Toll collection system, area management device, exit toll booth device, and toll collection method

Abstract

To provide a toll collection system capable of providing detailed toll collection service without a delay.SOLUTION: According to an embodiment, a toll collection system includes a barrier device installed in an area boundary of a toll road, an area administrative server for each area, and a charging device. The barrier device includes an inquiry unit, a discount amount calculation unit, and a notification unit. The inquiry unit makes an inquiry to the area administrative server about passage information when a vehicle passes through the area boundary. The discount amount calculation unit calculates a discount amount based on the passage information returned from the area administrative server. The notification unit notifies an on-vehicle device of the discount amount to cause the on-vehicle device to store it. The area administrative server includes a response unit. The response unit returns the passage information according to the inquiry. The charging device includes a toll calculation unit. The toll calculation unit calculates a charge amount to the vehicle on the basis of a toll of the toll road and the discount amount stored in the on-vehicle device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention is a toll collection system. , area management device, exit toll booth device and regarding the method of fee collection. [Background technology]

[0002] ETC (registered trademark) system (non-stop electronic toll collection system) is widely known as a toll collection system for toll roads. ETC systems are equipped with antenna devices that are installed on the toll collection lanes of toll booths and communicate with on-board units. Free-flow antennas that are installed on gantries on the main line are also known. Road-to-vehicle communication between the antenna and the on-board unit is performed, for example, by Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC) method. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-059656 A [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 5989473 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 6339031 [Patent Document 4] JP 2020-95477 A [Patent Document 5] JP 2012-113636 A [Patent Document 6] JP 2009-115587 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the ETC system, various information is recorded on the ETC card when passing through the entrance toll gate. This information is read at the exit toll gate, and route information, etc. is calculated. The results are sent to a toll calculation server, and the toll is settled. In this case, since only the location information of the entrance and exit is available, the toll will be the same no matter what route you take from the entrance to the exit.

[0005] In recent years, road traffic systems have been considering monitoring congestion in real time and proposing detour routes to alleviate congestion. However, existing technologies cannot offer discounts for cooperation in detours, so the effectiveness is limited. Managing location information in detail and accurately grasping vehicle routes places a heavy load on the central server, and depending on road conditions such as vehicle congestion, this could result in slower response times and a loss of service stability.

[0006] The objective is to develop a toll collection system that can provide detailed toll collection services stably and without delay. , area management device, exit toll booth device and to provide a method for collecting fees. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to an embodiment, a toll collection system includes a checkpoint device installed at an area boundary of a toll road divided into a plurality of areas and capable of wireless communication with an on-board device of a vehicle traveling on the toll road, an area management server provided for each area, and a charging device. The checkpoint device includes an inquiry unit, a discount amount calculation unit, and a notification unit. When the vehicle passes through an area boundary, the inquiry unit inquires of the area management server about passage information related to the vehicle. The discount amount calculation unit calculates a discount amount based on the passage information returned from the area management server. The notification unit notifies the on-board device of the discount amount and causes it to be stored. The area management server includes a response unit. The response unit returns the passage information in response to an inquiry from the checkpoint device. The charging device includes a fee calculation unit. The fee calculation unit calculates the amount to be charged to the vehicle based on the toll calculated in relation to the entrance and exit of the toll road and the discount amount stored in the on-board device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a system diagram showing an example of a fee payment system according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of each device illustrated in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of an event that occurs when a vehicle passes. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of an event that occurs when a vehicle passes. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the storage table 82 stored in the IC card C. As shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the management table T stored in the area management device 1A. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the storage table 82 stored in the IC card C. As shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the management table T stored in the area management device 1B. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the storage table 82 stored in the IC card C. As shown in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a system diagram showing an example of a fee payment system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the storage table 82 stored in the IC card C. As shown in FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the management table T stored in the area management device 1A. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the management table T stored in the area management device 1B. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the management table T stored in the area management device 1M. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the storage table 82 stored in the IC card C. As shown in FIG. [Figure 16]FIG. 16 is a diagram in which the passage information collected by the exit toll gate device 3 is arranged in chronological order. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] [First embodiment] FIG. 1 is a system diagram showing an example of a toll payment system according to a first embodiment. In FIG. 1, an entrance toll gate device 2 is installed at the entrance of a toll road where vehicles pass, and an exit toll gate device 3 is installed at the exit. The toll road is divided into a first area A and a second area B, and a checkpoint device 5 is installed at the boundary between the areas. The checkpoint device 5 includes, for example, a free-flow antenna. The free-flow antenna is attached to a gantry that spans the road, together with, for example, a road sign. When a vehicle passes under the gantry, the checkpoint device 5 can wirelessly communicate with the on-board device of the passing vehicle via the free-flow antenna.

