Electronic toll collection system for toll road
First Claim
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1. An electronic toll collection system for a toll road which collects a toll from a vehicle passing a quasi communication area and reaching a standard communication area, comprising:
- a road-side device;
first means, provided in the road-side device, for transmitting a polling signal, the polling signal at the quasi communication area having an electric field strength between a first electric field strength and a second electric field strength larger than the first electric field strength, the polling signal at the standard communication area having an electric field strength equal to or higher than the second electric field strength, an on-vehicle device of the vehicle positioned in the standard communication area being able to respond to the polling signal many times and to communicate with the road-side device;
second means, provided in the road-side device, for receiving a plurality of responses of a single on-vehicle device to the polling signal transmitted by the first means without receiving another signal in the on-vehicle device, the on-vehicle device being positioned in the standard communication area during the responses;
third means, provided in the road-side device for deciding whether or not the second means receives a response a plural number of times; and
fourth means, provided in the road-side device, for deciding that the on-vehicle device is now positioned in the standard communication area when the third means decides that the second means receives the plurality of responses to the polling signal and starting a communication with the on-vehicle device positioned in the standard communication area.
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Abstract
An ETC system for a toll road includes a road-side device. The road-side device transmitting a polling signal. The road-side device receives a response of an on-vehicle device to the transmitted polling signal. A decision is made as to whether or not the response is received a plural number of times. In cases where it is decided that the response is received a plural number of times, next radio communications with the on-vehicle device are started.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. An electronic toll collection system for a toll road which collects a toll from a vehicle passing a quasi communication area and reaching a standard communication area, comprising:
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a road-side device; first means, provided in the road-side device, for transmitting a polling signal, the polling signal at the quasi communication area having an electric field strength between a first electric field strength and a second electric field strength larger than the first electric field strength, the polling signal at the standard communication area having an electric field strength equal to or higher than the second electric field strength, an on-vehicle device of the vehicle positioned in the standard communication area being able to respond to the polling signal many times and to communicate with the road-side device; second means, provided in the road-side device, for receiving a plurality of responses of a single on-vehicle device to the polling signal transmitted by the first means without receiving another signal in the on-vehicle device, the on-vehicle device being positioned in the standard communication area during the responses; third means, provided in the road-side device for deciding whether or not the second means receives a response a plural number of times; and fourth means, provided in the road-side device, for deciding that the on-vehicle device is now positioned in the standard communication area when the third means decides that the second means receives the plurality of responses to the polling signal and starting a communication with the on-vehicle device positioned in the standard communication area. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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2. An electronic toll collection system for a toll road which collects a toll from an vehicle passing a quasi communication area and reaching a standard communication area, comprising:
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a first vehicle sensor for detecting a portion of the vehicle at fist position of the standard communication area on a lane when an on-vehicle device of the vehicle is placed in the standard communication area or the quasi communication area; a second vehicle sensor for detecting the portion of the vehicle at a second position of the standard communication area on the lane which is ahead of the first position when the on-vehicle device of the vehicle is placed in the standard communication area; first means, provided in a road-side device, for starting continuously transmitting a polling signal when the first vehicle sensor detects a vehicle, an electric field strength of the polling signal at the quasi communication area being between a first electric field strength and a second electric field strength larger than the first electric field strength, the electric field strength of the polling signal at the standard communication area being equal to or higher than the second electric field strength, the on-vehicle device of the vehicle placed in the standard communication area being able to communicate with the road-side device; second means, provided in the road-side device, for receiving a response of an on-vehicle device of the vehicle to the polling signal transmitted by the first means; and third means, provided in the road-side device, for, after the second means receives the response, deciding whether or not both the first and second vehicle sensors detect the vehicle, deciding that the on-vehicle device is now placed in the standard communication area when both the first and second vehicle sensors detect the vehicle, and starting a communication with the on-vehicle device placed in the standard communication area. - View Dependent Claims (3, 14)
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4. An electronic toll collection system for a toll road, comprising:
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an on-vehicle device; first means, provided in the on-vehicle device, for receiving data from a road-side device; second means, provided in the on-vehicle device, for receiving a communication end signal representing an end of transmission of the data when the communication end signal transmitted from the road-side device reaches the on-vehicle device after the first means receives the data therefrom, handling the data received by the first means as effective data in response to the reception of the communication end signal, and ending a communication with the road-side device; and third means, provided in the on-vehicle device, for handling the data received by the first means as effective data when the second means does not receive the communication end signal, and ending a communication with the road-side device. - View Dependent Claims (5, 15)
