Toll collection system, onboard units and toll collection method

• US 6,390,365 B1
• Filed: 08/27/1999
• Issued: 05/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Karasawa, Shigeru
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FRANKLIN, JAMARA ALZAIDA
• Application Number:
  US09/384,022
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• Field of Search: 235/384, 235/375, 705/1, 705/13, 340/928, 340/907, 340/929, 340/10-- 1, 455/73
• US Class Current: 235/384
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/063 using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station identification of vehicles G08G

Abstract

A toll collection system to collect tolls by way of wireless communication between an onboard unit that is loaded on a vehicle and stacks an IC card and a gate equipment that is installed at a tollgate. The gate equipment sends information showing the presence or the number of wireless communication equipment installed at the latter stage through the wireless communication to the onboard unit, which in turn causes the writing process on an IC card after executing the communication with all of the wireless communication equipment of the gate equipment.

Claims

1. A toll collection system to collect a toll through wireless communication between an onboard unit carried by a vehicle, stacking an IC card and a gate equipment installed at a tollgate, comprising:

said gate equipment including;

wireless communication means for performing the wireless communication with said onboard unit; and

notification means for sending notification information showing a writing start timer value and passing time to the onboard unit received from said wireless communication means onto said IC card; and

said onboard unit including;

timer setting means for setting a waiting time till the onboard unit starts to write the passing time sent from the wireless communication means onto said IC card;

means for writing the passing time sent from said wireless communication means onto said IC card after the waiting time set on said timer setting means was over.

2. An onboard unit capable of being carried by a vehicle and which performs wireless communication with a tollgate concerning data showing the passing through of vehicles via first wireless communication means installed at the tollgate, comprising:

means for judging the presence of second wireless communication means installed along the proceeding direction of the vehicle based on notification information showing the presence of, the number of or time until arrival at the second wireless communication means of the vehicle;

timer setting means for setting a waiting time till the start of a next wireless communication based on a judgment by said judging means; and

means for writing data obtained through a communication process with said first wireless communication means when the next wireless communication was not started even after the waiting time set on said timer setting means was over.

3. The onboard unit according to claim 2, wherein said timer setting means sets the waiting time at 0 (zero) when said judging means judges that there is no second wireless communication means installed along the proceeding direction of the vehicle, and at a specified time greater than 0 (zero) when there is second wireless communication means installed along the proceeding direction of the vehicle.

4. An onboard unit capable of being carried by a vehicle and which performs wireless communication with a tollgate showing data of the passing through of vehicles through wireless communication means installed at the tollgate, comprising:

receiving means for receiving notification information showing a writing start timer value and passing time sent from said wireless communication means onto an IC card stacked in said onboard unit;

timer setting means for setting a waiting time till the onboard unit starts to write the passing time sent from the wireless communication means onto said IC card; and

means for writing data sent from said wireless communication means onto the IC card after the waiting time set on said timer setting means was over.

5. The onboard unit according to claim 4 further comprising:

means for storing time information to indicate the start of the writing process onto the IC card;

means for counting a specified time based on the time information stored in said storing means when the receiving means receives the notification information indicating that second wireless communication means is present; and

means for writing data received from the tollgate onto the IC card after counting the specified time by the counting means.

6. An onboard unit capable of being carried by a vehicle and which performs wireless communication with a tollgate showing data of the passing through of vehicles through wireless communication means installed at the tollgate, comprising:

receiving means for receiving notification information showing a timing in a plurality of timings for writing data which the onboard unit received from said wireless communication means onto an IC card stacked in said onboard unit; and

means for writing data sent from said wireless communication means onto the IC card after executing a communication process with all of said wireless communication means at said timing based on said notification information received by said receiving means;

wherein said writing means includes;

means for judging the presence of second wireless communication means based on said notification information;

timer setting means for setting a waiting time till the start of a next wireless communication based on a judgement made by said judging means; and

means for writing data obtained through the communication process with said first wireless communication means when said next wireless communication is not started even when a waiting time set on said timer setting means is over.

7. An onboard unit capable of being carried by a vehicle and which performs wireless communication with a tollgate showing data of the passing through of vehicles through wireless communication means installed at the tollgate, comprising:

receiving means for receiving notification information showing a timing in a plurality of timings for writing data which the onboard unit received from said wireless communication means onto an IC card stacked in said onboard unit; and

means for writing data sent from said wireless communication means onto the IC card after executing a communication process with all of said wireless communication means at said timing based on said notification information received by said receiving means;

wherein said writing means includes;

means for judging the presence of second wireless communication means based on said notification information;

timer setting means for setting a waiting time till the start of a next wireless communication based on a judgement made by said judging means; and

means for writing data obtained through the communication process with said first wireless communication means when said next wireless communication is not started even when a waiting time set on said timer setting means is over;

wherein said timer setting means sets a waiting time at 0 (zero) when said judging means judges that there is no second wireless communication means, and at a specified time greater than 0 (zero) when there is the second wireless communication means.

8. A toll collection method to collect a toll through wireless communication between an onboard unit carried by a vehicle, stacking an IC card and first wireless communication means included in a gate equipment installed at a tollgate, comprising the steps of:

sending notification information showing the presence or the number of second wireless communication means installed along the proceeding direction of said vehicle from said gate equipment to said onboard unit through said first wireless communication means; and

writing data sent from said first wireless communication means onto the IC card after executing a communication process with all of the wireless communication means based on said notification information.

9. The toll collection method according to claim 8, wherein said onboard unit judges the presence of second wireless communication means based on said notification information, sets a waiting time till the start of a next wireless communication based on a judgment and writes data obtained through the communication process with said first wireless communication means when said next wireless communication is not started even after the set waiting time is over.

10. The toll collection method according to claim 9, wherein the waiting time till the start of said next wireless communications 0 (zero) when there is no second wireless communication means and at a specified time greater than 0 (zero) is set when there are second wireless communication means.