Charge processing device charge processing system and charge processing card

• US 7,127,413 B1
• Filed: 01/22/1999
• Issued: 10/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Furuta, Yasuyuki, Yanagisawa, Takashi, Aoki, Yasuyuki, Kakihara, Masaki, Terada, Haruhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): MEINECKE DIAZ, SUSANNA M
• Application Number:
  US09/600,779
• Time in Patent Office: 2,832 Days
• Field of Search: 705/13, 705/417, 705/418, 340/928, 340/932.2, 340/993, 701213-217, 342/357.08, 342/357.12, 342/357.13
• US Class Current: 705/13
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/02 taking into account a variable factor such as distance or time, e.g. for passenger transport, parking systems or car rental systems G07B15/06 takes precedence; taximeters G07B13/00; parking meters per se G07F17/24; car rental systems per se G07B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/063 using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station identification of vehicles G08G

Abstract

A system for charge processing tolls and the like. A vehicle mounted device detects the position of a vehicle 32 using GPS, and transmits position information via a wireless channel to a central station. The central station performs charge processing (calculation) for an area in which a charge is applied based on the position of the vehicle, and transmits the charge to the vehicle mounted device. The vehicle mounted device collects a toll from a prepaid card or IC card or the like on the basis of the received charge processing result.

Claims

1. A charge processing device comprising:

detecting means for detecting position information indicating a position where a moving body is located on the basis of a received signal from a satellite;

matching means for matching the position information with predetermined map information;

setting means for, based on the map information, setting an area where a charge is applied which area corresponds to a predetermined area in the map information;

receiving means for receiving toll data from a ground station including charge data, for each of a plurality of different moving body types determined on the basis of a size of the moving body type, relating to the area where a charge is applied;

deciding means for, based on a result of a matching by the matching means, deciding an entry state indicating whether or not the moving body has at least entered into the area where a charge is applied; and

generating means for generating, based on a result of a deciding by the deciding means, charge information for the moving body, by using the received toll data, wherein the area where a charge is applied is divided into sub-areas by substantially concentric circles, and a charge amount for each sub-area is set such that the closer a sub-area is to the center of the area where a charge is applied, the higher the charge amount becomes.

2. The charge processing device according to claim 1, the charge processing device further comprising location information detecting means for detecting, based on the position information, location information indicating date and time the moving body is located in the area in which a charge is applied, wherein the deciding means decides, based on the result of the matching by the matching means and a result of a detection by the location information detecting means, the entry state including a location state of the moving body within the area in which a charge is applied.

3. The charge processing device according to claim 1, wherein the generating means decides the entry state including a congestion state caused by moving bodies located in the area in which a charge is applied.

4. The charge processing device according to claim 1, wherein the generating means is further provided with storage means in which predetermined toll data corresponding to the entry state is stored in advance, and the generating means generates the charge information using the toll data in the storage means.

5. The charge processing device according to claim 1, wherein the toll data further includes charge data for each of a plurality of time zones.

6. The charge processing device according to claim 1, wherein the receiving means for receiving toll data receives said toll data at a time when the moving body is proximate to the area where a charge is applied.

7. The charge processing device according to claim 1, wherein said ground station is in charge of a geographical area.

8. A charge processing device comprising:

detecting means for detecting position information indicating a position where a moving body is located on the basis of a received signal from a satellite;

a toll card capable of being inserted and removed for storing a predetermined geographical area in which a charge is applied which geographical area is set based on predetermined map information in correspondence with a predetermined area in the map information;

generating means for, at a predetermined period, generating charge information for the moving body based on a result of a detection by the detecting means and the area in which a charge is applied stored in a loaded storage means, and

wherein area information of the predetermined geographical area where a charge is applied is stored in the toll card and includes toll data showing that the predetermined geographical area where a charge is applied is divided into sub-areas by substantially concentric circles and a charge amount for each sub-area is set such that the closer a sub-area is to the center of the predetermined geographical area, the higher the charge amount becomes.

9. The charge processing device according to claim 8, wherein the generating means is provided with a reading means for reading a result of a detection by the detecting means and the area in which a charge is applied stored in the loaded storage means, and generates charge information from the read position information and the area in which a charge is applied.