MULTILANE VEHICLE INFORMATION CAPTURE SYSTEM

• US 20090174575A1
• Filed: 07/11/2008
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Transcore LP (Roper Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Jim Allen
• Inventors: Harinath, Shyamnath, Reddy, Sangmesh, Banna, Balaraju, Sun, Fajie, Xie, Tiegang, Zhong, Sheng, Venugopal, Raghavan, Chawla, Brijesh Rai, ALLEN, Jim
• Granted Patent: US 8,543,285 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/933
• 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 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/042 using inductive or magnetic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/92 Navigation

Abstract

A system and method for accurate express tolling of highway vehicles. A multilane tolling system comprises a tolling (MVIC) unit that collects information from tolling subsystems arranged to take various vehicle measurements. Preferably, an intelligent vehicle identification subsystem sends vehicle information to the MVIC unit many times per second. Preferably, a vision tracking system (VTS) communicates with the MVIC unit and sends the latter information about the vehicle position using vision tracking sensors. Preferably, an RF subsystem conducts multiple reads of a transponder on a passing vehicle and forwards the read information to the MVIC unit. Preferably, a vehicle image capture unit (VICU) captures images of the passing vehicle when a camera in the VICU receives a trigger from the MVIC unit. Preferably, a driver alert module is used alert a driver passing through a tolling point as to account balance associated with a silent toll tag or pay by plate system.

Claims

1. A method for accurately associating an RF toll tag with a vehicle on which the tag resides, comprising:

measuring vehicle information using one of an inductive loop sensor layout associated with an RF read zone and a vision tracking system associated with the RF read zone;

producing an RF read zone prediction based on the vehicle information;

determining a location of the RF read zone with respect to an RF antenna used to create the read zone;

measuring a set of times that the RF toll tag enters and exits the RF read zone; and

determining that the RF toll tag is associated with the vehicle if the set of times that the vehicle enters and exits the RF read zone substantially matches the RF read zone prediction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle information includes at least one of vehicle speed, axle spacing, and timing of a vehicle image of the vehicle recorded in proximity to the RF read zone.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

estimating a position of an RF toll tag on the vehicle; and

predicting a time at which the toll tag enters and exits the RF read zone based on the position of the RF toll tag on the vehicle, the vehicle speed, and the axel spacing.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring a time that the RF toll tag enters and exits the RF read zone comprises continuously sampling RF reads using the RF antenna while the vehicle is in the RF read zone.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein continuously sampling comprises conducting RF reads at about 80 to 330 times a second for a period beginning no later than when a first successful transponder read is taken and ending no earlier than when a last successful read is taken.