JP2020197840A - Toll collection system, toll collection device, in-vehicle device, and toll collection method - Google Patents

Abstract

To allow even an ETC toll station without an island or a gate to determine the toll by specifying the vehicle classification of a tractor.SOLUTION: A toll collection system according to the embodiment includes a roadside device and a toll central device at a toll station on a toll road where lanes are not separated by islands. The roadside device measures the number of axles of each vehicle traveling on the toll road. The toll central device includes an axle information acquisition unit, a traveling information acquisition unit, and a toll collection unit. The axle information acquisition unit acquires axle information including the number of axles of each vehicle traveling on the toll road, a measurement position of the number of axles, and a measurement time of the number of axles. The traveling information acquisition unit acquires travel information including a travel position and a travel time of each vehicle traveling on the toll road from an in-vehicle device of each vehicle. The toll collection unit acquires the number of axles from the axle information including the measurement position and the measurement time that match the travel position and travel time of a predetermined vehicle for which a toll of the toll road is determined, and collects the toll for the predetermined vehicle based on the number of axles.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a charge acquisition system, a charge acquisition device, an in-vehicle device, and a charge acquisition method.

Tollhouses on toll roads are separated by islands for each lane. This also applies to ETC tollhouses on toll roads that have introduced an ETC (electronic toll collection) system. In addition, the ETC tollhouse is equipped with a gate that is open when the toll is collected and closed when the toll cannot be collected. At such an ETC tollhouse, the vehicle type classification of the passing vehicle is specified, and different tolls are collected for each vehicle type classification. Of these, since the towing vehicle has a different vehicle type classification depending on the number of axles, the vehicle type classification may change depending on whether the towed vehicle is towed or not.

Now, regarding the ETC tollhouse, there is a plan to eliminate islands and gates. However, ETC tollhouses without islands and gates cannot collect tolls by specifying the vehicle type classification of towing vehicles. This is because tollhouses without islands and gates cannot limit the number of vehicles passing through the tollhouse. Since it is not possible to limit the number of vehicles passing through the tollhouse, there may be a plurality of on-board units within the communication range of the antenna of the tollhouse. Therefore, even if the ETC system measures the number of axles of a passing vehicle, it is not possible to identify which vehicle-mounted device installed in the vehicle to be measured is within the communication range.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-1330885 JP-A-2009-294899 JP-A-2009-31241

The problem to be solved by the embodiment of the present invention is a toll acquisition system and a toll acquisition device that can specify a vehicle type classification of a towing vehicle and determine a toll even at an ETC tollhouse without an island and a gate. , In-vehicle device and fee acquisition method.

The toll acquisition system of the embodiment includes a roadside device and a toll center device at a tollhouse on a toll road that includes a plurality of lanes and the lanes are not separated by an island. The roadside device includes a shaft number meter that measures the number of shafts of each vehicle passing through the toll road. The toll central device includes an axle information acquisition unit, a traveling information acquisition unit, and a toll acquisition unit. The axle information acquisition unit acquires axle information including the number of axles of each vehicle passing through the toll road, the measurement position of the number of axles, and the measurement time of the number of axles. The travel information acquisition unit acquires travel information including the travel position and travel time of each vehicle passing through the toll road from the on-board unit of each vehicle. The toll acquisition unit acquires the number of axles from the axle information including the measurement position and the measurement time that match the travel position and travel time of the predetermined vehicle to be determined for the toll road toll, and based on the number of axes. Acquire the toll of the predetermined vehicle.

The perspective view which shows an example of the tollhouse which concerns on embodiment. The block diagram which shows an example of the schematic structure of the ETC system which concerns on embodiment. The block diagram which shows the schematic structure of the tollhouse server in FIG. The block diagram which shows an example of the schematic structure of the roadside device in FIG. The block diagram which shows the schematic structure of the vehicle-mounted device which concerns on embodiment. The sequence diagram which shows an example of the outline of the information flow in the ETC system which concerns on embodiment. The flowchart which shows an example of the processing by the processor of the tollhouse server in FIG. The flowchart which shows an example of the processing by the processor of the vehicle-mounted device in FIG.

Hereinafter, the ETC system according to the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, in each drawing used for the explanation of the following embodiment, the scale of each part may be changed as appropriate. In addition, the drawings used in the following embodiments may be omitted in configuration for the sake of explanation. Further, in each drawing and the following description, the same reference numerals indicate the same elements. The ETC system of the embodiment is a system for collecting tolls for vehicles traveling on a toll road. A tollhouse will be set up on the toll road to collect tolls. For example, the ETC system of the embodiment collects tolls by wirelessly communicating with an on-board unit mounted on a vehicle passing through a tollhouse on a toll road. For example, tollhouses are provided at entrances and exits of toll roads and the like to which the ETC system of the embodiment is applied, and one or more lanes are provided at these entrances and exits. In addition, a tollhouse may be set up on the main line such as a toll road. The tollhouse in the ETC system according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

<About the tollhouse>
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a tollhouse according to an embodiment. Note that FIG. 1 shows a tollhouse installed at the entrance of a toll road. The ETC roadside device 4 described later can be applied to tollhouses other than the entrance such as the exit as well as the entrance. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the configuration of the tollhouse at the entrance will be described, and the description of the configuration of the tollhouse other than the entrance will be omitted.
As shown in FIG. 1, the tollhouse includes, for example, two ETC lanes 71 and one cash lane 72. The ETC lane 71 and the ETC lane 71 are separated by, for example, a lane boundary line 73. The lane boundary line 73 is a line drawn on the road to indicate a lane boundary or the like. When it is necessary to distinguish between the two ETC lanes 71 in the following description, they are referred to as ETC lane 71A and ETC lane 71B. Since there are a plurality of ETC lanes 71, a plurality of vehicles can pass side by side at the tollhouse.
The ETC lane 71 and the cash lane 72 are separated by an island 74 or the like. The number of ETC lanes 71 may be 1 or 3 or more. Further, the number of cash lanes 72 may be 2 or more. In this case, the cash lane 72 and the cash lane 72 are separated by an island 74 or the like. Further, the tollhouse may not have a cash lane 72. The tollhouse in this case is not as good as the island 74.

