EP3113119A1 - Method for tracking vehicles which are liable for a toll in a toll system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for tracking toll vehicles in a road toll system, comprising the steps of providing at least two fixed roadside control devices for detecting at least one license plate of a toll vehicle, detecting a license plate of a toll vehicle by a first one of the control devices, transmitting the vehicle Characteristic of a central data processing device, determining the current vehicle position of the toll vehicle based on the position of the first control device, providing at least two mobile display devices for displaying license plates and current vehicle positions of toll vehicles, transmitting the current position of each mobile display device to the central Data processing device, the determination of at least one nearest mobile display device, de s presenting and displaying the license plate and the vehicle position on the at least one nearest mobile display device.

Description

Technical area

The present invention relates to a method for tracking toll vehicles in a toll system, for example in a road toll system, as well as a system for carrying out the method.

State of the art

Different methods for collecting user charges or tolls for tolled traffic areas are known. The toll is paid for example by the purchase of a vignette or other use authorization and is then valid for a predetermined period and a predetermined range.

In addition to these a lump-sum authorization for the use of a toll road surface providing methods are still known methods in which the toll is charged depending on use. Here, the actual distance covered by the toll vehicle on the toll road surface is used to calculate the toll due - usually according to vehicle types and / or vehicle specifics such as the mass of the vehicle, the number of axles of the vehicle, the length of the vehicle, the emission class of the vehicle and / or the presence of a trailer.

In the case of the latter systems, those are known which are provided with survey devices arranged in sections on the toll roads, for example in the form of toll stations occupied by survey personnel.

However, toll collection systems levying usage are also known in such a way that an automated registration of the toll vehicles is carried out. For this purpose, the toll vehicle is automatically detected upon entering the toll road surface, leaving the toll road surface and / or driving on the toll road surface and evaluated its movement and / or route to determine in this way the toll due for the actual distance traveled and to be able to raise.

On the one hand, decentralized elevating systems are known in which a position-determining device is provided in the vehicle, for example in a vehicle device or a vehicle device, which is also referred to as "on-board unit" (OBU). A GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System, GNSS for short) receiver in the vehicle detects the position of the vehicle via a GNSS system and a DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication, DSRC short) receiver in the vehicle can receive from roadside facilities positions. In the decentralized system, these position data are processed in the vehicle unit for recognizing the traffic area subject to tolls. The toll can be charged decentrally in the vehicle unit, for example by debiting a pre-paid credit. Alternatively, the toll may be charged after transmission of the calculated toll data to a toll center through the toll center, which makes the debit or billing. The collection of the toll takes place after driving on the toll road section.

Furthermore, centralized systems are known, in which a position determining device is again provided in the vehicle or a vehicle device, which transmit the position data to a toll center and the toll recognition, the toll determination and the toll collection are carried out in the toll center. A GNSS receiver in the vehicle detects the position of the vehicle via a GNSS system and a DSRC receiver in the vehicle can receive positions from roadside equipment. The toll recognition can be carried out in the vehicle unit or in the toll center. If toll recognition is carried out outside the vehicle unit, only position data which carries out toll recognition is transmitted to the toll center. The collection of the toll takes place after driving on the toll road section.

Furthermore, toll collection systems are known which dispense with the use of GNSS receivers and a position determination and toll recognition exclusively on the road side Perform vehicle detection devices. In this case, the toll vehicle sends to the roadside vehicle detection device a corresponding identification signal. The identification signals received by the road-side vehicle detection devices are transmitted to a toll center, which determines the toll on this basis and raises the toll. Also in this toll collection system, the collection of the toll takes place after driving on the toll road section.

In Germany, the Toll Collect GmbH system is used to levy tolls on the use of motorways, with roadside controls in the form of fixed, fixed surveillance bridges spanning the road, covering the marks of each passing vehicle. Using the identified license plates of the vehicles, a comparison can be made with vehicle-specific data present in a central database under license plates of vehicles, in order to be able to check the correct charging of the toll incurred and possibly determine whether the driver of the vehicle is currently making a toll violation, in particular if no vehicle-specific data, in particular toll data, are present under the identified license plate of a vehicle for the relevant route section on which the vehicle was detected. In the central database, for example, information about a route preselected for the respective license plate can be stored or information about the payment modalities. In addition to the permanently installed control bridges, it is also possible to provide mobile control devices which support the further detection of the vehicles. This system can be extended to other roads.

Vehicle-side vehicle devices, which are also referred to as OBUs (on-board units), have proven useful for individual and largely automatic detection of the use of the toll roads, which have a position-determining device for position detection of the vehicle or are coupled to a position-determining device provided in the vehicle. The vehicle devices can accordingly determine and / or detect the position of the respective vehicle subject to tolling and, on the basis of map material stored in the vehicle device, detect whether the vehicle is on a toll road. If this is the case, a toll fee for the use of the determined toll road surface is determined by the vehicle device and the corresponding toll data, which include the determined fee, transmitted to a toll center. Based on the information transmitted by the in-vehicle device then the toll due in the toll center is charged, either by calculating the toll from the transmitted route data or by using the transmitted charge data. The due toll will then be charged to the respective user or deducted from an existing credit.

In order to enable a proper toll collection, the user must initialize the vehicle device before departure and enter, among other vehicle data, such as the total weight of the vehicle, its emission class and the current number of axles. Based on this, the vehicle unit, taking into account the position of the toll vehicle determined by the position determination device and the adjustment of the position of the toll vehicle with a database in which the toll roads are deposited, determines the toll incurred for the respective journey and transmits this toll data at the latest Fulfillment of a certain criterion, for example when leaving the toll route, to the toll center.

In a variant, the position data determined over the course of the journey by the position-determining device and recorded by the vehicle device are transmitted continuously or when a specific criterion, such as the achievement of a predetermined amount of data at position data, to the toll center is met. The toll for the toll vehicle to be paid for this journey is then determined and collected centrally in the toll center on the basis of the vehicle data and the toll road traffic areas recognized as traffic from the position data.

