HRP20040020A2 - Dual toll system - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a procedure for electronic billing using a position determination system for determining the actual location coordinates of a vehicle.

The invention further relates to a tolling system for electronic tolling using a position determination system for determining the actual location coordinates of the vehicle.

The billing system, that is, the procedure of the above type is known from DE 43 44 433 A1. In a known procedure, the actual local coordinates are obtained from a GPS receiver and are compared with the entry/exit coordinates of the highway track that are stored in the electronic label, and when the coordinates match, they are transmitted using a digital mobile network to the calculation center located outside the vehicle, whereby in the calculation center, they calculate the kilometers traveled on the highway from the transmitted data, as well as the related highway debt.

WO 95/20801 describes a procedure and a schedule for determining road and/or road traffic charges, whereby vehicle position data is captured by a position determination system and compared with the positions of a virtual toll booth. To calculate the toll debt, the location data can be transferred to a central location outside the vehicle, whereby the debt calculation can also be performed in the vehicle's toll machine and the resulting debts are transferred to the central location, where they can then be deducted from the account. The disadvantage of this procedure is first of all that the position of the vehicle must be recorded constantly and there is no possibility of anonymous registration.

WO 99/33027 describes a procedure for raising toll debts in which the actual position of the vehicle for calculating the toll debt is compared with the position of the virtual toll booth, whereby when the vehicle passes through a physical toll station, a communication link is established between the vehicle and the central toll booth to settle the due toll debt. After a successful payment, a communication link is created between the toll station and the vehicle through which information about the orderly payment of the toll debt is transmitted.

The lack of known procedures consists in the fact that in case of interruption of the communication link between the vehicle and the calculation center, that is, between the vehicle and the system for determining the position, no toll debt can be calculated.

The task of the invention is to provide a procedure for recording and settling toll debts that can be realized easily and at a favorable price, which also enables easy adaptation to different types of debt calculation for toll roads, as well as taking toll debts independently of the communication connection between the vehicle and the billing center that is located outside the vehicle.

This task is solved with the procedure of the type mentioned in the introduction according to the invention, so that using the local coordinates of the vehicle, at least one characteristic signature for the road on which the vehicle is moving is calculated, and with the help of this signature, it is determined whether the road on which it is driven must be paid for.

Thanks to the invention, the use of the toll road can also be proven even when no permanent communication between the positioning system and the vehicle is possible, because the signature of the road on which it is driven enables connection with the toll roads.

To determine whether the road is tolled, the calculated singatura can be compared with comparative toll roads stored in comparison maps.

However, each toll road in a predetermined area may also be assigned at least one comparison singature, and for determining that the toll road is driven, the singature obtained from the actual spatial coordinates is compared to the comparison singatures.

In order to facilitate the settlement of accrued toll debts, a toll debt can be attached in advance to each comparative signature, that is, to each comparative road.

The collection of data can be significantly limited so that the singaturu is calculated in the vehicle's payment device.

The tolling system, i.e. the billing center outside the vehicle, can be omitted if the comparison of the singature with a comparative singature and/or with a comparative ticket is made in the toll machine and toll debts are deducted from the activated credit stored in the toll machine. This embodiment of the invention enables the anonymity of the vehicle user, because no information, such as vehicle identification, etc., needs to be transferred to the toll booth and credit can be obtained in advance for payment. In principle, other types of advance payment can also be obtained, for example in the form of a time card or road credit, etc.

If the vehicle owner and/or the collection manager does not want any payment of toll debts in advance, the singatura calculated by the tolling device can be transferred to the calculation center outside the vehicle and the comparison of the singatura with the comparison singatura and/or with the comparison ticket can be carried out in the calculation center, whereby accrued collection debts can be deducted from the account located in the settlement center and belonging to the vehicle. In this case, anonymity is no longer given, because the driver's identification must also be transferred from the account to register the due collection debts.

Proving that a toll road has been used can be facilitated by having the singatura timestamped and the singatura and timestamp stored for a predetermined time interval.

It is advantageous that the actual location coordinates of the vehicle are determined by the satellite navigation process.

For the implementation of the procedure according to the invention, a toll system of the type mentioned in the introduction is particularly suitable, which is arranged in such a way that, using the local coordinates of the vehicle, it calculates at least one signature characteristic of the road on which the vehicle is moving and, using this signature, determines whether the vehicle was moving on a toll road.

In a favorable embodiment of the invention, the toll system is arranged so that the signature, calculated to determine whether one is driving on a toll road, is compared with comparative toll roads that are stored on the comparative map.

Furthermore, each comparative singatura, that is, each comparative road, can be associated with a predetermined toll debt.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the tolling system provides that the vehicle has a tolling device that is designed to calculate the singature of the road on which it is driven.

An advantageous version of the invention consists in the fact that the tolling device is arranged so that it compares the singatura with a comparative singatura and/or to a comparative ticket and deducts the toll debt from the activated credit stored in the tolling device.

