System

Abstract

To enable automatic collection of tolls without having to set up toll gates or ticket gates.SOLUTION: An information processing device comprises a point identification unit. The point identification unit identifies a toll point a vehicle has passed using first position information, information on the position of the vehicle based on data acquired by a positioning unit mounted in the vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system to mu .

Background Art

[0002] On toll roads such as highways, toll booths or gates are provided at the entrance and exit to collect tolls. When a vehicle passes through the toll booth or the like, the toll can be collected by a person or an ETC (Electronic Toll Collection) system. Also, in transportation facilities such as railways, ticket barriers or automatic ticket barriers are provided to collect fares. When a passenger passes through the ticket barrier or the like, the fare can be collected by a person or an automatic ticket barrier system.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] However, when passing through a toll booth or a ticket barrier, vehicles and people tend to stop or their passing speed slows down, so congestion easily occurs in front of the toll booth or ticket barrier. Therefore, there has been a demand for a technology that can automatically collect tolls without providing a toll booth or a ticket barrier.

[0004] Therefore, this specification has been made in view of the above situation, and proposes a system that can automatically collect tolls without providing a toll booth or a ticket barrier. mu .

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] According to one aspect of the present application The system is a system consisting of one or more computers, and includes steps of obtaining corrected position information from a first moving body that acquires its own position information and corrects the position information, and identifying a total moving section of a section in which the first moving body has moved and a section in which a second moving body has moved, among sections of the charging points, based on the corrected position information and the charging points set at predetermined positions, and obtaining a fee corresponding to the total moving section. The first and second moving bodies are moving bodies of a transportation means in which the fee changes according to the moved section. In the step of identifying the total moving section, based on the corrected position information, a point at which a passenger starts using the first moving body among the charging points is set as the departure point of the passenger, and a point at which the passenger finishes using the second moving body that the passenger uses after using the first moving body among the charging points is set as the arrival point of the passenger, and the section from the departure point to the arrival point is identified as the total moving section. In the step of obtaining a fee corresponding to the total moving section, the total moving section is set as a section in which the passenger has moved using the first and second moving bodies of the transportation means, and a fee to be charged to the passenger is obtained. This is the system.

Effects of the Invention

[0006] According to one aspect of the embodiment, there is an effect that tolls can be collected without providing a toll booth or a ticket barrier.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the system according to the present application mu (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the system and information processing apparatus according to the present application are not limited by this embodiment. Also, in the following embodiments, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations are omitted.

[0009] Also, in this specification and the drawings, there are cases where a plurality of components having substantially the same functional configuration are distinguished by attaching different alphabets after the same reference numeral. For example, a plurality of components having substantially the same functional configuration or logical meaning are distinguished as the processing unit 130a and the processing unit 130b as necessary. However, when it is not necessary to particularly distinguish each of a plurality of components having substantially the same functional configuration, only the same reference numeral is attached. For example, when it is not necessary to particularly distinguish the processing unit 130a and the processing unit 130b, it is simply referred to as the processing unit 130.

[0010] <<Background Leading to the Creation of the Embodiments of the Present Application>> First, the background leading to the creation of the embodiments of the present application by the inventors will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the outline of the embodiment.

[0011] As described above, on toll roads such as expressways, for example, entrance and exit gates are provided to collect tolls, and when a vehicle passes through the gate, the ETC system automatically collects the toll. In the ETC system, an ETC in-vehicle unit mounted on a vehicle and an ETC communication device provided at the gate perform short-range communication to automatically collect the toll from the vehicle traveling on the corresponding toll road. Specifically, in the ETC system, by performing short-range communication with the gate, the charging start point and the charging end point of the vehicle are specified, the toll is calculated based on the information of each specified point, and the calculated toll is automatically collected.

[0012] However, in the ETC system, not only does the installation cost of the gate and the ETC communication device increase, but when passing through the gate, the vehicle tends to stop or its passing speed becomes slow, so traffic jams are likely to occur in front of the gate. Therefore, a technology that can automatically collect tolls without installing a gate has been demanded.

[0013] Therefore, the inventors of the present invention created an embodiment in which a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver is mounted on a vehicle and the toll amount is calculated based on the positioning of the vehicle by the GNSS receiver in order to automatically collect tolls without installing a gate. Specifically, in this embodiment, for example, on a toll road 700 as shown in FIG. 1, a charging start point 800a for starting charging and a charging end point 800b for ending charging are set as virtual gates (in the following description, the charging start point 800a and the charging end point 800b are collectively referred to as the charging point 800). And in this embodiment, for the vehicle 600 that has passed through the charging points 800a and 800b, a toll corresponding to the distance L between the charging start point 800a and the charging end point 800b is automatically collected. In this specification, the charging point means a virtual set point that can be the start point for charging the toll or the end point for ending the charging of the toll.

[0014] Incidentally, when only the position information obtained by a GNSS receiver mounted on an automobile is used (single positioning method; a method in which a single GNSS receiver simultaneously receives GNSS signals from a plurality of GNSS satellites and calculates the distances from each GNSS satellite to perform positioning), currently, an error of about several meters may occur in the position information. And when an error at the above-described level occurs, it may be difficult to detect the passage of the charging point 800 (for example, intersections, each block of lanes, etc.) of the automobile 600 as shown in FIG. 1. Therefore, the inventors of the present invention conceived of correcting the position information of the automobile 600 in real time by using the position information of a GNSS receiver mounted on a reference station whose installation position is known in advance (such a method is called a Real Time Kinematic (RTK) positioning method). For example, by using the RTK positioning method, since the error of the position information can be suppressed to about several centimeters, it becomes easier to detect the passage of the charging point 800 of the automobile 600.

[0015] <<Regarding the RTK Positioning Method>> Therefore, before explaining the details of the embodiments of the present application, the RTK positioning method that can be used in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a basic configuration example of the information processing system 10 according to each embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the information processing system 10 according to this embodiment can include a mobile station (positioning unit) 100 mounted on an automobile (mobile body) 600, a server 200, a reference station 300, and GNSS satellites 400. Details of each element included in the information processing system 10 will be described in the details of each embodiment.

[0016] In the RTK positioning method, first, for example, the mobile station 100 mounted on the vehicle 600 and a plurality of reference stations 300 with known accurate installation positions receive GNSS signals from the GNSS satellites 400 and respectively obtain their own position information based on the received GNSS signals. Next, the mobile station 100 mounted on the vehicle 600 whose position is to be determined transmits its own position information obtained based on the GNSS signal (hereinafter also referred to as provisional position information) to the server 200. Then, based on the transmitted provisional position information of the mobile station 100, the server 200 acquires in real time the position information of the reference station 300 obtained based on the GNSS signal from a plurality of reference stations 300 located in the vicinity of the vehicle 600 (specifically, the mobile station 100).

[0017] Next, the server 200 generates correction information by obtaining the difference between the known accurate position information of the reference station 300 (for example, pre-stored in the server 200) and the position information obtained based on the GNSS signal acquired from the reference station 300. The correction information will be used to perform real-time correction on the provisional position information of the mobile station 100 obtained based on the GNSS signal. That is, in the RTK positioning method, the correction information generated based on the position information (position information obtained based on the GNSS signal, accurate position information) of the reference station 300 placed in a reception environment estimated to be close to the reception environment of the GNSS signal at the mobile station 100 where the position is to be determined is used to correct the provisional position information of the mobile station 100 obtained based on the GNSS signal. According to such an RTK positioning method, by performing the above-described correction, it is possible to correct errors caused by disturbances due to the ionosphere, multipath, clock drift, etc. occurring in the GNSS signal. Therefore, the error included in the position information can be suppressed to about several centimeters. As a result, according to the RTK positioning method, it becomes easy to acquire the position information of the automobile 600 (mobile station 100) with less error. Consequently, it becomes easy to detect the passage of the charging point 800 of the automobile 600 (for example, intersections, each block of lanes, etc.) from the position information with less error thus obtained. In the RTK positioning method that can be used in this embodiment, it is preferable that at least two or more reference stations 300 are installed around the automobile 600 (specifically, the mobile station 100). Furthermore, it is preferable that these multiple reference stations 300 are installed such that the distance between the automobile 600 (mobile station 100) and about two to five reference stations 300 is within 10 kilometers.

