DE102016225845A1 - Toll control device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a toll control device (12) for monitoring a toll collection system adapted to be deployed in a vehicle (10), comprising a module positioning system (20) adapted to determine the position of the vehicle (10) a sensor module (22) adapted to capture information about other vehicles and a module interface to the database (24) arranged to collect the collected data and transmit it to a central database.

Description

The invention relates to a toll control device, a method for providing data, a computing device and a method for monitoring a tolling system. The invention further relates to a computer program and a machine-readable storage medium for carrying out the method.

State of the art

A toll is a charge levied for the use of transportation structures, such as roads, bridges and tunnels. Toll systems of various kinds, these differ in particular in the way the fee is collected, are used in more and more countries in road transport. There are different versions or characteristics. For example, toll systems are known that use toll stations where the fee is payable. However, this is an expensive and outdated system. There are also vignette systems that charge for different periods of time. Finally, systems are known in which the actually driven route are billed. Such systems are used on motorways and selected federal roads to levy a truck toll.

It should be noted that the collection of a differentiated individual toll fee depending on various parameters, such as route, time of day, road type, utilization, etc., is sought. There are several ways to capture these parameters. Thus, a registration and billing via the Internet, including a number plate recognition at highway ramps done. In addition, the use of sealed GPS-based boxes, such as in the truck toll system in the Federal Republic of Germany known.

In all cases, however, control systems must be used, hereinafter referred to as toll control systems or toll control devices that detect toll offenders and forward information about them to an operator who can then take appropriate countermeasures. However, toll sinners can use a toll road without a toll collection system or manipulate the toll collection system. The desire for a more or less complete review not only from the perspective of the operator is understandable.

• - Bild des Fahrzeugs,
• - Name der Person, die das Fahrzeug führt,
• - Ort und Zeit der mautpflichtigen Benutzung mautpflichtiger Straßen,
• - Kennzeichen des Fahrzeugs oder der Fahrzeugkombination,
• - für die Mauthöhe maßgebliche Merkmale des Fahrzeugs oder der Fahrzeugkombination.

As part of the control, the following data may typically be collected, stored, used and transmitted:

• - picture of the vehicle,
• - Name of the person who runs the vehicle,
• - the place and time of toll road use,
• - identification of the vehicle or combination of vehicles,
• - For the toll level relevant characteristics of the vehicle or the vehicle combination.

These data may only be processed and used for the purpose of monitoring compliance. Transmission, use or seizure of this data under other regulations is prohibited.

• - stationäre permanente automatische Überwachungssysteme, z. B. für Lkw-Maut in Deutschland an neuralgischen Punkten,
• - mobile Kontrollsysteme, die an verschiedenen, wechselnden Orten aufgebaut werden können, während der automatischen Überwachung aber stationär betrieben werden, z. B. Systeme für Bundesstraßen, oder eine sehr teure Lösung zur Überprüfung der Vignette,
• - mobile Kontrollen, die mit hohem Personalaufwand Stichproben auf mautpflichtigen Straßen durchführen.

For the review, there are different, mostly used in combination options:

• stationary permanent automatic surveillance systems, e.g. Eg for truck tolls in Germany at critical points,
• - Mobile control systems that can be built in different, changing places, but are operated stationary during the automatic monitoring, z. B. systems for federal highways, or a very expensive solution to check the vignette,
• - mobile controls that carry out a high level of human resources sampling on toll roads.

• - Kamerasysteme zum Erkennen von Fahrzeugen und Schildern, teilweise inklusive Schriftzeichenerkennung,
• - Radar- oder US-Systeme zur Geschwindigkeitserkennung von Fahrzeugen,
• - GPS zur Ermittlung einer Ortsposition,
• - Navigationsgerät mit Karteninformationen,
• - Verbindungsmöglichkeit zu einem zentralen Server, was nachfolgend als „Cloud“ bezeichnet wird, z. B. mittels einer integrierten SIM-Karte oder eines an dem Fahrzeug angemeldeten Mobiltelefon, z. B. über Bluetooth oder USB.