In a further favorable embodiment of the invention, the toll system can be arranged so that the toll, which is calculated by the toll device, is transferred to the calculation center outside the vehicle, which is arranged in such a way that it compares that toll with a comparative toll and/or to a comparative ticket, and that the arrived deducts the collection debt from the account located in the settlement center, which belongs to that vehicle.

Further advantages can be achieved if the signature is time-stamped and the billing system is arranged so that the signature and time stamp are memorized for the duration of a predetermined time interval.

Further advantages can be achieved by arranging the tolling system so that it determines local coordinates using the satellite navigation process.

All further advantages of the invention will be explained in more detail below by means of several non-limiting exemplary embodiments, which are shown in the figures. Thereby

figure 1 shows the billing system according to the invention,

Figure 1a shows the value card for charging the vehicle,

figure 2 shows the schematic flow of the procedure according to the invention,

figure 3 shows the singatura obtained using local coordinates for the road being driven on,

figure 4 shows a comparison between the singature from figure 3 and the comparative singature of the toll road,

Figure 5 shows the version of the value card from Figure 1a in detail and the reader for registering the user's authorization on the value card,

Figure 6 shows a mobile data carrier with a code for registering the user's authorization on a value card,

Figure 7 shows the value card from Figure 5, which is connected to the data network due to the activation of the authorization for use.

figure 8 shows a dual billing system according to the invention with a billing center,

Figure 9 shows the billing center and payment device from Figure 8 in more detail,

Figure 10 shows the control system for controlling the working condition of the payment device, i

figure 11 shows a screen located on the vehicle that shows the working state of typical control samples of the tolling device.

According to Figure 1, the toll system SYS (ie Mautsystem) according to the invention includes a position recording system PES (ie Positionserfassungssystems) for determining the location of the vehicle FAR (ie Fahrzeug), for example the well-known "Global Positioning Systems" or GPS-system for short. With the SYS billing system according to the invention, a dual billing system can be realized in a simple way, which will be explained in more detail below.

The dual billing system in this document is understood to mean a billing system that, without communication with the ABZ billing center (so-called Abrechnungszentrum) outside the vehicle, enables the settlement of the toll debt directly in the own BE1 billing device (so-called Bemautungs-vorrichtung) of the FAR vehicle, as well as payment collection debt through the ABZ settlement center, while in the second case the vehicle must have a BE2 collection device that is arranged for 2a communication with the ABZ settlement center.

To determine the actual local coordinates OKO (or Orts-Coordinate), vehicles FA1, FA2 each have one charging device BE1, BE2, which is arranged to exchange data with the PES position determination system, primarily with the satellite navigation system. If in the case of the PES positioning system it is a GPS charging system, then the BEV charging devices can have a GPS module.

To determine the road or position using GPS, see for example: "Umgebungserfassung auf Basis lernender digitaler Karten zur vorausschauenden Konditionierung von Fahrer-assistenzsystemen"; Michael Schraut, Dissertation an der Fakultät für Elektrotechnik und Informationstechnik der technischen Universität München.

Using the local coordinates OKO obtained from the charging device BE1 according to the invention, it is determined whether it is necessary to pay for the road STR (so-called Strecke) on which it is driven, in the manner that will be described below.

According to Figure 2, the control ST1, ST2 of the charging device on the side of the vehicle BE1, BE2 can, from the received local coordinates OKO, for the relevant road STR on which it is driven, at predetermined intervals, calculate the signature SIG (so-called Signature) characteristic of the road in question on which you drive, for example in the form of polygon lines, on which the obtained local coordinates OKO lie, and to determine whether it is a road for which you have to pay, compare it by similarity, i.e. compliance with the road on the RKA comparison map (n. Referenzkarte), i.e. with comparative signatures REF (referenzsignaturen), which are also available, for example, in the form of polygon lines. The intervals in which the SIG signature is calculated can be set in advance by the manager of the billing system. The local coordinates OKO obtained from the billing device BE2 according to the invention can be transmitted via the transmitter SEN (so-called Sendeinheit) to the receiver EM3 of the calculation center ABZ (so-called Abrechungszentrum) outside the vehicle, which has the control ST3 (so-called Steuerung) arranged in such a way that it captures the local coordinates from the EM3 receiver and calculates the SIG signature of the STR road on which it is driven and determines whether the STR must be paid for that road.

Controls ST1, ST2, St3 of billing devices BE1, BE2, that is, of the ABZ billing center can be, for example, appropriately programmed microprocessors.

According to Figure 3, the relative positions of local coordinates OKO can be direction vectors defined by two mutually consecutive local coordinates OK1-OKN, i.e. a characteristic of the signature SIG that gives shape, when it is made in the form of polygonal lines. Of course, the SIG signature can also be determined with other road parameters, for example with the average height difference, i.e. height profile, mean radius of curvature, i.e. during the radius of curvature of the road, etc. It is only important that the STG signature is characteristic of the road on which it is driven and that enables checking whether it is a road for which payment must be made. In doing so, the location of the obtained OKO local coordinates is not determined in the map, as in the case of known charging procedures, but the characteristic signatures for the road being driven are calculated from the number of local coordinates.

