EP1943627A1

EP1943627A1 - Tollgate detection device and a tollgate detection method

Info

Publication number: EP1943627A1
Application number: EP06807285A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Werner Poechmueller; Friedhelm Pickhard
Original assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
Current assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
Priority date: 2005-10-18
Filing date: 2006-10-16
Publication date: 2008-07-16
Also published as: DE102005049768A1; WO2007045623A1

Abstract

A tollgate detection device for detecting a toll distance travelled by a motor vehicle on a road comprises a locating unit (2) for determining the motor vehicle position, a computer unit (8) for recording a toll distance travelled on said road by comparing the motor vehicle position determined by the locating unit (2) with road data items which are related to the toll road sections and are recorded on a data carrier of a storage unit (10) on which the travelled road sections detected on the toll road parts are recorded in the form of invoice data items and a communication interface (12) used for retrieving the invoice data items recorded in the memory unit in such a way that a toll encashment is formed. The road data items related to the travelled road sections can be recorded in the storage unit (10) and the data units recorded in the storage device can be retrieved by the communication interface (12). A tollgate detection method is also disclosed.

Description

description

title

Toll collection device and toll collection procedure

The invention relates to a toll collection device for detecting the distance traveled by a vehicle on a toll route route with a locating unit for determining the vehicle position and a toll collection process.

With increasing traffic also the need for one grows

Charging for the use of certain road sections. Such road toll is called toll.

It is known to levy the toll for road use on the sale of a toll, a so-called vignette. This is a badge that is purchased before the intended use of a toll road for a fee and is usually attached to the windshield of the vehicle.

The disadvantage of this method is that with her no usage-based fee can be charged.

In order to levy a usage-based toll, check-in points can be set up on the road to and from the toll road sections. When driving onto such a stretch of road the user receives a pass on which the exact

Driveway is recorded. On departure, he presents the ID and pays the fee due according to the distance covered.

A disadvantage of this method is that it involves enormous installation costs because every driveway and every departure of a toll road section must be provided with a corresponding station. On the other hand, it is not suitable for sections on which an increased traffic volume must be expected, as it would inevitably lead to significant traffic disruptions.

In order to be able to charge a toll that is both use-dependent and can be made in flowing traffic, a so-called beacon-based toll collection procedure has been developed. In this method, a bridge construction with a detection device, the so-called Stützbake, built between each exit and departure of a toll road section above the roadway. The support beacon detects and identifies itself approaching

Vehicle and triggers a debit transaction for the incurred toll on this section. The detection and identification of the vehicle takes place in such a way that the support beacon establishes a radio link to a so-called on-board unit carried in the vehicle and receives all information for the identification of the vehicle via this radio link. The toll is charged via a GSM module (Global Standard for Mobile Communication, abbreviation GSM) integrated in the on-board unit, which sends the toll incurred via GSM mobile transmission to a central station, which charges the toll with the users. The on-board units are autonomous tolling devices in which tolls are automatically determined by means of a digital map and satellite positioning

Tolling device to be accumulated. The charges incurred are then reported back to a central toll operator by mobile radio communication (SMS messages / short message service). The feedback occurs after exceeding a predetermined amount after a predetermined period or after a predetermined distance. Such a complex toll system is described, for example, in Helmut an de Meulen: "Toll and More", in: NET 4/05, pages 21 to 23. In the latter method, the very high installation and maintenance costs are disadvantageous. Furthermore, the GSM modules are technically very complex devices that are associated with high production costs.

The object of the invention is to provide a toll collection device with which a usage-dependent road toll can be charged in a cost-effective manner. Furthermore, a corresponding toll collection procedure is to be provided.

The object is achieved with the toll collection device for detecting the distance traveled by a vehicle on a toll route route with a locating unit for determining the vehicle position, which includes an information unit for detecting the traveled on toll road sections by comparing the location determined with the locating unit vehicle position with on a disk stored road data on toll road sections; a memory unit, on which the recorded routes on busy toll road sections can be stored as billing data; and a communication interface via which the billing data stored in the storage unit can be read out for toll collection.

