Mobile radio communication for automatic toll collection system

• US 7,106,212 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2001
• Issued: 09/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Tokitsu, Naoki, Konishi, Yoshimune, Yamada, Wako
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeanty, Romain
• Application Number:
  US09/799,039
• Publication Number:
  US 20010025251A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,016 Days
• Field of Search: 705/13, 705/18, 701/209, 701/200, 340/905
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/063 using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station identification of vehicles G08G
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096758 where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0968 Systems involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle

Abstract

A mobile radio communication device for an automatic toll collection system executes toll charging processing and travel guide. It communicates with road-side communication devices at an entrance gate and an exit gate in a toll charge area to receive map data. It also receives present position information from a GPS receiver circuit. It executes processing necessary for toll charging based on the received map data and present position information. It also provides a travel guide in the toll charge area.

Claims

1. A mobile radio communication device for an automatic toll collection system which charges a toll of a mobile body by executing communications with rode-side communication devices at an entrance gate and an exit gate, the device comprising:

antennas for receiving map data of the toll charge area from the road-side communication device at the entrance gate;

a GPS receiver I/F for receiving present position information of the mobile body;

a processor configured to facilitate storing as travel path data the present position of the vehicle on the map, calculating an accumulated travel distance covering from the entrance of the toll charge area to the present position based on the travel path data, and calculating an actual travel distance of the mobile body In a toll charge area between the entrance gate and the exit gate based on the accumulated travel distance,

wherein the antenna are for transmitting the calculated distance of actual travel of the vehicle to the road-side communication device when at the toll charge area, and for receiving a toll charge calculated based on the calculated distance of actual travel from the road-side communication device; and

output means for outputting the toll charge in the vehicle,

wherein the processor check whether the mobile body has traveled in a special toll area based on the map data and the present position information when the toll charge area includes a special toll area in which a special toll is charged and charges the special toll when a check result indicates that the mobile body has traveled in the special toll area, and

wherein the processor calculates the special toll in correspondence with a distance which the mobile body has traveled in the special toll area.

2. The mobile radio communication device as in claim 1, further comprising:

memory for to data of an actual travel path of the mobile body,

wherein the processor calculates the actual travel distance from the stored data of the actual travel path.

3. The mobile radio communication device as in claim 1, wherein the antenna further receive map data corresponding to an outside area of the toll charge area from road-side communication device at the exit gate, and the processor provides a further travel guide based on the map data received at the exit gate and the present position information.

4. The mobile radio communication device as in claim 3, wherein the processor provides the travel guide by informing a driver of a guide point close to the present position of the mobile body based on the map data and the present position information.

5. The mobile radio communication device as in claim 1, wherein the processor provides a travel guide by informing a driver of a guide point close to the present position of the mobile body based on the map data and the present position information.

6. A mobile radio communication method for an automatic toll collection system comprising the steps of:

receiving map data of a toll charge area from road-side communication devices provided in the toll charge area upon entering and leaving the toll charge area;

receiving present position information of a vehicle from a GPS system;

executing predetermined processing based on the present position information and the map data, the predetermined processing including storing as travel path data the present position of the vehicle on the map,

calculating an accumulated travel distance covering from the entrance of the toll charge area to the present position based on the travel path data, and

calculating a distance of actual travel of the vehicle in the toll charge area based on the accumulated travel distance;

transmitting the calculated distance of actual travel of the vehicle to the road-side communication device when leaving the toll charge area;

calculating a toll charge in the toll charge area based on the calculated distance of actual travel;

receiving the calculated toll charge through the road-side, communication device; and

outputting the calculated toll charge in the vehicle,

wherein the executing further includes;

checking whether the vehicle is in a special toll charge area in the toll charge area the special toll charge area being for charging a special toll different from a normal toll in a normal toll charge area of the toll charge area; and

calculating the special toll charge and the normal charge separately in correspondence with distance of actual travel of the vehicle in the special toll charge area and the normal charge area respectively.

7. The mobile radio communication method as in claim 6, wherein

the executing includes checking whether the vehicle has arrived at a point which is within a predetermined distance from a predetermined guide point;

and

the outputting outputs the travel guide information of the predetermined guide point only when the vehicle has arrived at the point which is within the predetermined distance.

8. The mobile radio communication method as in claim 6, wherein

the executing includes checking whether the vehicle has arrived at a point which is within a predetermined distance from a predetermined guide point;

and

the outputting outputs the travel guide information of the predetermined guide point only when the vehicle has arrived at the point which is within the predetermined distance.

9. The mobile radio communication method as in claim 6, wherein the executing includes:

providing both toll charge and the travel guide information while the vehicle is in the toll charge area; and

providing only the travel guide information after the vehicle has left the toll charge area.

10. The mobile radio communication method as in claim 6, wherein the executing includes:

providing both the toll charge and the travel guide information while the vehicle is in the toll charge area; and

providing only travel guide information after the vehicle has left the toll charge area.

11. The mobile radio communication method as in claim 7, wherein the executing includes:

providing both the toll charge and the travel guide information while the vehicle is in the toll charge areas; and

providing only the travel guide information after the vehicle has left the toll charge area.