The ETC lane 71 is a lane for collecting toll road tolls using ETC. The ETC roadside device 4 is installed in the ETC lane 71. In addition, one ETC roadside device 4 is typically installed for a plurality of ETC lanes 71.
The cash lane 72 is a lane for collecting toll road tolls without using ETC, such as payment by cash. In the cash lane 72, one cash roadside device 51 is installed for each lane.

The vehicle 60 equipped with the vehicle-mounted device 61 shall pass through the ETC lane 71. Then, the vehicle not equipped with the on-board unit 61 shall pass through the cash lane 72. However, the vehicle 60 equipped with the on-board unit 61 may also pass through the cash lane 72. The car 60 passes through the ETC lane 71 or the cash lane 72 in the direction of the arrow a. The downstream side of the arrow a is outside the toll road, and the upstream side of the arrow a is inside the toll road.

Vehicles 60A to 60C are shown as examples of the vehicle 60 equipped with the on-board unit 61.
The car 60A is a car that is not a towing car. The vehicle 60B is a towing vehicle in which the towed vehicle 63 is towed by the trailer head 62. The vehicle 60C is a towing vehicle in which the trailer head 62 is traveling alone without towing. The trailer head 62 is an automobile having a function of towing a towed vehicle 63. The towed vehicle 63 generally does not have a self-propelled function, and is towed by a trailer head 62 to travel. The towed vehicle 63 is, for example, a trailer for carrying cargo or the like.
The number of axles of the vehicle 60B is the sum of the number of axles of the trailer head 62 and the number of axles of the towed vehicle 63. The number of axles of the vehicle 60C is the same as the number of axles of the trailer head 62. Therefore, since the number of axles is different between the vehicle 60B and the vehicle 60C, the vehicle classification may be different. For example, on a toll road where the number of axles is n or less and the number of axles is n + 1 or more, the number of axles of the trailer head 62 is n or less, and the total number of axles of the trailer head 62 and the towed vehicle 63 is n + 1. If it is the above, the vehicle classification changes depending on the presence or absence of towing. Here, n is a natural number.

<System configuration>
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of the ETC system 1 according to the embodiment. The ETC system 1 is an example of a charge determination system.
As shown in FIG. 2, the ETC system 1 is roughly divided into a central system side and a tollhouse side. For example, the central system side includes a central server 2 such as a general-purpose computer. The tollhouse side is provided with a tollhouse server 3 or the like installed in the tollhouse machine room 30 or the like. As shown in FIG. 1, the tollhouse machine room 30 is provided outside, for example, the roadside zone. Alternatively, the tollhouse machine room 30 is provided on the island 74. Alternatively, the tollhouse machine room 30 may be provided in another place that does not interfere with the passage of the road. That is, the tollhouse machine room 30 is provided outside the ETC lane 71.
Note that FIG. 2 shows a configuration example of three types of tollhouses A to C. Of these, the tollhouse A indicates the tollhouse shown in FIG. That is, the tollhouse A includes two ETC lanes 71 and one cash lane 72. On the other hand, the tollhouse B has three ETC lanes 71 and does not have a cash lane 72. The tollhouse C also includes two cash lanes 72 and two individual ETC lanes 75. The individual ETC lane 75 is the same ETC lane as the conventional tollhouse. That is, the individual ETC lane 75 is a lane separated by an island for each lane like the cash lane 72. In the individual ETC lane 75, an ETC lane roadside device 52 is installed for each lane.

The central server 2 is connected to the tollhouse server 3 of each tollhouse. The central server 2 exchanges various data with each tollhouse server 3. Further, the tollhouse server 3 communicates with each of the ETC roadside device 4, the cash roadside device 51, and the ETC lane roadside device 52. As a result, the tollhouse server 3 controls the ETC roadside device 4, the cash roadside device 51, and the ETC lane roadside device 52. The tollhouse server 3 is divided into two servers, a server that exchanges various data with the central server 2 and a server that communicates with each of the ETC roadside device 4, the cash roadside device 51, and the ETC lane roadside device 52. You may be.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the tollhouse server 3 according to the embodiment.
The tollhouse server 3 is a general-purpose computer such as a server device. The toll booth server 3 includes, for example, a processor 31, a ROM (read-only memory) 32, a RAM (random-access memory) 33, an auxiliary storage device 34, a server interface 35, and a roadside interface 36. Then, a bus 37 or the like connects each of these parts. The tollhouse server 3 operates as an example of the toll acquisition device in cooperation with the ETC roadside device 4. The tollhouse server 3 is an example of a tollhouse centralized traffic control device.

