Tolling information exchange method and system

• US 6,966,489 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2002
• Issued: 11/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CityLink Melbourne Ltd. (Transurban Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: CityLink Melbourne Ltd. (Transurban Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Grant, Bradley John
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RIZKALLAH, KIMBERLY NGUYEN
• Application Number:
  US10/481,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20040206817A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,244 Days
• Field of Search: 235381-385, 705/13, 705/500
• US Class Current: 235/381
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/063 using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station identification of vehicles G08G

Abstract

A method for debiting tolls against vehicles travelling on multiple toll road networks (2–4), the tolls incurred in each toll road network being processing by a separate toll collection system (4–6), the method including the steps of: (a) creating a local user record identifying a user of a first of the toll road networks in a first local user identification register (19, 20) maintained by a first of the toll collections systems (14); (b) creating a global user record identifying the user in a global user identification register (30–31) maintained by a central tolling information exchange (28); (c) detecting the presence of a user identification device associated with the user on a second toll road network (3); (d) attempting to locate a second local user record identifying the user from a second local user identification register (21, 22) maintained by a second of the toll collection systems (5), and if unsuccessful; (e) attempting to locate the global user record identifying the user from the global user identification register (30, 31), and if successful; (f) deriving a toll charge incurred by the user on the second toll road network.

Claims

1. A method for debiting tolls against vehicles travelling on multiple toll road networks, the tolls incurred in each toll road network being processing by a separate toll collection system, the method including the steps of:

(a) creating a local user record identifying a user of a first of the toll road networks in a first local user identification register maintained by a first of the toll collections systems,

(b) creating a global user record identifying the user in a global user identification register maintained by a central tolling information exchange,

(c) detecting the presence of a user identification device associated with the user on a second toll road network,

(d) attempting to locate a second local user record identifying the user from a second local user identification register maintained by a second of the toll collection systems, and if unsuccessful,

(e) attempting to locate the global user record identifying the user from the global user identification register, and if successful,

(f) deriving a toll charge incurred by the user on the second toll road network.

2. A method according to claim 1, the method further including:

selectively creating a global user record for the user.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the global user record is created upon or following creation of the first local user record.

4. A method according to any claim 1, wherein the user identification device bears electromagnetically encoded information identifying the user.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the user identification device is an electronic transponder.

6. A method according to claim 4, wherein the user identification device is a smart card.

7. A method according to claim 4, wherein global user identification register includes a global device register for recording the electromagnetically encoded user information.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the user identification device is a vehicle license plate.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the global user identification register includes a global vehicle register for recording vehicle license plate numbers.

10. A method according to claim 1, the method further including the step of:

(g) forwarding a toll charge record to the first toll collection system for processing.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein step (g) includes:

transmitting the toll charge record from the second toll collection system to the central tolling information exchange,

receiving an acknowledgment from the central tolling information exchange of the toll charge record, and

storing reconciliation data in the second toll collection system for later reconciliation with the first toll collection system.

12. A method according to claim 10, wherein step (g) includes:

identifying the user as having a first local user record in the local user identification register,

transmitting the toll charge record from the central tolling information exchange to the first toll collection system,

receiving acknowledgment from the first toll collection system of the toll charge record, and

debiting the user for the toll charge incurred in the second toll road network.

13. A method according to any claim 1, the method further including the steps of:

(h) debiting the toll charge within the second toll collection system, and

(i) transmitting a toll charge record to the first toll collection system for archiving.

14. A method according to claim 1, the method further including the steps of:

(j) if the attempt to locate the global user record from the global user identification register at step (e) is unsuccessful, generating an infringement record, and

(k) transmitting the infringement record to an enforcement agency.

15. A method according to claim 1, the method further including the steps of:

(l) maintaining a local action list in each toll collection system identifying unauthorised users of that toll road network,

(m) maintaining a foreign action list in each toll collection system identifying unauthorised users of one or more other toll road networks,

(n) transmitting each local action list to the central tolling information exchange for redistribution to the other toll collection systems,

(o) at each toll collection system, storing received local action lists in the foreign action list, and

(p) at each toll collection system, using the local and foreign action lists to initiate one or more predetermined actions upon detection of the user identification device of an unauthorised user.