It should be noted that in modern vehicles are already provided:

• - camera systems for detecting vehicles and signs, partly including character recognition,
• - radar or US vehicle speed detection systems,
• - GPS for determining a location position,
• - navigation device with map information,
• - Connectivity to a central server, which is referred to as "cloud", for. B. by means of an integrated SIM card or a registered on the vehicle mobile phone, z. Via Bluetooth or USB.

Furthermore, there are systems that use a large number of sensor nodes to capture a large amount of data in the cloud, evaluate it using intelligent data mining methods and make it available to companies and / or end users in a processed form, thus providing significant added value. Data mining is the systematic application of statistical methods to large databases. An example of one Such a system is a live traffic display that uses current GPS position information from mobile phones to merge the cloud into the cloud to determine the current traffic situation fairly accurately and make it available to the end user. A term in this context is the Internet of Things (loTs)

The above-described methods and systems for checking the toll participants all have the disadvantage that they are very expensive and limited to a few points of view. Thus, a nationwide review from an economic point of view does not make sense.

Disclosure of the invention

Against this background, a toll control device according to claim 1, a method according to claim 4, a computing arrangement according to claim 6 and a method with the features of claim 7 are presented. Furthermore, a computer program with the features of claim 9 and a machine-readable storage medium according to claim 10 are presented. Embodiments emerge from the dependent claims and from the description.

The proposed method realizes a suitable combination of different sensors, including the camera and the GPS in the car and an aggregation of the collected information in a cloud, a review of toll participants on toll roads by means of a toll control device. The implementation may take into account data protection requirements. A cloud is an area on a computer or a computer network that contains programs and data that can be accessed by a remote computer.

• - vor dem eigenen Fahrzeug befindliche oder entgegenkommende Fahrzeuge inklusive Bild des Nummernschilds und Fahrzeugs mittels Kamera, was heutzutage selbst bei Nacht möglich ist,
• - mittels GPS der Ort des erfassten Fahrzeugs,
• - Geschwindigkeit des Fahrzeugs, um zwischen fahrenden und geparkten Fahrzeugen zu unterscheiden.

In contrast to known methods, the method described uses an already existing infrastructure of other road users in the vehicle and is therefore cost-effective and nationwide not only possible for use on major roads. A cloud-based utilization of information for checking toll subscribers by means of a toll control device, which modern driver assistance systems already almost completely capture:

• - In front of your own vehicle or oncoming vehicles including image of the license plate and vehicle using a camera, which is possible even at night,
• by GPS the location of the detected vehicle,
• - Speed of the vehicle to differentiate between moving and parked vehicles.

This data can be transmitted in encrypted form by means of an interface, which is also present in modern vehicles, of a central recycling center located in the cloud. For this the identity of the own vehicle is not necessarily needed. From this data, at least almost all information for a simple and differentiated toll collection can be obtained, except for certain vehicle type information, such as the number of axles in trucks, etc.

• - Schwächen in der Erkennungsleistung, insbesondere bei Nacht, z. B. haben die eingesetzten Systeme zur kamerabasierten Nummernschildüberwachung in London einen Fehler von 10 %, der allerdings bei mehrfacher Datenauswertung auf unter 2% reduziert werden kann. Da bei dem hierin beschriebenen Ansatz viele Fahrzeuge Informationen der Cloud bereitstellen, kann ein sehr geringer Fehler selbst in schwierigen Situationen erwartet werden. Im einfachsten Fall wird ein Straßenteilnehmer erst dann in der Cloud zum Abgleich mit dem Mautsystem herangezogen, wenn er mehrfach identifiziert wurde,
• - Manipulation des Überprüfungssystems in der Mautkontrolleinrichtung. Diesem kann vorgebeugt werden, indem in der Cloud die Informationen mehrerer unterschiedliche Verkehrsteilnehmer zur Überprüfung eines mautrelevanten vorausfahrenden oder entgegenkommenden Verkehrsteilnehmers herangezogen werden.

This data can be statistically analyzed by many vehicles in the cloud via a large information database in order to prevent the following problems:

• - weaknesses in the recognition performance, especially at night, z. For example, the systems used for camera-based license plate monitoring in London have an error of 10%, which can however be reduced to less than 2% with multiple data analysis. Since many vehicles provide information to the cloud in the approach described herein, a very small error can be expected even in difficult situations. In the simplest case, a road user is only consulted in the cloud for comparison with the toll system if he has been identified several times,
• - Manipulation of the inspection system in the toll control device. This can be prevented by using the information of several different road users in the cloud for checking a toll-relevant preceding or oncoming road user.

The comparison of the information obtained in the cloud with data stored in a toll collection system and the collection of the charge can then take place as in already existing systems. Mauts sinners or abnormalities, for example, by incorrectly specified data, a manipulated toll collection system or a manipulated inspection system or toll control system are, for example, recognized that the data collected in the cloud of toll participants do not match the stored data in the toll system.

The data of the presented cloud-based toll control device can be sold for a fee to the toll operator or other providers may act as toll operators, possibly in cooperation. Expensive stationary or mobile toll control systems are not or only in small numbers critical points necessary. Road users who provide their data for the toll control device can, for. For example, part of the tolls will be waived.

• - nahezu lückenlose Überprüfungen ohne Infrastruktur-Investitionen möglich, da selbst kleine Straßen vor anderen Verkehrsteilnehmern mit der vorgestellten Mautkontrolleinrichtung befahren werden. Bei entsprechender Verbreitung dieser Mautkontrolleinrichtung wird die „zufällige“ Stichprobe so groß, dass es fast nicht mehr möglich ist, sich der Maut zu entziehen,
• - wichtige Straßen werden automatisch häufiger geprüft, da sie öfter von Verkehrsteilnehmern mit der vorgestellten Mautkontrolleinrichtung befahren werden,
• - das System adaptiert quasi sofort auf neu gebaute Straßen oder Umleitungen,
• - durch die sehr hohe Stichprobendichte bei den Überprüfungen können auch die differenziertesten Mautmodelle, wie bspw. Ort, Tageszeit, Verkehrsdichte usw., umgesetzt werden. Für nicht erfassbare Informationen, wie bestimmte Fahrzeugtypdetails, z. B. die Achszahl, können wenige stationäre Systeme an neuralgischen Punkten bestehen bleiben, denn diese nicht erfassbaren Details ändern sich äußerst selten oder gar nie und müssen daher auch nur sehr selten mit der Datenbank des Mautbetreibers abgeglichen werden,
• - der Hardware-Aufwand ist gering, es handelt sich mehr um eine geschickte Verwertung im Fahrzeug inklusive Cloud-Zugriff sowie die Infrastruktur der Cloud an sich. Allerdings könnte diese mit anderen, ähnlichen cloudbasierten Projekten geteilt werden,
• - bis auf gesetzliche Aspekte weltweit einsetzbar, sofern genügend Fahrzeuge mit entsprechenden Assistenzsystemen und der beschriebenen Mautkontrolleinrichtung dort eingesetzt werden.

The presented method, at least in some of the embodiments, has the following advantages:

• - Nearly complete checks without infrastructure investments possible, since even small roads are used in front of other road users with the presented toll control device. With appropriate dissemination of this toll control device, the "random" sample is so large that it is almost impossible to escape the toll,
• - important roads are automatically checked more often, as they are more often used by road users with the toll control device presented,
• - The system adapts almost immediately to newly built roads or detours,
• - Due to the very high sample density in the inspections, even the most differentiated toll models, such as location, time of day, traffic density, etc., can be implemented. For non-gatherable information, such as specific vehicle type details, e.g. For example, the number of axles, few stationary systems can remain at critical points, because these undetectable details change very rarely or never and therefore need only very rarely be compared with the database of the toll operator,
• - The hardware cost is low, it is more about a clever use in the vehicle including cloud access and the infrastructure of the cloud itself. However, this could be shared with other, similar cloud-based projects,
• - applicable to legal aspects worldwide, as long as sufficient vehicles with appropriate assistance systems and the described toll control device are used there.

Further advantages and embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the description and the accompanying drawings.

It is understood that the features mentioned above and those yet to be explained below can be used not only in the respectively specified combination but also in other combinations or in isolation, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

list of figures

• 1 shows a schematic representation of a motor vehicle with a toll control device for carrying out the presented method.
• 2 shows in a flow chart the flow of embodiments of the presented methods.

Embodiments of the invention

The invention is schematically illustrated by means of embodiments in the drawings and will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

1 shows a schematic representation of a vehicle, in total with the reference numeral 10 is designated. This vehicle 10 shows an embodiment of a toll control device 12 on that in conjunction with a cloud 14 stands. This cloud 14 is provided by a computing device, which in turn is given by a central computing device or a distributed or distributed computer system. The cloud 14 includes data and programs to which the toll control device 12 In particular, the toll control device provides 12 the cloud 14 Data available. The cloud 14 provides a central database.

In the toll control device 12 Three modules are provided, namely a module positioning system 20 , a module sensor 22 and a module interface to the database 24 , In the cloud 14 are a module interface to toll control devices 30 and a module database matching 32 intended. The structure of the cloud-based toll control device 12 Thus, in this version, it can be subdivided into three modules that work with the two modules of the cloud 14 interact. The interaction or interaction will be discussed below.

The module positioning system 20 , which includes, for example, a Global Positioning System (GPS), determines the position of the vehicle 10 and assigns these optionally by means of a stored in any existing navigation device map of the associated road. Is the vehicle located 10 not on a toll-relevant road, the module becomes sensor 22 not turned on. This can be done either through the module database 24 be queried or is deposited in the map.

• - Bilder entgegenkommender oder vorausfahrender Fahrzeuge inklusive Nummernschild, bspw. mittels einer Kamera,
• - eine Einschätzung, ob die erfassten Fahrzeuge gerade die Straße aktiv befahren und daher für die Mautkontrolleinrichtung relevant sind, diese Informationen können auch von dem Modul Positioniersystem 20 geliefert werden, dafür können bspw. Informationen über die Fahrspur, mittels einer Kamera, und die Geschwindigkeit, mittels Kamera, Radar, Ultraschall, herangezogen werden, diese Informationen werden typischerweise aus rechtlichen Gründen nicht übertragen, sondern nach der Einschätzung sofort verworfen,
• - eine Klassifikation des Fahrzeugtyps, falls dies möglich ist, wie Pkw, Lkw usw., mittels einer Kamera oder Radar.

The module sensors 22 in the vehicle 10 Uses the sensors of existing driver assistance systems to collect all relevant data or information for the toll control device 12 , Information is for example:

• - Pictures of oncoming or preceding vehicles including number plate, for example by means of a camera,
• an assessment as to whether the detected vehicles are currently driving the road actively and are therefore relevant for the toll control device, this information can also be obtained from the positioning system module 20 can be supplied, for example, information about the lane, by means of a camera, and the speed, using camera, radar, ultrasound, are used, this information is typically not transmitted for legal reasons, but immediately discarded after the assessment,
• - A classification of the vehicle type, if possible, such as cars, trucks, etc., using a camera or radar.

Information from vehicle subscribers that are not toll-relevant are typically discarded immediately for legal reasons.

The module interface to the database 24 networked the vehicle 10 with a central database, e.g. B. via a mobile phone network by means of built-in SIM card or a paired mobile phone.

