RFID vehicle tag with manually adjustable data fields

• US 8,836,511 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2012
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amtech Systems LLC (Roper Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amtech Systems LLC (Roper Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gravelle, Kelly, Johnson, Charles A., Burnett, Matthew K., Scott, Dale L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John A
• Application Number:
  US13/685,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20130080216A1
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/572.7, 340/505, 340/10.1, 340/926, 235/384
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• 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: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10227 loading programming parameters or programs into the interrogator, e.g. for configuring the interrogator
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/06 Arrangements for road pricing or congestion charging of vehicles or vehicle users, e.g. automatic toll systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/063 using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station identification of vehicles G08G
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/47 using RFID associated with sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

An RFID tag for use in a vehicle for use in an electronic toll collecting system. The tag is capable of transmitting data to a tag interrogator indicating the occupancy status of the vehicle. In an embodiment, the tag has a user input and a visual and audible tag status indicator. The user input is used to change the occupancy status of the tag, wherein the occupancy status is a portion of a message sent by radio frequency to the interrogator when the vehicle passes through a toll area.

Claims

1. A system for electronic toll collection comprising:

a tag interrogator;

and

a tag comprising a manual user input and an audible or visual status indicator, wherein

said manual user input sets a state of said tag, said tag interrogator reads said state and said interrogator performs an action based on said state of said tag

and wherein said status indicator indicates said state upon said setting of said state and further indicates a status of a second tag attribute in response to a stimulus other than said setting of said state.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said action relates to a fee amount collected based on said state.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said state is related to one of the group consisting of vehicle occupancy, vehicle size and purpose of vehicle use.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said second tag attribute is indicated when the tag is interrogated.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said second tag attribute is one of the group consisting of tag validity and account status.

6. A method of collecting a charge related to vehicle operation for a vehicle having an RFID tag comprising:

providing the tag with a manual user input;

setting a tag attribute with said manual user input;

reading said tag attribute by a tag interrogator;

indicating by said tag said tag attribute state upon said setting; and

further indicating a status of a second tag attribute in response to a stimulus other than said setting and

determining the amount of the charge based at least in part on said tag attribute.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said tag attribute is related to one of vehicle occupancy, vehicle size and purpose of vehicle use.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said second tag attribute is from the group consisting of tag validity and account status.