Method for electronic toll collection

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for electronic toll collection, in which method toll terminals (1) are installed at the entry and / or exit of a toll section of a road, which toll terminals establish a communication link with a vehicle (2) via radio by means of an antenna unit (3) in the vehicle when the vehicle (2) is driving past the toll terminal (1), in order to obtain payment information from the vehicle (2) for paying a toll accruing by traveling on the toll section of the road. The method according to the invention is characterized by the following method steps: - sending a handshake request from the toll terminal (1) to the antenna unit (3); - forwarding the handshake request to a telecommunication unit (4) in the vehicle; - identifying a toll-collection provider in charge; - wirelessly sending the handshake request together with a vehicle identifier to the toll-collection provider; - sending a payment request from the toll-collection provider to a vehicle manufacturer; - sending the payment information from the vehicle manufacturer to the toll-collection provider in the form of a payment response; - checking the validity of the payment information by the toll-collection provider; - sending a handshake response from the toll-collection provider to the telecommunication unit (4); and - forwarding the handshake response to the toll terminal (1) via the antenna unit (3).

Description

[0001] Procedure for electronic toll processing

[0002] The invention relates to a method for electronic toll processing according to the type defined in the preamble of claim 1.

[0003] The construction and maintenance of roads is expensive. Various approaches exist to cover the costs incurred by the companies entrusted with the task. For example, road construction can be financed through taxes or by collecting tolls. Various types of tolls are known, such as motorway tolls, city tolls, tunnel tolls, and the like.

[0004] Automated toll systems are also known to reduce waiting times when entering or exiting a toll road section. Tolls can be paid in advance, or payment information such as credit card details can be stored with the toll operator, so the vehicle in question does not have to wait in front of a barrier at a payment station. When a corresponding toll road section is entered, this is automatically detected, and the stored payment method is debited. Various approaches are also known for identifying vehicles or user accounts, such as camera-based license plate detection or transponder-based radio communication between toll terminals and toll devices carried in vehicles.

[0005] A radio-based toll system is known, for example, from EP 2 323 104 A1. This document describes a toll device for a road toll system that is installed and carried in a vehicle. The toll device is divided into a first and a second device part. The first device part is permanently installed in the vehicle, and the second device part can be detachably connected to the first device part, particularly in the form of an insertable card. The first device part has an antenna module for establishing a wireless radio connection to corresponding toll terminals. The second device part contains payment information that can be sent via the first device part to a respective toll terminal and thus to the operator of the toll road section. This allows toll allocation.

[0006] Three different components must therefore be carried in each vehicle. First, these are: a corresponding transmitter / receiver device or antenna for establishing the wireless communication connection to the toll terminal; second, a card for storing payment information; and third, a corresponding card reader. Prepaid or stored-value cards, as well as credit cards, can be used as cards. This requires the user to obtain such cards before entering a toll road section or to apply for a credit card from a bank. In particular, various toll operators only accept a selection of specific credit cards. In addition, a corresponding card reader must be integrated into the vehicle. The card reader itself costs money. Integration results in lost installation space in the vehicle.Furthermore, connecting cables must be installed between the card reader and the antenna, further limiting the installation space in the vehicle. Card readers can also be prone to errors; in particular, the reading contacts used to read the corresponding cards can corrode or become mechanically damaged. It would therefore be desirable to dispense with the card reader.

[0007] The present invention is based on the object of providing an improved method for electronic toll processing which avoids the aforementioned disadvantages.

[0008] According to the invention, this object is achieved by a method for electronic toll processing having the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments and further developments emerge from the dependent claims.

[0009] A generic method for electronic toll processing, wherein toll terminals are installed at the entrance and / or exit of a toll road section, which establish a radio communication connection to the vehicle via an internal vehicle antenna unit when a vehicle passes the toll terminal in order to obtain payment information from the vehicle for paying a toll incurred by driving on the toll road section, is further developed according to the invention by the following method steps:

[0010] - as soon as the antenna unit is within radio range of the toll terminal: sending a handshake request from the toll terminal to the antenna unit;

[0011] - Receiving the handshake request by the antenna unit and forwarding the handshake request to an in-vehicle telecommunications unit;

[0012] - Identify a responsible toll processing service provider;

