Vehicle-mounted terminal, working method thereof and automatic toll collection system

Abstract

The application discloses a vehicle-mounted terminal, a working method thereof and an automatic charging system. The method comprises the following steps: receiving a beacon service table for transaction initialization of an electronic wallet carried on the vehicle-mounted terminal from a roadside base station; judging state information of the electronic wallet carried in the vehicle-mounted terminal; re-initializing the electronic wallet when it is judged that an electronic wallet transaction error occurs; and sending a vehicle service table to the roadside base station based on the result of the re-initialization.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to vehicle-mounted terminals and their operating methods, as well as automatic toll collection systems. Background Technology

[0002] Recently, Electronic Toll Collection Systems (ETCS) have been installed on toll roads, including highways, to facilitate traffic flow. Typically, an ETCS is an automated electronic toll collection system that processes highway tolls wirelessly from vehicles in motion. It includes an electronic card, an onboard unit (OBU), and roadside equipment (RSE). When the roadside equipment identifies a vehicle and sends a settlement request to the OBU, the OBU reads the settlement information from the electronic card and sends it to the roadside equipment. The roadside equipment then uses this information to complete the settlement.

[0003] One or two antennas are installed inside such roadside base stations for transmitting and receiving data with vehicle-mounted terminals. These antennas determine the communication radius of the roadside base station.

[0004] On the other hand, although the vehicle-mounted terminal carries a card, problems such as improper installation or a faulty card can prevent normal payment even through roadside base stations. Therefore, a solution is actually needed that detects the card status in the vehicle-mounted terminal and enables normal payment based on the card status. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an in-vehicle terminal and its working method, as well as an automatic toll collection system, that is, when a transaction error occurs in the electronic wallet installed in the in-vehicle terminal, the electronic wallet is re-initialized before the toll collection to make it work normally, or the error type can be identified.

[0006] However, the problem that this invention seeks to solve is not limited to the problem described above, and other problems may also exist.

[0007] The first embodiment of the present invention for solving the aforementioned problem provides a method for operating an on-board terminal for an automatic toll collection system, comprising the following steps: receiving a Beacon Service Table from a roadside base station for transaction initialization of an electronic wallet mounted on the on-board terminal; determining the status information of the electronic wallet mounted on the on-board terminal; re-initializing the electronic wallet if an electronic wallet transaction error is determined to have occurred; and sending a Vehicle Service Table to the roadside base station based on the result of the re-initialization.

[0008] In some embodiments of the present invention, the vehicle terminal may be configured to carry at least one electronic wallet, namely a contact smart card and a software-based card.

[0009] In some embodiments of the present invention, in the step of determining the status information of the electronic wallet mounted in the vehicle terminal, if the electronic wallet transaction is in an unresponsive state within a predetermined time from the date of receiving the beacon service table from the roadside base station, it may be determined that an electronic wallet transaction error has occurred.

[0010] In some embodiments of the present invention, when an electronic wallet transaction error is determined to have occurred, the step of reinitializing the electronic wallet may include the following steps: receiving a reset response (Answer ToReset) from the electronic wallet; synchronizing the communication speed between the vehicle terminal and the electronic wallet when a reset response is received from the electronic wallet; running a dedicated file pre-stored on the vehicle terminal to collect predetermined information from the basic file of the electronic wallet; and reinitializing the electronic wallet based on the predetermined information.

[0011] In some embodiments of the present invention, in the step of collecting predetermined information from the basic file of the electronic wallet by running a dedicated file pre-stored in the vehicle terminal, at least one of the following may be collected: owner information of the electronic wallet, inter-sector electronic wallet information corresponding to the electronic wallet, and highway entrance information.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present invention, the following step may also be included: when running a dedicated file pre-stored in the vehicle terminal and failing to collect predetermined information from the basic file of the electronic wallet, the electronic wallet is determined to be faulty.

[0013] In some embodiments of the present invention, the following step may also be included: when no reset response is received from the electronic wallet, it is determined that the electronic wallet is not properly installed on the vehicle terminal.

