Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
  • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
  • G07B15/00—Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points
  • G07B15/06—Arrangements for road pricing or congestion charging of vehicles or vehicle users, e.g. automatic toll systems
  • G07B15/063—Arrangements for road pricing or congestion charging of vehicles or vehicle users, e.g. automatic toll systems using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station

Definitions

• the invention relates to a method for on-board electronic billing of the use of toll routes according to the preamble of claim 1 and a device for carrying out the method.
• a device with which such a method can be carried out is described in the unpublished patent application DE-P 43 10 099.6, which goes back to the applicant.
• This device is part of an electronic accounting system and is carried in the respective vehicle. It includes a receiving device that continuously receives data sent from outside to determine the geographical vehicle position (eg satellite navigation) and evaluates it or receives position data directly (eg radio direction finding system).
• An important part of the device is a memory device that contains predefined geographical positions (identification) points) which have made it possible to unambiguously characterize the individual toll routes.
• a computing device compares the currently determined or received vehicle position data with the position data of the identification points and can use a decision algorithm to clearly determine whether the vehicle is using a toll route. If a toll route usage is determined, the device makes a corresponding booking on a storage medium (e.g. chip card as a value credit card) by subtracting the respective route tariff from a fee credit entered in the storage medium.
• a storage medium e.g. chip card as
• This system for in-vehicle usage billing guarantees optimal data protection, since the bookings and the recording of the geographic vehicle position are only in the Vehicle itself. There is no external recording and registration of the toll routes covered by a vehicle, since no information about the routes and the usage costs leave the vehicle. There is no "machine" control over how, when and where the driver can use the credit that has been purchased from a machine, for example.
• the complete anonymity in the billing of this system naturally contains the risk of misuse, which in particular could consist in manipulation of the device components carried in the vehicle or of the software or data used (eg current fees) ⁇ credit of the user), which only pretend proper operation of the facility and in reality lead to a complete omission of the payment or to an unauthorized reduction of the usage fees due.
• the invention is based on the object of designing a method of the generic type and a device for carrying it out in such a way that the best possible protection against such unauthorized manipulation is given and it is made possible that the functionality of the vehicle's internal use system and its components can be checked from the outside without being active, ie in the sense of a sample-like traffic control must be intervened in the traffic flow.
• this object is achieved in that, in order to check the function of the method and the functionality of the device or its components required for this purpose, its operating state is diagnosed and transmitted to an authorized control entity on request.
• the device for in-vehicle billing of, for example, motorway tolls is essentially accommodated in a single closed housing 1.
• the core of the device is a computing device 2, which is connected to a data storage device 6 and a card reading / writing device 5.
• a receiver 3 for receiving data is connected to the computing device 2, said data being sent by a satellite navigation system (eg GPS) and used in the computing device 2 to determine the current vehicle position.
• the storage tariff 6 also stores the currently valid route tariffs.
• the associated usage fee is determined by the computing unit 2 and displayed on a display 7 in a manner that is readable for the driver of the vehicle.
• the card reader / writer 5 carries out a corresponding booking on a value memory card 8, which is preferably designed as a smart card and on which the driver's current charge credit is stored. After the respective usage fee has been debited, the remaining credit can again be shown to the driver on the display 7.
• the housing 1, in which almost all required device components are housed (not shown) is secured by an electronically monitored sealing against unauthorized opening.
• a breach of the lead seal would be recognized immediately by the computing unit 2, which is equipped with a corresponding additional function, and would either lead to a storage of the data that was used to digitize this intervention for the purpose of securing evidence (for example, time and error code to identify the type of manipulation) of the memory device 6 or on the chip card 8.
• the housing 1 is monitored for unauthorized opening by non-contact distance sensors 9.
• Corresponding interventions that lead to any kind of changes in the device configuration would in turn be reported immediately to the computing device 2 as a signal.
• all device components are provided with a secret data identifier, which is checked by the central computing device 2 in short time intervals. An unauthorized component replacement would in turn be recognized as manipulation.
• a signal device 4 is connected to the computing device.
• This signal device 4 is here an HF transceiver or an HF transponder, which can signal a corresponding external query as to whether a correct operating state is present or not.
• a corresponding out-of-order signal is continuous, i.e. is delivered without a special query.
• Abusive users of a toll route are differentiated between non-paying and wrong paying.
• Non-payers either have no installation unit or a defective, possibly manipulated installation unit or no valid prepaid card.
• Counterfeiters belong to the category of those who are have assigned an incorrect fee category, e.g. if a truck is driving at the car tariff.
• the functionality of the utility accounting system installed in the vehicle is checked by evaluating the status of the individual components via a logical AND link (eg "antenna signal OK” AND “chip card OK” AND “debit OK” ). The evaluation reveals a superordinate binary state "system in order / system not in order”.
• the query resulting from the signaling device 4 or the HF transponder which is carried out by an external control unit, which can be fastened, for example, on the roadside or on a bridge, is done in such a way that the transponder can be used for self-diagnosis Signal e.g. is generated with the frequency of 5.8 GHz and after receiving a signal sent by the control unit, e.g. also has the frequency of 5.8 GHz, is sent back.
• This self-diagnosis signal can exist in different forms.
• a coded RF signal is sent out after interrogation, e.g. by modulation over a fixed duty cycle.
• a system which, after an external query, does not emit a signal is automatically given the status "system not in order" and the road user is then classified as a non-payer.
• GPS Global Positioning System
• the modulation of the self-diagnosis signal prevents road users from pretending that the utility billing system in their vehicle is functioning properly with a self-developed transponder system.
• an optical or acoustic signal generator in the vehicle equipped with a utility accounting device, which is activated by the computing device of the accounting device in the event of a fault and indicates to the driver that the diagnostic routine implemented has detected a faulty operating state. The driver can then react even before entering a chargeable zone in order to restore the normal operating status or to have it restored (e.g. visiting a service workshop).

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• Finance (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Devices For Checking Fares Or Tickets At Control Points (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=6489477

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Cited By (2)

Families Citing this family (5)

Family Cites Families (6)

• 1994
  • 1994-05-26 EP EP94916142A patent/EP0700551B1/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1994-05-26 AT AT94916142T patent/ATE160037T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1994-05-26 WO PCT/DE1994/000608 patent/WO1994028514A1/fr active IP Right Grant
  • 1994-05-26 DE DE59404540T patent/DE59404540D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1994-05-26 AU AU67932/94A patent/AU6793294A/en not_active Abandoned

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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