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Description  |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to an automatic toll ticketing
system. More specifically, the present invention relates to an automatic
toll ticketing system for roadway use by vehicles including on-board
equipment having a communication means, a vehicle transceiver and an
electronic purse in the form of a processor card, or what is referred to
as a "smart card." The automatic toll ticketing system has toll stations
arranged at the roadways that implement a data exchange with at least one
wireless communications equipment attached to or over the roadway which
debit a use fee while preserving the anonymity of the vehicle user.
Toll ticketing systems for roadway use are generally known, particularly
systems that are referred to as "closed systems." Toll ticketing systems
are increasingly gaining in significance because distance-related roadway
use fees are being increasingly demanded by many traffic and environmental
engineers. Introduction into countries of such toll ticketing systems that
were previously toll-free, however, encounters many difficulties. Only
automatic toll ticketing systems that do not impede the flow of traffic
and that can be economically erected and operated on the existing road
network are considered for high-use roadway networks.
One example of a toll ticketing system is described in German patent 38 33
716 C2 which discloses an automatic roadway toll collecting unit wherein
an IS card is employed as a recording medium for collecting tolls based on
a bank account of a roadway user. A significant disadvantage of this known
automatic collecting unit is that the owner or driver of the vehicle does
not remain anonymous. It is also disadvantageous that the collecting of
the roadway toll is only possible given stationary vehicles in a toll lane
provided for this purpose.
An exact localization of the vehicle which is to pay its roadway toll at
the moment is required for toll ticketing in flowing, multi-lane traffic.
European Patent Application No. 413 948-A1 discloses a system for
automatic data transmission, preferably for the automatic payment of
roadway tolls, i.e. wirelessly. To this end, an optical system that images
optical absorption areas specifically aligned onto respective lanes is
implemented for the data transmission for this purpose. This type of
optical system requires a complicated structural fashioning and is not
suitable for fast and extensive data traffic because of the comparatively
short contact time as a result thereof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In an automatic toll ticketing system, it is, therefore, an object of the
present invention to enable a reliable, dependable communication between
the vehicles and the payment station on multi-lane roads with undiminished
vehicle speeds and with changing of lanes by the vehicles, as well as to
enable a localization of the communicating vehicle in order to recognize
vehicles paying and non-paying vehicles.
In an embodiment, an automatic ticketing system is provided for roadway use
by vehicles having an on-board apparatus with a first communication means,
a vehicle transceiver, and an electronic purse in the form of a processor
card. The roadway has pay stations arranged at the roadway that implement
a data exchange with at least one wireless communication means attached at
or above the roadway and debit a use toll while preserving the anonymity
of a user of the vehicle. The toll ticketing system comprises a vehicle
localization means operatively connected at the wireless communication
means at the pay station. The vehicle localization means identifies the
position of the vehicle. The vehicle communicates by outputting
brief-duration optical signals by the vehicle transceiver. A temporary
identifier is known from the communication protocol allocated to the
optical signal.
It is, therefore, an advantage of the present invention to provide for the
exact localization of the vehicle by providing a localization means in
addition to communication equipment of the pay station. The localization
means identifies the position of the vehicle communicating at the moment
based on a brief duration, and an optical signal output by the vehicle
communicating at the moment is allocated to this optical signal. The
temporary identifier is known from the communication protocol.
Another advantage of the present invention is to provide an additional
output signal formed by an infrared photoflash which is output in response
to a request on the part of the pay station. A vehicle localization means
is thereby expediently formed by an infrared-sensitive video camera that
identifies the position of this vehicle based on the optical imaging and
correspondingly allocates or correlates the image with a
computer-controlled evaluation.
The debiting of the present invention ensues within a defined communication
region wherein the successful debiting is acknowledged on a part of the
vehicle and is documented on a processor card in order to have particulars
about the payment that has been carried out as proof in a check which may
potentially be carried out later. It is, therefore, an advantage of the
present invention to acknowledge the ensued debiting with the optical
signal and/or the infrared photoflash.