In the toll control device 12 , for which a further module can be provided, all local information of the individual networked vehicles and these are entered via a suitable fusion strategy by means of the position information or road information in a global map. By means of standard algorithms for text recognition, the identity or ID of the license plate can be extracted in the pictures of the relevant road users. Whether this happens due to data compression reasons in the vehicle or from better provability in the cloud can be decided. Both versions are possible.

Toll subscribers and optional period, route, type of road, vehicle type, etc. are then identified via statistics and suitable filters for incorrect measurements or incorrect identification of the ID, with the information of individual vehicles with toll control device contributing only a part to the decision for safety and robustness reasons. In the simplest case, for example, n have to come from m different vehicles with toll control device to the same result.

The module Interface to Toll Control Equipment 30 Provides communication between the cloud 14 and any number of road users providing data.

The module data synchronization 32 allows the exploitation of the in the cloud 14 collected data by toll participants and optionally the above additional information is sent to the toll operator and this compares them or be accessed directly to the deposited toll data and only toll sinners or statistical abnormalities reported to the operator.

Alternatively or additionally, an evaluation of the data in the vehicle already 10 especially in the toll control device 12 , occur.

For toll sinners or statistical abnormalities, the collected data of the cloud 14 not or only partially with the stored toll data match or are not available. It should be noted that the data must be treated according to the legal rules.

An advantage of the presented toll control device 10 is that the information about toll-relevant subscribers in the cloud 14 the most reliable and current ones, where the most important traffic junctions are. There drive in the ratio of most vehicles and thus mobile toll control devices and ensure that "virtually free" the information in the cloud 14 to be updated. It goes without saying that existing, possibly stationary information systems can also be integrated into the global map of the cloud via corresponding interfaces 14 to get integrated.

In 2 A possible sequence of the presented methods is reproduced in a flowchart in order to clarify the interaction of the various methods. In a first step 50 determines a toll control device with the module positioning the position of the vehicle in which this toll control device is provided. If it is determined that this is on a toll road, then in a next step 52 Data on other road users who are also on this road are recorded. These data are sent to a database, in this case a cloud, in one step 54 transmitted.

The data will be in the database in one step 56 compared with existing data and evaluated. The evaluated data are finally in one step 58 transmitted to the toll operator. It may be provided in an alternative embodiment that the toll operator himself operates the database.

Claims (10)

A toll control device for monitoring a toll collection system adapted to be deployed in a vehicle (10) a module positioning system (20) adapted to determine the position of the vehicle (10), a module sensor (22), which is adapted to capture information about other vehicles, and a module interface to the database (24), which is adapted to collect the collected data and transmit it to a central database. Toll control device after Claim 1 in which the module positioning system (20) is adapted to determine whether the vehicle (10) is located on a toll road and depending on the module sensor (22) controls. Toll control device after Claim 1 or 2 in which the sensor module (22) supplies data on oncoming and / or preceding vehicles, an assessment of whether detected vehicles are actively driving, and a classification of types of detected vehicles. DB = EPODOC & ... PN = EP0988241 Method for providing data for a database, which enable monitoring of a toll system, in particular with a toll control device (12) according to one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein the method is performed in a vehicle (10), wherein data on other vehicles is detected and transmitted to a database. Method according to Claim 4 in which it is first determined whether the vehicle (10) is on a toll road and, depending on the data to the other vehicles are detected. A computing device adapted to provide a database and comprising: a module interface to toll control devices (30) arranged to retrieve data from a number of toll control devices (12) according to any one of Claims 1 to 3 to receive and record the data into the database, and a module reconciliation, which is set up to compare and evaluate the data in the database. A method for monitoring a toll system with a computing arrangement according to Claim 7 in which the data in the database is evaluated. Method according to Claim 7 in which evaluated data is made available to a toll card driver. Computer program with program code means adapted to perform a method according to any one of Claims 4 . 5 . 7 or 8th execute when the computer program is executed on a computing unit. Machine-readable storage medium with a computer program stored thereon Claim 9 ,

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