[0010] In the first area A, the toll road branches into two. At the checkpoints (1-1, 1-2) of each branch, a route device 4 capable of wireless communication with the vehicle's onboard device is installed. In the second area B, the toll road similarly branches into two, and at the checkpoints (2-1, 2-2) of each branch, a route device 4 is installed.

[0011] An area management device 1A is provided for a first area A to manage the first area A. Similarly, an area management device 1B is provided for a second area B to manage the second area B. The area management devices 1A and 1B are capable of communicating with each other. Furthermore, the area management device 1A is capable of bidirectional communication with the entrance toll gate device 2, the route device 4 in the first area A, and the checkpoint device 5. Moreover, the area management device 1B is capable of bidirectional communication with the checkpoint device 5, the route device 4 in the second area B, and the exit toll gate device 3. Furthermore, the exit toll gate device 3 is capable of communicating with a charging device 6. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of each device illustrated in FIG.

[0012] [Area control device] The area management devices 1A and 1B are, for example, general-purpose server devices, and include a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a device communication unit 13, an inter-area communication unit 14, and a response unit 15. The control unit 11 is, for example, a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and executes programs stored in the storage unit 12 to realize various functions.

[0013] The storage unit 12 is a non-volatile storage device such as an HDD or SSD, and stores various data related to the toll collection system. The storage unit 12 stores information collected from, for example, the entrance toll gate device 2, the exit toll gate device 3, the route device 4, the checkpoint device 5, and other area management devices in a management table T.

[0014] The management table T is a table for recording the time when a vehicle passed a checkpoint on a toll road and the identification information of the checkpoint in association with the identification information of the vehicle. The management table T is generated for each area and stored in the area management device that manages the area.

[0015] The management table T includes information such as the time when the vehicle passed through the entrance toll gate device 2, the time when the vehicle passed through the exit toll gate device 3, the time when the vehicle passed through the route device 4, and the time when the vehicle passed through the checkpoint device 5. All of this information is recorded in the management table T in association with the identification information of the passing vehicle (card ID, on-board device ID, etc.). In the following description, information that associates the identification information of the vehicle with the passing time is referred to as passing information.

[0016] The area management device 1A and the area management device 1B manage different areas. Therefore, which area management device stores which information is set appropriately. For example, the area management device 1A does not necessarily have to store information about the exit toll gate device 3. Moreover, the area management device 1B does not necessarily have to store information about the entrance toll gate device 2.

[0017] The device communication unit 13 is a communication interface for communicating with external devices. In this embodiment, the device communication unit 13 is an interface for communicating with the entrance toll gate device 2, the exit toll gate device 3, the route device 4, and the checkpoint device 5. The device communication unit 13 may include multiple types of communication interfaces corresponding to various devices.

[0018] The inter-area communication unit 14 is a communication interface for communicating with area management devices in other areas. The inter-area communication unit 14 communicates with area management devices in other adjacent areas via the checkpoint device 5, for example. In response to an inquiry from the checkpoint device 5, the response unit 15 returns the passage information stored in the storage unit 12.

[0019] [Entrance toll booth device] The entrance toll gate device 2 includes a control unit 21, a higher-level communication unit 22, a roadside display 25, a vehicle communication unit 23, and a departure controller 24. The control unit 21 has a CPU, a memory, an interface, etc. The CPU is a processor that realizes various processing functions by executing programs. The CPU is connected to each component constituting the entrance toll gate device 2 via an interface, etc. The memory includes a non-volatile memory that stores the programs executed by the CPU, a volatile memory that temporarily holds data, etc. The upper communication unit 22 is a communication interface for communicating with the area management device 1 via a wireless line or a wired line.

[0020] The vehicle communication unit 23 wirelessly communicates with the vehicle-mounted device 7 mounted on the vehicle, for example, by a Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC) method. The vehicle communication unit 23 wirelessly communicates with the vehicle-mounted device 7 mounted on a vehicle (a vehicle attempting to enter) approaching the entrance toll gate device 2 at the entrance toll gate. The vehicle communication unit 23 acquires information such as the card ID of the IC card C, the vehicle-mounted device ID, and vehicle model information indicating the vehicle model from the vehicle-mounted device 7 with which it wirelessly communicates.

