Etc toll payment method and device, electronic equipment and storage medium

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of electronic toll collection (ETC) systems, and particularly relates to an ETC passing payment method and device, an electronic device and a computer readable storage medium, which comprise the following steps: binding a digital RMB soft wallet as an ETC toll payment account; in response to a vehicle driving into an ETC lane of a highway entrance, completing an entrance interaction transaction with a lane system; in response to the completion of the entrance transaction, obtaining and caching the account balance of the digital RMB soft wallet; in response to the vehicle passing through a highway gantry, calculating a predicted toll; based on the comparison result of the account balance and the predicted toll, performing a fund guarantee operation; and in response to the vehicle driving to a highway exit, based on the verification result of the account balance, performing a corresponding operation. Therefore, the experience problem caused by the interception of a vehicle when a traditional stored value card method judges that the account balance is insufficient at the lane exit, and the bad account problem existing in the prior art ETC prepayment are solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of electronic toll collection (ETC) systems, and in particular to an ETC payment method, device, electronic equipment, and computer-readable storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous improvement of the highway network toll collection system, Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) has become the main method of vehicle toll collection. The existing highway ETC toll collection system improves traffic efficiency by recording the toll at the lane exit and then collecting payment after passage. However, while this "pay later" model enhances convenience, it also significantly increases the risk of bad debts in highway toll collection operations.

[0003] Taking trucks as an example, truck owners also pay in advance when using highways, but certain vehicles need to pay an additional minimum guarantee fee. If the truck owner pays on time, they will pay an extra minimum guarantee fee compared to other ordinary vehicles; if the truck owner does not pay, the highway toll collector will only receive the minimum guarantee fee, which may be far less than the toll fee, resulting in bad debt issues.

[0004] Linking prepaid cards can solve the bad debt problem associated with prepayment, but since the final highway toll is only obtained at the exit and the card balance is checked for sufficient funds before passage, and self-payment is blocked when the balance is insufficient, the travel experience for drivers is poor, and highway operators also suffer reduced revenue due to exit congestion and low traffic efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides an ETC toll payment method, device, electronic device, and computer-readable storage medium, which can solve the user experience problem caused by the traditional stored-value card method stopping vehicles when the account balance is insufficient only at the lane exit.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solution: Firstly, an ETC (Electronic Toll Collection) payment method is provided, executed by the on-board unit (OBU), including the following steps: Link a digital RMB soft wallet as an ETC toll payment account; the digital RMB soft wallet can be a dedicated soft wallet for highways or a general soft wallet. In response to a vehicle entering the ETC lane at the highway entrance, an entry interaction transaction is completed with the lane system; Upon completion of the ingress transaction, the account balance of the digital RMB soft wallet is retrieved and cached; Calculate the estimated toll based on the vehicle's passage through the highway gantry; Based on the comparison between the account balance and the estimated toll, a fund security operation is performed; In response to the vehicle arriving at the highway exit, the corresponding operation is performed based on the verification result of the account balance.

[0007] Secondly, an ETC (Electronic Toll Collection) payment device is provided, comprising: The binding module is used to bind a digital RMB soft wallet as an ETC toll payment account, wherein the digital RMB soft wallet is a highway-specific soft wallet or a general soft wallet; The entrance interaction transaction module is used to respond to vehicles entering the ETC lane at the highway entrance and complete the entrance interaction transaction with the lane system; A caching module is used to obtain and cache the account balance of the digital RMB soft wallet in response to the completion of the ingress transaction; The calculation module is used to calculate the estimated toll in response to a vehicle passing through a highway gantry; The execution module is used to perform a fund security operation based on the comparison result between the account balance and the estimated toll fee; The verification module is used to perform corresponding operations based on the verification result of the account balance when a vehicle arrives at the highway exit.

[0008] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide an electronic device, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the ETC toll payment method as described in any one of the first aspects above.

[0009] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the ETC toll payment method as described in any one of the first aspects above.

[0010] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product that, when run on an electronic device, causes the electronic device to execute the ETC toll payment method described in any of the first aspects above.

[0011] It is understood that the beneficial effects of the second to fifth aspects mentioned above can be found in the relevant descriptions in the first aspect mentioned above, and will not be repeated here.