[0013] - wireless sending of the handshake request together with a

[0014] Vehicle identifier from the telecommunications unit indirectly via the Internet to the toll processing service provider;

[0015] - Sending a payment request from the toll processing service provider to a vehicle manufacturer determined on the basis of the vehicle identifier, whereby the payment request includes at least the vehicle identifier;

[0016] - Receiving the payment request from the vehicle manufacturer, determining the payment information corresponding to the vehicle identifier, and sending the payment information in the form of a payment response to the toll processing service provider;

[0017] - Check, by the toll processing service provider, the validity of the payment information transmitted by the payment response, and if the result is positive:

[0018] - Sending a handshake response from the toll processing service provider via the Internet to the telecommunications unit, the handshake response containing at least the payment information as permission to use the toll road section; and

[0019] - Forwarding the handshake response to the toll terminal via the antenna unit.

[0020] The method according to the invention makes it possible to dispense with the need to carry cards containing payment information in the vehicle and the corresponding card readers. The disadvantages associated with the integration of such card readers can thus be avoided. A telecommunications unit is required to forward information, which, however, is already present in modern vehicles. The telecommunications unit enables the vehicle to connect to the Internet, for example, via mobile communications or, if a Wi-Fi hotspot is within range, via WLAN.

[0021] Any proven radio technology can be used to establish the wireless communication connection between the toll terminal and the antenna unit, such as short-range radio interfaces based on the DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication) or WAVE (Wireless Access For Vehicle Environments) standard. However, it can also be another radio standard, particularly one based on reading so-called RFID tags.

[0022] The handshake request and handshake response are therefore the information transmitted as standard in a conventional toll device with a card reader. Precise knowledge of the underlying information transmission protocol is not required. According to the invention, the relevant information is simply forwarded. This also enables future standards and protocols to be implemented via existing interfaces without changes or adaptations. In particular, the method according to the invention enables simple and reliable implementation in a wide variety of markets.

[0023] The forwarding of relevant information within the vehicle, i.e., the data forwarding between the antenna unit and the telecommunications unit, is particularly cryptographically protected against attacks. For example, information is preferably transmitted using encrypted methods. For example, the https protocol can be used for this purpose.

[0024] Various procedures are available for determining the responsible toll processing service provider. For example, the vehicle driver can manually specify which company is currently the responsible toll processing service provider via a human-machine interface. This means that various toll processing service providers can be stored in a computing unit in the vehicle, for example, in the telecommunications unit. For example, there may be only a few toll processing service providers in a country. A toll processing service provider can also be the operator or administrator of the toll road section itself, provided they have not outsourced toll processing to a service provider. Toll processing service providers can also be categorized into different profiles.For example, if the vehicle is used in a specific country, the toll profile can be set for that country, after which the responsible toll processing service provider is automatically selected. Automated detection of the responsible toll processing service provider is also possible, for example, using sensors. For example, the vehicle can include a navigation system that allows the vehicle to determine which road sections are being traveled. A digital road map can store a connection between the road sections and the respective toll processing service providers, so that the appropriate toll processing service provider is automatically determined. Corresponding toll stations, in particular toll terminals, can also be detected using sensors, for example camera-based. This allows characteristic features such as a company logo to be recognized, thus determining the toll processing service provider.Optoelectronic codes, such as QR codes, can also be provided at appropriate toll terminals, allowing the vehicle to independently determine the responsible toll processing service provider.

[0025] The vehicle identifier can also be any feature, such as the vehicle identification number (VIN), also known as Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), personal data of the vehicle owner, such as name, date of birth, address and the like, a license plate number or similar.

[0026] To receive the handshake request and the vehicle identifier, the toll processing service provider operates dedicated infrastructure. This is an internet server accessible via appropriate programming interfaces, also known as application programming interfaces (APIs). The toll processing service provider is familiar with the communication protocols commonly used for exchanging information with payment cards and is therefore able to read and process the handshake request.

[0027] Using the vehicle identifier, the toll processing service provider is able to determine which party should be contacted in the next process step. For example, a vehicle manufacturer can be identified based on a VIN. The vehicle manufacturer can also be explicitly named in the vehicle identifier, for example, as plain text, a hashed value, or similar. The vehicle manufacturer also operates dedicated infrastructure, such as an internet server, which can exchange information with the toll processing service provider's server via appropriate APIs.

