EP1868164B1 - Method for recording chargeable motor vehicles on toll roads and provision of information on the motor vehicles recorded - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method and a system for detecting toll motor vehicles on toll roads and to provide information about the detected motor vehicles.

Control systems for toll collection systems generally operate via microwave-based communication, the so-called Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC). The advantage of this is the reduction or the slight alignment between information and states, such as e.g. the license plate of a vehicle. The information provided merely aligns data from different sources, greatly simplifying the process against the situation e.g. exclusively on the digital evaluation of a digital photo or other sensors. Disadvantage of this method is that terminals, mobile mobile communication devices such as mobile phones, for toll collection without DSRC component are incompatible, cause higher maintenance costs or are not allowed due to the lack of compatibility. This also applies if the localization used for toll collection is done using DSRC.

This affects the service toll as a simple software application on mobile phones and may lead to their non-admission in future toll systems.

The WO 2005/091229 A1 describes a GSM-based toll system with normal GSM radio cells, where the user indicates the distance to be traveled before the start of the journey. The GSM radio cells are used for plausibility by the mobile phone detects the cell identifier of all the passed radio cells and reports the radio cell list to the control center for plausibility of the announced path.

The US Pat. No. 6,705,521 B1 shows a GSM-based tolling system, in which the base stations detect the passages of the mobile phones and report to a central office. This document mentions radio cells as "micro-radio cells" with less geographical coverage, which in turn are designed as normal mobile network cells, in which register the mobile phones and by handover be passed on, which again comes to a complete network coverage.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple and cost-effective method and system for detecting toll motor vehicles on toll roads and to provide information about the detected motor vehicles. The method and the system should be feasible independently of a microwave-based communication.

This object is achieved by a method for detecting toll motor vehicles on toll roads and to provide information about the detected motor vehicles with the features of independent claim 1. Further advantages, features, details, aspects and effects of the invention will become apparent from the Subclaims and the description.

An advantage of the method is the provision of user information via mobile radio networks, such as the GPRS, GSM or UMTS network, with the same contents and thus comparable control processes as in the known microwave-based toll collection methods. The implementation of the method is simpler and cheaper in the inventive method compared to the microwave-based toll collection, since the toll motor vehicles no DSRC components must be assigned. Furthermore, the installation effort is considerably lower, since the mobile mobile communication devices, such as mobile telephones, only have to have an evaluation device in order to carry out the method. This can be realized by simple software application.

Through the use of micro or pico cells, which are the stationary and / or teilmobilen toll control devices are assigned, a radio range with a short range to the stationary and / or partially mobile toll control devices are covered. The radio cells each have a location area reserved for the toll, which cause the mobile mobile radio communication device to update the location area. The stationary toll control devices are fixed to the toll roads installed facilities, such as known toll bridges. The partially mobile toll control systems are flexible, which means that they can be installed depending on the desired location. These can be, for example, portable toll bridges or specially equipped vehicles. At the moment of the passage of a motor vehicle, it comes to the detection of the local position of the mobile mobile communication device, which is preferably arranged fixed within the motor vehicle. Each mobile mobile radio communication device may have a mobile communication card, such as a SIM card or a USIM card, whose data are stored in a central application-specific, in particular toll-specific, database of the computer unit. These mobile cards are activated for toll collection. Furthermore, toll-specific information, such as the vehicle registration number, the vehicle category and other parameters necessary for the amount of tolling are stored in the database of the computer unit. This information is forwarded directly to the connected control device and are therefore analogous to the known toll collection in the DSRC communication for direct comparison.

In mobile communications, the location refers to the current location area of a mobile radio communication device within a mobile radio network. The geographic size of a location area varies depending on the network density. A Location Area is defined by the Location Area Identity (LAI), consisting of Mobile Country Code (MCC), Mobile Network Code (MNC) and Location Area Code (LAC). A location area usually consists of a variable number of radio cells (BTS), which are often controlled by the same Base Station Controller (BSC). BSC-wide location areas are possible; however, the BSC must all be connected to the same Mobile Switching Center (MSC). A mobile radio communication device can use a location update to inform its network in which location area and in which cell it is located.

