Provision of billing information on demand when a motor vehicle uses a toll road

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for managing the provision of billing information when a motor vehicle travels on a toll road. The invention also relates to a computer device (100) implementing such a method, as well as a motor vehicle (1) comprising such a device. Figure for the abstract: 1

Description

Title of the invention: Provision of billing information on demand when a motor vehicle uses a toll road Technical field of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of motor vehicle navigation systems. The invention relates in particular to a method for managing, by a computer device on board a motor vehicle, the provision of billing information when the vehicle uses a toll road. The invention also relates to a device implementing such a method, as well as a motor vehicle comprising such a device. The invention applies to motor vehicles such as land motor vehicles, in particular cars. State of the prior art

[0002] Toll road infrastructures today provide electronic toll collection means so that users can cross toll barriers without having to stop. When a user chooses to use such means, billing elements relating to toll sections of toll roads used which can no longer be provided to him in the traditional manner at toll barriers are subsequently transmitted by mail or electronic mail. Thus, a more or less long period of time elapses between the moment when a toll section of a toll road is used and the moment when the user is able to know the corresponding cost.Furthermore, analyzing these billing items can be relatively tedious since their format generally does not offer an intuitive visualization possibility so that a user can easily link billing items to toll road sections used. From this point of view, current motor vehicle navigation systems can be considered deficient in their inability to provide vehicle users with billing information when toll roads are used. Summary of the invention

[0003] The invention aims to solve this problem. In particular, it aims to provide a method and a device which allow a user to obtain, via a navigation system of a motor vehicle, billing information relating to sections of toll road used in an intuitive and practical manner. By this means, the invention aims to contribute to improving the ergonomics of navigation systems of motor vehicles in connection with traffic on toll roads.

[0004] In order to achieve these objectives, the invention relates, according to a first aspect, to a method for managing, by a computer device on board a motor vehicle, the provision of billing information when the vehicle uses a toll road, said method comprising the steps of: • determine whether the vehicle crosses a toll barrier installed at the end of a toll section of a toll road; • obtain data characterizing a billing element relating to the audit section; and • cause the display of visual content generated based on said data characterizing a billing element relating to said section in response to an entry specifying a selection of said section.

[0005] According to a variant, said data characterizing a billing element relating to said section can be generated by a billing system of a remote IT infrastructure.

[0006] According to another variant, said entry can be carried out in connection with a graphical interface showing a road map including said section.

[0007] According to yet another variant, the method may comprise the steps of: • determine whether a pre-planned route uses a toll road; and • cause the ability to perform an entry specifying a selection of each of the toll sections included in the said route.

[0008] According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a device for managing the provision of billing information when a motor vehicle uses a toll road, the device comprising an information processing unit, with one or more processors, and a data storage medium, which are configured to implement a method as described above.

[0009] According to a third aspect, the invention relates to a computer program comprising program code instructions for executing the steps of a method as described above when said program is executed by at least one processor.

[0010] According to a fourth aspect, the invention relates to a computer-readable medium, on which a program as described above is recorded.

[0011] According to a fifth aspect, the invention relates to a motor vehicle which has a device as described above. Brief description of the drawings

[0012] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on examining the detailed description below, and the appended drawings, in which:

[0013] [Fig-1] is a schematic illustration of the invention;

[0014] [Fig.2] is a functional diagram of a device according to the invention;

[0015] [Fig.3] is a flowchart of the steps of a method according to the invention; and

[0016] [Fig.4] is a schematic illustration of the implementation of at least one step of the method according to the invention. Detailed description of the invention

[0017] [Fig.l] shows a schematic illustration of the invention in which we see in particular a vehicle 1 according to the invention. This conventionally comprises a navigation system 2, which interacts in an ordinary manner with a satellite positioning system (e.g. GPS) in order to be able to calculate routes for journeys according to a map and which comprises a screen, for example a touch screen, arranged close to the driver's position of the vehicle 1. In an equally conventional manner, the vehicle 1 according to the invention also comprises a radiofrequency signal communication system 3 for communicating (i.e. sending and receiving data) by means of conventional mobile communication networks and protocols (e.g. 3 / 4 / 5G, C-V2X, ITS-G5, etc.), in particular for communicating with a billing system 4 of a remote IT infrastructure administered by a public or private toll road manager.

