System, method and program for confirming use history

Abstract

To provide an art for simply confirming ETC use history.SOLUTION: A system for confirming use history, for confirming use history received by an ETC onboard device 2 through communication with a roadside machine 3, comprises a portable communication terminal 4 that is positioned in a surrounding of an ETC onboard device 2 and for acquiring use history by performing radio communication using Bluetooth(R) with the ETC onboard device 2. The portable communication terminal 4 sends acquired use history to an e-mail address 452 registered previously.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for checking a usage history received by an ETC vehicle-mounted unit through communication with an ETC roadside gate unit. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART In recent years, ETC (Electronic Toll Collection) systems have been introduced on toll roads such as expressways to eliminate and alleviate traffic congestion near toll gates.

[0003] This ETC system has a wireless communication function and is equipped in a vehicle with an ETC onboard unit that has a removable IC card that stores user-specific information, etc. Wireless communication is carried out between this ETC onboard unit and a roadside unit installed at the gate of a toll gate on a toll road, etc., and tolls from the vehicle are collected electronically.

[0004] In an ETC system, a usage history listing the tolls paid is stored in the ETC on-board unit or in an IC card inserted into the ETC on-board unit. One method for checking this usage history is to print it out using a printer installed in the vehicle (first method), as described in Patent Document 1. Other methods include displaying the usage history using a car navigation system connected to the ETC on-board unit (second method), reading the usage history aloud using a speaker installed in the ETC on-board unit (third method), checking using an ETC usage inquiry service (fourth method), and using dedicated ETC card reader software (fifth method). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-030697 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the first and second methods require the installation of devices other than the ETC onboard unit, such as a printer or car navigation system, inside the vehicle, which is time-consuming and costly, and also reduces the space inside the vehicle. Furthermore, the third method only reads out the usage history aloud, so it is not possible to record the usage history as text information. Furthermore, the fourth method requires the time-consuming user registration for the ETC usage inquiry service in advance, and it is not possible to check the usage history of the vehicle in real time while it is in motion. Furthermore, the fifth method is not practical, as it is difficult for individual users, except for corporate users such as transportation companies, to install dedicated devices.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and provide a technology that allows for easy confirmation of ETC usage history. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problem, the invention described in claim 1 is a usage history confirmation system for confirming usage history received by an ETC onboard unit through communication with an ETC gate roadside unit, and is characterized in that it includes a mobile communication terminal located in the vicinity of the ETC onboard unit and performing short-range wireless communication with the ETC onboard unit to acquire the usage history, and the mobile communication terminal sends the acquired usage history to a pre-registered email address.

[0009] The invention described in claim 2 is a usage history confirmation method for confirming usage history received by an ETC on-board unit through communication with an ETC gate roadside unit, characterized in that it comprises the steps of a mobile communication terminal located in the vicinity of the ETC on-board unit performing short-range wireless communication with the ETC on-board unit to acquire the usage history, and the mobile communication terminal sending the acquired usage history to a pre-registered email address.

[0010] The invention described in claim 3 is a usage history confirmation program installed on a mobile communication terminal located in the vicinity of an ETC onboard unit and capable of short-range wireless communication with the ETC onboard unit, characterized in that it causes a computer to execute the steps of acquiring from the ETC onboard unit the usage history that the ETC onboard unit receives from an ETC gate roadside unit, and sending the acquired usage history to a pre-registered email address. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the inventions described in claims 1 to 3, simply by placing a mobile communication terminal near an ETC on-board unit, the mobile communication terminal communicates with the ETC on-board unit via short-range wireless communication to acquire a usage history from the on-board unit and automatically transmits the usage history to a pre-registered email address. This eliminates the need to install additional devices in the vehicle, use external services, or install specialized software to check the usage history, making it easy to check the usage history. Furthermore, when passing through a highway exit gate, the mobile communication terminal automatically acquires the usage history transmitted from the ETC on-board unit by the ETC gate roadside device and transmits it to the email address, enabling real-time checking of the vehicle's usage history while in motion. Furthermore, since the usage history is received by email, the user can easily check the usage history at any time. Furthermore, since the usage history is sent as text data by email, the user can save the usage history as text information and use it for management, aggregation, etc. Furthermore, the email address to be registered in advance can be set arbitrarily. For example, by registering the email address of a personal computer installed in the company as the email address, it is possible to obtain the usage history of vehicles used by employees all at once, thereby improving work efficiency. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a usage history confirmation system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure for checking a usage history according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The present invention will be described below based on the illustrated embodiments.

[0014] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a usage history confirmation system 1 according to this embodiment. The usage history confirmation system 1 is a system for confirming usage history received by an ETC in-vehicle unit 2 communicating with a roadside unit (ETC gate roadside unit) 3, and is mainly equipped with an ETC in-vehicle unit 2 that communicates with the roadside unit 3, and a mobile communication terminal 4, and the ETC in-vehicle unit 2 and the mobile communication terminal 4 are connected by Bluetooth (registered trademark), which is a type of short-range wireless communication.