In this method, the location area codes reflect the position of the radio cell of the respective toll control device. The radio cells are not necessarily connected to the Base Station Controller unlike a normal radio network. For example, a method in which each radio cell repeatedly transmits its location area code, in which the mobile radio communication device detects the location area code of the stationary or partially mobile toll control device when it enters the radio range of a radio cell, and in which the evaluation of the mobile mobile communication device based of the received location area code of the radio cell and by comparing the location area code with stored position data lists to the location area codes, the position of the mobile mobile radio communication device or the toll motor vehicle determined. The radio cell sends its position identifier in cyclic intervals. The mobile radio communication device receives this as soon as it enters the radio range of the radio cell. As a result, the mobile wireless communication device can easily determine its position. Thus, the covered path of a motor vehicle on toll roads is clearly established. After the transmission of the position identifier and exact determination of the current position of the mobile radio communication device, the latter sends the location information to the computer unit of the service provider by means of the transmission unit. There, the location information is linked with the toll-specific information stored in the database to the motor vehicle to which the mobile mobile radio communication device is assigned. In this way, an individual review of a motor vehicle on a toll road is possible. According to the invention, a method in which each radio cell repeatedly transmits a specific individual radio cell identifier, wherein the mobile radio communication device detects the special individual radio cell identifier of the stationary or partially mobile toll control device when it enters the radio range of the radio cell, and in which the evaluation of the mobile Mobile radio communication device based on the received specific individual radio cell identifier of the radio cell and by comparing the specific individual radio cell identifier with stored cell ID lists to the specific individual radio cell identifiers determines the position of the mobile cellular communication device or the toll motor vehicle. As an alternative to the location area code, each radio cell transmits an individual radio cell identifier to the mobile radio communication device. The individual radio cell identifier is compared in the evaluation unit of the mobile radio communication device with a list in which the position data belonging to the individual radio cell identifiers are stored for all radio cells. As a result, the current position of the mobile radio communication device can be determined.

A method is advantageous in which, during data exchange or data transmission, a time synchronization, in particular by means of a GSM or UMTS time signal, takes place. This allows each position to be assigned the exact time. This is important for the settlement of the toll.

Furthermore, a method is preferred in which each radio cell cyclically transmits a message containing at least one special individual radio cell identifier and time information, in which the mobile radio communication device detects this message when it reaches the radio range of the radio cell, and in which the mobile Mobile communication device stores the received message of the radio cell. As a result, the mobile radio communication device is also informed of the time, in addition to the individual radio cell code, at which the mobile radio communication device enters the radio range of the radio cell of the toll control device.

A non-claimed method in which the mobile radio communication device repeatedly sends a location update request in the paging method, in which the stationary and / or partially mobile toll control device detects this location update request, if it enters the radio range of the mobile radio communication device in which the evaluation unit of the stationary and / or partially mobile toll control device identifies the mobile mobile radio communication device by inquiring to a central subscriber database of a mobile network and in which the evaluation unit identifies the identifier of the mobile mobile radio communication device together with the identifier of stationary and / or partially mobile toll control device transmits via a transmitting device of the evaluation of the stationary and / or partially mobile toll control device to the computer unit is also applicable. In this method, the radio cell is not necessarily connected to the normal radio network. However, it can be connected to the Base Station Controller. In this paging method, the mobile radio communication device sends a so-called Location Update Request. In this case, the mobile radio communication device sends its IMSI or TIMSI in the paging method to the radio cell, for example. IMSI means "International Mobile Subscriber Identity" and represents a maximum of 15-digit number, with a unique identification of a mobile phone user. A TIMSI represents a temporary IMSI. That is, it is a dummy number generated by the IMSI. In the radio cell, a special evaluation unit is provided. The evaluation unit evaluates or updates the identifier transmitted with the Location Update request.
The paging is z. B. enforced by the fact that the radio cell, in particular the micro or Piko cell, a reserved area for the toll area code has and therefore the mobile mobile communication device independently performs a paging. For example, each radio cell may have a toll collection reserved number range that will cause a toll application on the mobile cellular communication device to paging. After receiving the identifier of the mobile mobile radio communication device, for example the TIMSI, the evaluation unit can identify the mobile mobile radio communication device by means of a request to the Home Location Register (HLR).

