Toll collection system, toll collection method, and toll collection program

Abstract

To provide technology that enables users to pay toll road fees electronically by issuing electronic toll tickets to applications on the user's device. [Solution] The toll collection system according to the embodiment comprises a first toll processing machine located at a toll booth on a toll road, and a portable terminal carried by a user of a vehicle traveling on the toll road. The first toll processing machine includes a central processing unit that, upon detecting a vehicle, controls the machine to output a first sound, including a first sound trigger, to a speaker. The portable terminal includes a terminal storage unit that stores an application compatible with acoustic communication technology, an acquisition unit that acquires the first sound, and a terminal control unit that uses the application to extract the first sound trigger contained in the sound, acquire usage information based on the first sound trigger, and control the terminal to display the usage information on a display.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a fee collection method and a fee collection program.

Background Art

[0002] Electronic Toll Collection Systems (ETC: Electronic Toll Collection System (registered trademark)) are widely used at toll booths on toll roads.

[0003] Among users of toll roads, there are compliant vehicles equipped with dedicated ETC on-vehicle units (hereinafter referred to as "ETC vehicles") and non-compliant vehicles not equipped with ETC on-vehicle units (hereinafter referred to as "non-ETC vehicles").

[0004] Conventionally, when a non-ETC vehicle passes through a toll road, the toll for using the toll road needs to be paid in cash. First, a toll ticket is issued at the entrance toll booth and handed to the user of the non-ETC vehicle. Then, at the exit toll booth, the toll collector receives the toll ticket from the user of the non-ETC vehicle and causes the toll processing machine to read the toll ticket. Thereby, the toll processing machine calculates the toll, and the toll is displayed on the display of the toll processing machine. Then, when the user pays cash to the toll collector, a receipt with the toll printed is issued, and the toll collector passes the receipt issued by the toll processing machine to the user.

[0005] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique that enables retroactive collection of tolls by associating a public certificate of a user with the toll for using a toll road for a user of a non-ETC vehicle.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

[0007] While the proportion of ETC-equipped vehicles is increasing on expressways, it is difficult for all vehicles to become ETC-equipped, and a certain number of non-ETC vehicles will continue to operate. Therefore, road operators that have introduced ETC face the problem of having to secure equipment and personnel for cash collection to collect tolls from non-ETC vehicles, which is a significant burden. In particular, operators of smaller toll roads face the problem of having to deal with non-ETC vehicles even after introducing ETC, and the associated costs become a burden.

[0008] This invention was made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a technology that enables users to pay toll road usage fees electronically by issuing an electronic pass to an application on a terminal held by the user. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The toll collection system according to the embodiment comprises a first toll processing machine located at a toll booth on a toll road, and a portable terminal carried by a user of a vehicle traveling on the toll road, wherein the first toll processing machine includes a central processing unit that, upon detecting the vehicle, controls the machine to output a first sound, including a first sound trigger, to a speaker, and the portable terminal includes a terminal storage unit that stores an application compatible with acoustic communication technology, an acquisition unit that acquires the first sound, and a terminal control unit that uses the application to extract the first sound trigger included in the sound, acquires usage information based on the first sound trigger, and controls the machine to display the usage information on a display. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows an example of a schematic configuration of a toll collection system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a billing machine according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a mobile terminal according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an example of the application screen displayed on the output unit's display during pre-registration. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the processing procedure when a vehicle that is not an ETC vehicle enters an entrance toll gate according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of data transmitted by a predetermined voice trigger according to the embodiment, presented as a table. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows an example of usage information displayed on the output display of the mobile terminal 6 in the entrance toll booth information according to this embodiment. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the processing procedure when a vehicle that is not an ETC vehicle enters an exit toll gate according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows an example of usage information displayed on the output display of a mobile terminal at an exit toll booth according to this embodiment. [Figure 10] Figure 10 shows an example of the information displayed on the output screen of the mobile terminal when the charge field is pressed according to the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The following provides a detailed explanation of the toll collection system, toll collection method, and toll collection program, with reference to the diagrams. In the present embodiment of the present invention, for toll collection from non-ETC vehicles that used to perform toll collection using a toll ticket, by installing a dedicated application on a mobile terminal that can perform acoustic communication, the mobile terminal can be used in place of the conventional toll ticket to perform toll collection.

[0012] In the following embodiments, for parts with the same number, the same operations are performed, and duplicate explanations are omitted. For example, when there are a plurality of identical or similar elements, a common reference numeral may be used to explain each element without distinction, or a branch number may be used in addition to the common reference numeral to explain each element separately.

