METHOD OF TOLLING VEHICLES IN AN OPEN-ROAD TOLL SYSTEM
First Claim
1. A method of tolling vehicles in an open-road toll system with vehicle-based on-board units that are able to communicate with roadside radio beacons via short-range radio interfaces, the on-board units comprising a first memory for an electronic toll credit account, a second memory for a transaction information concerning a last debit to the toll credit account, and a third memory for a variable factor, and the radio beacons sending requests for debiting a debit amount to the toll credit account to passing on-board units, the method comprising the following steps that are carried out as an on-board unit passes a toll beacon:
- retrieving the transaction information from the second memory and the factor from the third memory of the on-board unit via the radio interface into the toll beacon;
updating the factor as a function of the retrieved transaction information and calculating a debit amount as a function of the updated factor in the toll beacon;
transmitting a debit request with the calculated debit amount and the updated factor from the toll beacon via the radio interface to the on-board unit; and
debiting the transmitted debit amount to the toll credit account in the first memory as a new debit transaction, storing a new transaction information concerning said new debit transaction in the second memory, and storing the received updated factor in the third memory of the on-board unit.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of tolling vehicles in an open-road toll system with vehicle-based on-board units and roadside radio beacons. The method includes transmitting transaction information and a factor from the on-board unit; updating the factor as a function of the transmitted transaction information and calculating a debit amount as a function of the updated factor; transmitting a debit request with the calculated debit amount and the updated factor to the on-board unit; and debiting the received debit amount to a toll credit account in the on-board unit and writing a new transaction information concerning this new debit transaction and the received updated factor into the on-board unit.
5 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method of tolling vehicles in an open-road toll system with vehicle-based on-board units that are able to communicate with roadside radio beacons via short-range radio interfaces, the on-board units comprising a first memory for an electronic toll credit account, a second memory for a transaction information concerning a last debit to the toll credit account, and a third memory for a variable factor, and the radio beacons sending requests for debiting a debit amount to the toll credit account to passing on-board units, the method comprising the following steps that are carried out as an on-board unit passes a toll beacon:
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retrieving the transaction information from the second memory and the factor from the third memory of the on-board unit via the radio interface into the toll beacon; updating the factor as a function of the retrieved transaction information and calculating a debit amount as a function of the updated factor in the toll beacon; transmitting a debit request with the calculated debit amount and the updated factor from the toll beacon via the radio interface to the on-board unit; and debiting the transmitted debit amount to the toll credit account in the first memory as a new debit transaction, storing a new transaction information concerning said new debit transaction in the second memory, and storing the received updated factor in the third memory of the on-board unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of tolling vehicles in an open-road toll system with vehicle-based on-board units that are able to communicate with roadside radio beacons via short-range radio interfaces, the on-board units comprising a first memory for an electronic toll credit account, a second memory for a transaction information concerning a last debit to the toll credit account, and a third memory for a variable factor, and the radio beacons sending requests for debiting a debit amount to the toll credit account to passing on-board units, the method comprising the following steps that are carried out as an on-board unit passes a toll beacon:
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retrieving the toll credit account from the first memory, the transaction information from the second memory and the factor from the third memory of the on-board unit via the radio interface into the toll beacon; updating the factor as a function of the retrieved transaction information, calculating a debit amount as a function of the updated factor, and debiting the debit amount to the retrieved toll credit account in the toll beacon; transmitting the debited toll credit account and the updated factor from the toll beacon via the radio interface to the on-board unit; and storing the transmitted toll credit account in the first memory as a new debit transaction, storing a new transaction information concerning said new debit transaction in the second memory, and storing the transmitted updated factor in the third memory of the on-board unit. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification