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Tolling system and method using telecommunications

  • US 9,691,188 B2
  • Filed: 01/13/2017
  • Issued: 06/27/2017
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1997
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A system for tolling vehicles capable of travelling in multiple lanes of a multi-lane roadway, comprising:

  • a location determining system arranged partly on each vehicle to determine vehicle location at a plurality of different times during vehicular travel such that multiple locations are provided by said location determining system, said location determining system having an accuracy to be able to determine a specific one of a plurality of possible lanes of the multi-lane roadway in which the vehicle is located to thereby provide lane-specific location of the vehicle;

    a toll database including toll data about tolls for use of the plurality of possible lanes of the multi-lane roadway at a plurality of different geographic points, the toll data being different for different lanes of the multi-lane roadway at at least one of the plurality of geographic points;

    a communications device arranged on each vehicle; and

    a processor coupled to said location determining system and to said communications device and configured to direct a transmission including the determined vehicle location and an identification of the vehicle or an identification of said communications device using said communications device to a remote site separate and apart from the vehicle,whereby a toll is determined at the remote site based on said toll database and the determined vehicle location transmitted by said communications device to the remote site which is the lane-specific location of the vehicle or based on at least two determined vehicle locations transmitted by said communications device to the remote site each of which is a lane-specific location of the vehicle,wherein said communications device is configured to send the identification of the vehicle or the identification of said communications device to the remote site in or with each transmission of the determined vehicle location such that payment of the determined toll is charged to an entity associated with the vehicle or said communications device.

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