This method of collecting the toll data, in which the user of the toll vehicle only has to initialize the vehicle device and then the detection of the route, the transmission of the toll data to the toll center, as well as the collection of the toll after initialization are carried out without further user input is also referred to as automatic procedure (AV). The toll is determined in this process only after driving on the respective toll section and thereby charged that it is charged accordingly or deducted from a deposited or pre-paid credit.

In the automatic procedure (AV), the vehicle device carried by the toll vehicle recognizes accordingly by means of the comparison of position data, which are determined by means of the Position determining device were determined with stored in a database map data, whether, and if so, which toll road section is traveled. Such a toll road section is then stored in a storage device of the vehicle device. Accordingly, toll sections are stored section by section in the storage device in the vehicle unit and then transmitted as toll data upon the occurrence of a predetermined criterion, for example, after exceeding a predetermined number of stored sections, to the toll center. The toll determination takes place on this basis either in the toll center or in the vehicle unit. In the latter case, the toll to be collected is then transferred to the toll center as toll data. In the automatic procedure (AV), the right to use the traveled, toll section is then acquired step by step after driving through each toll section, the toll charged via the toll center after leaving the toll section and transmitting the relevant data to the toll center becomes.

In addition to the automatic procedure (AV), the toll collection system operated by Toll Collect GmbH also allows logging in according to the so-called manual procedure (MV).

In the manual procedure (MV), the respective user can use one of the approximately 3600 toll-station terminals, which are typically set up on truck stops, rest areas or petrol stations. Alternatively, the manual procedure (MV) can also use a web service on the Internet.

The user acquires in the manual procedure (MV) a right to use the respective toll section before driving on the toll section or a toll route, which consists of one or more toll sections. For this purpose, the user already indicates the planned driveway and the planned departure from the toll road surface before driving on the route at the toll station or in the web service, which then defines the one or more toll road sections of the route. The user can also enter via positions in his route, which are taken into account in the determination of the route to be traveled and which are based on the calculation of the toll fee due. The user of the manual procedure (MV) sets accordingly before the actual driving on the toll road sections to fixed route and pays the appropriate toll. The toll can either be paid directly at the toll booth terminal or on the Internet, or be made available to registered users via the toll center in a monthly collective bill or deducted from an existing credit.

A booking of a route with the manual procedure results in a fixed route, which the user can not leave without possibly being considered a toll-bumper. A change in the route may become necessary, for example, if a section of the route booked is blocked or if a traffic jam occurs that is to be avoided. It may also happen that a user wants to go to additional stations while traveling. If the user wants to change his route after starting the trip booked via the manual procedure, he must do so at a stationary toll terminal so that his actually traveled route remains traceable. The user then has to make a partial cancellation of the booked route and then book the new desired route.

In the vehicle devices or vehicle devices, a highly accurate position determination by means of the position determining device is possible, wherein this has a GNSS receiver which receives specific signals from satellites of a global navigation satellite system, which are stationed in Earth orbit and which transmit corresponding position signals. The position determining device uses these signals in a known manner for calculating the own position. Such GNSS systems include, for example, the US GPS system, the Russian GLONASS, the European Galileo and the Chinese Compass system, the latter of which are still under construction. As a position determination device, either a position determination device already provided in the toll vehicle can be used, which transfers its data to an OBU, or the OBU itself can have a position determination device.

In addition, also encoders (tachometer, odometer) and direction sensors such as a gyroscope or an electronic compass of the toll vehicle or with the position determining device may be connected to allow an even more accurate position determination by a dead reckoning. This may be particularly important if no GNSS data is available by covering, for example in a tunnel, and yet a precise position determination is desired.

The transmission of the information to the toll center is carried out via a communication module present in the vehicle equipment, which uses a known mobile radio standard and communicates the data, for example via the GSM standard, to the toll center. A two-way communication is generally not provided, but only the toll-relevant data determined by the vehicle device are transmitted to the toll center when the vehicle device has completed the collection of data.

Depending on the usage, tolling systems are dependent on the collection of the route of the respective toll vehicles at least in the area which is decisive for the use of the toll road. For example, for this purpose, vehicle positions in the toll collection system operated by the German toll carrier Toll Collect GmbH are regularly recorded in the area of the driveway to the respective toll area and in the area of the departure from this traffic area.

Toll data is here understood to mean data associated with a user of tollable traffic areas and / or tolls, which are determined by a toll recognition and / or toll determination. Toll relevant data are all data that are included in the determination of the toll, such as the identifier and / or the length of the toll road surface and the vehicle data such as weight, number of axles and pollutant class. At least one toll-relevant data record is usually coupled with a basic charge or charge rate, which, in conjunction with the other toll-relevant data, permits the determination of the total charge for toll collection.

Under toll recognition is technically understood the process of linking a used, on the basis of the detected vehicle position (s) recognized, toll road surface with the user. In other words, it is understood to associate the user for the first time with a used toll road surface.

Under toll determination is technically understood the process of determining a toll from the used or perspective to be used toll road surface, possibly taking into account toll-related vehicle data and times.

Tolling is understood herein to be technically the process of collecting certain tolls from the user whose vehicle has been proven to use or prospectively use the toll road, for example by taking cash such as at a toll station, by central debiting an account or by decentralized deduction of a pre-paid credit on a chip card arranged in a vehicle device.

Under a toll road surface traffic areas are understood here, for their use, a toll fee is due. In this case, the determination of the amount of the toll, for example, according to measured on the toll road surface, for example, in meters, according to the number of used toll sections or lump sum or time for the use of a specific toll route network, such as a city toll, take place.

A toll violation is understood herein to mean that a toll vehicle has used or used a toll road surface and that the toll actually due for the use can not be charged. This may be due to the fact that the vehicle subject to tolling is not accessible for automatic detection since the technical prerequisites for carrying out an automatic procedure are missing - for example, an on-board unit suitable for the respective toll system is not present, is not switched on or is defective. However, it may also be that the current section of the route has not been booked for the respective vehicle in the manual procedure.