The toll collection device according to the invention allows accurate detection of the traveled on a toll road section route, without a costly infrastructure, such as the bridge structures with the support beacons, is needed on the roads. The infrastructure is limited to facilities for reading the routes stored in the storage unit. The reading of this data can be concentrated in a few places with suitable organizations. A suitable organization is, for example, the TUV (Technical Monitoring Association, abbreviation TUV). The reading out of the data could, for example, take place within the framework of the regular main inspection of a vehicle.

The amount of tolls does not have to be deposited in the toll collection device. - A -

This has the advantage that changes in tolls can be made without data transfer to the toll collection device and taken into account in the subsequent billing on the basis of the billing data read from the memory unit of the toll collection device. Frequent drivers can be granted discounts depending on the distance traveled on toll road sections. Even drivers in certain regions can be granted discounts retrospectively, since it is known which toll road sections they have traveled.

The toll collection device also requires no additional information to determine the toll, such. As the weight of the vehicle, the number of axles, etc, which are to be programmed in conventional on-board units. A relatively expensive communication unit for the regular transmission of toll costs, as contained in on-board units, is also not needed.

The road data may be stored on a CD-ROM (Compact Disc - Read OnIy

Memory, abbreviation CD-ROM) or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc, abbreviation DVD).

In an advantageous embodiment, the location of the vehicle position by means of satellites takes place. The satellite positioning has the advantage that it is inexpensive and reliable. Due to the global availability of the Global Positioning System GPS, it is useful to determine the vehicle position using the GPS. Of course, other systems such as Glonass or Galileo are equally applicable.

In a further embodiment, the road data on the data carrier can be changed, replaced and / or supplemented. This has the advantage that the road data can be adapted to current needs at any time. For example, the stored road network toll sections can be extended at any time if more roads are included in the toll. As a data carrier for the road data, on which data can be changed, replaced and / or supplemented after its initial storage, a solid state electronic memory is suitable. This can be done in a particularly convenient way via a wireless interface.

In one embodiment, the stored billing data for toll collection comprises the distance traveled on a toll road section. This information is sufficient in particular to calculate the tolls due if only a single toll is charged on all road sections. Be on different

However, as road sections charge different fees, billing data is required to allow for these variable fees. This can be achieved in such a way that for each traveled section of road that is recorded in the road data as a single block of data, the distance traveled on this road section and a charge factor for this road section in the

Billing data are stored.

An expedient embodiment of the toll collection device is characterized in that the billing data include the geographical data of the traveled route. Thus, it can be proven subsequently on which

Stretching a vehicle has actually moved. Preferably, in addition to the geographical data, the time is recorded, in particular the time of driving the toll road. If the order is by GPS, the GPS system time can be used for this purpose, which is transmitted by the GPS satellites. Consequently, it is independent of the vehicle and thus tamper-proof.

The communication interface of the toll collection device, via which the data stored in the storage unit can be read out, can be wireless, for example. Using a wireless communication interface eliminates the hassle and sometimes time-consuming connection of a corresponding

Data cable. Furthermore, care must not be taken that one Connector on the toll collection device is easy to reach. In this way, it is possible to install the toll collection device in places where it is difficult to get. Suitable interface technologies include, for example, Bluetooth and WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network).

In order to inform the user of a vehicle while driving about driving on a toll road section, an output unit may be provided. In addition, the user can be informed via a display unit about the currently incurred and / or previously incurred tolls. With this information, the user knows whether he has one during his journey

Fee is subject. In this way, the user can decide whether he continues to drive on a toll road or leave this at the next departure. Of course, the output and display unit can be realized together as a component.

The toll collection device may be provided with a reset device with which the storage unit can be reset after reading the billing data, in particular deleted. In this way, the memory space can be reused again and again, so that the toll collection device manages with a relatively small memory. As a result, its manufacturing costs can be reduced.

Suitably, the toll collection device is equipped with a security device to prevent tampering. As a security device is in particular a mechanical seal or an electronic encryption and access protection mechanism into consideration. An electronic encryption and access protection mechanism offers the advantage that it can be realized via a wireless interface, whereby direct access to the toll collection device is dispensable.

The object is further by the toll collection process for detecting the covered by a vehicle on a toll route route with a such toll collection device solved by:

Determination of the vehicle position with a locating unit (2);

- Recording of toll road sections

Routes by comparison with road data stored on a data carrier on toll road sections and checking whether the vehicle position is within a toll road section,

- Save the recorded routes on busy toll road

Road sections in a storage unit (10) as billing data and later

Reading the stored billing data for toll collection.