[0012] In this embodiment, the On-Board Unit (OBU) is bound to a digital RMB soft wallet as the ETC toll payment account. Upon entering the ETC lane at the highway entrance, it completes an entrance interaction transaction with the lane system. Upon completion of the entrance transaction, it obtains and caches the account balance of the digital RMB soft wallet. Upon the vehicle passes through the highway gantry, it calculates the estimated toll and performs a fund security operation based on the comparison between the account balance and the estimated toll. Upon the vehicle reaches the highway exit, it performs the corresponding operation based on the verification result of the account balance. This solves the user experience problem caused by the traditional stored-value card method's decision to intercept the vehicle when the account balance is insufficient only at the lane exit, as well as the bad debt problem inherent in the existing ETC pre-payment system.

[0013] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of this application. In order to better understand the technical means of this application and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of this application more obvious and understandable, the following are specific embodiments of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiments below. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout the drawings. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the existing highway ETC toll collection system's "pay later" process; Figure 2 This is a system architecture diagram of the ETC toll payment method based on the digital RMB soft wallet; Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the ETC toll payment method provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 4 A schematic diagram of an ETC toll processing flow based on a dedicated high-speed soft wallet is provided for an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This invention provides a schematic diagram of an ETC toll freezing process based on a digital RMB universal soft wallet, as an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 This is a structural block diagram of the ETC toll payment device provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electronic device provided in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0015] The embodiments of the technical solutions of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are therefore merely examples and should not be used to limit the scope of protection of this application. When the following description relates to the accompanying drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements. Various changes, modifications, and equivalents of the methods, apparatus, and / or systems described herein will become apparent upon understanding this disclosure. For example, the order of operations described herein is merely illustrative and is not limited to those orders set forth herein, but can be changed as will become apparent upon understanding this disclosure, except for operations that must be performed in a specific order. Furthermore, for clarity and conciseness, descriptions of features known in the art may be omitted.

[0016] The embodiments described in the following examples of this disclosure are not representative of all embodiments consistent with this disclosure. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this disclosure as detailed in the appended claims.

[0017] Figure 1 The main steps of the existing highway ETC toll collection system, which requires payment before payment, include: Step 1: After a vehicle enters the ETC lane entrance on the highway, the ETC lane entrance system communicates with the OBU via 5.8G to obtain vehicle information, executes the ETC entrance transaction process, forms a vehicle entrance transaction record, and then allows passage.

[0018] Step 2: When the vehicle is traveling, the ETC gantry system communicates with the OBU via 5.8G every time it passes through a gantry, executes the gantry transaction process, writes the path identifier and cumulative toll amount into the OBU, and forms a gantry passage transaction record.

[0019] Step 3: When a vehicle enters the ETC lane at the exit, the ETC lane exit system communicates with the OBU via 5.8G to obtain the cumulative toll information and driving route, executes the ETC lane exit transaction with the OBU, and releases the vehicle after the transaction is completed.

[0020] Step 4: The clearing and settlement system clears the daily highway toll system, and the issuers in each province deduct the amount from the accounts linked to the OBU.

[0021] In the fourth step mentioned above, there is a problem where the deduction fails because the account balance is insufficient when the issuer tries to deduct money from the account linked to the OBU.

[0022] Traditional stored-value card model and Figure 1The difference between the existing ETC toll collection system and the pre-payment model is as follows: Before step 1, there is a pre-payment process where the vehicle owner needs to top up their linked card. After topping up, the money is held in an account managed by the issuer. Steps 1 and 2 are then executed. Step 3 determines if the card balance is sufficient for the highway toll; if so, the vehicle is allowed to pass, otherwise, it is blocked. Step 4 involves the clearing and settlement system clearing the daily highway toll system, and the issuers in each province deduct the amount passed through the OBU. While the above-mentioned traditional pre-payment card model can solve the bad debt problem, insufficient pre-payment can lead to congestion at lane exits and low traffic efficiency. It can also cause issues with pooled funds due to pre-payment.

[0023] To address at least one of the aforementioned problems, embodiments of this application propose an ETC (Electronic Toll Collection) payment method, apparatus, electronic device, and computer-readable storage medium.

[0024] It should be noted that the entity executing the ETC toll payment method in this embodiment can be an ETC toll payment device, hereinafter referred to as "device". This device can be configured in any type of electronic device, and this application embodiment does not limit it.

