ENHANCED TRANSPONDER PROGRAMMING IN AN OPEN ROAD TOLL SYSTEM

• US 20140285360A1
• Filed: 06/09/2014
• Published: 09/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kapsch TrafficCom Canada, Inc. (Datax Handelsgmbh)
• Original Assignee: Kapsch TrafficCom Canada, Inc. (Datax Handelsgmbh)
• Inventors: Kohli, Japjeev, Malarky, Alastair
• Granted Patent: US 9,530,254 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/928
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/063 using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station identification of vehicles G08G

Abstract

Systems, Methods, and Apparatus for enhanced transponder programming in an open road toll system are disclosed. An example method includes transmitting, in a normal mode, a programming signal from one of the antennas over a first coverage area to instruct the transponder to store data in its memory, the data being contained in the programming signal. The example method further includes determining that the transponder did not store the data in its memory. Based on the determination that the transponder did not store the data in its memory the programming signal is transmitted in an enhanced mode, from one antennas over a second coverage area.

Claims

1. A method for programming a transponder in a moving vehicle in a roadway, the roadway having an electronic toll collection system that includes antennas, the transponder having a memory, the method comprising:

transmitting, in a normal mode, a programming signal from one of the antennas over a first coverage area to instruct the transponder to store data in its memory, the data being contained in the programming signal;

determining that the transponder did not store the data in its memory; and

based on the determination that the transponder did not store the data in its memory, transmitting, in an enhanced mode, the programming signal from one of the antennas over a second coverage area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second coverage area is larger than the first coverage area.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the normal mode comprises transmitting the programming signal at a first power level, and wherein the enhanced mode comprises transmitting the programming signal at second power level higher than the first power level.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting in the normal mode is performed using a first one of the antennas and wherein transmitting in the enhanced mode is performed using a second one of the antennas.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first one of the antennas is adjacent to the second one of the antennas in an installation of the antennas above the roadway.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the first one of the antenna comprises a narrowband antenna and wherein the second one of the antenna comprises a wideband antenna.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining comprises:

transmitting a read signal from one of the antennas to the transponder;

receiving, at one of the antennas, a response signal from the transponder containing contents of a portion of the memory in the transponder; and

determining from the contents that the transponder did not store the data in its memory.

8. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the transponder is to transmit a response signal after storing the data in its memory, and wherein determining comprises determining that the response signal was not received within a predetermined time of transmission of the programming signal in normal mode.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining comprises:

transmitting a read signal from one of the antennas to the transponder, to which the transponder is adapted to respond; and

determining that no response is received to the read signal within a predetermined time of transmission of the read signal.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the transponder did not store the data in its memory includes transmitting the programming signal two or more times and determining after each transmission that the transponder did not store the data in its memory.

11. An electronic toll collection system for programming a transponder located in a moving vehicle travelling in a roadway, the transponder having a memory, the system comprising:

a plurality of antennas having a coverage area that includes at least a portion of the roadway for transmitting a programming signal; and

a control device connected to the antennas, the control device to direct one of the antennas to transmit, in a normal mode, a programming signal over a first coverage area to instruct the transponder to store data in its memory, the data being contained in the programming signal, to determine that the transponder did not store the data in its memory, and, based on the determination that the transponder did not store the data in its memory, to transmit, in an enhanced mode, the programming signal from one of the antennas over a second coverage area.

12. The electronic toll collection system of claim 11, wherein the second coverage area is larger than the first coverage area.

13. The electronic toll collection system of claim 12, wherein the normal mode comprises transmitting the programming signal at a first power level, and wherein the enhanced mode comprises transmitting the programming signal at second power level higher than the first power level.

14. The electronic toll collection system of claim 11, wherein the control device transmits in the normal mode using a first one of the antennas and wherein the control device transmits in the enhanced mode using a second one of the antennas.

15. The electronic toll collection system of claim 14, wherein the first one of the antennas is adjacent to the second one of the antennas in an installation of the plurality of antennas above the roadway.

16. The electronic toll collection system of claim 14, wherein the first one of the antenna comprises a narrowband antenna and wherein the second one of the antenna comprises a wideband antenna.

17. The electronic toll collection system of claim 11, wherein the control device is to determine that the transponder did not store the data by:

transmitting a read signal from one antennas to the transponder;

receiving, at one of the antennas, a response signal from the transponder containing contents of a portion of the memory in the transponder; and

determining from the contents that the transponder did not store the data in its memory.

18. The electronic toll collection system of claim 11, wherein the transponder is to transmit a response signal after storing the data in its memory, and wherein the control device is to determine that the transponder did not store the data by determining that the response signal was not received within a predetermined time of transmission of the programming signal in normal mode.

19. The electronic toll collection system of claim 11, wherein the control device is to determine that the transponder did not store the data by:

transmitting a read signal from one of the antennas to the transponder, to which the transponder is adapted to respond; and

determining that no response is received to the read signal within a predetermined time of transmission of the read signal.

20. The electronic toll collection system of claim 11, wherein the control device is to determine that the transponder did not store the data by transmitting the programming signal two or more times and determining after each transmission that the transponder did not store the data in its memory.