[0014] Furthermore, the vehicle-mounted terminal for an automatic toll collection system according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes: a communication unit that receives a beacon service table for electronic wallet transaction initialization within the coverage area of ​​a roadside base station and sends a vehicle service table to the roadside base station; a judgment unit that judges the status information of the electronic wallet; and a control unit that, when it is judged that an electronic wallet transaction error has occurred, reinitializes the electronic wallet and sends the vehicle service table to the roadside base station based on the result of the reinitialization.

[0015] In some embodiments of the present invention, the electronic wallet may be a contact smart card or a software-based card.

[0016] In some embodiments of the present invention, the determination unit may determine that an electronic wallet transaction error has occurred when the electronic wallet transaction is in an unresponsive state for a predetermined period of time after receiving the beacon service table from the roadside base station.

[0017] In some embodiments of the present invention, when a reset response is received from the electronic wallet, the control unit synchronizes the communication speed between the vehicle terminal and the electronic wallet, runs a dedicated file pre-stored in the vehicle terminal to collect predetermined information from the basic file of the electronic wallet, and then reinitializes the electronic wallet based on the predetermined information.

[0018] In some embodiments of the present invention, the control unit may collect at least one of the following as the predetermined information: the owner information of the electronic wallet, the internal partition electronic wallet information corresponding to the electronic wallet, and the highway entrance information.

[0019] In some embodiments of the present invention, when a dedicated file pre-stored in the vehicle terminal is run but the predetermined information is not collected from the basic file of the electronic wallet, the control unit determines that the electronic wallet is faulty.

[0020] In some embodiments of the present invention, when no reset response is received from the electronic wallet, the control unit determines that the electronic wallet is not properly installed on the vehicle terminal.

[0021] Furthermore, the automatic toll collection system of the third embodiment of the present invention includes: a roadside base station, which transmits a beacon service table for initializing electronic wallet transactions and receives a vehicle service table corresponding to the beacon service table; and an on-board terminal, which, upon receiving the beacon service table from the roadside base station, determines the status information of the onboard electronic wallet, and if it is determined that an electronic wallet transaction error has occurred, reinitializes the electronic wallet and sends the vehicle service table to the roadside base station based on the result of the reinitialization.

[0022] A computer program of another embodiment of the present invention for solving the problem is combined with a computer as hardware to run a method of operating an on-board terminal for the automatic toll collection system, and stored in a computer-readable recording medium.

[0023] Other specific aspects of the invention are included in the detailed description and accompanying drawings.

[0024] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the present invention has the following advantages: it can identify the predetermined error type of failure to collect charges from the automatic charging system, and according to the error type, it can collect charges again through the electronic wallet re-initialization process within a certain period of time.

[0025] The effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above. Those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains can clearly understand other effects not mentioned from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating the working method of an in-vehicle terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a diagram used to illustrate a normal state of an e-wallet.

[0028] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating the re-initialization process in the event of a transaction error in an e-wallet.

[0029] Figure 4 This is a block diagram of an in-vehicle terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0031] 100…Vehicle-mounted terminal; 110…Communication department; 120…Judgment department; 130…Control department; 200…Roadside base station. Detailed Implementation

[0032] References and Appendix Figure 1 The advantages, features, and methods of implementing the invention become clearer from the detailed embodiments described below. However, the invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but can be embodied in many different forms. These embodiments are provided to complete the disclosure of the invention and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention, which is defined by the claims.

[0033] The terminology used in this specification is for illustrative purposes and is not intended to limit the invention. In this specification, unless otherwise stated, the singular form also includes the plural form. The terms "having" and / or "comprising" as used in the specification do not exclude the presence or addition of more than one other structural element besides those mentioned. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals denote the same structural elements, and "and / or" includes each mentioned structural element and all combinations thereof. Terms such as "first," "second," etc., are used to describe multiple structural elements, and these structural elements are not limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish between two structural elements. Therefore, within the technical concept of the invention, the first structural element mentioned below may also be a second structural element.