[0018] Furthermore, in the RTK positioning method, the server 200 or the mobile station 100 corrects the provisional position information of the mobile station 100 obtained based on the GNSS signal by using the correction information generated by the server 200, thereby obtaining the position information of the automobile 600 with less error. More specifically, the RTK positioning method can be mainly divided into two methods: the device RTK positioning method in which the mobile station 100 performs the above correction, and the server RTK positioning method in which the server 200 performs the above correction.

[0019] In addition, in each of the embodiments described below, it is described that positioning using GNSS signals is utilized. However, for example, it is also possible to use a positioning system that detects the relative positional relationship of the mobile station 100 by communicating with a Wi-Fi access point or a radio base station (for example, a positioning system using a Mobility Management Entity; MME). Also, in each of the embodiments, it is described that the RTK positioning method is utilized, but it is also possible to use other types of GNSS positioning. Examples of other methods include, for example, the single-point positioning method, the relative positioning method, the differential positioning method, and the like.

[0020] Also, in each embodiment, the mobile station 100 is not limited to being mounted on the automobile 600, and may be mounted on a bicycle, an aircraft, a ship, etc., or may be mounted on a mobile terminal carried by a user or a wearable terminal worn by the user. Also, in each embodiment, the automobile 600 may include an electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, a motorcycle, a personal mobility device, a robot, a construction machine, an agricultural machine (e.g., a tractor), etc. Also, in each embodiment, the aircraft may include an airplane, a drone, etc. Further, in each embodiment, the ship may include a manned ship, an unmanned ship, etc. Further, in each embodiment, the mobile terminal carried by the user may include a tablet personal computer (PC) including a GNSS module, a smartphone, a mobile phone, a notebook PC, etc. Also, in each embodiment, the wearable terminal worn on a part of the user's body may include terminals in the shape of a wristwatch type, a ring type, etc.

[0021] Note that, in each of the following embodiments of the present application, a case where the charging amount changes according to the usage distance such as a toll road 700 or a transportation facility such as a railway will be described as an example. However, each embodiment is not limited to being applicable only to a case where the charging amount changes according to the usage distance, and can also be applied to a case where charging is performed only when entering a predetermined area, for example.

[0022] <<First Embodiment>> First, a first embodiment using a device RTK positioning method for performing correction at the mobile station 100 will be described. In other words, in this embodiment, the functional unit for correcting the provisional position information of the automobile 600 is provided in the mobile station 100 on the automobile 600 side. In this embodiment, by adopting such a device RTK method, the process of receiving the corrected position information (corrected position information) of the automobile 600 from the server 200 becomes unnecessary, so that the mobile station 100 can acquire the position information of the automobile 600 with less error in real time without delay.

[0023] <Configuration of the Information Processing System> First, with reference to FIG. 3, the configuration of the information processing system 10 according to the present embodiment will be described. The information processing system 10 according to the present embodiment includes the mobile station 100, the server 200, the reference station 300, and the GNSS satellite 400, which were described above with reference to FIG. 2, and further includes the charging server 500. Note that the mobile station 100, the server 200, the reference station 300, and the charging server 500 are connected to each other so as to be communicable via a predetermined wired or wireless network. In the present embodiment, as the communication method used in the network, any method can be selected regardless of whether it is wired or wireless, but it is preferable to select a communication method that can maintain stable operation. Hereinafter, each component included in the information processing system 10 according to the present embodiment will be sequentially described.

[0024] (Mobile Station 100) The mobile station 100 is mounted on the automobile 600 and acquires the position information of the automobile 600 in synchronization with the GNSS satellite 400. For example, the mobile station 100 receives GNSS signals from each of a plurality of GNSS satellites 400 described later, and based on the received GNSS signals, calculates provisional position information of the automobile 600 (specifically, latitude and longitude information of the automobile 600 on the ground) using a single positioning method, and transmits the position information to the server 200 described later. Further, the mobile station 100 corrects the provisional position information of the automobile 600 using the correction information obtained from the server 200 described later, and transmits the corrected position information of the automobile 600 (corrected position information) to the server 200. Note that the mobile station 100 is not limited to a device including a GNSS module 110 (see FIG. 4) fixed to the automobile 600 in advance, and may be a device such as a tablet-type PC (Personal Computer), a smartphone, a mobile phone, or a notebook PC that includes the GNSS module 110 and is brought into the automobile 600. Further, in FIG. 3, only one mobile station 100 is illustrated, but the information processing system 10 according to the present embodiment may include a plurality of mobile stations 100. The details of the configuration of the mobile station 100 will be described later.

[0025] (Server 200) The server 200 is an information processing device configured by, for example, a computer or the like, and can generate correction information used when correcting the provisional position information of the vehicle 600 acquired by the mobile station 100 based on the GNSS signal. Specifically, when the server 200 receives the provisional position information of the vehicle 600 from the mobile station 100 via the network, it transmits a position information distribution request to one or more reference stations 300 installed in the vicinity of the vehicle 600 via the network. Next, the server 200 receives, via the network, the position information of each reference station 300 transmitted from each reference station 300 in response to the distribution request. Further, the server 200 stores in advance the accurate position information of the installation position of each reference station 300 (specifically, the latitude and longitude information of the reference station 300 on the ground), and generates the correction information by obtaining the difference between the accurate position information of the installation position of the reference station 300 stored in advance and the position information received from the reference station 300. At this time, it is preferable that the server 200 receives position information from at least two reference stations 300 closest to the vehicle 600. By doing so, the server 200 can generate correction information using the position information of the reference station 300 placed in a reception environment estimated to be close to the reception environment of the GNSS signal at the mobile station 100 mounted on the vehicle 600. As a result, according to the present embodiment, when correcting the provisional position information of the vehicle 600, correction information reflecting the reception environment of the mobile station 100 mounted on the vehicle 600 can be used, so that the accuracy of the correction can be further improved. Then, the server 200 transmits the generated correction information to the mobile station 100.

[0026] In addition, the server 200 acquires the corrected position information of the vehicle 600 from the mobile station 100, and based on the acquired corrected position information of the vehicle 600, identifies the charging point 800 through which the vehicle 600 (specifically, the mobile station 100) has passed. Then, the server 200 transmits the information of the identified charging point to the charging server 500 described later. Note that in this embodiment, the identification of the charging point is not limited to being performed by the server 200, and for example, it may be performed by the mobile station 100 or the charging server 500. Also, the detailed configuration of the server 200 will be described later.

[0027] (Reference station 300) The reference station 300 has a known installation position and performs its own positioning in synchronization with the GNSS satellite 400. For example, the reference station 300 receives GNSS signals from each of a plurality of GNSS satellites 400 described later, and based on the received GNSS signals, calculates its own position information (specifically, the latitude and longitude information of the reference station 300 on the ground) using a single positioning method, and transmits the position information to the server 200. The transmitted position information will be used when the server 200 generates correction information. Specifically, the reference station 300 mainly includes a GNSS module (not shown) that receives GNSS signals and performs positioning, a control unit composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a storage device, etc., and a communication unit (not shown in detail) that communicates with the server 200. Also, in FIG. 3, only one reference station 300 is shown, but the information processing system 10 according to this embodiment may include a plurality of reference stations 300.

[0028] (GNSS satellite 400) The GNSS satellite 400 is a positioning artificial satellite flying in space, which transmits a GNSS signal having a predetermined frequency (for example, 1575.42 MHz) to the ground. The GNSS signal includes the position information of the GNSS satellite 400 and the time information by a clock built in the GNSS satellite 400. The above-described mobile station 100 and reference station 300 can calculate their own position information using a single positioning method by receiving a plurality of such GNSS signals. Further, in FIG. 3, although only one GNSS satellite 400 is illustrated, it is assumed that the information processing system 10 according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of GNSS satellites 400.

