre-authorized, duration based toll service;

an unlimited toll service; and

a location based toll service.

14. A system for billing based on a duration of a service period, comprising:

a toll authority; and

a toll rental entity;

wherein the toll rental entity sends a payment to the toll authority irrespective of toll usage.

15. A computer readable medium comprising instructions for:

capturing toll usage;

validating the toll usage;

sending the validated toll usage;

receiving a payment based on the validated toll usage for an opt-out service period related to a rented transport.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15 comprising instructions for receiving the validated toll usage for the opt-out service period and sending customer information related to the opt-out service period.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16 comprising instructions for charging a customer based on the customer information.

18. A computer readable medium comprising instructions for:

capturing toll usage;

validating the toll usage;

sending the validated toll usage;

sending the validated toll usage for an opt-out service period related to a rented transport.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18 comprising instructions for charging a customer based on the validated toll usage.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 18 comprising instructions for charging a customer based on customer information related to the validated toll usage.