EP1657683A2 - Method and system for detecting a vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

A received position signal is transferred to a receiver system with a computer unit which has a digital map stored in a memory. At least one area (e.g. country) is defined in relation to the map in the computer unit, and is bounded by at least one polygon curve. The region of the area is selected so that the types of recognition used within the area the same, and are different from the types of recognition used in further, adjacent areas. An independent claim is included for a vehicle detection system.

Description

The present invention relates to a method and a system for detecting a vehicle.

For the use of certain roads, such as. As motorways, large bridges or tunnels have long been charged in some countries fees. These road tolls, also called "tolls", are usually payable at certain points, at highways usually at the exit, at toll stations. The procedure for this can be briefly described as follows: A user drives his vehicle first on a motorway ramp on the highway. He draws from a toll station, for example, a toll card, showing where he has driven onto the highway. When leaving a toll station at the exit, the distance traveled is determined on the basis of the toll card and the corresponding fee is collected.

In other countries, a vignette is sold to transit travelers at the border. Only holders of such a vignette may use certain roads, such as highways.

Both methods have advantages and disadvantages. The charging by toll stations is relatively labor-intensive, as the toll due at the toll stations is received by human labor. However, it is based on the distance actually traveled. A further disadvantage in collecting road tolls with toll stations is that in case of heavy traffic the toll stations are the starting points for traffic congestion. The vignette solution is not particularly labor-intensive, because the vignette can be sold in any shop, but meets all, even those who use the toll road only relatively short. These then pay for the short use of a very high price in relation to intensive users.

Another solution for the collection of tolls are radio coverage systems. European Patent EP 0 730 488 discloses such a detection system. The vehicles to be detected here have a facility for receiving satellite navigation signals. This determines the respective geographical position of the vehicle. The corresponding coordinates are transmitted via radio to a computer device. The computer unit checks whether the position of the coordinates is subject to a charge. In the case of a fee this will be charged to the vehicle or its owner.

These types of billing are primarily intended for the use of roads. However, there are cases where the use of a road should not be detected, but vehicles in a flat area, such as in a complete city center to be detected.

Systems are also known in which so-called bridge-mounted beacons are installed distributed over the toll route. The motor vehicles in this system are provided with specially designed devices, so-called on-board units (OBU), which are detected when passing the bridges.

In GPS-based method usually position data from a receiver in motor vehicles (GPS receiver) are determined and compared with map data. In this way, the position of a motor vehicle can be recognized on a route section indicated in the maps. By specifying certain areas can be detected in this way the entry of a vehicle in a paid area.

Such a method for detecting a vehicle in a region is described for example in DE 101 55 501 A1. In this case, both retraction and extension from an area are detected. The areas are defined in the prior art so as to incur a charge in each defined area. Thus, the areas are defined according to criteria relating to the amount of the fee to be levied. In particular, in this case, for example, a city area whose driving is to be paid, serve as an area.

By the detection system according to the prior art and the corresponding method, it is indeed possible to monitor entire areal areas without having to control the individual streets in the areal areas.

However, depending on the size of the selected area, it may be the case that it covers areas in which different types of detection of automobiles are performed. This can lead to problems especially when changing from one area to another. Furthermore, the possible size of a surface according to the prior art is limited by the number of support points for the surrounding polygon. If, however, a larger area is covered, this can only happen with loss of the quality of the resolution.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a method and a system in which the recognition of vehicles is made possible in a simple manner and in which the disadvantages of the prior art do not occur.

This object is achieved according to a first aspect according to the invention by a method for detecting vehicles when using a planar area, wherein a received position signal is transmitted to a detection system on a computer unit, wherein in the computer unit, a memory unit is provided in the memory of a digital Card is present. The A method is characterized in that in the computer unit with respect to the card at least one area is defined, which is bounded by at least one traverse, wherein the area of each area is selected so that the recognition types used to recognize a vehicle within the area are the same and different from types of recognition used in areas used in other areas adjacent to the area.

For the purposes of this invention, a digital map is a data record which contains information about road courses and other geographical conditions. According to the invention, the digital map can also be an extract or extract from a map which contains a smaller number of information than the map from which this extract originated.

The area enclosed by the at least one traverse, also referred to as a geo-domain, may be a land, for example.

