JP7478686B2 - Toll collection system and toll collection method - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a toll collection system and a toll collection method.

Some toll gates on toll roads have significantly different usage frequencies between the entrance toll gate and the exit toll gate depending on the time of day. For example, there are toll gates where the entrance toll gate is used more frequently during the commute to work hours, and the exit toll gate is used more frequently during the commute to leave work hours. At such toll gates, the optimal number of entrance lanes and the optimal number of exit lanes that take into account the prevention of congestion varies depending on the time of day, making it difficult to optimize the number of entrance lanes and the optimal number of exit lanes for all time periods.

For this reason, technology has been devised for reverse operation, in which one lane is inverted and used as an entrance lane or an exit lane. For example, Patent Document 1 describes that in forward mode, a first vehicle detector installed at one end of the reverse lane functions as an entrance detector, and a second vehicle detector installed at the other end functions as an exit detector, and in reverse mode, the second vehicle detector functions as an entrance detector, and the first vehicle detector functions as an exit detector.

JP 2015-41347 A

However, with conventional technology, the vehicle detectors installed at both ends of the reverse lane cannot distinguish between forward and reverse travel of a vehicle. In order to make a reverse lane capable of distinguishing between forward and reverse travel of a vehicle, it is necessary to provide an entrance detector and an exit detector for the entrance lane, and an entrance detector and an exit detector for the exit lane, respectively, which increases the cost of the equipment. For this reason, there has been a demand for a system that can reduce the number of equipment configurations by sharing the equipment for the entrance and exit lanes of the reverse lane, while also being able to distinguish between forward and reverse travel of a vehicle.

The present disclosure has been made in consideration of these problems, and provides a toll collection system and toll collection method that can switch the reverse lane to either the entrance lane or the exit lane with a simple device configuration and can accurately detect the forward direction of the vehicle.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the toll collection system 1 is provided in a reverse lane that connects a general road and a toll road and can be switched to either an entrance lane along which vehicles heading toward the toll road travel, or an exit lane along which vehicles heading toward the general road travel, and includes a first vehicle separator 10 that is installed at a first position on the toll road side in the lane direction and detects vehicles traveling at the first position, a second vehicle separator 11 that is installed at a second position on the general road side in the lane direction and detects vehicles traveling at the second position, and a lane switching device 4 that outputs a switching signal indicating that the reverse lane has been switched to an entrance lane or an exit lane to each of the first vehicle separator 10 and the second vehicle separator 11. Based on the switching signal, the first vehicle separator 10 executes either a first process that detects the direction toward the general road as the forward direction of the vehicle and the direction toward the toll road as the reverse direction, or a second process that detects the direction toward the toll road as the forward direction of the vehicle and the direction toward the general road as the reverse direction.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a toll collection method is a toll collection method for a reverse lane that connects a general road and a toll road and can be switched to either an entrance lane in which vehicles heading toward the toll road travel, or an exit lane in which vehicles heading toward the general road travel, and includes the steps of: detecting a vehicle traveling at a first position on the toll road side in the lane direction by a first vehicle separator 10; detecting a vehicle traveling at a second position on the general road side in the lane direction by a second vehicle separator 11; and outputting a switching signal indicating that the reverse lane has been switched to the entrance lane or the exit lane to each of the first vehicle separator 10 and the second vehicle separator 11. The step of detecting a vehicle traveling at the first position executes either a first process that detects the direction toward the general road as the forward direction of the vehicle and the direction toward the toll road as the reverse direction based on the switching signal, or a second process that detects the direction toward the toll road as the forward direction of the vehicle and the direction toward the general road as the reverse direction.

The toll collection system and toll collection method disclosed herein enable the reverse lane to be switched to either the entrance lane or the exit lane with a simple equipment configuration, and can accurately detect the forward direction of the vehicle.

1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a fee collection system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a vehicle separator according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. 1 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a fee collection system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. 1 is a flowchart showing an example of processing during exit operation of the toll collection system according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. 1 is a flowchart showing an example of processing during entrance operation of the toll collection system according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a fee collection system according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. A figure showing an example of the hardware configuration of equipment constituting a fee collection system according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

First Embodiment
Hereinafter, a toll collection system 1 and a toll collection method according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. FIG.

(Overall configuration of the toll collection system)
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a fee collection system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.
As shown in Fig. 1, the toll collection system 1 according to this embodiment is provided in a reverse lane L that connects a general road and a toll road and can be switched to either an entrance lane in which a vehicle A heading for the toll road runs, or an exit lane in which a vehicle A heading for the general road runs. The toll collection system 1 includes a ticket issuing machine 2, an automatic toll collection machine 3, a lane switching device 4, a first vehicle separator 10, a second vehicle separator 11, a third vehicle separator 12, a first departure controller 13, a second departure controller 14, and a vehicle type discrimination device 15.

The ticket issuing machine 2 is installed on an island I on the roadside of the reverse lane L, and issues tickets to vehicle A traveling on the reverse lane L toward the toll road side (-X side).

The automatic toll collector 3 is installed on an island I on the roadside of the reverse lane L, and collects the toll calculated based on the toll ticket from vehicle A traveling on the reverse lane L toward the general road side (+X side).

The lane switching device 4 is installed on the roadside island I of the reverse lane L, and outputs a signal (switching signal) indicating that the reverse lane L has been switched to an entrance lane or an exit lane to each of the ticket issuing machine 2, the automatic toll collection machine 3, the first vehicle separator 10, the second vehicle separator 11, the third vehicle separator 12, and the vehicle type discrimination device 15.

The first vehicle separator 10 is installed at a first position P1 on the toll road side (-X side) of the ticket issuing machine 2 and the automatic toll collection machine 3 in the lane direction (±X direction), and detects vehicle A traveling at the first position P1. The first position P1 is set at the end of the reverse lane L on the toll road side. The first vehicle separator 10 is composed of a vehicle detector 101 that detects the presence or absence of vehicle A at the first position P1, and a footboard 102 that detects the forward and reverse movement of vehicle A.