[0025] Appendix Figure 2 The system architecture diagram of the ETC toll payment method based on the digital RMB soft wallet is shown. The system includes an on-board unit (OBU), an electronic toll collection system (ETC), a platform server, and a bank server. The on-board unit interacts with the electronic toll collection system through a dedicated short-range communication protocol in the 5.8 GHz band, and interacts with the platform server through fourth-generation mobile communication technology or fifth-generation mobile communication technology. The platform server communicates with the on-board unit and the bank server respectively.

[0026] Among them, the platform server can query or freeze the digital RMB account bound to the OBU from the bank server. When it detects that the account balance is insufficient for the estimated highway toll, it triggers the process of recharging the bank card or small loan and notifies the car owner through the OBU or other means such as SMS.

[0027] ETC, or Electronic Toll Collection, is a contactless toll collection technology specifically for highways, which allows for toll settlement without the vehicle stopping.

[0028] Among them, OBU, or On Board Unit, is a dedicated terminal device installed inside the vehicle that supports dual-mode communication: first, it interacts with the ETC toll collection system through the 5.8G frequency band Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) protocol to complete operations such as route identification and transaction verification; second, it transmits data requests to the platform server through wireless communication methods such as fourth-generation mobile communication technology (4G) and fifth-generation mobile communication technology (5G).

[0029] The ETC toll collection system encompasses electronic equipment supporting the entire highway toll process, including lane entrance toll collection system, gantry marking system, and lane exit toll collection system, which are responsible for functions such as vehicle passage identification, route recording, transaction instruction issuance, and barrier gate control.

[0030] Among them, the platform server is the core scheduling terminal of the entire payment solution. It is responsible for receiving location information and ETC gantry cumulative toll data uploaded by the vehicle unit, calculating the estimated highway toll; connecting with the bank server to complete operations such as account balance inquiry, fund freezing, and deduction; and triggering bank card recharge or small loan recharge process when insufficient account funds are detected, and notifying the car owner through vehicle unit voice reminders, mobile phone text messages and other channels.

[0031] Among them, the bank server is responsible for establishing and maintaining the binding relationship between the digital RMB soft wallet and the car owner's identity, managing the wallet account funds, accurately executing fund operations such as account inquiries, fund deductions, recharge arrivals, freezing and unfreezing, and ensuring the compliance and fund security of digital RMB transactions.

[0032] See Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the ETC toll payment method provided in the first embodiment of this application. Figure 3 As shown, the ETC toll payment method is executed by the on-board unit (OBU) and may include the following steps: Step 101: Bind your digital RMB soft wallet as your ETC toll payment account.

[0033] Specifically, when the vehicle-mounted unit completes the secondary issuance and activation process, the digital RMB soft wallet is bound to the vehicle-mounted unit, making the digital RMB soft wallet the exclusive payment account for the vehicle's highway toll fees, achieving a precise correspondence of one account per vehicle and avoiding confusion of payment accounts.

[0034] The digital RMB soft wallet includes two types: a dedicated soft wallet for highways and a general soft wallet, catering to the account usage needs of different car owners. Compared to the traditional ETC model of binding a physical bank card, the digital RMB soft wallet binding process is simpler, the fund settlement efficiency is higher, and both types of wallets can be adapted to the payment logic of this solution, expanding the scope of application.

[0035] Step 102: In response to a vehicle entering the ETC lane at the highway entrance, an entrance interaction transaction is completed with the lane system.

[0036] Specifically, when a vehicle approaches the ETC lane area at the highway entrance, the on-board unit automatically establishes a communication connection with the entrance lane toll collection system via the 5.8GHz DSRC protocol, completing the entrance interactive transaction process, including vehicle information verification and uploading of entrance passage records. After the lane system completes the verification and transaction, it immediately controls the barrier to lift and allow the vehicle to pass, without requiring any stopping operation throughout the entire process.

[0037] Step 103: In response to the completion of the entry transaction, obtain and cache the account balance of the digital RMB soft wallet.

[0038] Specifically, after the transaction is completed at the entry point, the vehicle-mounted unit sends an account balance query command to the platform server via wireless communication methods such as 4G and 5G. The platform server forwards the command to the bank server to obtain the real-time account balance of the linked digital RMB soft wallet, and then sends it back to the vehicle-mounted unit. The vehicle-mounted unit caches this balance data in its local storage module for quick comparison and verification during transit, reducing real-time query time and improving the speed of fund prediction.