A toll may also exist if the toll collection fails because the toll to be paid can not be collected - for example, because an account, a credit card or a credit account is not covered. In connection with the EETS system, it may also happen that a toll fee from the foreign operator of the on-board unit is not paid to the domestic operator of the toll system and accordingly a toll violation manifests itself at a time after the actual driving on the toll section.

In all of the above-mentioned tolling systems, toll-checking vehicles are provided for controlling toll vehicles and punishing toll-related traffic which a potential toll violation has been identified, remove it from circulation and, accordingly, upon suspicion of a toll infringement, submit it to the penalties.

The toll-infringement notifications are determined either by a central data processing device or in the road-side control device, for example in the data processing device provided in the roadside control device, by corresponding analysis of the vehicle data determined by the roadside control device. The methods used for determining whether a toll vehicle is one in which there is a suspicion of a toll violation are known in principle.

In the case of known toll systems, for example the toll system operated by Toll Collect GmbH in Germany, it is known that control devices, for example roadside control bridges, are detected by means of which vehicle license plate, vehicle characteristics and the status of vehicle devices received in the respective toll vehicle Control data are transmitted to controllers. The inspectors are usually formed by the crews of control vehicles, which are mobile deployable and are stationed in the vicinity of the respective roadside control device. The control vehicles are intended to accommodate the tracking of toll vehicles which are believed to be in violation of toll law. Verification of the actual existence of a toll violation is then performed by the crew of the control vehicle. If the inspector comes to the conclusion in the review of the suspicion of the toll violation that there is actually a toll violation, the driver or owner of the toll vehicle will be prosecuted.

Correspondingly, the respective inspector or the crew of a control vehicle can evaluate the data received from the respective roadside control device and then check and, for example, discharge toll vehicles for which the suspect is liable for a toll, to the driver or owner of the toll vehicle after ascertaining a toll violation to bring the punishment.

In the known toll systems only the data of a single roadside control device are displayed in the respective controllers, namely the data of those roadside control device, which the respective controller or the Crew of the respective control vehicle is assigned. In this way, on the one hand reduces the amount of data transmitted to the mobile display device of the controller and on the other reduced the attention of the controller on the toll vehicles, which are actually within the control of the controller and can be achieved by this in principle.

However, the inspectors or the crews of the control vehicles often use the control vehicles in the section of the toll road that they control. Thus, it may happen that the data of the roadside control device associated with each controller are sent to the controller, although the controller is at a significant distance from the roadside control device associated therewith and possibly even closer to another roadside control device. Decisions about whether or not a particular toll vehicle for which there is a suspicion of a toll infringement should be diverted can not be taken promptly, or an efficient and safe control and / or discharge of the tolled vehicle is made more difficult in this way.

From the EP 2 624 231 B1 There are devices and methods of control in a road toll system known in which recording vehicles and control vehicles are provided. The control vehicles have reading devices for reading the license plates and communicate with a tort server. The recording vehicles are provided with a DSRC transceiver for reading the toll parameters. Thus, a first fleet of recording vehicles ("hunters") and a second fleet of control vehicles ("collectors") are provided which communicate with each other via a common offense server.

From the DE 10 2011 085 814 B3 is a system with each other via a common server wirelessly networked mobile phone to allow for improved communication between multiple vehicles.

Presentation of the invention

Starting from the known prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for tracking toll vehicles in a toll system, with which a further improved inspection of vehicles can be made.

This object is achieved by a method for tracking toll vehicles with the features of claim 1. Advantageous developments emerge from the subclaims, the present description and the figures.

Accordingly, there is provided a method for tracking toll vehicles in a road toll system, comprising the steps of providing at least two fixed roadside controllers for detecting at least one license plate of a toll vehicle, detecting a license plate of a toll vehicle by a first one of the controllers, transmitting the license plate to a central data processing device, determining the current vehicle position of the toll vehicle based on the position of the first control device, providing at least two mobile display devices for displaying license plates and current vehicle positions of toll vehicles, and transmitting the current position of each mobile display device to the central one data processing device. The proposed method further comprises determining at least one nearest mobile display device located at a closer distance from the current vehicle position than at least one other mobile display device based on the current vehicle position of the toll vehicle and the current position of all the display devices in the central data processing device communicating the license plate and the current vehicle position to at least one nearest mobile display device by the central data processing device, and presenting the license plate and current vehicle position of the toll vehicle on the at least one nearest mobile display device.

By determining in the central data processing device at least one nearest mobile display device which is located at a smaller distance from the current vehicle position than at least one further mobile display device, it can be achieved that the data acquired by the roadside control devices is linked to the mobile display device or that control vehicle to be sent, which is closer to the toll vehicle to be controlled than other mobile display devices. In this way, it can be achieved that the corresponding control data is sent to the inspector or the crew of a control vehicle who are actually positioned in the immediate vicinity or nearest to the toll vehicle to be controlled.

Accordingly, a crew of a control vehicle, which moves along with the toll vehicles on the toll road surface, are always supplied with the control data, which refers to the located in the vicinity of the inspection vehicle toll vehicles. In other words , the inspector of the control vehicle "sees" the toll vehicles in his vicinity, and in particular the toll vehicles in his vicinity, for which diverting decisions have to be taken or for which there is a suspicion of a toll violation. An unambiguous assignment to a single roadside control device, as has been practiced conventionally, is thus no longer necessary and no longer desirable.

Thus, a clear assignment of a control vehicle or a mobile display device to a single roadside control device can be removed and there is rather a dynamic transmission of control data to the mobile display device of the controller in such a way that the data of the toll vehicles, which are in the vicinity of the control vehicle and for which there is a suspicion of a toll, are transmitted to the nearest control vehicle, regardless of where the control vehicle is currently located. Thus, it is possible that control vehicles equipped with the mobile display devices can also move constantly in flowing traffic, can move freely from the roadside control devices, move on roadside control devices and / or their location between different roadside control devices can change.

