Payment of highway tolls via a mobile telecommunications network

• US 10,473,472 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2015
• Issued: 11/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rice, Christopher W., Jana, Rittwik, Murray, John F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Murray, Wayne S.
• Application Number:
  US14/797,771
• Publication Number:
  US 20150317843A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,583 Days
• Field of Search: 705 13
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/16 Payments settled via telecommunication systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/32 using wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/325 using wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/063 using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station identification of vehicles G08G
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8033 location-dependent, e.g. business or home

Abstract

Disclosed are method and apparatus for processing of highway toll payments by a mobile telecommunications service provider. A mobile telecommunications device communicates with a mobile telecommunications service provider. The mobile telecommunications service provider receives a request to calculate a route to a destination. The mobile telecommunications service provider determines the location of the mobile telecommunications device from a global navigation satellite system or from a mobile telecommunications network and calculates a route. The mobile telecommunications service provider then identifies toll booths along the calculated route. The mobile telecommunications service provider pre-pays the tolls. The mobile telecommunications service provider sends turn-by-turn instructions to the mobile telecommunications device and tracks the location of the mobile telecommunications device and records the date and time at which the mobile telecommunications device passes through a toll booth.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a starting location of a mobile telecommunications device associated with a network of a mobile telecommunications service provider;

receiving a destination;

generating a calculated route based on the starting location and the destination;

receiving a message from one of a plurality of microcell transceivers of the network of the mobile telecommunications service provider, the plurality of microcell transceivers associated with a toll plaza along the calculated route, each of the plurality of microcell transceivers installed at a respective one of a plurality of toll booths of the toll plaza; and

recording based on the message, a date and a time at which the mobile telecommunications device passed through one of the plurality of toll booths of the toll plaza.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of microcell transceivers provide radio frequency coverage for the plurality of toll booths of the toll plaza.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of microcell transceivers determine a location of the mobile telecommunications device with respect to the toll plaza.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a recorded toll transaction from an entity associated with the toll plaza;

comparing a date and a time of the recorded toll transaction with the date and the time at which the mobile telecommunications device passed through one of the plurality of toll booths of the toll plaza along the calculated route;

determining a discrepancy between the date and the time of the recorded toll transaction and the date and the time at which the mobile telecommunications device passed through one of the plurality of toll booths of the toll plaza along the calculated route; and

resolving the discrepancy.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the recorded toll transaction from the entity associated with the toll plaza further comprises an identification of a vehicle associated with the recorded toll transaction, the comparing further comprising:

comparing the identification of the vehicle associated with the recorded toll transaction with an identification of a vehicle associated with the mobile telecommunications device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the identification of the vehicle associated with the recorded toll transaction comprises a license number of a license plate of the vehicle associated with the recorded toll transaction.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory to store computer program instructions, the computer program instructions when executed on the processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving a starting location of a mobile telecommunications device associated with a network of a mobile telecommunications service provider;

receiving a destination;

generating a calculated route based on the starting location and the destination;

receiving a message from one of a plurality of microcell transceivers of the network of the mobile telecommunications service provider, the plurality of microcell transceivers associated with a toll plaza along the calculated route, each of the plurality of microcell transceivers a installed at a respective one of a plurality of toll booths of the toll plaza; and

recording based on the message, a date and a time at which the mobile telecommunications device passed through one of the plurality of toll booths of the toll plaza.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the plurality of microcell transceivers provide radio frequency coverage for the plurality of toll booths of the toll plaza.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the plurality of microcell transceivers determine a location of the mobile telecommunications device with respect to the toll plaza.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, the operations further comprising:

receiving a recorded toll transaction from an entity associated with the toll plaza;

comparing a date and a time of the recorded toll transaction with the date and the time at which the mobile telecommunications device passed through one of the plurality of toll booths of the toll plaza along the calculated route;

determining a discrepancy between the date and the time of the recorded toll transaction and the date and the time at which the mobile telecommunications device passed through one of the plurality of toll booths of the toll plaza along the calculated route; and

resolving the discrepancy.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the recorded toll transaction from the entity associated with the toll plaza further comprises an identification of a vehicle associated with the recorded toll transaction, the comparing further comprising:

comparing the identification of the vehicle associated with the recorded toll transaction with an identification of a vehicle associated with the mobile telecommunications device.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the identification of the vehicle associated with the recorded toll transaction comprises a license number of a license plate of the vehicle associated with the recorded toll transaction.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer program instructions, which, when executed on a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a starting location of a mobile telecommunications device associated with a network of a mobile telecommunications service provider;

receiving a destination;

generating a calculated route based on the starting location and the destination;

receiving a message from one of a plurality of microcell transceivers of the network of the mobile telecommunications service provider, the plurality of microcell transceivers associated with a toll plaza along the calculated route, each of the plurality of microcell transceivers associated with installed at a respective one of a plurality of toll booths of the toll plaza; and

recording based on the message, a date and a time at which the mobile telecommunications device passed through one of the plurality of toll booths of the toll plaza.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the plurality of microcell transceivers provide radio frequency coverage for the plurality of toll booths of the toll plaza.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the plurality of microcell transceivers determine a location of the mobile telecommunications device with respect to the toll plaza.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, the operations further comprising:

receiving a recorded toll transaction from an entity associated with the toll plaza;

comparing a date and a time of the recorded toll transaction with the date and the time at which the mobile telecommunications device passed through one of the plurality of toll booths of the toll plaza along the calculated route;

determining a discrepancy between the date and the time of the recorded toll transaction and the date and the time at which the mobile telecommunications device passed through one of the plurality of toll booths of the toll plaza along the calculated route; and

resolving the discrepancy.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the recorded toll transaction from the entity associated with the toll plaza further comprises an identification of a vehicle associated with the recorded toll transaction, the comparing further comprising:

comparing the identification of the vehicle associated with the recorded toll transaction with an identification of a vehicle associated with the mobile telecommunications device.