According to Figure 4, the comparative signature REF, as well as the signature SIG, are available in digital form, where the comparative signature REF can contain more data values than the signature SIG, because the entire comparison road that has to be paid for can be present in the form of a comparative signature REF, while the signature SIG can be calculated in predetermined time intervals, which is why it can happen that the actual calculated signature SIG corresponds only to a section of the total road on which it is driven.

For the comparison of the signature SIG and the comparison signature REF, if the signature SIG and the comparison signature REF are available in the form of polygon lines, for example, the start and end points of the signature SIG can be covered with one point of the comparison signature REF. Such a procedure is based on the assumption that the SIG signature is equal, or similar, only to that segment of the comparative REF signature, whose start and end points can coincide with the start and end points of the SIG signature. For this purpose, the signature SIG can, with compliance, move along a curve given in advance with the comparative signature REF. When a section of the comparative signature REF is obtained, in which the starting point A and the ending point E of the signature SIG can be covered with the points of the comparative signature REF, the amount can be calculated from the area FLA (nj. Fläche) bounded by the signature SIG and the comparative signature REF. If the signature SIG is identical to the section of the comparison road that has to be paid for, then the amount of the area closed with the comparison signature REF and the signature SIG is close to zero. In order to enable a reliable comparison between the signature SIG and the comparison signature REF, despite the possible measurement error, a limit can also be defined for the amount, both for the FLA surfaces closed with the signature SIG and the comparison signature REF, and also for the maximum permissible deviation. If the amount is below the closed area FLA and the maximum deviation of this limit, then the signature SIG can be considered identical to the comparative signature REF, i.e. with the relevant section of the comparative signature REF and the road on which it is driven can be evaluated as the one for which it is necessary to pay. In order to determine whether a toll road must be paid for, the SIG signature is compared with all comparative REF road toll signatures that are known to the tolling system, if multiple toll gates are used. , and then the road whose comparative signature has the highest match with the SIG signature is considered the road on which to drive. The procedure described above represents only one of many possibilities for creating a SIG signature and comparing it with the comparative REF signature of the toll road. Further procedures, i.e. devices for carrying out the comparison of samples, i.e. objects by similarity, i.e. for the purpose of determining the location, are known to the expert in large numbers.

The procedure described above represents only one of the many possibilities of creating a signature SIG and a comparison with the comparative signature REF. Further procedures, i.e. devices for carrying out the comparison of samples, i.e. objects by similarity, i.e. for determining the position, are known to the expert in large numbers.

Thus obtained local coordinates OKO can be considered, for example, also the realization of complex random variables, and accordingly, the derivation of their trajectories can be considered as a stochastic process, with the usual assumptions regarding ergodicity, etc. This time-discrete process can become unwieldy due to position measurements made at discrete moments, for example, using Kalman filtering against the dropout of measurement values as a consequence of insufficient position data reception.

Furthermore, if the position data is laden with error, the mentioned process based on the mobility of the model, which the deviations caused by the determination of the position with additions from the unknown "requested trajectories" is modeled by Gaussian white noise. Similarly, the comparison process derived from the KAR comparison map (referenzkarte) is modeled, which also views the inaccuracies of the KAR comparison map as noise.

These two processes can be processed for spectral or time series analysis using methods known from digital signal processing. Hypothesis tests can also be applied, for example, based on the distribution of eigenvalues of one covariance matrix of two processes, or based on a specially expressed spectrum, it can be concluded about the identity of the road being driven on with the comparative toll road.

The mentioned procedures can be seen, for example, also as a mapping regulation with statistical error processing, according to which condensed, characteristic properties, SIG signatures, i.e. comparative REF signatures of the road being driven on and comparative roads are compared. By means of the characteristic features of the trajectory of the road on which the driver is driving, SIG signatures, compliance with the road known to the tolling system, i.e. with the comparative signature REF, is checked, whereby each comparative path known to the tolling system, i.e. each comparative signature REF can be transferred in advance as default collect the debt.

The advantage of this systematic procedure, which is based on statistical methods, is also the possibility to estimate the remaining error in the position data with an error, i.e. OKO local coordinates, i.e. to take into account any possible measurement error. If the actual position measurements and map references are not laden with errors, if they are therefore noise-free, then any objective mapping that performs information densification can be used.

The advantage of calculating the signature is that it is not necessary to constantly determine the location of the FAR vehicle in order to determine whether it is on the toll road. In principle, it is sufficient to calculate the SIG signature once for one STR road on which it is driven, for example using local coordinates OKO measured in a time span of five minutes, in order to be able to determine whether the FAR vehicle is on a toll road. Therefore, it is not necessary to achieve the accuracy of the known location determination procedure to determine the STR train path. Since it is not necessary to determine the exact position, it is only necessary to make a yes/no decision about whether the vehicle was on the toll road at a certain moment or period of time.

As already mentioned above, the manager of the billing system can, depending on the desired accuracy of position determination, specify in advance the intervals in which the SIG signature should be calculated.

