System and method for tracking and billing vehicle users based on when and in which road lanes their vehicles have been driven

• US 7,667,618 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2007
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: X Corp. (f/k/a Twitter, Inc.) (X Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Strauss, Christopher J., Chitor, Ramesh, Keung, Nam, Jaji, Sebnem
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins; Davetta W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Labbees; Edny
• Application Number:
  US11/738,504
• Publication Number:
  US 20080258936A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,038 Days
• Field of Search: 3405721-5729, 340/933, 340/935, 342/44, 342/456
• US Class Current: 340/933
• 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 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence

Abstract

A system includes one or more transponders, a number of sensors, a tracking sub-system, and a billing sub-system. Each transponder is located in a vehicle capable of being driven on a road having at least a first lane and a second lane in which vehicles move in a same direction. Each sensor is movably located at a point along the road to detect the transponder of each vehicle that has changed between the first and the second lanes at the point. The tracking system is communicatively coupled to the sensors to track when and at which of the points the vehicles have changed between the first and the second lanes. The billing system is to periodically bill users of the vehicles based on when and where the vehicles are driven in the second lane of the road.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

one or more transponders, each transponder located in a vehicle capable of being driven on a road having at least a first lane and a second lane in which vehicles move in a same direction;

a plurality of sensors, each sensor located at a point along the road to detect the transponder of each vehicle that has changed between the first and the second lanes of the road at the point; and

,

a tracking component communicatively coupled to the sensors to track when and at which of the points the vehicles have changed between the first and the second lanes of the road,

wherein the sensors comprise;

a first sensor located at a first point along the road to detect the transponder of each vehicle that has changed between the first and the second lanes of the road at the first point, the first point of the road located at a beginning of a first length of the road; and

,

a second sensor located at a second point along the road to detect the transponder of each vehicle that has changed between the first and the second lanes of the road at the second point, the second point of the road located at a beginning of a second length of the road,

wherein the first length of the road is shorter than the second length of the road,

wherein within a given time period a cost for a vehicle to drive in the second lane within the first length of the road is a first cost, and within the given time period a cost for a vehicle to drive in the second lane within the second length of the road is a second cost, the second cost being greater than the first cost even within the given time period,

wherein the first length of the road is located between the first point and the second point, and no sensors are located between the first sensor at the first point and the second sensor at the second point.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a billing component to periodically bill users of the vehicles based on when and where the vehicles are driven in the second lane of the road.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of display devices, each display device situated at a point along the road to inform drivers of the vehicles a cost for switching from the first lane to the second lane at the point along the road.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein each display device is situated with a corresponding sensor in a common enclosure.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the common enclosure is movable for placement at different points along the road at different times.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the cost changes based on current traffic conditions on the road.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of wireless transmitters, each wireless transmitter situated at a point along the road to transmit information regarding a cost for switching from the first lane to the second lane at the point along the road.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising one or more wireless receivers, each wireless receiver located in one of the vehicles in which a transponder is located to receive the information transmitted from the wireless transmitters and convey the information to a driver of the vehicle.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the cost changes based on current traffic conditions on the road.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the transponder of each vehicle has an on-off switch to permit a driver of the vehicle to turn on and turn off the transponder.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a device disposable in the vehicle capable of being driven on the road having at least the first lane and the second lane in which vehicles move in a same direction, the device comprising:

the transponder to output whether the vehicle is in the first lane or the second lane of the road, such that the transponder communicates with the sensors located at the points along the road to convey at which of the points the vehicle changes between the first and the second lanes of the road.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the device further comprises a wireless receiver to receive information regarding a cost for switching from the first lane to the second lane at a current point along the road and to convey the information to a driver of the vehicle.

13. A method comprising:

detecting that a vehicle has changed between a first lane and a second lane along a road;

tracking when and at which of the different points the vehicle changed between the first and the second lanes; and

,

periodically billing a user of the vehicle based on when and where the vehicle was driven in the second lane of the road,

wherein where the vehicle is driven in the second lane within a first length of the road at which a first point is located, the driver of the vehicle is assessed a first cost within a given time period,

wherein where the vehicle is driven in the second lane within a second length of the road at which a second point is located, the driver of the vehicle is assessed a first cost within the given time period, the second cost being greater than the first cost even within the given time period,

wherein the first length of the road is shorter than the second length of the road,

wherein the first length of the road is located between the first point and the second point, and no sensors are located between a first sensor at the first point and a second sensor at the second point.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising indicating to a driver of the vehicle a cost for switching from the first lane to the second lane at each different point along the road.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising changing the cost for switching from the first lane to the second lane at each different point along the road based on current traffic conditions on the road.

16. A method comprising:

providing one or more transponders for installation in vehicles to be driven on a road having at least a first lane and a second lane in which the vehicles move in a same direction;

providing a plurality of sensors, each sensor to be installed at a point along the road to detect the transponder of each vehicle that has changed between the first and the second lanes of the road at the point; and

,

providing a tracking component that is to be communicatively coupled to the sensors to track when and at which of the points the vehicles have changed between the first and the second lanes of the road,

wherein the sensors comprise;

a first sensor located at a first point along the road to detect the transponder of each vehicle that has changed between the first and the second lanes of the road at the first point, the first point of the road located at a beginning of a first length of the road; and

,

a second sensor located at a second point along the road to detect the transponder of each vehicle that has changed between the first and the second lanes of the road at the second point, the second point of the road located at a beginning of a second length of the road,

wherein the first length of the road is shorter than the second length of the road,

wherein within a given time period a cost for a vehicle to drive in the second lane within the first length of the road is a first cost, and within the given time period a cost for a vehicle to drive in the second lane within the second length of the road is a second cost, the second cost being greater than the first cost even within the given time period,

wherein the first length of the road is located between the first point and the second point, and no sensors are located between the first sensor at the first point and the second sensor at the second point.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein providing the plurality of sensors comprises installing each sensor at a corresponding point along the road to detect the transponder of each vehicle that has changed between the first and the second lanes of the road at the corresponding point.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing a billing component to periodically bill users of the vehicles based on when and where the vehicles are driven in the second lane of the road.

19. A method comprising:

providing a transponder for installation in a vehicle to be driven on a road having at least a first lane and a second lane in which the vehicle move in a direction;

installing a plurality of sensors at points along the road to detect the transponder of the vehicle that has changed between the first and the second lanes of the road at any of the points; and

,

providing and operating a tracking component, the tracking component communicatively coupled to the sensors to track when and at which of the points the vehicles have changed between the first and the second lanes of the road,

wherein the sensors comprise;

a first sensor located at a first point along the road to detect the transponder of each vehicle that has changed between the first and the second lanes of the road at the first point, the first point of the road located at a beginning of a first length of the road; and

,

a second sensor located at a second point along the road to detect the transponder of each vehicle that has changed between the first and the second lanes of the road at the second point, the second point of the road located at a beginning of a second length of the road,

wherein the first length of the road is shorter than the second length of the road,

wherein within a given time period a cost for a vehicle to drive in the second lane within the first length of the road is a first cost, and within the given time period a cost for a vehicle to drive in the second lane within the second length of the road is a second cost, the second cost being greater than the first cost even within the given time period,

wherein the first length of the road is located between the first point and the second point, and no sensors are located between the first sensor at the first point and the second sensor at the second point.

20. The method of claim 19, farther comprising providing a billing component to periodically bill users of the vehicles based on when and where the vehicles are driven in the second lane of the road.