Vehicle mounted directionally focused tolling device enclosure

• US 8,754,750 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2011
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Traffic Solutions Consolidated LLC
• Original Assignee: Rent A Toll Ltd
• Inventors: Welch, Rick, Viney, Marshall B., Welch, Kyle Richard, Balachandran, Sarath K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lau, Hoi
• Application Number:
  US13/163,810
• Publication Number:
  US 20110310542A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,093 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/10.1, 340/693.6, 340/928, 340/572.8, 340/572.7, 340/572.3, 340/10.51, 365/145, 365/192, 343/841, 343/872, 343/713, 343/868
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/005 the record carrier comprising an arrangement to facilitate insertion into a holding device, e.g. an arrangement that makes the record carrier fit into an etui or a casing ticket holders A45C11/18
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/025 the material being flexible or adapted for folding, e.g. paper or paper-like materials used in luggage labels, identification tags, forms or identification documents carrying RFIDs methods for testing the genuineness of valuable papers, e.g. banknotes or passports G07D7/00; constructional features of booklets and the like B42D
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• 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: G07B 15/063 using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station identification of vehicles G08G
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2216 used in interrogator/reader equipment

Abstract

An enclosure for housing a radio frequency integrated device (RFID) transponder. The enclosure includes a front surface comprising a non-shielding material, a top surface, a bottom surface, a right-side surface, a left-side surface and a rear surface. The top surface, the bottom surface, the right-side surface, the left-side surface and the rear surface include a shielding material. The enclosure selectively enables and disables communication between the RFID transponder and toll collection units relative to a position of the front surface of the enclosure within a vehicle.

Claims

1. An enclosure for housing a radio frequency integrated device (RFID) transponder comprising:

a front surface comprising a non-shielding material;

a top surface, a bottom surface, a right-side surface, a left-side surface and a rear surface, wherein the top surface, the bottom surface, the right-side surface, the left-side surface and the rear surface comprise a shielding material; and

wherein the enclosure selectively enables and disables communication between the RFID transponder and toll collection units relative to a position of the front surface of the enclosure within a vehicle;

wherein the enclosure selectively enables and disables communication between the RFID transponder and the toll collection units via manual rotation of the enclosure by a vehicle operator; and

wherein, when the front surface of the enclosure comprising the non-shielding material is facing the vehicle operator, communication between the RFID transponder and the toll collection units is disabled.

2. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein, when the front surface of the enclosure comprising the non-shielding material is facing a front windshield of the vehicle, communication between the RFID transponder and the toll collection units is enabled.

3. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein the enclosure selectively enables and disables communication between the RFID transponder and the toll collection units via vertical rotation of the enclosure by a vehicle operator.

4. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein the enclosure selectively enables and disables communication between the RFID transponder and the toll collection units via horizontal rotation of the enclosure by a vehicle operator.

5. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein the enclosure is mounted on a front windshield of the vehicle via a mount assembly.

6. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein the enclosure is mounted on a dashboard of the vehicle via a mount assembly.

7. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein the enclosure is mounted towards a front region of the vehicle that is easily assessable by a vehicle operator.

8. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein the shielding material comprises a material that isolates the RFID transponder from communication with the toll collection units.

9. The enclosure of claim 8, wherein the shielding material comprises at least one of sheet metal, metal screens, metal foams and metallic ink.

10. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein the non-shielding material comprises plastic.

11. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein the RFID transponder is completely enclosed within the enclosure.

12. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein the enclosure does not require a manual operable sliding portion for selectively shielding the RFID transponder housed within the enclosure.

13. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein the enclosure is rectangular shaped.

14. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein, when the front surface of the enclosure comprising the non-shielding material is facing a vehicle operator, the RFID transponder is in a disabled state.

15. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein, when the front surface of the enclosure comprising the non-shielding material is facing a front windshield of the vehicle, the RFID transponder is in an enabled state.

16. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein, when a vehicle operator chooses to pay toll charges using the RFID transponder, the vehicle operator rotates the enclosure such that the front surface of the enclosure comprising the non-shielding material is facing a front windshield of the vehicle.

17. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein, when a vehicle operator chooses to not pay toll charges using the RFID transponder, the vehicle operator rotates the enclosure such that the front surface of the enclosure comprising the non-shielding material is facing a vehicle operator.

18. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein the RFID transponder is an active RFID transponder.

19. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein the RFID transponder is a passive RFID transponder.