This gives the possibility to allow an efficient intervention of the respective inspectors in case of suspicion of a toll violation, since the respective control crew only control data of located in the vicinity of the control vehicle toll vehicles for which there is a suspicion of a toll violation displayed become. This can accordingly a relatively short approach or a relatively short Access road can be reached. Furthermore, the cancellation of the direct link to a single roadside control device and the pursuit of toll vehicles for which there is a suspicion of a toll violation are made over long distances and then after completion of the process already at a remote location from the place again be recorded new prosecution of a toll vehicle for which there is a suspicion of a toll violation, which in turn is then in the vicinity of the control vehicle or the mobile display device.

Accordingly, a better utilization of the inspectors or the crews of the control vehicles can be achieved, since the times for returning the control vehicle to its starting position in the vicinity of him assigned in the conventional method roadside control device omitted.

Furthermore, it is possible in this way that the respective mobile display device data are sent to different roadside controllers, regardless of where the mobile display device is located with respect to the position of the respective roadside control devices.

Preferably, in the central data processing device or in the control device which has registered the license plate of the toll vehicle, a toll violation with the license plate is linked to a control data record and the control data record is transmitted together with the current vehicle position to at least one nearest mobile display device. In this way, it is possible to take the data, which prove the suspected infringement, even more precisely and to enable it, in particular at a later check, also to name the respective individual control device or the respective sensor recognizing the toll vehicle.

The position of the respective registered toll vehicle can be equated with the position of the first control device which detects the toll vehicle.

However, it is particularly preferred, however, to determine the current vehicle position of the toll vehicle, starting from the position of the roadside control device that has detected the vehicle, taking into account the detection time and a calculated, assumed or measured speed, in order in this way to a current position of the recorded toll vehicle or a current section of the route, in which the toll vehicle is suspected to be able to close.

In other words, the current probable position of the detected vehicle is preferably determined from the known position and direction data and a speed estimate. This current position is then set in relation to the current position of the mobile display devices and, correspondingly, the data set of the toll vehicle is transmitted to the mobile display device that is closest to or closer to the determined vehicle than the other mobile display devices. In this way, it becomes possible to enable an even more efficient monitoring, checking and discharging of toll vehicles for which there is suspicion of a toll violation, since the mobile display device and corresponding to the controller of the control vehicle which is likely to be closest to the one registered toll vehicle. This minimizes arrival times and here too the times for the return of the controller or the crew of the control vehicle continue because at any time only the data displayed on the mobile display device corresponding to the toll vehicles, which are in the vicinity of the controller or the mobile Display device are located.

Preferably, in the central data processing device or in the control device which has registered the license plate of this toll vehicle, a toll violation with the license plate is linked to a control data record, and the control data record together with the current vehicle position is transmitted to at least one nearest mobile display device.

In order to increase the efficiency further, it is particularly preferred to determine the mobile display device that is closest to the position, in particular the current position, of the tolled vehicle of all mobile display devices. In this way, according to the arrival times can be further reduced and correspondingly a higher utilization of the crews of the control vehicles can be achieved.

This process of transmitting the data of a toll vehicle to the nearest mobile display device can either be performed once, or in a particularly preferred embodiment, the distance between the current position of the toll-charged vehicle and the mobile display devices constantly, cyclically or triggered triggered by an external event and assigned the license plate of the vehicle each of those mobile display device, which is located closest to the current position of the toll vehicle.

Whether a mobile display device is closer to the toll vehicle to be checked than other mobile display devices may be, for example, the absolute distance, the distance along a path provided on the traffic area from the respective mobile display device to the toll vehicle to be checked, or by the estimated Time to reach the to-be-checked toll vehicle from the position (and direction of movement) of the mobile display device are determined. For this purpose, the possible route between the respective mobile display devices and the toll vehicle to be checked is preferably determined, for example, by means of a navigation system or a digital road map and used as a basis for the calculation.

In order to minimize data traffic and to save the attention of the inspectors, the data processing device preferably determines exactly one nearest mobile display device whose position is closer to the current vehicle position than all other mobile display devices. Thus, a toll vehicle to be controlled is correspondingly communicated only to a single mobile display device, so that the inspectors can only obtain an efficient number of data records and make routing decisions quickly.

Alternatively, a fixed number of nearest mobile display devices can also be determined, which then transmit the data to the toll vehicle to be controlled in order to reduce the traffic on one hand and on the other hand to achieve the highest possible probability of control.

Preferably, the central data processing device continuously, cyclically or in the presence of a predetermined condition checks whether the current position of one of the mobile display devices still has a smaller distance to the current vehicle position, as the other mobile display devices. When using a group with a fixed number of mobile display devices, the mobile can still be used Display device of the number of mobile display devices excluded from the group and exchanged for another mobile display device, which is farther away from the current vehicle position at a later time, than the other mobile display device, initially not in the group of the number of mobile display devices. Thus, even when using a group with a fixed number of mobile display devices, it can always be achieved that only those mobile display devices are supplied with data of the toll vehicle to be checked, which are actually located in the vicinity of the current vehicle position.

Preferably, at least one mobile display device is included in, included in or provided by a control vehicle for tracking detected toll vehicles. The mobile display device may also be realized by a mobile device such as a mobile computer, tablet computer or smartphone.

Preferably, with the transmission of the control record to the mobile display device, a tracking case request is generated and displayed on at least one nearest mobile display device, wherein interaction means are provided in the mobile display device by means of which a tracking case request can be accepted or rejected by a user input, the acceptance or rejection is transmitted after the user input from the respective display device to the central data processing device. The interaction means may be provided, for example, in the form of a button or switch on the mobile display device, which is provided for accepting or rejecting a tracking case request. The interaction means may also be provided in the form of soft-buttons or other interaction fields on a display of the mobile display device.