[0029] (Billing server 500) The billing server 500 calculates the billing amount (fee) to the driver (user) of the automobile 600 or the like based on the information of the billing points 800 acquired by the server 200. In the present embodiment, the server 200 and the billing server 500 are not limited to being provided separately, and may be provided as an integrated information processing apparatus. Further, the detailed configuration of the billing server 500 will be described later. Furthermore, a part of the functions of the billing server 500 may be provided in the mobile station 100.

[0030] <Configuration of mobile station> Next, with reference to FIG. 4, the configuration of the mobile station 100 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the mobile station 100 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the mobile station 100 mainly includes a GNSS module (positioning unit) 110, a communication unit 120, a processing unit 130, and a storage unit 160. The mobile station 100 may further include an input unit (for example, a keyboard or a mouse, etc.) (not shown) that receives an input operation from the driver (user) of the automobile 600 or the like, and a display unit (for example, a liquid crystal display, etc.) (not shown) that displays various information to the driver or the like. Hereinafter, each functional unit of the mobile station 100 will be sequentially described.

[0031] (GNSS module 110) The GNSS module 110 is a GNSS receiver that performs positioning of the vehicle 600 (mobile station 100) in synchronization with a plurality of GNSS satellites 400. The GNSS module 110 includes an antenna (not shown) that receives GNSS signals, a decoding unit (not shown) that decodes predetermined information from the GNSS signals, a positioning unit (not shown) that acquires provisional position information of the vehicle 600 from the decoded information, and the like. Specifically, the GNSS module 110 receives GNSS signals from each of the plurality of GNSS satellites 400. Next, the GNSS module 110 calculates provisional position information of the vehicle 600 (specifically, latitude and longitude information (data) of the mobile station 100 on the ground) using a single positioning method based on various information (position information and transmission time information of the GNSS satellite 400) included in each GNSS signal. Further, the GNSS module 110 outputs the calculated provisional position information of the vehicle 600 to a processing unit 130 described later.

[0032] (Communication unit 120) The communication unit 120 is connected to a network by wire or wirelessly, and transmits and receives information such as position information and charging amount information to and from the server 200 and the charging server 500 via the network. For example, the communication unit 120 is realized by communication devices (not shown) such as a communication antenna, a transmission and reception circuit, and a port.

[0033] (Processing unit 130) The processing unit 130 executes various programs (corresponding to an example of an information processing program) stored in a storage unit 160 described later by, for example, a CPU or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit). Alternatively, the processing unit 130 may be realized by an integrated circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the processing unit 130 includes a position information acquisition unit 132, a correction information acquisition unit 134, a correction calculation unit 138, a corrected position information notification unit 140, and a charging amount information acquisition unit 142. Each element of the processing unit 130 will be sequentially described below.

[0034] ~Position information acquisition unit 132~ The position information acquisition unit 132 acquires provisional position information (data) of the vehicle 600 from the GNSS module 110 and outputs it to the communication unit 120. The acquired provisional position information of the vehicle 600 will be transmitted to the server 200 via the communication unit 120. Further, the position information acquisition unit 132 also outputs the provisional position information of the vehicle 600 to a correction calculation unit 138 described later.

[0035] ~Correction information acquisition unit 134~ The correction information acquisition unit 134 acquires correction information transmitted from the server 200 via the communication unit 120 and outputs it to a correction calculation unit 138 described later. As described above, the acquired correction information will be used when the correction calculation unit 138 corrects the provisional position information (data) of the vehicle 600.

[0036] ~Correction calculation unit 138~ The correction calculation unit 138 corrects the provisional position information (data) of the vehicle 600 acquired from the position information acquisition unit 132 by using the correction information acquired from the correction information acquisition unit 134 described above. Further, the correction calculation unit 138 outputs the corrected position information (first position information) (corrected position information) of the vehicle 600 obtained by the correction to a corrected position information notification unit 140 described later. In the present embodiment, by performing correction by the correction calculation unit 138, the error included in the position information of the corrected vehicle 600 can be suppressed to about several centimeters. As a result, according to the present embodiment, it becomes easy to detect the passage of the charging point 800 of the vehicle 600 from the corrected position information of the vehicle 600.

[0037] ~Corrected position information notification unit 140~ The corrected position information notification unit 140 transmits, via the communication unit 120, the corrected position information (first position information) (corrected position information) of the automobile 600 to the server 200. Note that, as described above, the corrected position information is used in the server 200 to detect the passage of the charging point 800 of the automobile 600. Note that the corrected position information may be presented to the driver or the like via a display unit (not shown), or may be provided to a navigation device (not shown) mounted on the automobile 600.

[0038] ~Charge amount information acquisition unit 142~ The charge amount information acquisition unit 142 acquires, via the communication unit 120, the charge amount calculated by the charging server 500. Then, the acquired charge amount may be presented to the driver or the like via the above display unit (not shown), or may be stored in the storage unit 160 described later.

[0039] (Storage unit 160) The storage unit 160 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory element such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a flash memory, or a storage device such as a hard disk or an optical disk. The storage unit 160 stores programs and data for executing processing in the processing unit 130, various information acquired from the server 200 and the charging server 500, and the like.

[0040] <Configuration of the server> Next, with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, the configuration of the server 200 will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the server 200 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a database (DB) 262 stored in the storage unit 260 shown in FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 5, the server 200 includes a communication unit 220, a processing unit 230, and a storage unit 260. Note that the server 200 may further include an input unit (for example, a keyboard or a mouse) (not shown) that receives various operations from the administrator or the like of the server 200, and a display unit (for example, a liquid crystal display) (not shown) that displays various information. Hereinafter, each functional unit of the server 200 will be sequentially described.

[0041] (Communication unit 220) The communication unit 220 is connected to a network, either wired or wirelessly, and transmits and receives information such as location information between the mobile station 100, the reference station 300, and the charging server 500 via the network. For example, the communication unit 220 is realized by communication devices (not shown) such as a communication antenna, a transmission / reception circuit, and a port.

[0042] (Processing unit 230) The processing unit 230 executes various programs (corresponding to an example of an information processing program) stored in the storage unit 260 described later, for example, by a CPU, an MPU, or the like. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the processing unit 230 includes a location information acquisition unit 232, a reference station location information acquisition unit 234, a correction information generation unit 236, an output unit 248, a corrected location information acquisition unit 240, and an identification unit 242. Each element of the processing unit 230 will be sequentially described below.

[0043] ~Location information acquisition unit 232~ The location information acquisition unit 232 acquires provisional location information (data) of the vehicle 600 from the mobile station 100, and based on the acquired provisional location information of the vehicle 600, transmits a distribution request for location information (second location information) to a plurality of reference stations 300 installed in the vicinity of the vehicle 600.

[0044] ~Reference station location information acquisition unit 234~ Based on the above distribution request, the reference station position information acquisition unit 234 acquires the position information (second position information) of the reference stations 300 with known installation positions located near the automobile 600 from a plurality of reference stations 300, and outputs it to the correction information generation unit 236. At this time, the reference station position information acquisition unit 234 preferably acquires the position information of at least two reference stations 300 closest to the automobile 600. By doing so, the correction information generation unit 236 described later can generate correction information using the position information of the reference stations 300 placed in a reception environment estimated to be close to the reception environment of the GNSS signal at the mobile station 100 mounted on the automobile 600. As a result, when correcting the provisional position information of the automobile 600, correction information reflecting a reception environment close to the reception environment of the mobile station 100 can be used, so that the accuracy of the correction can be improved. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the correction information generation unit 236 generates correction information using the position information of a plurality of reference stations 300, so that the reception environment close to the reception environment of the mobile station 100 is strongly reflected in the generated correction information, and the accuracy of the correction can be further improved.

[0045] ~Correction information generation unit 236~ The correction information generation unit 236 generates correction information used when correcting the provisional position information (data) of the automobile 600 using the position information (second position information) of the reference stations 300 acquired from the reference station position information acquisition unit 234. Specifically, the correction information generation unit 236 obtains the difference between the position information of the installation positions of the respective reference stations 300 (specifically, the latitude and longitude information of the reference stations 300 on the ground) stored in the storage unit 260 and the position information of the reference stations 300 acquired from the reference station position information acquisition unit 234, thereby generating correction information. Further, the correction information generation unit 236 outputs the generated correction information to an output unit 248 described later.