20. A method for utilizing an enclosure for paying toll fees comprising:

receiving a radio frequency integrated device (RFID) transponder within the enclosure, the enclosure comprising a front surface comprising a non-shielding material, a top surface, a bottom surface, a right-side surface, a left-side surface and a rear surface, wherein the top surface, the bottom surface, the right-side surface, the left-side surface and the rear surface comprise a shielding material;

determining if a vehicle operator chooses to pay the toll fees using the RFID transponder; and

responsive to a determination that the vehicle operator chooses to pay the toll fees using the RFID transponder, rotating the enclosure such that the front surface of the enclosure comprising the non-shielding material is facing a front windshield of a vehicle.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

responsive to a determination that the vehicle operator chooses not to pay the toll fees using the RFID transponder, rotating the enclosure such that the front surface of the enclosure comprising the non-shielding material is facing the vehicle operator.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the enclosure selectively enables and disables communication between the RFID transponder and toll collection units relative to a position of the front surface of the enclosure within the vehicle.

23. An enclosure for housing a radio frequency integrated device (RFID) transponder comprising:

a top surface, a bottom surface, a right-side surface, a left-side surface and a rear surface defining a frontal area for receiving the RFID transponder therein for communication with transponder readers;

wherein the top surface, the bottom surface, the right-side surface, the left-side surface and the rear surface comprise a shielding material;

wherein the enclosure selectively enables and disables communication between the RFID transponder and toll collection units relative to a position of the frontal area of the enclosure within a vehicle;

wherein, when the frontal area of the enclosure comprising a panel of non-shielding material is facing the vehicle operator, communication between the RFID transponder and the toll collection units is disabled; and

wherein, when the frontal area of the enclosure comprising the panel of non-shielding material is facing a front windshield of the vehicle, communication between the RFID transponder and the toll collection units is enabled.

24. The enclosure of claim 23,

wherein the panel of non-shielding material is secured in the frontal area to completely enclose the RFID transponder within the enclosure.

25. The enclosure of claim 23, wherein a panel of non-shielding material is not secured in the frontal area.

26. The enclosure of claim 23, wherein:

when the frontal area of the enclosure is facing the vehicle operator, communication between the RFID transponder and the toll collection units is disabled; and

when the frontal area of the enclosure is facing a front windshield of the vehicle, communication between the RFID transponder and the toll collection units is enabled.

27. The enclosure of claim 23, wherein the enclosure is mounted on a front windshield of the vehicle via a mount assembly.

28. An enclosure for housing a radio frequency integrated device (RFID) transponder comprising:

a front surface comprising a non-shielding material;

a top surface, a bottom surface, a right-side surface, a left-side surface and a rear surface, wherein the top surface, the bottom surface, the right-side surface, the left-side surface and the rear surface comprise a shielding material;

wherein the enclosure selectively enables and disables communication between the RFID transponder and toll collection units relative to a position of the front surface of the enclosure within a vehicle; and

wherein, when a vehicle operator chooses to pay toll charges using the RFID transponder, the vehicle operator rotates the enclosure such that the front surface of the enclosure comprising the non-shielding material is facing a front windshield of the vehicle.

29. An enclosure for housing a radio frequency integrated device (RFID) transponder comprising:

a front surface comprising a non-shielding material;

a top surface, a bottom surface, a right-side surface, a left-side surface and a rear surface, wherein the top surface, the bottom surface, the right-side surface, the left-side surface and the rear surface comprise a shielding material;

wherein the enclosure selectively enables and disables communication between the RFID transponder and toll collection units relative to a position of the front surface of the enclosure within a vehicle; and

wherein, when a vehicle operator chooses to not pay toll charges using the RFID transponder, the vehicle operator rotates the enclosure such that the front surface of the enclosure comprising the non-shielding material is facing a vehicle operator.

30. An enclosure for housing a radio frequency integrated device (RFID) transponder comprising:

a front surface comprising a non-shielding material;

a top surface, a bottom surface, a right-side surface, a left-side surface and a rear surface, wherein the top surface, the bottom surface, the right-side surface, the left-side surface and the rear surface comprise a shielding material;

wherein the enclosure selectively enables and disables communication between the RFID transponder and toll collection units relative to a position of the front surface of the enclosure within a vehicle; and

wherein, when the front surface of the enclosure comprising the non-shielding material is facing a vehicle operator, the RFID transponder is in a disabled state.