[0013] [Embodiment] (Configuration) FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of a toll collection system according to an embodiment. The toll collection system includes a central device 1, a toll processing machine 2, a vehicle detector 3, a departure control machine 4, a speaker 5, a vehicle 60, and a mobile terminal 6.

[0014] The central device 1 is a so-called central server, which is a server installed at a predetermined location such as the management room of a management company that manages a toll road. The central device 1 may operate as a centralized management device or a monitoring central device. For example, the central device 1 manages the tolls of toll booths. And the central device 1 receives various information such as toll details from the toll processing machine 2.

[0015] The toll processing machine 2 is a device arranged at the entrance toll booth or the exit toll booth of a toll road. For example, the toll processing machine 2 is a device operated by a toll collector arranged at the entrance toll booth or the exit toll booth. The toll processing machine 2 is a device for collecting the usage fees of a toll road by non-ETC vehicles. For example, the toll processing machine 2 is communicably connected to a server of a business operator that provides a service enabling electronic payment (not shown).

[0016] Vehicle detector 3 is a detector that detects vehicles 60 entering an entrance or exit toll gate. Vehicle detector 3 is equipped with sensors that can detect vehicles 60. For example, vehicle detector 3 uses sensors to detect vehicles 60 that have entered a predetermined position and outputs the detection information obtained as a result of the detection to the toll processing machine 2.

[0017] The departure control unit 4 controls the passage of vehicles 60 entering the entrance toll gate or vehicles 60 exiting the exit toll gate. The departure control unit 4 controls the opening and closing of the departure control bar installed in the lane through which the vehicle 60 is traveling to enter the entrance toll gate or exit the exit toll gate. For example, if the departure control unit 4 wants to temporarily stop the vehicle 60 or prohibit the vehicle 60 from passing (entering or exiting), it closes the departure control bar to physically block the vehicle 60's passage. Conversely, if the departure control unit 4 wants to permit the vehicle 60 to pass (enter or exit), it opens the departure control bar to allow the vehicle 60 to pass.

[0018] Speaker 5 is an audio device capable of acoustic communication. The audio communication technology used here is a technology that converts the information to be transmitted into an audio signal using inaudible sound that is almost inaudible to the human ear, and then transmits and receives it. Speaker 5 can transmit various information to the mobile terminal 6 using, for example, an audio communication technology such as SoundUD (registered trademark). However, the audio communication technology used here is not limited to this, and any audio signal that can be recognized by a predetermined application for performing acoustic communication installed on the mobile terminal 6 may be an audio signal using another method of inaudible sound, or an audio signal that is audible to humans or is audible. Furthermore, speaker 5 may transmit inaudible sound, or it may broadcast general announcements or background music with a predetermined voice trigger (e.g., SoundUD voice trigger). Therefore, speaker 5 can also be used to transmit voice information to users of vehicle 60.

[0019] Vehicle 60 is a non-ETC vehicle that does not have an ETC onboard unit. Alternatively, vehicle 60 may be a vehicle that has an ETC onboard unit but is unable to use ETC due to reasons such as an ETC card not being inserted or a malfunction of the onboard unit.

[0020] Mobile device 6 is a device carried by the user driving vehicle 60. Mobile device 6 may be any device that the user can carry, such as a smartphone, wearable device, or tablet device. Furthermore, mobile device 6 is a device on which an application capable of performing acoustic communication is installed.

[0021] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the billing machine 2 according to the embodiment. The toll processing machine 2 comprises a central processing unit 21, a toll processing storage unit 22, a central device communication unit 23, an acoustic communication control unit 24, a lane control device communication unit 25, and a vehicle signal control device communication unit 26. The central processing unit 21, the toll processing storage unit 22, the central device communication unit 23, the acoustic communication control unit 24, the lane control device communication unit 25, and the vehicle signal control device communication unit 26 are connected to each other via a bus (not shown) so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0022] The Central Processing Unit 21 is a processing unit responsible for control and data processing in the billing machine 2. The Central Processing Unit 21 is a processing unit that includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), memory, and interfaces. The CPU is a processor that acquires various information from the central device 1, etc., by executing programs, and realizes various processing functions based on that information. The CPU is connected to each part that makes up the Central Processing Unit 21 via interfaces, etc. The memory includes various types of memory, such as non-volatile memory that stores programs executed by the CPU, volatile memory that temporarily holds data, and rewritable non-volatile memory that stores setting data, etc. In other words, the Central Processing Unit 21 performs control and data processing of each part by having the CPU execute programs stored in memory.