[0039] Step 104: In response to a vehicle passing through a highway gantry, calculate the estimated toll.

[0040] Specifically, when a vehicle passes through an ETC gantry while traveling at high speed, the on-board unit interacts with the gantry identification system via the DSRC protocol to obtain gantry route identification information and the cumulative amount of a type of transaction.

[0041] Understandably, in response to a vehicle passing through a highway gantry, a gantry transaction process is executed to write the gantry path identifier and the cumulative amount of a type of transaction into the OBU. The OBU determines the driving route based on the gantry path identifier and initiates a freeze application to the platform server. The freeze application includes the cumulative amount of a type of transaction and the driving route. Based on the platform server, the estimated toll is determined according to the cumulative amount of a type of transaction and the driving route, thus realizing advance prediction of tolls.

[0042] Step 105: Based on the comparison between the account balance and the estimated toll, perform a fund security operation.

[0043] Optionally, the on-board unit retrieves the locally cached account balance and compares it with the estimated toll calculated by the platform server. Based on the comparison result, it performs differentiated fund protection operations, which mainly includes two implementation modes: Mode 1: Balance Prediction Recharge Mode Optionally, if it is determined that the account balance is insufficient to pay the estimated toll, a recharge request is initiated to the platform server to automatically recharge the digital RMB soft wallet through a small loan or through the registered bank card. The recharge request includes the recharge amount, which can be a fixed amount or the difference between the estimated highway toll and the current account balance. The fixed amount is the maximum single recharge amount preset by the car owner when signing the contract. The account balance of the digital RMB soft wallet is updated, and the car owner is notified of the recharge status.

[0044] If the account balance is less than the estimated toll, the onboard unit immediately sends a recharge request to the platform server, specifying the target recharge amount. This amount is either the maximum fixed amount for a single transaction pre-set by the vehicle owner during the contract signing process, or the difference between the estimated highway toll and the current account balance. After verifying the vehicle owner's eligibility, the platform server triggers an automatic microloan recharge process or an automatic bank card recharge process, transferring the corresponding amount to the digital RMB soft wallet. Upon completion of the recharge, the bank server synchronizes the latest account balance to the platform server, which then forwards it to the onboard unit to update its local cache data. Simultaneously, the vehicle owner is notified of the recharge status via voice prompts from the onboard unit or SMS messages.

[0045] Model 2: Funds Freeze Guarantee Model Optionally, a fund freeze application is initiated to the platform server, freezing funds in the digital RMB soft wallet based on the estimated toll. If the freeze is successful, the platform server synchronizes the successfully frozen amount to the OBU. If the freeze fails, funds are automatically recharged to the digital RMB soft wallet via a small loan or via a registered bank card. After the recharge is completed, the fund freeze operation continues.

[0046] Specifically, the onboard unit initiates a funds freeze request to the platform server. Based on the calculated estimated toll fee, the platform server sends a freeze command to the bank server, freezing the corresponding amount of funds in the digital RMB soft wallet. If the freeze fails, it is determined that the account balance is insufficient to cover the estimated toll fee, immediately triggering an automatic top-up process via a small loan or a linked bank card. After the top-up is completed, the funds freeze operation continues until it is successfully frozen. Once the freeze is successful, the platform synchronizes the frozen amount to the onboard unit's local cache. This model ensures that funds are used for their designated purpose through fund freezing, further reducing the risk of deduction failure.

[0047] Furthermore, after car owners activate the on-demand top-up function, the platform server monitors in real time whether the account balance of the digital RMB soft wallet is less than a set threshold. The digital RMB soft wallet can be a dedicated soft wallet for highways or a general soft wallet. If the account balance is detected to be less than the set threshold, a fixed amount is automatically topped up from the registered account to the digital RMB soft wallet to maintain the account's available balance without manual intervention. For example, if the car owner has 200 RMB before entering the highway, and the highway toll is 180 RMB after exiting the highway, and the balance is frozen (20 RMB < 50 RMB (threshold)), then automatic top-up is triggered.

[0048] Automatic top-up can be achieved through contractual agreements or smart contracts, and the top-up funds can come from sources including but not limited to bank cards and microloans, to meet the funding needs of different car owners.

[0049] Step 106: In response to the vehicle arriving at the highway exit, perform the corresponding operation based on the verification result of the account balance.