The evaluation unit can thus use its own identifier and identifier of the mobile mobile radio communication device to a computer unit of a "back office" forward, as in the DSRC procedure. The time synchronization takes place with the time of the evaluation unit, which can also be synchronized centrally.

Also advantageous is a method in which information is transmitted in the direction of different roadways or received from different roadways via special directional antennas of the radio cells of the stationary and / or partially mobile toll control devices. The antennas may be, for example, sector antennas covering a particular radiation angle. As a result, traffic routes can be divided into different lanes. This allows for more effective toll control on wide multi-lane traffic routes. The specially directed antennas enable a so-called footprint per lane.

Furthermore, a method is preferred in which the mobile mobile radio communication device sends toll-specific information for verification to an enforcement device, and in the case of unsuccessful verification triggers an enforcement process. An enforcement process can be triggering a camera, overwriting a photo with a more recent photo, etc.

Toll control devices which have special radio cells, namely micro- or pico-cells, are particularly suitable for the method according to the invention. The radio cells are assigned an individual position identifier which can be sent to the corresponding mobile radio communication device. The radio cells can work independently to a mobile network or be part of a mobile network. Further, the present description discloses a system for detecting tolled motor vehicles on toll roads and for providing information about the detected motor vehicles, with stationary and / or mobile toll control devices, each having at least one radio cell, in particular a micro or pico cell, where each radio cell is an individual location Area code associated with a motor vehicle associated mobile mobile communication device for sending and / or receiving information to or from a radio cell, wherein the mobile toll control device and / or the mobile radio communication device have an evaluation unit for detecting the position of the mobile mobile communication device, if this gets so close to the mobile toll control device that an exchange of information between the mobile mobile communication device and the mobile toll control device, with the evaluation unit associated with transmitting unit for transmitting the position of the mobile mobile communication device and an individual identifier of the mobile mobile communication device to a computer unit, with one of the computer unit Database, in the toll-user-specific information to each individual mobile mobile communication device ges are stored. In particular, there is a system which has means for carrying out the method described above.

Such a system allows easy and cost-effective toll collection or provision of information for toll collection of toll vehicles on toll roads. The system enables the use of commercially available mobile cellular communication devices, such as mobile phones. To carry out the method, a toll-specific application with an evaluation unit is required on the mobile mobile radio communication devices. Cost-intensive microwave-based terminals are not necessary. The inventive method can be easily and cheaply a nationwide toll collection enabled.

In the following, additional or additional inventive concepts are listed.

Areas of application of the method or the system are the localization or the enforcement in the so-called GNSS-based Road Usage Charging (GNSS = Global Navigation Satellite System).

Stationary and partially mobile control devices are being extended by the 2G / 3G low-range pico or microcell. A suitable arrangement of the antennas also allows the distinction of individual lanes - mainly when used as an enforcement device - to. By e.g. The definition of this location area reserved as a toll for tolls or other suitable measures is prompted by mobile communication facilities for Location Area Update. At the moment of transit, it thus comes to detecting the local position of a mobile communication device. The SIM cards (IMSI or TIMSI), which are activated for the service toll, are stored in a central application-specific database. In addition, toll-user-specific information such as vehicle registration number, vehicle category and other parameters necessary for the amount of the toll are stored. This information is forwarded directly to the connected control device and is therefore analogous to the procedure of a DSRC communication for direct comparison.

The mobile radio communication device is also referred to below as a handset.