[0023] The billing processing storage unit 22 is a storage unit that includes a storage medium capable of high-speed reading and writing to main memory, etc. The billing processing storage unit 22 can use a combination of non-volatile memory that can be written to and read at any time, such as EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), or SSD (Solid State Drive), and non-volatile memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory). The billing processing storage unit 22 stores various data related to the billing machine 2. For example, the billing processing storage unit 22 includes a processing history database that stores the results processed by the central processing unit 21. The billing processing storage unit 22 may also store various information received from the central device 1, etc.

[0024] The central device communication unit 23 is a communication unit equipped with a communication interface that includes one or more wired or wireless communication modules. For example, the central device communication unit 23 includes a communication module that connects to the central device 1 via a wired or wireless connection. The central device communication unit 23 can be any general communication interface that can communicate with the central device 1 under the control of the central processing unit 21 and send and receive various types of information.

[0025] The acoustic communication control unit 24 is a control unit that controls the speaker 5. The acoustic communication control unit 24 generates an audio trigger encoded with toll gate data, etc., for transmission to a mobile terminal 6 held by a user of a passing vehicle 60 at an entrance or exit toll gate, converts this audio trigger into audio data, etc., and controls the speaker 5 to output audio including this audio data.

[0026] The lane control device communication unit 25 is a communication unit equipped with a communication interface that includes one or more wired or wireless communication modules. For example, the lane control device communication unit 25 includes a communication module that connects to the start control unit 4 via the lane control device 41 via a wired or wireless connection. The lane control device communication unit 25 can be any general communication interface that can communicate with the start control unit 4 via the lane control device 41 under the control of the central processing unit 21 and send and receive various information.

[0027] The lane control device 41 is a control device that controls various devices, including a start control unit 4, which is located in the lane that constitutes an entrance or exit toll gate. The lane control device 41 is a computer equipped with a CPU, etc. For example, the lane control device 41 may be a general device that can control various devices located in the lane and communicate with these devices.

[0028] The vehicle signal control device communication unit 26 is a communication unit equipped with a communication interface that includes one or more wired or wireless communication modules. For example, the vehicle signal control device communication unit 26 includes a communication module that connects to the vehicle detector 3 via the vehicle signal control device 31 via a wired or wireless connection. The vehicle signal control device communication unit 26 can use any general communication interface that can communicate with the vehicle detector 3 via the vehicle signal control device 31 under the control of the central processing unit 21 and send and receive various information.

[0029] The vehicle signal control device 31 is a control device that controls various sensors, including the vehicle detector 3. The vehicle signal control device 31 is a computer equipped with a CPU, etc. For example, the vehicle signal control device 31 may be a general-purpose device capable of controlling various sensors and communicating with various sensors.

[0030] Next, the functions implemented by the fare processing unit 2 will be explained. The functions implemented by the fare processing unit 2 are achieved when the central processing unit 21 or the acoustic communication control unit 24 executes a program stored in the fare processing storage unit 22, etc.

[0031] The central processing unit 21 has a function to acquire audio information. For example, the central processing unit 21 acquires audio information including an audio trigger for output by the speaker 5 from the central device 1.

[0032] The central processing unit 21 has a function to acquire vehicle detection information. For example, the central processing unit 21 acquires vehicle detection information for a vehicle 60 detected by the vehicle detector 3.

[0033] The central processing unit 21 has a function to acquire vehicle information. The central processing unit 21 acquires vehicle information, including the vehicle type of the 60 vehicles entered by the toll collector. Furthermore, the central processing unit 21 has a function to detect when the cash button is pressed by the toll collector. When the toll collector confirms that the payment of the user's usage fee has been completed, they press the cash button on the toll processing machine 2. The central processing unit 21 detects this press.

[0034] Furthermore, the central processing unit 21 has a function to transmit entry processing summary data. For example, the central processing unit 21 aggregates vehicle information from the start to the end of work and generates entry processing summary data that includes the aggregated vehicle information. The central processing unit 21 then transmits the entry processing summary data to the central device 1 through the central device communication unit 23.

[0035] The acoustic communication control unit 24 has a function to control the speaker 5 to output sound. For example, the acoustic communication control unit 24 controls the speaker 5 to output sound that includes a predetermined sound trigger for acoustic communication.

[0036] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a mobile terminal 6 according to the embodiment. The mobile terminal 6 comprises a terminal control unit 61, a terminal storage unit 62, a wireless communication interface 63, an input / output interface 64, an input unit 65, an output unit 66, and a microphone 67. The terminal control unit 61, the terminal storage unit 62, the wireless communication interface 63, and the input / output interface 64 are communicated with each other via a bus (not shown).

