Vehicle-mounted communication device and road-to-vehicle communication device

• US 7,212,989 B1
• Filed: 07/30/1999
• Issued: 05/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Kazumasa, Taniguchi, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Fischer; Andrew J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHERR, CRISTINA O
• Application Number:
  US09/362,982
• Time in Patent Office: 2,832 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/500, 705/13, 705/16, 340/989, 340/468, 340/905, 455/558, 455/457, 701/117, 701/41, 701/210, 235/384
• US Class Current: 705/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/063 using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station identification of vehicles G08G

Abstract

A vehicle-mounted communication device and a road-to-vehicle communication device are provided which each allow communication of information using a simple structure by making leakage of information difficult. Information including encryption information is communicated between an on-road apparatus 10 having a memory 28 in which an electronic key A is stored, and a vehicle-mounted apparatus 30 having a storage circuit 48. Encrypted route information and the like are stored as is in the vehicle-mounted apparatus 30. Encryption and decoding are executed at an on-road apparatus side. In reception of charges, encrypted information from an IC card 62 having a memory 70 in which a security mechanism is stored passes through the vehicle-mounted apparatus and is transferred to the on-road apparatus. The encrypted information from the IC card 62 is decoded with the on-road apparatus. Accordingly, the encrypted information is mutually transferred between these apparatuses and the vehicle-mounted apparatus does not require encryption or decoding. As a result, the security of a system can be improved.

Claims

1. A vehicle-mounted communication device comprising:

transmitting/receiving means provided for wireless communication of information with road-side communication means located at a road side;

relay means that relays encryption information, received from the road side by said transmitting/receiving means, to an IC card and that relays output information encrypted by the IC card to the transmitting/receiving means, in an undecoded state, the IC card includes a) storage means that stores user information regarding a user for charge-processing, b) encryption means that encrypts the output information which is based on the user information and outputs the encrypted output information, and that decodes encrypted input information relating to the user information, and c) output means that transmits a portion of the output information in a state without being encrypted;

information display means that displays information; and

encryption information storage means in which the encryption information is temporarily stored,

wherein the transmitting/receiving means stores the encryption information in the encryption information storage means and transmits the encryption information stored in the encryption information storage means as it is, and

the information display means receives and displays the portion of the output information, which is output from the output means in the state without being encrypted.

2. A road-to-vehicle communication device comprising:

a vehicle-mounted communication device according to claim 1; and

road-side control means being located at a road side, including road-side communication means provided for intercommunication of information with the vehicle-mounted communication device, and also including road-side encryption means for encrypting transmitted information and decoding received information.

3. A road-to-vehicle communication device according to claim 2, wherein road-side encryption means of said road-side control means installed at an entrance gate effects encryption of transmitted information and road-side encryption means of said road-side control means installed at a toll reception gate effects only decoding of received information.

4. A road-to-vehicle communication device according to claim 2, wherein the transmitted information is accounting information regarding accounting processing of charged facilities.

5. A road-to-vehicle communication device according to claim 3, wherein the transmitted information is accounting information regarding accounting processing of charged facilities.

6. A vehicle-mounted communication device according to claim 1, wherein the encryption information is temporarily stored in the vehicle-mounted communication device in an undecoded state.

7. A vehicle-mounted communication device according to claim 1, wherein the road-side communication means further transmits non-encrypted information, and the information display means receives and displays the non-encrypted information.