The second vehicle separator 11 is installed at a second position P2 on the general road side (+X side) of the ticket issuing machine 2 and the automatic toll collection machine 3 in the lane direction (±X direction), and detects vehicle A traveling at the second position P2. The second position P2 is set at the end of the reverse lane L on the general road side. The second vehicle separator 11 is composed of a vehicle detector 111 that detects the presence or absence of vehicle A at the second position P2, and a footboard 112 that detects the forward and reverse movement of vehicle A.

The third vehicle separator 12 is installed at a third position P3 between the second vehicle separator 11 and the automatic toll collection machine 3 in the lane direction (±X direction) and detects vehicle A traveling at the third position P3. The third vehicle separator 12 is composed of a vehicle detector 121 that detects the presence or absence of vehicle A at the third position P3, and a footboard 122 that detects the forward and reverse movement of vehicle A.

The first departure controller 13 is installed between the first vehicle separator 10 and the ticket issuing machine 2 in the lane direction (±X direction). The first departure controller 13 opens (allows vehicle A to pass) or blocks (restricts vehicle A to pass) the reverse lane L by raising and lowering the opening and closing bar in accordance with the opening and closing command from the ticket issuing machine 2.

The second departure controller 14 is installed between the automatic toll collector 3 and the third vehicle separator 12 in the lane direction (±X direction). The second departure controller 14 opens (allows vehicle A to pass) and closes (restricts vehicle A to pass) the reverse lane L by raising and lowering the opening and closing bar in accordance with the opening and closing command from the automatic toll collector 3.

The vehicle type discrimination device 15 discriminates the vehicle type of the vehicle traveling in the reverse lane L. When the vehicle type discrimination device 15 in this embodiment receives a signal from the lane switching device 4 indicating switching to the entrance lane, it executes a vehicle type discrimination process for vehicle A and notifies the ticket issuing machine 2 of the discrimination result.

The toll collection system 1 further has a roof R that covers the top of the toll ticket issuing machine 2 and the automatic toll collection machine 3. The roof R prevents the toll ticket issuing machine 2 and the automatic toll collection machine 3 from getting wet in the rain. The roof R also prevents the occupants of the vehicle A from getting wet in the rain when they remove the issued toll ticket or when they pay the toll via the automatic toll collection machine 3.

(Functional configuration of vehicle separator)
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the vehicle separator according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.
As shown in Fig. 2, the vehicle detector 101 of the first vehicle separator 10 has a pair of a projector 101A and a receiver 101B that face each other across the reverse lane L. When vehicle A is not present at the first position P1, the receiver 101B receives the light projected from the projector 101A. When vehicle A is present at the first position P1, the light projected from the projector 101A is blocked by the body of vehicle A and is not received by the receiver 101B. The vehicle detector 101 detects whether or not vehicle A is present at the first position P1 based on whether or not the receiver 101B has received light in this manner.

The vehicle detector 111 of the second vehicle separator 11 and the vehicle detector 121 of the third vehicle separator 12 have the same configuration as the vehicle detector 101 of the first vehicle separator 10. The vehicle detector 111 of the second vehicle separator 11 detects whether or not a vehicle A is present at the second position P2 based on whether or not the receiver 101B receives light. The vehicle detector 121 of the third vehicle separator 12 detects whether or not a vehicle A is present at the third position P3 based on whether or not the receiver 101B receives light.

The tread 102 of the first vehicle separator 10 is embedded in the reverse lane L1 at a first position P1 in the lane direction (±X direction). The tread 102 extends in the lane width direction (±Y direction) and is composed of two pressure sensors 102A and 102B that detect the tires of vehicle A stepping on it. As shown in FIG. 2, the pressure sensor 102A is installed on the toll road side (-X side) in the lane direction, and the pressure sensor 102B is installed on the general road side (+X side) in the lane direction. The tread 102 determines whether vehicle A is moving forward or backward depending on the order in which the pressure sensors 102A and 102B are pressed.

Specifically, when the reverse lane L is used as the exit lane (i.e., when a switching signal indicating "exit lane" is received from the lane switching device 4), the tread 102 executes a first process of detecting the direction toward the general road side (+X side) as the forward direction of vehicle A. In this case, when the tread 102 detects the pressure sensors 102A, 102B stepping on it in this order, it detects that vehicle A is moving forward. On the other hand, when the tread 102 detects the pressure sensors 102B, 102A stepping on it in this order, it detects that vehicle A is moving backward.

In addition, when the reverse lane L is used as the entrance lane (i.e., when a signal indicating "entrance lane" is received from the lane switching device 4), the tread 102 executes a second process of detecting the direction toward the toll road side (-X side) as the forward direction of vehicle A. In this case, when the tread 102 detects the pressure sensors 102B, 102A stepping on it in this order, it detects that vehicle A is moving forward. On the other hand, when the tread 102 detects the pressure sensors 102A, 102B stepping on it in this order, it detects that vehicle A is moving backward.

The step 112 of the second vehicle separator 11 and the step 122 of the third vehicle separator 12 have the same configuration as the step 102 of the first vehicle separator 10. That is, the step 112 of the second vehicle separator 11 detects the forward and backward movement of vehicle A at the second position P2. The step 112 of the third vehicle separator 12 detects the forward and backward movement of vehicle A at the third position P3. Like the step 102 of the first vehicle separator 10, the step 112 of the second vehicle separator 11 and the step 122 of the third vehicle separator 12 detect the direction toward the general road side (+X side) as the forward direction of vehicle A when the reverse lane L is used as an exit lane, and detect the direction toward the toll road side (-X side) as the forward direction of vehicle A when the reverse lane L is used as an entrance lane.