The toll collection process offers all the advantages of the above

Mauterfassungsgerätes, because it is executed with this. In particular, a cost-intensive infrastructure for collecting the necessary data and for monitoring compliance with the obligation to pay is dispensable.

The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to an embodiment with the accompanying drawings. It shows:

Figure 1 - a simplified functional diagram of a toll collection device according to the invention.

In Figure 1, a toll collection device is shown schematically.

The toll collection device 1 comprises a GP S receiver 2. The GP S receiver 2 receives via the GPS antenna 3 satellite signals 4 from at least four GPS satellites 5, of which only one is shown for the sake of clarity, and calculates from this in FIG in a known manner, the position of the vehicle. The vehicle position is forwarded to a central unit 6, which is indicated by the arrow 7.

The central unit 6 controls and coordinates the various components of the toll collection device 1 and is responsible for the data exchange. For this purpose, the central unit 6 with a microcomputer (not shown) and a

Program memory (not shown) equipped. In the program memory, a control program is stored, which is executed on the microcomputer. The central unit 6 transmits the calculated vehicle position to the information unit 8, which is indicated by the double arrow 9.

In the information unit 8, the geographical data of toll road sections are stored in digital form on an electronic solid state memory (not shown). The information unit 8 compares the transmitted vehicle position with the road data and informs the CPU 6 whether the vehicle position falls within a toll road section. This message is represented by the double arrow 9. Of course, it is also possible that the central unit 6 requests the road data at the information unit 8 and even determines whether the vehicle position falls into a toll road section.

When the CPU 6 receives notification from the information unit 8 that the vehicle is traveling on a toll road section, it stores the accounting data required for the toll calculation in the storage unit 10. This process is represented by the arrow 11. The billing data include, for example, the geographical data of the toll road sections and the already covered on the toll road distance.

The billing data will be read later for toll collection via the communication interface 12 of a read-out device (not shown) and charged the toll incurred. The reading is illustrated by the block arrow 13. Via the communication interface 12, the memory unit 10 is reset after reading, whereby the memory is released again.

Via the interface 14 it is possible to change, replace or supplement the road data in the information unit 8. This is indicated by the block arrow 15.

The toll collection device 1 is equipped with an output and display unit, which are realized together by an LCD display 16 here. The display shows the user whether he is driving on a toll road and possibly what tolls have already been incurred for him. This process is by the

Arrow 17 illustrates.

Via the loudspeaker 18, the driver additionally receives an audible signal when he drives up a toll road, when the toll tariff changes and / or when he leaves the toll road again.

Claims

claims

1. toll collection device (1) for detecting the distance traveled by a vehicle on a toll route route with a tracking unit (2) for determining the vehicle position, characterized by an information unit (8) for detecting the traveled on toll road sections routes by comparing the with the locating unit (2) certain vehicle position with road data stored on a data carrier about toll road sections; a memory unit (10) on which the detected routes on busy toll road sections can be stored as accounting data; and a communication interface (12) via which the data stored in the memory unit

Billing data for toll collection are readable.

2. toll collection device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the

Road data on the data carrier can be changed, replaced and / or supplemented.

3. toll collection device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by a wireless interface (14) via which the road data to the toll collection device (1) can be transferred, changed, replaced and / or supplemented.

4. toll collection device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the billing data include the distance of the traveled distance and / or geografϊschen data of the distance covered.

5. toll collection device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by an output unit (16), via which the user is informed about the driving on a toll section, on accruing and / or previously incurred tolls.

6. toll collection device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by a reset means with which the memory unit (10) after reading the route data is resettable.

7. toll collection device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by a safety device with which the toll collection device (1) is protected against manipulation.

8. toll collection device (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the safety device is designed as a mechanical seal and / or comprises an electronic encryption and access protection mechanism.

9. toll collection method for detecting the distance traveled by a vehicle on a toll route route with a toll collection device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized by:

Determination of the vehicle position with a locating unit (2); Recording the journeys taken on toll road sections by comparison with road data stored on a data carrier on toll road sections and checking whether the vehicle position lies within a toll road section,

Saving the recorded routes on busy toll road sections in a storage unit (10) as billing data and later reading the stored billing data for toll collection.