Transferring toll data from a third party operated transport to a user account

• US 20080147491A1
• Filed: 12/18/2006
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Traffic Solutions Consolidated LLC
• Original Assignee: Rent-A-Toll Limited
• Inventors: Robinson, Benjamin P., Balachandran, Sarath K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,774,228 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/00 Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00

Abstract

A system, method, and computer readable medium for transferring toll data from a third party operated transport to a user account comprises, performing a verification of the user account, receiving a service request to transfer tolls incurred by the third party operated transport, receiving toll data, and sending information related to the user account if the toll data and the service request match.

Claims

1. A method for transferring toll data from a third party operated transport to a user account, comprising:

performing a verification of the user account;

receiving a service request to transfer tolls incurred by the third party operated transport;

receiving toll data; and

sending information related to the user account if the toll data and the service request match.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising charging the user account for the tolls incurred by the third party operated transport.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the service request comprises:

rental information related to the third party transport; and

an identifier of the user account.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the service request includes at least one of:

a rental agreement number for the third party transport;

a toll fee device identifier;

a start date of the service;

a start time of the service;

an end date of the service; and

an end time of the service.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the identifier of the user account includes at least one of:

a user'"'"'s name;

the user'"'"'s account number;

the user'"'"'s transponder;

the user'"'"'s address;

the user'"'"'s driver license number;

the user'"'"'s driver license state;

the user'"'"'s credit card number;

the user'"'"'s debit card number;

the user'"'"'s electronic account number;

the user'"'"'s insurance information;

the user'"'"'s email address; and

the user'"'"'s phone number.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the rental information related to the third party transport includes at least one of:

an owner of the transport;

a user of the transport;

a license plate number of the transport;

a vehicle identification number of the transport;

a type of the transport;

a color of the transport;

a year of manufacture of the transport; and

a condition of the transport.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the rental information related to the third party transport is related to at least one of:

a service period and a rental period.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the service period is at least one of:

seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, and years.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the rental period is at least one of:

a duration based transport rental service;

a pre-authorized transport rental service;

a pre-authorized, duration based transport rental service;

an unlimited transport rental service; and

a location based transport rental service.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the performing of the verification of the user account, and the receiving of the service request to transfer tolls incurred by the third party operated transport occur in at least one of:

parallel;

serially; and

in any order.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the user account is related to a toll authority.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the toll data comprises at least one of:

a toll amount incurred by the transport;

a time the toll amount was incurred;

a toll location;

a toll date;

a direction of travel by the transport;

a location of the transport;

information related to transport;

information related to a license plate of the transport;

a location of toll facility; and

a location of toll lane.

13. A computer readable medium comprising instructions for:

receiving a service request by a toll rental entity, wherein the service request comprises;

information related to a user account, and a rental agreement for a transport;

performing a verification of the user account;

sending the service request to a toll authority if the user account is verified; and

charging the user account for the tolls incurred by the third party operated transport if the toll data and the service request match.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13 comprising instructions for receiving a fee at the toll rental entity from a third party entity for performing the verification and for sending the service request.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13 comprising instructions for performing the verification before the rental agreement is complete.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 13 comprising instructions for performing the verification after the rental agreement is complete.

17. A system for verifying a user account in order to transfer toll data from a third party operated transport to a user account, comprising:

a third party entity;

a toll authority; and

a toll rental entity communicably coupled to the third party entity and to the toll authority, wherein the toll rental entity;

receives user account information from the third party entity;

validates the user account information;

determines if the toll authority sends user account information;

if the toll authority sends the user account information, verifies the user account information; and

if the user account information is verified, determines if the verification occurred prior to a rental of the third party operated transport.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the toll rental entity sends a verification response to the third party entity if the verification occurred prior to the rental of the third party operated transport.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the toll rental entity verifies the user account information remotely if the toll authority does not send the user account information.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the toll rental entity notifies the third party entity that the user account information is not verified if the user account information is not verified.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the toll rental entity stores the user account information if the verification occurred after the rental of the third party operated transport.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the toll rental entity sends the stored user account information to the toll authority for billing purposes.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the toll authority sends account information for all its user'"'"'s, including the user.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the third party entity sends the account information for the user.

25. A module, comprising:

at least one processor; and

storage associated with the at least one processor;

wherein the at least one processor executes instructions to;

receive user account information;

verify the user account information;

determine if the verifying occurred prior to a rental of a third party operated transport; and

send a verification response if the verification occurred prior to the rental of the third party operated transport.