JP2008217099A - System using etc on-vehicle unit - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve user's convenience for providing a service using an ETC on-vehicle unit required advance registration. <P>SOLUTION: A road side wireless device 21 performs DSRC communication with an ETC on-vehicle unit 11 which has entered in a communication area to acquire a unit number and a WCN. When successfully acquiring the unit number, a server 22 converts the unit number into a unit using vehicle number to search a database. When not acquiring the unit number but acquiring the WCN, the server 22 uses the WCN to search the database. Thereby, the advance registration using an on-vehicle unit management number becomes possible and reception of provision of a service becomes possible in a state in which an ETC card has not been inserted into the on-vehicle unit 11. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a system that uses an ETC vehicle-mounted device.

  The ETC (Electronic Toll Collection: automatic toll collection) system is a device used to collect tolls on toll roads such as expressways. However, in recent years, various services using an ETC on-board unit used in this ETC system have been proposed.

  For example, there is a parking lot management device that manages entry / exit of a parking lot using a unique WCN (Wireless Call Number) assigned to an ETC on-vehicle device (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  Similarly, there is an information distribution device that distributes information to a specific user using WCN (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

JP 2005-275584 A JP 2006-101017 A

  The WCN used in the conventional ETC on-board unit utilization system cannot be obtained unless a roadside radio apparatus that performs radio communication (DSRC: Dedicated Short Range Communications) with the ETC on-board unit is used. Therefore, in order to receive services provided only to pre-registered users, the user must bring a vehicle equipped with an ETC on-board device to the site where the service is to be provided and do not register. Don't be. For this reason, there is a problem that it is extremely inconvenient for users and service providers.

  On the other hand, in order to promote the private use of information held by ETC on-board equipment, a mechanism for private use of the used vehicle number is disclosed. The user can easily obtain the in-vehicle device management number unique to the ETC on-vehicle device that the user owns by operating the ETC on-vehicle device. If this onboard device management number is notified to the service provider, the service provider can obtain the corresponding use vehicle number from the device information administrator (use vehicle number inquiry provider), so that the vehicle is not brought in. Pre-registration is possible.

  However, in the ETC on-vehicle device utilization system using this vehicle number, an ETC card must be inserted in the ETC on-vehicle device. However, the user may be enlightened to remove the ETC card from the ETC on-board device when leaving the car, and it is not so much to insert the ETC card into the ETC on-board device except when using the expressway. Absent. For this reason, there is a problem that the user feels inconvenience when using the service.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an ETC in-vehicle device utilization system with improved convenience in view of the above problems.

  The first gist of the present invention is that, in the ETC on-board device utilization system, wirelessly communicates with an ETC on-board device mounted on a vehicle existing in a communicable area, and a device number and a wireless call number assigned to the ETC on-board device. A roadside wireless device that attempts to acquire both, a database for registering user information, and the roadside wireless device and the database are connected to each other, and the device number can be acquired by the roadside wireless device. And a search unit that searches the database based on the acquired wireless call number when the device number cannot be acquired and the wireless call number can be acquired based on the acquired device number.

  The ETC on-board device utilization system, when both the device number and the wireless call number can be acquired by the roadside wireless device, the search unit searches the database based on the acquired device number, and the acquisition When there is a registered use car number corresponding to the device number, the presence / absence of a registered wireless call number associated with the registered use car number is further determined. It may be configured to be registered in the database in association with the vehicle number.

  In addition, according to a second aspect of the present invention, in the ETC on-vehicle device utilization method, the roadside wireless device wirelessly communicates with an ETC on-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle existing in a communicable area, and is given to the ETC on-vehicle device. Attempting to acquire both the device number and the wireless call number, and if the roadside apparatus can acquire the device number, the device number cannot be acquired based on the acquired device number, and the wireless call number is If it can be acquired, the search unit includes a step of searching a database in which user information is registered in advance based on the wireless call number.

  In the ETC on-vehicle device utilization method, in the step of retrieving the database, if there is a registered use vehicle number corresponding to the acquired device number, the search unit further registers a registered wireless call associated with the registered use vehicle number. Determining whether there is a number; and registering the acquired wireless call number in the database in association with the registered vehicle number when the registered wireless call number is not registered.

