Vehicle security system and automatic roadway toll charging system

• US 5,422,473 A
• Filed: 07/24/1992
• Issued: 06/06/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kamata, George
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafec, Donald
• Assistant Examiner(s): SIKORSKI, EDWARD
• Application Number:
  US07/919,615
• Time in Patent Office: 1,047 Days
• Field of Search: 235/382, 235/384, 235/380, 340/825.54, 340/928, 340/933, 340/937, 364/467
• US Class Current: 235/384
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisious for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• 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 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence

Abstract

An IC card adaptor having a wireless communication function and/or an optical communication function enabling a contact-type IC card to be used as an IC card of a non-contact type. The adaptor includes a power supply, a communication processing section, a transmission/reception section, and a device for establishing a contact-point coupling with an IC card developing at least a portion of a function to read data from the card and to write data therein through a contact-type contact point. An automatic roadway toll charging system employs such an IC card and IC card adaptor, as well as a card reader unit, a license plate identification unit, a comparison/collation unit, and a fee calculation unit to verify proper vehicle passage onto a roadway and calculate a required fee. A vehicle security system is disclosed which verifies proper vehicle passage into a security area.

Claims

1. An automatic roadway toll charging system for vehicles, comprising:

(a) an IC card including a memory storing at least information data indicating a license plate number of a vehicle of a user of said IC card;

(b) an IC card adapter for being mounted on said vehicle, said adapter including means for reading out said information data from said memory on said IC card;

means for converting said information data read out from memory to a radio wave signal and for transmitting said radio wave signal; and

receiver means for receiving and converting an input radio wave signal and for providing said input radio wave signal to said memory for storage;

(c) an IC card reader means, mounted on a roadway, said card reader means including means for receiving said radio wave signal transmitted by said adapter, reading said license plate number contained in said radio wave signal and providing an output signal representing said license plate number;

(d) a license plate identification means, mounted on the roadway, for reading a license plate of the vehicle to ascertain its license plate number and providing an output signal representing said license plate number;

(e) a comparison/collation means for collating said output signal from said reader means, representing said license plate number, and said output signal from said license plate identification means, representing said license plate number, to provide a collation output signal indicating a coincidence collation result or a non-coincidence collation result;

(f) a communication control means for receiving said collation output signal and, in response to said coincidence collation result, for calculating a required fee and transmitting a signal indicating said fee to said receiver means of said adapter for provision to and storage in said memory of said IC card, and, in response to said non-coincidence collation result, for outputting a signal indicating improper vehicle passage; and

(g) an information storage means for storing information therein wherein the information in said information storage means is at least one of information representing said license plate number of said vehicle and identification information of said user.

2. A vehicle security system, comprising:

(a) an IC card including a memory storing at least information data indicating a license plate number of a vehicle of a user of said IC card;

(b) an IC card adapter for being mounted on said vehicle, said adapter including means for reading out said information data from said..memory on said IC card;

means for converting said information data read out from memory to a radio wave signal and for transmitting said radio wave signal; and

receiver means for receiving and converting an input radio wave signal and for providing said input radio wave signal to said memory for storage;

(c) an IC card reader means mounted on a roadway, said card reader means including means for receiving said radio wave signal transmitted by said adapter, reading said license plate number contained in said radio wave signal and providing an output signal representing said license plate number;

(d) a license plate identification means, mounted on the roadway, for reading a license plate of the vehicle to ascertain its license plate number and providing an output signal representing said license plate number.;

(e) a comparison/collation means for collating said output signal from said reader means., representing said license plate number, and said output signal, from said license plate identification means, representing said license plate number, to provide a collation output signal indicating a coincidence collation result or a non-coincidence collation result.;

(f) a communication control means for receiving said collation output signal and, in response to said coincidence collation result, outputting a signal indicating proper vehicle passage and, in response to said non-coincidence collation result, for outputting a signal indicating improper vehicle passage; and

(g) an information storage means for storing information therein wherein the information in said information storage means is at least one of information representing said license plate number of said vehicle and identification information of said user.

3. An automatic roadway toll charging system for vehicles, comprising:

(a) an IC card including a memory storing at least information data indicating a license plate number of a vehicle of a user of said IC card;

(b) an IC card reader means mounted on a roadway;

(c) an IC card adapter for being mounted on said vehicle, said adapter including;

(i) transmission/reception means for performing non-contact information transmission/reception via one of a radio wave signal or an optical signal with respect to said IC card reader means;

(ii) communication processing means for receiving information from said transmission/reception unit input thereto from the IC card reader means and for providing said information data received from said IC card to said transmission/reception unit;

(iii) coupling means for achieving a contact-point coupling between said communication processing means and the IC card, said coupling means having means for enabling operations by said communication processing means of data writing in and data reading from the IC card; and

(iv) power supply means for supplying power to said transmission reception means and said communication processing means;

(d) said IC card reader means including means for receiving said radio wave signal or optical signal transmitted by said adapter, reading said license plate number contained in said radio wave signal or optical signal and providing an output signal representing said license plate number;

(e) a license plate identification means, mounted on the roadway, for reading a license plate of the vehicle to ascertain its license plate number and providing an output signal representing said license plate number;

(f) a comparison/collation means for collating said output signal from said reader means, representing said license plate number, and said output signal from said license plate identification means, representing said license plate number, to provide a collation output signal indicating a coincidence collation result or a non-coincidence collation result;

(g) a communication control means for receiving said collation output signal and, in response to said coincidence collation result, for calculating a required fee and transmitting a signal indicating said fee to said adapter for provision to and storage in said memory of said IC card, and, in response to said non-coincidence collation result, for outputting a signal indicating improper vehicle passage; and

(h) an information storage means for storing information therein wherein the information in said information storage means is at least one of information representing said license plate number of said vehicle and identification information of said user.

4. A vehicle security system, comprising:

(a) an IC card including a memory storing at least information data indicating a license plate number;

(b) an IC card reader means mounted on a roadway;

(c) an IC card adapter for being mounted on said vehicle, said adapter including;

(i) transmission/reception means for performing non-contact information transmission/reception via one of a radio wave signal or an optical signal with respect to said IC card reader means;

(ii) communication processing means for receiving information from said transmission/reception unit input thereto from the IC card reader means and for providing said information data received from said IC card to said transmission/reception unit;

(iii) coupling means for achieving a contact-point coupling between said communication processing means and the IC card, said coupling means having means for enabling operations by said communication processing means of data writing in and data reading from the IC card; and

(iv) power supply means for supplying power to said transmission reception means and said communication processing means;

(d) said IC card reader means including means for receiving said radio wave signal or optical signal transmitted by said adapter, reading said license plate number contained in said radio wave signal or optical signal and providing an output signal representing said license plate number;

(e) a license plate identification means, mounted on the roadway, for reading a license plate of the vehicle to ascertain its license plate number and providing an output signal representing said license plate number;

(f) a comparison/collation means for collating said output signal from said reader means, representing said license plate number, and said output signal, from said license plate identification means, representing said license plate number to provide a collation output signal indicating a coincidence collation output signal indicating a coincidence collation result or a non-coincidence collation result;

(g) a communication control means for receiving said collation output signal and, in response to said coincidence collation result, outputting a signal indicating proper vehicle passage and, in response to said non-coincidence collation result, for outputting a signal indicating improper vehicle passage; and

(h) information storage means for storing information therein wherein the information in said information storage means is at least one of information representing said license plate number of said vehicle and identification information of said user.