Comparative routes, i.e. comparative maps of RKA according to Figure l can be marked in the memory of another type of charging device BE1, or they can be stored in the ABZ calculation center outside the vehicle, whereby each comparative road, i.e. comparative signature REF, can be associated with a predetermined collection debt GEB (Mautgebühr).

To determine whether a STR road has to be paid for, a similarity comparison can be made in the BE1 toll booth or in the ABZ billing center between the road being driven and the road predetermined with the comparison map KAR, and in doing so, one decision threshold can be skipped, so that the train path for which there is the greatest match is considered as the reference REF path for which payment must be made.

By comparing the signature SIG with the comparative path, that is, with the comparative signature REF, which is known to the toll system SYS, not only the toll paths STR, but also the length of the distance DIS (n.d. Distanz) that the FAR vehicle actually covered on the toll road can be unambiguously determined PAGE

If the obtained road STR has to be paid for, then by means of the authorization to use BER stored in the memory of the SPR charging devices BE1 or by means of the authorization to use BER stored in the calculation center ABZ, it can be checked whether the vehicle FAR is authorized to use that road STR.

In the charging system according to the invention, two types of charging can be distinguished in principle. One type of payment refers to the embodiment of the invention, in which the authorization of the user BER is stored in the memory of the SPR payment device BE1. At the same time, the calculation of the signature SIG and comparison with the comparative signatures REF of toll roads is carried out by the toll device BE1 on the panel of the FAR vehicle. In this form of performance, the corresponding payment device BE1, which is referred to below as the WEK value card, does not need to build any communication link with the ABZ billing center outside the vehicle, because it already has available all the information necessary for calculating and calculating the toll debt, i.e. it receives them from the PES positioning system.

The authorization to use the BER value card WEK can be realized as a GUT credit and stored in the memory of the SPR value card MEK, whereby management of the STE is foreseen, which can be arranged so that the accrued collection debt is deducted from the GUT credit. When the GUT credit is used up, then the FAR vehicle may no longer use any STR toll road (Figure 1a).

When authorized to use the BER value card WEK, it must be a GUT loan, but not exclusively. The authorization to use the BER can be created, for example, also as a time card ZEI (nj Zeitkarte) stored in the memory of the value card SPR, which can be given in advance for the authorized use of the toll road STR for a certain period of time, etc.

If the authorization to use the BER consists in the fact that a predetermined number of kilometers may be driven on the STR toll road, then the number of kilometers already traveled will be deducted from the road credit stored in the memory of the SPR value card.

Time-limited authorization to use the BER in the WEK value card can be achieved, for example, by adding a time stamp to the SIG signature. Then, using the SIG signature and the STE time stamp (the so-called Stampel), it is possible to unambiguously determine the toll roads used, as well as the time of use, whereby the STE time stamp can be used to check whether the FAR vehicle is allowed to drive the road specified with signature SIG or not.

In this way, despite the lack of communication with the toll booth, a proper device for paying the debt was made possible.

The method of authorization to use BER (credit, time card, road credit, time limit, etc.) can be transferred, i.e. activated, for example, using the COD code in the WEK value card, at the request of the vehicle owner and/or according to the regulation of the collection administration. At the same time, each method of authorization to use BER can be specified with the predefined code CO1, CO2, CO3 in the value card (Figure 5). So, for example, the first CO1 code can be a ZEI time card for all STR toll roads belonging to a predetermined area, while the second CO2 code can be a GUT credit for a predetermined amount or the third CO3 code can be an increased credit for the SGH road (nj, Streckenguthaben) to a predetermined amount.

Of course, different types of BER authorization can also be stored in the value card at the same time and activated as needed. If, for example, for a road the authorization to use the BER is in the form of a time card ZEI, which is valid for the use of the toll road STR for a certain period of time, then a GUT credit can also be provided in parallel with it. If the FAR vehicle uses the STR road, for which there is a valid ZEI time card, the driver can deactivate the registration through the GUT credit and "present" the ZEI time card electronically. This presentation of the ZEI time card corresponds mainly to a change in the method of calculation in the value card and can be carried out by activating the input unit on the value card, for example via a button.

After receiving the COD code, the management of the STE value card WEK can, by comparing the COD code received from the user with the Col, CO2, CO3 codes stored in the SPI memory, identify and freely include, that is, activate the corresponding authorization for the use of BER.

When the ZEI time card for a certain road and GUT credit is activated in the MEK value card, then the driver can deactivate the registration through the GUT credit and "present" the ZEI time card electronically as soon as he starts driving on the road for which the time card exists.

This presentation of the time card ZEI corresponds mainly to the change of the method of calculation in the value card BEK and can be undertaken by activating the input unit on the value card, for example a button. In principle, any combination is possible for the user of the BER authorization.

The authorization of the BER user in the form of a GUT credit may belong to several codes CO1, CO1', CO1" that correspond to different amounts of money. After payment, the corresponding amount corresponding to that code CO1, CO1', CO1" can be transferred to a value card and a GUT credit can be increased by that amount.

