Vehicle-based electronic toll system with interface to vehicle display

• US 10,121,289 B1
• Filed: 04/08/2015
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amtech Systems LLC (Roper Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amtech Systems LLC (Roper Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gravelle, Kelly
• Primary Examiner(s): Bee, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US14/681,369
• Time in Patent Office: 1,308 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/00 Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/02 taking into account a variable factor such as distance or time, e.g. for passenger transport, parking systems or car rental systems G07B15/06 takes precedence; taximeters G07B13/00; parking meters per se G07F17/24; car rental systems per se G07B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/063 using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station identification of vehicles G08G

Abstract

A system carried by a vehicle for computing tolls that interfaces with vehicle data entry and display components. The system uses these components to display toll-related information and to accept user input for toll-related information. The system may also incorporate vehicle sensors including seat occupancy sensors, infra-red sensors and cameras to determine vehicle occupancy for tolling purposes.

Claims

1. A vehicle-based toll information system comprising:

an onboard toll unit carried by a vehicle, the onboard toll unit comprising a processor,

an OEM vehicle electronic display,

an OEM vehicle data entry device, and

an OEM occupancy sensor,

wherein said onboard toll unit is configured to receive data from said OEM vehicle data entry device, and said onboard toll unit is configured to send data for display to said OEM vehicle electronic display,

wherein at least one of said receipt of data from said OEM vehicle data entry device or said sending of data for display to said OEM vehicle electronic display is via wireless communication

and wherein said onboard toll unit is configured to wirelessly receive occupancy information from said OEM occupancy sensor, and

wherein said onboard toll unit is configured to compare occupancy information inputted by an occupant with said occupancy information wirelessly received from said OEM occupancy sensor.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said OEM vehicle data entry device is configured to receive occupancy status entered by an occupant of the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said OEM vehicle data entry device is configured to receive toll-related information entered by an occupant of the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said OEM vehicle electronic display is configured to display toll information received by said onboard toll unit.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said onboard toll unit communicates said data from said OEM vehicle data entry device to a tolling back office over a cellular network.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said OEM occupancy sensor comprises a pressure sensor mounted in a vehicle seat.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said OEM occupancy sensor comprises an infrared sensor.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising a camera and an image processor and wherein said camera creates an image of the vehicle occupants, said image processor is configured to determine vehicle occupancy based on said image and to wirelessly communicate said vehicle occupancy to said onboard toll unit.