[0046] ~Output unit 248~ The output unit 248 transmits the correction information obtained from the correction information generation unit 236 to the mobile station 100 mounted on the automobile 600 via the communication unit 220. As described above, the transmitted correction information is used for correcting the provisional position information (data) of the automobile 600 at the mobile station 100.

[0047] ~Corrected position information acquisition unit 240~ The corrected position information acquisition unit 240 acquires the corrected position information of the automobile 600 from the mobile station 100 via the communication unit 220 and outputs it to a specifying unit 242 described later.

[0048] ~Specifying unit 242~ The specifying unit 242 refers to the DB262 as shown in FIG. 6 stored in the storage unit 260 described later, and specifies the charging point 800 through which the automobile 600 (specifically, the mobile station 100) has passed based on the corrected position information of the automobile 600. Specifically, the specifying unit 242 specifies the charging point 800 through which the automobile 600 has passed based on the position information (specifically, the latitude and longitude information of the charging point 800 on the ground) associated with the virtual charging point obtained from the DB262 stored in the storage unit 260 as shown in FIG. 6. As described above, in the present embodiment, since the error included in the corrected position information of the automobile 600 can be suppressed to about several centimeters, the charging point 800 through which the automobile 600 has passed can be easily specified. For example, the specifying unit 242 specifies the charging start point 800a at which charging starts and the charging end point 800b at which charging ends, through which the automobile 600 has passed. Further, the specifying unit 242 transmits the information of the specified charging point 800 to the charging server 500 via the communication unit 220.

[0049] (Storage unit 260) The storage unit 260 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory element such as a RAM or a flash memory, or a storage device such as a hard disk or an optical disk. The storage unit 260 stores programs, data, etc. for executing the processing in the processing unit 230, the DB262 as shown in FIG. 6, etc.

[0050] <Configuration of the Billing Server> Next, with reference to FIG. 7, the configuration of the billing server 500 will be described. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the billing server 500 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, the billing server 500 includes a communication unit 520, a processing unit 530, and a storage unit 560. Note that the billing server 500 may further include an input unit (for example, a keyboard, a mouse, etc.) (not shown) that receives various operations from an administrator or the like of the billing server 500, and a display unit (for example, a liquid crystal display, etc.) (not shown) for displaying various information. Hereinafter, each functional unit of the billing server 500 will be sequentially described.

[0051] (Communication Unit 520) The communication unit 520 is connected to the network by wire or wirelessly, and transmits and receives information such as location information and billing amount between the mobile station 100 and the server 200 via the network. For example, the communication unit 520 is realized by communication devices such as a communication antenna, a transmission / reception circuit, and a port.

[0052] (Processing Unit 530) The processing unit 530 executes various programs (corresponding to an example of an information processing program) stored in the storage unit 560 described later by, for example, a CPU or an MPU. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, the processing unit 530 includes a specific information acquisition unit 532, a calculation unit 534, a notification unit 536, a totaling unit 538, and a settlement unit 540. Hereinafter, each element of the processing unit 530 will be sequentially described.

[0053] ~Specific Information Acquisition Unit 532~ The specific information acquisition unit 532 acquires information on the specified billing points 800 from the server 200 via the communication unit 220, and outputs it to the calculation unit 534 described later.

[0054] ~Calculation Unit 534~ The calculation unit 534 calculates the charge amount for the driver (user) of the vehicle 600 etc. based on the specified charging point 800. Specifically, the calculation unit 534 calculates the charge amount based on the distance between the charging start point 800a where charging starts and the charging end point 800b where charging ends, through which the vehicle 600 has passed. The above distance can be calculated based on the position information of each charging point 800. Further, the calculation unit 534 outputs the information on the calculated charge amount to the notification unit 536, the aggregation unit 538, and the settlement unit 540, which will be described later.

[0055] ~Notification Unit 536~ The notification unit 536 transmits the information on the charge amount obtained from the calculation unit 534 to the mobile station 100 via the communication unit 220 and notifies the driver etc. For example, at the mobile station 100, the notified charge amount may be presented to the driver etc. via a display unit (not shown).

[0056] ~Aggregation Unit 538~ The aggregation unit 538 aggregates the charge amounts calculated by the calculation unit 534 during a predetermined period (for example, one month), and outputs the aggregated amount to the settlement unit 540.

[0057] ~Settlement Unit 540~ When the settlement unit 540 receives a settlement instruction from the mobile station 100 via the communication unit 220, it automatically settles the charge amount by the calculation unit 534 or the aggregated amount by the aggregation unit 538. Alternatively, the settlement unit 540 may start the automatic settlement process when it detects that the vehicle 600 (specifically, the mobile station 100) has passed the charging end point 800b.

[0058] (Storage Unit 560) The storage unit 560 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory element such as a RAM or a flash memory, or a storage device such as a hard disk or an optical disk. The storage unit 560 stores programs etc. for executing the processing in the processing unit 530.

[0059] <Information Processing> Next, with reference to FIG. 8, information processing by the information processing system 10 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram showing an example of information processing according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, the information processing according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of steps from step S101 to step S121. Details of each step will be described below.

[0060] First, as shown in FIG. 8, the mobile station 100 receives GNSS signals from each of a plurality of GNSS satellites 400 (step S101). Next, the mobile station 100 acquires provisional position information (data) of the vehicle 600 based on the information included in each GNSS signal (step S102). Further, the mobile station 100 transmits the provisional position information of the vehicle 600 acquired in step S102 to the server 200 (step S103).

[0061] The server 200 receives the provisional position information of the vehicle 600 from the mobile station 100 (step S104). Then, the server 200 transmits a distribution request to the reference station 300 located in the vicinity of the vehicle 600 based on the provisional position information of the vehicle 600 received in step S104 (step S105).

[0062] The reference station 300 receives GNSS signals from each of a plurality of GNSS satellites 400 (step S106). Next, the reference station 300 acquires its own position information based on the information included in each GNSS signal (step S107). Further, the reference station 300 receives the distribution request from the server 200 (step S108), and in response to the distribution request, transmits the position information (second position information) of the reference station 300 acquired in step S107 to the server 200 (step S109).

[0063] The server 200 receives the position information of the reference station 300 from the reference station 300 (step S110). Next, the server 200 generates correction information for correcting the provisional position information (data) of the vehicle 600 based on the difference between the position information of the installation position of the reference station 300 stored in advance in the storage unit 260 and the position information (second position information) received from the reference station 300. Further, the server 200 transmits the generated correction information to the mobile station 100 (step S111).

[0064] The mobile station 100 receives the correction information from the server 200 (step S112). Then, the mobile station 100 corrects the provisional position information of the vehicle 600 obtained in step S102 based on the correction information received in step S112, and transmits the corrected position information (first position information) (corrected position information) of the vehicle 600 to the server 200 (step S113).

[0065] The server 200 receives the corrected position information from the mobile station 100 (step S114). Next, the server 200 refers to the position information of each charging point 800 in the DB262 stored in the storage unit 260, and identifies the charging point 800 passed by the vehicle 600 based on the corrected position information of the vehicle 600 corrected in step S108 described above. Further, the server 200 transmits the information of the identified charging point 800 to the charging server 500 (step S115).

[0066] The charging server 500 receives the information of the charging point 800 (step S116). Next, the charging server 500 calculates the charging amount based on the distance between the charging points 800 received in step S116, and transmits the calculated charging amount to the mobile station 100 (step S117).

[0067] The mobile station 100 receives the charging amount transmitted from the charging server 500 (step S118). For example, the obtained charging amount is presented to the driver or the like via a display unit (not shown) provided in the mobile station 100. Then, when the mobile station 100 receives an operation of a settlement instruction on an input unit (not shown) by the driver or the like, it transmits the settlement instruction to the charging server 500 (step S119).

[0068] The charging server 500 receives the settlement instruction transmitted from the mobile station 100 (step S120). Next, the charging server 500 performs settlement of the charging amount based on the settlement instruction received in step S120 (step S121). Then, the information processing system 10 according to the present embodiment ends the information processing.

