Road toll system linking on board unit with vehicle

• US 10,475,255 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2016
• Issued: 11/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Titan Intelligence Technology Limited
• Original Assignee: Telit Automotive Solutions Nv (TUS International Ltd.)
• Inventors: Peeters, Michael M. P., Taelman, Jan L. R. M., Daems, Frank C. H., Ballet, Veroni
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dorsey, Renee
• Application Number:
  US15/185,385
• Publication Number:
  US 20160292930A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence

Abstract

A road toll system comprises a vehicle-mounted unit comprising a satellite navigation system implementing a position tracking function; transmitting means for transmitting position or route information to a remote server; and a unique identification device for attaching to the vehicle, and associated with the satellite navigation receiver. The road toll system function is enabled only when the identification device is present. The identification device comprises an electronic device which is adapted to alter by detachment or attempted detachment such as to prevent the road toll system function being enabled. This system increases the security of this type of system and makes fraudulent use of the system increasingly difficult.

Claims

1. A road toll system comprising:

a remote server in communication with a vehicle-mounted unit, wherein the vehicle-mounted unit and a unique identification device are installed within the same vehicle, the remote server comprising a satellite navigation system implementing a position tracking function, the remote server receiving position or route information of the vehicle from the vehicle-mounted unit,

wherein the remote server is adapted to receive an odometer value for the vehicle when the system is installed or reset, and

wherein the remote server is adapted to compute a distance travelled based on the received position or route information, and compare a new odometer value for the vehicle received from the vehicle-mounted unit with an expected odometer value for the vehicle based on the computed distance traveled,

wherein the vehicle-mounted unit will not function if the unique identification device is not present and a mismatch between the expected odometer value and the new odometer value of the vehicle will accrue.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote server disables the road toll function if there is a mismatch between the new odometer value for the vehicle and the expected odometer value for the vehicle based on the computed distance traveled.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote server is adapted to receive an odometer value for the vehicle when the system is installed or reset from the user of the vehicle during a registration process.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the registration process comprises the user providing:

a user identification;

a vehicle license number;

a system ID; and

a vehicle odometer value.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the road toll system function is enabled only when the unique identification device is present and activation of the vehicle-mounted unit is not possible outside of the vehicle to which the unique identification device is attached, wherein the unique identification device comprises an electronic device which is adapted to alter by detachment or attempted detachment to prevent the road toll system function being enabled.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the remote server disables the road toll function in response to receiving an alert of damage caused by detachment or attempted detachment of the unique identification device in the vehicle-mounted unit.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle-mounted unit further comprises a reader to detect the unique identification device, wherein the vehicle-mounted unit requires specific response times to interrogation signals from the reader.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the unique identification device comprises an RFID sticker which is interrogated by the system in use.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the unique identification device comprises a chip embedded in a power cable, the power cable being attached to the vehicle, and communication with the unique identification device being made through the cable.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote server is configured to determine routes taken by the vehicle based on the received position information.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote server uses a database of road prices valid at a certain time to compute a total price for the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote server is adapted to compute the distance travelled based on the received position or route information and the odometer value received when the system is installed or reset.

12. A method of operating in a road toll system comprising:

at a server remote from a vehicle-mounted unit, wherein the vehicle-mounted unit is installed within the same vehicle as a unique identification device;

implementing a position tracking function using a satellite navigation system;

receiving position or route information from the vehicle-mounted unit;

receiving an odometer value for the vehicle when the system is installed or reset;

computing a distance travelled based on the receiver position or route information; and

comparing a new odometer value for the vehicle received from the vehicle-mounted unit with an expected odometer value for the vehicle based on the computed distance traveled;

wherein the vehicle-mounted unit will not function if the unique identification device is not present and a mismatch between the expected odometer value and the new odometer value of the vehicle will accrue.

13. The method of claim 12 comprising, at the remote server, disabling the road toll function if there is a mismatch between the new odometer value for the vehicle and the expected odometer value for the vehicle based on the computed distance traveled.

14. The method of claim 12 comprising, at the remote server, receiving the odometer value for the vehicle when the system is installed or reset from the user of the vehicle during a registration process.

15. The method of claim 14 comprising, at the remote server, performing the registration process based on the user providing:

a user identification;

a vehicle license number;

a system ID; and

a vehicle odometer value.

16. The method of claim 12 comprising, at the remote server, disabling the road toll function in response to receiving an alert of damage caused by detachment or attempted detachment of the unique identification device in the vehicle-mounted unit.

17. The method of claim 12 comprising, at the remote server, determining routes taken by the vehicle based on the received position information.

18. The method of claim 12 comprising, at the remote server, using a database of road prices valid at a certain time to compute a total price for the vehicle.