Detecting a vehicle, in particular, refers to recognition of the vehicle in a surface or geo-domain surrounded by a traverse. This recognition is also called recognition of the geo-domain. After the GeoDomäne has been detected, is spoken in the further monitoring of the vehicle by detecting the vehicle within the GeoDomäne or detecting the vehicle. By recognizing within the geo-domain or capturing, the fee to be charged is determined. This type of recognition or detection within a geo-domain may, for example, be a area-related detection or a route-dependent detection.

For the detection method within a geo-domain or the detection methods based on a GPS position determination and additionally or alternatively by means of jaws may be used.

In the case of the method according to the invention for detecting a motor vehicle, regions are delimited by means of a polygonal line, in each case the detection in the area, that is to say the detection, being carried out in the same way, but differing from the type of detection in an adjacent area, different detection methods can be used be realized in delimiting areas and the programs required for the recognition of an area or a GeoDomäne, that is, when the vehicle enters the GeoDomäne be activated. As a result, in particular, when changing the position from one area to the next, for example at a border crossing, a continuous charging adapted to the respective country is made possible. According to the invention, the at least one surface can be divided into partial surfaces. Preferably, at least two adjacent subareas adjoin one another via a straight line. In this way, a region can be essentially divided into segments, wedges or cake pieces. The subareas are also referred to below as zones. Although it is also possible to divide the area by means of lines having a non-straight line, such as a curve and the like, the use of straight lines is preferred. The advantage of using straight lines is that the vertices that must be used to define the zone are reduced. This proves to be advantageous in monitoring the position of the motor vehicle, that is to say detecting a geo-domain, and detecting the vehicle in the geo-domain, but also when updating the map data, as this can reduce the memory requirement.

According to the invention, the at least one surface can also be delimited by at least two polygons, wherein the sub-surfaces formed thereby are spatially separated from one another. In this way, the fact can be taken into account that, for example, in the case of colonies in distant geographic areas the same type of detection is performed without having to define a colony's own geo-domain.

According to the invention, after detection of a vehicle in a defined area, a recognition system associated with this area can be configured and / or activated in the computer unit and / or in a mobile terminal assigned to the vehicle. In this way, the problem of interoperability of different types of recognition in neighboring states can be taken into account. In this case, in particular, the detection method used in the geo-domain, for example the detection of the distance or area, can be activated with the recognition of the geo-domain.

The recognition types which can be assigned to the individual areas can be, in particular, satellite-supported position recognition methods, in particular GPS methods, which can optionally be supplemented by verification methods. For example, monitoring by means of supporting beacons may be considered as the verification method. These recognition types in the geodomain can be used for different detection methods, in particular for distance-dependent and area-dependent methods.

The method according to the invention is particularly suitable for use for calculating a user fee for vehicles driving on a toll route or a toll area. The usage fee can be calculated depending on the geo-domain detected, depending on the route or the area. Since, in particular, the detection method is selected as a function of the recognized geo-domain, it is also possible to take account of the detection rules prescribed in the respective area in adjacent areas.

In addition, the method may serve for police surveillance of certain vehicles. At the same time, the invention can serve the theft, since the position and identification of the vehicle can be sent continuously. Furthermore, the invention can in principle also serve, for example, for traffic control and / or regulation.

According to another aspect, the object is achieved by a method for detecting vehicles, which is characterized in that an area, within which the residence of a vehicle is to be detected, and which is defined by a polygon, at least in a mobile associated with the vehicle Terminal is divided into at least two sub-areas.

The subdivision is preferably carried out in such a way that the sub-areas, on the sides at which they adjoin at least one further sub-area, have a straight line.

In this way, regardless of the definition of the surface, the number of support points that are necessary for the description of the sub-area can be minimized, since only two points are necessary for the sides on which the sub-areas each with other sub-areas. This type of formation of the subareas, also referred to as zones, can be used both in the geo-domains which differ according to their type of recognition and in the areas which, as in the prior art, for example, a city or other charging district cover.

By dividing the area into partial areas, the resolution of the individual partial areas can be improved without causing increased storage requirements. For example, the resolution of a boundary line of one area to another area can be resolved exactly, with the area containing only a small amount of the boundary line.

The division of an area into subareas can also be used to advantage in the case of a change between geo-domains, since in this case, too, only the Application program or the data relating to the sub-area, which is in the border area at which the change takes place, must be updated and activated and not the entire GeoDomäne in which the motor vehicle enters.