[0015] In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the owner of the vehicle is a company, the user of the vehicle is an employee of that company, and the destination of the usage history is the email address of the company's personal computer.

[0016] The ETC on-board unit 2 is a device that is mounted on a vehicle and, when the vehicle enters the communication area of ​​the roadside unit 3, communicates with the roadside unit 3 and performs toll collection processing for paying tolls for toll roads. The ETC on-board unit 2 has the same basic configuration as existing, ready-made ETC on-board units, but has a Bluetooth communication function and mainly comprises a communication unit 21, a memory unit 22, a Bluetooth (short-range wireless communication) transceiver unit 23, and a control unit 24 that controls these.

[0017] The communication unit 21 is a mechanism for connecting to a wired or wireless communication network, and in this embodiment, enables communication with the roadside unit 3 via the communication network. When the vehicle passes through an exit gate of the expressway, the communication unit 21 communicates with the roadside unit 3 and receives the usage history. The received usage history is stored in the memory unit 22 and in the memory unit of the IC card (not shown) inserted into the ETC on-board unit. The usage history contains information such as the card number, date and time of use, entrance route, entrance toll gate, exit route, exit toll gate, and fee.

[0018] The Bluetooth transceiver unit 23 is a mechanism for performing short-range wireless communication, and in this embodiment, Bluetooth communication is performed with the mobile communication terminal 4, enabling the transmission of usage history stored in the memory unit 22 (or the memory unit of the IC card) to the mobile communication terminal 4.

[0019] The mobile communication terminal 4 is a portable terminal device equipped with communication functions such as a mobile phone or smartphone, and in this embodiment is a device carried by an employee who is the user of the vehicle. The mobile communication terminal 4 mainly includes a Bluetooth transceiver unit 41, an interface unit 42, a communication unit 43, and a memory unit 45, as well as a control unit 44 that controls these components. The mobile communication terminal 4 is placed (located) near the ETC on-board unit 2 so as to be able to communicate with the ETC on-board unit 2 via Bluetooth.

[0020] The Bluetooth transceiver 41 is a mechanism for performing short-range wireless communication, and in this embodiment, it communicates with the ETC in-vehicle unit 2 (Bluetooth transceiver 23) via Bluetooth, making it possible to acquire the usage history from the ETC in-vehicle unit 2. The timing at which the Bluetooth transceiver 41 acquires the usage history can be appropriately set in a usage history confirmation program 451, which will be described later. For example, the Bluetooth transceiver 41 may be set to periodically acquire the usage history from the ETC in-vehicle unit 2 (Bluetooth transceiver 23), or the usage history may be transmitted from the ETC in-vehicle unit 2 (Bluetooth transceiver 23) to the Bluetooth transceiver 41 every time the ETC in-vehicle unit 2 (communication unit 21) receives the usage history from the roadside unit 3.

[0021] The interface unit 42 has a function of receiving operations from the user and inputting various information and instructions to the mobile communication terminal 4, and a function of outputting / displaying to the user the various input information and instructions, information received by the Bluetooth transceiver unit 41 and the communication unit 43, etc. For example, the usage history acquired from the ETC in-vehicle unit 2 (Bluetooth transceiver unit 23) via the Bluetooth transceiver unit 41 may be displayed on the interface unit 42.

[0022] The communication unit 43 is a mechanism for connecting to a communication network using wired or wireless connections, and in this embodiment, it enables communication with a company's personal computer 5 having an email address 452 pre-registered in the memory unit 45 via the communication network.

[0023] The communication unit 43 automatically transmits the usage history acquired from the ETC in-vehicle unit 2 (Bluetooth transceiver unit 23) to the email address 452. The timing at which the communication unit 43 automatically transmits the usage history to the email address 452 can be set appropriately in a usage history confirmation program, which will be described later. In this case, since emails can be sent not only when the ETC in-vehicle unit 2 is in use, the usage history may be set to be automatically transmitted collectively on a weekly or monthly basis, for example.

[0024] The storage unit 45 is a mechanism for storing various information and programs, and in this embodiment, stores a usage history checking program 451, an e-mail address 452 to which the usage history is to be sent, and the like.

[0025] The usage history confirmation program 451 is an application program installed in the mobile communication terminal 4 in order to execute the usage history confirmation system 1. When the usage history confirmation program 451 is executed, the mobile communication terminal 4 communicates with the ETC vehicle-mounted unit 2 via Bluetooth to acquire the usage history, and automatically sends the acquired usage history to a pre-registered email address 452.