Analogous to the above, other forms of authorization to use BER for WEK value cards can also be obtained. That is, after payment of the amount due to the authorization to use the BER, the billing manager receives from the vehicle user a "free activation code" for that form of use of the BER authorization and transfers it to the WEK value card.

The transfer of the COD code to the value card WEK can be performed, for example, by means of an EIV input device (so-called Eingavevorrichtung) which is conductively connected to the value card WEK or which is not conductively connected to the value card. Examples of a conductive connection between the EIV input device and the WEK value card are copper wire, glass fiber, etc. Examples of a non-conductive connection are spark, infrared transmission, laser, etc.

To prevent unauthorized activation of the authorization to use BER in the BEE billing unit, codes CO1, CO2, CO3 can be locked and transferred to the MEK value card in a user-unrecognizable form.

The COD code can be memorized on a mobile data carrier, for example on a magnetic card, etc. In this case, to transfer the authorization of the user BER, i.e. the COD code to the value card WEK, the EIV input device is designed as a LES reader (so-called Lesegerät) for mobile data carrier. To prevent unauthorized reuse of the mobile data carrier, the LES reader can be arranged so that the process of transferring the COD code to the value card MEK ends with the invalidation of the value of the mobile data carrier. This invalidation of the value can consist, for example, in erasing the information contained on the mobile data carrier with the reader or in such a way that the value WER (nj Wert), which means the validity of the card, is changed from "valid" to "invalid" ( picture 6).

Another possibility of transferring the COD code to the WEK value card (so-called Wertkarte) is that after payment of the corresponding amount from a person authorized by the billing manager, via a device for entering the BEE calculation unit (so-called Berechnungseinheit), for example a key or keyboard or touch screen, enter the code manually into the BEE accounting unit.

Furthermore, the GOD code can also be transferred to the value card via the radio network, primarily the GSM network. For this purpose, the value card has a radio module, for example a GSM module, i.e. it must be connected to such a module, through which, on request, for example, by activating a preset key or a combination of keys on the value card's keyboard, a connection can be established with the billing by the ABZ center of the toll booth manager. After a successful connection, the vehicle user can select the desired authorization of the BEE user, for example with the support of an acoustic menu, as What is common, for example, with value cards of mobile radios. Payment for the authorization to use the BER, i.e. the COD code, can be made, for example, via a credit card or via an entry authorization for the vehicle user's account presented to the billing manager.

After choosing the desired authorization to use BER and its payment, the ABZ billing center can transfer the COD code to the value card.

Payment for BER user authorization can be made, as is known for GSM-value cards for mobile radio phones, by taking a payment value card on which at least one credit code KRE, KR1, KR2 is printed, which in any case belongs to one of the methods for BER user authorization . After establishing a connection with the ABZ settlement center via the GSM network, that credit code KRE, KR1, KR2 can be transferred from the value card to the settlement center AB2 after entering it into the settlement unit, for example via the value card keyboard. Upon receipt of the KRE credit code, the ABZ clearing center transfers the authorization to use the BER belonging to that KRE, KR1, KR2 credit code (the Kreditcode), for example in the form of a COD code, as already described above.

Establishing a connection for the transfer of the credit code KRE, KR1, KR2 and user authorization BER can also be carried out between the EIV input device and the ABZ settlement center. The device for entering the EIV can be, for example, a mobile radio telephone TEL (so-called Mobilfunktelefon), through which the credit code KRE, KR1, KR2 is transferred to the ABZ settlement center, whereby the ABZ settlement center, after receiving the credit code KRE, KR1, KR2, transmits to the mobile radio telephone the appropriate authorization of the BER user in the form of a COD code. Then, via the SS1 interface (nj Schnittstelle), for example the infrared interface, the authorization of the BER user can be transferred on request from the mobile radio telephone TEL to the value card.

According to Figure 7, the transfer of the authorization to use the BER, i.e. the code CO1, CO2, CO3, to the value card can also be carried out via a personal computer PC connected to the WWW data network, primarily to the Internet. At the same time, the CO1, CO2, CO3 codes can be transferred from the ABZ billing center via the boarding house to a PC computer, which is configured to transfer the CO1, CO2, CO3 codes to the value card, for example via a USB interface, at the request of the manager of the payment point. Payment for authorization to use BER can be made, as in COD code transmission over the radio network, by credit card, etc.

In order to be able to reject the GUT credit depending on the place, despite the non-existent communication of the WEK value card with the leading toll booth, the current obtained GPS position can be compared with the map of virtual payment points that are stored in the memory of the MEK value card and when driving past virtual toll booths places, the accumulated collection debt obtained using GPS-measurement can be deducted from the GUT loan.

In many cases, it may happen that the accuracy of recording the actual local coordinates AROUND the FAR vehicle when using the value card using the GPS billing system is not sufficient. It can happen, for example, that the GEB toll debt is calculated incorrectly, if, for example, a toll road and a non-toll road are used that run next to each other in a larger local vicinity. For this reason, entering the toll road, i.e. exiting the STR toll road, i.e. activating the value card, can be done with the driver of the FAR vehicle by activating the entry device provided for this purpose, for example the button on the value card. In this way, similar to canceling the value of a tram ticket, the driver of the vehicle can be forced to cooperate. This further limits the accuracy requirements for location determination to the accuracy that can be achieved with a GPS billing system without the need to transmit data for correction.

