Position-based Charging

• US 20090024458A1
• Filed: 07/15/2008
• Published: 01/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Charles Graham Palmer
• Original Assignee: Charles Graham Palmer
• Inventors: Palmer, Charles Graham
• Application Number:
  US12/173,261
• Publication Number:
  US 20090024458A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/13
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

A method of position-based charging comprises the steps of identifying journey details, including a plurality of position data each representing a location of a position-sensing device during a journey. A cost is determined for the journey and the cost and an identification of the position-sensing device are forwarded from the position-sensing device to a payment processing service.

Claims

1. A method of position-based charging, comprising the steps of:

identifying journey details including a plurality of position data, each representing a location of a position-sensing device during a journey;

determining a cost for said journey; and

forwarding said cost and an identification of said position-sensing device from said position-sensing device to a payment processing service.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said position-sensing device comprises a cryptographic engine.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said position-sensing device comprises a navigation device.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein each of said position data includes a date and time.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said journey is a portion of a longer journey.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said journey details further comprise a unique journey identifier.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of determining a cost for said journey comprises the steps of:

establishing a communication link between said position-sensing device and a location processing service;

sending said journey details from said position-sensing device to said location processing service;

at said location processing service, receiving said journey details and calculating a cost for said journey; and

returning said cost from said location processing service to said position-sensing device.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein said location processing service stores said journey details and costs, and further including the step of producing an itemised bill, comprising the steps of:

obtaining a plurality of journey identifiers; and

retrieving journey details and costs corresponding to each of said journey identifiers from said location processing service.

9. A method according to claim 1, further including the steps of, at said payment processing service:

identifying a user based on said identification of said position-sensing device;

converting said cost into a monetary charge; and

associating said charge with said identified user.

10. A method according to claim 2, wherein said position-sensing device is attached to a road-using vehicle having a registration number, and further including the steps of, at a challenge point:

establishing a communication link with said position-sensing device;

determining whether said position-sensing device is functioning correctly; and

upon determining that said position-sensing device is not functioning correctly, obtaining said registration number of said vehicle.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein said step of determining whether said position-sensing device is functioning correctly comprises the steps of:

requesting the cryptographic engine to indicate whether it is part of a valid position-sensing device, whether it is operating normally, and whether the position-sensing device is at substantially the location of the challenge point.

12. A position-sensing device comprising position-sensing means, communication means, a processor and memory, wherein said processor is configured to:

identify journey details comprising a plurality of position data identified by said position-sensing means, each representing a location of said position-sensing device during a journey;

determine a cost for said journey; and

forward said cost and an identification of said position-sensing device to a payment processing service via said communication means.

13. A position-sensing device according to claim 12, further comprising a cryptographic engine.

14. A position-sensing device according to claim 13, wherein said cryptographic engine is provided by a SIM card.

15. A position-sensing device according to claim 13, wherein said cryptographic engine is provided by a smart card.

16. A position-sensing device according to claim 12, further comprising a navigation device.

17. A position-sensing device according to claim 16, wherein said navigation device is a global navigation satellite system receiver.

18. A position-sensing device according to claim 12, wherein said processor is configured to accumulate a plurality of journeys before determining costs for them.

19. A position-sensing device according to claim 18, wherein said processor is configured to determine costs for said journeys in a non-chronological order.

20. A position-sensing device according to claim 12, wherein said processor is configured to determine a cost for said journey by:

establishing a communication link between said position-sensing device and a location processing service;

sending said journey details from said position-sensing device to said location processing service; and

receiving a cost for said journey from said location processing device.

21. A position-sensing device according to claim 12, wherein said processor is configured to accumulate a plurality of costs before forwarding said accumulated costs to said payment processing service.

22. A position-sensing device according to claim 12, wherein said processor is further configured to:

receive a request to confirm that it was at a specified location at a specified date and time;

obtain the journey identifier corresponding to the specified date and time; and

confirm that the specified location is contained within said journey.

23. A position-sensing device according to claim 22 wherein said processor is further configured to:

establish a communication link with a location processing service;

send said journey identifier, said indicated location and said indicated date and time to said location processing service; and

receive a confirmation from said location processing service.

24. A position-sensing device according to claim 12, wherein said position-sensing device comprises an in-car satellite navigation system.

25. A position-sensing device according to claim 12, wherein said position-sensing device comprises a global navigation satellite system enabled mobile telephone.

26. A position-sensing device according to claim 12, wherein said position-sensing device comprises a global navigation satellite system receiver and a mobile telephone.