• a) Handset based, bedeutet spezielle (Maut)-Software auf dem Handset, Piko-Zelle verhält sich passiv.
  • 1a) Verwendung des Location Area Updates
    Die Piko-Zelle sendet einen speziellen Location Area Code (LAC für Maut reserviert).
    Die Piko-Zelle ist nicht an BSC angeschlossen.
    Alle Handsets wollen ein Location Area Update durchführen - da die Location Area dem Provider nicht bekannt ist, wird dieses nicht durchgeführt.
    Die Maut-Software auf dem Handset erkennt anhand einer Tabelle oder einem bestimmten Nummerkreis die Piko-Zelle als "Lokalisations-Zelle".
    Eine Zeitsynchronisierung erfolgt mittels GSM-Zeitsignal.
  • 1b) Verwendung der Cell-Id
    Die Piko-Zelle hat eine spezielle Cell-Id (Cell-Id für Maut reserviert).
    Die Piko-Zelle ist nicht an BSC angeschlossen.
    Die Maut-Software auf dem Handset erkennt anhand einer Tabelle oder einem bestimmten Nummerkreis die Piko-Zelle als "Lokalisations-Zelle".
    Eine Zeitsynchronisierung erfolgt mittels GSM-Zeitsignal.
    • (2) Verwendung von GSM Broadcasts
      Die Piko-Zelle sendet zyklisch einen Broadcast, der zumindest eine ID und die Zeitinformation beinhaltet.
      Die Piko-Zelle ist nicht an BSC angeschlossen.
      Die Maut-Software auf dem Handset erkennt anhand der Broadcast Daten, dass es sich um "Lokalisations-Zelle" handelt und speichert die empfangenen Daten ab. Handsets ohne Mautsoftware ignorieren diesen Broadcast.
• b) Nicht-beansprucht: Cell based, bedeutet dass keine Software auf dem Handset notwendig ist, jedoch eine spezielle Auswerteeinheit an der Piko-Zelle.
  • (3) Die spezielle Auswerteeinheit wird nach BTS oder BSC verwendet um Paging Location Update-Requests der Handsets auszuwerten und weiter zu verarbeiten. Die Piko-Zelle ist nicht komplett ins System eingebunden (entweder gar nicht, oder nur an BSC).

Possible methods of localization:

• a) Handset based, means special (toll) software on the handset, Piko cell behaves passively.
  • 1a) Use of the Location Area Update
    The Piko cell sends a special Location Area Code (LAC reserved for toll).
    The pico cell is not connected to BSC.
    All handsets want to perform a location area update - as the location area is not known to the provider, this will not be done.
    The toll software on the handset recognizes the Piko cell as a "localization cell" based on a table or a specific number range.
    A time synchronization takes place by means of GSM time signal.
  • 1b) Use of Cell-Id
    The piko cell has a special cell-id (cell-id reserved for toll).
    The pico cell is not connected to BSC.
    The toll software on the handset recognizes the Piko cell as a "localization cell" based on a table or a specific number range.
    A time synchronization takes place by means of GSM time signal.
    • (2) Use of GSM Broadcasts
      The pico cell cyclically sends a broadcast containing at least one ID and the time information.
      The pico cell is not connected to BSC.
      The toll software on the handset recognizes from the broadcast data that it is a "localization cell" and stores the received data. Handsets without toll software ignore this broadcast.
• b) Unclaimed: Cell based, means that no software is necessary on the handset, but a special evaluation unit on the pico cell.
  • (3) The special evaluation unit is used after BTS or BSC to evaluate paging location update requests of the handsets and process them further. The pico cell is not completely embedded in the system (either not at all, or only at BSC).

The paging is z. B. thereby enforced that the Piko cell has a reserved for the toll LAC and the handset therefore independently performs a paging - because the location area the provider is not known this is not performed.

The Piko cell belongs to a number range reserved for toll and paging in the firmware of the handset.

The handset, for example, sends an IMSI or TIMSI in paging and can thus be identified by the evaluation unit by means of queries to the HLR.

The evaluation unit can thus forward its own ID and handset ID to a back office (see DSRC).

The time synchronization takes place with the time of the evaluation unit, which can also be synchronized centrally.