[0069] As described above, according to the present embodiment, since the charging point 800 through which the automobile 600 has passed can be easily specified without performing short-range communication with the gate, the toll can be automatically collected without providing a gate. As a result, according to the present embodiment, an increase in cost for environmental preparation due to the installation of a gate or an ETC communication device can be suppressed. Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the occurrence of congestion in front of the gate caused by toll collection can be avoided.

[0070] Also, in the present embodiment, since the charging start point 800a for starting charging and the charging end point 800b for ending charging can be flexibly set, a more flexible toll system can be provided to the driver. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, since the position information of the automobile 600 with little error can be obtained in real time, the driver can be correctly charged instantaneously.

[0071] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, by adopting the device RTK method, the process of receiving the corrected position information of the automobile 600 from the server 200 becomes unnecessary, so that the mobile station 100 can obtain the position information of the automobile 600 with little error without delay.

[0072] In the above description, it has been described as correcting the provisional position information of the vehicle 600. However, in the present embodiment, it is not limited to this. For example, in the present embodiment, when the position information of the vehicle 600 with less error can be obtained from the mobile station 100, it is not always necessary to perform the correction as described above.

[0073] <<Second Embodiment>> In the present application, it is not limited to adopting the device RTK method as in the first embodiment, and the server RTK method for correcting the provisional position information of the vehicle 600 in the server 200 can also be adopted. Hereinafter, the details of the second embodiment adopting the server RTK method will be sequentially described. In the present embodiment, by adopting such a server RTK method, the correction process can be performed by the server 200 instead of the mobile station 100, so that the processing load on the mobile station 100 can be reduced, and as a result, the miniaturization and low power consumption of the mobile station 100 can be achieved.

[0074] <Configuration of Information Processing System> First, with reference to FIG. 3, the configuration of the information processing system 10 according to the present embodiment will be described. In the present embodiment, since the configuration of the information processing system 10 is common to that of the first embodiment, FIG. 3 showing the configuration example of the information processing system 10 according to the first embodiment can be referred to. Similar to the first embodiment, the information processing system 10 according to the present embodiment can also include a mobile station 100a, a server 200a, a reference station 300, GNSS satellites 400, and a charging server 500. Hereinafter, each component included in the information processing system 10 will be sequentially described. However, since the reference station 300, GNSS satellites 400, and charging server 500 are the same as those in the first embodiment, the description of the reference station 300, GNSS satellites 400, and charging server 500 will be omitted here.

[0075] (Mobile Station 100a) Similar to the first embodiment, the mobile station 100a receives GNSS signals from each of a plurality of GNSS satellites 400, calculates provisional position information (data) of the vehicle 600 using the single positioning method based on the received GNSS signals, and transmits the provisional position information of the vehicle 600 to the server 200a. Also, in this embodiment, different from the first embodiment, the mobile station 100a acquires corrected position information (corrected position information) of the vehicle 600 from the server 200a. Details of the configuration of the mobile station 100a will be described later.

[0076] (Server 200a) Similar to the first embodiment, when the server 200a receives the provisional position information of the vehicle 600 from the mobile station 100a via the network, the server 200a transmits a distribution request for the position information to one or more reference stations 300 installed in the vicinity of the vehicle 600 via the network. Next, the server 200a receives, via the network, the position information (second position information) of each reference station 300 transmitted from each reference station 300 in response to the distribution request. Further, the server 200a stores in advance the accurate position information of the installation positions of the reference stations 300, and generates correction information by obtaining the difference between the accurate position information of the installation positions of the reference stations 300 stored in advance and the position information received from the reference stations 300. Further, in this embodiment, different from the first embodiment, the server 200a corrects the provisional position information of the vehicle 600 received from the mobile station 100a using the generated correction information, and transmits the corrected position information of the vehicle 600 to the mobile station 100. Also, similar to the first embodiment, the server 200a identifies the charging point 800 passed by the vehicle 600 based on the corrected position information of the vehicle 600, and transmits the information of the identified charging point to the charging server 500.

[0077] <Configuration of the Mobile Station> Next, with reference to FIG. 9, the configuration of the mobile station 100a according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the mobile station 100a according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, the mobile station 100a includes a GNSS module 110, a communication unit 120, a processing unit 130a, and a storage unit 160. Since components other than the processing unit 130a are common to the functional components included in the mobile station 100 according to the first embodiment, only the processing unit 130a that is not common to the first embodiment will be described here, and the description of other functional components will be omitted.

[0078] (Processing Unit 130a) Similar to the processing unit 130 according to the first embodiment, the processing unit 130a executes various programs using a CPU, an MPU, or the like. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, the processing unit 130a includes a position information acquisition unit 132a, a corrected position information acquisition unit 150, and a charging amount information acquisition unit 142. Each element of the processing unit 130a will be sequentially described below. However, since the charging amount information acquisition unit 142 is common to the first embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted here.

[0079] ~Position Information Acquisition Unit 132a~ Similar to the first embodiment, the position information acquisition unit 132a acquires provisional position information (data) of the vehicle 600 from the GNSS module 110 and transmits the provisional position information of the vehicle 600 to the server 200a via the communication unit 120. In the present embodiment, different from the first embodiment, the position information acquisition unit 132a does not output the provisional position information of the vehicle 600 to the correction calculation unit 138 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 4.

[0080] ~Corrected Position Information Acquisition Unit 150~ The corrected position information acquisition unit 150 acquires corrected position information (first position information) (corrected position information) of the vehicle 600 from the server 200 via the communication unit 120. The acquired corrected position information may be presented to the driver or the like via a display unit (not shown) of the mobile station 100a, or may be provided to a navigation device (not shown) mounted on the vehicle 600.

[0081] <Configuration of Server> Next, with reference to FIG. 10, the configuration of the server 200a according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the server 200a according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 10, the server 200a includes a communication unit 220, a processing unit 230a, and a storage unit 260. Since components other than the processing unit 230a are common to the functional units included in the server 200 according to the first embodiment, only the processing unit 230a that is not common to the first embodiment will be described here, and the description of other functional units will be omitted.

[0082] (Processing Unit 230a) Similar to the first embodiment, the processing unit 230a executes various programs stored in the storage unit 260 by, for example, a CPU, an MPU, or the like. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, the processing unit 230a includes a position information acquisition unit (information acquisition unit) 232a, a reference station position information acquisition unit 234, a correction information generation unit 236a, a correction calculation unit 238, and an identification unit 242a. Since the reference station position information acquisition unit 234 is common to the first embodiment, the description of the reference station position information acquisition unit 234 will be omitted here, and the position information acquisition unit 232a, the correction information generation unit 236a, the correction calculation unit 238, and the identification unit 242a that are not common to the first embodiment will be described.

[0083] ~Position Information Acquisition Unit 232a~ Similar to the first embodiment, the position information acquisition unit 232a acquires provisional position information (data) of the mobile vehicle 600 from the mobile station 100a, and based on the acquired provisional position information of the mobile vehicle 600, transmits a distribution request for position information (second position information) to a plurality of reference stations 300 installed in the vicinity of the mobile vehicle 600. Further, in the present embodiment, different from the first embodiment, the position information acquisition unit 232a outputs the acquired provisional position information of the mobile vehicle 600 to the correction calculation unit 238 described later.

[0084] ~Correction Information Generation Unit 236a~ Similar to the first embodiment, the correction information generation unit 236a generates correction information by obtaining the difference between the position information of the installation position of the reference station 300 stored in the storage unit 260 and the position information (second position information) of the reference station 300 obtained from the reference station position information acquisition unit 234. Further, in this embodiment, different from the first embodiment, the correction information generation unit 236a outputs the generated correction information to a correction calculation unit 238 described later.

[0085] ~Correction calculation unit 238~ The correction calculation unit 238 corrects the provisional position information (data) of the automobile 600 obtained from the position information acquisition unit 232a by using the correction information obtained from the above-described correction information generation unit 236a. Further, the correction calculation unit 238 outputs the corrected position information (first position information) (corrected position information) of the automobile 600 obtained by the correction to a specifying unit 242a described later.