[0028] The driver of the vehicle or the vehicle owner has stored the relevant payment information in a personal user account with the vehicle manufacturer. All conventional methods can be used for this, such as accessing a personal user account via an app running on a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet computer, via an internet browser, for example, used on a desktop computer, or even via a corresponding interface in the vehicle itself. The respective user can log in to the vehicle manufacturer's server with a personal user name and secret password and store the relevant payment information. As payment information, the user can, for example, enter credit card information, an account with a payment service provider such as PayPal, or an IBAN, or even top up a prepaid account managed by the vehicle manufacturer with prepaid credit.

[0029] The user can also store different payment information for different toll processing service providers, especially in different countries. Appropriate payment information can then be selected and transmitted for each specific situation.

[0030] The toll processing service provider checks the validity of the payment information. For this purpose, the toll processing service provider can, for example, check whether the corresponding credit card information is correct or whether prepaid credit has actually been paid in advance. If the validity of the payment information is confirmed, the toll processing service provider sends the handshake response to the telecommunications unit in the vehicle. This is exactly the information that would otherwise be read from a corresponding payment card carried in the vehicle by a corresponding card reader. The handshake response is then forwarded by the antenna unit to the toll terminal, so that the toll can ultimately be processed.

[0031] In this way, the responsible toll processing service provider receives the

[0032] Payment information is essentially duplicated. Firstly, the toll processing service provider obtains the payment information directly from the vehicle manufacturer's server and then separately from the respective toll terminals. While this represents redundancy, it allows existing infrastructure to continue to be used without modification. Generally, it would also be possible for the responsible toll processing service provider to forward the payment information directly to the respective toll terminals, without the detour via the vehicle.

[0033] The handshake request, along with the vehicle identifier, can also be sent first to the vehicle manufacturer, who then forwards this information to the toll processing service provider. The vehicle manufacturer can thus serve as an additional link and thus provide services. The vehicle manufacturer can identify and contact the relevant toll processing service providers themselves. This increases the reliability of contacting the appropriate toll processing service provider. Furthermore, payment information can be conveniently shared. Accordingly, the handshake response can also be transmitted back to the vehicle indirectly via the vehicle manufacturer.

[0034] An advantageous development of the method according to the invention further provides that

[0035] - in the case of a toll terminal blocking further travel by a barrier, the toll terminal opens the barrier after receiving the handshake response; or

[0036] - in the case of a toll terminal with camera-based number plate recognition, the toll terminal fails to send a payment reminder notice to the vehicle owner identified by the vehicle's number plate after receiving the handshake response.

[0037] The method according to the invention can therefore be used for different toll stations. With the help of the barrier, entry to or exit from corresponding toll road sections can be reliably prevented. If fraud or a disruption in the transmission of information occurs, the person driving the vehicle cannot continue driving. Other, alternative means are then available to pay the toll in the usual way, such as inserting cash into a corresponding machine, paying by debit card or credit card at a corresponding terminal, and the like. To reduce waiting times, the integration of barriers at toll stations is increasingly being dispensed with. Here, too, it must be possible to penalize entry to or exit from a toll road section if the toll is not paid correctly.Conventional systems for penalizing such violations can be based on camera-based license plate recognition. A vehicle that illegally passes a toll terminal is then captured by a camera, and the license plate is recognized. A reminder notice can then be sent to the vehicle owner by mail. However, if the handshake response is properly transmitted to the toll terminal, this constitutes a situation in which the vehicle in question is legally using or has used the toll road section. Accordingly, no reminder notice needs to be sent.

[0038] According to a further advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention, the responsible toll processing service provider is determined in the vehicle based on an analysis of the handshake request. The handshake request can have a specific data structure or content. If only the data structure is analyzed, the content of the handshake request does not need to be examined, i.e., read out. This makes it particularly easy to determine the responsible toll processing service provider, even without knowledge of the underlying communication protocol. In one embodiment, however, it may be possible for the handshake request to be read in the vehicle. This allows the content of the handshake request to be read out. Information describing the responsible toll processing service provider can then be included in the handshake request.This eliminates the need for the toll processing service provider to be manually specified by the driver or determined by sensors. This also allows for reliable identification of the toll processing service provider if multiple toll processing service providers use the same data structure for the handshake request.