[0034] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in this specification have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. Furthermore, unless explicitly defined, commonly used dictionary definitions should not be interpreted in an abnormal or excessive manner.

[0035] The following is for reference Figures 1 to 3 This invention describes the working method of an on-board terminal for an automatic toll collection system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating the working method of an in-vehicle terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] On the other hand, it can be understood as Figure 1 The steps shown are executed through the vehicle terminal, but are not limited to this.

[0038] The vehicle-mounted terminal 100 can be installed inside a vehicle (e.g., a car) moving on a road where a roadside base station 200 is provided, or it can be mounted on the roof of a vehicle, thereby enabling it to send and receive data with the roadside base station 200 while moving using the vehicle.

[0039] Communication processing between the vehicle-mounted terminal 100 and the roadside base station 200 can be achieved through Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC), which is a dedicated short-range communication frequency band, but is not limited to this. For example, it can also include other next-generation frequency bands such as Wireless Access In Vehicular Environment (WAVE) frequencies.

[0040] Furthermore, for example, communication processing with the roadside base station 200 can be a series of steps involving sending and receiving request and response signals with the roadside base station 200.

[0041] The roadside base station 200 communicates with the vehicle-mounted terminals 100 of multiple vehicles entering its coverage area, in a state where it is set up next to a road (e.g., a highway) where vehicles move.

[0042] Reference Figure 1 The vehicle-mounted terminal receives the Beacon Service Table, which initializes the transaction of the electronic wallet mounted on the vehicle-mounted terminal, from the roadside base station (step S110). For reference, the Beacon Service Table may include the base station ID of the roadside base station, the base station time, the ID of the service that the base station can apply, etc., and is sent in the form of periodic broadcast.

[0043] In this context, the electronic wallets in this invention support both contact smart cards and software-based cards. As an example, contact smart cards, in the form of physical IC cards, contact and are recognized by pins inside the card slot of the vehicle terminal. Furthermore, one embodiment of this invention supports software-based electronic cards, which read card information from the user's smartphone, etc., and after the corresponding card information is loaded into the vehicle terminal, payment is made based on that card information.

[0044] Next, the status information of the e-wallet installed in the vehicle terminal is determined (step S120). Furthermore, if an e-wallet transaction error is determined to have occurred, the e-wallet is reinitialized (step S130).

[0045] Figure 2 This is a diagram used to illustrate a normal state of an e-wallet.

[0046] Reference Figure 2 When the e-wallet is in a normal state, after receiving the beacon service table for transaction initialization from the roadside base station's communication coverage area, the card status is confirmed as normal. Therefore, the roadside base station charges the card via the e-wallet upon receiving the vehicle service table from the vehicle terminal. As an example, when the card is determined to be in normal condition, a voice prompt such as "Ding-dong, balance is 0 won" can be provided as the charge is processed.

[0047] In this case, one embodiment of the present invention first determines the status of the e-wallet to determine whether it is normal or abnormal. When it is abnormal, it can be identified as a problem with the e-wallet (step S170). For example, it can be identified as a problem including no card inserted, poor card status, or the card being unable to conduct transactions. As an example, when it is determined that no card is inserted, a voice prompt of "Ding-a-ling, please insert your card" can be provided.

[0048] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating the re-initialization process in the event of a transaction error in an e-wallet.

[0049] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first determination is that the electronic wallet is in a normal state. When the vehicle terminal receives the beacon service table from the roadside base station, and the electronic wallet transaction is in an unresponsive state within a predetermined time (e.g., 10ms), the second determination is that an electronic wallet transaction error has occurred.

[0050] Reference Figure 3When there is a problem with the e-wallet's status, after receiving the beacon service table for transaction initialization from the communication coverage area of ​​the roadside base station, the e-wallet is in a state of transaction error due to card status issues. In this case, a process to reinitialize the e-wallet is executed. In this case, the reinitialization process can take place for a second predetermined time (e.g., 90ms) that is different from the first predetermined time.