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6. An electronic toll collection system for a toll road, comprising:
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a road-side device; first means, provided in the road-side device, for receiving data from an on-vehicle device; second means, provided in the road-side device, for receiving a communication end signal representing an end of transmission of the data when the communication end signal transmitted from the on-vehicle device reaches the road-side device after the first means receives the data therefrom, handling the data received by the first means as effective data in response to the reception of the communication end signal, and ending a communication with the on-vehicle device; and third means, provided in the road-side device, for handling the data received by the first means as effective data when the second means does not receive the communication end signal, and ending a communication with the on-vehicle device. - View Dependent Claims (7, 16)
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8. A method of collecting a toll from a vehicle passing a quasi communication area and reaching a standard communication area in an electronic toll collection system for a toll road, comprising the steps of:
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transmitting a polling signal from a road-side device, the polling signal at the quasi communication area having an electric field strength between a first electric field strength and a second electric field strength larger than the first electric field strength, the polling signal at the standard communication area having an electric field strength equal to or higher than the second electric field strength, an on-vehicle device of the vehicle positioned in the standard communication area being able to respond to the polling signal many times and to communicate with the road-side device; enabling the road-side device to receive a plurality of responses of a single on-vehicle device of the vehicle to the polling signal without receiving another signal in the on-vehicle device, the on-vehicle device being positioned in the standard communication area during the responses; deciding whether or not the road-side device receives a response a plural number of times; deciding that the on-vehicle device is now positioned in the standard communication area when it is decided that the road-side device receives the plurality of responses to the polling signal; and enabling the road-side device to start communicating with the on-vehicle device positioned in the standard communication area. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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9. A method of collecting a toll from a vehicle passing a quasi communication area and reaching a standard communication area in an electronic toll collection system for a toll road, comprising:
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detecting a portion of a vehicle at a fist position of the standard communication area on a lane when an on-vehicle device of the vehicle is placed in the standard communication area or the quasi communication area; detecting the portion of the vehicle at a second position of the standard communication area on the lane which is ahead of the first position when the on-vehicle device of the vehicle is placed in the standard communication area; starting a continuous transmission of a polling signal when a vehicle at the first position is detected, an electric field strength of the polling signal at the quasi communication area being between a first electric field strength and a second electric field strength larger than the first electric field strength, the electric field strength of the polling signal at the standard communication area being equal to or higher than the second electric field strength, the on-vehicle device of the vehicle placed in the standard communication area being able to communicate with a road-side device; receiving a response of an on-vehicle device of the vehicle to the polling signal; and after the response is received, deciding whether or not both the first and second vehicle sensors detect the vehicle; deciding that the on-vehicle device is now placed in the standard communication area when both the first and second vehicle sensors detect the vehicle; starting a communication with the on-vehicle device placed in the standard communication area. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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10. A method in an electronic toll collection system for a toll road, comprising the steps of:
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receiving data from a road-side device; receiving a communication end signal representing an end of transmission of the data from the road-side device after the data are received therefrom; handling the data received by the first means as effective data in response to the reception of the communication end signal; handling the received data as effective data when no communication end signal is successfully; and ending a communication with the road-side device. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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11. An on-vehicle device in an electronic toll collection system for a toll road, comprising:
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first means for receiving data from a road-side device; second means for receiving a communication end signal representing an end of transmission of the data when the communication end signal transmitted from the road-side device reaches the on-vehicle device after the first means receives the data therefrom, handling the data received by the first means as effective data in response to the reception of the communication end signal, and ending a communication with the road-side device; and third means for handling the data received by the first means as effective data when the second means does not receive the communication end signal, and ending a communication with the road-side device. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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Specification