The processor 31 corresponds to a central part of a computer that performs processing such as calculation and control necessary for the operation of the tollhouse server 3. The processor 31 controls each unit in order to realize various functions of the toll booth server 3 based on programs such as firmware, system software, and application software stored in the ROM 32 or the auxiliary storage device 34 or the like. A part or all of the program may be incorporated in the circuit of the processor 31. The processor 31 includes, for example, a CPU (central processing unit), an MPU (micro processing unit), a SoC (system on a chip), a DSP (digital signal processor), a GPU (graphics processing unit), an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit), and the like. It is a PLD (programmable logic device) or an FPGA (field-programmable gate array). Alternatively, the processor 31 is a combination of a plurality of these.

The ROM 32 corresponds to the main storage device of a computer centered on the processor 31. The ROM 32 is a non-volatile memory used exclusively for reading data. The ROM 32 stores, for example, firmware among the above programs. The ROM 32 also stores data or various set values used by the processor 31 to perform various processes.

The RAM 33 corresponds to the main storage device of a computer centered on the processor 31. The RAM 33 is a memory used for reading and writing data. The RAM 33 is used as a so-called work area or the like for storing data temporarily used by the processor 31 for performing various processes. The RAM 33 is typically a volatile memory.

The auxiliary storage device 34 corresponds to an auxiliary storage device of a computer centered on the processor 31. The auxiliary storage device 34 is, for example, an EEPROM (electric erasable programmable read-only memory), an HDD (hard disk drive), a flash memory, or the like. The auxiliary storage device 34 stores, for example, system software and application software among the above programs. Further, the auxiliary storage device 34 stores data used by the processor 31 for performing various processes, data generated by the processes of the processor 31, various set values, and the like.
In addition, the auxiliary storage device 34 stores a toll table or the like showing tolls for each vehicle type category. The tollhouse server 3 acquires the toll table from, for example, the central server 2 and stores it in the auxiliary storage device 34.
Further, the auxiliary storage device 34 stores the axis number measurement result described later.

The program stored in the ROM 32 or the auxiliary storage device 34 includes a program for executing a process described later. As an example, the tollhouse server 3 is transferred to the administrator of the tollhouse server 3 in a state where the program is stored in the ROM 32 or the auxiliary storage device 34. However, the tollhouse server 3 may be transferred to the administrator or the like in a state where the program is not stored in the ROM 32 or the auxiliary storage device 34. Further, the tollhouse server 3 may be transferred to the administrator or the like in a state where a program different from the program is stored in the ROM 32 or the auxiliary storage device 34. Then, the program for executing the process described later may be separately transferred to the administrator or the like and written to the ROM 32 or the auxiliary storage device 34 under the operation of the administrator or the serviceman. The transfer of the program at this time is recorded on a removable storage medium such as a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, an optical disk or a semiconductor memory, or via a network such as the Internet or a LAN (local area network). It can be realized by downloading.
The processor 31 functions as an axle information acquisition unit 311, a travel information acquisition unit 312, a toll acquisition unit 313, and a vehicle model acquisition unit 314 based on the program. The axle information acquisition unit 311, the driving information acquisition unit 312, the toll acquisition unit 313, and the vehicle type acquisition unit 314 will be described later.

The server interface 35 is an interface for the tollhouse server 3 to communicate with the central server 2.
The roadside interface 36 is an interface for the tollhouse server 3 to communicate with the ETC roadside device 4.

The bus 37 includes a control bus, an address bus, a data bus, and the like, and transmits signals sent and received by each part of the toll booth server 3.

The ETC roadside device 4 is a roadside device for the ETC lane 71.
The cash roadside device 51 is a roadside device for the cash lane 72. Since the existing configuration and operation can be applied to the cash roadside device 51, the description thereof will be omitted.
The ETC lane roadside device 52 is a roadside device for ETC lanes, which is divided by islands for each lane like the cash lane 72, as in the conventional case. Since the existing configuration and operation can be applied to the ETC lane roadside device 52, the description thereof will be omitted.

The ETC roadside device 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 1.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of the ETC roadside device 4 according to the embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 4, as an example, the ETC roadside device 4 includes an interface aggregation unit 401, a first antenna 411, a second antenna 412, a license plate reading device 421, a vehicle type discriminating device 422, a traveling vehicle weight measuring device 423, and a vehicle. Includes height meter 431, shaft weight meter 432 and shaft number meter 433.

As shown in FIG. 1, the interface aggregation unit 401 is provided outside, for example, the roadside band. Alternatively, the interface aggregation unit 401 is provided on the island 74. Alternatively, the interface aggregation unit 401 may be provided in another place that does not interfere with the passage of the road. That is, the interface aggregation unit 401 is provided outside the ETC lane 71. The interface aggregation unit 401 aggregates information from each unit of the ETC roadside device 4 and outputs it to the tollhouse server 3.
The ETC roadside device 4 outputs to the tollhouse server 3 in the tollhouse machine room 30. Further, the tollhouse server 3 in the tollhouse machine room 30 of each tollhouse is connected to the central server 2. That is, the central server 2 collects information from each tollhouse server 3 installed in the tollhouse machine room 30 of each tollhouse.

