SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ELECTRONIC TOLL COLLECTION BASED ON VEHICLE LOAD

• US 20100106567A1
• Filed: 10/02/2009
• Published: 04/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kapsch TrafficCom AG (Datax Handelsgmbh)
• Original Assignee: Kapsch TrafficCom AG (Datax Handelsgmbh)
• Inventors: McNew, Justin Paul, Guener, Refi Tugrul, Russold, Markus
• Granted Patent: US 8,065,181 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• 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: G06Q 50/30 Transportation; Communications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

A system for electronic toll collection from a vehicle including an electronic tag for capturing information including a number of passengers in the vehicle and an electronic tag identification, a wireless transmitter for transmitting the captured information; and a wireless receiver for receiving the captured information. The system further includes a toll computer for determining a toll fee for the vehicle based on the received number of passengers and a time of day. The wireless transmitter may be an IR or RF transmitter.

The toll computer determines the toll fee for the vehicle based on the received number of passengers, and one or more of the time of day, the day and the traffic information.

Claims

1. A method for electronic toll collection from a vehicle, the method comprising:

electronically receiving a number of passengers in the vehicle by an electronic tag;

wirelessly receiving the number of passengers and an electronic tag identification, from the electronic tag, at a toll center; and

determining a toll fee for the vehicle based on the received number of passengers and a time of day.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising electronically receiving traffic information for an area around the toll center and determining the toll fee for the vehicle based on the received number of passengers, the time of day, and said traffic information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the traffic information is a number of vehicles in a time period traveling in a high occupancy toll lane, in which said vehicle is traveling.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the traffic information is determined from a plurality of toll transactions.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising wirelessly receiving account information for an owner of the electronic tag;

and processing the received information for billing the owner.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising charging a pre-funded account or a credit card for said toll fee.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising storing toll transaction histories in a database.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

when the information is received from the electronic tag, checking the database for a record of said owner of the electronic tag;

if the record of said owner is not found in the database, forwarding the received information to a clearing platform;

validating the received information by the clearing platform;

if validated, processing the toll fee with a partner toll agency.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising capturing the number of passengers in the vehicle and information about the vehicle by a camera and processing the captured information for enforcement.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising comparing the captured information with the wirelessly received information and transmitting the captured information to an enforcement vehicle according to a result of said comparing.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting the captured information to an enforcement agency for enforcement processing.

12. A system for electronic toll collection from a vehicle comprising:

an electronic tag for capturing information including a number of passengers in the vehicle and an electronic tag identification;

a wireless transmitter for transmitting the captured information;

a wireless receiver for receiving the captured information; and

a toll computer for determining a toll fee for the vehicle based on the received number of passengers and a time of day.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the wireless transmitter is an IR or RF transmitter.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising a plurality of traffic sensors for transmitting traffic information about a high occupancy toll lane in which said vehicle is traveling to said toll computer, wherein said toll computer determines the toll fee for the vehicle based on the received number of passengers, the time of day, and said traffic information.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said toll computer determines the toll fee for the vehicle based on day.

16. The system of claim 12, further comprising a first database for storing account information for an owner of the electronic tag;

and a back office computer for processing the received information for charging the owner.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the back office computer is capable of charging a pre-funded account or a credit card for said toll fee.

18. The system of claim 12, further comprising a digital camera for capturing the number of passengers in the vehicle and information about the vehicle and transmitting the captured information to an enforcement vehicle for enforcement, or to an enforcement agency for fines processing.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the electronic tag includes inputting means for inputting said number of passengers in the vehicle.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said inputting means comprises sensors in the vehicle for automatically determining said number of passengers in the vehicle.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein said inputting means comprises a user interface for inputting said number of passengers in the vehicle.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein said back office computer is configured to check the first database for a record of said owner of the electronic tag, when the information is received from the electronic tag, and if the record of said owner is not found in the database, to forwarding the received information to a clearing platform;

the clearing platform is configured to validate the received information using a second database, and if validated, to process the toll fee with a partner toll agency.