ELECTRONIC TOLL MANAGEMENT FOR FLEET VEHICLES

• US 20080040210A1
• Filed: 02/01/2007
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services GmbH (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Hedley, Jay E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,504,415 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• 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 15/06 Arrangements for road pricing or congestion charging of vehicles or vehicle users, e.g. automatic toll systems

Abstract

Toll transaction payment processing includes accessing image data for a vehicle, the image data corresponding to at least one image of the vehicle engaging in a transaction with a toll facility. The image data is processed to determine one or more vehicle identifiers for the vehicle. A fleet vehicle company associated with the vehicle is electronically identified based on the one or more vehicle identifiers. Billing information for the transaction between the vehicle and the toll facility is electronically communicated to the fleet vehicle company.

Claims

1. A method of toll transaction payment processing, the method comprising:

accessing image data for a vehicle, the image data corresponding to at least one image of the vehicle engaging in a transaction with a toll facility;

processing the image data to determine one or more vehicle identifiers for the vehicle;

electronically identifying a fleet vehicle company associated with the vehicle based on the one or more vehicle identifiers; and

electronically communicating billing information for the transaction between the vehicle and the toll facility to the fleet vehicle company.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising capturing the image data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the capturing, accessing, processing, identifying and communicating occur in near real-time in response to the vehicle engaging in the transaction with the toll facility.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving payment for the transaction between the vehicle and the toll facility through the fleet vehicle company, the payment corresponding to the billing information.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein receiving payment for the transaction between the vehicle and the toll facility through the fleet vehicle company comprises receiving payment from the fleet vehicle company.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the billing information does not include information associated with a vehicle transponder.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein electronically identifying a fleet vehicle company associated with the vehicle based on the one or more vehicle identifiers includes:

accessing stored vehicle identifiers known to correspond to vehicles associated with the fleet vehicle company, and

determining that the one or more vehicle identifiers of the vehicle match one or more of the stored vehicle identifiers that correspond to a vehicle associated with the fleet vehicle company.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the fleet vehicle company comprises a company that receives payment from customers for using vehicles to transport the customers or to transport goods for the customers from one geographic location to another.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the fleet vehicle company comprises a rental car company.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the fleet vehicle company comprises one of a taxicab company, a delivery truck company, a sedan company, and a limousine company.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the fleet vehicle company comprises a company that offers services to customers other than transporting customers or goods for customers and that offers automated toll payment services as a supplement to the other offered services.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the other offered services comprise at least one of banking services and cell phone services.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more vehicle identifiers include license plate data.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the facility includes at least one of a toll road, a bridge, a tunnel and a parking facility.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle includes a registered vehicle that includes at least one of an automobile, a truck, motorcycle and a bus.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction includes at least one of a distance traveled by the vehicle through the toll facility, a time period the vehicle is present in the toll facility, the characteristic of the vehicle interacting with the toll facility, and the speed at which the vehicle passes through the toll facility.

17. A system comprising:

a database for storing image data for vehicles, the image data corresponding to at least one image of a vehicle engaging in a transaction with a toll facility;

a computer system configured to;

access the image data for the vehicle from the database,

process the image data to determine one or more vehicle identifiers for the vehicle,

electronically identify a fleet vehicle company associated with the first vehicle based on the one or more vehicle identifiers, and

electronically communicate billing information for the transaction between the first vehicle and the toll facility to the fleet vehicle company.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the computer system is further configured to capture the image data.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the computer system is configured to capture, access, process, identify and communicate in near real-time in response to the vehicle engaging in the transaction with the toll facility.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the computer system is further configured to receive payment for the transaction between the vehicle and the toll facility through the fleet vehicle company, the payment corresponding to the billing information.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein receiving payment for the transaction between the vehicle and the toll facility through the fleet vehicle company comprises receiving payment from the fleet vehicle company.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the billing information does not include information associated with a vehicle transponder.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the computer system being configured to electronically identify a fleet vehicle company associated with the vehicle based on the one or more vehicle identifiers includes the computer system being configured to:

access stored vehicle identifiers known to correspond to vehicles associated with the fleet vehicle company, and

determine that the one or more vehicle identifiers of the vehicle match one or more of the stored vehicle identifiers that correspond to a vehicle associated with the fleet vehicle company.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the fleet vehicle company comprises a company that receives payment from customers for using vehicles to transport the customers or to transport goods for the customers from one geographic location to another.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the fleet vehicle company comprises a rental car company.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the fleet vehicle company comprises one of a taxicab company, a delivery truck company, a sedan company, and a limousine company.

27. The system of claim 17, wherein the fleet vehicle company comprises a company that offers services to customers other that transporting customers or goods for customers and that offers automated toll payment services as a supplement to the offered services.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the other offered services comprise at least one of banking services and cell phone services.

29. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more vehicle identifiers include license plate data.

30. The system of claim 17, wherein the facility includes at least one of a toll road, a bridge, a tunnel and a parking facility.

31. The system of claim 17, wherein the vehicle includes a registered vehicle that includes at least one of an automobile, a truck, a motorcycle and a bus.

32. The system of claim 17, wherein the transaction includes at least one of a distance traveled by the vehicle through the toll facility, a time period the vehicle is present in the toll facility, the characteristic of the vehicle interacting with the toll facility, and the speed at which the vehicle passes through the toll facility.

33. An apparatus for transaction payment processing, the apparatus comprising:

means for accessing image data for a vehicle, the image data corresponding to at least one image of the vehicle engaging in a transaction with a toll facility;

means for processing the image data to determine one or more vehicle identifiers for the vehicle;

means for electronically identifying a fleet vehicle company associated with the vehicle based on the one or more vehicle identifiers; and

means for electronically communicating billing information for the transaction between the vehicle and the toll facility to the fleet vehicle company.

34. The apparatus of claim 33 wherein the means for accessing image data for a vehicle includes an image acquisition module having at least one of vehicle sensors, cameras, and digitizing systems.

35. The apparatus of claim 33 wherein the means for processing the image data to determine one or more vehicle identifiers for the vehicle includes a computer processor configured to perform optical character recognition.

36. The apparatus of claim 33 wherein the means for electronically identifying a fleet vehicle company associated with the vehicle based on the one or more vehicle identifiers includes a computer processor configured to access a database that associates fleet vehicle company identifiers with vehicle identifiers.

37. The apparatus of claim 33 wherein the means for electronically communicating billing information for the transaction between the vehicle and the toll facility to the fleet vehicle company includes a message server configured to store the billing information and configured to enable a server associated with the fleet vehicle company to access the billing information.