The tread 112 of the second vehicle separator 11 further detects the number of times the tires have been stepped on by the pressure sensors 102A and 102B, as well as the number of axles, wheel width, and wheelbase of vehicle A based on the position of the steps. The information on the number of axles, etc. is used in the vehicle type discrimination process by the vehicle type discrimination device 15.

In addition, the second vehicle separator 11 may stop outputting the detection result when the reverse lane L is used as an exit lane. In addition, the third vehicle separator 12 may stop outputting the detection result when the reverse lane L is used as an entrance lane.

(Layout of each component of the toll collection system)
As shown in FIG. 1 , the distance D1 between the ticket issuing machine 2 (installation position P4) and the second vehicle separator 11 (second position P2) in the lane direction (±X direction) is set to a distance that allows the vehicle type discrimination device 15 to complete the vehicle type discrimination process. The vehicle type discrimination device 15 in this embodiment discriminates the vehicle type of vehicle A based on the number of axles, wheel width, wheelbase, etc. detected by the tread 112 of the second vehicle separator 11. For this reason, the vehicle type discrimination device 15 completes the discrimination process after all tires of vehicle A have passed the tread 112 and the number of axles, etc. have been identified. Therefore, the distance D1 is set to be greater than or equal to the maximum vehicle length of vehicle A (for example, "18 m").

As shown in FIG. 1, in order to reduce the installation cost of the roof R, it is desirable to keep the length D3 of the roof R in the lane direction (±X direction) to a minimum (e.g., 12 m). Also, since the distance D1 between the ticket issuing machine 2 and the second vehicle separator 11 must be greater than the maximum vehicle length of vehicle A, the roof R is positioned based on the installation position P4 of the ticket issuing machine 2. Therefore, the installation position P5 of the automatic toll collection machine 3 is set so that the distance D4 from the installation position P4 of the ticket issuing machine 2 to the installation position P5 of the automatic toll collection machine 3 is shorter than the length D3 of the roof R.

Furthermore, the distance D2 between the toll collection machine 3 (installation position P5) and the third vehicle separator 12 (third position P3) in the lane direction (±X direction) is set to be equal to or less than the minimum vehicle length of vehicle A (for example, 2.8 m). When the toll collection process is completed and the third vehicle separator 12 detects that vehicle A has passed the third position P3 in the forward direction, the toll collection machine 3 transmits a command to close the gate to the second departure controller 14. At this time, if the distance between the toll collection machine 3 and the third vehicle separator 12 is set to be longer than the minimum vehicle length of vehicle A, the following vehicle may reach the position of the second departure controller 14 before the preceding vehicle A passes the third position P3. In that case, when the second departure controller 14 lowers the gate, the gate may collide with the following vehicle. In order to prevent such a collision between the gate and vehicle A, the distance D2 is set to be equal to or less than the minimum vehicle length of vehicle A so that the following vehicle cannot enter.

For the same reason, the distance between the ticket issuing machine 2 (installation position P4) and the first vehicle separator 10 (first position P1) in the lane direction (±X direction) may also be set to less than the minimum vehicle length of vehicle A.

(Functional configuration of the toll collection system)
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a functional configuration of the fee collection system according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.
As shown in FIG. 3, the lane switching device 4 has a switch 41 (e.g., a rotary switch) for switching the reverse lane L to an exit lane or an entrance lane. The lane switching device 4 accepts the operation of the switch 41 by a toll booth attendant and outputs a switching signal indicating whether the reverse lane L is to be operated as an "exit lane" or an "entrance lane" to each of the ticket issuing machine 2, the automatic toll collection machine 3, the first vehicle separator 10, the second vehicle separator 11, the third vehicle separator 12, and the vehicle type discrimination device 15. The switch 41 of the lane switching device 4 is a mechanical switch, and for example, the switching signal indicating the "entrance lane" is set to "ON" and the switching signal indicating the "exit lane" is set to "OFF". In this case, if the power supply of the lane switching device 4 is turned off due to a failure or the like, the switching signal is set to the "OFF" state, so that the reverse lane L can be continuously operated in the "exit lane" state. Also, a switching signal indicating an "exit lane" may be set to "ON" and a switching signal indicating an "entrance lane" may be set to "OFF."

In addition, when the lane switching device 4 receives a switching signal indicating "exit lane", the communication line C1 between the lane switching device 4 and the automatic toll collector 3 is connected, and the detection results of each vehicle separator (first vehicle separator 10, second vehicle separator 11, and third vehicle separator 12) are output to the automatic toll collector 3 through the communication line C1 of the lane switching device 4. On the other hand, when the lane switching device 4 receives a switching signal indicating "entrance lane", the communication line C2 between the lane switching device 4 and the ticket issuing device 2 and the vehicle type discrimination device 15 is connected, and the detection results of each vehicle separator are output to the ticket issuing device 2 and the vehicle type discrimination device 15 through the communication line C2 of the lane switching device 4. As in the above example, when the power supply of the lane switching device 4 is turned off due to a failure or the like, the switching signal is in the "OFF" state, so that either the communication line C1 or C2 is connected. This makes it possible to prevent the reverse lane L from becoming inoperable due to a failure or the like of the lane switching device 4.

The detection result of vehicle A by the first vehicle separator 10 (presence or absence of vehicle A at the first position P1, and distinction between forward and backward movement) is output to the ticket issuing machine 2 and the automatic toll collection machine 3 through the communication line C2 of the lane switching device 4. Similarly, the detection result of vehicle A by the second vehicle separator 11 is output to the ticket issuing machine 2 and the vehicle type discrimination device 15 through the communication line C2 of the lane switching device 4. The detection result of vehicle A by the third vehicle separator 12 is output to the automatic toll collection machine 3 through the communication line C1 of the lane switching device 4. Since these detection results include information on the forward and backward movement of vehicle A, the ticket issuing machine 2 and the automatic toll collection machine 3 can accurately detect whether vehicle A has passed each of the first position P1, the second position P2, and the third position P3 by forward movement or has not passed each of them by reverse movement.

