JP2004030046A - Toll collection system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a toll collection system in which it is not necessary to install a gate when collecting an entrance toll from a vehicle to enter a closed zone. <P>SOLUTION: The toll collection system using a location detection system utilizing GPS is provided with: an area storage means for storing a plurality of areas indicated with latitude and longitude; a location collating means for detecting entering/leaving to/from the areas stored in the area storage means based upon a location detected by the location detection system; a toll storage means for storing a toll for each area; a toll calculating means for determining a toll to be collected based upon the tolls stored in the toll storage means; and a settlement carry-out means for transferring the toll to be collected from a prepaid card or a credit card inserted into the system. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a toll collection system using a position detection system using GPS.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As a method of collecting tolls from vehicles, such as ITS, a gate that transmits radio waves is provided on the road, and a device installed in the vehicle passing through the gate is installed in the device in response to radio waves and inserted into the device. Alternatively, there is a method of deducting a toll from a credit card.
In this method, it is necessary to provide a gate on the road, and this method is effective on a closed road having no branch road such as a highway or a toll road. However, when collecting tolls from vehicles entering a certain area, it is not economical because it is necessary to provide gates on all of the many roads that enter and exit the area.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention has been made in order to solve the problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to install a vehicle in a closed area without installing a gate when collecting a toll from the vehicle. When an apparatus with a GPS function detects that a vehicle is present in the area, a fee is deducted from a prepaid card or a credit card inserted into the apparatus, thereby providing an economical toll collection system. (See FIG. 1). Furthermore, by notifying the operator of the fact of the withdrawal using a mobile phone connected to the device, the operator compiles the fare for each region and pays the collected charge to the local manager by dividing it by region. It is also an object to realize a function to perform the function.
[0004]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The following is a brief description of an outline of typical inventions disclosed in the present application.
That is, the present invention relates to a toll collection system using a GPS-based position detection system, wherein an area storage means for storing a plurality of areas indicated by latitude and longitude, and based on a position detected by the position detection system. Position matching means for detecting entry into and exit from the area stored in the area storage means, charge storage means for storing charges for each area, and charges to be collected based on the charges stored in the charge storage means And a payment executing means for deducting the fee to be collected from a prepaid card or a credit card inserted into the system.
[0005]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
FIG. 2 is a functional block configuration of a toll collection system mounted on a vehicle. The area storage unit stores a plurality of areas in which fee collection is performed. FIG. 6 shows a configuration example of a data table in the area storage unit. In this table, the area is designated by east longitude (E) and north latitude (N). In an area having a complicated shape, the area can be expressed by the sum of a plurality of squares as in area number 2. Apart from this expression method, it is also possible to specify an area by approximating the area boundary with a plurality of equations such as N = f (E).
[0006]
The GPS calculates the position of the vehicle as latitude and longitude information using radio waves from GPS satellites.
The position matching unit compares and compares the vehicle position obtained by the GPS with the area information in the area storage unit to determine whether the vehicle exists in a specific area or does not belong to any area.
[0007]
The time storage unit stores a charging time zone for each area, and information on how long after charging once, the same vehicle is not charged. FIG. 3 shows an example of the internal table configuration. The deterrence time indicates a period in which, after charging once, no charging is performed even if the same vehicle exists in the same area. The entry detection time is the time when the vehicle enters the area 1 and is first detected. For example, when the vehicle is detected at 8:25 in area 1, the entry detection time is set. After that, until two hours, even if it is detected that the same vehicle exists in the area 1 again, the fee collection is not performed. Further, no toll collection is performed outside the time period from 8:00 to 10:00, so that even if a vehicle is detected in the area 1, the entry detection time is not set. When the entry detection time is set, the charge calculation unit is activated.
[0008]
The toll storage unit stores a toll for each area. 4 and 5 show the internal table configuration. FIG. 4 is a table for storing the actual fee for each area. FIG. 5 shows a configuration in which a unit of billing is stored instead of the actual fee. For example, when a prepaid card is used for settlement, the frequency is recorded on the card, and is used when the frequency according to FIG. 5 is deducted as the settlement amount.
[0009]
The fee calculation unit searches the area number of the time storage unit and the corresponding fee in the fee storage unit to determine the fee to be collected, and activates the settlement execution unit.
The settlement execution unit subtracts the charge to be collected received from the charge calculation unit from the prepaid card inserted in the device. In the case of a credit card, the communication unit communicates with an external payment institution via a mobile communication network to confirm the completion of payment. When the confirmation is performed, the communication unit notifies the external operation center (proxy collection company) of the area number and the collection fee again via the mobile communication network. If the settlement is not completed, activate the external alarm unit.
[0010]
The external alarm unit drives an alarm light or an alarm sound generating device connected to the device to call the driver's attention and also to make it clear that the payment has not been made from outside the vehicle. When a usable prepaid card or credit card is inserted into the device, the settlement execution unit is restarted to execute the settlement. When the settlement is completed, an external alarm is notified and the alarm is released.
[0011]
The communication unit has an interface with a PHS or a mobile phone, and communicates with an external settlement organization and an operation center. Transmission / reception of payment information and notification of charge collection to the operation center are performed via the communication unit. In addition, it periodically accesses the file server of the operation center via the Internet, downloads the charging time zone, deterrence time, and fee change information for each area, and updates the table contents corresponding to each. Further, when the area addition information is downloaded, information on the new area is registered in the tables of FIGS. When the information of the area deletion is downloaded, the corresponding information in the tables of FIGS.
[0012]
FIG. 7 shows a basic processing flow. FIG. 10 shows a changed part of the flow when the area name and the collection fee are sent to the operation center.
FIG. 8 shows a processing flow in the time storage unit when the entry detection time set in the time storage unit is deleted.
FIG. 9 shows a processing flow in the case where the flow for erasing the entry detection time in the time storage unit when the vehicle goes out of the toll collection area is added to FIG. This method is applied to the case where a fee is collected each time the user re-enters the fee collection area.
[0013]
FIG. 11 shows a business model in a case where an agent collecting company operates this system under the consignment of an area manager. The agency collects prepaid cards or receives payments from credit card companies. Further, the collection area number and collection fee received from each vehicle are totaled for each area, and a certain amount is paid to the area manager. The area manager determines and changes the charging time zone, deterrence time, fee, and area, and requests the agency collection company to notify the vehicle. The agency collecting company posts this information on a file server and sets the information in the fee collection system by periodic download from each vehicle. The agency collection company can execute toll collection from a plurality of areas by a single toll collection system mounted on the vehicle, on behalf of a plurality of area managers.
[0014]
As described above, the invention made by the inventor has been specifically described based on the embodiment. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment, and can be variously modified without departing from the gist of the invention. Needless to say,
[0015]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, when a vehicle enters an area, an entrance fee can be collected without installing a gate. Further, a fee can be collected only at an arbitrary time zone, and further, a fee can be prevented from being collected again from a vehicle that has entered once and stays in the area.
Therefore, for example, it is possible to designate a downtown area with a large amount of exhaust gas as an area and collect tolls from vehicles flowing in from outside without installing a gate on a road. It is also possible to limit the collection to morning and evening rush hours.
As another application example, it is also possible to collect an entrance fee from a vehicle entering a large-scale national park or the like. If there are many long-term stayers, it is possible to respond by increasing the deterrence time.
If you enter the toll collection area without inserting a prepaid card or credit card into this system because there is an external alarm function, for example, the red lamp attached to the device flashes, the area manager can check from outside the vehicle, Detection is possible.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an object of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a functional block configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a table configuration example of a time storage unit.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a table configuration based on actual charges in a charge storage unit.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a table configuration based on charge units in a charge storage unit.
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a table configuration example of an area storage unit.
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a billing process flow.
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a flow when deleting an entry detection time in a time storage unit.
9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a flow added to FIG. 7 when the entry detection time of the time storage unit is deleted when the entry detection time goes out of the area.
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a flow added to FIG. 7 when an area name and a collection fee are sent to the operation center.
FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a business model using the present invention.

