Toll fee system and method

• US 20080120172A1
• Filed: 11/19/2007
• Published: 05/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Traffic Solutions Consolidated LLC
• Original Assignee: Rent A Toll Ltd
• Inventors: Robinson, Benjamin, Lemon, Debbie
• Granted Patent: US 8,473,332 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 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• 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

Abstract

A toll fee tracking system comprising a toll authority adapted to collect data associated with at least one toll fee tracking device and a toll rental entity adapted to communicate with the toll authority and a third part entity. This Abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an Abstract that allows a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain subject matter of the technical disclosure. This Abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Claims

1. A toll rental entity, comprising:

a processor;

a toll authority interface used to transfer a request message to the processor to obtain toll fee tracking data; and

wherein the processor permits the toll authority interface to retrieve the toll fee tracking data.

2. The toll rental entity of claim 1, wherein the toll fee data is associated with at least one toll fee tracking device.

3. The toll rental entity of claim 1, wherein the toll authority interface is able to communicate with at least one of:

a toll authority, and a database.

4. The toll rental entity of claim 1 comprising a third party entity interface communicably coupled to the processor.

5. The toll rental entity of claim 4, wherein the third party entity interface is able to communicate with at least one of:

a third party entity, and a database.

6. The toll rental entity of claim 5, wherein the third party entity comprises:

at least one rental point-of-sale (POS) system;

at least one invoice unit; and

at least one processor.

7. The toll rental entity of claim 1, wherein said toll rental entity comprises a stand alone unit.

8. The toll rental entity of claim 1, wherein said toll rental entity comprises a server.

9. The toll rental entity of claim 1, wherein the processor permits the toll authority interface to receive the toll fee tracking data.

10. The toll rental entity of claim 5, wherein the processor permits the third party entity interface to receive data from the third party entity.

11. The toll rental entity of claim 5, wherein the processor permits the third party entity interface to send data to the third party entity.

12. A computer readable medium comprising instructions for:

identifying a transponder;

collecting toll usage data if the identified transponder is associated with a toll rental entity;

retrieving the data if a request to share the data has been received;

updating the data;

sending the updated data; and

sending an invoice with charges related to the updated data.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein identifying the transponder includes reading transponder data that includes at least one of:

vehicle-class-identifier, transaction time, transaction date, lane traffic activity information, transponder identification number, toll gate identification, vehicle travel direction, and an amount of toll usage.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 12 comprising instructions for processing data by a toll authority if the transponder is not associated with the toll rental entity transponder.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the request is transmitted during at least one of:

a predefined regular interval;

continuously in real-time; and

in near real-time.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 12 comprising instructions for sending the data if a request to share the data has not been received.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 12 comprising instructions for charging a service fee and activating the transponder if the transponder is being used for a first time.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 12 comprising instructions for halting any transactions by the transponder after the sending of the updated data.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the invoice includes charges for at least one of:

toll usage; and

third party entity services usage.

20. A toll rental entity server for communicating data between a toll authority and a third party entity, the server comprising:

a first interface for communicating with said toll authority;

at least one database;

a second interface for communicating with said third party entity;

said toll rental entity server further comprising a processor communicably coupled to the first interface;

said toll rental entity server further comprising a plurality of function modules communicably coupled to the processor;

said at least one database communicably coupled to the plurality of function modules and to the second interface; and

said at least one processor able to receive the data, analyze the data and forward a request to at least one of the plurality of function modules.

21. A method for sending toll data, comprising:

receiving, by a toll rental entity, toll data;

storing the toll data in a database of the toll rental entity;

matching the stored toll data to at least one toll service request from a third party entity; and

sending the matched toll data to a third party entity.

22. The method of claim 21 comprising sending the toll data to the toll rental entity from at least one toll authority.

23. The method of claim 22 comprising sending the toll data to the toll rental entity in at least one of a following manner:

periodically, and continuously.

24. A method for toll account reconciliation, comprising:

receiving, by a third party entity, toll data;

storing the toll data by the third party entity;

matching the stored toll data to at least one toll service request; and

utilizing the matched toll data for toll account reconciliation.

25. The method of claim 24 comprising utilizing the matched toll data for toll account reconciliation between the third party entity and a vehicle operator, wherein the vehicle operator is at least one of:

a rental vehicle operator, and a leased vehicle operator.