[0037] The terminal control unit 61 is a control unit that controls the mobile terminal 6. The terminal control unit 61 includes a hardware processor such as a CPU. For example, the terminal control unit 61 may be an integrated circuit capable of executing various programs.

[0038] The terminal storage unit 62 can use a combination of non-volatile memory, such as EPROM, HDD, or SSD, which allows for constant writing and reading, and other non-volatile memory, such as ROM, as storage media. Furthermore, the terminal storage unit 62 includes a storage unit that uses a combination of non-volatile memory and volatile memory, such as RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0039] The terminal storage unit 62 stores programs necessary for the terminal control unit 61 to perform various processes. In other words, the terminal control unit 61 can perform various controls and operations by reading and executing programs stored in the terminal storage unit 62. For example, the terminal storage unit 62 may also be used to store data acquired and generated in the process of the terminal control unit 61 executing programs and performing various processes.

[0040] Furthermore, the terminal storage unit 62 is equipped with an acoustic communication application 621, which is a dedicated application capable of performing acoustic communication. This acoustic communication application 621 is unique to each road operator that operates the expressway, or it is a common application for multiple road operators. As part of its functions, the acoustic communication application 621 includes the function of receiving and decoding the audio signal transmitted from the roadside equipment of the toll booth in this embodiment and converting it into a data signal. Furthermore, the acoustic communication application 621 includes route information and interchange information for the expressway to be used, as well as toll table information between interchanges, in order to calculate tolls. In addition, if tolls are updated, the acoustic communication application 621 also has a function to download the updated toll table from a dedicated server of the road operator that operates the expressway (not shown) and automatically update the toll table stored in the mobile terminal 6.

[0041] The wireless communication interface 63 includes one or more wireless communication modules. For example, the wireless communication interface 63 includes a communication module that wirelessly connects to an external device via a network. For example, the wireless communication interface 63 includes a wireless communication module that wirelessly connects to an external device such as a Wi-Fi access point and a base station. Furthermore, the wireless communication interface 63 may include a wireless communication module for wirelessly connecting to an external device using short-range wireless technology. In other words, the wireless communication interface 63 can be any general communication interface that can wirelessly communicate with an external device and send and receive various types of information under the control of the terminal control unit 61.

[0042] The input / output interface 64 is connected to the input unit 65, output unit 66, microphone 67, etc. The input / output interface 64 is an interface that enables the transmission and reception of information between the input unit 65, output unit 66, microphone 67, etc. Part of the input / output interface 64 may be integrated with the wireless communication interface 63. For example, the mobile terminal 6 and at least one of the input unit 65 or output unit 66 may be wirelessly connected using short-range wireless technology, and information may be transmitted and received using said short-range wireless technology.

[0043] The input unit 65 may include, for example, a keyboard or pointing device for the user to input various information into the mobile terminal 6. The input unit 65 may also include a reader for reading data to be stored in the terminal storage unit 62 from a memory medium such as a USB memory, or a disk device for reading such data from a disk medium.

[0044] The output unit 66 includes a display or the like for displaying information such as the results calculated by the terminal control unit 61. The output unit 66 may also include a printer or the like for printing the information displayed on the display.

[0045] Microphone 67 is a device that converts sound waves, including audio triggers, into electrical signals. In other words, microphone 67 can be any standard microphone found in the mobile device 6.

[0046] Next, the functions implemented by the mobile terminal 6 will be described. The functions implemented by the mobile terminal 6 are realized by the terminal control unit 61 executing a program stored in the terminal storage unit 62, etc.

[0047] The terminal control unit 61 has a function to control the display of tollbooth information on the output unit 66. When the microphone 67 of the mobile terminal 6 receives voice, the terminal control unit 61 extracts information that can identify a predetermined tollbooth (voice trigger) contained in the voice, decodes the extracted information to obtain tollbooth information. The terminal control unit 61 then controls the display of the output unit 66 to display the tollbooth information. Details of the tollbooth information displayed on the display will be described later. Furthermore, the terminal control unit 61 has a function to calculate the usage fee from the entrance tollbooth to the exit tollbooth. The terminal control unit 61 can also control the display of the output unit 66 to display the usage fee in addition to the tollbooth information.

[0048] (operation) First, in order to use the service of this embodiment, the user of the mobile terminal 6 (the user of the vehicle 60) installs an acoustic communication application 621 on the mobile terminal 6 for performing acoustic communication that transmits information via sound. The installed acoustic communication application 621 is stored, for example, in the terminal memory unit 62.

