Method and means for RF tool collection

• US 20030001755A1
• Filed: 01/31/2002
• Published: 01/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mark IV Industries Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mark IV Industries Corporation
• Inventors: He, Weimin, Tiernay, Robert Walter, Cook, James Kenneth, Benvidi, Mohammed, Ho, Thua Van
• Granted Patent: US 6,661,352 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/928
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/063 using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station identification of vehicles G08G

Abstract

An RF roadway toll collection system uses an upstream reader to communicate with a vehicle borne transponder carrying a Smart Card to calculate the toll and debit the Smart Card balance in the amount of the toll payment required. A transaction manager is notified of the toll payment from the upstream reader and notifies a downstream reader of the vehicle identification and payment status. The downstream reader confirms the vehicle identification and payment status and signals if the toll has been paid.

Claims

1. In a toll collection environment having an upstream roadway wide area which leads to a downstream plurality of individual lanes, apparatus for collecting vehicle tolls, comprising:

a transponder for location in a vehicle entering the upstream roadway wide area, the transponder including means for recording and debiting a toll from an account balance;

at least one first reader adapted to communicate with said transponder in said wide area;

at least one second reader adapted to communicate with said transponder in an individual lane downstream from said wide area;

transaction means connected to said first reader responsive to communication with said transponder to calculate a toll associated with said transponder and to obtain identification information associated with said transponder, and to instruct said transponder through said first reader to debit the toll from the account balance;

means for transmitting toll payment status information from said transponder to the first reader;

means for transmitting said identification information from said first reader to said second reader upon receipt of successful toll payment status information by the first reader; and

means associated with the second reader for signalling the payment of a toll upon receipt by said second reader of the same identification information from a transponder attached to a vehicle as is received from the first reader.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said transponder includes a Smart Card for recording and debiting the toll from the account balance.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said first reader and transponder have a first communications protocol whereby information from said transponder causes said transaction means to calculate said toll, obtain said transponder identification information and transmit instructions to said transponder to debit payment and create a certificate of payment and transmit same to the first reader,

and means associated with said first reader to transmit said identification information to said second reader independently of said transponder, said

second reader having a second communications protocol with said transponder, responsive to arrival of said transponder in an individual lane to obtain transponder identification information from such transponder.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first reader and transaction means provides status information to the second reader as to payment or non-payment of the toll.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising multiple antenna channels corresponding to said first reader and wherein said transponder is programmed to determine which of the multiple antennas provides the best consistency of received communication signals.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said at least one first reader has multiple channels each associated with a different antenna channel and said transponder is equipped to determine which channel it is received most clearly.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said antenna signals are synchronized with each other and control such transponder for synchronism with the antenna signals.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the transmission and reception frequencies of said first reader are different.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the transmission and reception frequencies of said second reader are different.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising:

said first reader having different upstream channels for RF communications with a transponder in said upstream area;

said second reader having different downstream channels for RF communications with a transponder in any one of said lanes; and

means for synchronizing broadcasts on said first and second separate channels to avoid time overlap of signals on said upstream and/or downstream channels.

15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the TDMA protocol is used as said first communications protocol.

10. Apparatus for collecting highway tolls from vehicles having transponders, comprising:

a transponder with an optional Smart Card wherein said transponder without such a Smart Card has identification (ID) information and means for calculating a toll, and wherein the transponder having a Smart Card has the additional capacity of debiting a recorded account on said Smart Card;

a lane based reader;

a wide area reader upstream therefrom sharing a first RF communication protocol with the transponder having a Smart Card, the wide area reader having calculating means associated therewith to provide to the transponder the amount of said toll associated with the ID and receive a status receipt reflecting receipt for payment therefrom or at least one other status;

means for communication between said first and second readers independent of said transponders;

means for associating the status and ID with the vehicle carrying such transponder at said lane based reader.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein said lane based reader is responsive to a paid or other status signal from said transponder respectively to signal further action of said vehicle.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 and further comprising a plurality of said second readers, and wherein said second readers are synchronized with each other.

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 13 where said second readers are also synchronized with said first reader channel.

16. On a closed toll highway, using RF for toll calculations, for vehicles with Smart Card equipped transponders, apparatus comprising:

upstream means having a first reader to obtain the entry information and transponder ID from a transponder under a first protocol to actuate and report the status of toll payment associated with the transponder ID by amounts recorded on said Smart Card under said first protocol; and

downstream means having a second reader to confirm the association of vehicle and transponder ID under a second protocol.

17. A toll collection system for a roadway comprising:

an upstream reader adjacent to said roadway designed to enter into RF communication with a transponder equipped with a Smart Card;

a downstream reader adjacent to said roadway disposed to enter into RF communication with such transponder;

a transaction manager connected for RF communication with both said upstream and said downstream readers;

said transaction manager adapted to cooperate with the upstream reader to calculate a toll upon communication of the upstream reader with the transponder;

said transaction manager adapted to pre-calculate a first and second part message responsive to a toll calculation;

said transponder having means to calculate and send to the upstream reader a similar first and second part message responsive to the deduction of a toll;

said transaction manager adapted to compare said transaction manager and said transponder first message parts; and

said downstream reader adapted to compare said transaction manager and said transponder second message parts.

18. A method of RF toll collection in a toll collection environment having an upstream roadway with a first communications zone from which a plurality of vehicles may flow into a plurality of downstream lanes, said vehicles having RF transponders including a Smart Card, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a first reader associated with the first communications zone;

providing at least one second reader controlling multiple RF channels each individual to a downstream lane, there being first and second RF communications protocols corresponding respectively to said first and second readers;

establishing first reader RF communication with one of said transponders and obtaining therefrom identification (ID) and data for toll collection;

calculating said toll amount;

attempting to deduct said toll amount from a balance indicated on said transponder;

sending a record of the toll amount, the status of said attempt at toll deduction, and said ID to said second reader independently of said transponder;

establishing second reader RF communication with a transponder having the same ID; and

signalling the status of toll payment by a vehicle associated with said transponder.