[0021] The departure controller 24 controls the entry of vehicles into the toll road from the entrance toll gate. The departure controller 24 controls the opening and closing of a departure control bar provided on the lane at the entrance toll gate. For example, when the departure controller 24 temporarily stops the vehicle or when the departure controller 24 does not allow the vehicle to pass (enter), the departure controller 24 closes the departure control bar to prevent the vehicle from passing. When the departure controller 24 permits the vehicle to pass (enter), the departure controller 24 opens the departure control bar to allow the vehicle to pass. Note that the departure controller 24 may not be provided with a departure bar in order to prioritize mitigating congestion at the toll gate.

[0022] The roadside display 25 displays information such as guidance to passengers in vehicles passing through the entrance toll gate. The roadside display 25 is installed facing vehicles passing through the lane of the entrance toll gate.

[0023] [Routing device] The route devices 4 in the first area A are installed at the branch checkpoints (1-1, 1-2), respectively. The route devices 4 include a control unit 41, a transmission unit 42, and a vehicle communication unit 43. Among these, the transmission unit 42 transmits, when a vehicle passes through a checkpoint installed in the route device 4, identification information of the vehicle and the time of passing the checkpoint to the area management device 1A.

[0024] The route devices 4 in the second area B are installed at the branch checkpoints (2-1, 2-2), and include a control unit 41, a transmission unit 42, and a vehicle communication unit 43. When a vehicle passes through the checkpoint where the transmission unit 42 is installed, the transmission unit 42 transmits the identification information of the vehicle and the passing time to the area management device 1B. The control unit 41 and the vehicle communication unit 43 are the same as those of the entrance toll gate device 2.

[0025] [Barrier Device] The checkpoint device 5 is installed at the area boundary, and includes a control unit 51, a higher-level communication unit 52, a discount amount calculation unit 53, an inquiry unit 54, and a notification unit 55. When a vehicle passes through the area boundary where the checkpoint device 5 is installed, the inquiry unit 54 inquires of the area management device 1 about passage information related to the vehicle.

[0026] The discount amount calculation unit 53 calculates the discount amount for the travel section of the vehicle based on the passage information returned from the area management device 1 in response to the above inquiry. The notification unit 55 notifies the calculated discount amount to the vehicle-mounted device 7 of the vehicle, and causes it to be stored. The control unit 51 and the higher-level communication unit 52 are similar to those of the entrance toll gate device 2 and the route device 4.

[0027] [Exit toll booth device] The exit toll gate device 3 comprises a control unit 31, a higher level communication unit 32, a vehicle communication unit 33, a departure controller 34, a roadside display 35, and a request unit 36.

[0028] Among these, the vehicle communication unit 33 wirelessly communicates with an on-board device mounted on a vehicle (a vehicle about to exit) approaching the exit toll gate device 3 at the exit toll gate. The vehicle communication unit 33 acquires information such as the card ID of the IC card C, the on-board device ID, and vehicle model information indicating the vehicle model from the on-board device with which it wirelessly communicates.

[0029] The departure controller 34 controls the exit of the vehicle at the exit toll gate. The departure controller 34 controls the opening and closing of a departure control bar provided in the lane at the exit toll gate. For example, when the departure controller 34 needs to stop the vehicle temporarily or when it needs to prohibit the vehicle from exiting, it closes the departure control bar to prevent the vehicle from passing (exiting). In addition, when it needs to permit the vehicle to pass (exit), the departure controller 34 opens the departure control bar to permit the vehicle to pass. Note that it is also possible not to provide a departure bar, giving priority to easing congestion at the exit toll gate.

[0030] If there is a gap in the information (such as the discount amount for each branch) stored in the IC card C of the vehicle-mounted device 7 by the checkpoint device 5, the request unit 36 ​​requests the transmission of passage information related to the vehicle of the vehicle-mounted device 7. The passage information acquired in response to this request is transmitted from the exit tollgate device 3 to the charging device 6. The control unit 31, the higher-level communication unit 32, and the roadside display 35 are similar to those of the entrance toll gate device 2.