[0049] Next, the user of the mobile terminal 6 (the user of the vehicle 60) launches the acoustic communication application 621 in advance and registers the necessary information to use the acoustic communication application 621. The registered information is also stored in the terminal storage unit 62, just like the application.

[0050] Figure 4 shows an example of the application screen displayed on the output unit 66's display during pre-registration. Figure 4 shows an example of the settings screen for the acoustic communication application 621. For example, the specified information includes user profile information, payment service integration, notification settings, usage history, etc.

[0051] Profile information includes, for example, the user's name, date of birth, gender, address, telephone number, vehicle make and model, license plate information, and driver's license information. Profile information may also include other optional information about the user. Furthermore, profile information does not need to include all of the above information; it may include only some of it.

[0052] Payment service integration refers to the payment service used, or integrated, when paying toll road usage fees. The payment service can be any service, such as credit card payments, debit card payments, electronic money payments, 2D code payments (e.g., QR code payments), or various online payment services. Users may register one payment service or multiple services for paying toll road usage fees.

[0053] The notification settings button is used to configure the conditions under which notifications are sent. The usage history button displays your past usage history.

[0054] Next, we will explain the process when vehicle 60 passes through the entrance toll gate. Figure 5 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the processing procedure when a vehicle 60, which is not an ETC vehicle, enters the entrance toll gate according to the embodiment. The operation of this sequence is realized when the fare processing machine 2 and the mobile terminal 6 read and execute the programs stored in the central processing unit 21 or fare processing storage unit 22 and the terminal control unit 61 or terminal storage unit 62, respectively. This sequence may be started at any time.

[0055] Furthermore, as described above, the mobile terminal 6 has an acoustic communication application 621 installed that enables acoustic communication, and initial profile information and payment method have been registered, so that it is in a state where it can use the acoustic communication application 621.

[0056] In step ST101, the processor of the central device 1 transmits audio information, including an audio trigger for speaker 5 to output, at any time. The central processing unit 21 acquires the audio information through the central device communication unit 23. The central processing unit 21 then stores the acquired audio information in the charge processing storage unit 22.

[0057] In step ST102, when the central processing unit 21 of the fare processing machine 2 acquires voice information, the central processing unit 21 of the fare processing machine 2 controls it to start work. The central processing unit 21 controls the various devices of the fare processing machine 2 to start up, and controls the fare processing machine 2 to start operating.

[0058] Next, vehicle 60 enters the entrance toll gate. As mentioned above, since vehicle 60 is a non-ETC vehicle, it will enter the general lane where the toll processing machine 2 is located.

[0059] Vehicle detector 3 detects vehicle 60 entering the general lane. In step ST103, when the vehicle detector 3 detects vehicle 60, it transmits vehicle detection information, including information that vehicle 60 has been detected, to the toll processing machine 2 via the vehicle signal control device 31. The central processing unit 21 of the toll processing machine 2 acquires the vehicle detection information from the vehicle detector 3.

[0060] In step ST104, the acoustic communication control unit 24 of the payment processing machine 2 controls the speaker 5 to output sound. For example, the acoustic communication control unit 24 encodes an audio trigger and outputs audio data including the encoded audio trigger to the speaker 5. The speaker 5 outputs sound including a predetermined audio trigger based on the audio data.

[0061] Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of data transmitted by a predetermined voice trigger according to the embodiment, presented as a table. As shown in Figure 6, a predetermined voice trigger includes the number of registered toll booths, the toll booth number of each registered toll booth, and the necessary data for each toll booth. The number of registered toll booths represents the number of registered voice trigger data, and a toll processing machine 2 is placed in each lane. The toll booth number is a number assigned to uniquely identify each toll booth. The necessary data includes, for example, entrance toll booth information if the toll booth is an entrance toll booth, and exit toll booth information if it is an exit toll booth.

[0062] Returning to Figure 5, in step ST105, the terminal control unit 61 receives audio through the microphone 67. The terminal control unit 61 extracts predetermined audio triggers contained in the audio, decodes the extracted audio triggers, and obtains entrance toll gate information. Then, the terminal control unit 61 controls the display of the output unit 66 to display usage information including the entrance toll gate information.