A prosecution request means that the controller is asked if he wants to take over the prosecution (and then according to review, removal and possibly punishment) of a toll vehicle to be checked, for which there is a suspicion of a toll violation. In this way, the prosecution of tolls can be carried out efficiently and it can be avoided that several controllers take up the tracking of a single toll vehicle.

Preferably, the tracking case request is transmitted to at least two nearest display devices, and upon acceptance of the tracking case request by a first nearest mobile display device, a cancellation message is sent from the central processing device to all other nearest mobile display devices to override the tracking case request in those display devices. This can be avoided that despite accepting a prosecution request by a first inspector and other inspectors want to accept this prosecution case or this prosecution case is still displayed as open on the mobile display device.

Preferably and alternatively, the tracking case request is transmitted only to a single first nearest display device and if within a predetermined period of time after transmission of the tracking case request to the nearest mobile display device no acceptance or rejection by the interaction means of the display device, the prosecution request to another or all other nearest display devices and a cancellation message is sent to the first nearest display device to override the tracking case request in the first nearest display device. Thus, on the one hand, the data traffic can initially be reduced and, at the same time, an efficient utilization of the checkers can be achieved, since a prosecution request is initially only displayed on a mobile display device and the other controllers are thus initially not bothered.

In this case, a rejection of the tracking case request by a proximate mobile display device is also automatically generated if a tracking case request accepted before this tracking case request is still marked as active. This avoids sending a trace case request to a mobile display device whose controllers are already engaged in another case of persecution.

In addition to at least one license plate of the vehicle subject to toll, the control device preferably also detects the direction of travel and / or the speed and / or the number of axles and / or the pollutant class and / or the vehicle weight of the tolled vehicle and / or the status of a vehicle device and / or a Image of the toll vehicle and / or an assessment of the non-compliance of the control device and the data obtained are included in the control record.

In a further preferred refinement, the central data processing device transmits the control data record and the current vehicle position to at least two adjacent display devices and at the same time transmits communication data of the respective other of the at least two nearest display devices to the display device in order to communicate between these display devices with respect to the respective toll-liable vehicle to support.

The current vehicle position and the current position of the nearest mobile display device, for example the control vehicle, are preferably displayed on a map or a map section in the nearest mobile display device, wherein the map or the map section is generated in the central data processing device or in the nearest mobile display device. Thus, the inspector or the crew of a control vehicle, the own position, which is determined by the position of his mobile display device, as well as the current position of the toll vehicle to be checked in a familiar map view and plan in this way, the necessary tracking use.

It is also possible to display the current vehicle positions of further or all toll vehicles on a map or a map section in the nearest mobile display device for which there is a suspicion of a toll violation. This provides the controller or crew of the nearest inspection vehicle with an overview of which other vehicles suspected of being liable for infringement are also located in their vicinity and may possibly be tracked further.

The current vehicle position is preferably displayed together with the control data record in the nearest mobile display device, in particular the control data record is displayed at the location of the current vehicle position on a map or in a map section in the nearest mobile display device.

It is also possible to display the control data record without the current vehicle position on a map or a map section in the nearest mobile display device, wherein the control data record is preferably displayed at the location of the current vehicle position on a map or in a map section in the nearest mobile display device. Further preferably, the position of at least one further nearest mobile display device, preferably of all the nearest mobile display devices, is transmitted by the central data processing device to the at least one nearest mobile display device and displayed on the map or the map section of this nearest mobile display device. Thus, the individual inspector can also take over the tracking orders based on the knowledge of the other controllers in the vicinity and thus plan the prosecution cases accordingly.

Particularly preferably, the control data and the current vehicle position are provided with a time stamp and discarded after a predetermined time period, starting from the time stamp. It can thus be achieved that prosecution case requests or data of potential toll violations are then removed by the mobile display device if it is unlikely that these can still be processed by the controller carrying the mobile display device. Also in this way the efficiency can be increased significantly.

Brief description of the figures

Figur 1

schematisch eine Darstellung eines Mautsystems zur Durchführung eines Verfahrens zur Verfolgung mautpflichtiger Fahrzeuge, und

Figur 2

eine schematische Darstellung einer zentralen Datenverarbeitungseinrichtung des Mautsystems zur Durchführung des Verfahrens.

Preferred further embodiments and aspects of the present invention are explained in more detail by the following description of the figures. Showing:

FIG. 1

a schematic representation of a toll system for carrying out a method for tracking toll vehicles, and

FIG. 2

a schematic representation of a central data processing device of the toll system for performing the method.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments

In the following, preferred embodiments will be described with reference to the figures. In this case, identical, similar or equivalent elements in the different figures are denoted by identical reference numerals and a repeated description of these elements is omitted in order to avoid redundancies.

In FIG. 1 schematically a system for carrying out a method for tracking toll vehicles is shown. Schematically, a toll road surface 100 is provided, on which toll vehicles 102 move. The license plates 104 of tolled vehicles 102 are checked by means of roadside control devices. A first roadside controller 202 is provided which monitors a first portion of the toll road 100. The road-side control device 202 is stationarily arranged and shown here in the form of a control bridge, which extends across the toll road surface 100 away and which allows detection of toll vehicles 102 moving on the toll road surface 100. In this case, the control device 202, for example, cameras or other optical readers (not shown) installed by means of which the license plate 104 of the registration number of the respective toll motor vehicles can be read. Furthermore, cameras and / or laser distance sensors can also be used to determine further detailed information of tolled vehicles 102, for example whether or not a truck carries a trailer, the size or volume of the toll vehicle 102, and, for example, the number of axles of tolled vehicle 102. Other detection devices may also be provided in the roadside controller 202. Furthermore, receiving and transmitting devices can also be provided in the road-side control device 202, by means of which specific vehicle data which is emitted by the toll vehicle 102 can be received or can be output to a vehicle unit, for example, in the toll vehicle 102 to be transmitted data.