The value card can be conveniently made as a chip card, which can be inserted into the car radio, whereby the service, i.e. activation and deactivation of the value card can be done via the car radio.

Another method of billing, which can be achieved with the billing system according to the invention, provides that the authorization to use BER is stored in the ABZ billing center. This is primarily about the KON account belonging to the FAR vehicle. With this payment method, contrary to the value card, there is communication between the FAR vehicle and the BE2 billing device according to the invention due to the determination of the actual location coordinates of the FAR vehicle and the ABZ billing center. In the following, the billing device BE2 according to the invention which is capable of communication is referred to as the billing unit OBU.

According to Figure 8, the signature SIG, SI1 in the calculation unit OBU can be calculated at predetermined intervals and transferred to the calculation center ABZ via the radio network FUN, for example GSM or UMTS-network, etc. The calculation center ABZ can be used to determine the toll debt GEB, GE1 for settlement, as already mentioned above, by comparing the signature of the SIG road on which it is driven with the comparative signature REF of the toll road (Figure 9). In this way, posting can be carried out from the account KON, KO1 belonging to the vehicle, in the accounting unit OBU, if the FAR vehicle moves on the toll road, using the signature SIG, Sli, together with the immediately and continuously transmitted vehicle identification, that is, the accounting unit FID, FI1.

A further option is to collect GEB collection debts received during a predetermined time period, for example one month, and to later deduct them from the KON, KO1 account as collected collection debt in the ABZ settlement center. Of course, the authorization to use BER, which is stored in the ABZ accounting center, can be realized analogously to a value card in the form of a ZEI time card, etc.

The calculation of the SIG signature can also be carried out in the ABZ calculation center, and for this purpose the OKO local coordinates are transferred to the ABZ calculation center. Since the calculation of the SIG signature, as already mentioned above, can be carried out at predetermined intervals, in this case it is also not necessary to constantly send the position data to the calculation center. Therefore, with the calculation of the sig signature in the billing system according to the invention, data collection can be significantly limited.

If the posting of GEB collection debts from the KON account is carried out continuously, and when arriving at the toll road surface, no participation on the part of the driver in the form of activating the OBU calculation unit, as with the value card, is foreseen, and if the system used to determine the position of the PES is a GPS system collection, then it may be necessary to transmit correction data on the position, in order to rule out incorrect calculation of collection debts. Because, as already mentioned above, in the case of streets that run parallel to each other, the toll debt may be calculated incorrectly. Data for position correction can be determined by the dGPS process and via a radio network, for example a GSM network, etc., and sent to the OBU calculation unit. Such a method for transferring correction data is known, for example, from WO 94/12892. For the term dGPS, see also the above-cited dissertation at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology of the Technical University of Munich, namely "Geolocator ein GPS-basiertes Fahrzeugortungssystem; Bernhard Liedl; Diplomarbeit am Institut für Informations-veraibeltung und Mikroprozessortechnik der Johannes Kepler Universität Linz".

To provide evidence, the position while driving, i.e. the SIG road signature STR and other information during the time of use, for example in the form of the time stamp ZST attached to the actually obtained SIG signature, can be stored in the memory of the value card or the ABZ billing center and, if necessary, can make available. Adding the ZST time stamp to the SIG signature offers the further advantage that when the user is authorized as a ZEI time card, it is very easy to check whether the time card is still valid. With the SIG signature and the ZST time stamp, unambiguous proof of the use of the toll road can be obtained.

According to Figure 10, the control system UES (so-called Uberwachungssystem) can be foreseen to control the proper operation of the billing system, that is, value cards and OBU accounting units. The control system can have an ST-1 control as well as a DIP screen connected to it, which is arranged to display a predetermined optical pattern MUS (Muster) (Figure 11). The MUS optical pattern may depend on the actual working condition of the BEV charging device located on the vehicle's dashboard, i.e. on the value card or on the OBU billing unit. The management of the ST1 control system UES can control whether the authorization to use the BER is present in the value card or in the billing center, or whether the BEV charging device located on the vehicle's dashboard is turned on.

To display the MUS sample depending on the working status of the value card, it is possible to check the management of ST1 status of the authorization to use the BER in the value card and whether the value card is on or off.

If the BEV billing device located on the vehicle's dashboard is an OBU billing unit, then ST1 control system management for determining whether a valid BER user authorization is present can exchange data with the ABZ billing center.

The ST1 control manages the DIP screen depending on the actual working condition of the BEV payment device (value card, i.e. OBU billing unit), i.e. on the presence of the user's authorization on which the MUS sample corresponding to the actual working condition is displayed. To display the MUS sample, the DIP screen can have, for example, LEDs or infrared light diodes or other optical signaling options.