[0018] Advantageously, the vehicle 1 according to the invention also carries a device 100 for managing the provision of billing information when a motor vehicle uses a toll road within the meaning of the present invention, as described below, which implements a method for managing the provision of billing information when a motor vehicle uses a toll road within the meaning of the present invention, as briefly summarized below and described in detail below.

[0019] When implementing the method, the device 100 according to the invention interacts with the navigation system 2 to act as soon as the vehicle takes a toll road or the navigation system 2 calculates a route for a journey specified by a user who takes such a road. In both cases, billing information is obtained by interacting with the remote billing system 4 as soon as the vehicle 1 crosses a toll barrier installed at the end of a toll section. This information is used to allow the user to view on demand on the screen of the navigation system 2 visual content generated as a function of the information previously obtained, preferably in the form of an image representing a toll ticket.Thus, a user can advantageously access billing information relating to a toll section of a toll road used as soon as the so-called billing toll barrier has been crossed. As will be seen in detail below, this is how the invention improves the ergonomics of the . navigation system 2 of the vehicle 1 according to the invention in terms of its ability to intuitively and conveniently provide billing information relating to toll roads used.

[0020] In [Fig.2] the supply management device 100 is illustrated in more detail. billing information when a motor vehicle uses a toll road according to the invention. It is essentially a computer device, which comprises at least one information processing unit 101, comprising one or more processors, a data storage medium 102, on which is recorded in particular a program which comprises program code instructions for executing the steps of the method according to the invention described below, and an input and output interface 103 allowing the reception and transmission of data.

[0021] Preferably, the device 100 according to the invention is integrated into an independent computer and it interacts via its input and output interface 103 and by means of a wired communication network of the vehicle (e.g. CAN, Ethernet, MOST) - shown in [Fig.l] by the two-way arrows - with the navigation system 2 and with the radiofrequency signal communication system 3. Alternatively, the device 100 according to the invention is partially or fully part of the navigation system 2. As a result, it can, in particular, determine whether the vehicle crosses a toll barrier installed at the end of a toll section of a toll road, obtain data characterizing a billing element relating to a toll section of a toll road and cause the display of visual content in response to an input.

[0022] According to the invention, all the elements described above contribute to enabling the implementation of a method for managing the provision of billing information when a motor vehicle uses a toll road, as described below in connection with Figures 3 and 4.

[0023] [Fig.3] illustrates by means of a flowchart the steps of the process according to the invention. According to a first step 201 of the method according to the invention, the device 100 according to the invention determines whether the vehicle crosses a toll barrier installed at the end of a toll section of a toll road. To do this, the device 100 according to the invention interacts with the navigation system 2, which, for example, is able to conventionally establish the location of a toll barrier installed at the end of a toll section of a toll road by means of its mapping which provides such information. Alternatively, the vehicle 1 according to the invention interacts by means of the radiofrequency signal communication system 3 directly with the toll barrier, or a roadside unit attached thereto, either of which transmits data confirming the crossing of a toll barrier installed at the end of a toll section, for example by means of near-field communication technologies.Therefore, according to this first step 201 of the . method, the device 100 according to the invention advantageously determines times at which billing information is made available by the billing system 4. In practice, according to a possible implementation scenario, the vehicle 1 according to the invention travels on a toll road and it is at the moment when it crosses a toll barrier which marks the end of a toll section that the device 100 according to the invention is advantageously informed of this state of affairs during this first step of the method.

[0024] According to a second step 202 of the method according to the invention, the device 100 according to the invention obtains data characterizing a billing element relating to said section. In other words, the device 100 according to the invention interacts at this stage with the remote billing system 4 to obtain billing information which concerns the toll section which has just been traveled. According to an exemplary embodiment, it is the device 100 according to the invention which transmits a request to obtain the aforementioned data, and the billing system 4 responds by transmitting the data after having identified the vehicle 1 and retrieved corresponding billing information.Alternatively, the billing system 4 is configured to transmit such data to the vehicle 1 as soon as they are generated, for example when the user of the vehicle 1 has previously synchronized a user profile of the vehicle 1 with a user profile stored by the billing system 4. Thus, at the end of this second step 202, the device 100 according to the invention advantageously has billing data which makes it possible to inform the user about the cost of the paying section of a toll road which has been traveled.