According to a further aspect, the invention relates to a detection system for detecting vehicles in the use of areal areas, the system comprising means by means of which a vehicle can transmit position data to a computer unit, and in the computer unit is a digital map, the area of Map in the computer unit is at least partially divided into areas, wherein the surfaces by the Erkennungsart, which is used for recognizing a vehicle in the area of this area, distinguished.

As a map this is again a digital map understood, which may also represent a map extract.

The system may further include means configured to configure and / or activate an application program depending on the detected area. As a result, after the detection of a specific geo-domain, a detection method relevant for this geo-domain, on the basis of which the charges are levied, can be activated. Thus, in the system according to the invention it becomes possible, for example, to charge a fee in an area by means of the distance traveled. Alternatively, a collection system can be activated in which the fees are due by the mere entry into the area.

The surfaces can furthermore be subdivided into subareas and the information associated with these subareas can be transmitted independently of information from further subareas by the computer unit to a mobile terminal assigned to a vehicle, in particular a so-called on-board unit. On this way, a partial area update can be done without having to update the entire geo-domain.

The present invention provides a way in which interoperability between different detection systems is achieved by activating an appropriate detection method after detecting a geodomain.

Advantages and features which are described with respect to one of the methods according to the invention apply correspondingly and, if applicable, also for the system according to the invention or the respective other method and in each case vice versa.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the attached figures.

With the present invention, the interoperability between different detection systems in different geo-domains can be achieved in a simple manner, in particular toll applications can be configured differently depending on the type of detection in the individual geo-domains or another detection system can be activated.

An advantage of the present invention is that, contrary to the known prior art method, the detection of vehicles is not limited to areas such as cities. On the contrary, the present invention also allows areas in which the collection and / or charging to take place in a different manner to be combined in a single system.

Furthermore, the present invention offers the possibility of providing a high resolution, since the number of support points for a polygon, which encloses the surface, can be optimally distributed.

The present invention thus offers the possibility of allowing a configuration of the detection system as a function of the geo-domain after the recognition of a geo-domain. Thus, for example, a change of borders between different states that frequently occurs in Europe is made possible.

According to the invention, preferably, the distance traveled within an area may be provided as a measure of a charge to be levied for use. This type of charging may take the place of a fixed fee.

In one embodiment, according to the invention, even surfaces that do not touch can represent a single geo-domain. This can be the case for example with islands, which belong to a state on the mainland. This type of definition of the geo-domain is also an advantage for colonies.

Particularly preferably, a plurality of subareas that touch a geo-domain. As a result, a better and faster processing is possible with complicated traverses as a zone boundary. Such a complex traverse can occur, for example, with exact replication of the boundary curve, if, however, for reasons of optimization with respect to the memory requirement and the performance, ie power, on the toll device, the number of nodes of the polygon is a fixed quantity. The increase in performance occurs when only a portion of the polygon needs to be checked to see if the vehicle is in that patch. This type of simplification can also be applied, for example, to smaller areas such as cities. The area to be considered is hereby subdivided into parts which essentially have the shape of segments or cake pieces. Because these traverses a Also, updating data is facilitated when only data relating to the segment or cake piece needs to be updated instead of the data for the entire area. This simplification is particularly advantageous when updating over an air interface. Because the amount of data that needs to be transmitted over the air interface determines the time for the update and charges for the transfer.

Advantage of the present invention is thus to increase the flexibility and interoperability of detection systems, in particular GPS-based detection systems. In addition, the performance of the toll device is increased.

According to the invention, the GeoDomäne can be recognized as an area, for example, by the method according to DE 101 55 501 A1. The recognition of the geo-domain as a surface thus takes place in the same way for all geo-domains. However, the detection methods to be used within the areas may be different in each area.

In particular, the detection system may have a road map in vector representation, as may be present for example in the memory of a computer unit. In principle, vector representation is used when the road map consists of all coordinates, which are connected to the representation only with lines. The coordinates of the map are stored in tables. By means of suitable coordinate transformation, it is thus possible to display sections of any desired size without losing information during enlargement or reduction, as would be the case, for example, with a pixel graphic.