In the in FIG. 1 In the embodiment shown, a second road-side control device 204 is provided, which is likewise embodied stationary and which can be constructed identically to the first roadside control device 202 or even in a similar manner. The second roadside control device 204 is shown in the illustrated embodiment as the toll road 100 spanning toll bridge, by means of which details of the toll vehicles and in particular license plate 104 and other detailed information of the toll vehicle 102 can be detected.

The data captured by the roadside controllers 202, 204 and in particular the license plate data are transmitted to a central data processing device 300. In the central data processing device 300, which, for example, at the location of the operator can be arranged on the toll system, or can also be formed at a different location, data center or as a distributed central data processing device with multiple interconnected processors or servers or as a cloud service, are determined by the individual roadside controllers 202, 204 vehicle-relevant data and in particular the license plate 104 of these toll vehicles 102 received and processed.

In the central data processing device 300 or in the control device 202, which has detected the license plate 104 of the toll vehicle 102, it is determined whether a toll violation exists. By known per se method can be determined whether a toll vehicle 102 uses a toll road surface 100, but the required authorization for the use is missing.

The authorization may be missing if, for example, the actually due toll fee can not be charged. This could have the background that the toll vehicle 102 is not accessible for automatic detection, since the technical prerequisites for carrying out an automatic method are missing - for example, an on board unit suitable for the respective toll system is not present, is not switched on or is defective. However, it may also be that for the respective vehicle 102 in the manual procedure the currently traveled route section has not been booked. A toll violation may also be present if the correct parameters have not been registered for the toll vehicle 102 - the toll vehicle 102 is traveling with a trailer, for example, but is registered without a trailer.

If a toll violation is detected by the central data processing device 300 or the control device 202, an anti-toll alert is generated and linked with the flag 104 to a control data record.

In the central data processing device 300, for example, the current vehicle position of the toll vehicle 102 can be determined based on the position of the first control device 202, by means of which the toll vehicle 102 has been detected, or received by the first control device 202. In a continuation, in the central data processing device 300, a hypothetical current position of the toll vehicle 102 can also be continuously updated on the basis of a presumed speed of the toll vehicle based on a digital road map, that the time and place of detection of the Flag 104 of the toll vehicle 102 by the first roadside control device 202 are known, and the direction of travel of the toll vehicle 102 may also be determined from the transmitted from the controller 202 data. The direction of travel can be determined, for example, by the knowledge of the vehicle toll-detecting vehicle 102, wherein the sensor is then assigned to a specific roadway. In particular, when collecting data on highways can be achieved in this way an unambiguous assignment to the direction of travel.

In the central data processing device 300, on the basis of the detection time and the direction of travel on the basis of the speed of the toll vehicle 102, a current position of the toll vehicle 102 is then calculated at a later point in time. The speed of the vehicle subject to tolling can either also be measured by the roadside control device 102, or can be determined from the average speed known in the roadside control device 202, or based on a general estimate of the speed of the toll vehicle 102.

In the in FIG. 1 In the system shown, mobile display devices 402, 404 are furthermore provided, which are each provided in control vehicles, which are provided for the purpose of checking or monitoring toll-laden vehicles 102. In this case, for example, in the event of suspicion of a toll, the control vehicles or their crews control the toll vehicle 102, possibly lead, confront the driver with the suspicion of a toll violation, check the registration documents and / or the carried on-board unit in the vehicle 102 and if the suspicion has been confirmed, the driver or the owner of the toll vehicle 102 of the idea.

The mobile display devices 402, 404 are provided to accept and display the data determined by the central data processing device 300, in particular license plates of vehicles 102 for which there is a suspicion of a toll violation. For this purpose, the central data processing device 300 is preferably connected via mobile radio, as indicated schematically here by the antenna 302, to the mobile display devices 402, 404. The mobile display devices 402, 404 respectively receive the Data from the central data processing device 300 and display this data on its display.

The inspectors, for example, the crew of the control vehicles, which carry the mobile display devices 402, 404, in this way can detect whether a toll vehicle is suspected of a toll violation, and accordingly record the tracking of this vehicle and check accordingly.

The mobile display devices 402, 404, for their part, transmit their current position to the central data processing device 300. The mobile display devices 402, 404 may perform, for example, a location via the evaluation of the respective radio cells, via a satellite-supported position analysis, for example via a GPS position determination or to others known way. The position data is then transmitted from each mobile display device 402, 404 to the central data processing device 300.

Thus, the current or respectively cyclically updated position data of the mobile display devices 402, 404 are present in the central data processing device 300, preferably from all the mobile display devices 402, 404 or the mobile display devices 402, 402 located in a specific route section ,

In the central data processing device 300, the mobile display device 402 closest to the toll-liable vehicle 102 or to the current position of the toll-liable vehicle 102 is then determined in the central data processing device 300. For this purpose, in the central data processing device 300, for example, a distance vector or a train of a plurality of distance vectors is determined along a path between the detected toll vehicle 102 and the current positions of the mobile display devices 402, 404 and the amount of the distance vector or the sum of the amounts of the distance vectors of the train a plurality of distance vectors which is closest to the detected toll vehicle 102 mobile display device 402 determined.

When determining the nearest mobile display device 402, preference is furthermore given to whether the mobile display device 402 and thus also the control vehicle and whose crew are in the direction of travel of the toll vehicle 102. If this is not the case, then the route or time to reach the toll vehicle 102 must be extended by the route to a possible turning point for the control vehicle.

Instead of a distance between the toll vehicle 102 and the mobile display devices 402, 404, the estimated travel time between the mobile display device 402, 404 and the toll vehicle 102 may be estimated and then the nearest mobile display device 402 corresponding to the toll vehicle 102 fastest selected to then transmit the corresponding data to this mobile display device 402.