[0025] According to a third step 203 of the method according to the invention, the device 100 according to the invention causes the display of visual content generated as a function of said data characterizing a billing element relating to said section in response to an input specifying a selection of said section. In other words, thanks to this third step of the method, the device 100 according to the invention offers a user the possibility of making an input specifying the selection of the paying section and to cause the broadcasting of visual content which provides information on the subject of corresponding billing information. We see in [Fig.4] a schematic illustration of the implementation of this step, for example in the case where the input interface of the navigation system 2 uses a touch screen on which is broadcast a graphical interface showing in a traditional manner a road map with which a user can interact by means of ordinary touch interactions, as schematically illustrated in the figure.

[0026] According to the illustrated scenario, vehicle 1 is traveling on a toll road between points A and D. The vehicle is currently between points B and C, and therefore has previously traveled the toll section that extends between points A and B. The user can then select this section and see corresponding billing information, for example an image of a toll ticket as shown in the figure. He can thus advantageously view this information in a simple and intuitive way, in real time and on demand.

[0027] According to an advantageous alternative, which makes it possible to establish a useful link between a pre-calculated route and the display of billing information, the device 100 according to the invention proceeds by implementing a step during which it determines whether a pre-established route takes a toll road. This is therefore the case where the user has previously carried out a route calculation for a particular journey. And when such a route is pre-established, the device 100 according to the invention then proceeds by causing the ability to make an entry specifying a selection of each of the toll sections included in said route. Thus, if we refer to [Fig.4] and that the calculated route is considered to extend between points A and D, the device 100 according to the invention interacts with the navigation system 2 so that each of the paid sections of the route can be immediately selectable, namely the sections between points A and B, between points B and C and between points C and D. When the user selects the section between points A and B, while the vehicle is therefore at the current time between points B and C, billing information relating to the section between A and B is displayed as indicated above. On the other hand, if he selects at this time the section between points B and C or C and D, it is visual content indicating the unavailability of billing information for one or other of these sections which is broadcast, for example in the form of text or image. The user can thus advantageously follow the cost of his journey in real time.

[0028] Consequently, thanks to the method and the device according to the invention described above, a user of a motor vehicle is able to obtain information in real time and according to his wishes by means of the navigation system of his vehicle about the cost of a section of a toll road that he is using when he uses electronic toll collection means provided by a toll road manager. This provides a simple and intuitive way of accessing such information, thereby contributing to better ergonomics of motor vehicle navigation systems.

Claims

Claims

1. Method for managing, by a computer device (100) on board a motor vehicle (1), the provision of billing information when the vehicle uses a toll road, characterized in that the method comprises the steps of: • determining whether the vehicle crosses a toll barrier installed at the end of a toll section of a toll road; • obtaining data characterizing a billing element relating to said section; and • causing the display of visual content generated as a function of said data characterizing a billing element relating to said section in response to an input specifying a selection of said section.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that said data characterizing a billing element relating to said section are generated by a billing system of a remote IT infrastructure.

3. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said input is carried out in connection with a graphical interface showing a road map including said section.

4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the method further comprises the steps of: • determining whether a pre-established route takes a toll road; and • causing the ability to make an entry specifying the selection of each of the toll sections included in said route.

5. Device (100) for managing the provision of billing information when a motor vehicle uses a toll road, characterized in that said device comprises an information processing unit (101), with one or more processors, and a data storage medium (102), which are configured to implement a method according to any one of the preceding claims.

6. A computer program comprising program code instructions for executing the steps of a method according to one of any of claims 1 to 4 when said program is executed by at least one processor.

7. Computer-readable medium, characterized in that a program according to claim 6 is recorded therein.

8. Motor vehicle (1), characterized in that said vehicle carries a device (100) according to claim 5.

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