Authorization system and authorization method

• US 6,304,192 B1
• Filed: 04/10/2000
• Issued: 10/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kawasaki, Akihisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUNG T
• Application Number:
  US09/546,286
• Time in Patent Office: 554 Days
• Field of Search: 340/928, 340/933, 340/937, 340/825.34, 340/426, 340/571, 340/573
• US Class Current: 340/928
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/063 using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station identification of vehicles G08G

Abstract

An authorization system for authorizing an IC card is provided. When an IC card—storing a different code from the code proper to an in-vehicle device and yet having been authorized by the in-vehicle device—inserted to the invehicle device, the system allows the in-vehicle device to authorize the IC card and vice versa. In other words, when an IC card having a different code from the proper code to the in-vehicle device is inserted into the in-vehicle device, an on-road apparatus disposed at a tollgate rewrites the code stored in the in-vehicle device to agree with the code stored in the IC card. As a result, the codes of the in-vehicle device and the IC card agree with each other, and thus the IC card can be authorized.

Claims

1. An authorization system comprising:

an on-road apparatus;

an in-vehicle device; and

an IC card,

wherein said on-road apparatus authorizes said in-vehicle device, and said in-vehicle device authorizes said IC card, and

wherein when another IC card having a code different from a code stored in said in-vehicle device is inserted into said in-vehicle device, said in-vehicle device identifies through data communication between said in-vehicle device and said on-road apparatus that the another IC card has been authorized by said in-vehicle device.

2. An authorization system comprising:

an on-road apparatus;

an in-vehicle device; and

an IC card,

wherein said on-road apparatus authorizes said in-vehicle device, and said in-vehicle device authorizes said IC card,

wherein when another IC card having a code different from a code stored in said in-vehicle device is inserted into said in-vehicle device, said in-vehicle device transmits information of code disagreement to said on-road apparatus,

wherein when receiving the information of code disagreement, said on-road apparatus transmits a code different from a present code to said in-vehicle device,

wherein when receiving the different code, said in-vehicle device overwrites a now-used code with the different code, and

wherein said in-vehicle device and the another IC card authorize each other with the different code.

3. The authorization method as defined in claim 2, wherein when said system fails in the authorization between said in-vehicle device and the another IC card with the different code, said in-vehicle device transmits the information of code disagreement again to said on-road apparatus,

wherein when receiving the information, said on-road apparatus transmits another code different from the different code, and repeat this operation until an authorization between said in-vehicle device and the another IC card is established.

4. An authorization system comprising:

an on-road apparatus;

an in-vehicle device; and

an IC card,

wherein said on-road apparatus authorizes said in-vehicle device, and said in-vehicle device authorizes said IC card,

wherein when another IC card having a code different from a code stored in said in-vehicle device is inserted into said in-vehicle device, said in-vehicle device transmits a code of the another IC card to said on-road apparatus via data communication,

wherein said on-road apparatus transmits such a code stored in memory 32 as corresponding to the code of the another IC card to said in-vehicle device via data communication,

wherein said in-vehicle device identifies the another IC card, through said transmitted code from said on-road apparatus to said in-vehicle device, as a card having been authorized one,

wherein an authorization between said in-vehicle device and the another IC card is established.

5. A method for authorization comprising:

authorizing an in-vehicle device by an on-road apparatus; and

authorizing an IC card by the in-vehicle device,

wherein when another IC card having a code different from a code stored in the in-vehicle device is inserted into the in-vehicle device, the in-vehicle device identifies the another IC card, through data communication between the on-road apparatus and the in-vehicle device, as a card having been authorized by the in-vehicle device.

6. A method for authorization comprising:

authorizing an in-vehicle device by an on-road apparatus; and

authorizing an IC card by the in-vehicle device,

wherein when another IC card having a code different from a code stored in the in-vehicle device is inserted into the in-vehicle device, the in-vehicle device transmits information of code disagreement to the on-road apparatus,

wherein when receiving the information, the on-road apparatus transmits a code different from a present code to the in-vehicle device,

wherein when receiving the different code, the in-vehicle device overwrites the present code with the different code,

wherein the another IC card and the in-vehicle device authorize each other with the different code.

7. The method of authorization as defined in claim 6, wherein when the authorization between the in-vehicle device and the another IC card fails, the in-vehicle device transmits the information of code disagreement to the on-road apparatus,

wherein when receiving the information, the on-road apparatus transmits a different code from the present code to the in-vehicle device, and this operation is repeated until an authorization between the in-vehicle device and the another IC card is established.

8. A method of authorization comprising:

authorizing an in-vehicle device by an on-road apparatus; and

authorizing an IC card by the in-vehicle device,

wherein when another IC card having a code different from a code stored in the in-vehicle device is inserted into the in-vehicle device, the in-vehicle device transmits a code of the another IC card to the on-road apparatus via data communication,

wherein the in-vehicle device identifies the another IC card, through data transmitted from the on-road apparatus to the in-vehicle device, as a card having been authorized by the in-vehicle device,

wherein an authorization between the in-vehicle device and the another IC card is established.

9. A method of authorizing an IC card storing a first code, said method comprising:

inserting the IC card into an in-vehicle device storing a second code;

transmitting data from the in-vehicle device to an on-road apparatus storing a plurality of codes;

transmitting data of the codes between the in-vehicle device and the on-road apparatus when the in-vehicle device travels near the on-road apparatus.

10. A method of collecting a toll using a system comprising:

an IC card storing a code for authorization, a vehicle class, a travelling route, and toll information;

an in-vehicle device storing a code for authorization and being able to receive said IC card,

an on-road apparatus storing a plurality of codes and being communicable to said in-vehicle device; and

an operation center being communicable to said on-road apparatus, said method comprising;

establishing authorizations between said on-road apparatus and said in-vehicle device, and between said in-vehicle device and said IC card through data communication between said on-road apparatus and said in-vehicle device when said in-vehicle device travels near said on-road apparatus,

calculating a toll by said operation center after the authorizations are established, and

collecting the toll from said IC card by said operation center.

11. An authorization system comprising:

an on-road apparatus;

an in-vehicle device; and

an IC card,

wherein said on-road apparatus authorizes said in-vehicle device, and said in-vehicle device authorizes said IC card,

wherein said system rewrites a code stored in said in-vehicle device to another code for agreeing with a code stored in said IC card.

12. The authorization system as defined in claim 11 wherein the code stored in said in-vehicle device is rewritten when said in-vehicle device being mounted with said IC card travels near said on-road apparatus.