16. A system for debiting tolls against vehicles travelling on multiple toll road networks, the system including:

a plurality of toll collection systems for processing the tolls incurred in each of the multiple toll road network,

a plurality of local user identification registers each maintained by a separate toll collection system,

a central tolling information exchange operatively connected to the plurality of toll collection systems, and

a global user identification register maintained by the central tolling information exchange,

wherein the plurality of toll collection systems and the central tolling information exchange each include processing devices and memory devices storing computer program code causing the processing devices to carry out a method according to any one of the preceding claims.

17. A central tolling information exchange for facilitating the exchange of information between multiple road toll networks, the central tolling information exchange forming part of a system for debiting tolls against vehicles travelling on multiple toll road networks, the tolls incurred in each toll road network being processing by a separate toll collection system, wherein a first local user record identifying a user of a first toll road network is created in a first local user identification register maintained by a first toll collection system,

the central tolling information exchange including a processing device and memory device storing computer program code causing the processing device to:

(a) create a global user record identifying the user in a global user identification register maintained by a central tolling information exchange, upon detection of the presence of a user identification device associated with the user on a second toll road network, and unsuccessfully attempting to locate a second local user record identifying the user from a second local user identification register maintained by a second of the toll collection systems,

(b) search for a global user record identifying the user from the global user identification register, and

(c) transmit the results of the search to the second toll collection system.

18. A central tolling information exchange according to claim 17, wherein upon a toll charge being incurred by the user on the second road toll network, the computer program code further causes the processing device to:

forward a toll charge record representative of the toll charge to the first toll collection system.

19. A central tolling information exchange according to claim 18, wherein the computer program code further causes the processing device to:

receive the toll charge record from the second toll collection system,

transmit an acknowledgment of the toll charge record to the second toll collection system.

20. A central tolling information exchange according to claim 18, wherein the computer program code further causes the processing device to:

transmit the toll charge record to the first toll collection system, and

receive acknowledgment from the first toll collection system of the toll charge record.

21. A central tolling information according to claim 17, wherein the computer program code further causes the processing device to:

selectively create a global user record for the user.

22. A central tolling information according to claim 21, wherein a global user record is created upon or following creation of the first local user record.

23. A central tolling information exchange according to claim 17, wherein the computer program code further causes the processing device to:

receive a local action list maintained by the first toll collection system identifying unauthorised users of the first toll road network, and

transmit the local action list to the second toll collection system.

24. A computer program including computer program code for use with a central tolling information exchange according to claim 17.

25. A toll collection system adapted to exchange information with one or more other toll collection systems, the toll collection system forming part of a system for debiting tolls against vehicles travelling on multiple toll road networks, the tolls incurred in each toll road network being processing by a separate toll collection system, wherein a local user record identifying a user of a first of the toll road networks is created in a first local user identification register maintained by a first of the other toll collections systems, and a global user record identifying the user is created in a global user identification register maintained by a central tolling information exchange,

the toll collection system including a processing device and memory device storing computer program code causing the processing device to:

(a) detect the presence of a user identification device associated with the user on a second toll road network,

(b) attempt to locate a second local user record identifying the user from a second local user identification register maintained by the toll collection system, and if unsuccessful,

(c) attempt to locate the global user record identifying the user from the global user identification register, and if successful,

(d) derive a toll charge incurred by the user on the second toll road network.

26. A toll collection system according to claim 25, wherein the computer program code further causes the processing device to:

forward a toll charge record to the first toll collection system for processing.

27. A toll collection system according to claim 26, wherein the computer program code further causes the processing device to:

transmit the toll charge record to the central tolling information exchange,

receive an acknowledgment from the central tolling information exchange of the toll charge record,

store reconciliation data for later reconciliation with the first toll collection system.

28. A toll collection system according to claim 27, wherein the computer program code further causes the processing device to:

debit the toll charge, and

transmit a toll charge record to the first toll collection system for archiving.

29. A toll collection system according to claim 28, wherein the computer program code further causes the processing device to:

generate an infringement record if the attempt to locate the global user record from the global user identification register is unsuccessful, and

transmit the infringement record to an enforcement agency.

30. A toll collection system according to claim 25, wherein the computer program code further causes the processing device to:

maintain a local action list identifying unauthorised users of the second toll road network,

maintain a foreign action list identifying unauthorised users of the one or more other toll road networks,

transmit the local action list to the central tolling information exchange for redistribution to the other toll collection systems,

store received local action lists in the foreign action list, and

use the local and foreign action lists to initiate one or more predetermined actions upon detection of the user identification device of an unauthorised user.

31. A computer program including computer program code for use with a toll collection system according to claim 25.