[0026] The email address 452 is an email address of a destination to which the usage history is sent. The email address 452 is registered in advance in the storage unit 45 so that the Bluetooth transceiver 41 can automatically send the usage history acquired from the ETC vehicle-mounted device 2 (Bluetooth transceiver 23) by email.

[0027] In this embodiment, the email address 452 is the email address of the personal computer of the company to which the employee who is the vehicle user belongs. By registering the email address of the personal computer of the company as the email address 452, it becomes possible to grasp the operating status of the vehicle driven by the employee from within the company in real time, and to obtain the usage history of the vehicle used by the employee in a lump sum, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0028] Next, a usage history checking method by the usage history checking system 1 configured as above will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0029] First, as described above, the mobile communication terminal 4 located near the ETC vehicle-mounted unit 2 communicates with the ETC vehicle-mounted unit 2 via Bluetooth, and acquires the usage history that the ETC vehicle-mounted unit 2 has received from the roadside unit 3 (step S1). Next, the mobile communication terminal 4 automatically transmits the acquired usage history to a pre-registered email address 452 (step S2).

[0030] As described above, according to the usage history confirmation system and method of this embodiment, simply by placing the mobile communication terminal 4 near the ETC on-board unit 2, the mobile communication terminal 4 communicates with the ETC on-board unit 2 via Bluetooth, acquires the usage history from the ETC on-board unit 2, and automatically sends the usage history to the pre-registered email address 452. This eliminates the need to install any device other than the ETC on-board unit 2 in the vehicle, use an external service, or install dedicated software to check the usage history, making it easy to check the usage history. Furthermore, the mobile communication terminal 4 acquires the usage history transmitted from the roadside unit 3 to the ETC on-board unit 2 when passing through an expressway exit gate and automatically sends it to the email address, making it possible to check the usage history of the vehicle in real time while it is in motion. Furthermore, since the usage history is received by email, the user can easily check the usage history at any time. Furthermore, since the usage history is sent as text data, the user can save the usage history as text information and use it for management, aggregation, etc. Furthermore, the email address to be registered in advance can be set arbitrarily. For example, by registering the email address of a personal computer installed in the company as email address 452, the usage history of vehicles used by employees can be obtained all at once, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0031] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and design changes within the scope of the present invention are also included in the present invention. For example, in the above embodiments, a case where Bluetooth is used as short-range wireless communication is described, but the type of short-range wireless communication is not limited to this, and for example, Wi-Fi (registered trademark) may also be used. Furthermore, in the above embodiments, a case where the vehicle user is a company employee and the email address 452 of the company's personal computer is registered as the destination of the usage history is described. However, for example, if the vehicle user is an individual, the email address of the individual's information terminal (such as a personal computer or a mobile communication terminal) may be registered as email address 452.

[0032] The above-described usage history confirmation system 1 may be configured by installing the following usage history confirmation program in the mobile communication terminal 4. That is, the usage history confirmation program is installed in the mobile communication terminal 4 that is located near the ETC on-board unit 2 and is capable of communicating with the ETC on-board unit 2 via Bluetooth, and is characterized in that it causes a computer to execute the steps of acquiring, from the ETC on-board unit 2, the usage history that the ETC on-board unit 2 receives from the roadside unit 3, and sending the acquired usage history to a pre-registered email address 452. [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] 1. Usage history confirmation system 2 ETC on-board device 21 Communications Department 22 Memory section 23 Bluetooth (near field wireless communication) transceiver 24 Control Unit 3 Roadside unit (ETC gate roadside unit) 4. Mobile communication devices 41 Bluetooth (near field wireless communication) transceiver 42 Interface section 43 Communications Department 44 Control Unit 45 Storage section 451 Usage History Check Program 452 email addresses 5. Personal Computers

Claims

1. A usage history confirmation system for confirming a usage history received by an ETC vehicle-mounted device through communication with an ETC gate roadside device, a mobile communication terminal located near the ETC on-board device and performing short-range wireless communication with the ETC on-board device to acquire the usage history; The mobile communication terminal transmits the acquired usage history to a pre-registered email address.

2. A usage history confirmation method for confirming a usage history received by an ETC vehicle-mounted device through communication with an ETC gate roadside device, comprising: a step in which a mobile communication terminal located near the ETC in-vehicle unit acquires the usage history by performing short-range wireless communication with the ETC in-vehicle unit; a step of the mobile communication terminal transmitting the acquired usage history to a pre-registered email address; A usage history checking method comprising:

3. A usage history confirmation program installed in a mobile communication terminal located near an ETC on-board unit and capable of short-range wireless communication with the ETC on-board unit, On the computer, acquiring, from the ETC on-board unit, a usage history received by the ETC on-board unit from an ETC gate roadside unit; sending the acquired usage history to a pre-registered email address; A usage history confirmation program characterized by executing the above.

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