[0050] Specifically, when a vehicle approaches the highway exit, the system verifies whether the account balance is sufficient to cover the actual toll. If the balance is sufficient, the barrier is raised to allow passage. If the balance is insufficient, the vehicle is stopped, and the driver is reminded to top up their account or seek assistance from highway staff for payment. After the transaction at the exit, the difference needs to be unfrozen. If the transaction is successful, the difference equals the successfully frozen amount minus the highway toll. Otherwise, the difference equals the successfully frozen amount.

[0051] At the lane exit, if the OBU determines that the amount is sufficient, it will execute the ETC transaction; otherwise, it will refuse to execute the ETC transaction process.

[0052] Figure 4 This invention provides a schematic diagram of an ETC toll processing flow based on a dedicated digital RMB highway soft wallet. The flow specifically includes: binding the dedicated digital RMB highway soft wallet during the second transaction; executing the ETC lane entrance transaction process and raising the barrier to allow passage; the OBU obtaining and caching the soft wallet account balance; executing the ETC gantry transaction, writing the gantry path and cumulative transaction amount information to form a transaction identifier record; the OBU determining the estimated highway toll based on the cumulative transaction amount and travel route, and comparing it with the soft wallet balance; determining whether the highway toll is sufficient; if so, allowing passage; otherwise, initiating an application to the platform for insufficient toll balance; after platform confirmation, triggering a small loan recharge to allow passage; the exit OBU determining whether the soft wallet account balance is sufficient for the highway toll, allowing passage and freezing the toll; otherwise, blocking passage; the platform determining whether the vehicle owner has signed up for the on-demand recharge function, and if it detects that the available balance in the soft wallet account is less than a threshold, triggering automatic recharge.

[0053] Figure 5This invention provides a schematic diagram of an ETC toll freezing process based on a universal digital RMB soft wallet. The process specifically includes: binding the universal digital RMB soft wallet during the second transaction; executing the ETC lane entrance transaction process and raising the barrier to allow passage; executing the ETC gantry transaction, writing the gantry path and accumulated transaction amount information to form a transaction identifier record; the OBU reporting a freeze application containing the accumulated transaction amount and travel route to the platform; the platform server determining whether the freeze is successful; if successful, receiving the frozen amount and storing it in the OBU, allowing passage; if the freeze fails, triggering a small loan recharge and freezing the amount, then receiving the frozen amount and storing it in the OBU, allowing passage; the exit OBU determining if the frozen balance in the soft wallet account meets the highway toll requirements, allowing passage if necessary, otherwise blocking passage; the platform determining if the vehicle owner has signed up for the on-demand recharge function, and triggering automatic recharge when the available balance in the soft wallet account is less than a threshold.

[0054] In this embodiment, the On-Board Unit (OBU) is bound to a digital RMB soft wallet as the ETC toll payment account. Upon entering the ETC lane at the highway entrance, it completes an entrance transaction with the lane system. Upon completion of the entrance transaction, it obtains and caches the account balance of the digital RMB soft wallet. Upon passing the highway gantry, it calculates the estimated toll and performs a fund security operation based on the comparison between the account balance and the estimated toll. Upon reaching the highway exit, it performs the corresponding operation based on the verification result of the account balance. This solves the user experience problem caused by the traditional stored-value card method's decision to intercept vehicles when the account balance is insufficient only at the lane exit, as well as the bad debt problem inherent in the existing ETC pre-payment system.

[0055] In summary, the embodiments of this application can promptly remind vehicle owners to top up or automatically top up when their highway toll balance is insufficient, and allow passage at the lane exit if the remaining balance meets the actual highway toll requirements. Without modifying the existing ETC toll collection system, based on the balance comparison method of the digital RMB soft wallet, it predicts in advance whether the account balance is sufficient for highway tolls by comparing the balance en route, and reminds the user to top up or automatically top up if insufficient. At the lane exit, if the OBU determines that the amount is sufficient, it executes the ETC transaction; otherwise, it rejects the ETC transaction process.