As shown in FIG. 1, the first antenna 411 and the second antenna 412 are provided above, for example, the ETC lane 71. Further, the second antenna 412 is provided downstream of the first antenna 411. The first antenna 411 and the second antenna 412 communicate with the vehicle-mounted device 61 included in the vehicle 60 passing through the ETC lane 71. The second antenna 412 is an antenna for communicating with the on-board unit 61 of the vehicle 60 having a long vehicle length. The second antenna 412 communicates with the vehicle-mounted device 61 that comes out of the communication range of the first antenna 411. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the part described as the communication between the first antenna and the vehicle-mounted device 61 may be the communication between the second antenna and the vehicle-mounted device 61. It should be noted that one first antenna 411 and one second antenna 412 shown in FIG. 1 are provided for each ETC lane 71. However, each of the first antenna 411 and the second antenna 412 may be provided in a number smaller or larger than the number of lanes in the ETC lane 71.

The license plate reading device 421 is provided above, for example, the ETC lane 71. The license plate reading device 421 photographs the vehicle 70 and reads the license plate from the captured image. Then, the license plate reading device 421 outputs the reading result to the interface aggregation unit 401.

The vehicle type discrimination device 422 discriminates the vehicle type from information such as the number of axes, and outputs the discrimination result to the interface aggregation unit 401.

The traveling vehicle weight measuring device 423 measures the traveling vehicle weight from information such as the axle load, and outputs the measurement result to the interface aggregation unit 401.

The vehicle height meter 431 measures the vehicle height of the vehicle 60 passing through the ETC lane 71 by various sensors.
The axle load meter 432 measures the weight of the axle of the vehicle 60 passing through the ETC lane 71 by various sensors.

The shaft number meter 433 measures the number of shafts of the vehicle 60 that has passed a predetermined measurement position. As shown in FIG. 1, for example, one shaft number total 433 is installed so as to be embedded in the road for each ETC lane 71 lane. As a result, the total number of axles 433 measures the number of axles of the vehicle 60 passing through the ETC lane 71. Such a shaft number meter 433 measures the number of shafts by counting the number of shafts passing over the shaft number meter 433. Alternatively, the axis number meter 433 may measure the number of axes by analyzing an image of the vehicle 60 taken by a camera or the like. In this case, the shaft number meter 433 also determines which lane the vehicle is traveling in by image analysis or the like.
The axis number meter 433 measures the number of axes by combining the sensing results of the axis number meters 433 for two lanes, for example, for the vehicle 60 that changes lanes at the installation position of the axis number meter 433. Further, the total number of shafts 433 may be installed so as to straddle a plurality of lanes, or a plurality of shaft number totals 433 may be installed in one lane. The shaft number meter 433 and the axle load meter 432 may be common devices. However, preferably, one shaft number total 433 is set for each ETC lane 71. By installing in this way, it is easy to identify which lane the vehicle 60 is passing through.

The shaft number meter 433 outputs the measurement result according to the measurement of the number of shafts of the vehicle 60. The measurement result includes lane information indicating which ETC lane 71 the vehicle 60 has passed, passing date and time information indicating the date and time when the vehicle 60 has passed the measurement position of the total number of axes 433, and the number of axes of the vehicle 60. Including. The measurement result output by the shaft number meter 433 is input to the roadside interface 36 of the tollhouse server 3 via the interface aggregation unit 401. In addition, the lane information indicates a single lane such as ETC lane 71A and ETC lane 71B, and for a vehicle 60 that has passed across ETC lane 71A and ETC lane 71B, it passes across the two lanes. You may indicate that you have done so. The passing date / time information is an example of the measurement time of the number of axes. The lane information is an example of the measurement position of the number of axes. Therefore, the measurement result is an example of axle information.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the vehicle-mounted device 61 according to the embodiment.
The on-board unit 61 is a device installed in a car 60 or the like for the use of the ETC system. The vehicle-mounted device 61 is assigned an vehicle-mounted device ID (identifier), which is unique identification information, for each vehicle-mounted device 61. The vehicle-mounted device 61 includes, for example, a processor 611, a ROM 612, a RAM 613, an auxiliary storage device 614, an ETC antenna 615, a GNSS (global navigation satellite system) antenna 616, and a reader / writer 617. Then, a bus 618 or the like connects each of these parts.

The processor 611 corresponds to the central part of the computer that performs processing such as calculation and control necessary for the operation of the vehicle-mounted device 61. The processor 611 controls each part in order to realize various functions of the vehicle-mounted device 61 based on a program such as firmware, system software, and application software stored in the ROM 612 or the auxiliary storage device 614. A part or all of the program may be incorporated in the circuit of the processor 611. The processor 611 is, for example, a CPU, MPU, SoC, DSP, GPU, ASIC, PLD, FPGA, or the like. Alternatively, the processor 611 is a combination of a plurality of these.

The ROM 612 corresponds to the main storage device of a computer centered on the processor 611. The ROM 612 is a non-volatile memory used exclusively for reading data. The ROM 612 stores, for example, firmware among the above programs. Further, the ROM 612 stores data or various setting values used by the processor 611 for performing various processing.

The RAM 613 corresponds to the main storage device of a computer centered on the processor 611. The RAM 613 is a memory used for reading and writing data. The RAM 613 is used as a so-called work area or the like for storing data temporarily used by the processor 611 for performing various processes. The RAM 613 is typically a volatile memory.

The auxiliary storage device 614 corresponds to the auxiliary storage device of a computer centered on the processor 611. The auxiliary storage device 614 is, for example, an EEPROM, an HDD, a flash memory, or the like. The auxiliary storage device 614 stores, for example, system software and application software among the above programs. In addition, the auxiliary storage device 614 stores data used by the processor 611 to perform various processes, data generated by the processes of the processor 611, various set values, and the like.

