JPH10293866A - Charge processor for traveling object - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the security of an automatic charging system. SOLUTION: A navigation ECU 10 monitors a current position and sets a charge process flag ON when the current position is on a toll road or OFF when not. A charging process ECU 20 once receiving a down-link signal from an interrogator 102 of a toll gate confirms the state of the charge process flag of the navigation ECU 10. When the charge process flag is ON, a process for toll payment such as subtraction from prepaid balance is performed. When the charge process flag is OFF, the process for toll payment is inhibited. Illegal acts in places other than toll roads are therefore stopped.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a toll processing apparatus for a mobile unit, which communicates with the outside of a mobile unit to perform a toll processing which is a data processing relating to a toll to be paid by a mobile user. The present invention relates to a technique for preventing processing-related misconduct. The present invention is suitably applied to an automatic billing system for vehicles.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, toll roads are provided with toll gates for toll payment. This toll gate requires manpower and also causes traffic jams. Therefore, many proposals have been made for an automatic charging system for charging from vehicles passing non-stop.

For example, a vehicle is equipped with a charge processing device having a predetermined communication device, and an IC card storing personal information and charge-related information is inserted into the charge processing device.
The personal information is information for identifying the owner of the IC card. The toll-related information includes a prepaid balance amount required for prepaid toll road charges and a bank account number required for postpay processing. On the other hand, the automatic toll gate on the road is provided with an interrogator for communicating with the on-vehicle device. When the vehicle passes through the automatic charging gate, communication is performed between the charge processing device of the vehicle and the interrogator, and the interrogator obtains information in the IC card. Then, a process for collecting the toll, such as withdrawing the toll road toll from the bank account, is performed. According to such a system, reduction of manpower, elimination of the cause of traffic congestion, and the like are achieved. Therefore, an automatic toll road billing system is considered very convenient.

In order for the automatic billing system to function normally, it is necessary to sufficiently improve the security of the system. For example, when the communication data between the legitimate interrogator and the toll processing device of the vehicle is intercepted and personal information and toll-related information of the vehicle can be easily obtained, the security is low and the system cannot function properly. . Further, even in a state in which the vehicle's fee processing device is illegally accessed and its internal data can be read, the normal function of the automatic billing system is similarly prevented. As a measure for preventing such a decrease in security, personal information and fee-related information are encrypted so that a third party cannot decrypt the information.

[0005] In addition, the on-vehicle processing device described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-46233 is divided into a main body and an adapter, and encryption is collated between the two. Only when the encryption is successfully verified, communication with the outside (road side) is permitted. Therefore, it is impossible to perform an illegal act by changing the combination of the main body and the adapter.

[0006]

Conventionally, the use of encryption has been used to prevent fraud in an automatic billing system. However, it is desirable to ensure the security of the system even if the encryption is broken. To this end, it is effective to use not only encryption but also to improve security by using a technique different from encryption.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to limit the place where a charge processing device executes a charge process in order to further improve the security of an automatic charge system. Another object of the present invention is to provide a mobile fee processing device that can determine whether a communication partner has a proper billing system configuration.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A toll processing device for a mobile object according to the present invention is a device which performs communication with the outside of the mobile object to perform a toll process which is a data process relating to a toll to be paid by a mobile user. There is a current position detecting means for detecting a current position of the moving object, and a charge processing prohibiting means for prohibiting the charge processing when the current position is not an appropriate position where the charge processing should be performed. The fee processing is, for example, a processing for subtracting a toll from a prepaid amount when a prepaid method is adopted. Also, for example, in the case of adopting the post-pay method, this is data processing for performing a procedure necessary for post-pay.

According to the present invention, the security of the toll processing device for a mobile body is enhanced based on the current position. That is, if the current position is not a proper position where the charge processing (including communication with the outside) should be performed, the charge processing is prohibited. Therefore, even if an act of fraudulently performing the charge processing at a position other than the proper position with respect to the moving object charge processing device occurs, the charge processing corresponding to such an act is not performed.
Thus, security for the automatic billing system can be ensured. By using the configuration of the present invention together with the conventional encryption method, the security of the automatic charging system can be further improved. In addition, by detecting the current position and making a determination on the appropriate position using the navigation system, the moving object fee processing device of the present invention can be realized at low cost.

In one aspect of the present invention, a charge-related storage means for storing personal information and charge-related information necessary for the charge processing is provided, and the charge-processing prohibiting means is provided for prohibiting the charge processing. Reading of information from the charge-related storage means is prohibited. As charge related storage means,
For example, an IC card is suitable.

