Transaction accounting of toll transactions in transponder systems

• US 6,725,202 B1
• Filed: 10/11/2000
• Issued: 04/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Hurta, Dwaine S., Frazee, Francis B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dixon, Thomas A.
• Application Number:
  US09/685,900
• Time in Patent Office: 1,287 Days
• Field of Search: 705/13, 235/384, 342/44, 340/994
• US Class Current: 705/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• 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 7/0866 by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence

Abstract

This invention allows a toll authority to monitor transaction numbers which are sent from a transponder (14) to an interrogator (12). By incrementing the transaction counter stored in the transponder with successful transactions the toll authority can ascertain whether accounting of a transaction has been missed (i.e., a transaction number missing from the sequence), or double-counted (i.e., two transactions with the same transaction number).

Claims

1. A method of tracking transactions in a system comprising an interrogator and a transponder having a transaction register, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an interrogator and a transponder having a transaction register remote from said interrogator;

providing a smartcard having data thereon and removably couplable to said transponder;

coupling said smartcard to said transponder to set data including a transaction count from said smartcard into said transaction register of said transponder;

sending an interrogation from said interrogator to said transponder when said transponder is within range of said interrogator to receive said interrogation above a predetermined minimum threshhold to commence operation of said transponder;

sending a response to said interrogator from said transponder in response to said interrogation;

modifying at said transponder said transaction count stored within said transaction register in response to an indication of a predetermined interrogation and response transaction being completed between said transponder and interrogator and communicated by said interrogator to said transponder; and

storing said modified transaction count from said transaction register in said transponder in said smartcard.

2. The method of claim 1 further including the step of removing said smartcard from said transponder after said step of storing said modified information.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of modifying is performed when said interrogation is below said predetermined minimum threshold after having been above said predetermined minimum threshold.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said step of modifying is performed when said interrogation is below said predetermined minimum threshold after having been above said predetermined minimum threshold.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said smartcard includes, as a portion of said data, user identifying data, further including keying in at said transponder user identifying data for comparison with said user identifying data in said smartcard and terminating operation of said system in response to a non-comparison.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein said smartcard includes, as a portion of said data, user identifying data, further including keying in at said transponder user identifying data for comparison with said user identifying data in said smartcard and terminating operation of said system in response to a non-comparison.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein said smartcard includes, as a portion of said data, user identifying data, further including keying in at said transponder user identifying data for comparison with said user identifying data in said smartcard and terminating operation of said system in response to a non-comparison.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein said smartcard includes, as a portion of said data, user identifying data, further including keying in at said transponder user identifying data for comparison with said user identifying data in said smartcard and terminating operation of said system in response to a non-comparison.

9. A method of tracking transactions in a system comprising an interrogator and a transponder having a transaction register, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an interrogator and a transponder having a transaction register;

providing a smartcard having data thereon which is removably couplable to said transponder for transmission of said data to said transponder and receipt of data from said transponder;

coupling said smartcard to said transponder to set data including a transaction count from said smartcard into said transaction register of said transponder;

sending an interrogation from said interrogator to said transponder when said transponder is within range of said interrogator to receive said interrogation at at least a predetermined minimum threshhold to commence operation of said transponder;

sending a response to said interrogator from said transponder in response to said interrogation;

modifying at said transponder said transaction count stored within said transaction register in response to an indication of a predetermined interrogation and response transaction being completed between said transponder and interrogator and communicated by said interrogator to said transponder; and

storing said modified transaction count from said transaction register in said transponder in said smartcard.

10. The method of claim 9 further including the step of removing said smartcard from said transponder after said step of storing said modified information.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said step of modifying is performed when said interrogation is below said predetermined minimum threshold after having been above said predetermined minimum threshold.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said step of modifying is performed when said interrogation is below said predetermined minimum threshold after having been above said predetermined minimum threshold.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said smartcard includes, as a portion of said data, user identifying data, further including keying in at said transponder user identifying data for comparison with said user identifying data in said smartcard and terminating operation of said system in response to a non-comparison.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said smartcard includes, as a portion of said data, user identifying data, further including keying in at said transponder user identifying data for comparison with said user identifying data in said smartcard and terminating operation of said system in response to a non-comparison.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said smartcard includes, as a portion of said data, user identifying data, further including keying in at said transponder user identifying data for comparison with said user identifying data in said smartcard and terminating operation of said system in response to a non-comparison.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said smartcard includes, as a portion of said data, user identifying data, further including keying in at said transponder user identifying data for comparison with said user identifying data in said smartcard and terminating operation of said system in response to a non-comparison.