  According to the present invention, when the roadside wireless device wirelessly communicates with the ETC vehicle-mounted device, both the device number and the wireless call number are acquired, so that the use registration can be performed in advance without going to the site. it can. In addition, since the wireless call number is automatically registered when the service is used for the first time, the service can be received without inserting an ETC card thereafter.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration diagram of an ETC on-board unit utilization system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

  The system of FIG. 1 includes a roadside wireless device 21 capable of DSRC communication with an ETC onboard device 11 mounted on a vehicle 10, a server 22 connected to the roadside wireless device 21, and a database 23 connected to the server 22.

  The ETC vehicle-mounted device 11 is a device that is used in an automatic toll collection system for highway usage fees, and is already widely used. The ETC vehicle-mounted device 11 is assigned a unique vehicle-mounted device management number and WCN.

  The in-vehicle device management number is notified by the set-up contractor when setting up the ETC on-vehicle device 11, and can be displayed on a display depending on the model of the ETC on-vehicle device 11, and is information that the user can easily know. The in-vehicle device management number is a number used by the device number manager to grasp the relationship among the ETC on-vehicle device 11, the vehicle 10, and the user.

  On the other hand, the WCN is information held in the ETC on-vehicle device 11 but cannot be read unless wireless communication is used. Usually, the user cannot know the WCN.

  The roadside apparatus 21 is provided at a place where a service provider intends to provide a service, such as a gate of a parking lot, a fueling position of a gas station, or the like. The roadside apparatus 21 has a relatively narrow communicable area, and performs DSRC communication with the ETC on-vehicle device 11 that has entered the communicable area, and acquires the device number and WCN of the ETC on-vehicle device 11. The device number is a number unique to the ETC on-vehicle device 11 assigned by the device number manager and is different from the on-vehicle device management number. The device number is transmitted from the ETC on-board unit 11 in response to a request from the roadside apparatus 21 only when an ETC card is inserted into the ETC on-board unit 11. On the other hand, the WCN is transmitted from the ETC vehicle-mounted device 11 in response to a request from the roadside apparatus 21 regardless of whether an ETC card is inserted or not.

  The server 22 controls the roadside apparatus 21 and acquires the device number and WCN of the ETC on-vehicle device 11. When the server 22 acquires the device number, the server 22 converts the acquired device number into a use vehicle number according to a predetermined conversion rule (using conversion software). Here, the conversion rule is given by the device number manager and is different for each service provider. The server 22 is loaded with service applications such as a customer management program.

  The database stores information (user information) related to the user who wants to receive the service. In the user information, a used vehicle number, personal information (address, name, information necessary for settlement, etc.) and WCN associated with the used vehicle number are stored. Here, the vehicle number used is obtained by notifying the device number manager of the vehicle-mounted device management number provided by the user. Since WCN needs to be acquired from ETC onboard equipment 11, it may not be stored in a database.

  Next, the operation of the system shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, prior to providing a service, a service provider obtains an ETC on-board unit utilization system including conversion software for generating a use vehicle number from a device number from a system vendor.

  On the other hand, the user notifies the service provider of the vehicle-mounted device management number and applies for the use of the service.

  The service provider notifies the device number manager of the vehicle-mounted device management number provided by the user, and acquires the used vehicle number corresponding to the user. Then, the service provider stores the personal information obtained by the user's application and the use vehicle number obtained from the device number manager in the database 23 in association with each other.

  Thereafter, when the user enters the vehicle 10 equipped with the ETC vehicle-mounted device 11 into the communicable area of the roadside wireless device 21 (step A1), the roadside wireless device 21 performs DSRC communication with the ETC vehicle-mounted device 11. Do.

  If the ETC card is inserted in the ETC on-vehicle device 11 (Yes in Step A2), the roadside apparatus 21 acquires both the device number and WCN of the ETC on-vehicle device 11 (Step A3). Then, the server 22 converts the acquired device number into a use vehicle number using conversion software obtained in advance (step A4).

  On the other hand, if the ETC card is not inserted in the ETC on-vehicle device 11 (No in Step A2), the roadside apparatus 21 acquires the WCN of the ETC on-vehicle device 11 (Step A5).

  Next, the server 22 searches the database 23 using the acquired vehicle number or WCN (step A6).

  That is, when the device number can be acquired from the ETC on-vehicle device 11, it is checked whether or not the registered use vehicle number that matches the use vehicle number generated from the acquired device number exists in the database 23. If there is no registered use vehicle number that matches the generated use vehicle number, it is further checked whether there is a registered WCN in the database 23 that matches the acquired WCN. If the device number cannot be acquired from the ETC on-vehicle device 11, it is checked whether or not a registered WCN that matches the acquired WCN exists in the database 23.