[0011] According to the above configuration, by prohibiting the reading of the information stored in the charge-related storage means, it is possible to prevent the charge-related information or the like from leaking out of the mobile body. Therefore, an act such as duplication of the fee-related storage means is prevented. Conventionally, fraud-related information and the like have been encrypted to prevent fraud. However, according to the present invention, it is possible to further prevent leakage of the freight-related information.

[0012] In one aspect of the present invention, the moving object is a vehicle, and the toll processing prohibiting means includes, as information on an appropriate position where the toll processing is to be performed, a roadside toll requesting a toll processing to the moving body. Means for acquiring road equipment information relating to the installation location of the processing equipment, and a fee for prohibiting communication with the outside of a moving body required for the toll processing at a location other than the installation location of the toll processing equipment indicated in the road equipment information Processing communication inhibiting means.

The road facility information is, for example, information indicating the position of a toll gate provided with toll processing facilities. Further, for example, it is information indicating which part on the map is a toll road. In the latter case, it is determined that the location on the toll road is appropriate as a place for installing the toll processing facility.

According to the above configuration, communication for toll processing is performed only with the toll processing facility at the installation location indicated by the road facility information. Therefore, even if the fee processing equipment is improperly set up, no communication for the fee processing is performed from the vehicle side, so that an illegal act is prevented.

In one embodiment of the present invention, when a signal relating to the toll processing request is received at a location other than the installation location of the toll processing facility indicated in the road facility information, the mobile toll processing device changes the communication position. Remember. The communication position is sent to a road manager or the like using a predetermined communication means, for example. Also, it is read out from the processing device later. Since the place where the cheating is attempted is specified based on the communication position, it is possible to contribute to the detection of the cheating.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention (hereinafter, referred to as embodiments) will be described below with reference to the drawings.
In the present embodiment, the fee processing device and the navigation system are integrally formed, and exhibit a fraud prevention function as a whole.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration. The navigation ECU 10 includes a DGPS device 1.
2. The map database 14 is connected. DGPS
(Definition Global Positioning System) The device 12 combines the error information in the GPS device supplied from FM multiplex broadcasting or the like with the position information from the GPS device that detects the current position using a signal from an artificial satellite, Perform more accurate current position detection. The map database 14 stores map information including road information and the like nationwide. In particular, in the map information, a toll road and a non-toll general road are distinguished, and the navigation ECU 10 can identify both.

A display 16 and a speaker 18 are connected to the navigation ECU 10 as output devices. Then, the navigation ECU 10 searches for and sets an optimal route to the destination by using the map information of the map database 14 in accordance with the setting of the destination using a predetermined input means (not shown). When the vehicle is running, a map around the current location is displayed on the display 16 and a current location mark is displayed on the map. Further, the set route is displayed so as to be distinguished from other roads.
When entering an intersection where a right / left turn or the like is performed, an enlarged guidance display indicating a right / left turn at the intersection is displayed on the display 16, and a right / left turn instruction is issued from the speaker 18.

A communication device 19 for road information is connected to the navigation ECU 10. The navigation ECU 10 communicates with the road management center 100 by using the road information communication device 19, receives various kinds of information, and sends information from the vehicle side.

A charge processing ECU 20 is connected to the navigation ECU 10. The charge processing ECU 20
IC card 2 inserted into IC card insertion slot (not shown)
2 is read and written. In the IC card 22,
A personal ID for identifying the owner of the card is stored. The IC card 22 stores a balance obtained by subtracting the toll on the toll road paid up to the present from the prepaid amount.

A charge communication device 24 is further connected to the charge processing ECU 20. Communication device for fee 24
Communicates with the interrogator 102 provided at the toll gate on the toll road. Further, the charge processing ECU 20 includes:
A payment history storage unit 26 that stores the position and time at which the payment was made is connected as the payment history.

In the automatic charging system to which the present apparatus is applied, it is assumed that charging gates are provided at appropriate intervals on a toll road. Each time a passenger on a toll road passes through a section partitioned by a toll gate, a toll for that section is collected.

When the vehicle passes through the charging gate, the interrogator 1
02 transmits a signal for downlink to the vehicle. When the fee communication device 24 receives the downlink signal, the fee processing ECU 20 sends the personal I
D and the balance information are read and transmitted to the interrogator 102.
The interrogator 102 transmits charging information indicating a toll. The fee processing ECU 20 writes the amount obtained by subtracting the toll from the read balance amount into the IC card 22 as a new balance amount. The infrastructure system including the interrogator 102 is a personal I
D and the amount collected are managed separately. In this way, the toll is paid in the automatic charging system. The toll deduction may be performed by the infrastructure.