[0086] ~Specifying unit 242a~ Different from the first embodiment, the specifying unit 242a obtains the corrected position information (first position information) (corrected position information) of the automobile 600 from the above-described correction calculation unit 238. Then, similar to the first embodiment, the specifying unit 242a refers to the DB 262 as shown in FIG. 6 and specifies the charging point 800 passed by the automobile 600 based on the corrected position information of the automobile 600. Further, the specifying unit 242a transmits the information of the specified charging point 800 to the charging server 500 via the communication unit 220.

[0087] <Information processing> Next, with reference to FIG. 11, the information processing by the information processing system 10 according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the information processing according to this embodiment. The information processing according to this embodiment includes a plurality of steps from step S201 to step S219 as shown in FIG. 11. The details of each step will be described below.

[0088] In steps S201 to S210 shown in FIG. 11, since they are common to steps S101 to S110 of the information processing according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the description of steps S201 to S210 is omitted here.

[0089] In the present embodiment, the server 200a generates correction information for correcting the provisional position information of the automobile 600 based on the difference between the position information of the installation positions of the respective reference stations 300 stored in advance in the storage unit 260 and the position information (second position information) received from the reference station 300 (step S211). Then, the server 200a corrects the provisional position information (data) of the automobile 600 acquired in step S204 using the correction information generated in step S211 (step S212). Further, the server 200a refers to the database stored in the storage unit 260, specifies the toll point 800 passed by the automobile 600 based on the corrected position information (first position information) of the automobile 600 acquired in step S212 described above, and transmits the information (specification information) of the specified toll point 800 to the charging server 500 (step S213).

[0090] Furthermore, in steps S214 to S219 shown in FIG. 11, since they are common to steps S116 to S121 of the information processing according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the description of steps S214 to S219 is omitted here.

[0091] As described above, according to the present embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, tolls can be automatically collected without providing a gate. As a result, according to the present embodiment, an increase in cost for environmental preparation due to the installation of a gate or an ETC communication device can be suppressed. Further, according to the present embodiment, the occurrence of traffic jams in front of the gate caused by toll collection can be avoided.

[0092] Also, in this embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, since the charging start point 800a for starting charging and the charging end point 800b for ending charging can be flexibly set, a more flexible charging system can be provided to the driver or the like. Further, in this embodiment, since the position information of the automobile 600 with little error can be obtained in real time, charging can be accurately and instantaneously performed on the driver.

[0093] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, by adopting the server RTK method, the correction process can be performed not by the mobile station 100a but by the server 200a. Therefore, the processing load on the mobile station 100a can be reduced, and as a result, the miniaturization and low power consumption of the mobile station 100a can be achieved.

[0094] <<Third Embodiment>> As described above, in the present application, it is not limited to using the RTK positioning method using GNSS signals as in the first and second embodiments. For example, it is also possible to use a positioning system that detects the relative positional relationship of the mobile station 100 by communicating with a radio base station, such as a positioning system using MME.

[0095] Specifically, in the RTK method described above, the reference station 300 whose position information is used to generate correction information is closer to the mobile station 100 related to the position information to be corrected by the correction information, the smaller the error included in the corrected position information obtained by the correction can be. Therefore, the server 200 selects a reference station 300 close to the mobile station 100 based on the position information of the mobile station 100, and transmits a distribution request for the position information to the selected reference station 300. For example, when the mobile station 100 is mounted on a traveling automobile 600, since the position of the mobile station 100 changes moment by moment due to the traveling of the automobile 600, the reference station 300 close to the mobile station 100 also changes. Therefore, the server 200 periodically acquires the position information of the mobile station 100, selects a reference station 300 close to the mobile station 100 at each time point according to the position information that changes moment by moment, and transmits a distribution request to the selected reference station 300. As a result, since the server 200 always repeats the acquisition and distribution request of the position information, it will process tens of thousands or more tasks per unit time, and it is assumed that the load on the server 200 and the network will become extremely large.

[0096] Therefore, in the third embodiment of the present application described below, when the mobile station 100 can be connected to a radio communication system compliant with, for example, LTE (Long Term Evolution) and LTE-Advanced in order to reduce the load on the server 200 and the network, based on the information managed by the MME or the like, the position information of the mobile station 100 is acquired from the radio communication system. In the mobile communication system, in order to establish a communication connection or perform a handover of a once-established communication connection, the MME manages information on the relative positional relationship of the mobile station 100 with respect to a radio base station (not shown). Therefore, the server 200 can acquire the position information of the mobile station 100 at the time of an event such as the mobile station 100 establishing a communication connection via the radio base station or performing a handover to the next radio base station from the MME. By doing so, in the present embodiment, since the server 200 can acquire the position information of the mobile station 100 from the MME without periodically acquiring the position information from the mobile station 100, a reference station 300 close to the mobile station 100 can be selected and a distribution request can be transmitted to the selected reference station 300. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, since the server 200 no longer needs to constantly repeat the acquisition of position information and the distribution request, it can also avoid processing tens of thousands or more tasks per unit time. As a result, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to avoid the load on the server 200 and the network becoming extremely large.

[0097] <Overview of Radio Communication System> First, referring to FIG. 12, an overview of the wireless communication system 20 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the overview of the wireless communication system according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 12, the wireless communication system 20 according to the present embodiment includes radio base stations 580a and 580b that perform wireless communication with a mobile station 100b (see FIG. 13), and an MME 570 that performs communication management. Note that an actual wireless communication system 20 includes a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) that has a database for managing the location information of the mobile station 100b, various gateways that perform interface functions and relays, etc., but illustration thereof is omitted for clarity.

[0098] In the wireless communication system 20, as shown in FIG. 12, each radio base station 580 is assigned a region called a cell 590, and covers communication with the mobile station 100b located within each cell 590 (note that each radio base station 580 may be assigned a plurality of cells 590). Also, a physical cell identifier (PCI) is assigned to each cell 590. For example, when the mobile station 100b moves from cell 590a to cell 590b, in the wireless communication system 20, in order to maintain the communication connection established with the radio base station 580a between the next radio base station 580b, identification for the communication connection is performed using the PCI of the cell 590b corresponding to the radio base station 580b that is the handover destination. Therefore, the MME 570 that performs communication management manages the PCI of the cell 590 corresponding to the radio base station 580 to which the mobile station 100b is connected.

[0099] Therefore, in this embodiment, the server 200b (see FIG. 13) obtains the PCI of the cell 590 corresponding to the radio base station 580 to which the mobile station 100b is connected from the MME 570, and selects the reference station 300 corresponding to the cell 590 of the obtained PCI, thereby being able to select a reference station 300 close to the mobile station 100b. Note that in this embodiment, since the server 200b only needs to obtain the PCI when the mobile station 100 establishes a communication connection with the radio base station 580 and when a handover occurs, it is possible to avoid an extremely large load on the server 200b and the network.

[0100] <Configuration of the information processing system> First, with reference to FIG. 13, the configuration of the information processing system 10b according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the information processing system 10b according to this embodiment. Similar to the first embodiment, the information processing system 10b according to this embodiment includes the mobile station 100b, the server 200b, the reference station 300, the GNSS satellite 400, and the charging server 500, which were previously described with reference to FIG. 3, and further includes the MME 570 included in the wireless communication system 20 described above. Each component included in the information processing system 10b will be sequentially described below. However, since the mobile station 100b, the server 200b, the reference station 300, the GNSS satellite 400, and the charging server 500 are the same as those in the first embodiment, the descriptions thereof will be omitted here.

[0101] (MME570) The MME 570 is configured by, for example, a computer or the like, is included in the wireless communication system 20 described above, and manages the PCI information of the cell 590 corresponding to the radio base station 580 to which the mobile station 100b is connected. In addition, the MME 570 transmits the PCI information of the cell 590 corresponding to the radio base station 580 to which each mobile station 100b is connected in response to a distribution request from the server 200b.

[0102] In the following description, the case where the device RTK positioning method for correction is adopted in the mobile station 100b will be described. However, in the present embodiment, it is not limited to adopting the device RTK method, and the server RTK method for correcting the provisional position information of the vehicle 600 in the server 200b can also be adopted.

