Billing a rented third party transport including an on-board unit

• US 9,418,487 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2014
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Traffic Solutions Consolidated LLC
• Original Assignee: Ats Tolling Llc (Verra Mobility Corp.)
• Inventors: Robinson, Benjamin P., Balachandran, Sarath K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen, Akiba
• Application Number:
  US14/169,295
• Publication Number:
  US 20140149190A1
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: 705/417, 705/1.1, 705/7.11, 705/13
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions
• 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

Abstract

A system, method, and computer readable medium for toll service activation using an on-board unit in a third party transport comprises, a third party entity, a toll rental entity, and an on-board unit communicably coupled to the third party entity and to the toll rental entity, wherein the on-board unit, receives a position signal, initiates a toll service request, converts the position signal to a toll usage, and stores the position signal, the toll service request and the toll usage.

Claims

1. A method for providing toll service to a third-party-operated transport user, the method comprising:

installing, via a processor of an automotive navigation device, a toll service software in the automotive navigation device of at least one of a plurality of third-party-operated transports;

wherein the automotive navigation device comprises a database communicably coupled to the processor and a network interface comprising hardware and encoded software for wireless communications;

activating the automotive navigation device to function as a toll service device and for communication with a toll authority computer via at least one of Global Positioning System satellites and the Internet;

wherein the step of activating is performed by the third-party-operated transport user of the third-party-operated transport relative to acceptance of a toll service option;

wherein the toll service option is provided to the third-party-operated transport user via an interface of the automotive navigation device;

utilizing a toll authority via the activated automotive navigation device;

storing toll usage data in the database of the automotive navigation device;

transferring the stored toll usage data from the database of the automotive navigation device to a third-party entity computer; and

billing the third-party-operated transport user, by the third-party entity computer, a fee corresponding to a toll usage amount upon return of a third-party-operated transport of the plurality of third-party-operated transports to a third-party entity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of activating is performed by at least one of:

the third-party entity;

a toll-rental entity; and

the toll authority.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the toll authority is communicably coupled to at least one of:

the third-party entity;

the toll-rental entity; and

the on-board computer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the automotive navigation device interface allows interaction between the third-party-operated transport user and the automotive navigation device.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

sending a deactivation signal to at least one of the third-party entity computer and the automotive navigation device; and

wherein, upon receiving the deactivation signal, the automotive navigation device discontinues communication with the toll authority computer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the fee corresponding to the toll usage amount is charged to the third-party-operated transport user by the third-party entity computer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the third-party-operated transport user pays the fee corresponding to the toll usage amount via the automotive navigation device interface.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the third-party entity comprises at least one of:

an entity that rents vehicles;

an entity that leases vehicles; and

an entity that loans vehicles.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the toll-rental entity is a stand-alone unit from the third-party entity.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the toll-rental entity is integrated within the third-party entity.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the toll usage data comprises at least one of a toll transaction time and a vehicle license plate number.

12. A method for providing toll service to a third-party-operated transport user, the method comprising:

installing, via a processor of an automotive navigation device, a toll service software in the automotive navigation device of at least one of a plurality of third-party-operated transports;

wherein the automotive navigation device comprises a database communicably coupled to the processor and a network interface comprising hardware and encoded software for wireless communications;

activating the automotive navigation device to function as a toll service device and for communication with a toll authority computer via at least one of Global Positioning System satellites and the Internet;

wherein the step of activating is performed by the third-party-operated transport user of the third-party-operated transport relative to acceptance of a toll service option;

wherein the toll service option is provided to the third-party-operated transport user via an interface of the automotive navigation device;

utilizing a toll authority via the activated automotive navigation device;

storing toll usage data in the database of the automotive navigation device;

transferring the stored toll usage data from the database of the automotive navigation device to a toll-rental entity computer; and

billing the third-party-operated transport user, by the toll-rental entity computer, a fee corresponding to a toll usage amount upon return of a third-party-operated transport of the plurality of third-party-operated transports to a third-party entity.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the fee corresponding to the toll usage amount is charged to the third-party-operated transport user by the toll-rental entity computer.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the third-party-operated transport user pays the fee corresponding to the toll usage amount via an automotive navigation device interface.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the toll authority is communicably coupled to at least one of:

the third-party entity;

a toll-rental entity; and

the on-board computer.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the third-party entity comprises at least one of:

an entity that rents vehicles;

an entity that leases vehicles; and

an entity that loans vehicles.

17. A system for providing third-party-operated transport users an option for toll service, the system comprising:

a third-party-operated transport;

a toll authority;

an automotive navigation device of the third-party-operated transport, the automotive navigation device comprising;

an automotive navigation device interface;

a database; and

a processor communicably coupled to the database, wherein the processor is configured to install a toll service software in the automotive navigation device;

wherein the automotive navigation device comprises a network interface comprising hardware and encoded software for wireless communications;

wherein the automotive navigation device interface allows interaction between the third-party-operated transport user and the automotive navigation device and provides, to the third-party-operated transport user, the option for the toll service utilizing the automotive navigation device;

wherein, responsive to a determination that the toll service option has been accepted by the third-party-operated transport user via the automotive navigation device interface, the automotive navigation device is activated for functioning as a toll service device and for communication with a toll authority computer and allows the third-party-operated transport user to utilize a toll authority and track toll usage data;

wherein the database of the automotive navigation device stores the toll usage data and transfers the toll usage data to at least one of a third-party entity computer and a toll-rental entity computer via at least one of Global Positioning System satellites and the Internet; and

wherein the third-party-operated transport user is billed by at least one of the third-party entity computer and the toll-rental entity computer, a fee corresponding to a toll usage amount upon return of the third-party-operated transport to a third-party entity.