Next, the operation relating to the prevention of wrongdoing of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 shows the position of the toll gate on the toll road. Several toll gates 110 are shown on the toll road A, and each toll gate 110 is provided with a regular interrogator 102. In the figure, a general road B which is not a toll road and a point C which is distant from the road are shown. Another general road D which is not a toll road
Crosses the toll road A, and a bridge E is provided at the intersection so that the general road D passes over the toll road A. Here, in order to facilitate understanding of the present invention, it is assumed that an unauthorized interrogator 120 is provided along a general road B that is not a toll road by someone other than the road manager.
It is also assumed that a similar fraudulent interrogator 120 is provided on point C and bridge E. These fraudulent interrogators 120 may be of a fixed type or a mobile type. The following description refers to FIG.

The navigation ECU 10 uses the map information of the map database 14 to execute DGPS.
It can be determined whether the current position detected by the device 12 is on a toll road. Therefore, the navigation ECU 10
It constantly monitors whether the current position is on a toll road. When the current position is on a toll road, the own toll processing flag is turned ON, and when the current position is not on a toll road, the toll processing flag is turned OFF. For example, in FIG. 2, when the current position is on the toll road A, the toll processing flag is turned ON. On the other hand, when the current position is on the general roads B and D, and when the current position is the point C, the fee processing flag is turned off. However, when the vehicle is located on the bridge E even on the general road D, it is determined that the vehicle is on the toll road on the map data, and the toll processing flag is turned on.

The charge processing ECU 20 determines whether or not a charge payment process can be performed according to the process shown in FIG. The fee processing ECU 20 determines whether the fee communication device 24 has received the downlink signal from the interrogator 102 (S10), and continues this determination until it receives the downlink signal. The downlink signal is received when the vehicle approaches the authorized interrogator 102 while traveling on the toll road A, or approaches the unauthorized interrogator 120 at a location other than the toll road A.

Upon receiving the downlink signal, the fee processing ECU 20 performs communication for inquiring of the navigation ECU 10 whether the fee processing flag is ON or OFF. The navigation ECU 10 receiving this returns the state of the charge processing flag to the charge processing ECU 20. At this time, the navigation ECU 10 also transmits information on the current position to the fee processing ECU 20 at the same time. In this way, the charge processing ECU 20 checks whether the charge processing flag is ON (S12).

The fact that the charge processing flag is OFF indicates that the vehicle is in a place where there is no regular interrogator 102. That is, the vehicle is near the illegal interrogator 120 on the general road A or the point C. Therefore, when step S12 is NO, the charge processing ECU 20 prohibits the reading of the personal ID and the balance information from the IC card 22 (S14).
Further, the communication function using the fee communication device 24 is locked, and no reply is made to the interrogator (S16). Therefore, the information is prevented from leaking to the outside by communication with the vehicle, and an action such as unauthorized duplication of the IC card 22 can be prevented. Note that it is not necessary to prohibit all the reading from the IC card and the communication with the outside. Steps S14 and S16 described above are applicable if each process is prohibited to the extent that an injustice cannot be performed.

Further, if the charge processing flag is OFF in step S12, the charge processing ECU 20
The reception position and the reception time of the downlink signal are stored in the payment history storage unit 26 as the fraud location and the fraud time, respectively. Then, the fee processing ECU 20
Navigation EC for the location and time of unauthorized occurrence
Send to U10. Navigation ECU 10 receiving this
Transmits both information to the road management center 100 using the road information communication device 19, as shown in FIG. 2 (S1).
8). In this way, the location and time at which the possibility of the misconduct is high is reported to the road management center 100. The information stored in the payment history storage unit 26 is read and used later.

On the other hand, as a result of the inquiry in step S12, if the charge processing flag is ON,
The communication for payment of the fee is started by replying to (2). Then, as described above, the process of reading and transmitting the information in the IC card 22, subtracting the toll from the balance, and writing the balance after subtraction to the IC card 22 is performed (S22). At this time, encryption processing is performed on the personal ID and the amount of money as in the related art.

Further, the charge processing ECU 20 stores the current position and the current time at the time of performing the communication processing for the charge payment up to step S22 in the payment history storage unit 26 (S24). If the fraudulent interrogator 120 is mounted on the bridge E of the general road D, the toll payment processing may be performed as usual if the toll processing flag is ON at the time of the determination in step S12. However, the provision of the payment history storage unit 26 takes measures against such misconduct.

That is, the fee processing ECU 20 periodically reads out the information stored in the payment history storage unit 26 and sends it to the navigation ECU 10. Navigation ECU
10 transmits the received information to the road management center 100. The road management center 100 has detailed information on where on the toll road A the legitimate interrogator 102 is installed. Therefore, the road management center 100 confirms whether or not all the communication points with the interrogator indicated in the received payment history are the installation points of the regular interrogators.
In this manner, a fraudulent activity in a case like bridge D in FIG. 2 is detected.