[0103] <Configuration of the Mobile Station> Next, with reference to FIG. 14, the configuration of the mobile station 100b according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the mobile station 100b according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the mobile station 100b mainly includes a GNSS module 110, a communication unit 120, a processing unit 130b, and a storage unit 160. Since those other than the processing unit 130b are common to the functional units included in the mobile station 100 according to the first embodiment, here, only the processing unit 130b that is not common to the first embodiment will be described, and the description of other functional units will be omitted.

[0104] (Processing Unit 130b) The processing unit 130b executes various programs stored in the storage unit 160 by, for example, a CPU, an MPU, or the like. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 14, the processing unit 130b includes a position information acquisition unit 132b, a correction information acquisition unit 134, a correction calculation unit 138, a corrected position information notification unit 140, and a charging amount information acquisition unit 142. Since those other than the position information acquisition unit 132b are common to the elements included in the processing unit 130 according to the first embodiment, here, only the position information acquisition unit 132b that is not common to the first embodiment will be described, and the description of other elements will be omitted.

[0105] ~Position Information Acquisition Unit 132b~ The position information acquisition unit 132b acquires the provisional position information (data) of the vehicle 600 from the GNSS module 110 and outputs it to the correction calculation unit 138, similarly to the first embodiment. In the present embodiment, different from the first embodiment, the position information acquisition unit 132b does not output the acquired provisional position information of the vehicle 600 to the communication unit 120.

[0106] <Configuration of Server> Next, with reference to FIG. 15, the configuration of server 200b will be described. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a configuration example of server 200b according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 15, server 200b includes a communication unit 220, a processing unit 230b, and a storage unit 260. Since components other than processing unit 230b are common to the functional units included in server 200 according to the first embodiment, here, only processing unit 230b that is not common to the first embodiment will be described, and descriptions of other functional units will be omitted.

[0107] (Processing Unit 230b) Processing unit 230b executes various programs stored in storage unit 260 by, for example, a CPU, an MPU, or the like. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 15, processing unit 230b includes a PCI information acquisition unit 250, a reference station position information acquisition unit 234, a correction information generation unit 236, an output unit 248, a corrected position information acquisition unit 240, and a specifying unit 242. Since components other than PCI information acquisition unit 250 are common to the elements included in processing unit 230 according to the first embodiment, here, only PCI information acquisition unit 250 that is not common to the first embodiment will be described, and descriptions of other elements will be omitted.

[0108] ~PCI Information Acquisition Unit 250~ PCI information acquisition unit 250 acquires information on the PCI of cell 590 corresponding to radio base station 580 to which each mobile station 100b is connected from MME 570. Next, based on the acquired PCI, PCI information acquisition unit 250 refers to a database stored in advance in storage unit 260 and having information on the correspondence between the PCI and reference station 300, and selects a plurality of reference stations 300 installed in the vicinity of mobile station 100b (automobile 600). Further, PCI information acquisition unit 250 transmits a distribution request for position information (second position information) to the selected reference stations 300.

[0109] <Information Processing> Next, with reference to FIG. 16, information processing by the information processing system 10b according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 16 is a sequence diagram showing an example of information processing according to the present embodiment. The information processing according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of steps from step S301 to step S316 as shown in FIG. 16. Details of each step will be described below.

[0110] First, as shown in FIG. 16, the MME 570 acquires information on the PCI of the cell 590 corresponding to the radio base station 580 to which each mobile station 100b is connected (step S301). Next, the MME 570 transmits the acquired PCI information to the server 200b (step S302).

[0111] Next, the server 200b receives the PCI information from the MME 570 (step S303). Then, based on the PCI information received in step S303, the server 200b transmits a distribution request to the reference station 300 located in the vicinity of the mobile station 100b (automobile 600) (step S304).

[0112] Steps S305 to S310 shown in FIG. 16 are common to steps S106 to S111 of the information processing according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 8, so the description of steps S305 to S310 is omitted here. Also, steps S311 and S312 shown in FIG. 16 are common to steps S101 and S102 of the information processing according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 8, so the description of S311 and step S312 is omitted here. Further, steps S313 to S316 shown in FIG. 16 are common to steps S112 to S115 of the information processing according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 8, so the description of steps S313 to S316 is omitted here.

[0113] Furthermore, although not shown in FIG. 16, in the present embodiment as well, after step S316, steps S116 to S121 of the information processing according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 8 are executed.

[0114] As described above, according to this embodiment, since the server 200b can obtain the PCI as the location information of the mobile station 100b from the wireless communication system 20 without periodically obtaining the location information from the mobile station 100b, it is possible to select a reference station 300 close to the mobile station 100b and transmit a delivery request to the selected reference station 300. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the server 200b no longer needs to constantly repeat obtaining location information and sending delivery requests, and can also avoid processing tens of thousands or more tasks per unit time. As a result, according to this embodiment, it is possible to avoid the load on the server 200b and the network from becoming extremely large.

[0115] Note that in this embodiment, the server 200b is not limited to cooperating with the MME 570 of the wireless communication system 20, and may also cooperate with a management server (not shown) for area unit management by utilizing the MEC (Mobile Edge Computing) technology in the wireless communication system 20.

[0116] <<Modification Example 1>> Next, a modification example of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 17. FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a modification example of this embodiment. In each of the above-described embodiments, an example applied to the automatic collection of tolls on a toll road 700 such as a highway has been described. However, these embodiments are not limited to the case of using such motor roads, and can be applied, for example, to the collection of tolls for the use of transportation means such as railways.

[0117] Specifically, in transportation means such as railways, automatic ticket gates and the like are provided for collecting tolls. When a passenger passes through the above automatic ticket gates and the like, the automatic ticket gate system can collect the tolls. However, when passing through the automatic ticket gate, a person tends to stop or the passing speed becomes slow, so congestion is likely to occur in front of the automatic ticket gate. Therefore, in order to avoid the above congestion, the above-described embodiment is applied to the collection of tolls for the use of transportation means.

[0118] More specifically, in this modified example, for each boarding and alighting station of the railway 604 as shown in FIG. 17, for example, a charging start point 802a that starts charging as a virtual ticket gate and a charging end point 802b that ends charging are set. And in this modified example, for the user 602 who holds a smartphone as the mobile station 100 and has passed through the charging points 800a and 800b, a fee corresponding to the distance L between the charging start point 800a and the charging end point 800b is automatically collected.

[0119] Note that in this modified example, the mobile station 100 can be a portable terminal carried by the user 602, such as a tablet PC including a GNSS module, a smartphone, a mobile phone, a notebook PC, etc. Also, in this modified example, the mobile station 100 can be a wearable terminal having a shape such as a wristwatch type or a ring type and attached to a part of the body of the user 602.

[0120] As described above, according to this modified example, the fee can be automatically collected without providing an automatic ticket gate or an automatic ticket vending machine. As a result, according to this modified example, an increase in cost for environmental improvement due to the installation of an automatic ticket gate or an automatic ticket vending machine can be suppressed. Furthermore, according to this modified example, the occurrence of congestion before the ticket gate due to fee collection can be avoided.

[0121] Also, in this modified example, since the charging start point 800a that starts charging and the charging end point 800b that ends charging can be set flexibly, a more flexible fee system can be provided to the user 602. Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the position information of the user 602 with little error can be obtained in real time, the user 602 can be correctly charged instantaneously.

[0122] <<Modified Example 2>> In recent years, regardless of the operator of transportation, a concept called Mobility as a Service (MaaS) has become known, which regards the movement by all transportation means other than private cars as one service by using information and communication technology. By providing services based on such a concept, improvements in transportation efficiency and convenience are expected.

[0123] In the embodiment of the present application, even for the movement of a person using a plurality of different transportation means, as long as the departure point and the arrival point of the movement are known, it is possible to charge. For example, according to a modification of this embodiment, when a plurality of different transportation means form an alliance with each other and construct a common charging system, it becomes easy to charge according to the final movement distance from the departure point to the arrival point of the movement, and a more flexible charging system can be provided to users. For example, according to this modification, even when a plurality of different transportation means are used, services such as a fare discount can be easily provided to users if the final movement distance is equal to or more than a predetermined distance set in advance.

