Tolling apparatus

• US 6,259,376 B1
• Filed: 08/10/1999
• Issued: 07/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Fuyama, Seiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Edward
• Application Number:
  US09/371,047
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 340/928, 340/933, 340/938, 235/384
• 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

In a tolling apparatus including first and second vehicle sensors successively arranged along a lane of a toll way, and a communication unit having a communication area on the lane arranged to substantially correspond to an area on the lane between the first and second sensor for communicating with a communication unit on the vehicle to establish a communication link with the communication unit, a microprocessor judges a vehicle as a fair vehicle if the communication link is established during an interval between when the first sensor detects the vehicle and when the second sensor detects the vehicle and if the communication link is established during the predetermined interval to prevent more than one vehicle from establishing the communication link. The second interval may be between when the first sensor detects the vehicle and when the first sensor detects that the vehicle has just passed through the first sensor after the predetermined interval or may be between when the first sensor detects the vehicle and when the first sensor detects another vehicle following the vehicle. A third sensor between first and second sensor may be provided for a judge timing of estblishment of the communication link.

Claims

1. A tolling apparatus comprising:

first detecting means arranged at a first position along a lane for detecting a vehicle passing said first detecting means on said lane in a direction of said lane;

second detecting means arranged at a second position apart from said first detecting means by a predetermined distance in said direction for detecting said vehicle passing said second detecting means on said lane;

communicating means having a communication area on said lane arranged to substantially correspond to an area on said lane between said first and second detecting means for communicating with a communication unit on said vehicle in response to said first detecting means to establish a communication link with said communication unit;

time measuring means for measuring a predetermined interval in response to said first detecting means;

judging means responsive to said time measuring means, said first and second detecting means, and said communicating means for judging said vehicle as a fair vehicle if said communication link is established during an interval between when said first detecting means detects said vehicle and when said second detecting means detects said vehicle and if said communication link is established during said predetermined interval and as an unfair vehicle if said communication link is not established during said interval and if said communication link is not established during said predetermined interval and outputting the judging result.

2. A tolling apparatus comprising:

first detecting means arranged at a first position along a lane for detecting a vehicle passing said first detecting means on said lane in a direction of said lane;

second detecting means arranged at a second position apart from said first detecting means by a predetermined distance in said direction for detecting said vehicle passing said detecting means on said lane;

communicating means having a communication area arranged to substantially correspond to an area on said lane between said first and second detecting means for communicating with a communication unit on said vehicle in response to said first detecting means to establish a communication link with said communication unit;

time measuring means for measuring a predetermined interval in response to said first detecting means; and

judging means responsive to said time measuring means, said first and second-detecting means, and said communicating means for judging said vehicle as a fair vehicle if said communication link is established during a first interval between when said first detecting means detects said vehicle and when said second detecting means detects said vehicle and if said communication link is established during a second interval between when said first detecting means detects said vehicle and when said first detecting means detects that said vehicle has just passed through said first detecting means after said predetermined interval and as an unfair vehicle if said communication link is not established during said first interval and if said communication link is not established during said second interval and outputting the judging result.

3. A tolling apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said communication area including a main communication area and peripheral communication area around said main communication area, an intensity of a radio wave from said communicating means at said peripheral communication area is lower than that at said main communication area and said first position is substantially just outside said peripheral communication area.

4. A tolling apparatus comprising:

first detecting means arranged at a first position along a lane for detecting a vehicle passing said first detecting means on said lane in a direction of said lane;

second detecting means arranged at a second position apart from said first detecting means by a predetermined distance in said direction for detecting said vehicle passing said second detecting means on said lane;

communicating means having a communication area arranged to substantially correspond to an area on said lane between said first and second detecting means for communicating with a communication unit on said vehicle in response to said first detecting means to establish a communication link with said communication unit;

judging means responsive to said time measuring means, said first and second detecting means, and said communicating means for judging said vehicle as a fair vehicle if said communication link is established during a first interval between when said first detecting means detects said vehicle and when said second detecting means detects said vehicle and if said communication link is established during a second interval between when said first detecting means detects said vehicle and when said first detecting means detects another vehicle following said vehicle and as an unfair vehicle if said communication link is not established during said first interval and if said communication link is not established during said second interval and outputting the judging result.

5. A tolling apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said communication area includes a main communication area and peripheral communication area around said main communication area, an intensity of a radio wave from said communicating means at said peripheral communication area is lower than that at said main communication area and said first position is substantially just outside said peripheral communication area.

6. A tolling apparatus comprising:

first detecting means arranged at a first position along a lane for detecting a vehicle passing said first detecting means on said lane in a direction of said lane;

second detecting means arranged at a second position apart from said first detecting means by a predetermined distance in said direction for detecting said vehicle passing said second detecting means on said lane;

third detecting means arranged between said first and second positions for detecting said vehicle passing said third detecting means on said lane;

communicating means having a communication area arranged to substantially correspond to an area on said lane between said first and second detecting means for communicating with a communication unit on said vehicle in response to said first detecting means to establish a communication link with said communication unit;

time measuring means for measuring a predetermined interval in response to said first detecting means;

judging means responsive to said time measuring means, said first and second detecting means, and said communicating means for judging said vehicle as a fair vehicle if said communication link is established during a first interval between when said first detecting means detects said vehicle and said second detecting means detects said vehicle and if said communication link is established during a second interval between when said first detecting means detects said vehicle and when said third detecting means detects said vehicle after said predetermined interval and as an unfair vehicle if said communication link is not established during said first interval and if said communication link is not established during said second interval and outputting the judging result.

7. A tolling apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein an interval between said first position and said third detecting means is substantially less than a size of said vehicle in said direction.

8. A tolling apparatus comprising:

detecting means arranged at a predetermined position along a lane for detecting a vehicle passing said detecting means on said lane in a direction of said lane;

communicating means having a predetermined communication area on said lane extending from said detecting means in said direction for communicating with a communication unit on said vehicle in response to said detecting means to establish a communication link with said communication unit;

time measuring means for measuring a predetermined interval in response to said detecting means;

judging means responsive to said time measuring means, said detecting means, and said communicating means for judging said vehicle as a fair vehicle if said communication link is established during said predetermined interval and outputting the judging result.

9. A tolling apparatus comprising:

detecting means arranged at a predetermined position along a lane for detecting a vehicle passing said detecting means on said lane in a direction of said lane;

communicating means having a predetermined communication area on said lane extending from said detecting means in said direction for communicating with a communication unit on said vehicle in response to said detecting means to establish a communication link with said communication unit; and

judging means responsive to said detecting means and said communicating means for judging said vehicle as a fair vehicle if said communication link is established during an interval between when said detecting means detects said vehicle and when said detecting means detects that said vehicle has just passed through said detecting means and outputting the judging result.

10. A tolling apparatus comprising:

detecting means arranged at a predetermined position along a lane for detecting a vehicle passing said detecting means on said lane in a direction of said lane;

communicating means having a predetermined communication area on said lane extending from said detecting means in said direction for communicating with a communication unit on said vehicle in response to said detecting means to establish a communication link with said communication unit; and

judging means responsive to said detecting means and said communicating means for judging said vehicle as a fair vehicle if said communication link is established during an interval between when said detecting means detects said vehicle and when said detecting means detects another vehicle following said vehicle and outputting the judging result.