[0031] [Charging device] The billing device 6 includes a control unit 61 , a storage unit 62 , a fee calculation unit 63 , and a communication unit 64 . The control unit 61 has a CPU, a memory, an interface, etc. The CPU is a processor that realizes various processing functions by executing programs. The CPU is connected to each component constituting the entrance toll gate device 2 via an interface, etc. The memory includes a non-volatile memory that stores the programs executed by the CPU, a volatile memory that temporarily holds data, etc.

[0032] The communication unit 64 is a communication interface for communicating with the exit toll gate device 3 via a wireless line or a wired line. The memory unit 62 is a non-volatile storage device such as an HDD or SSD, and stores various data related to the toll collection system. The memory unit 12 stores, for example, the toll of a toll road determined based on the relationship between an entrance and an exit, the charge amount calculated for each vehicle, and the like.

[0033] The toll calculation unit 63 calculates the amount to be charged to a vehicle exiting from an exit toll gate. That is, the toll calculation unit 63 calculates the amount to be charged to a vehicle using a toll road by subtracting the discount amount stored in the IC card C of the vehicle-mounted device 7 from the toll fee of the toll road determined based on the relationship between the entrance and exit.

[0034] Next, the configuration of the vehicle-mounted device 7 will be described. 3 is a functional block diagram showing an example of an in-vehicle device 7 mounted on a vehicle. The in-vehicle device 7 includes a control unit 71, a memory 72, a card processing unit 73, a display unit 74, an audio unit 75, a communication unit 76, and a position detection unit 78.

[0035] The control unit 71 controls the vehicle-mounted device 7. The control unit 71 is, for example, a processor such as a CPU, and executes programs stored in the memory 72 to realize various functions.

[0036] The memory 72 stores programs, identification information (ID information of the vehicle-mounted device 7, ID information of the vehicle, etc.), and the like. The card processing unit 73 includes a card slot for inserting and removing an IC card (e.g., an ETC card) C, and performs processing related to the IC card C. For example, the card processing unit 73 performs processing for storing data and various information sent from the control unit 71 in the IC card C. The IC card includes a memory chip 81. The memory chip 81 stores a memory table .

[0037] For example, every time the vehicle passes through a checkpoint such as the entrance toll gate device 2, the route device 4, the checkpoint device 5, or the exit toll gate device 3, the card processing unit 73 writes the time and the ID of the passed checkpoint into the memory table 82. In particular, in the embodiment, every time a checkpoint is passed, the discount amount set for the passed route is written into the memory table 82.

[0038] The display unit 74 is, for example, a display of a car navigation system, and displays information such as the usage fee for the route near the driving route on the digital map. The audio unit 75 issues, for example, a confirmation message regarding the insertion status of the IC card C, information such as the usage fee, etc. It is not essential that the vehicle-mounted device 7 is equipped with both the display unit 74 and the audio unit 75. For example, all information for the user may be displayed on the display unit 74, or all information for the user may be output as audio from the audio unit 75.

[0039] The communication unit 76 wirelessly communicates, for example, by DSRC, with the entrance toll gate device 2, the route device 4, the checkpoint device 5, and the exit toll gate device 3. The position detection unit 78 detects the position of the vehicle by, for example, GPS (Global Positioning System) positioning.

[0040] Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described. Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of an event that occurs when a vehicle passes through. Fig. 4 shows an example in which a vehicle that enters a toll road from a first area A exits in a second area B. The explanation will be made with reference to Figs. 5 to 9 as well. Here, the on-board device ID of the on-board device 7 of the vehicle is assumed to be '999999'.

[0041] 5, 7, and 9 are diagrams showing an example of a storage table 82 stored in an IC card C. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a management table T stored in an area management device 1A. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a management table T stored in an area management device 1B. The column (No.) numbers in each table correspond to the event numbers ((1), (2), ..., (8)).

[0042] In Fig. 4, when a vehicle passes through the entrance toll gate (event (1)), the entrance toll gate device 2 communicates with the in-vehicle device 7, and an entry record is recorded in the memory table 82 of the IC card C (Fig. 5). At the same time, the area management device 1A in the first area A is notified of the passage record, and a passage record (Fig. 6) indicating that "the vehicle with ID (999999) passed through the 'entrance' at time (hh:mm:ss)" is recorded in the management table T (event (2)).

[0043] Thereafter, when the vehicle passes the checkpoint at branch 1-1 (event (3)), the area management device 1A is notified of the passage record, and a passage record (Figure 6) indicating that "vehicle with ID (999999) passed through "branch 1-1" at time (hh:mm:ss)" is recorded in management table T.