  When the acquired vehicle number or WCN is registered in the database 23 (Yes in Step A7), a service application is started (Step A). As a service application, for example, there may be a customer management application that notifies a mobile phone of a sales representative in charge of a customer that a customer has visited the store by e-mail.

  In addition, the server 22 can acquire the device number from the ETC in-vehicle device 11 and if the registered use vehicle number that matches the generated use vehicle number exists in the database 23, the server 22 uses the registered use vehicle number. It is determined whether there is an associated registered WCN. If the registered WCN does not exist, the registered WCN is registered in association with the searched registered vehicle number. As a result, the service can be provided even when the user tries to receive the service without inserting the ETC card.

  When neither the used vehicle number generated based on the acquired device number nor the acquired WCN is registered in the database 23 (No in Step A7), the fact that it is not registered is displayed on the display unit of the server 23 ( Step A9).

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the roadside wireless communication device 21 wirelessly communicates with the ETC vehicle-mounted device 11, both the device number and the WCN are acquired, so that the vehicle-mounted device management number is obtained as a service provider. Notification becomes possible, and there is no need to go to a service providing place in advance to register a WCN. Further, once the service is received, the WCN is automatically registered, so that the labor of registration can be saved, and thereafter, the ETC on-board device can be identified even when the ETC card is not inserted, and the service can be provided.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 3 and FIG.

  FIG. 3 shows a schematic configuration of the ETC onboard equipment utilization system according to the present embodiment. 3 includes a roadside wireless device 31, a server 32 that controls the roadside wireless device 31, a host terminal 33 that is connected to the server 32 via a network such as a LAN, and executes a host application, and a host terminal 33. And a connected database 34.

  The roadside radio apparatus 31 and the database 34 correspond to the roadside radio apparatus 21 and the database 23 in FIG. 1, respectively.

  The server 22 converts the device number acquired via the roadside wireless device 31 into a use vehicle number. Further, the server 22 passes the converted and used vehicle number and the acquired vehicle number to the upper terminal 33.

  The host terminal 33 searches the database 34 using the vehicle number and WCN passed from the server 32, and executes the service application.

  The operation of the system of FIG. 3 will be described below with reference to FIG.

  As in the first embodiment, when the vehicle 10 equipped with the vehicle-mounted device 11 enters the communicable area of the roadside wireless device 31 (step B1), the roadside wireless device 31 performs DSRC communication with the ETC vehicle-mounted device 11. If the ETC card is inserted in the ETC on-vehicle device 11 (Yes in Step B2), the roadside apparatus 31 acquires the device number and WCN from the ETC on-vehicle device 11 (Step B3). The server 32 converts the device number acquired by the roadside apparatus 31 into a use vehicle number according to a predetermined conversion rule (step B4).

  On the other hand, if no ETC card is inserted in the ETC on-vehicle device 11 (No in Step B2), the roadside apparatus 31 acquires only the WCN (Step B5).

  When the server 32 acquires the device number and WCN, the server 32 passes both the used vehicle number and WCN to the host terminal 33 via the network when only the WCN is acquired (step B6).

  The host terminal 33 searches the database using the user information and WCN from the server 32 (step B7), and determines whether or not corresponding information is registered (step B8).

  When registered user information or registered WCN that matches the acquired user information or acquired WCN is registered in the database 34 (Yes in step B8), a service application such as a customer management application is activated (step B9). If registered user information that matches the acquired user information exists in the database but there is no registered WCN that matches the acquired WCN, the acquired WCN is stored in the database 34 in association with the registered user information.

  If the information corresponding to the database 34 is not registered (No in Step B8), a message indicating that the information is not registered on the display of the upper terminal 33 is displayed (Step B10).

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, as in the first embodiment, when the roadside wireless communication device 31 wirelessly communicates with the ETC vehicle-mounted device 11, both the device number and the WCN are acquired. Thus, prior registration is possible by notifying the service provider of the in-vehicle device management number, and it is not necessary to go to the service provision place in advance to register the WCN. Further, once the service is received, the WCN is automatically registered, so that the labor of registration can be saved, and thereafter, the ETC on-board device can be identified even when the ETC card is not inserted, and the service can be provided.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the database 34 is collectively managed by the host terminal 33, so that the configuration of a system including a plurality of roadside radio apparatuses 31 can be simplified.