When the reverse lane L is used as the entrance lane, the ticket issuing machine 2 issues a ticket for vehicle A based on the detection result received from the second vehicle separator 11 (detection of vehicle A entering the reverse lane L) and the vehicle type discrimination result received from the vehicle type discrimination device 15. The ticket records information including the date and time when vehicle A traveled in the reverse lane (for example, the date and time when vehicle A was detected by the second vehicle separator 11), information that can identify the entrance toll gate, and the vehicle type of vehicle A discriminated by the vehicle type discrimination device 15. After issuing the ticket, the ticket issuing machine 2 transmits an open command to the first departure controller 13 to permit vehicle A to exit the reverse lane L.

In addition, when the ticket issuing machine 2 receives a detection result from the first vehicle separator 10 (detection of vehicle A exiting the reverse lane L), it sends a close command to the first departure controller 13 to restrict the next vehicle A from exiting the reverse lane L.

When the reverse lane L is used as an entrance lane, the vehicle type discrimination device 15 performs a vehicle type discrimination process for vehicle A based on the detection results received from the second vehicle separator 11. The vehicle type discrimination device 15 discriminates the vehicle type of vehicle A based on, for example, the number of axles, wheel width, wheelbase, etc. of vehicle A contained in the detection results of the second vehicle separator 11. The discrimination result by the vehicle type discrimination device 15 is notified to the ticket issuing machine 2 and recorded on the ticket.

(Processing flow of the toll collection system when operating at an exit)
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of processing during exit operation of the toll collection system according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.
Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 4, a process flow (toll collection method) when the reverse lane L is used as the "exit lane" will be described in detail.

First, when an attendant operates the switch 41 of the lane switching device 4 to switch the reverse lane L to the "exit lane," the lane switching device 4 outputs a switching signal indicating a switch to the "exit lane" to each of the first vehicle separator 10, the second vehicle separator 11, the third vehicle separator 12, the ticket issuing machine 2, the automatic toll collection machine 3, and the vehicle type discrimination device 15. Then, each device performs a process to change the detection logic, etc. in response to the switching signal (step S100).

Specifically, the vehicle detector 101 of the first vehicle separator 10 functions as an approaching vehicle detector that detects the entry of vehicle A from the toll road into the reverse lane L (exit lane) at the first position P1. Based on the detection signal of the footboard 102, the first vehicle separator 10 switches the detection logic to execute a "first process" that detects the direction from the toll road side to the general road side (the +X direction in FIG. 1) as the forward direction of vehicle A.

The second vehicle separator 11 stops outputting the detection results because the detection results will no longer be used in the exit lane.

The vehicle detector 121 of the third vehicle separator 12 functions as an exit vehicle detector that detects the exit of vehicle A from the reverse lane L (exit lane) at the third position P3. Based on the detection signal of the footboard 122, the third vehicle separator 12 switches the detection logic to execute "first process" that detects the direction from the toll road side to the general road side (the +X direction in FIG. 1) as the forward direction of vehicle A.

The ticket issuing machine 2 also outputs an open command to the first departure controller 13, causing the first departure controller 13 to always keep the reverse lane L open. The toll collection machine 3 outputs a close command to the second departure controller 14, causing the second departure controller 14 to close the reverse lane L until the toll collection process is completed.

Next, the automatic toll collection machine 3 judges whether the first vehicle separator 10 has detected the entry of vehicle A into the reverse lane L (step S101). If the entry of vehicle A has not been detected (step S101: NO), the automatic toll collection machine 3 waits until the entry of vehicle A is detected. On the other hand, if the entry of vehicle A is detected (step S101: YES), the automatic toll collection machine 3 executes a toll collection process to collect the toll for vehicle A (step S102). The toll collection process is the same as the existing process. For example, the automatic toll collection machine 3 accepts the insertion of a toll ticket from the passenger of vehicle A, and calculates the toll according to the mileage and vehicle type of vehicle A based on the information of the entrance toll gate and the vehicle type recorded on the toll ticket. The automatic toll collection machine 3 also performs processes such as the payment of the toll from the passenger of vehicle A and the refund of the change.

When the automatic toll collector 3 completes the toll collection process, it outputs an open command to the second departure controller 14 (step S103). In response, the second departure controller 14 raises the gate to allow vehicle A to exit the reverse lane L.

Next, the automatic toll collection machine 3 determines whether the third vehicle separator 12 has detected that vehicle A has exited from the reverse lane L (step S104). If the exit of vehicle A has not been detected (step S104: NO), the automatic toll collection machine 3 waits until the exit of vehicle A is detected. On the other hand, if the exit of vehicle A is detected (step S104: YES), the automatic toll collection machine 3 outputs a close command to the second departure controller 14 (step S105). Then, the second departure controller 14 lowers the opening and closing bar to restrict the exit of the following vehicle from the reverse lane L.

Each device in the toll collection system 1 repeatedly executes the above steps S101 to S105 while the lane switching device 4 is outputting a switching signal indicating the "exit lane."

(Processing flow when the toll collection system is in operation at the entrance)
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of processing during entrance operation of the toll collection system according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.
Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 5, a process flow when the reverse lane L is used as the "entrance lane" will be described in detail.

First, when an attendant operates the switch 41 of the lane switching device 4 to switch the reverse lane L to the "entrance lane", a switching signal indicating a switch to the "entrance lane" is output from the lane switching device 4 to each of the first vehicle separator 10, the second vehicle separator 11, the third vehicle separator 12, the ticket issuing machine 2, the automatic toll collection machine 3, and the vehicle type discrimination device 15. Then, each device performs a process to change the detection logic, etc. in response to the switching signal (step S110).