[0039] A further advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention further provides that the handshake request in the vehicle is forwarded indirectly from the antenna unit to the telecommunications unit via at least one in-vehicle computing unit. This computing unit can be used, for example, to analyze the handshake request. The computing unit can also append the vehicle identifier to the handshake request. In general, however, this could also be done by the telecommunications unit. If the in-vehicle computing unit assumes this task, the complexity of the telecommunications unit can be reduced. In particular, the computing unit functions as the in-vehicle central management unit. Thus, the computing unit can maintain the various profiles for different toll processing service providers, and the corresponding user interaction can be evaluated via human-machine interfaces with the person driving the vehicle.Analogously, the handshake response can be forwarded from the telecommunications unit to the antenna unit via the processing unit.

[0040] According to a further advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention, the vehicle manufacturer maintains different payment information for different toll processing service providers. As already mentioned, this increases the flexibility of the possible applications of the method according to the invention. For example, different profiles can be specified, based on the fact that, for example, different payment information is used for different toll processing service providers in different countries. However, different toll processing service providers can also be used in one and the same country, for example, a first toll processing service provider for highways and a second toll processing service provider for tunnels.

[0041] Further advantageous embodiments of the method according to the invention for electronic toll processing also emerge from the exemplary embodiments which are described in more detail below with reference to the figures.

[0042] Showing:

[0043] Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of the actors involved in the implementation of a method according to the invention for electronic toll processing; and

[0044] Fig. 2 shows a flowchart of the method for electronic toll processing according to the invention. Using a method for electronic toll processing according to the invention, it is possible to eliminate the need to carry payment cards and card readers in a vehicle 2 shown in Figure 1.

[0045] Shown is a toll station 8 installed at the entrance or exit to a toll road section. The toll station is divided into several lanes, with each lane assigned its own toll terminal 1. Vehicles 2 can pass through the toll station 8 and complete electronic toll collection based on a wireless radio communication link. For this purpose, the respective vehicles 2 each comprise an antenna unit 3 and a telecommunications unit 4. The forwarding of information between the antenna unit 3 and the telecommunications unit 4 in the vehicle 2 can optionally also take place via a computing unit 6, which is connected in a data line between the antenna unit 3 and the telecommunications unit 4. The telecommunications unit 4 enables the vehicle 2 to be connected to the internet 5 via mobile radio, Wi-Fi, or the like.

[0046] Vehicle 2 is connected via the internet 5 to infrastructure 7, operated by a toll processing service provider, and infrastructure 9, operated by a vehicle manufacturer. Infrastructure 7 and 9 are, for example, a server or server network. Information exchange between the entities vehicle 2, infrastructure 7, and infrastructure 9 is ensured via corresponding APIs.

[0047] A vehicle owner or the person driving the vehicle 2 can manage information stored on the vehicle manufacturer's infrastructure 9 via a desktop computer 10, a mobile device such as a smartphone 11, and / or from the vehicle 2 itself, indicated in Figure 1 by a dashed and rounded box. For example, the vehicle manufacturer's server can be contacted via an internet browser or an app running on the smartphone 11. A corresponding app or browser can also be used via the computing unit 6 in the vehicle 2.

[0048] The process flow of the method according to the invention for electronic toll processing is shown in Figure 2. The two process steps 201 and 202 are initially carried out by the vehicle owner or the person driving the vehicle 2. Since process steps 201 and 202 are typically carried out independently of the method according to the invention, process steps 201 and 202 are highlighted in Figure 2 by a dashed border. In process step 201, a corresponding user creates a user account on the vehicle manufacturer's server. The user account is protected, for example, by a unique user name and a personal password. For example, the user account can be created when the vehicle 2 is purchased.

[0049] In process step 202, the user stores payment information in the user account, such as credit card details, an IBAN or a SEPA direct debit mandate, a reference from a payment processor such as a PayPal account, prepaid credit or the like.

[0050] In method step 203, vehicle 2 enters the radio range of toll terminal 1. The toll terminal 1 then sends a handshake request to the antenna unit 3 of vehicle 2.