The program stored in the ROM 612 or the auxiliary storage device 614 includes a program for executing a process described later. As an example, the vehicle-mounted device 61 is transferred to the administrator of the vehicle-mounted device 61 or the like in a state where the program is stored in the ROM 612 or the auxiliary storage device 614. However, the on-board unit 61 may be transferred to the administrator or the like in a state where the program is not stored in the ROM 612 or the auxiliary storage device 614. Further, the on-board unit 61 may be transferred to the administrator or the like in a state where a program different from the program is stored in the ROM 612 or the auxiliary storage device 614. Then, the program for executing the process described later may be separately transferred to the administrator or the like and written to the ROM 612 or the auxiliary storage device 614 under the operation of the administrator or the serviceman. The transfer of the program at this time can be realized by recording on a removable storage medium such as a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, an optical disk, or a semiconductor memory, or by downloading via a network or the like.

The ETC antenna 615 is an antenna for communicating with the first antenna 411 and the second antenna 412.

The GNSS antenna 616 is an antenna that receives GNSS signals such as GPS (Global Positioning System).

The reader / writer 617 can insert an ETC card. The reader / writer 617 communicates with the inserted ETC card. As a result, the reader / writer 617 reads the information recorded on the ETC card. Further, the reader / writer 617 writes information on the ETC card.

The bus 618 includes a control bus, an address bus, a data bus, and the like, and transmits signals transmitted and received by each part of the vehicle-mounted device 61.

<Operation>
Hereinafter, the operation of the ETC system 1 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to a sequence diagram and a flowchart. The operation described below is the operation of the ETC system 1 when determining the toll at the tollhouse. For example, if the toll road has a toll determined at the exit, the operation is at the exit tollhouse, and if the toll road is determined at the entrance, the operation is at the entrance tollhouse. Further, the content of the process in the following operation description is an example, and various processes capable of obtaining the same result can be appropriately used.

FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram showing an example of an outline of the information flow in the ETC system 1. Note that FIG. 6 shows the flow of information when the vehicle 60 is a towing vehicle.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by the processor 31 of the tollhouse server 3. The processor 31 executes this process based on a program stored in, for example, the ROM 32 or the auxiliary storage device 34. The processor 31 starts the process shown in FIG. 7, for example, when the tollhouse server 3 is started.
The processor 31 executes, for example, the processes shown in steps S1 and S2 and the processes shown in steps S11 to S22 in parallel or in parallel. The process shown in step S1 and step S2 indicates a process of receiving and storing the number of axles of the vehicle 60. Further, the processes shown in steps S11 to S22 indicate processes for acquiring the toll of the vehicle 60 and the like.
In step S1 of FIG. 7, the processor 31 of the tollhouse server 3 waits for the measurement result output from the total number of axes 433 of the ETC roadside device 4 to be input to the roadside interface 36. If the measurement result is input, the processor 31 determines Yes in step S1 and proceeds to step S2. The measurement result is shown as step ST1 in FIG.
From the above, the processor 31 functions as the axle information acquisition unit 311 that acquires the axle information by performing the process of step S1.

In step S2, the processor 31 stores the input measurement result as the axis number measurement result in, for example, an auxiliary storage device 34. The processor 31 returns to step S1 after the processing of step S2.

In step S11, the processor 31 of the tollhouse server 3 waits for the vehicle-mounted device 61 to enter the communication range of the first antenna 411. If the vehicle-mounted device 61 is within the communication range of the first antenna 411, the processor 31 determines Yes in step S11. Then, the processor 31 proceeds to two processes, the process shown in steps S12 to S22 and the process in step S11. The processor 31 processes the two processes in parallel or in parallel by, for example, another process or another thread. As a result, the processor 31 processes the vehicle-mounted devices 61 in steps S12 to S22 even when another vehicle-mounted device 61 enters the communication range of the first antenna 411 during the processes of steps S12 to S22. It can be performed.

In step S12, the processor 31 establishes a communication connection with the vehicle-mounted device 61 that has entered the communication range of the first antenna 411 and starts communication. The vehicle 60 equipped with the on-board unit 61 is hereinafter referred to as a "target vehicle". In FIG. 6, step S12 of FIG. 7 is shown as step ST11.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by the processor 611 of the vehicle-mounted device 61. The processor 611 executes this process based on a program stored in, for example, ROM 612 or auxiliary storage device 614.
In step S31 of FIG. 8, the processor 611 of the vehicle-mounted device 61 waits for the start of communication with the first antenna 411. When the processor 611 starts communication with the first antenna 411, the processor 611 determines Yes in step S31 and proceeds to step S32.

In step S32, the processor 611 instructs the ETC antenna 615 to transmit the on-board unit information to the first antenna 411 or the second antenna 412. The in-vehicle device information includes, for example, an in-vehicle device ID, a card ID, and vehicle type information. In addition, the on-board unit information may include traffic information. The card ID is identification information of the ETC card inserted in the reader / writer 617. The vehicle type information is information indicating the vehicle type of the vehicle 60 in which the on-board unit 61 is installed. The traffic information is information indicating from which entrance the target vehicle entered. When the toll is determined at the tollhouse at the exit and the toll varies depending on the distance, the ETC card at the entrance of the toll road is written with toll information indicating from which entrance.
Upon receiving the transmission instruction, the ETC antenna 615 transmits the vehicle-mounted device information to the first antenna 411 or the second antenna 412. The transmitted vehicle-mounted device information is received by the first antenna 411 or the second antenna 412.
The on-board unit information received by the first antenna 411 or the second antenna 412 is input to the roadside interface 36 of the tollhouse server 3 via the interface aggregation unit 401. Then, the vehicle-mounted device information is input to the processor 31 from the roadside interface 36. Therefore, the processor 31 functions as a vehicle model acquisition unit 314 for acquiring on-board unit information in cooperation with the roadside interface 36.
In FIG. 6, the vehicle-mounted device information transmitted from the vehicle-mounted device 61 to the first antenna 411 or the second antenna 412 of the ETC roadside device 4 is shown as step ST12-1. Further, FIG. 6 shows the on-board unit information transmitted from the ETC roadside device 4 to the tollhouse server 3 as step ST12-2.