[0056] Corresponding to the ETC toll payment method described in the above embodiments, Figure 6 This is a structural block diagram of the ETC toll payment device provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0057] Reference Figure 6 The ETC payment device 200 includes: Binding module 210 is used to bind a digital RMB soft wallet as an ETC toll payment account; The entrance interaction transaction module 220 is used to complete the entrance interaction transaction with the lane system in response to a vehicle entering the ETC lane at the highway entrance. The caching module 230 is used to obtain and cache the account balance of the digital RMB soft wallet in response to the completion of the entry transaction; Calculation module 240 is used to calculate the estimated toll in response to a vehicle passing through a highway gantry; The execution module 250 is used to perform a fund security operation based on the comparison result between the account balance and the estimated toll fee; The toll transaction module 260 is used to perform corresponding operations based on the verification result of the account balance when the vehicle arrives at the highway exit.

[0058] In this embodiment, the On-Board Unit (OBU) is bound to a digital RMB soft wallet as the ETC toll payment account. Upon entering the ETC lane at the highway entrance, it completes an entrance interaction transaction with the lane system. Upon completion of the entrance transaction, it obtains and caches the account balance of the digital RMB soft wallet. Upon the vehicle passes through the highway gantry, it calculates the estimated toll and performs a fund security operation based on the comparison between the account balance and the estimated toll. Upon the vehicle reaches the highway exit, it performs the corresponding operation based on the verification result of the account balance. This solves the user experience problem caused by the traditional stored-value card method's decision to intercept the vehicle when the account balance is insufficient only at the lane exit, as well as the bad debt problem inherent in the existing ETC pre-payment system.

[0059] in addition, Figure 6 The ETC payment device shown can be a software unit, hardware unit, or a combination of software and hardware built into an existing electronic device. It can also be integrated into the electronic device as a separate accessory, or exist as a standalone electronic device.

[0060] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the above-described division of functional units and modules is merely an example. In practical applications, the above functions can be assigned to different functional units and modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional units or modules to complete all or part of the functions described above. The functional units and modules in the embodiments can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit. Furthermore, the specific names of the functional units and modules are only for easy differentiation and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. The specific working process of the units and modules in the above system can be referred to the corresponding process in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0061] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application. For example... Figure 7 As shown, the electronic device 5 of this embodiment includes: at least one processor 50 ( Figure 7 (Only one is shown in the diagram) a processor, a memory 51, and a computer program 52 stored in the memory 51 and executable on the at least one processor 50, wherein the processor 50 executes the computer program 52 to implement the steps in any of the above-described ETC toll payment method embodiments.

[0062] The electronic device may be a desktop computer, laptop, handheld computer, or cloud server, etc. This electronic device may include, but is not limited to, a processor and memory. Those skilled in the art will understand that... Figure 7 This is merely an example of electronic device 5 and does not constitute a limitation on electronic device 5. It may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or different components. For example, it may also include input / output devices, network access devices, etc.

[0063] The processor 50 may be a central processing unit, or it may be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors, application-specific integrated circuits, off-the-shelf programmable gate arrays or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0064] In some embodiments, the memory 51 may be an internal storage unit of the electronic device 5, such as a hard disk or memory of the electronic device 5. In other embodiments, the memory 51 may be an external storage device of the electronic device 5, such as a plug-in hard disk, smart memory card, secure digital card, flash memory card, etc., equipped on the electronic device 5. Further, the memory 51 may include both internal storage units and external storage devices of the electronic device 5. The memory 51 is used to store operating systems, applications, boot loaders, data, and other programs, such as the program code of the computer program. The memory 51 can also be used to temporarily store data that has been output or will be output.

[0065] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, can implement the steps in the above-described method embodiments.

[0066] This application provides a computer program product that, when run on an electronic device, enables the electronic device to implement the steps described in the various method embodiments above.