Specifically, the vehicle detector 101 of the first vehicle separator 10 functions as an exit vehicle detector that detects the exit of vehicle A from the reverse lane L (entrance lane) at the first position P1. Based on the detection signal of the footboard 102, the first vehicle separator 10 switches the detection logic to execute "second process" that detects the direction from the general road side toward the toll road side (-X direction in FIG. 1) as the forward direction of vehicle A.

The vehicle detector 111 of the second vehicle separator 11 functions as an approaching vehicle detector that detects the entry of vehicle A from the general road into the reverse lane L (entrance lane) at the second position P2. Based on the detection signal of the footboard 112, the second vehicle separator 11 switches the detection logic to execute a "second process" that detects the direction from the general road side toward the toll road side (-X direction in FIG. 1) as the forward direction of vehicle A.

The third vehicle separator 12 stops outputting the detection results because they will no longer be used in the entrance lane.

The ticket issuing machine 2 also outputs a close command to the first departure controller 13, causing the first departure controller 13 to close the reverse lane L until the ticket issuing process for vehicle A is completed. The toll collection machine 3 outputs an open command to the second departure controller 14, causing the second departure controller 14 to keep the reverse lane L open at all times.

Next, the vehicle type discrimination device 15 judges whether the second vehicle separator 11 has detected the entry of vehicle A into the reverse lane L (step S111). If the entry of vehicle A has not been detected (step S111: NO), the vehicle type discrimination device 15 waits until the entry of vehicle A is detected. On the other hand, if the entry of vehicle A is detected (step S111: YES), the vehicle type discrimination device 15 executes a vehicle type discrimination process for vehicle A (step S112). The vehicle type discrimination process is similar to the existing process. For example, the vehicle type discrimination device 15 discriminates the vehicle type of vehicle A based on the detection results (number of axles, wheel width, wheelbase, etc.) of the second vehicle separator 11. In addition, the vehicle type discrimination device 15 may further discriminate the vehicle type of vehicle A based on the license plate information of vehicle A read by a license plate reading device (not shown), and the vehicle length, height, width, etc. of vehicle A detected by a vehicle length detector, vehicle height detector, and vehicle width detector (not shown). The results of the vehicle type discrimination device 15 are sent to the ticket issuing machine 2.

When the ticket issuing machine 2 receives the discrimination result from the vehicle type discrimination device 15, it performs a process to issue a ticket that records the vehicle type, etc. of vehicle A (step S113).

When the process of issuing the pass is completed, the pass issuing machine 2 outputs an open command to the first departure controller 13 (step S114). Then, the first departure controller 13 raises the gate to allow the vehicle A to exit the reverse lane L.

Next, the ticket issuing machine 2 determines whether the first vehicle separator 10 has detected that vehicle A has exited from the reverse lane L (step S115). If the exit of vehicle A has not been detected (step S115: NO), the ticket issuing machine 2 waits until the exit of vehicle A is detected. On the other hand, if the exit of vehicle A is detected (step S115: YES), the ticket issuing machine 2 outputs a close command to the first departure controller 13 (step S116). Then, the first departure controller 13 lowers the opening and closing bar to restrict the exit of the following vehicle from the reverse lane L.

Each device in the toll collection system 1 repeatedly executes the above steps S110 to S116 while the lane switching device 4 is outputting a switching signal indicating the "entrance lane."

(Action and Effect)
As described above, the toll collection system 1 according to this embodiment outputs a switching signal indicating switching to the "entrance lane" or "exit lane" from the lane switching device 4 to each device of the toll collection system 1. Also, based on the switching signal, the first vehicle separator 10 executes either a "first process" for detecting the direction toward the general road side as the forward direction of vehicle A and the direction toward the toll road side as the reverse direction, or a "second process" for detecting the direction toward the toll road side as the forward direction of vehicle A and the direction toward the general road side as the reverse direction.
In this way, the toll collection system 1 can accurately detect the forward direction of the vehicle A while allowing the first vehicle separator 10 to be shared between the entrance lane L and the exit lane L. Therefore, it is not necessary to prepare all the devices such as the entrance detector and the exit detector for the entrance lane and the exit detector for the exit lane, so that the cost of introducing the devices for the reverse lane L can be reduced. In addition, since it is possible to distinguish between forward and backward travel in this way, it is possible to correctly detect the entry and exit of the vehicle A even if the vehicle A performs an operation such as reversing and exiting after entering the reverse lane L. As a result, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the accuracy of the management of the number of vehicles A present in the reverse lane L.

In addition, an attendant can collectively switch all of the devices in the toll collection system 1 between functioning as the "entrance lane" or "exit lane" by simply operating the switch 41 of the lane switching device 4. This eliminates the need to switch the settings of each device one by one, significantly reducing the workload of the attendant and reducing the risk of contact with vehicle A when crossing the reverse lane L to switch the settings of each device.

The toll collection system 1 further includes a third vehicle separator 12. When the switching signal indicates the "exit lane", the first vehicle separator 10 and the third vehicle separator 12 execute a "first process" to detect vehicle A's entry into and exit from the reverse lane L (exit lane). When the switching signal indicates the "entrance lane", the second vehicle separator 11 and the first vehicle separator 10 execute a "second process" to detect vehicle A's entry into and exit from the reverse lane L (exit lane).
In this way, by separately operating the second vehicle separator 11 for the "entrance lane" and the third vehicle separator 12 for the "exit lane", it is possible to ensure the freedom of arrangement of each device of the toll collection system 1. For example, as in the example of Fig. 1, if there is a constraint that both the ticket issuing machine 2 and the automatic toll collection machine 3 must be arranged under the roof R, it is possible to realize an equipment layout that satisfies such a constraint by changing the installation positions of the third vehicle separator 12 and the automatic toll collection machine 3.