Returning to the description of FIG.
On the other hand, in step S13 of FIG. 7, the processor 31 of the tollhouse server 3 waits for the vehicle-mounted device information to be input to the roadside interface 36. If the vehicle-mounted device information is input, the processor 31 determines Yes in step S13 and proceeds to step S14.

In step S14, the processor 31 refers to the received vehicle type information and determines whether or not the target vehicle is a towing vehicle. If the processor 31 is a towing vehicle, the processor 31 determines Yes in step S14 and proceeds to step S15.

Returning to the description of FIG.
On the other hand, in step S33 of FIG. 8, the processor 611 of the vehicle-mounted device 61 acquires the position information indicating the position of the target vehicle and the date and time information indicating the date and time when the target vehicle was at the position. For example, the processor 611 obtains the position information of the target vehicle by using the GNSS signal received by the GNSS antenna 616. The processor 611 may obtain position information by using a correction technique such as DGPS (differential global positioning system) or RTK (real-time kinematic). Further, the processor 611 acquires date and time information from, for example, a GNSS signal or an internal clock of the vehicle-mounted device 61.
The position information indicates the traveling position of the target vehicle. The date and time information indicates the traveling time of the target vehicle. Therefore, the processor 611 functions as an in-vehicle position acquisition unit that acquires position information and time information by using the GNSS signal in cooperation with the GNSS antenna 616 by performing the process of step S33.

In step S34, the processor 611 instructs the ETC antenna 615 to transmit the position notification to the first antenna 411 or the second antenna 412. The position notification includes the position information and the date and time information acquired in step S33. Upon receiving the transmission instruction, the ETC antenna 615 transmits the position notification to the first antenna 411 or the second antenna 412. The transmitted position notification is received by the first antenna 411 or the second antenna 412. The position information included in the position notification indicates the traveling position. In addition, the date and time information included in the position notification indicates the traveling time. Therefore, the position notification is an example of traveling information. Further, from the above, the ETC antenna 615 is an example of a transmission unit that transmits position information to the charge acquisition device.
In FIG. 6, the position notification transmitted from the vehicle-mounted device 61 to the first antenna 411 or the second antenna 412 of the ETC roadside device 4 is shown as step ST13-1. Further, FIG. 6 shows the position notification transmitted from the ETC roadside device 4 to the tollhouse server 3 as step ST13-2.

In step S35 of FIG. 8, the processor 611 determines whether or not the charge information transmitted from the first antenna 411 or the second antenna 412 is received by the ETC antenna 615. If the charge information has not been received, the processor 611 determines No in step S35 and returns to step S33. Therefore, the processor 611 repeatedly acquires the position information and transmits the position notification until the charge information is received.

Returning to the description of FIG.
On the other hand, in step S15 of FIG. 7, the processor 31 of the tollhouse server 3 waits for the position notification to be received by the first antenna 411 or the second antenna 412. When the position notification is received, the processor 31 determines Yes in step S15 and proceeds to step S16.
The position notification received by the first antenna 411 or the second antenna 412 is input to the roadside interface 36 via the interface aggregation unit 401. Then, the position notification is input to the processor 31 from the roadside interface 36, for example. Therefore, the processor 31 functions as a travel information acquisition unit 312 that acquires travel information in cooperation with the roadside interface 36.

In step S16, the processor 31 stores the position information included in the position notification received in step S15 in association with the date and time information included in the position notification. As a result, the processor 31 repeatedly receives the position notification and stores the position information and the date and time information, so that the route on which the target vehicle has traveled and the date and time on which the target vehicle has traveled can be known.

In step S17, the processor 31 attempts to specify the number of axes of the target vehicle, for example, as follows. That is, the processor 31 determines which ETC lane 71 the axis number total 433 has passed the measurement position based on the position information and the date and time information stored in step S16. Further, the processor 31 obtains the passing date and time when the target vehicle has passed the measurement position based on the position information and the date and time information stored in step S16. Then, the processor 31 acquires the number of axes of the vehicle 60 that has passed the measurement position on the passing date and time from, for example, the number of axes measurement result stored in the auxiliary storage device 34. For example, it is assumed that the processor 31 has determined that the target vehicle has passed the ETC lane 71A at time t1. In this case, the processor 31 acquires the number of axes of the vehicle 60 that has passed the ETC lane 71A within a predetermined error range from the time t1 by referring to the axis number measurement result.
Therefore, the processor 31 functions as a charge acquisition unit 313 that acquires the number of axes from the number of axes measurement result including the measurement position and the measurement date and time that match the position and date and time when the target vehicle traveled by performing the process of step S17. ..