In this way, it is achieved that the respectively nearest mobile display device 402, which is carried along by the respective control vehicle or the crew of the control vehicle, is used to check the respective toll vehicle 102 which is closest to it. A time prior to the occurrence of a control case assignment of the mobile display device 402, 404 to a single stationary roadside controller 202, 204 can be avoided in this way. Rather, due to the knowledge of the current position of the mobile display device 402, 404 respectively the toll vehicle 102 and the toll vehicles 102, which are in the vicinity of the mobile display device 402, 404 can be displayed on this, so as to a short Driving time or a short time to reach the toll vehicle for which, for example, a toll offense notice is reached. Thus, the control vehicles carrying the mobile display devices 402, 404 can also "swim along" in traffic on the road, and fixed deployment near fixed roadside controllers 202, 204 is not necessary. Furthermore, a control vehicle or the crew of the control vehicle immediately after completion of an inspection record the pursuit of another toll vehicle, which is located in his vicinity, without this would be a certain starting position of the control vehicle of importance. In other words, the control vehicle carrying the mobile display devices 402, 404 can always be operational and thus increase the efficiency, since the crew of the control vehicle is used faster in this way, since the times to reach the respective toll vehicle 102 are reduced because z. B. return trips to a defined starting point, which is auszusziiert with a specific stationary roadside control device, can be omitted.

In the system after FIG. 1 is further provided that the central data processing device 300 based on the knowledge of the current position of the mobile display devices 402, 404, the assignment of tracked toll vehicles 102 dynamically designed. In other words, when a control vehicle or a mobile display device 402 moves away from the toll vehicle 102 to be checked and, accordingly, another mobile display device 404 is closer to the also moving toll vehicle 102 after a certain time, the data may be applied thereto closer mobile display device 404 sends, and preferably removed from the previously mentioned mobile display device 402. In this way, the times required for a control vehicle to reach a toll vehicle 102 for which a toll-infringing notice is present can be optimized so as to ensure that each crew of a control vehicle as frequently and directly as possible to control tolls Vehicles 102 can be used.

In order to simplify the process of tracking a toll vehicle 102 and preclude dual tracking, a vehicle to be tracked may preferably be selected on the mobile display device 402, 404 and confirmed that this vehicle will be tracked and controlled. If the mobile display device 402, 404 is then switched to a tracking mode, then further tracking requests sent by the central data processing device 300 can be forwarded to another mobile display device 404, which does not yet have an active tracking display and which is then also in the Near the vehicle to be tracked.

For this purpose, the mobile display device 402, 404 may initially be excluded in the determination of a tracking mobile application device on acceptance of a tracking order until the corresponding tracking order is processed.

An exemplary central data processing device 300 of the toll system 200 for carrying out the method is shown as a block diagram in FIG FIG. 2 shown. In this instructions are executed, for example in the form of software code sections, so that the Data processing device 300 is configured to perform one or more of the method steps and functions described herein.

The central data processing device 300 may include only a single computer. It can also be a distributed system (" distributed system "). In one embodiment, the central data processing device 300 is a single, preferably physically demarcated, computer. In another embodiment, this is a distributed system, that is, multiple independent computers that are interconnected and interact with each other to appear to a user as a single coherent system. In the latter case, each of the computers would have at least one processor with internal memory. The several computers of the computing device then work autonomously but functionally coordinated.

The exemplary central data processing device 300 includes a central processor 220 (for example, a CPU, a GPU, or both) having an internal memory, a central main memory 222, and a central static memory 224, which are communicatively coupled to one another via a bus 226. The central data processing device 300 may also be communicatively coupled to a user interface. This user interface may include a display unit 228 (eg, a flat panel display or the like) and a first input unit 230 (eg, a touch screen, input keys, a scroll wheel, a joystick, a touch pad, a mouse, or a voice recognition system) and a second input unit 232 (for example, a touch screen, input keys, a scroll wheel, a joystick, a touch pad, a mouse or a speech recognition system). Of course, the user interface may include the display unit 228 and the input unit (s) in an integrated device, such as a touch screen. Finally, the central data processing device 300 also comprises a central memory device 234, a signal generation device 236 and a central communication device 238, which are communicatively connected to one another via the bus 226.

The central storage device 234 includes a machine readable medium 240 having software code portions and data (e.g., instructions 242) stored therein required for the methods and functions of the computing device described herein. During operation of the central data processing device 300, the instructions 242 may also, at least partially, be stored in the main memory 222 and / or internal memory of the central memory 222 Processor 220 loaded, wherein the main memory 222 and the internal memory of the processor 220 are also machine-readable media.

However, the instructions 242 may also be communicated or received over a network 244 by the central communication device 238 using one of the numerous known transmission protocols (eg, TCP / IP, HTTP).

While the machine-readable medium 240 (which is preferably non-transitory) in an exemplary embodiment is a single medium, the term "machine-readable medium" includes both a single medium and multiple media (eg, a central or distributed database, and any buffers associated therewith (" Cache ") and server), which store the instructions 242 in the form of software code sections. The term "machine-readable medium" also includes any medium suitable to store, encode or carry instructions 242. This can be a solid state memory, an optical or a magnetic memory. Exemplary embodiments of the central data processing device 300 may be implemented in digital circuits or in computer hardware, firmware, software, or combinations thereof.

In this way, the data acquired by the roadside controllers 202, 204 can be transmitted to the central data processing device 300 and the method steps described above can be performed by the central processor 220 in conjunction with the internal memory, the central main memory 222 and the central static memory 224 via the coupling of the central processor 220 Buses 226 are processed.

In particular, the positions of the mobile display devices 402, 404 may be processed and correlated with the control records and vehicle positions to then determine the nearest mobile display device 402, 404 and then transmit the tag 104 or control record to them.

In the central data processing device 300, which may be arranged, for example, at the location of the operator of the toll system, or at another location, data center or as a distributed central data processing device with a plurality of interconnected processors or servers or as a cloud service can be configured , will continue to be from the individual roadside Control devices 202, 204 determined vehicle-relevant data and in particular the license plate 104 of these toll vehicles 102 received and processed.