[0044] Furthermore, when the vehicle passes through the checkpoint device 5 (event (5)), the passing record is notified to both the area management device 1A and the area management device 1B. As a result, a passing record (FIG. 6) indicating that "the vehicle with ID (999999) passed through "checkpoint FF" at time (hh:mm:ss)" is recorded in the management tables T of both the area management devices 1A and 1B.

[0045] At this time, the checkpoint device 5 inquires of the area management device 1A about the passage information of the vehicle having the on-board device ID (999999), for example, using the on-board device ID (999999) as a key. Upon receiving the inquiry, the area management device 1A reads the passage information from the management table T and returns it. Based on this passage information, the discount amount at the time of passing through the checkpoint device 5 is calculated and stored in the memory table 82 of the IC card C (event (4)). As shown in FIG. 7, for example, (-100) yen is stored as the discount amount.

[0046] Furthermore, when the vehicle passes through the checkpoint at branch 2-2 in the second area B (event (6)), the area management device 1B is notified of the passage record, and a passage record (Figure 8) indicating that "vehicle with ID (999999) passed through "branch 2-2" at time (hh:mm:ss)" is recorded in the management table T.

[0047] Then, when the vehicle passes through the exit toll gate (event (7)), the exit toll gate device 3 communicates with the in-vehicle device 7, and an entry record is recorded in the memory table 82 of the IC card C (FIG. 9). At the same time, the passing record is notified to the area management device 1B of the second area B, and a passing record (FIG. 8) indicating that "the vehicle with ID (999999) passed through 'exit' at time (hh:mm:ss)" is recorded in the management table T.

[0048] At this time, the exit toll gate device 3 inquires of the area management device 1B about the passage information of the vehicle having the on-board device ID (999999). In response, the area management device 1B returns the passage information. Based on this passage information, the discount amount at the time of passing through the exit toll gate is calculated and stored in the storage table 82 of the IC card C (event (8)). As shown in FIG. 9, for example, (-50) yen is stored as the discount amount.

[0049] The information recorded on the IC card C is then added up with the standard toll from the entrance toll gate to the exit toll gate to determine the amount to be charged.

[0050] As described above, in this embodiment, the toll road network is divided into a plurality of areas, and a server (area management device) that manages the vehicle passage records is provided for each area. Also, a route device (free-flow antenna) is provided at each branch of the route, so that the area management device can accurately grasp the route the vehicle passed. Furthermore, a free-flow antenna (checkpoint device) that acts as a checkpoint is provided at the boundary between areas, and when a vehicle passes through the checkpoint device, the area management device is inquired about the route within the area, and the discounted fee for the route within the area is calculated and recorded in the IC card C of the in-vehicle device.

[0051] With this configuration, the calculation of the discounted toll is completed each time a checkpoint device is passed, which prevents the load of toll calculation from concentrating on a specific server when exiting. In other words, the time required for toll calculation at the exit toll gate can be reduced to the amount of time required for the travel route of each area.

[0052] From these, according to the first embodiment, it is possible to provide a toll collection system and a toll collection method that are capable of providing a detailed toll collection service without delay.

[0053] [Second embodiment] Fig. 10 is a system diagram showing an example of a toll payment and receipt system according to the second embodiment. In Fig. 10, a toll road network is divided into a plurality of areas A to M, and a checkpoint device 5 is provided at each area boundary. Each area has a branch, and a route device provided at each branch identifies the route taken by the vehicle and notifies the area management devices 1A to 1M. Fig. 10 shows an example in which a vehicle enters a toll road from a first area A and exits in the mth area M. Description will be made with reference to Figs. 11 to 15 as well.

[0054] In Fig. 10, when a vehicle passes through the entrance toll gate, the entrance toll gate device 2 communicates with the in-vehicle device 7, and an entry record is recorded in the memory table 82 of the IC card C as shown in Fig. 11. At the same time, a passage record is notified to the area management device 1A of the first area A, and a passage record (Fig. 12) indicating that "the vehicle with ID (999999) passed through 'entrance' at time (hh:mm:ss)" is recorded in the management table T.

[0055] In the next second area, whenever the vehicle passes through each checkpoint, for example, junctions 2-1, 2-2, and 2-3, the passing record is notified to the area management device 1B. As a result, as shown in Fig. 13, the vehicle-mounted device ID and the passing time of each checkpoint are recorded as passing information in the management table T of the area management device 1B. In this way, the passing information for each area is stored and accumulated in each area management device.