In step S18, the processor 31 determines whether or not the number of axes can be specified by the process of step S17. If the target vehicle has not yet passed the measurement position of the total number of shafts 433, the processor 31 cannot specify the number of shafts. For example, the processor 31 cannot determine which ETC lane 71 the axis number meter 433 has passed because the target vehicle has not yet passed the measurement position of the axis number meter 433. , The number of axes cannot be specified. Alternatively, even if the processor 31 can determine which ETC lane 71 the axis number meter 433 has passed the measurement position, the processor 31 has not yet completed the measurement by the axis number meter 433. The number of axes cannot be specified. For example, this occurs when the position of the on-board unit 61 has passed the measurement position of the axle number meter 433, but the last wheel of the target vehicle has not yet passed the measurement position of the axle number meter 433. .. If the number of axes cannot be specified, the processor 31 determines No in step S18 and returns to step S15.

On the other hand, if the number of axes can be specified, the processor 31 determines Yes in step S18 and proceeds to step S19. If the target vehicle is not a towing vehicle, the processor 31 determines No in step S14 and proceeds to step S19.

In step S19, the processor 31 determines the vehicle type classification of the target vehicle. When the target vehicle is not a towing vehicle, the processor 31 determines the vehicle type classification according to the received vehicle type information. Then, when the target vehicle is a towing vehicle, the processor 31 determines the vehicle type classification according to the specified number of axles.

In step S20, for example, the processor 31 refers to the toll table stored in the auxiliary storage device 34, and acquires the toll to be charged to the target vehicle based on the vehicle type classification determined in step S19. The toll fee may be constant regardless of the distance or may fluctuate according to the distance. When the toll fluctuates according to the distance, the processor 31 acquires the toll from the entrance indicated by the toll information by referring to the toll table. The processor 31 may acquire the toll by inquiring to the central server 2 instead of referring to the charge table stored in the auxiliary storage device 34. Alternatively, the processor 31 may acquire the toll by calculating the toll by a predetermined function based on the vehicle type classification.
Therefore, the processor 31 functions as a toll acquisition unit 313 that acquires the toll of the target vehicle from the number of axes by performing the process of step S20.

In step S21, the processor 31 instructs the roadside interface 36 and the ETC roadside device 4 to transmit the charge notification to the vehicle-mounted device 61. The charge notification includes, for example, charge information and tollhouse information. The charge information is information indicating the toll charge determined in step S20. The tollhouse information is information indicating which tollhouse the tollhouse passed through. In response to this transmission instruction, the roadside interface 36 transmits the toll notification to the ETC roadside device 4. Then, the ETC roadside device 4 that has received the charge notification transmits the charge information from the first antenna 411 or the second antenna 412 to the vehicle-mounted device 61. The charge information transmitted from the first antenna 411 or the second antenna 412 is received by the ETC antenna 615 of the vehicle-mounted device 61. Then, the charge information is input to the processor 31 from the ETC antenna 615, for example. Therefore, the processor 31 cooperates with the ETC antenna 615 to function as a toll acquisition unit for acquiring tolls.
In FIG. 6, the toll notification transmitted from the tollhouse server 3 to the roadside device is shown as step ST14-1. Further, FIG. 6 shows the charge notification transmitted from the ETC roadside device 4 to the vehicle-mounted device 61 as step ST14-2.

Returning to the description of FIG.
When the charge notification is received, the processor 611 of the vehicle-mounted device 61 determines Yes in step S35 of FIG. 7, and proceeds to step S36.
In step S36, the processor 611 writes, for example, the charge information and the tollhouse information included in the charge notification to the ETC card inserted in the reader / writer 617. The processor 611 returns to step S31 after the processing of step S36.

Returning to the description of FIG.
In step S22 of FIG. 7, the processor 31 of the tollhouse server 3 instructs the server interface 35 to transmit the ETC processing data to the central server 2. The ETC processing data notifies the central server 2 that the target vehicle has passed the tollhouse. The ETC processing data includes, for example, in-vehicle device information, charge information, and tollhouse information. In response to this transmission instruction, the server interface 35 transmits the ETC processing data to the central server 2. The transmitted ETC processing data is received by the central server 2. The processor 31 terminates the process or thread that executed the processes of steps S12 to S22 in response to the completion of the process of step S22.
In FIG. 6, the ETC processed data is shown as step ST15.

The central server 2 stores the received ETC processing data in a database or the like. Then, the central server 2 collects the toll fee through a credit card company or the like based on the ETC processing data.

According to the ETC system 1 of the embodiment, the central server 2 specifies the position and the date and time when the target vehicle has passed the measurement position of the total number of axes 433 from the traveled position and the time. Then, the central server 2 acquires the number of axes of the vehicle 60 that has passed the measurement position at the position and the date and time. Then, the central server 2 determines the toll of the target vehicle from the number of axes.
In this way, the central server 2 can determine the toll of the target vehicle even if there is no island and gate by using the position information of the target vehicle.

Further, according to the ETC system 1 of the embodiment, the central server 2 acquires the vehicle type of the target vehicle from the on-board unit 61, and when the vehicle type of the target vehicle is a towing vehicle, determines the toll fee using the number of axes. However, if the target vehicle type is not a towing vehicle, the toll fee will be determined based on the vehicle type. As a result, the central server 2 can determine the toll fee using the measurement result of the number of axles only for the towing vehicle whose number of axles changes depending on the presence or absence of towing.

Further, according to the ETC system 1 of the embodiment, the central server 2 acquires the traveling position and the date and time of the target vehicle from the vehicle-mounted device 61 of the target vehicle. As a result, the central server 2 knows the exact traveling position and date and time of the target vehicle.