  In the above embodiment, an example (customer management service) in which the customer management application is activated when information related to the ETC on-board device is registered in the database is shown. It can also be applied to other services such as the beginning.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, when the information relevant to an ETC onboard equipment was not registered into the database, it showed about the example displayed on the display of a server or a high-order terminal, but such a display was not performed. May be. Alternatively, the driver of the vehicle may be notified by voice or display.

  Although the present invention has been described with reference to two embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. For example, in the above embodiments, it has been described that the server converts the device number acquired by the roadside apparatus into the user number. However, the conversion may be performed by the roadside apparatus or the host apparatus. When the device number is converted to the user number by the roadside apparatus, the user number is supplied to the server instead of the device number. The server searches the database using the supplied user number, or delivers the supplied user number to the host device. When the conversion is performed in the host device, the server delivers the device number received from the roadside device to the host device as it is. The host device converts the device number from the server into a user number and uses it to search the database.

It is a schematic block diagram of the ETC onboard equipment utilization system which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating operation | movement of the ETC onboard equipment utilization system of FIG. It is a schematic block diagram of the ETC onboard equipment utilization system which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating operation | movement of the ETC onboard equipment utilization system of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Vehicle 11 ETC on-board equipment 21, 31 Roadside radio device 22, 32 Server 23, 34 Database 33 Host terminal

Claims (10)

A roadside wireless device that wirelessly communicates with an ETC on-board device mounted on a vehicle existing in a communicable area and attempts to obtain both a device number and a wireless call number assigned to the ETC on-board device;
A database for registering user information;
When the roadside wireless device is connected to the database and the device number can be acquired by the roadside wireless device, the device number cannot be acquired and the wireless call number can be acquired based on the acquired device number The ETC in-vehicle device utilization system comprising: a search unit that searches the database based on the acquired wireless call number.   When both the device number and the wireless call number can be acquired by the roadside apparatus, the search unit searches the database based on the acquired device number, and a registered vehicle corresponding to the acquired device number If there is a number, the presence / absence of a registered wireless call number associated with the registered vehicle number is further determined. If the registered wireless call number is not registered, the acquired wireless call number is associated with the registered vehicle number in the database. ETC on-board equipment utilization system characterized by registering. In the ETC onboard equipment utilization system as described in Claim 1 or 2,
The ETC on-board device usage system, wherein the search unit converts the acquired device number into a search vehicle number according to a predetermined conversion rule, and searches the database using the search user number. . In the ETC onboard equipment utilization system as described in Claim 1 or 2,
The roadside apparatus converts the acquisition device number into a search use vehicle number according to a predetermined conversion rule, and the search unit searches the database using the search user number. ETC on-board device utilization system. In the ETC onboard equipment utilization system as described in any one of Claims 1 thru | or 4,
The ETC onboard equipment utilization system, wherein the search unit is realized by a server that controls the roadside apparatus. In the ETC onboard equipment utilization system as described in any one of Claims 1 thru | or 4,
The ETC onboard equipment utilization system, wherein the search unit is realized by a host terminal connected to a server that controls the roadside apparatus. A roadside wireless device wirelessly communicates with an ETC on-board unit mounted on a vehicle existing in a communicable area, and attempts to acquire both a device number and a wireless call number assigned to the ETC on-board unit;
When the roadside device can acquire the device number, the search unit is based on the acquired device number. When the device number cannot be acquired and the wireless call number is acquired, the search unit is based on the wireless call number. And a method of searching a database in which user information is registered in advance. In the ETC onboard equipment utilization method of Claim 7,
The step of searching the database includes a step of determining whether or not there is a registered wireless call number associated with the registered use vehicle number when the registered use vehicle number corresponding to the acquired device number exists. And, when the registered wireless call number is not registered, registering the acquired wireless call number in the database in association with the registered use vehicle number. In the ETC onboard equipment usage method according to claim 7 or 8,
Searching the database comprises:
The method for using an ETC on-vehicle device, wherein the search unit includes a step of converting the acquired device number into a search vehicle number according to a predetermined conversion rule. In the ETC onboard equipment usage method according to claim 7 or 8,
The roadside apparatus further includes the step of converting the acquisition device number into a search use vehicle number according to a predetermined conversion rule;
The ETC in-vehicle device usage method, wherein the search performed by the search unit based on the acquired device number is performed using the search user number.

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