In addition, the distance D2 between the automatic toll collection machine 3 and the third vehicle separator 12 in the lane direction is set to be equal to or less than the minimum vehicle length of the vehicle A.
By doing this, the time from when the automatic toll collection machine 3 completes the toll collection process to when it detects that vehicle A has exited the reverse lane L is shortened, so that the toll collection process for the following vehicle can be started promptly.
Furthermore, when the second starting controller 14 is disposed between the automatic toll collection machine 3 and the third vehicle separator 12, the following vehicle cannot reach the second starting controller 14 until the vehicle A, which has completed the toll collection process, exits the reverse lane L (passes the third vehicle separator 12). This makes it possible to prevent the opening and closing bar from colliding with the following vehicle when the opening and closing bar of the second starting controller 14 is lowered.

Further, the distance D1 in the lane direction between the ticket issuing machine 2 and the second vehicle separator 11 is set to a distance that allows the vehicle type discrimination device 15 to complete the vehicle type discrimination process. Specifically, the distance D1 is set to be equal to or greater than the maximum vehicle length of the vehicle A.
In this way, the ticket issuing machine 2 can issue a ticket for a vehicle having a long vehicle length after completing the vehicle type determination process, thereby preventing the information recorded on the ticket from being insufficient (the vehicle type becoming unknown).

Second Embodiment
Next, a toll collection system 1 and a toll collection method according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG.
Components common to the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a fee collection system according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure.
As shown in Figure 6, the toll collection system 1 of this embodiment omits the third vehicle separator 12 of the first embodiment, and is configured to share the first vehicle separator 10 and the second vehicle separator 11 in both the "entrance lane" and the "exit lane".

(Layout of each component of the toll collection system)
6, the distance D1 between the ticket issuing machine 2 (installation position P4) and the second vehicle separator 11 (second position P2) in the lane direction (±X direction) is set to a distance that allows the vehicle type discrimination device 15 to complete the vehicle type discrimination process, as in the first embodiment. Specifically, the distance D1 is set to be equal to or greater than the maximum vehicle length of vehicle A (e.g., 18 m).

As shown in FIG. 6, the toll collection system 1 according to this embodiment does not require a roof R, for example because it is located under an elevated road. In this case, unlike the first embodiment, there is no restriction on the distance D4 between the ticket issuing machine 2 and the automatic toll collection machine 3 in the lane direction (±X direction). For this reason, the automatic toll collection machine 3 according to this embodiment uses the second vehicle separator 11 as a device for detecting a vehicle A exiting from the reverse lane L to the general road side (+X side).

The distance D2 between the automatic toll collection machine 3 (installation position P5) and the second vehicle separator 11 (second position P2) in the lane direction (±X direction) is set to be equal to or less than the minimum vehicle length of vehicle A (e.g., 2.8 m). The distance between the ticket issuing machine 2 (installation position P4) and the first vehicle separator 10 (first position P1) in the lane direction (±X direction) may also be set to be equal to or less than the minimum vehicle length of vehicle A.

(Functional configuration of vehicle separator)
The functional configuration of the first vehicle separator 10 according to this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment. That is, when the switching signal is "exit lane", the vehicle detector 101 of the first vehicle separator 10 functions as an entrance side vehicle detector that detects the vehicle A entering the reverse lane L from the toll road side (-X side). The footboard 102 executes a first process of detecting the direction toward the general road side (+X side) as the forward direction of the vehicle A. On the other hand, when the switching signal is "entrance lane", the vehicle detector 101 of the first vehicle separator 10 functions as an exit side vehicle detector that detects the vehicle A exiting from the reverse lane L to the toll road side (-X side). The footboard 102 executes a second process of detecting the direction toward the toll road side (-X side) as the forward direction of the vehicle A.

When the switching signal is "exit lane", the vehicle detector 111 of the second vehicle separator 11 according to this embodiment functions as an exit vehicle detector that detects vehicle A exiting from the reverse lane L to the general road side (+X side). The footboard 112 executes a first process of detecting the direction toward the general road side (+X side) as the forward direction of vehicle A. On the other hand, when the switching signal is "entrance lane", the vehicle detector 111 of the second vehicle separator 11 functions as an entry vehicle detector that detects vehicle A entering the reverse lane L from the general road side (+X side). The footboard 112 executes a second process of detecting the direction toward the toll road side (-X side) as the forward direction of vehicle A. For this reason, the toll collection machine 3 according to this embodiment determines whether the second vehicle separator 11 has detected the exit of vehicle A from the reverse lane L in step S104 of FIG. 4.

(Action and Effect)
As described above, in the toll collection system 1 of this embodiment, the first vehicle separator 10 and the second vehicle separator 11 execute a "first process" to detect the direction toward the general road as the forward direction of vehicle A when the switching signal is the "exit lane", and execute a "second process" to detect the direction toward the toll road as the forward direction of vehicle A when the switching signal is the "entrance signal".
In this way, both the first vehicle separator 10 and the second vehicle separator 11 can be used in common for the entrance lane and the exit lane, which further reduces the cost of introducing equipment for the reverse lane L. Also, similar to the first embodiment, even if the vehicle A enters the reverse lane L and then reverses to exit, the entry and exit of the vehicle A can be correctly detected.

<Hardware Configuration>
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of devices constituting a fee collection system according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.
As shown in FIG. 7, a computer 900 includes a CPU 901 , a main memory device 902 , an auxiliary memory device 903 , and an interface 904 .

Each of the devices constituting the above-mentioned toll collection system 1 (first vehicle separator 10, second vehicle separator 11, third vehicle separator 12, ticket issuing machine 2, automatic toll collection machine 3, and vehicle type discrimination device 15) is implemented in a computer 900. The operation of each of the above-mentioned processing units is stored in the auxiliary storage device 903 in the form of a program. The CPU 901 reads the program from the auxiliary storage device 903 and expands it in the main storage device 902, and executes the above-mentioned processing according to the program. The CPU 901 also secures memory areas in the main storage device 902 corresponding to each of the above-mentioned memory units according to the program.