• Variante (1)
  Ok
  wie (2) siehe unten
  Zeitsynchronisation mittels GSM-Zeitsignal.
• Variante (2)
  OK
  Handset sendet Daten (OBU Status, letzte bemautete Objekte, Fahrzeugklasse) zur Verifizierung an Enforcement Einrichtung:
  Falls Verifizierung erfolgreich wird kein Enforcement-Prozess ausgelöst (z.B. Foto aufnehmen, bzw. bereits aufgenommenes Foto verwerfen - Synchronisation mit Zeit)
• Variante (3)
  OK
  Die Enforcement Einrichtung verifiziert die letzten bemauteten Objekte im backoffice.
  Das Handset muss nur für Maut-Service im Back Office registriert sein.

Enforcement:
Arrangements as under localization, except that special directional antennas must be used to allow a footprint per lane

• Version 1)
  OK
  as (2) see below
  Time synchronization via GSM time signal.
• Variant 2)
  OK
  Handset sends data (OBU status, last tolled objects, vehicle class) to Enforcement facility for verification
  If verification is successful, no enforcement process will be triggered (eg taking a photo, or discarding a previously taken photo - synchronization with time)
• Variant (3)
  OK
  The enforcement facility verifies the last bemauteten objects in the backoffice.
  The handset only needs to be registered for toll service in the back office.

The invention will now be explained in more detail by means of an embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein in the single figure in schematic form a system is shown, to which the method according to the invention can proceed.

In Fig. 1 is a pico-cell 8 as a radio cell 2 shown schematically. The pico-cell 8 monitors three lanes, so that on each lane a motor vehicle, each with an associated mobile mobile communication device 1 can be monitored when they reach the Rechweite the pico-cell 8. The piko cell 8 is assigned to an evaluation unit 5, which in turn is assigned to a computer unit 7, ie a so-called back office. In a variant of the method (not claimed), data and information are sent directly from the pico cell 8 to the computer unit 7. In another method step, the data and information received from the mobile radio communication device 1 are sent from the pico cell 8 to a base station controller 3, which is connected to a mobile switching center 4, possibly to the horn location register 6 in the the mobile mobile radio communication device 1 is registered as a subscriber. The computer unit 7 sends the data and information received from the mobile radio communication device 1, if necessary, with further data obtained from the horn location register 6 to the evaluation unit 5 of the system.

Claims (4)

1. Method for the detection of tollable vehicles on toll roads and the provision of information regarding the detected vehicles, wherein stationary and/or partially-mobile toll checking devices are provided at or on the toll roads, and wherein to each toll checking device a micro or pico radio cell is assigned, which operates according to a 2G/3G mobile radio standard but is not connected to a base station controller of the mobile radio network, and to which a special individual radio cell identification is assigned, so that each micro or pico radio cell broadcasts the special individual radio cell identification, that a mobile radio communication device assigned to the vehicle detects the special individual radio cell identification of the stationary and/or partially-mobile toll checking device when it enters the radio coverage of the micro or pico radio cell, and that an evaluation unit of the mobile radio communication device determines the position of the mobile radio communication device, or the tollable vehicle, respectively, by means of the received special individual radio cell identification of the micro or pico radio cell and by comparing the special individual radio cell identification with stored radio cell identification lists for the special individual radio cell identifications, wherein after the data exchange in the evaluation unit in the mobile radio communication device the position data is associated with the individual identification data of the mobile radio communication device and transmitted by a transmitting unit of the mobile radio communication device to a calculation unit which associates the transmitted data with toll-specific information for the mobile radio communication device, wherein in a database of the calculation unit a toll-specific information is stored for each mobile radio communication device, wherein after associating the transmitted data with the toll-specific information this data is transmitted to a checking device.
2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that during the data exchange a time synchronization, in particular by means of a GSM or UTMS timing signal, is made.
3. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that each micro or pico radio cell cyclically broadcasts a message which contains at least a special individual radio cell identification and timing information, that the mobile radio communication device detects this message when it enters the radio coverage of the micro or pico radio cell, that the mobile radio communication device stores the received message of the micro or pico radio cell.
4. Method according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 3, characterized in that via special directional antennas of the micro or pico radio cell of the toll checking devices information is transmitted in the direction of different lanes or received from different lanes, respectively.

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