[0056] In the m-th area, whenever the vehicle passes through each checkpoint, for example, junctions m-1, m-2, and m-3, the passing record is notified to the area management device 1M. As a result, as shown in Fig. 14, the vehicle-mounted device ID and the passing time of each checkpoint are recorded as passing information in the management table T of the area management device 1M.

[0057] However, if the checkpoint device 5 malfunctions or communication is not established due to excessive driving speed, etc., the discount amount for the area may not be recorded on the IC card C of the vehicle-mounted device 7. This is disadvantageous to the service user, so it is desirable to address this issue. For example, suppose that the checkpoint device 5 on the passing route malfunctions and the vehicle reaches the exit toll gate without calculating the discount toll for each area. In this case, only the information of the entrance toll gate is recorded on the IC card C, and as a result, the exit toll gate device 3 can only know the passing information of the entrance toll gate and the exit toll gate, as shown in FIG. 15.

[0058] The exit toll gate device 3 that reads the information in Fig. 15 detects that the IC card C of the exiting vehicle does not have a record of the checkpoint device of the area that the vehicle passes through from the entrance toll gate to the exit toll gate. The exit toll gate device 3 then uses the vehicle's on-board device ID as a key to request the area management device of the area that the vehicle passes through to send checkpoint passage information.

[0059] First, the exit toll gate device 3 requests passage information for the period from the entrance toll gate passing time to the exit toll gate arrival time corresponding to the vehicle-mounted unit ID 999999 to the area management device 1A that has jurisdiction over the entrance toll gate. Next, the exit toll gate device 3 requests passage information for the vehicle-mounted unit ID 999999 within the time range requested from the area management device 1B of the second area B that is adjacent to the first area A and on the route to the exit toll gate. This is repeated until the exit toll gate device 3 collects passage information related to the vehicle from the area management device of each area on the route to the m-th area M.

[0060] Fig. 16 is a diagram in which the passage information collected by the exit toll gate device 3 is arranged in chronological order. As shown in Fig. 16, because the vehicle passed through the branch 1-1 checkpoint and the branch 1-2 checkpoint, it is determined that there is a discount amount AAA. In addition, because the vehicle passed through the branch 2-1 checkpoint and the branch 2-2 checkpoint, it is determined that there is a discount amount BBB. By repeating similar judgments, the exit toll gate device 3 determines the discount amount for the route traveled from the entrance toll gate to the exit toll gate.

[0061] On the other hand, the standard toll (XXX yen) when moving from the entrance toll gate to the second area B, the standard toll (YYY yen) when moving from the second area B to the third area C, and the standard toll (ZZZ yen) when moving from the (m-1)th area to the exit toll gate are known in advance. The final billing amount is determined by adding the sum of these standard tolls and the discount amount determined above.

[0062] As described above, in the second embodiment, when the checkpoint device 5 is unable to perform a discount calculation due to a communication failure or the like, the exit tollgate device 3 inquires of the area management device 1 of the area where the travel history is unknown about the travel history. By doing so, it is possible to perform a discount calculation even in places where the traveled route is unknown.

[0063] That is, in the second embodiment, a free-flow antenna is installed at a checkpoint to grasp the route traveled, and the passage information is recorded on the IC card C of the in-vehicle device. Then, the travel route is identified at the exit toll booth device, enabling toll collection according to the route. Furthermore, the passage information of an area where the route is unknown is inquired, and the collected data is arranged in chronological order, and the discount amount is calculated based on the time of passing the branch checkpoint, etc.

[0064] From these points, according to the second embodiment, it is possible to provide a toll collection system and a toll collection method that can stably provide a detailed toll collection service.

[0065] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the request unit 36 ​​of the exit toll gate device 3 may be implemented in the charging device 6. Even in this case, the same actions and effects as those in the case of implementing it in the exit toll gate device 3 can be obtained.

[0066] Although some embodiments have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 1...area management device, 2...entrance toll booth device, 3...exit toll booth device, 4...route device, 5...checkpoint device, 6...charging device, 7...vehicle-mounted device, 11...control unit, 12...storage unit, 13...equipment communication unit, 14...inter-area communication unit, 15...response unit, 21...control unit, 22...host communication unit, 23...vehicle communication unit, 24...start controller, 25...roadside display, 31...control unit, 32...host communication unit, 33...vehicle communication unit, 34...start controller, 35...roadside display, 36...request unit, 41...control unit, 42...transmission unit, 43...vehicle communication unit, 51...control unit, 52...upper communication unit, 53...discount amount calculation unit, 54...inquiry unit, 55...notification unit, 61...control unit, 62...memory unit, 63...fee calculation unit, 64...communication unit, 71...control unit, 72...memory, 73...card processing unit, 74...display unit, 75...audio unit, 76...communication unit, 78...position detection unit, 81...memory chip, 82...memory table, A~M...area.