[0063] Figure 7 shows an example of usage information displayed on the display of the output unit 66 of the mobile terminal 6 in the entrance toll booth information according to the embodiment. As shown in Figure 7, the display of the output unit 66 shows the name of the toll road being used (shown as "XXX Expressway" in Figure 7) and the entrance toll gate information in the entrance toll gate field. The display of the output unit 66 also shows the exit toll gate and toll fields, but these are not yet determined, so they are left blank or underlined. Furthermore, the display of the output unit 66 shows information prompting the user to show this screen to the toll collector (in the example in Figure 7, "Please show this screen to the toll collector"). The user will then show the usage information displayed on the output unit 66 of the mobile terminal 6 to the toll collector according to this information.

[0064] Furthermore, the usage information displayed on the output unit 66's display may be displayed as a two-dimensional code including profile information and information on registered payment services, etc. In this case, the toll collector may use the two-dimensional code reader provided by the toll processing machine 2 to read the usage information, including profile information, etc., from the displayed two-dimensional code. In this case, if the user displays the entrance toll gate information as a two-dimensional code, the vehicle information may include the entrance toll gate information, including profile information, etc.

[0065] The toll collector visually inspects vehicle 60 to determine its type. The toll collector then inputs vehicle information, including the type of vehicle 60, into the toll processing machine 2. Then, in step ST106, when the central processing unit 21 acquires vehicle information, the central processing unit 21 stores the input vehicle information in the fare processing storage unit 22.

[0066] In step ST107, after the toll collector has finished entering the vehicle type, they press the barrier open button. The central processing unit 21, which detects that the button has been pressed, outputs a barrier open command to the start controller 4 via the lane control device communication unit 25 and the lane control device 41.

[0067] In step ST108, the launch control unit 4, having received the instruction to open the barrier, opens the barrier, allowing vehicle 60 to pass. This enables vehicle 60 to enter the toll road.

[0068] In step ST109, when the toll collector finishes their shift, if the toll collector presses the shift end button, the central processing unit 21 controls the various devices of the toll processing machine 2 to stop, thereby ending the toll processing machine 2's operation.

[0069] It goes without saying that the operations in steps ST103 to ST108 may be repeated until the payment processing machine 2 finishes its shift in step ST109.

[0070] In step ST110, the central processing unit 21 retrieves vehicle information stored in the terminal storage unit 62 between the start and end of work, and generates entrance processing summary data including the retrieved vehicle information. The central processing unit 21 then transmits the entrance processing summary data to the central device 1 via the central device communication unit 23. If the user displays entrance toll gate information using a two-dimensional code, the vehicle information may include entrance toll gate information including profile information in addition to information about the vehicle type 60.

[0071] Next, we will explain the process when vehicle 60 passes through the exit toll gate. Figure 8 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the processing procedure when a vehicle 60, which is not an ETC vehicle, enters an exit toll gate according to the embodiment. The operation of this sequence is realized when the toll processing machine 2 and the mobile terminal 6 at the exit toll gate read and execute the programs stored in the central processing unit 21 or toll processing storage unit 22 and the terminal control unit 61 or terminal storage unit 62, respectively. This sequence may be started at any time.

[0072] In step ST201, the processor of the central device 1 transmits audio information, including audio data to be output by speaker 5, at any time. The central processing unit 21 acquires the audio information through the central device communication unit 23. The central processing unit 21 then stores the acquired audio information in the charge processing storage unit 22.

[0073] In step ST202, the central processing unit 21 controls the various devices of the billing machine 2 to be activated and to start operation of the billing machine 2.

[0074] Next, vehicle 60 enters the exit toll gate. As mentioned above, since vehicle 60 is a non-ETC vehicle, it will enter the general lane where the toll processing machine 2 is located.

[0075] In step ST203, when the vehicle detector 3 detects a vehicle 60 entering the general lane, it transmits vehicle detection information, including the information that vehicle 60 has been detected, to the toll processing machine 2 at the exit toll gate via the vehicle signal control device 31.

[0076] In step ST204, the acoustic communication control unit 24 controls the speaker 5 to output sound. For example, the acoustic communication control unit 24 encodes an audio trigger and outputs audio data including the encoded audio trigger to the speaker 5. Based on the audio data, the speaker 5 outputs sound including a predetermined audio trigger in addition to normal sound.

[0077] In step ST205, the terminal control unit 61 receives audio through the microphone 67. The terminal control unit 61 extracts predetermined audio triggers contained in the received audio, decodes the extracted audio triggers, and obtains exit toll gate information. The terminal control unit 61 also uses the acoustic communication application 621 to calculate the usage fee from the entrance toll gate to the exit toll gate. Here, the usage fee is calculated using a fee table stored by the acoustic communication application 621. The terminal control unit 61 then controls the output unit 66 to display the exit toll gate information and usage fee.

