System for notifying tool charge information

• US 20040212518A1
• Filed: 02/25/2004
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamada, Kazuhiro, Matsumoto, Naoki, Ban, Hiroaki, Tajima, Koji
• Granted Patent: US 7,053,793 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/928
• 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

When car navigation device 100 detects that a vehicle has passed a toll gate, car navigation device 100 outputs a toll gate passage signal. When mobile communication terminal 200 receives the toll gate passage signal, mobile communication terminal 200 accesses from charge server 400 an entity of electronic toll collection system, the latest information on the balance in the prepaid account of the customer.

Claims

1. A system for notifying charge information having a plurality of toll gate and a charge apparatus for storing information on the balance in a prepaid account of a customer or a vehicle, and for subtracting a toll charge from the balance in the prepaid account when said vehicle passes said toll gate, comprising:

a location measurement device that outputs a toll gate passage signal when said location measurement device detects that said vehicle has passed said toll gate on the basis of a toll gate passage detection rule using a location relation information of said vehicle and said toll gate, said location measurement device being carried by or mounted on said vehicle; and

a mobile communication terminal that accesses from said charge apparatus, latest information on the balance in a prepaid account when said mobile communication terminal receives the toll gate passage signal, said mobile communication terminal being carried by or mounted on said vehicle.

2. A system for notifying charge information according to claim 1, wherein:

said charge apparatus stores information on the balance in the prepaid account correspondingly to an identifier of said customer or an identifier of said vehicle; and

said mobile communication terminal transmits to said charge apparatus the identifier of said vehicle or the identifier of said customer when said mobile communication terminal accesses from said charge apparatus latest information on the balance in a prepaid account.

3. A system for notifying charge information according to claim 1, wherein:

said charge apparatus stores information on the balance in the prepaid account correspondingly to an identifier of said toll gate which said vehicle passed;

said location measurement device stores the identifier of said toll gate and makes the toll gate passage signal to include the identifier of said toll gate;

said mobile communication terminal transmits the toll gate passage signal including the identifier of said toll gate when said mobile communication terminal accesses from said charge apparatus latest information on the balance in the prepaid account.

4. A system for notifying toll charge information according to claim 1, wherein said toll gate passage detection rule determines that said vehicle has passed said toll gate on the basis of a variation in the location relation of said vehicle and said toll gate.

5. A system for notifying toll charge information according to claim 1, wherein said toll gate passage detection rule determines that said vehicle has passed said toll gate when a distance between a toll gate and the vehicle falls below a predetermined value and subsequently exceeds the predetermined value.

6. A system for notifying toll charge information according to claim 1, wherein:

said toll gate is a toll gate of a toll road;

said location measurement device stores map data showing a road map;

said location measurement device identifies a first toll gate that said vehicle can pass on the basis of the map data, the location of said vehicle, and the location of said toll gate; and

said location measurement device outputs a toll gate passage signal showing that said vehicle has passed said toll gate when said location measurement device detects that said vehicle has passed said toll gate.

7. A car navigation device, comprising:

storage means for storing map data showing road maps;

detection means for detecting that a vehicle has passed a toll gate on the basis of a toll gate passage detection rule, using a present location of said vehicle and a location of said toll gate, said car navigation device being carried by or mounted on said vehicle, the location of said toll gate being stored in said storage means;

generating means for generating a toll gate passage signal when said detection means detects that said vehicle has passed said toll gate, the toll gate passage signal showing that said vehicle has passed said toll gate; and

output means for outputting the toll gate passage signal.

8. A car navigation device according to claim 7, further comprising:

receiving means for receiving data showing information on the balance in a prepaid account of a customer or said vehicle, from a communication terminal.

9. A car navigation device according to claim 7, wherein said toll gate passage detection rule determines that said vehicle has passed said toll gate on the basis of a variation history in the location relation of said vehicle and said toll gate.