[0051] As an example, the second predetermined time can be determined based on the distance between multiple roadside base stations and the communication coverage area of ​​each roadside base station. The greater the distance between multiple roadside base stations, the longer the second predetermined time can be, and it can be set to complete within the critical time when the re-initialization process needs to be completed. Alternatively, when it is determined that a transaction error occurred within the communication coverage area of ​​the first roadside base station, the second predetermined time can also be set by considering the time of leaving the coverage area of ​​the first roadside base station or entering the coverage area of ​​the second roadside base station.

[0052] When it is decided to perform the reinitialization process of the e-wallet, the vehicle terminal first receives a reset response from the e-wallet (Answer To Reset) (step S131). Upon receiving the reset response from the e-wallet, the communication speed (Packet Per Second) between the vehicle terminal and the e-wallet is synchronized (step S132), and a dedicated file pre-stored on the vehicle terminal is run to collect predetermined information from the e-wallet's base file (EF) (step S133). Afterwards, the e-wallet can be reinitialized based on the predetermined information (step S134).

[0053] The pre-defined information collected from the basic file (EF) of the e-wallet may include at least one of the following: e-wallet owner information (EFOWNER), inter-sector electronic wallet information (EFIEP) corresponding to the e-wallet, and highway entrance information (EF highway entrance information).

[0054] As described above, when the reinitialization process is completed, after the vehicle terminal re-determines the status of the e-wallet to be normal, it sends the Vehicle Service Table to the roadside base station (step S140). For reference, the Vehicle Service Table may include information that needs to reach the roadside base station in order to access application services provided by the vehicle terminal (e.g., basic information of the vehicle terminal, details of the e-wallet, transaction details, etc.).

[0055] On the other hand, if no reset response is received from the e-wallet, the vehicle terminal can determine that the e-wallet is not properly installed on the vehicle terminal (e.g., the card is inserted incorrectly), and send a vehicle service list to the roadside base station. In this case, a voice prompt of "Ring ring, card not properly inserted" can be provided (step S150).

[0056] Furthermore, if the predetermined information is not collected from the basic file of the e-wallet even when the pre-stored dedicated file is run, that is, if the information is not collected due to an erroneous or non-responsive response from the e-wallet during the information collection step, the vehicle terminal can determine that the e-wallet is faulty (step S160). For example, if the collected information indicates that the physical card is damaged, there is poor contact between the physical card and the vehicle terminal, or the card information is incorrect based on software (expired, discarded, not updated, etc.), it can be determined that the e-wallet is faulty, and a vehicle service form can be sent to the roadside base station. In this case, a voice prompt such as "Ring ring, please confirm the card" can be provided.

[0057] On the other hand, steps S110 to S170 in the description can be further divided into additional steps or combined with fewer steps according to embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, some steps can be omitted as needed, and the order of the steps can be changed. Meanwhile, even with other omitted content, Figures 1 to 3 The content can also be applied to Figure 4 The content of the vehicle-mounted terminal 100.

[0058] Figure 4 This is a block diagram of an in-vehicle terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0059] An embodiment of the vehicle terminal 100 of the present invention includes a communication unit 110, a judgment unit 120 and a control unit 130.

[0060] The communication unit 110 receives a Beacon Service Table for transaction initialization of the e-wallet from within the coverage area of ​​the roadside base station, and sends a Vehicle Service Table to the roadside base station. As one embodiment, the e-wallet can be a contact smart card or a software-based card.

[0061] The judgment unit 120 judges the status information of the e-wallet.

[0062] When the e-wallet transaction is unresponsive within a predetermined time after receiving the beacon service table from the roadside base station, the judgment unit 120 can determine that an e-wallet transaction error has occurred.

[0063] When an electronic wallet transaction error is determined to have occurred, the control unit 130 reinitializes the electronic wallet and sends the vehicle service table to the roadside base station based on the reinitialization result.

