Variable road toll predicated on instantaneous point-to-point traffic volume calculation

• US 8,219,443 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2009
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Delia, David J., Delia, Wayne Michael, Knickerbocker, Glenn Stuart, Walla, Ann Katherine
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHEN, GEORGE YUNG CHIEH
• Application Number:
  US12/365,460
• Publication Number:
  US 20100198664A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/06 Arrangements for road pricing or congestion charging of vehicles or vehicle users, e.g. automatic toll systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions

Abstract

A method, a system and a computer program product are directed towards determination of a variable toll for a particular target vehicle using a particular point-to-point travel segment of a particular toll road. The variable toll is calculated predicated upon a deviation of an instantaneous point-to-point traffic volume for the particular target vehicle exiting the toll road in comparison with an arbitrarily determined baseline point-to-point traffic volume. The instantaneous point-to-point traffic volume includes vehicles traveling at least a portion of the same point-to-point travel segment as the target vehicle during an effective time interval when the target vehicle traveled the point-to-point travel segment.

Claims

1. A method for determining a variable toll for a toll road comprising:

determining for a plurality of point-to-point travel segments on a toll road;

a plurality of baseline point-to-point traffic volumes;

a plurality of baseline point-to-point tolls; and

a plurality of baseline point-to-point toll adjustments predicated upon a plurality of instantaneous point-to-point traffic volume deviations from the plurality of baseline point-to-point traffic volumes;

determining for the toll road a particular instantaneous point-to-point traffic volume for a particular target vehicle exiting from a particular point-to-point travel segment, said instantaneous point-to-point traffic volume determining based on an effective time interval that ends when the particular target vehicle exits the particular point-to-point travel segment, said effective time interval determined by a distance traveled by the particular target vehicle and an arbitrary vehicular speed;

determining for the particular point-to-point travel segment an instantaneous point-to-point toll based upon the baseline point-to-point toll and a baseline point-to-point toll adjustment predicated upon the particular instantaneous point-to-point traffic volume; and

applying the instantaneous point-to-point toll to the particular target vehicle, wherein a programmed processor device performs one or more said determining said particular instantaneous point-to-point traffic volume for a particular target vehicle, said determining for the particular point-to-point travel segment an instantaneous point-to-point toll.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining the particular instantaneous point-to-point traffic volume yields a number of other vehicles traveling at least a portion of the particular point-to-point travel segment during the effective time period.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the number of other vehicles traveling at least the portion of the particular point-to-point travel segment is calculated using a general activity table for the toll road and the arbitrary vehicular speed.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining the particular instantaneous point-to-point traffic volume uses toll road entry data and toll road exit data only.

14. The computer program product of claim 1 where the plurality of baseline point-to-point toll adjustments comprise surcharges.

15. The computer program product of claim 1 where the plurality of baseline point-to-point toll adjustments comprise discounts.

5. A system for determining a variable toll for a toll road comprising:

means for determining for a plurality of point-to-point travel segments on a toll road;

a plurality of baseline point-to-point traffic volumes;

a plurality of baseline point-to-point tolls; and

a plurality of baseline point-to-point toll adjustments predicated upon a plurality of instantaneous point-to-point traffic volume deviations from the plurality of baseline point-to-point traffic volumes;

means for determining for the toll road a particular instantaneous point-to-point traffic volume for a particular target vehicle exiting from a particular point-to-point travel segment, said means for determining further calculating the particular instantaneous point-to-point traffic volume using an effective time interval that ends when the particular target vehicle exits the particular point-to-point travel segment, said effective time interval determined by a distance traveled by the particular target vehicle and an arbitrary vehicular speed;

means for determining for the particular point-to-point travel segment an instantaneous point-to-point toll based upon the baseline point-to-point toll and a baseline point-to-point toll adjustment predicated upon the particular instantaneous point-to-point traffic volume; and

means for applying the instantaneous point-to-point toll to the particular target vehicle.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the means for comprise computer means.

7. The system of claim 5 where the plurality of baseline point-to-point toll adjustments comprise surcharges.

8. The system of claim 5 where the plurality of baseline point-to-point toll adjustments comprise discounts.

9. The system of claim 5 wherein:

the particular instantaneous point-to-point traffic volume is determined as a number of other vehicles traveling at least a portion of the particular point-to-point travel segment during the effective time period; and

the number of other vehicles traveling at least the portion of the particular point-to-point travel segment is calculated using a general activity table for the toll road and the arbitrary vehicular speed.

10. The system of claim 5 wherein the determining the particular instantaneous point-to-point traffic volume uses toll road entry data and toll road exit data only.

11. A computer program product for determining a variable toll for a toll road comprising a tangible non-transitory computer medium having encoded therein computer readable instructions for:

determining for a plurality of point-to-point travel segments on a toll road;

a plurality of baseline point-to-point traffic volumes;

a plurality of baseline point-to-point tolls; and

a plurality of baseline point-to-point toll adjustments predicated upon a plurality of instantaneous point-to-point traffic volume deviations from the plurality of baseline point-to-point traffic volumes;

determining for the toll road a particular instantaneous point-to-point traffic volume for a particular target vehicle exiting from a particular point-to-point travel segment, said instantaneous point-to-point traffic volume determining based on an effective time interval that ends when the particular target vehicle exits the particular point-to-point travel segment, said effective time interval determined by a distance traveled by the particular target vehicle and an arbitrary vehicular speed;

determining for the particular point-to-point travel segment an instantaneous point-to-point toll based upon the baseline point-to-point toll and a baseline point-to-point toll adjustment predicated upon the particular instantaneous point-to-point traffic volume; and

applying the instantaneous point-to-point toll to the particular target vehicle.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the particular instantaneous point-to-point traffic volume is determined as a number of other vehicles traveling at least a portion of the particular point-to-point travel segment during the effective time period.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the number of vehicles traveling at least the portion of the particular point-to-point travel segment is calculated using a general activity table for the toll road and the arbitrary vehicular speed.

16. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the determining the particular instantaneous point-to-point traffic volume uses toll road entry data and toll road exit data only.