It is, therefore, yet another advantage of the present invention to prevent
a driver of a vehicle from avoiding any and all communication and, thus
any and all payment as well, for example by removing or disabling the
vehicle transceiver. A check system independent of the toll ticketing with
a suitable vehicle detector is required in order to check whether all
detected vehicles also have a paying transceiver. All vehicles that have
properly paid their toll are, therefore, known with the vehicle
localization means of the present invention.
In order to identify non-payers, either because they have performed
manipulations at their debiting means or because they are not equipped
with such an apparatus, a vehicle detection means for all vehicles that is
coordinated with the vehicle localization means is arranged at the pay
station in an embodiment of the present invention. Those vehicles that
have not output an acknowledgement signal can thus be found, identified
and registered by, for example, photographic acquisition systems.
A video monitoring camera with image recording and image evaluation can be
advantageously provided for the vehicle detection means. In a further
embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle detection means can be
formed by a known traffic radar means which detects the individual
vehicles separated according to lane. The non-payers are registered with a
film or video camera for still and moving pictures, i.e., with a known
photographic acquisition system, whereby the exact allocation or
correlation to the vehicle ensues with the traffic radar means.
The data exchange can ensue with the assistance of microwave transmission
technology. It is advantageously provided, however, that the data
transmission be implemented with the assistance of the infrared light
transmission. The infrared light transmission known from a traffic routing
and information system (EURO-SCOUT) can thereby be employed.
In the data exchange between the vehicles and the pay station with the
assistance of the infrared light transmission, an electronic video camera
is arranged at the pay station that preferably localizes the vehicles when
the pay station requests that the vehicle transceiver transmit a message
as documentation for correct payment. The video camera becomes active
while the communication system receives this message in order to identify
the position of the paying transceiver. A separate infrared photoflash is
thereby not required; this is advantageous for an exact and reliable
localization. The active transmission diodes of a vehicle transceiver are
thus acquired as a light source with the assistance of the
infrared-sensitive camera which is expediently attached immediately next
to the infrared station antenna or, respectively, the infrared
transmission and reception means.
In other embodiments of the present invention, for suppressing stray light
that can be produced by solar reflections, spotlights or blinkers, various
measures can be employed. An optical filter which allows only light having
the wavelength of the infrared rays employed is attached in the beam path
of the camera. The infrared transmission diodes of the vehicle transceiver
are arranged in a very specific form that can be easily relocated by image
evaluation and can be reliably demarcated with respect to noise sources.
A further advantage of the present invention is matching of exposure time
of the electronic camera to the transmission phase of the vehicle
transceiver, whereby an individual vehicle is designationally requested to
transmit by the pay station within the framework of the transmission
protocol. With a further measure, static light sources are highly
suppressed by a differentiation technique. To this end, two images are
registered during and immediately after the transmission activity and a
difference image is formed therefrom. As a result, the disturbing light
sources are largely suppressed, and only the transmission diodes are
clearly recognizable for the infrared flash or the infrared transmission.
The directional information can be converted into absolute coordinates from
the camera image acquired with the infrared-sensitive video camera,
whereby information, such as, for example, installation height of the
transceiver, can be utilized in addition to the location and the alignment
of the camera. The distance to the transceiver can thus be calculated from
the visual size of the transceiver in the camera image. A medium
installation height of the transceiver is thereby provided for identical
vehicle classes. The type of vehicle, i.e. the vehicle class, can be
co-transmitted from the vehicle to the pay station in the data exchange.
The individual installation position of the transceiver can likewise be
transmitted from the vehicle to the pay station.
These and other advantages of the present invention will be described in
and will be apparent from the detailed description of the presently
preferred embodiments and from the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 illustrates a pay station/at a three-lane motor highway.
FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic diagram for an automatic toll ticketing and
vehicle check.
FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic diagram for the vehicle localization and
detection as well as vehicle identification and registration at a
multi-lane pay station.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a perspective view of a motor highway 10
having three lanes 12a, 12b, and 12c in one travel direction having a
signal bridge 14. A pay station 16 in this embodiment comprises a
respective infrared beacon 18 at the left side and at the right side of
the signal bridge 14. The infrared beacons 18 are a part of an infrared
communication means 20.