The program may be for implementing part of the functions to be performed by the computer 900. For example, the program may be implemented by combining it with other programs already stored in the auxiliary storage device 903 or other programs implemented in other devices. In other embodiments, the computer 900 may include a custom LSI (Large Scale Integrated Circuit) such as a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) in addition to or instead of the above configuration. Examples of PLDs include PAL (Programmable Array Logic), GAL (Generic Array Logic), CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), and FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). In this case, part or all of the functions implemented by the CPU 901 may be implemented by the integrated circuit.

Examples of the auxiliary storage device 903 include a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, an optical disk, and a semiconductor memory. The auxiliary storage device 903 may be an internal medium directly connected to the bus of the computer 900, or an external storage device 910 connected to the computer 900 via an interface 904 or a communication line. In addition, when this program is distributed to the computer 900 via a communication line, the computer 900 that receives the program may expand the program in the main storage device 902 and execute the above-mentioned processing. In at least one embodiment, the auxiliary storage device 903 is a non-transitory tangible storage medium.

The program may be for realizing part of the above-mentioned functions. Furthermore, the program may be a so-called differential file (differential program) that realizes the above-mentioned functions in combination with another program already stored in the auxiliary storage device 903.

Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and some design changes are possible without departing from the technical concept of the present invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, the lane switching device 4 is provided as an independent device, but this is not limited to the above. In other embodiments, the lane switching device 4 may be built into the ticket issuing machine 2 or the automatic toll collection machine 3.

In still another embodiment, the lane switching device 4 may be built into a monitoring panel installed in a remote location, such as a toll booth office. In this case, the lane switching device 4 may receive a switching operation between the "entrance lane" and the "exit lane" via a software switch instead of a mechanical switch 41, and transmit a switching command to each device of the toll collection system 1. This allows an attendant to easily switch lanes without going to the reverse lane L.

<Additional Notes>
The toll collection system and the toll collection method described in the above-mentioned embodiment can be understood, for example, as follows.

According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, the toll collection system 1 is provided in a reverse lane that connects a general road and a toll road and can be switched to either an entrance lane along which vehicles heading toward the toll road travel, or an exit lane along which vehicles heading toward the general road travel, and includes a first vehicle separator 10 that is installed at a first position on the toll road side in the lane direction and detects vehicles traveling at the first position, a second vehicle separator 11 that is installed at a second position on the general road side in the lane direction and detects vehicles traveling at the second position, and a lane switching device 4 that outputs a switching signal indicating that the reverse lane has been switched to the entrance lane or the exit lane to each of the first vehicle separator 10 and the second vehicle separator 11. Based on the switching signal, the first vehicle separator 10 executes either a first process that detects the direction toward the general road as the forward direction of the vehicle and the direction toward the toll road as the reverse direction, or a second process that detects the direction toward the toll road as the forward direction of the vehicle and the direction toward the general road as the reverse direction.

In this way, the toll collection system 1 can accurately detect the forward direction of vehicle A while allowing the first vehicle separator 10 to be shared by both the entrance lane and the exit lane of the reverse lane L. This eliminates the need to prepare all the equipment, such as the entry detector and exit detector for the entrance lane and the entry detector and exit detector for the exit lane, thereby reducing the cost of introducing equipment for the reverse lane L.

According to the second aspect of the present disclosure, in the toll collection system 1 according to the first aspect, when a switching signal indicating switching to an exit lane is received from the lane switching device 4, the first vehicle separator 10 and the second vehicle separator 11 execute the first process, and when a switching signal indicating switching to an entrance lane is received from the lane switching device 4, the first vehicle separator 10 and the second vehicle separator 11 execute the second process.

By doing this, both the first vehicle separator 10 and the second vehicle separator 11 can be used in common for the entrance lane and the exit lane, further reducing the cost of introducing equipment for the reverse lane L. In addition, even if vehicle A enters the reverse lane L and then reverses to exit, the entry and exit of vehicle A can be correctly detected.

According to the third aspect of the present disclosure, the toll collection system 1 according to the first aspect further includes an automatic toll collector installed on the roadside of the reverse lane and collecting tolls from vehicles traveling on the reverse lane toward the general road, and a third vehicle separator 12 installed at a third position between the second vehicle separator 11 and the automatic toll collector 3 in the lane direction and detecting vehicles traveling at the third position. The lane switching device 4 further outputs the switching signal to the third vehicle separator 12. When a switching signal indicating switching to an exit lane is received from the lane switching device 4, the first vehicle separator 10 and the third vehicle separator 12 execute the first process, and when a switching signal indicating switching to an entrance lane is received from the lane switching device 4, the first vehicle separator 10 and the second vehicle separator 11 execute the second process.

In this way, the second vehicle separator 11 for the "entrance lane" and the third vehicle separator 12 for the "exit lane" can be operated separately, ensuring freedom in the placement of each device in the toll collection system 1. For example, as in the example of Figure 1, if there is a constraint that both the ticket issuing machine 2 and the automatic toll collection machine 3 must be placed under the roof R, it is possible to realize an equipment layout that satisfies such constraints by changing the installation positions of the third vehicle separator 12 and the automatic toll collection machine 3.

According to the fourth aspect of the present disclosure, in the toll collection system 1 according to the third aspect, the distance in the lane direction between the automatic toll collection machine 3 and the third vehicle separator 12 is set to be equal to or less than the minimum vehicle length of the vehicle.

By doing this, the time from when the automatic toll collector 3 completes the toll collection process to when it detects that vehicle A has exited the reverse lane L is shortened, so that the toll collection process for the following vehicle can be started promptly.