[0078] Figure 9 shows an example of usage information displayed on the display of the output unit 66 of the mobile terminal 6 at an exit toll booth according to this embodiment. In the usage information shown in Figure 9, in addition to the entrance toll gate information in the entrance toll gate column, the exit toll gate information and usage fee are added to the exit toll gate column. The user will show the usage information displayed on the output unit 66 of the mobile terminal 6 to the toll collector. The vehicle type may be displayed in the usage fee column.

[0079] The usage information displayed on the output unit 66's display may also be displayed as a two-dimensional code containing profile information and information on registered payment services. In this case, the toll collector may use the two-dimensional code reader provided by the toll processing machine 2 to read the usage information, including profile information, from the displayed two-dimensional code.

[0080] In step ST206, the toll collector visually inspects the vehicle 60 to determine its type. The toll collector then inputs vehicle information, including the type of vehicle 60, into the toll processing machine 2. The central processing unit 21 stores the input vehicle information in the toll processing storage unit 22.

[0081] In step ST207, the toll collector, after viewing the information shown in Figure 8, verifies that the toll from the entrance toll gate to the exit toll gate is correct. Then, they prompt the user to press the toll button. The user then presses the toll button.

[0082] Figure 10 shows an example of the information displayed on the display of the output unit 66 of the mobile terminal 6 when the charge field is pressed according to the embodiment. For example, Figure 10 shows an example where a 2D code is used as a payment service. The display of the output unit 66 shows the 2D code, a confirmation of whether to pay with the 2D code, and the usage fee. The cashier may read the 2D code with the reader provided in the payment processing machine 2 and complete the payment. In this case, the central processing unit 21 of the payment processing machine 2 may acquire the profile information contained in the 2D code. In the example shown in Figure 10, it is indicated whether or not payment will be made using a 2D code. However, the display on the output unit 66 may, of course, display the payment service that the user has set up in advance.

[0083] The user completes the payment of the usage fee using the displayed payment service or another registered payment service. The terminal control unit 61 then controls the system to display a completion screen on the display once the payment is complete. The user shows this screen to the cashier, and once the cashier confirms that the payment is complete, the user presses the cash button on the payment processing machine 2.

[0084] In step ST208, after the toll collector has finished entering the vehicle type, they press the barrier open button. The central processing unit 21, which detects that the button has been pressed, outputs a barrier open command to the start controller 4 via the lane control device communication unit 25 and the lane control device 41.

[0085] In step ST209, the launch control unit 4, having received the instruction to open the barrier, opens the barrier, allowing vehicle 60 to pass. As a result, vehicle 60 exits the toll road.

[0086] In step ST210, the central processing unit 21 controls the operation to end. The central processing unit 21 controls the various devices of the billing machine 2 to stop, thereby ending the operation of the billing machine 2.

[0087] In step ST211, the central processing unit 21 transmits the exit processing summary data. Between the start and end of work, the central processing unit 21 acquires vehicle information stored in the terminal storage unit 62 and generates exit processing summary data including the acquired vehicle information. The central processing unit 21 then transmits the exit processing summary data to the central device 1 via the central device communication unit 23. If the user displays the exit toll gate information using a two-dimensional code, or if the user uses a two-dimensional code for payment, the vehicle information may include exit toll gate information including profile information in addition to information about the vehicle type 60.

[0088] (Effects of the embodiment) According to the embodiment described above, toll road entrance and exit toll gate information is transmitted to a mobile terminal 6 owned by the user of the vehicle 60 using acoustic communication technology. This allows the user to use any payment service via the mobile terminal 6. As a result, even when using a toll road in a non-ETC vehicle, users can pay using various payment services instead of cash.

[0089] Furthermore, the cashier will no longer need to handle cash, reducing their workload and preventing errors related to cash collection.

[0090] [Other embodiments] It should be noted that this invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. For example, acoustic communication technology may be used to display a two-dimensional code containing entrance toll gate information or exit toll gate information on the display of a mobile terminal. If entrance toll gate information or exit toll gate information cannot be obtained using acoustic communication technology, the user may obtain the entrance toll gate information or exit toll gate information from the two-dimensional code.