Vehicles can be equipped with a satellite navigation system (GPS = "Global Positioning System") for the method according to the invention. The satellite navigation system determines the coordinates of the current position of the vehicle. Such vehicles are capable, for example via radio to continuously send the coordinates of their position to the detection system. In addition to the coordinate signals, the vehicles can also send identification signals with which the vehicle can be uniquely identified by the detection system. The detection system has suitable receiving and processing means to receive and process the coordinate and identification signals. The processing device consists of one or more computers, which are optionally networked with each other. In the memories of the computer, the digital map material is available, which is offered, inter alia, by commercial providers.

As soon as the coordinates of a vehicle transmitted to the detection system reach a predetermined traverse, a detection for this vehicle is activated. According to the invention, when detecting the position within the traverse, software may optionally be configured or activated for a given type of acquisition.

In Figure 1 different GeoDomänen 10 are indicated according to the invention. In each of the geo-domains, however, the detection takes place on a different basis. Thus, in the geo-domain denoted by UK in FIG. 1, for example, the recognition can only take place by means of GPS, whereas the recognition in the geo-domain D takes place with GPS and with the aid of support beacons and in the geo-domain CH support beacons are used only for verification, whereas the Detection and distance determination via GPS takes place.

FIG. 2 shows a further geo-domain according to the present invention. Here, the territory of Switzerland is, for example, divided into three touching partial areas, which are also referred to as zones 11. These are detected or recognized essentially according to the method described in DE 101 55 501 A1. In particular, a vector map can be used as a basis.

The zones 11 in FIG. 2 are distinguished by the fact that the polygons enclosing them have approximately the same number of support points. The size of the zones thus results from how exactly the borderline of Switzerland has to be reproduced. The different zones are distinguished only on the mobile terminal, which is assigned to the vehicle, in particular the toll device, for faster processing and memory-optimized storage. In contrast, in the computer unit, in particular the so-called background system or back-office system, these zones form a single geo-domain, in the illustrated embodiment the geo-domain of the country of Switzerland (CH). summarized. The number of nodes by means of which a zone is defined is linear in the processing time to detect whether the vehicle is within a zone. In addition, the type of storage on the toll device results in a maximum storage size that is optimal and, for example, corresponds to a block size of a flash file system.

Claims (12)

A method for detecting vehicles when using a planar area, wherein a received position signal is transmitted to a detection system with a computer unit, wherein in the computer unit a memory unit is provided, in the memory of which there is a digital card, characterized in that in the computer unit with respect the map is defined at least one area bounded by at least one traverse, the area of the area being chosen such that the types of recognition used to identify a vehicle are the same within the area and of types of recognition used in areas which are the same in, adjacent to the surface, other surfaces are used to differentiate. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one surface is subdivided into sub-areas, wherein at least two sub-areas adjoin one another. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that the at least one surface is subdivided into sub-areas, wherein at least two adjacent sub-areas are separated by a straight line. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the surface is bounded by at least two polygons, wherein the partial surfaces formed thereby are spatially spaced apart. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that after detecting a vehicle in a defined area, a surface associated with this detection system in the computer unit and / or a the mobile terminal associated with the vehicle is configured and / or activated. Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the recognition types use satellite-based position detection methods. Method according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it is used to calculate a user fee. A method according to claim 7, characterized in that the usage fee is calculated as a function of the distance or the area. A method for detecting vehicles, characterized in that an area within which the residence of a vehicle is to be detected, and which is defined by a polygon, at least in a vehicle associated mobile terminal is divided into at least two sub-areas, the subdivision in Such a way that the partial surfaces, on the sides at which they adjoin at least one further partial surface, have a straight line. A detection system for detecting vehicles when using area areas, wherein the system comprises means by which a vehicle can transmit position data to a computer unit, and in the computer unit is a digital map, wherein the area of the card in the computer unit at least partially in areas is divided, wherein the surfaces by the Erkennungsart, which is used for recognizing a vehicle in the area of this area, distinguished. A detection system according to claim 10, characterized in that the system further comprises means adapted to configure and / or activate an application program in dependence on the detected area. Detection system according to one of claims 10 or 11, characterized in that the surfaces can be subdivided into subareas and the information associated with these subareas independent of information of further subareas of the computer unit to a vehicle associated with a mobile terminal, in particular a so-called on-board Unit, can transmit.

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