According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, the toll collection system 1 according to any one of the first to fourth aspects further includes a vehicle type discrimination device 15 that discriminates the vehicle type based on the detection result of the second vehicle separator, and a ticket issuing machine that is installed on the roadside of the reverse lane and issues a ticket recording the discriminated vehicle type to a vehicle traveling on the reverse lane toward the toll road. The distance between the ticket issuing machine 2 and the second vehicle separator 11 in the lane direction is set to be equal to or greater than the maximum vehicle length of the vehicle.

By doing this, the ticket issuing machine 2 can issue a ticket even for a vehicle with a long vehicle length after the vehicle type determination process is completed. This makes it possible to prevent a lack of information recorded on the ticket (unknown vehicle type).

According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, a toll collection method is a toll collection method in a reverse lane that connects a general road and a toll road and can be switched to either an entrance lane in which vehicles heading to the toll road travel, or an exit lane in which vehicles heading to the general road travel, and includes a step of detecting a vehicle traveling at a first position on the toll road side in the lane direction by a first vehicle separator 10, a step of detecting a vehicle traveling at a second position on the general road side by a second vehicle separator 11, and a step of outputting a switching signal indicating that the reverse lane has been switched to an entrance lane or an exit lane to each of the first vehicle separator 10 and the second vehicle separator 11. The step of detecting a vehicle traveling at the first position executes either a first process of detecting the direction toward the general road side as the forward direction of the vehicle and the direction toward the toll road side as the reverse direction, based on the switching signal, or a second process of detecting the direction toward the toll road side as the forward direction of the vehicle and the direction toward the general road side as the reverse direction.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Toll collection system 2 Ticket issuing machine 3 Automatic toll collection machine 4 Lane switching device 10 First vehicle separator 101, 111, 121 Vehicle detector 102, 112, 122 Step 11 Second vehicle separator 12 Third vehicle separator 13 First departure controller 14 Second departure controller 15 Vehicle type discrimination device 900 Computer 901 CPU
902 Main storage device 903 Auxiliary storage device 904 Interface 910 External storage device

Claims (4)

A toll collection system provided in a reverse lane that connects a general road and a toll road and can be switched to either an entrance lane in which vehicles heading to the toll road travel, or an exit lane in which vehicles heading to the general road travel,
a ticket issuing machine installed on the roadside of the reverse lane for issuing tickets to vehicles traveling on the reverse lane toward the toll road;
A first vehicle separator is installed at a first position on the toll road side in a lane direction and detects a vehicle traveling at the first position;
A second vehicle separator that is installed at a second position on the general road side in the lane direction and detects a vehicle traveling at the second position;
a lane switching device that outputs a switching signal indicating that the reverse lane has been switched to an entrance lane or an exit lane to each of the first vehicle separator and the second vehicle separator;
An automatic toll collection machine is installed on the roadside of the reverse lane and collects tolls from vehicles traveling on the reverse lane toward a general road;
a third vehicle separator that is installed at a third position between the second vehicle separator and the automatic toll collection machine in the lane direction and detects a vehicle traveling at the third position;
Equipped with
the first vehicle separator executes, based on the switching signal, either a first process of detecting the direction toward the general road side as the forward direction of the vehicle and the direction toward the toll road side as the reverse direction of the vehicle, or a second process of detecting the direction toward the toll road side as the forward direction of the vehicle and the direction toward the general road side as the reverse direction,
The lane switching device further outputs the switching signal to the third vehicle separator,
When a switching signal indicating switching to an exit lane is received from the lane switching device, the first vehicle separator and the third vehicle separator execute the first process;
When a switching signal indicating switching to an entrance lane is received from the lane switching device, the first vehicle separator and the second vehicle separator execute the second process.
Toll collection system. The distance between the toll collection machine and the third vehicle separator in the lane direction is set to be equal to or less than the minimum vehicle length of the vehicle.
The toll collection system according to claim 1. A vehicle type discrimination device that discriminates the vehicle type based on the detection result of the second vehicle separator,
The ticket issuing machine is installed on the roadside of the reverse lane, and issues a ticket recording the identified vehicle type to a vehicle traveling on the reverse lane toward a toll road;
The distance between the ticket issuing machine and the second vehicle separator in the lane direction is set to be equal to or greater than the maximum vehicle length of the vehicle.
A toll collection system according to claim 1 or 2 . A toll collection method for a reverse lane that connects a general road and a toll road and can be switched to either an entrance lane in which vehicles heading to the toll road travel, or an exit lane in which vehicles heading to the general road travel, comprising:
Detecting a vehicle traveling at a first position on the toll road side in a lane direction by a first vehicle separator;
detecting a vehicle traveling at a second position on a general road side in the lane direction by a second vehicle separator;
outputting a switching signal indicating that the reverse lane has been switched to an entrance lane or an exit lane to each of the first vehicle separator and the second vehicle separator;
collecting tolls from vehicles traveling along the reverse lane toward a general road by an automatic toll collector installed on the roadside of the reverse lane;
detecting, by a third vehicle separator, a vehicle traveling at a third position between the second vehicle separator and the automatic toll collector in the lane direction;
having
the step of detecting a vehicle traveling at the first position includes executing, based on the switching signal, either a first process of detecting a direction toward a general road as a forward direction of the vehicle and a direction toward a toll road as a reverse direction of the vehicle, or a second process of detecting a direction toward the toll road as a forward direction of the vehicle and a direction toward the general road as a reverse direction of the vehicle;
The step of outputting the switching signal further outputs the switching signal to the third vehicle separator;
When a switching signal indicating switching to an exit lane is received, the first vehicle separator and the third vehicle separator execute the first process;
When a switching signal indicating switching to an entrance lane is received, the first vehicle separator and the second vehicle separator execute the second process.
Fee collection method.

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