[0051] In method step 204, the antenna unit 3 receives the handshake request and forwards it to the in-vehicle telecommunications unit 4.

[0052] In method step 205, the toll processing service provider responsible for processing the toll is determined. This can, for example, be proactively communicated to the computing unit 6 by the driver of the vehicle via an internal human-machine interface. However, the vehicle 2 can also determine the toll processing service provider automatically, for example, by analyzing the handshake request, analyzing a GPS position, or by recognizing characteristic features in the area of ​​the toll station 8.

[0053] In method step 206, the telecommunications unit 4 sends the handshake request together with a vehicle identifier indirectly via the Internet 5 to the infrastructure 7 of the toll processing service provider.

[0054] In process step 207, the toll processing service provider processes the handshake request and the vehicle identifier and sends a payment request to a vehicle manufacturer determined based on the vehicle identifier, i.e., to the respective infrastructure 9. Communication also takes place via the Internet 5.

[0055] In process step 208, the vehicle manufacturer receives the payment request and determines the payment information corresponding to the vehicle identifier and sends this back to the toll processing service provider in the form of a payment response.

[0056] In process step 209, the toll processing service provider checks the received payment information for validity. For example, the toll processing service provider checks whether sufficient prepaid credit has been loaded, whether the credit card information is valid, or similar.

[0057] In process step 210, after a successful validity check, the toll processing service provider transmits a handshake response back to the telecommunications unit 4. The handshake response contains at least the payment information.

[0058] Finally, in method step 211, the telecommunications unit 4 forwards the handshake response, optionally via the computing unit 6, to the antenna unit 3, which in turn transmits the handshake response to the toll terminal 1 via radio. With the aid of the method according to the invention, it is possible to transmit payment information to the toll terminal 1 even without carrying payment cards and corresponding card readers in the vehicle 2. This eliminates the need for a card reader, which saves costs for the card reader, allows more efficient use of space in the vehicle 2, reduces the number of devices that need to be connected to each other via cable, reduces the effort required by the vehicle owner or the person driving the vehicle, and also increases reliability, since card readers can break down.

Claims

Patent claims 1. A method for electronic toll processing, wherein toll terminals (1) are installed at the entrance and / or exit of a toll road section, which, when a vehicle (2) passes the toll terminal (1), establish a radio communication link to the vehicle (2) via an internal vehicle antenna unit (3) in order to obtain payment information from the vehicle (2) for paying a toll incurred by driving on the toll road section, characterized by the following method steps: - As soon as the antenna unit (3) is within radio range of the toll terminal (1): sending a handshake request from the toll terminal (1) to the antenna unit (3); - receiving the handshake request by the antenna unit (3) and forwarding the handshake request to an in-vehicle telecommunications unit (4); - Identify a responsible toll processing service provider; - Wirelessly sending the handshake request together with a vehicle identifier from the telecommunications unit (4) indirectly via the Internet (5) to the toll processing service provider; - Sending a payment request from the toll processing service provider to a vehicle manufacturer determined on the basis of the vehicle identifier, whereby the payment request includes at least the vehicle identifier; - Receiving the payment request from the vehicle manufacturer, determining the payment information corresponding to the vehicle identifier, and sending the payment information in the form of a payment response to the toll processing service provider; - Check, by the toll processing service provider, the validity of the payment information transmitted by the payment response, and if the result is positive: - sending a handshake response from the toll processing service provider via the Internet (5) to the telecommunications unit (4), wherein the handshake response contains the payment information at least as permission to use the toll road section; and - Forwarding the handshake response via the antenna unit (3) to the toll terminal (1).

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that - in the case of a toll terminal (1) blocking further travel by a barrier, the toll terminal (1) opens the barrier after receiving the handshake response; or - in the case of a toll terminal (1) with camera-based number plate recognition, the toll terminal (1) fails, after receiving the handshake response, to send a payment reminder notice to the vehicle owner identified by the vehicle's number plate (2).

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the responsible toll processing service provider is determined in the vehicle (2) depending on an analysis of the handshake request.

4. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the handshake request in the vehicle (2) is forwarded indirectly via at least one vehicle-internal computing unit (6) from the antenna unit (3) to the telecommunications unit (4).

5. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the vehicle manufacturer maintains different payment information for different toll processing service providers.

Images