The two infrared beacons 18 illuminate a specific communication region 22
in a travel direction. An infrared video camera 24, which is part of an
infrared light localization means 26, a traffic radar means having a radar
detector 28 and a normal video camera 30, which is part of a vehicle
identification and registration means 32 are located at the signal bridge
14. These devices are connected to a control and evaluation means 34 where
all of the data processing and correlation ensues. The data processing
functions and correlations are schematically illustrated in FIG. 2.
The data exchange between the pay station 16 and the individual vehicles is
carried out via the infrared beacons 18 with the assistance of the
infrared communication means 20. High quality encoding is required (crypto
module) in order to be able to administer the credit on a processor card
protected against fraud.
The beacon controller 36 of the infrared communication means 20 controls
the transaction with the vehicle and the control and evaluation means 34.
As already mentioned above, a successfully implemented debiting is
confirmed with an acknowledgement signal 38 that is simultaneously
employed for the optical signalling from a vehicle transceiver. This is
indicated with a trigger pulse 40 which informs the infrared localization
means 26 of the acknowledgement.
The infrared localization means 26 or a vehicle localization means 42
acquire the position of the vehicle that has paid and likewise informs a
correlation means 44 of the control and evaluation means 34 of the
position and payment of the vehicle. In order to identify vehicles that
have not paid, all vehicles are monitored with a traffic radar means, i.e.
with a vehicle detection means 46 and the appertaining radar detector 28.
The positions of the vehicles are communicated to the correlation means 44
of the control and evaluation means 34. In this way, the position of the
vehicles that have paid is identified and the non-payers are recognized.
The information with respect to payers and non-payers is then available
for an exact acquisition and identification.
Registration means 32 is provided for determining the violators with the
normal video camera 30, a video controller 48 and a video recorder 50. For
visualization, a monitor 52 is provided in the vehicle identification and
registration means 32. The control and evaluation means 34 informs the
vehicle identification and registration means 32 what vehicles have paid
and what vehicles have not paid within a communication limit 54 that may
then be identified and registered. The localization detection,
identification and registration of vehicles are illustrated in FIG. 3.
Referring now to FIG. 3, a plan view onto the pay station 16 is illustrated
having three lanes 12a, 12b, and 12c in one direction of the motor
highway. Three vehicles 56a, 56b, and 56c are located on the highway. The
infrared beacons 18 to the left and to the right of the motor highway 10
illuminate a specific communication region 22. The infrared video camera
24, the radar detector 28 and the normal video camera 30, which acquire
the entire area in front of the pay station 16, are arranged approximately
in the middle of the signal bridge 14.
FIG. 3 also illustrates how the infrared communication means 20 recognizes
the vehicle which is actually unknown to it as a vehicle that has paid.
Based on an optical signal 58 that the vehicle 56a outputs, the infrared
localization means 26 recognizes the position of the vehicle 56a. With the
assistance of the traffic radar means 28, the vehicle detection means 46
recognizes the three vehicles 56a, 56b, and 56c that are shown here in the
vehicle detection means 46 and are referenced by the numerals 6, 7, and 8.
With the assistance of the normal video camera 30, the vehicle
identification and registration means 32 visualizes the traffic situation
and likewise displays the three vehicles by the designations 6, 7, and 8.
As indicated in FIG. 2, the data of the three or four devices are
correlated in the control and evaluation means 34 so that the visual
presentation in the vehicle identification and registration means 32 shows
the first vehicle 56a as having paid with the number 7, shows the second
vehicle 56b, which has reached the communication limit 54 as a non-payer
with the number 6, and shows the third vehicle 56c, which is still located
in the communication region 54 as not yet having been handled or otherwise
recognized and is referenced with the number 8.
It should be understood that various changes and modifications to the
presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those
skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications may be made without
departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and without
diminishing its attendant advantages. It is, therefore, intended that such
changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims.
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