In the above, the vehicle fee processing device of the present embodiment has been described. According to the present embodiment, based on the current position detected by the DGPS device, data processing (reading of information in an IC card and communication with an interrogator) for toll payment at a place other than a toll road is performed. It is forbidden. Therefore, execution of fraudulent activities can be prevented, and the security of the automatic billing system can be improved.

In this embodiment, as described above, the fee processing ECU 20 is connected to the navigation system. The navigation system originally has a current position detection unit and a map information storage unit, and can easily detect the current position and determine whether the current position is a toll road. Therefore, the present invention can be realized at low cost without adding a new configuration as a vehicle fee processing device.

The present embodiment has been described with reference to the prepaid automatic billing system. In contrast,
The present invention is similarly applicable to a post-pay automatic billing system. In this case, for example, the IC card 22 stores information on the bank account number for the post-pay process. Then the bank account number is sent to the interrogator,
In the infrastructure side system, a process of deducting a toll from a bank account is performed. In addition, the present invention can be similarly applied to an electronic cash type automatic billing system.

In the present embodiment, it is determined that the current position is on the toll road and that the regular interrogator is installed. On the other hand, information on the position of the regular interrogator itself on the toll road may be acquired, and whether or not the current position is the position of the regular interrogator may be determined based on this information. The information on the position of the regular interrogator is stored in, for example, the map database 1
4 may be obtained from the road management center 100. If such a configuration is adopted, the discrimination between a regular or an illegal interrogator can be made more accurately.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, an automatic charging system in which charging gates are provided at appropriate intervals on a toll road has been described. On the other hand, the present invention can be similarly applied to a system in which a toll gate is provided only at an exit like a conventional highway. The charging gate may be a non-stop type or a temporary stop type.

The payment history storage unit 26 shown in FIG.
May be connected to the navigation ECU 10. In this case, for example, when the navigation ECU 10 receives an inquiry about the state of the charge processing flag from the charge processing ECU 20 (step 12 in FIG. 3), the navigation ECU 10 operates as follows. If the charge processing flag is ON when the inquiry occurs, the current position and the current time are stored in the payment history storage unit 26. On the other hand, the charge processing flag is OFF when an inquiry occurs
If so, the current position and the current time are stored in the payment history storage unit 26 as the fraud location and the fraud time, respectively, and both information is transmitted to the road management center 100. In this modification, the same operation as the above-described embodiment can be obtained without communicating the current position between the navigation ECU 10 and the fee processing ECU 20.

In the above embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to an automatic billing system for a vehicle has been described. On the other hand, the present invention can of course be applied to an automatic billing system for moving objects other than vehicles.

The toll processing in the present embodiment has been described mainly with respect to tolls.
It may be applied to general fee payment in various vending machines and the like. In that case, the position data at which the general fee payment is to be performed may be stored, and the fee processing may be performed only at that point. Further, at this time, the fee processing system may be configured so as to be separable from the vehicle and to be taken out of the vehicle.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a charging gate and a fraudulent interrogator.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the apparatus of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 navigation ECU, 12 DGPS device, 1
4 map database, 16 display, 18 speaker, 19 road information communication device, 20 fee processing E
CU, 22 IC card, 24 Toll communication device, 26
Payment history storage unit, 100 Road management center, 102
Interrogator, 110 charging gate, 120 fraudulent interrogator.

Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code FI G09B 29/10 G06F 15/21 C

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A mobile toll processing device that communicates with the outside of a mobile body to perform a toll processing, which is a data processing of a toll to be paid by the mobile body user, wherein a current position of the mobile body is detected. A charge processing device for a mobile unit, comprising: a position detecting means; and charge processing prohibiting means for prohibiting the charge processing when the current position is not an appropriate position where the charge processing should be performed. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a fee-related storage unit for storing personal information and fee-related information required for the fee process, wherein the fee-process prohibiting unit inhibits the fee process. In this case, reading of information from the charge-related storage means is prohibited. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the moving object is a vehicle, and the fee processing prohibiting unit outputs the information on a proper position at which the fee processing should be performed to the moving object. Means for acquiring road facility information relating to the installation location of the toll processing facility on the road side for which the toll processing is to be performed; A charge processing device for a mobile object, comprising: charge processing communication prohibiting means for prohibiting communication with the outside of the body. 4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a communication position is stored when a signal related to the toll processing request is received at a location other than the installation location of the toll processing facility indicated in the road facility information. Characteristic fee processing device for mobile objects.