Claims

1. A checkpoint device is installed at a boundary between a toll road divided into a plurality of areas and capable of wireless communication with an on-board device of a vehicle traveling on the toll road; an area management server provided for each of the areas; A billing device, The checkpoint device is an inquiry unit that inquires of the area management server about passage information related to a vehicle when the vehicle passes through the area boundary; a discount amount calculation unit that calculates a discount amount based on the passage information returned from the area management server; a notification unit that notifies the vehicle-mounted device of the discount amount and stores the amount in the vehicle-mounted device; The area management server includes: a response unit that returns the passage information in response to an inquiry from the checkpoint device, The billing device includes: A toll collection system comprising a toll calculation unit that calculates an amount to be charged to the vehicle based on a toll calculated based on a relationship between an entrance and an exit of the toll road and a discount amount stored in the vehicle-mounted device.

2. A route device is further provided which is installed at a checkpoint of the toll road and is capable of wireless communication with an on-board device mounted on a vehicle, The path device includes: a transmission unit that transmits, when a vehicle passes through the checkpoint, identification information of the vehicle and a time of passing the checkpoint to the area management server, The area management server includes: The toll collection system according to claim 1 , further comprising a storage unit that stores the transmitted identification information in association with the passage time.

3. The toll gate further includes an exit toll booth device installed at an exit of the toll road, The exit toll booth device includes: a request unit that requests the area management server to transmit passage information related to the vehicle when the discount amount stored in the vehicle-mounted device is missing; a means for calculating a discount amount based on the passage information acquired from the area management server, Calculating the billing amount based on the discount amount and the toll fee; A toll collection system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the request unit requests the area management server to transmit the passage information when the checkpoint device is out of order or communication is not established; the exit toll booth device inquires about passage information of an area where a route is unknown, and calculates the discount amount from the collected passage time of the branch checkpoint; The toll collection system according to claim 3.

5. The exit toll booth device arranges the collected data in chronological order and calculates the discount amount based on the passing time of the branch checkpoint. The toll collection system according to claim 4.

6. An area management device provided for each of a toll road divided into a plurality of areas, a response unit configured to, in response to an inquiry from a checkpoint device installed at an area boundary between the plurality of areas, return passage information when a vehicle traveling on the toll road passes through the area boundary; a management table for recording, as passage information, the vehicle-mounted device ID of the vehicle that has passed through a checkpoint in the area and the time of passage of the checkpoint; An area management device comprising:

7. 7. The area management device according to claim 6, wherein the response unit transmits checkpoint passage information of an on-board device ID in response to a request from an exit toll gate device installed at an exit of the toll road using the on-board device ID as a key.

8. An exit toll booth device installed at an exit of a toll road divided into a plurality of areas, a request unit that requests an area management server provided for each of the areas to transmit passage information related to the vehicle when there is a gap in the discount amount stored in the on-board device of the vehicle traveling on the toll road; and a means for calculating a discount amount based on the passage information acquired from the area management server.

9. 9. The exit toll gate device according to claim 8, wherein the request unit requests the area management server to transmit the passage information when a checkpoint device installed at a boundary between the plurality of areas malfunctions or communication is not established.

10. A toll collection method in a toll collection system including a checkpoint device installed at a boundary between a toll road divided into a plurality of areas and capable of wireless communication with an on-board device of a vehicle traveling on the toll road, an area management server provided for each of the areas, and a charging device, comprising: When a vehicle passes through the area boundary, the checkpoint device inquires of the area management server about passing information related to the vehicle using identification information of the vehicle as a key; the area management server returning the passage information in response to an inquiry from the checkpoint device; the checkpoint device calculates a discount amount based on the passage information returned from the area management server; the checkpoint device notifies the vehicle-mounted device of the discount amount and causes the vehicle-mounted device to store the discount amount; The charging device calculates the amount to be charged to the vehicle based on the toll calculated in relation to the entrance and exit of the toll road and the discount amount stored in the on-board device.

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