[0064] As an example, by re-initializing the electronic wallet, when a reset response is received from the electronic wallet, the control unit 130 synchronizes the communication speed between the vehicle terminal 100 and the electronic wallet, runs a dedicated file pre-stored in the vehicle terminal 100 to collect predetermined information from the basic file of the electronic wallet, and then re-initializes the electronic wallet based on the predetermined information.

[0065] In this case, as pre-defined information, the control unit 130 may collect at least one of the following: the owner information of the electronic wallet, the inter-sector electronic wallet information corresponding to the electronic wallet, and the highway entrance information.

[0066] On the other hand, if the predetermined information is not collected from the basic file of the electronic wallet even when the dedicated file pre-stored in the vehicle terminal 100 is run, the control unit 130 may determine that the electronic wallet is faulty.

[0067] Furthermore, if no reset response is received from the e-wallet, the control unit 130 can determine that the e-wallet is not properly installed on the vehicle terminal 100.

[0068] Next, an automatic toll collection system (not shown) according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. On the other hand, during the description of the automatic toll collection system according to an embodiment of the present invention, in Figures 1 to 4 Repeated content will be omitted in the description.

[0069] An embodiment of the automatic toll collection system of the present invention includes a roadside base station and a vehicle-mounted terminal.

[0070] The roadside base station transmits the initial Beacon Service Table (BST) for e-wallet transactions and receives the corresponding Vehicle Service Table (VST).

[0071] As the vehicle terminal receives the beacon service table from the roadside base station, it determines the status of the onboard e-wallet. If an e-wallet transaction error is detected, the e-wallet is reinitialized, and the vehicle service table is sent back to the roadside base station based on the reinitialization result.

[0072] The above-described method for operating an on-board terminal for an automatic toll collection system according to an embodiment of the present invention can be embodied as a program (or application) and stored in a medium for operation in conjunction with a computer as hardware.

[0073] The program, in order for the computer to read and execute the method embodied in the program, may include code in computer languages ​​such as C, C++, JAVA, Ruby, and machine language, encoded so that the computer's processor (CPU) can read it through the computer's device interface. This code may include functional code related to functions defining the functions required to run the method, and control code related to the execution steps required for the computer's processor to run the functions according to predetermined steps. Furthermore, this code may also include additional information required for the computer's processor to run the functions, or memory reference-related code related to the location (address) of the reference medium in the computer's internal or external memory. And, if the computer's processor needs to communicate with other remote computers or servers to run the functions, the code may also include communication-related code related to how to use the computer's communication module to communicate with other remote computers or servers, or what data or medium should be sent and received during communication.

[0074] The storage medium is not a short-term data storage medium such as registers, buffers, or memory, but rather a medium that stores data semi-permanently and can be read by a device. Specifically, examples of the storage medium include ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, and optical data storage devices, but are not limited to these. That is, the program can be stored on various recording media on various servers accessible to the computer or on various recording media on the user's computer. Furthermore, the medium can store code distributed across computer systems connected via a network, which can be read by the computer in a distributed manner.

[0075] The description of the present invention is merely illustrative. Those skilled in the art can easily modify the present invention into other specific forms without changing the technical concept or essential features. Therefore, the embodiments described above are exemplary in all respects and are not intended to limit the present invention. For example, the various structural elements described as a single type can also be implemented separately, and similarly, the separately described structural elements can also be implemented in a combined form.

[0076] The scope of this invention is set forth by the appended claims, but not by the detailed description provided herein, and all modifications or variations derived from the meaning, scope and equivalents of the claims are within the scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A method for operating an on-board terminal for an automatic toll collection system, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Receives a beacon service table from a roadside base station for transaction initialization of the e-wallet mounted on the vehicle terminal; Determine the status information of the electronic wallet installed in the vehicle terminal; If an e-wallet transaction error is determined to have occurred, the e-wallet will be reinitialized. as well as Based on the result of the re-initialization, a vehicle service table is sent to the roadside base station. When an electronic wallet transaction error is determined to have occurred, the steps to reinitialize the electronic wallet include the following: Receive a reset response from the e-wallet; When a reset response is received from the e-wallet, the communication speed between the vehicle terminal and the e-wallet is synchronized. Run a dedicated file pre-stored in the vehicle terminal to collect predetermined information from the basic file of the e-wallet; as well as The e-wallet is reinitialized based on the predetermined information. If no reset response is received from the e-wallet, the e-wallet is deemed to be malfunctioning. If the predetermined information is not collected, the e-wallet is deemed to be malfunctioning, and corresponding voice prompts are provided respectively.

