Toll fee system and method

• US 10,685,502 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2013
• Issued: 06/16/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Traffic Solutions Consolidated LLC
• Original Assignee: Ats Tolling Llc (Verra Mobility Corp.)
• Inventors: Robinson, Benjamin P., Lemon, Debbie
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Akiba K
• Application Number:
  US13/894,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20130253997A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,589 Days
• Field of Search: 705 13, 705 11, 705 711, 705 712, 705 63, 713175, 713156, 380278, 380 59
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/04 comprising devices to free a barrier, turnstile, or the like turnstiles with registering means G07C9/10; coin-freed aspects G07F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/063 using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station identification of vehicles G08G

Abstract

A toll fee tracking system comprising a toll authority adapted to collect data associated with at least one toll fee tracking device and a toll rental entity adapted to communicate with the toll authority and a third part entity. This Abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an Abstract that allows a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain subject matter of the technical disclosure. This Abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Claims

1. A toll processing system comprising:

a toll fee tracking device configured to enter a ready state responsive to a customer of a vehicle rental entity accepting, via a vehicle rental entity processor of the vehicle rental entity, an automatic toll payment service provided by an intermediate entity for use of a vehicle of the vehicle rental entity, the toll fee tracking device configured to enter an inactive state responsive to the customer of the vehicle rental entity denying, via the vehicle rental entity processor, the automatic toll payment service; and

an intermediate server to communicate data between a toll authority and the vehicle rental entity, the intermediate server including;

a first interface to communicate with a toll authority processor of the toll authority;

a data storage device configured to store at least one database;

a second interface to communicate with the vehicle rental entity processor; and

at least one intermediate processor configured to;

obtain toll fee tracking data from the toll authority processor via the first interface;

store the toll fee tracking data in the at least one database;

analyze the toll fee tracking data to determine whether toll usage corresponding to the toll fee tracking data was accrued by the vehicle of the vehicle rental entity for which the customer accepted, based on the toll fee tracking device, the automatic toll payment service provided by the intermediate entity;

push, to the vehicle rental entity processor via the second interface, the analyzed toll fee tracking data so as to be available upon return of the vehicle to the vehicle rental entity; and

enter the toll fee tracking device into a closed state upon a detection by the vehicle rental entity processor of the return of the vehicle to the vehicle rental entity.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one intermediate processor is configured to determine charges to be paid by the customer, the charges comprising charges for at least one of:

toll usage; and

vehicle rental entity services usage.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the toll fee tracking data is obtained at least one of:

at predefined regular intervals;

continuously in real-time; and

in near real-time.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the customer is associated with a toll fee tracking device, which comprises a radio frequency integrated device (RFID) transponder.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the RFID transponder comprises transponder identification data.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the intermediate server comprises a stand-alone unit.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the intermediate server is configured to charge the customer a service fee if the customer did not accept, based on the renter data, the automatic toll payment service.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the intermediate server is integrated within the toll authority.

9. A toll fee tracking system comprising:

a toll fee tracking device configured to enter a ready state responsive to a customer of a vehicle rental entity accepting, via a vehicle rental entity processor of the vehicle rental entity, an automatic toll payment service provided by an intermediate entity for use of a vehicle of the vehicle rental entity, the toll fee tracking device configured to enter an inactive state responsive to the customer of the vehicle rental entity denying, via the vehicle rental entity processor, the automatic toll payment service;

an intermediate server adapted to communicate with a toll authority processor of a toll authority and the vehicle rental entity processor, the intermediate server configured to;

receive, from the toll authority processor, collected data associated with toll authority usage by the vehicle;

store the collected data in at least one database;

analyze the collected data to determine whether toll usage corresponding to the collected data was accrued by the vehicle of the vehicle rental entity for which the renter of the vehicle accepted, based on the renter data, the automatic toll payment service provided by the intermediate entity;

push at least some of the collected data to the vehicle rental entity processor so as to be available upon return of the vehicle to the vehicle rental entity; and

enter the toll fee tracking device into a closed state upon a detection by the vehicle rental entity processor of the return of the vehicle to the vehicle rental entity.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said toll authority comprises:

toll gates equipped with toll fee tracking device readers;

at least one processor, wherein said at least one processor includes a bi-directional data communications link; and

at least one database.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein said toll intermediate entity server comprises:

a toll authority interface adapted to communicate with said toll authority;

at least one database; and

a vehicle rental entity interface adapted to communicate with said vehicle rental entity.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein said vehicle rental entity comprises:

at least one rental point-of-sale (POS) system; and

at least one invoice unit.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein said intermediate server comprises a stand-alone unit.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the intermediate server is configured to forward the at least some of the collected data to the vehicle rental entity processor in time for the vehicle rental entity to charge the customer for toll usage at a time at which the vehicle is returned to the vehicle rental entity.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein communication between said toll authority processor and said intermediate server comprises pulling said collected data from said toll authority processor.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein communication between said toll authority processor and said intermediate server comprises pushing said collected data to said intermediate server.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said communication between said toll authority processor and said intermediate server occurs in real-time.

18. The system of claim 9, wherein communication between said toll authority processor and said intermediate server occurs at predefined regular intervals.

19. The system of claim 9, wherein communication between said toll intermediate server and said vehicle rental entity processor comprises pushing said collected data to said vehicle rental entity processor.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said communication between said intermediate entity and said vehicle rental entity occurs in real-time.

21. The system of claim 9, wherein said intermediate entity server is configured to charge the customer a service fee if the customer did not accept the automatic toll payment service.

22. The system of claim 9, wherein said collected data includes vehicle-class-identifiers, lane traffic activity, toll fee tracking device identification data, transaction time, transaction date, toll gate identification, vehicle travel direction, and toll fee data.

23. The system of claim 9, wherein at least one toll fee tracking device comprises a radio frequency integrated device (RFID) transponder.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said RFID transponder comprises transponder identification data.