[0091] The program according to this embodiment may be transferred while stored in an electronic device (computer) such as the billing machine 2 and the mobile terminal 6, or it may be transferred without being stored in an electronic device. In the latter case, the program may be transferred via a network or while stored in a storage medium. The storage medium is a non-temporary tangible medium. The storage medium is a medium that can be read by a computer such as the billing machine 2 and the mobile terminal 6 (computer-readable medium). The storage medium may be any medium that can store a program and can be read by a computer, such as an optical disc (e.g., CD-ROM), a magnetic disc, or a semiconductor memory (e.g., a memory card), and its form is not limited.

[0092] While several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be carried out in a variety of other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0093] 1...Central device 2…Payment processing machine 21…Central Processing Unit 22... Billing Processing Storage Unit 23…Central Equipment Communications Department 24…Acoustic Communication Control Unit 25... Lane control system communication unit 26... Vehicle signal control device communication unit 3…Vehicle detector 31... Vehicle signal control device 4… Launch control unit 41... Lane control system 5…Speaker 6… Mobile devices 61…Terminal Control Unit 62... Terminal storage unit 63… Wireless communication interface 64… Input / Output Interface 65...Input section 66... ​​Output section 67... Microphone 60... Vehicles

Claims

1. The first toll processing machine located at the toll booth of the toll road, A mobile device possessed by a user of a vehicle traveling on the aforementioned toll road, A toll collection system equipped with, The first payment processing machine is, The system includes a central processing unit that, upon detecting the aforementioned vehicle, controls the output of a first sound, including a first sound trigger, to the speaker. The aforementioned mobile terminal is A terminal memory unit that stores applications compatible with acoustic communication technology, The acquisition unit that acquires the first sound, A terminal control unit that uses the application to extract the first audio trigger contained in the first audio, acquires usage information based on the first audio trigger, and controls the display to show the usage information, A toll collection system equipped with [the following features].

2. The aforementioned toll booth is an entrance toll booth, and the aforementioned usage information includes entrance toll booth information indicating the entrance toll booth. The central processing unit acquires vehicle information indicating the vehicle type, and upon acquiring the vehicle information, controls the unit to output a barrier opening instruction to the departure control unit connected to the first toll processing machine. The toll collection system according to claim 1.

3. The toll collection system further comprises a second toll processing machine located at the exit toll gate of the toll road. The second payment processing machine is, The system includes a central processing unit that, upon detecting the aforementioned vehicle, controls the output of a second sound, including a second sound trigger, to the speaker. The acquisition unit of the mobile terminal acquires the second voice, The terminal control unit uses the application to extract the second voice trigger included in the second voice, obtains exit toll gate information based on the second voice trigger, calculates the toll for the toll road based on the entrance toll gate information and the exit toll gate information, and controls the display to show the usage information, including the entrance toll gate information, the exit toll gate information, and the usage fee. The toll collection system according to claim 2.

4. The terminal storage unit further stores the payment service specified by the user, When the terminal control unit detects that a predetermined button displayed on the display has been pressed, it controls the display to show further information corresponding to the payment service. The toll collection system according to claim 3.

5. When the central processing unit detects that the button indicating payment of the usage fee has been pressed, it controls the system to output a bar-open instruction to the departure control unit connected to the second fare processing machine. The toll collection system according to claim 4.

6. The terminal storage unit further stores the user's profile information, The terminal control unit controls the display to show the usage information and profile information as a two-dimensional code. The toll collection system according to claim 5.

7. The second payment processing machine includes a reader that reads usage information and profile information from the two-dimensional code, A communication unit that transmits exit processing aggregated data including the aforementioned usage information and the aforementioned profile information, The toll collection system according to claim 6, further comprising:

8. A toll collection method executed by the processor of a toll processing machine located at a toll booth on a toll road and the processor of a mobile terminal carried by a user of a vehicle traveling on the toll road, The processor of the aforementioned fare processing machine, upon detecting the vehicle, is controlled to output an audio message, including an audio trigger, to the speaker. The processor of the aforementioned mobile terminal To store applications compatible with acoustic communication technology, To acquire the aforementioned audio, Using the aforementioned application, extract the audio triggers contained in the audio, Based on the aforementioned voice trigger, the system acquires usage information and controls the system to display the usage information on the display. A method of collecting tolls that includes the following features.

9. A toll collection program comprising instructions to be executed by the processor of a mobile terminal owned by a user of a vehicle traveling on a toll road, The aforementioned instruction is, To store applications compatible with acoustic communication technology, To acquire the audio output from the speaker of the toll processing machine installed at the toll booth of the aforementioned toll road, Using the aforementioned application, extract the audio triggers contained in the audio, Based on the aforementioned voice trigger, the system acquires usage information and controls the system to display the usage information on the display. A toll collection program equipped with [a specific feature / feature].

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