If there is no valid BER user authorization in the value card or in the billing center, then the optical pattern MUS is displayed, which is provided for this purpose, for example on the front of the FRO vehicle (the Fahrzeugfront).

The ST1 control can also recognize unauthorized driver manipulations on the value card, that is, on the OBU billing unit.

Thus, the management of the ST1 control system can be arranged so that when the incorrect code COD is entered for the authorization of the user BER in the value card, it displays on the screen the pattern MUS provided for this purpose, for example a light-emitting diode LED.

In order to prevent manipulations on the part of the driver, the MUS pattern can be changed after a cycle memorized in the electronic payment device BEV (nj Bemautungs-einrichtung) value card or accounting unit. In the case of an OBU calculation unit, which is capable of communication, the pattern can also be changed externally, for example via a command sent with the GSM radio.

Entering or leaving the toll road STR, i.e. activating the value card, can be performed with the FAR vehicle controller by activating the entry device provided for this purpose, for example from the buttons on the value card entry unit.

In this way, similar to canceling a tram ticket, the driver of the vehicle can be forced to cooperate.

If the user of the vehicle turns on the value card and if a valid authorization to use BER is present in its SPR memory, then the control ST1 creates on the DIP screen the corresponding optical pattern MUS, for example two light-emitting diodes LED, while in the off state of the value card it creates the pattern MUS which is characteristic of that state, for example in that case no light emitting diode LED emits light.

Of course, the same applies to the OBU accounting unit, whose user authorization is stored in the accounting center. If, for example, the account in the ABZ vehicle FAR settlement center is transferred for a predetermined amount, that is, if the account owner is in arrears with the settlement of his collection debt, then the state of the KON account can be changed from "valid" to "invalid". Whereby, in that case the control ST1 displays on the screen the sample MUS that is provided for that case.

Using the MUS sample shown, it can therefore be recognized whether the driver of the FAR vehicle is a potential or real person who avoids payment.

To prevent manipulations on the part of the driver, the MUS pattern can be changed after the cycle memorized in the WEK value card or in the calculation unit. In the case of an OBU calculation unit, which is capable of communication, the pattern can also be changed externally, for example via a command sent with the GSM radio.

When passing by a fixed control station KST (nj Kontrollstation) one can only show the displayed pattern and use it as an activating signal for the table with OCR numbers. OCR stands for "Optical Character Recognition" and means a well-known procedure for recognizing an optical pattern. In addition to low costs, the advantage of this solution is that every vehicle does not have to bring a table with OCR numbers.

Infrared patterns can be recognized with any interference filter on a KAM infrared camera (aka Camera), with a correspondingly high light output LED, with a much higher signal-to-noise ratio than a purely passive OCR number plate. Recognition of a few simpler patterns is also possible with much higher confidence.

The UES control system is not used for communication, as for example in WO 99/66455, but it serves to limit the frequency of expensive and, under expected environmental conditions, significantly unreliable number tables OCR. This significantly reduces the collection of data between local fixed stations for forced collection and the OCR central in the case of centrally implemented OCR.

Mobile control can also be carried out via an infrared camera. In addition, a pre-selection can also be made via an additional LED source in the visible area. However, general signaling in the visible area can also be carried out.

Three types of vehicles can be found within the registration area:

1. FAR vehicles without or with an invalid (manipulated) IR/LED-signature, and these are fraudsters, which are in principle possible with any arbitrary automatic payment method; or they are payment participants with defective BEV payment devices, or with a defective or invalid authorization to use BER, for example a closed KON account or a spent GUT credit. All these participants can be recognized at appropriate control stations (fixed or mobile) and processed according to existing regulations,

2. Vehicles with a valid IR/LED signature, where leaving the city area is recognized and, for example, the communication of the BER charging device with the ABZ billing center has deactivated the entire charging procedure and is followed only by determining the position, or it is transferred to the charging system of the neighboring country which is compatible with the underlying technology.

3. Since the real position of the vehicle in the transported BEE accounting units is known, and he can recognize which coordinates are on his side or on any side of the border, he can activate the actual sample on the toll road in time before crossing the border. It is useful to foresee a tolerance zone around the border, in which it is not necessary to activate the calculation unit. If there is further driving on tolled traffic surfaces in the city area, then the toll is made in accordance with the procedure according to the invention.

A further control element can be, as already mentioned above, also the signatures of the SIG road STR on which it is driven. They are therefore not discarded after the real-time comparison, but can be stored, for example, in the BEV toll booth or in the ABZ billing center to secure evidence. In doing so, the stored data can be retained according to the ring memory principle for a predetermined period of time, for example 2 months.

Current SIG signatures can also be calculated and memorized together with the STE timestamp and the state of the BEV billing device, i.e. the user's authorization. These data can be rejected during the next posting of the value card or, in the case of an OBU accounting unit capable of communication, they can be transferred constantly or at pre-set intervals to the billing center and can be processed there with a suitable procedure (e.g. by comparing the known with impossible statistical billing profiles, etc.) so as to obtain blacklists or other interesting features for the operation of the entire billing system.

