Device for determining road tolls

• US 5,864,831 A
• Filed: 02/17/1994
• Issued: 01/26/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Daimler-Benz AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Schuessler, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Cosimano, Edward R.
• Application Number:
  US08/197,594
• Time in Patent Office: 1,804 Days
• Field of Search: 340/928, 364/401, 364/467, 364/464.01, 705/13, 705/400, 705/417, 705/418
• US Class Current: 705/417
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/127 Shopping or accessing services according to a time-limitation
• 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 15/063 using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station identification of vehicles G08G
• 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

Abstract

A device, for determining road tolls having a road storage unit in which, in addition to a road network, parameters are electronically stored which represent a proportional toll due for each route section of the road network. A device for determining the vehicle position is provided, as well as a computer unit which determines the toll for a vehicle travelling over a particular route as least in dependence on the parameter and position data. An adaptation to changing tolls is possible in a simple matter with this device by storing new or further parameters influencing the toll.

Claims

1. Device for determining a toll for a vehicle travelling over a road section, comprising:

vehicle-carried means for determining the position of the vehicle, and

a vehicle-carried road storage device in which data of at least one toll-chargeable road network are electronically stored, said road storage device also having stored therein road toll parameters associated with said toll chargeable road network, an individual road toll parameter being associated with a particular road section of the road network and representing a proportional road toll due for the use of this section, and

a vehicle-carried computer unit connected to the road storage device and the means for determining the position, the computer unit determining the toll due for the use of the route sections travelled by the vehicle, based at least on data from the means for determining the position, and road network and toll parameter data from the road storage device.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the road storage device includes an erasable memory, a receiver unit for receiving updated data of the road network and the road toll parameters and an input unit, coupled to the receiver unit and the road storage device, for writing received updated data into the memory.

3. Device according to claim 1, further comprising a an output unit coupled to the computer unit and a display unit coupled to the computer unit, wherein the computer unit determines the value of a currently accrued toll and outputs the value via the output unit to the visual display unit.

4. Device according to claim 1, further comprising a storage device, connected to the computer unit, for electronic storage of data of environmental toll parameters which represent a proportional toll dependent on a current environmental situation of the vehicle, the environmental toll parameters being taken into consideration by the computer unit in the determination of the toll.

5. Device according to claim 4, wherein the environmental toll parameter storage device contains an erasable memory, a receiver unit for receiving updated environmental toll parameter data and an input unit, coupled to the memory and the receiver unit, for writing received updated environmental toll parameter data into the memory.

6. Device according to claim 1, further comprising a storage unit, connected to the computer unit, for the electronic storage of data of vehicle-related toll parameters which represent a vehicle-related proportional toll which is taken into consideration by the computer unit during the determination of the toll.

7. Device according to claim 6, wherein the vehicle toll parameter storage device contains an erasable memory, means for registering the values of the vehicle toll parameters and an input unit, coupled to the memory and means for registering, for writing output data of the means for registering into the memory.

8. Device according to claim 1, further comprising an output unit coupled to the computer unit, wherein the computer unit determines the value of the total toll accrued during a trip and outputs the value via the output unit.

9. Device according to claim 8, further comprising a debiting unit coupled to the output unit, wherein an output signal of the output unit for the total toll is supplied to the debiting unit, the debiting unit having means for receiving input from a user card for debiting the toll.

10. Device according to claim 8, further comprising a visual display unit coupled to the output unit, wherein an output signal of the output unit for the total toll is supplied to the visual display unit.

11. Device according to claim 10, further comprising a debiting unit coupled to the output unit, wherein the output signal of the output unit for the total toll is supplied to the debiting unit, the debiting unit having means for receiving input from a user card for debiting the toll.