2. The method for operating an on-board terminal for an automatic toll collection system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vehicle terminal is configured to carry at least one electronic wallet, including contact smart cards and software-based cards.

3. The method for operating an on-board terminal for an automatic toll collection system according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the step of determining the status information of the electronic wallet installed in the vehicle terminal If an e-wallet transaction remains unresponsive for a predetermined period of time after receiving the beacon service table from the roadside base station, it is determined that an e-wallet transaction error has occurred.

4. The method for operating an on-board terminal for an automatic toll collection system according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the step of collecting predetermined information from the basic file of the electronic wallet by running a dedicated file pre-stored in the vehicle terminal, Collect at least one of the following: owner information of the e-wallet, internal partition e-wallet information corresponding to the e-wallet, and highway entrance information.

5. A vehicle-mounted terminal for an automatic toll collection system, characterized in that, include: The communications department receives a beacon service table for transaction initialization of an e-wallet within the coverage area of ​​a roadside base station, and sends a vehicle service table to the roadside base station. The judgment unit determines the status information of the electronic wallet; as well as When the control unit determines that an electronic wallet transaction error has occurred, it reinitializes the electronic wallet and sends the vehicle service table to the roadside base station based on the reinitialization result. When an e-wallet transaction error is determined to have occurred, the process of re-initializing the e-wallet includes the following steps: Receive a reset response from the e-wallet; When a reset response is received from the e-wallet, the communication speed between the vehicle terminal and the e-wallet is synchronized. Run a dedicated file pre-stored in the vehicle terminal to collect predetermined information from the basic file of the e-wallet; as well as The e-wallet is reinitialized based on the predetermined information. If no reset response is received from the e-wallet, the e-wallet is deemed to be malfunctioning. If the predetermined information is not collected, the e-wallet is deemed to be malfunctioning, and corresponding voice prompts are provided respectively.

6. The vehicle-mounted terminal for an automatic toll collection system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The electronic wallet is either a contact smart card or a software-based card.

7. The vehicle-mounted terminal for an automatic toll collection system according to claim 5, characterized in that, When an e-wallet transaction remains unresponsive for a predetermined period of time after receiving the beacon service table from the roadside base station, the determination unit determines that an e-wallet transaction error has occurred.

8. The vehicle-mounted terminal for an automatic toll collection system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The control unit collects at least one of the following as the predetermined information: the owner information of the e-wallet, the internal partition e-wallet information corresponding to the e-wallet, and the highway entrance information.

9. An automatic toll collection system, characterized in that, include: A roadside base station transmits a beacon service table for initializing e-wallet transactions and receives a vehicle service table corresponding to the beacon service table. as well as The vehicle-mounted terminal, upon receiving the beacon service table from the roadside base station, determines the status information of the onboard e-wallet. If an e-wallet transaction error is detected, the e-wallet is reinitialized, and based on the reinitialization result, the vehicle service table is sent back to the roadside base station. When the vehicle terminal determines that an e-wallet transaction error has occurred, the process of re-initializing the e-wallet includes the following steps: Receive a reset response from the e-wallet; When a reset response is received from the e-wallet, the communication speed between the vehicle terminal and the e-wallet is synchronized. Run a dedicated file pre-stored in the vehicle terminal to collect predetermined information from the basic file of the e-wallet; as well as The e-wallet is reinitialized based on the predetermined information. If no reset response is received from the e-wallet, the e-wallet is deemed to be malfunctioning. If the predetermined information is not collected, the e-wallet is deemed to be malfunctioning, and corresponding voice prompts are provided respectively.

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