Claims (12)

A toll collection system using a position detection system using GPS, wherein the area storage means stores a plurality of areas indicated by latitude and longitude, and the area storage means based on the position detected by the position detection system. Position collation means for detecting entry into and exit from the stored area, charge storage means for storing a charge for each area, and charge calculation means for determining a charge to be collected based on the charge stored in the charge storage means And a payment executing means for deducting the fee to be collected from a prepaid card or a credit card inserted in the system. 2. The fee collection system according to claim 1, wherein said fee storage means stores a fee unit for each area. 3. The toll collection system according to claim 1, further comprising communication means for connecting to a mobile communication network. 4. The fee collection system according to claim 3, wherein the settlement execution unit deducts the fee to be collected from the inserted credit card via a mobile communication network. 5. The fee collection system according to claim 3, wherein the fee for each area received by the communication unit is stored in the fee storage unit. 5. The charge collection system according to claim 3, wherein the charge unit for each area received by the communication unit is stored in the charge storage unit. Charging time zone storage means for storing a time zone for charging for each area; charge collection stop time storage means for storing a time period for temporarily stopping toll collection for each area; And a time storage means having an entry detection time storage means for storing a time when the vehicle enters the specific area when the time is outside the toll collection suspension time. Or the fee collection system according to item 1. 8. The toll collection system according to claim 7, wherein the toll collection suspension time received from the outside by the communication unit is stored in the toll collection suspension time storage unit. 8. The fee collection system according to claim 7, wherein a time zone for charging received from the outside by the communication unit is stored in the charging time zone storage unit. 10. The fee collection according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising an external alarm unit that detects that a valid prepaid card is not inserted and notifies the outside by sound or light. system. 10. The toll collection system according to claim 1, further comprising an external alarm unit that detects that the withdrawal from the credit card is not completed and notifies the outside by sound or light. The fee collection system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the collected fee and area are notified to the outside by the communication means.

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