[0067] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, all or part of the processes in the methods of the above embodiments can be implemented by a computer program instructing related hardware. The computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and when executed by a processor, it can implement the steps of the various method embodiments described above. The computer program includes computer program code, which can be in the form of source code, object code, executable files, or certain intermediate forms. The computer-readable medium can include at least: any entity or device capable of carrying computer program code to a device / electronic device, a recording medium, a computer memory, a read-only memory, a random access memory, an electrical carrier signal, a telecommunication signal, and a software distribution medium. Examples include USB flash drives, portable hard drives, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0068] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. For parts that are not described in detail or recorded in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0069] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0070] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains; the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the application; the terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, in the specification, claims, and foregoing description of the drawings are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0071] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0072] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and should all be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. An ETC (Electronic Toll Collection) payment method, characterized in that, Performed by the on-board unit (OBU), the process includes the following steps: Link a digital RMB soft wallet as an ETC toll payment account; the digital RMB soft wallet can be a dedicated soft wallet for highways or a general soft wallet. In response to a vehicle entering the ETC lane at the highway entrance, an entry interaction transaction is completed with the lane system; Upon completion of the ingress transaction, the account balance of the digital RMB soft wallet is retrieved and cached; Calculate the estimated toll based on the vehicle's passage through the highway gantry; Based on the comparison between the account balance and the estimated toll, a fund security operation is performed; In response to the vehicle arriving at the highway exit, the corresponding operation is performed based on the verification result of the account balance.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of performing a fund security operation based on the comparison result between the account balance and the estimated toll fee includes: If it is determined that the account balance is insufficient to pay the estimated toll, a recharge request is initiated to the platform server to automatically recharge the digital RMB soft wallet through a small loan or through a registered bank card; The recharge application includes a recharge amount, which is either a fixed amount or the difference between the estimated highway toll and the current account balance. The fixed amount is the maximum single recharge amount preset by the car owner when signing the contract. The system updates the account balance of the digital RMB soft wallet and reminds the car owner of the recharge status.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The response to a vehicle passing through a highway gantry calculates the estimated toll, including: In response to a vehicle passing through a highway gantry, a gantry transaction process is executed to write data to the OBU. Gantry path identification and cumulative transaction amount for Class I transactions; The travel path is determined based on the gantry path markings; A freeze request is initiated to the platform server, the freeze request including the cumulative amount of the first type of transaction and the travel route; Based on the platform server, the estimated toll is determined according to the cumulative amount of the first type of transaction and the travel route.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The step of performing a fund security operation based on the comparison result between the account balance and the estimated toll fee includes: Initiate a fund freeze request to the platform server, and freeze funds in the digital RMB soft wallet based on the estimated toll fee; Upon successful freezing, the platform server synchronizes the amount frozen to the OBU. If the freeze fails, funds will be automatically deposited into the digital RMB soft wallet via a small loan or via a registered bank card. Once the deposit is complete, the fund freeze operation will continue.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, Also includes: The system detects in real time whether the account balance of the digital RMB soft wallet is less than a set threshold. The digital RMB soft wallet is either a high-speed dedicated soft wallet or a general-purpose soft wallet. If the account balance is detected to be less than the set threshold, a fixed amount will be automatically recharged from the signed account to the digital RMB soft wallet.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, In response to the vehicle arriving at the highway exit, based on the verification result of the account balance, the corresponding operation is performed, including: In response to a vehicle arriving at a highway exit, the system verifies whether the account balance is sufficient to cover the actual toll fee and obtains the verification result. If the verification result indicates that the account balance meets the actual toll fee, the barrier will be raised to allow passage. If the verification result indicates that the account balance does not meet the actual toll fee, the system will block the passage.

7. An ETC (Electronic Toll Collection) payment device, characterized in that, include: The binding module is used to bind a digital RMB soft wallet as an ETC toll payment account, wherein the digital RMB soft wallet is a highway-specific soft wallet or a general soft wallet; The entrance interaction transaction module is used to respond to vehicles entering the ETC lane at the highway entrance and complete the entrance interaction transaction with the lane system; A caching module is used to obtain and cache the account balance of the digital RMB soft wallet in response to the completion of the entry transaction; The calculation module is used to calculate the estimated toll in response to a vehicle passing through a highway gantry; The execution module is used to perform a fund security operation based on the comparison result between the account balance and the estimated toll fee; The verification module is used to perform corresponding operations based on the verification result of the account balance when a vehicle arrives at the highway exit.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that, The execution module is specifically used for: If it is determined that the account balance is insufficient to pay the estimated toll, a recharge request is initiated to the platform server to automatically recharge the digital RMB soft wallet through a small loan or through a registered bank card; The recharge application includes a recharge amount, which is either a fixed amount or the difference between the estimated highway toll and the current account balance. The fixed amount is the maximum single recharge amount preset by the car owner when signing the contract. The system updates the account balance of the digital RMB soft wallet and reminds the car owner of the recharge status.

9. An electronic device, characterized in that, It includes a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor, when executing the computer program, implements the steps of the method as described in any one of claims 1-6.

10. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium is used to store a computer program, which is loaded by a processor to perform the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1-6.

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