Apparatus for the personalization and registration of vehicle devices

• US 8,346,598 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2010
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kapsch TrafficCom AG (Datax Handelsgmbh)
• Original Assignee: Kapsch TrafficCom AG (Datax Handelsgmbh)
• Inventors: Hafenscher, Albert, Tijink, Jasja, Nagy, Oliver
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Clark, David J
• Application Number:
  US12/876,072
• Publication Number:
  US 20110093315A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 705/13
• US Class Current: 705/13
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/043 Identity of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/355 Personalisation of cards for use
• 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: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

Apparatus for personalization and registration of vehicle devices of different types in a road toll system, comprising: for each type of vehicle device, a respective personalization module that is configured to write personalization data into a vehicle device of this type and generate the associated registration data, which contains the personalization data, an interface module common to all personalization modules that is configured to receive their registration data and, following a release request, send it to a registration database of the road toll system, and a testing unit that reads out the personalization data of a personalized but not yet registered vehicle device, checks the registration data generated by the responsible personalization module for agreement of the personalization data contained therein with the read-out personalization data, and if it agrees, sends a release request with respect to this registration data to the interface module.

Claims

1. An apparatus for personalization and registration of vehicle devices of different types in a road toll system, comprising:

for each type of vehicle device, a respective personalization module that is configured to write personalization data into a vehicle device and generate associated registration data, which contains the personalization data;

an interface module common to all personalization modules that is configured to receive the registration data and, following a release request, send the received registration data to a centralized registration database of the road toll system remote from the vehicle devices for storing the registration data; and

a testing unit that reads out the personalization data of a personalized but not yet registered vehicle device, checks the registration data generated by the respective personalization module for agreement of the personalization data contained therein with the read-out personalization data, and in case of agreement, sends a release request with respect to said registration data to the interface module,

wherein the apparatus is a point-of-sale (PoS) terminal and each of the personalization modules is formed by a combination of a vehicle device type-specific personalization application and a vehicle device type-specific communication interface to the vehicle device.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each personalization module generates a hash value of the registration data during the personalization of a vehicle device and writes the hash value into the vehicle device, and wherein the testing unit reads out said hash value from the vehicle device and compares the hash value to a hash value of the registration data received from the personalization module, during said checking of the registration data.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication interface is a conventional dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) or mobile phone interface.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the testing unit is configured to prompt the vehicle device to generate a standardized toll transaction of the road toll system, which reproduces the personalization data.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the testing unit co-uses the communication interface of a selected personalization module.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the testing unit uses a transceiver beacon of the road toll system for communication with the vehicle devices.

7. An apparatus for personalization and registration of vehicle devices of different types in a road toll system, comprising:

for each type of vehicle device, a respective personalization module that is configured to write personalization data into a vehicle device and generate associated registration data, which contains the personalization data;

an interface module common to all personalization modules that is configured to receive the registration data and, following a release request, send the received registration data to a registration database of the road toll system; and

a testing unit that reads out the personalization data of a personalized but not yet registered vehicle device, checks the registration data generated by the respective personalization module for agreement of the personalization data contained therein with the read-out personalization data, and in case of agreement, sends a release request with respect to said registration data to the interface module, wherein the apparatus is a point-of-sale (PoS) terminal and each of the personalization modules is formed by a combination of a vehicle device type-specific personalization application and a vehicle device type-specific communication interface to the vehicle device.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein each personalization module generates a hash value of the registration data during the personalization of a vehicle device and writes the hash value into the vehicle device, and wherein the testing unit reads out said hash value from the vehicle device and compares the hash value to a hash value of the registration data received from the personalization module, during said checking of the registration data.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the testing unit is configured to prompt the vehicle device to generate a standardized toll transaction of the road toll system, which reproduces the personalization data.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the testing unit co-uses the communication interface of a selected personalization module.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the testing unit uses a transceiver beacon of the road toll system for communication with the vehicle devices.

12. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the communication interface is a conventional dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) or mobile phone interface.