Further, according to the ETC system 1 of the embodiment, the central server 2 identifies the position that has passed the measurement position of the shaft number meter 433 by the lane. As a result, the central server 2 can easily determine that the traveling position and the measurement position match, as compared with the case where the positions are compared by the coordinates or the like.

<Modification example>
The above embodiment can be modified as follows.
In the above embodiment, the tollhouse server 3 determines the toll of the towing vehicle based on the number of axes. However, the tollhouse server 3 may determine the toll toll for vehicles other than the towing vehicle based on the number of axes.

In the above embodiment, the vehicle-mounted device 61 transmits a position notification to the first antenna 411 or the second antenna 412 each time the position information is acquired once. However, the vehicle-mounted device 61 may acquire the position information a plurality of times and transmit the position notification including the position information for the plurality of times and the date and time information corresponding thereto to the first antenna 411 or the second antenna 412.

In the above embodiment, the central server 2 may perform a part or all of the processing performed by the tollhouse server 3. In this case, the central server 2 and the tollhouse server 3 cooperate to operate as a toll acquisition device. Alternatively, the tollhouse server 3 operates as a tollhouse determination device.

The ETC system 1 of the embodiment can also be applied to a road without a lane boundary 73. Even on such a road, if there is a sufficient width, a plurality of vehicles can pass side by side.

The processor 31 or the processor 611 may realize a part or all of the processing realized by the program in the above embodiment by the hardware configuration of the circuit.

Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other embodiments, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

1 ... ETC system, 2 ... central server, 3 ... toll collection server, 4 ... ETC roadside equipment, 30 ... toll collection machine room, 31,611 ... processor, 32,612 ... ROM, 33, 613 ... RAM, 34,614 ... Auxiliary storage device, 35 ... Server interface, 36 ... Roadside interface, 37,618 ... Bus, 51 ... Cash roadside device, 52 ... ETC lane roadside device, 60A, 60B, 60C ... car, 61 ... in-vehicle device, 62 ... trailer head, 63 ... towed vehicle, 71 ... ETC lane, 72 ... cash lane, 73 ... lane boundary, 74 ... island, 75 ... Individual ETC lane, 311 ... Axle information acquisition unit, 312 ... Driving information acquisition unit, 313 ... Charge acquisition unit, 314 ... Vehicle type acquisition unit, 401 ... Interface aggregation unit, 411 ... First antenna 412 ... 2nd antenna, 421 ... Number plate reader, 422 ... Vehicle type discriminating device, 423 ... Traveling vehicle weight measuring device, 431 ... Vehicle height gauge, 432 ... Shaft weight gauge, 433 ... Axis Number meter, 615 ... ETC antenna, 616 ... GNSS antenna, 617 ... reader / writer

Claims (7)

At a tollhouse on a toll road that has multiple lanes and the lanes are not separated by islands.
A roadside device equipped with an axle number meter that measures the number of axles of each vehicle passing through the toll road, and
An axle information acquisition unit that acquires axle information including the number of axles of each vehicle passing through the toll road, the measurement position of the number of axles, and the measurement time of the number of axles.
A travel information acquisition unit that acquires travel information including the travel position and travel time of each vehicle passing through the toll road from the on-board unit of each vehicle.
The number of axles is acquired from the axle information including the measurement position and the measurement time that match the travel position and travel time of the predetermined vehicle subject to the toll road toll determination, and the predetermined vehicle is based on the number of axes. Toll acquisition department to acquire tolls and
With a centralized traffic control and
A fee acquisition system equipped with. A vehicle type acquisition unit for acquiring the vehicle type of the predetermined vehicle from the on-board unit of the predetermined vehicle is further provided.
When the vehicle type is a towing vehicle, the toll acquisition unit determines the towing charge based on the number of axles acquired from the axle information, and when the vehicle type is not a towing vehicle, the towing charge is based on the vehicle type. The charge acquisition system according to claim 1. The toll acquisition system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the measurement position indicates the lane in which the number of axes is measured. The toll acquisition system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the shaft number meter is installed for each lane. An axle information acquisition unit that acquires axle information including the number of axles, the measurement position of the number of axles, and the measurement time of the number of axles of each vehicle passing through the toll road.
A travel information acquisition unit that acquires travel information including the travel position and travel time of each vehicle passing through the toll road from the on-board unit of each vehicle.
The number of axles is acquired from the axle information including the measurement position and the measurement time that match the travel position and travel time of the predetermined vehicle subject to the toll road toll determination, and the predetermined vehicle is based on the number of axes. A toll acquisition device including a toll acquisition unit for acquiring tolls. An on-board unit that transmits information for determining a charge by the charge acquisition device according to claim 5.
An in-vehicle position acquisition unit that acquires the traveling position and the traveling time based on the GNSS signal, and
A transmission unit that transmits the traveling position and the traveling time to the charge acquisition device, and
An in-vehicle device including a toll acquisition unit for acquiring the toll determined by the toll acquisition device. Acquire axle information including the number of axles of each vehicle passing on the toll road, the measurement position of the number of axles, and the measurement time of the number of axles.
The traveling information including the traveling position and the traveling time of each vehicle passing through the toll road is acquired from the on-board unit of each vehicle.
The number of axles is acquired from the axle information including the measurement position and the measurement time that match the travel position and travel time of the predetermined vehicle subject to the toll road toll determination, and the predetermined vehicle is based on the number of axes. How to get a toll, how to get a toll.