In the central data processing device 300 or in the control device 202, which has detected the license plate 104 of the toll vehicle 102, it is determined whether a toll violation exists. By known methods it can be determined whether a toll vehicle 102 uses a toll road surface 100 and the authorization required for the use is missing. The authorization may be missing if, for example, the actually due toll fee can not be charged.

This could have the background that the toll vehicle 102 is not accessible for automatic detection, since the technical prerequisites for carrying out an automatic method are missing - for example, an on board unit suitable for the respective toll system is not present, is not switched on or is defective. However, it may also be that for the respective vehicle 102 in the manual procedure the currently traveled route section has not been booked. A toll violation may also be present if the correct parameters have not been registered for the toll vehicle 102 - the toll vehicle 102 is traveling with a trailer, for example, but is registered without a trailer.

If a toll violation is detected by the central data processing device 300 or the control device 202, an anti-toll alert is generated and linked with the flag 104 to a control data record.

Where applicable, all individual features illustrated in the individual embodiments may be combined and / or interchanged without departing from the scope of the invention.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

100

toll road

102

toll vehicle

104

Mark

200

toll system

202

first roadside control device

204

second roadside control device

220

processor

222

main memory

224

static memory

226

bus

228

display unit

230

first input unit

232

second input unit

234

memory device

236

Signal generator

238

central communication device

240

machine-readable medium

242

instructions

244

network

300

central data processing device

302

antenna

402

mobile display device

404

mobile display device

Claims (16)

A method of tracking tolled vehicles (102) in a road toll system, comprising the steps of: Providing at least two stationary, roadside control devices (202, 204) for detecting at least one license plate (104) of a toll vehicle (102), Detecting a license plate (104) of a toll vehicle (102) by a first one of the control devices (202), Transmitting the identifier (104) to a central data processing device (300), Determining the current vehicle position of the toll vehicle (102) based on the position of the first control device (202), Providing at least two mobile display devices (402, 404) for displaying license plates (104) and current vehicle positions of toll vehicles (102) determined Transmitting the current position of each mobile display device (402, 404) to the central data processing device (300), Determining in the central data processing device (300) at least one nearest mobile display device (402) which is located at a smaller distance from the current vehicle position than at least one other mobile display device (404), based on the current vehicle position of the toll vehicle (102 ) and the current position of all display devices (402, 404), Transmitting the license plate (104) and the current vehicle position to at least one nearest mobile display device (402) by the central data processing device (300), - displaying the license plate (104) and the current vehicle position of the toll vehicle (102) on the at least one nearest mobile display device (402). Method according to claim 1, characterized in that each control device (202, 204) has an individual identifier which is indicative of or includes the position of the control device (202, 204), and Control device (202) to the central data processing device (300) is transmitted. A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the current vehicle position of the toll vehicle (102) corresponds to the position of the first control device (402). A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the current vehicle position of the toll vehicle (102) starting from the position of the first control device (202), a detection time of detection of the flag (104), preferably also to the central data processing device (300 ), as well as a calculated, assumed or measured speed of the toll vehicle (104) is determined, preferably in the central data processing device (300), in the mobile display device (402) and / or in the control device (202). Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the central data processing device (300) or in the control device (202) which has detected the license plate (104) of this toll vehicle (102), a toll violation with the license plate (104) a control record is linked and the control record is transmitted together with the current vehicle position to at least one nearest mobile display device (402). Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the data processing device (300) precisely determines a nearest mobile display device (402) whose position is closer to the current vehicle position than all other mobile display devices (404). Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a fixed number of nearest mobile display devices (402, 404) is determined. A method according to claim 6, characterized in that the central data processing device (300) continuously, cyclically or in the presence of a predetermined condition checks whether the current position of one of the mobile display devices (402, 404) has a smaller distance to the current vehicle position, than the largest distance of the current position of one of the nearest mobile display devices (402), and in such a situation replacing the nearest mobile display device with the largest distance by the mobile display device (404) with the smaller distance. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one mobile display device (402, 404) is included in, included in, or provided by a control vehicle for tracking detected toll vehicles (202, 204) and / or the mobile Display device (402, 404) from a mobile device, preferably mobile computer, tablet computer or smartphone, is included. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that with the transmission of the control record, a tracking case request is generated and displayed on at least one nearest mobile display device (402, 404), wherein interaction means are provided in the mobile display device (402, 404) which can be accepted or rejected by a user input a prosecution request, wherein the acceptance or rejection after the user input from the respective mobile display device (402, 404) to the central data processing device (300) is transmitted. A method according to claim 10, characterized in that the tracking case request is communicated to at least two nearest mobile display devices (402, 404) and, upon acceptance of the tracking case request by a first nearest mobile display device (402), a cancellation message from the central data processing device (300) to all others Nearest mobile display devices (404) is sent to cancel the tracking case request in these mobile display devices (404). Method according to claim 10, characterized in that the tracking case request is sent only to a single first nearest display device (402). and if, within a predetermined time period following transmission of the tracking case request to the nearest mobile display device (402), there is no acceptance or rejection by the mobile display device interaction means (402), transmitting the tracking case request to another or all other nearest mobile display devices (404) and a cancellation message is sent to the first nearest display device (402) to override the trace case request in the first nearest mobile display device (402). A method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that a rejection of the tracking case request by a proximate mobile display device (402) is automatically generated if a tracking case request accepted before this tracking case request is still marked as active. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the central data processing device (300) transmits the control data record and the current vehicle position to at least two nearest mobile display devices (402, 404) and at the same time communication data of the respective other of the at least two nearest mobile display devices (402, 404) is communicated to the display device to facilitate communication between these display devices with respect to the respective toll-registered vehicle. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control data record and / or the current vehicle position are displayed on a map or a map section in the mobile display device (402, 404), wherein the map or the map section in the central data processing device or in the mobile display device (402, 404) is generated. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the position of at least one further nearest mobile display device (404), preferably all the nearest display devices (404), is transmitted by the central data processing device (300) to the at least one nearest mobile display device (402) and displayed on the map or map portion of this nearest mobile display device (402).

Images