Universal Toll Tag Device and Systems and Methods to Automate Toll Payments

• US 20140025444A1
• Filed: 03/04/2013
• Published: 01/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Payurtoll LLC
• Original Assignee: Payurtoll LLC
• Inventors: Willis, Mark Alan
• Application Number:
  US13/783,872
• Publication Number:
  US 20140025444A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3272 using an audio code
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2240/00 Transportation facility access, e.g. fares, tolls or parking
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/063 using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station identification of vehicles G08G

Abstract

A system and method for processing toll-based payment transactions via a mobile device is described. The mobile device may include a processor configuring the mobile device to: receive a GPS location of the mobile device; receive location information associated with at least one tolling location; determine whether the mobile device is within a predetermined distance of the at least one tolling location based on the GPS location of the mobile device; record a tolling event when the mobile device is within the predetermined distance of the at least one tolling location; and communicate the tolling event to a server for processing a toll-based transaction.

Claims

1. A mobile device for processing a toll-based transaction, comprising:

a processor configuring the mobile device to;

receive a first audio signal from a toll tag device communicably coupled to the mobile device, wherein the audio signal comprises a toll booth identifier identifying a toll plaza;

retrieve, from a memory device, user information in response to the first audio signal;

convert the user information to a second audio signal; and

communicate the second audio signal to the toll tag device for transmission to the toll plaza identified by the toll booth identifier.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising a headphone jack, wherein the mobile device is communicably coupled to the toll tag device via the headphone jack.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the user information comprises identification information associated with the user of the mobile device, vehicle information, and mobile device information.

4. A toll tag device for processing toll-based transactions, comprising:

a processor configuring the toll tag device to;

tune to an RF receive frequency associated with a toll booth radio device, wherein the RF receive frequency is identified based on a current GPS location of a mobile device, wherein the toll tag device is communicably coupled to the mobile device;

receive a first RF signal from the toll booth radio device, wherein the first RF signal comprises a toll booth identifier identifying a toll plaza;

convert the first RF signal to an audio signal; and

communicate the audio signal to a mobile device.

5. The toll tag device of claim 4, wherein the RF receive frequency is determined based on a toll booth payment system within which the toll booth radio device operates.

6. The toll tag device of claim 4, wherein the processor further configures the toll tag device to:

receive user information from the mobile device; and

transmit the user information to the toll plaza identified by the toll booth identifier.

7. The toll tag device of claim 6, wherein the processor further configures the toll tag device to:

tune to an RF transmit frequency associated with the toll booth radio device; and

convert the user information to a second RF signal; and

transmit the second RF signal to the toll booth radio device.

8. A mobile device for processing toll-based transactions, comprising:

a processor configuring the mobile device to;

receive a GPS location of the mobile device;

receive location information associated with at least one tolling location;

determine whether the mobile device is within a predetermined distance of the at least one tolling location based on the GPS location of the mobile device;

record a tolling event when the mobile device is within the predetermined distance of the at least one tolling location; and

communicate the tolling event to a server for processing a toll-based transaction.

9. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the at least one tolling location comprises at least one toll plaza, and wherein the location information comprises toll plaza coordinates associated with the toll plaza.

10. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the location information comprises toll road coordinates associated with a toll road on which the toll plaza is located.

11. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the processor configuring the mobile device to receive the location information further configures the mobile device to:

receive location information associated with at least one tolling location within a predetermined distance of the mobile device.

12. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the processor configuring the mobile device to receive the location information further configures the mobile device to:

receive location information associated with at least one tolling location along a predicted path of travel of the mobile device.

13. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the processor configuring the mobile device to determine whether the mobile device is within a predetermined distance of the at least one tolling location further configures the mobile device to:

compare the GPS location of the mobile device with the received location information to make the determination.

14. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the processor configures the mobile device to determine whether the mobile device is within a predetermined distance of the at least one tolling location periodically.

15. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the processor configures the mobile device to determine whether the mobile device is within a predetermined distance of the at least one tolling location based on an incremental distance travelled by the mobile device.

16. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the processor configures the mobile device to determine whether the mobile device is within a predetermined distance of the at least one tolling location based on a speed of travel of the mobile device.

17. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the processor configures the mobile device to determine whether the mobile device is within a predetermined distance of the at least one tolling location based on a trajectory of the mobile device.

18. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the processor further configuring the mobile device to:

record a first tolling event when the mobile device is within a predetermined distance of a first tolling location, wherein the first tolling event comprises location coordinates associated with the first tolling location; and

record a second tolling event when the mobile device is within a predetermined distance of a second tolling location, wherein the second tolling event comprises location coordinates associated with the second tolling location; and

communicate the first tolling event and the second tolling event to the server.

19. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the server determines a toll charge based on the first tolling event and the second tolling event.

20. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the processor configures the mobile device to communicate the tolling event as or after the mobile device passes through the tolling location.