Method of replacing a tolling system for toll roads

• US 4,675,824 A
• Filed: 08/20/1985
• Issued: 06/23/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Sakamoto, Kingo, Kiyama, Yoshito, Wada, Ryokichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Application Number:
  US06/767,713
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• Field of Search: 364/464, 364/467, 377/9, 340/51, 194/901, 194/902, 235/384
• US Class Current: 705/400
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0284 Time or distance, e.g. usage of parking meters or taximeters
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/06 Arrangements for road pricing or congestion charging of vehicles or vehicle users, e.g. automatic toll systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 194/901 Check-operated toll booth

Abstract

A method of replacing a punched-card tolling system with a magnetic-card tolling system gradually by installing controllers sequentially at entrance and exit gates, each of which controllers is capable of controlling the terminals for both of these two tolling systems simultaneously.

Claims

1. A method of replacing a conventional punched card first tolling system for a toll road with a new magnetic card second tolling system where the toll road includes entrance gates and exit gates with booths at the entrance gates and exit gates through which vehicles using the toll road proceed, providing first terminals and second terminals in the booths at the entrance gates and the exit gates with the first terminals at the entrance gates issuing a punched card as a pass and with the second terminals at the entrance gates issuing a magnetic card as a pass with the issued punched card passes and magnetic card passes having recorded thereon entrance information for a vehicle passing through the entrance gates including a toll gate number and a type of vehicle, processing, collecting and storing the information recorded at the entrance gates in a data totalizer with the first terminals at the exit gates reading the information on a punched card pass and the second terminals at the exit gates reading the information on a magnetic card pass, calculating the toll on the basis of the information on the pass read by one of the first and second terminals at the exit gate, and processing, collecting and storing the results of the calculation by means of the data totalizer, arranging the first terminals at the entrance gates for issuing passes in the first tolling system and the second terminals for issuing passes in the second tolling system, arranging the first terminals at the exit gates for processing the punched card passes and the second terminals at the exit gates for processing the magnetic card passes and wherein the replacement of the first tolling system with the second tolling system includes installing a controller including a processor in each booth at the entrance and exit gates and interconnecting the controller to the first terminal and to the second terminal in the booth with the controller controlling the first terminal and the second terminal simultaneously, before commencing replacement of the first tolling system with the second tolling system using the controller for controlling the first terminal and when a vehicle enters the entance gate discriminating the vehicle type and through the processor and first terminal issuing a punched card pass, during the replacement of the first tolling system with the second tolling system when a vehicle enters the entrance gate discriminating the vehicle type and through the processor and second terminal issuing a magnetic card pass, during the replacement of the first tolling system with the second tolling system at the exit gates receiving either a punched card pass or magnetic card pass and discriminating in the controller the type of pass received and utilizing the corresponding first terminal or second terminal for determining the amount of the toll, after completing the installation of all of the first and second terminals and the controllers, replacing the issuance of the passes by the first terminals of the first tolling system with the second terminals of the second tolling system and issuing only the magnetic card passes, and finally removing the first terminals of the first terminal system at the entrance and exit gates.