TOLL FEE SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20090228350A1
• Filed: 05/08/2009
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Traffic Solutions Consolidated LLC
• Original Assignee: Rent A Toll Ltd
• Inventors: Lemon, Debbie, Robinson, Benjamin P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,473,333 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/04 comprising devices to free a barrier, turnstile, or the like turnstiles with registering means G07C9/10; coin-freed aspects G07F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/063 using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station identification of vehicles G08G

Abstract

A toll fee tracking system comprising a toll authority adapted to collect data associated with at least one toll fee tracking device and a toll rental entity adapted to communicate with the toll authority and a third part entity. This Abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an Abstract that allows a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain subject matter of the technical disclosure. This Abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium comprising instructions for:

identifying a transponder;

activating the transponder responsive to a determination that an automatic toll payment service option has been accepted by a customer;

collecting toll usage data if the identified transponder has a valid toll rental entity account;

retrieving the data responsive to a request for data-transfer permission having been received by a toll authority from a toll rental entity;

updating the data;

sending the updated data; and

sending an invoice with charges related to the updated data.

2. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein identifying the transponder includes reading transponder data that includes at least one of:

vehicle-class-identifier, transaction time;

transaction date;

lane traffic activity information;

transponder identification number;

toll gate identification;

vehicle travel direction; and

an amount of toll usage.

3. The computer readable medium of claim 1, comprising instructions for processing data by the toll authority if the identified transponder does not have said valid toll rental entity account.

4. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the request is transmitted during at least one of:

at predefined regular intervals;

continuously in real-time; and

in near real-time.

5. The computer readable medium of claim 1, comprising instructions for sending the data if the request for data-transfer permission has not been received.

6. The computer readable medium of claim 1, comprising instructions for charging a service fee and activating the transponder if the transponder is being used for a first time.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 1, comprising instructions for halting any transactions by the transponder after the sending of the updated data.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the invoice includes charges for at least one of:

toll usage; and

third party entity services usage.

9. A toll rental entity server for communicating data between a toll authority and a third party entity, the server comprising:

a first interface for communicating with said toll authority;

at least one database;

a second interface for communicating with said third party entity;

said toll rental entity server further comprising a processor communicably coupled to the first interface;

said toll rental entity server further comprising a plurality of function modules communicably coupled to the processor;

said at least one database communicably coupled to the plurality of function modules and to the second interface;

said processor is operable to receive the data, analyze the data and forward a request message to at least one of the plurality of function modules for performing a plurality of tasks; and

wherein the plurality of tasks performed by the at least one of the plurality of function modules comprise;

maintaining and updating toll rental entity accounts;

bill handling;

payment handling; and

error handling.

10. A toll fee tracking system comprising:

a toll authority operable to collect data associated with at least one toll fee tracking device;

a toll rental entity operable to communicate with said toll authority and a third party entity;

wherein at least some of the collected data is transferred from the toll authority to the toll rental entity; and

wherein at least some of the collected data is transferred from the toll rental entity to the third party entity responsive to a request for data-transfer permission from the third party entity to the toll rental entity.

11. A method of toll fee tracking, the method comprising:

providing, to a customer, an automatic toll payment service option;

determining whether the automatic toll payment service option is accepted by the customer;

responsive to a determination that the automatic toll payment service option has been accepted, activating at least one toll fee tracking device during a rental period;

collecting, at a toll authority, data associated with the least one toll fee tracking device;

storing said data in at least one database of said toll authority;

transferring, from the toll authority to a toll rental entity via a toll authority interface, at least some of the collected and stored data in a toll rental entity database responsive to a request for data-transfer permission from the toll rental entity to the toll authority via the toll authority interface;

forwarding, from the toll rental entity to a third party entity via a third party entity interface, at least some of the transferred data; and

charging the customer a fee corresponding to toll usage and applicable service charges based upon the forwarded data.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising, responsive to a determination that the automatic toll payment service option has been denied, deactivating the at least one toll fee tracking device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one toll fee tracking device remains deactivated until the customer returns a vehicle to the third party entity.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one toll fee tracking device remains deactivated until the customer uses a toll gate of the toll authority.

15. The method of claim 12, comprising transferring an automatic toll payment service request message to the toll authority.