Furthermore, thanks to the invention, it is possible to omit a continuous communication system, for example the GSM network, with a toll booth outside the vehicle. Despite the retention of virtual billing, the procedure according to the invention, i.e. the billing system, can be realized at a very favorable price. A further advantage of the invention consists in the fact that the equalization required by the legislator of continuous (through the OBU accounting unit and ABZ accounting center) and discontinuous (through the WEK value card) billing for vehicle driving within the same infrastructure has been obtained, and thus "double " billing system.

Claims (24)

1. Procedure for electronic payment using the position determination system (PES) for determining the actual local coordinates (LOC) of the vehicle, characterized by the fact that at least one signature (SIG) characteristic of the road is calculated using the local coordinates (LOC) of the vehicle (FAR) on which the vehicle is moving (FAR) and with the help of singature (SIG) it is determined whether it is necessary to pay for the road on which the vehicle is moving. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the singatur (SIG) calculated to determine whether a toll has to be paid for the road (STR) on which the vehicle is moving is compared with the comparative toll roads (RST) found in the comparison card (RKA ). 3. The procedure according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the fact that each toll road in a predetermined area is assigned at least one comparison singature (REF) and singature (SIG), which, in order to determine whether it is necessary to pay for the road (STR) along which the vehicle is moving is obtained from the actual local coordinates (OKO), is compared with comparative singatures (REF). 4. The procedure according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that each comparative singatura (REF) or each comparative road (RST) belongs to a predetermined toll debt (GEB). 5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the singatura (SIG) is calculated in the tolling device (BE1, BE2) of the vehicle. 6. The method according to any of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the signature (SIG) is compared with the comparison signature (REF) and/or with the comparison card (RKA) in the payment device (BE1, BE2). 7. The procedure according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the collection debt (GEB) is deducted from the credit (GUT) that can be activated and is stored in the collection device (BE1, BE2). 8. The procedure according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the singatura (SIG) calculated by the tolling device (BEV) is transferred to the calculation center (ABZ) located outside the vehicle and in the calculation center (ABZ) a singatura comparison is made ( SIG) and comparison singatures (REF) and/or comparison cards (RKA). 9. The procedure according to claim 8, characterized by the fact that the accrued collection debt (GEB) is deducted from the account (KON) belonging to the vehicle, which is located in the settlement center (ABZ). 10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the signature (SIG) contains a time stamp (STE). 11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that the signature (SIG) and the time stamp are stored for the duration of a predetermined time interval. 12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the actual local coordinates (OKO) of the vehicle (FAR) are determined using a satellite navigation method. 13. Billing system (SYS) for electronic payment using the positioning system (PES) for determining the actual spatial coordinates (OKO) of the vehicle, characterized by the fact that it is arranged so that using the spatial coordinates (OKO) of the vehicle (FAR) it calculates at least one signature (SIG) characteristic of the road on which the vehicle is moving (FAR) and to use the signature (SIG) to determine whether the vehicle is moving on a toll road (STR). 14. The tolling system according to claim 13, characterized in that it is arranged so that the singatura (SIG) calculated to determine whether the vehicle is moving on the toll road is compared with the comparison toll roads (RST) which are stored in the comparison card (RKA). 15. Tolling system according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that each toll road in a predetermined area is assigned at least one comparative singatura (REF) and the tolling system is arranged so that the singatura (SIG), calculated for determining whether the vehicle is moving per toll road (STR), compares with comparative singatures (REF). 16. Tolling system according to claim 15, characterized by the fact that each comparative singatura (REF) or each comparative road (RST) belongs to a predetermined toll debt (GEB). 17. Tolling system according to any claim 14 to 16, characterized in that the vehicle (FAR) has a tolling device (BE1, BE2) which is arranged to calculate the singature (SIG) of the road (STR) on which the vehicle is moving. 18. Payment system according to claim 17, characterized in that the payment device (BE1, BE2) is arranged so that it compares the signature (SIG) with the comparison signature (REF) and/or with the comparison card (RKA.). 19. The billing system according to claim 18, characterized in that it is arranged so that the billing debt (GEB) is deducted from the credit (GUT) that can be activated, which is located in the billing device (BE1, BE2). 20. The tolling system according to any of claims 15 to 19, characterized in that it is arranged so that it transfers the calculated singatura (SIG) from the tolling device (BEV) in the vehicle to the external calculation center (ABZ), which is arranged so that the singatura (SIG) compares with a comparison signature (REF) and/or with a comparison map (RKA). 21. The billing system according to claim 20, characterized by the fact that it is arranged so that the due debt (GEB) is deducted from the account (KON) located in the billing center (ABZ), which belongs to the vehicle. 22. The payment system according to any of claims 14 to 21, characterized in that the signature (SIG) has a time stamp. 23. The billing system according to claim 22, characterized in that it is arranged so that the signature (SIG) and time stamp (ZST) are stored for the duration of a predetermined time interval. 24. The billing system according to any of claims 14 to 23, characterized in that it is arranged so that it receives local coordinates using a satellite navigation method.