[0124] <<Effect>> As described above, the server (information processing device) 200 according to the embodiment has a specifying unit (point specifying unit) 242. The specifying unit 242 uses the first position information, which is the position information of the automobile 600, based on the data obtained by the GNSS module (positioning unit) 110 mounted on the automobile (mobile body) 600, to specify the charging point 800 passed by the automobile 600.

[0125] The server 200 according to the embodiment further has a storage unit 260 that stores the position information of the charging point 800. The specifying unit 242 refers to the position information stored in the storage unit 260 to specify the charging point 800.

[0126] The server 200 according to the embodiment further has a calculation unit that calculates the charging amount to the user based on the charging point 800.

[0127] In this way, the server 200 according to the embodiment can automatically collect tolls without providing toll booths or ticket gates.

[0128] In this way, according to the embodiment, since the charging point 800 can be set flexibly, a more flexible toll system can be provided to users.

[0129] Also, in the server 200 according to the embodiment, the specifying unit 242 specifies the charging start point 800a and the charging end point 800b as the charging point 800, and the calculating unit calculates the charging amount based on the charging start point 800a and the charging end point 800b.

[0130] Also, the server 200 according to the embodiment further includes a settlement unit (settlement processing unit) that performs settlement processing based on the charging amount.

[0131] Also, the server 200 according to the embodiment further includes a totaling unit that totals the charging amounts calculated during a predetermined period.

[0132] In the server 200 according to the embodiment, the specifying unit 242 according to the embodiment performs the specification using the corrected position information, which is the position information of the provisional automobile 600 corrected using the correction information, as the first position information.

[0133] The server 200 according to the embodiment includes a correction information generation unit 236. The correction information generation unit 236 generates correction information used for correcting the position information of the provisional automobile 600 using the second position information, which is the position information of the reference station 300 obtained based on the position information (data) of the provisional automobile 600.

[0134] In this way, since the server 200 according to the embodiment uses the corrected position information of the automobile 600, the charging point 800 can be easily specified.

[0135] The server 200 according to the embodiment includes an output unit 248 and a corrected position information acquisition unit 240. The output unit 248 outputs correction information to the mobile station 100 mounted on the automobile 600. The corrected position information acquisition unit 240 acquires corrected position information from the mobile station 100.

[0136] In this way, since the mobile station 100 according to this embodiment does not require the step of receiving corrected position information from the server 200, it is possible to obtain position information with less error without delay.

[0137] The server 200a according to the embodiment includes a position information acquisition unit (information acquisition unit) 232 and a correction calculation unit 238. The position information acquisition unit 232 acquires provisional position information of the automobile 600 from the GNSS module 110. The correction calculation unit 238 corrects the provisional position information of the automobile 600 using correction information.

[0138] In this way, since the correction process is performed by the server 200a according to the embodiment, it is possible to reduce the processing load of the mobile station 100 and to reduce the size and power consumption of the mobile station 100a.

[0139] The positioning unit according to the embodiment includes a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver.

[0140] The server 200b according to the embodiment includes a correction information generation unit 236. The correction information generation unit 236 uses the second position information, which is the position information of the reference station 300 based on the PCI (information) obtained by the MME 570 that manages the communication between the wireless communication unit mounted on the automobile 600 and the wireless base station 580 (or access point), to generate correction information for correcting the provisional position information (data) of the automobile 600.

[0141] Thus, since the server 200b according to this embodiment can obtain the location information of the mobile station 100b from the wireless communication system without periodically obtaining the location information from the mobile station 100b, it can select a reference station 300 close to the mobile station 100b and transmit a delivery request to the selected reference station 300. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the server 200b no longer needs to constantly repeat obtaining the location information and the delivery request, and can also avoid processing tens of thousands or more tasks per unit time. As a result, according to this embodiment, it is possible to avoid the load on the server 200b and the network from becoming extremely large.

[0142] In the embodiment, the positioning unit is mounted on any one of an automobile (vehicle) 600, an airplane, a ship, a mobile terminal carried by the user 602, and a wearable terminal worn by the user.

[0143] <<Hardware Configuration>> The server 200 described above is realized by a computer 1000 having a configuration as shown in FIG. 18, for example. FIG. 18 is a hardware configuration diagram showing an example of a computer that realizes the functions of an information processing apparatus. The computer 1000 includes a CPU 1100, a RAM 1200, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 1300, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 1400, a communication interface (I / F) 1500, an input / output interface (I / F) 1600, and a media interface (I / F) 1700.

[0144] The CPU 1100 operates based on a program stored in the ROM 1300 or the HDD 1400 and controls each part. The ROM 1300 stores a boot program executed by the CPU 1100 when the computer 1000 is started up, a program dependent on the hardware of the computer 1000, and the like.

[0145] The HDD 1400 stores programs executed by the CPU 1100, data used by the programs, and the like. The communication interface 1500 receives data from other devices via the network N and sends it to the CPU 1100, and sends the data collected by the CPU 1100 to other devices via the network.

[0146] The CPU 1100 controls output devices such as displays and printers, and input devices such as keyboards and mice via the input / output interface 1600. The CPU 1100 acquires data from the input device via the input / output interface 1600. Further, the CPU 1100 outputs the collected data to the output device via the input / output interface 1600.

[0147] The media interface 1700 reads a program or data stored in the recording medium 1800 and provides it to the CPU 1100 via the RAM 1200. The CPU 1100 loads the program from the recording medium 1800 onto the RAM 1200 via the media interface 1700 and executes the loaded program. The recording medium 1800 is, for example, an optical recording medium such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) or a PD (Phase change rewritable Disk), a magneto-optical recording medium such as an MO (Magneto-Optical disk), a tape medium, a magnetic recording medium, or a semiconductor memory.

[0148] For example, when the computer 1000 functions as the server 200, the CPU 1100 of the computer 1000 realizes the function of the processing unit 230 by executing the program loaded on the RAM 1200. The CPU 1100 of the computer 1000 reads and executes these programs from the recording medium 1800. As another example, these programs may be acquired from other devices via the network.

[0149] As described above, some embodiments and variations of the present application have been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, these are merely examples, and the present invention can be implemented in other forms with various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, starting from the aspects described in the disclosure of the invention.

[0150] <<Others>> Moreover, each component of each illustrated device is conceptually functional and does not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown in the drawings. That is, the specific form of the distribution and integration of each device is not limited to that shown in the drawings, and all or part of it can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit according to various loads, usage situations, etc.

[0151] Also, the above-described embodiments and variations can be appropriately combined as long as the processing contents do not conflict.

[0152] In addition, the above-described "section, module, unit" can be read as "means", "circuit", etc. For example, the acquisition section can be read as the acquisition means or the acquisition circuit.

[0153] Also, among the various processes described in the above embodiments and variations, all or part of the processes described as being automatically performed can be manually performed, or all or part of the processes described as being manually performed can be automatically performed by known methods. Additionally, regarding the processing procedures, specific names, information including various data and parameters shown in the above documents and drawings, they can be arbitrarily changed unless otherwise specified. For example, the various information shown in each figure is not limited to the illustrated information.

[0154] Also, the processing steps in the information processing described in the above embodiments and modification examples are not necessarily limited to being executed in chronological order along the order described in the description and sequence diagrams. For example, instead of being executed chronologically, each processing step may be executed partially in parallel. Furthermore, the processing method of each step is not necessarily limited to being executed by the functional units and methods described, and for example, it may be executed by other functional units in other ways.

[0155] Furthermore, at least a part of the information processing method described in the above embodiments and modification examples can be configured as software as an information processing program that causes a computer to function. When configured as software, a program that realizes at least a part of these methods is stored in a recording medium, and may be read and executed by a computer or another device connected to the computer. The recording medium is not limited to removable ones such as magnetic disks and optical disks, and may be a fixed-type recording medium such as a hard disk device or a memory. Furthermore, an information processing program that realizes at least a part of these methods may be distributed via a communication line (including wireless communication) such as the Internet. Furthermore, the same program may be distributed in an encrypted, modulated, or compressed state via a wired or wireless line such as the Internet or stored in a recording medium.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0156] 10, 10b Information processing system 20 Wireless communication system 100, 100a, 100b Mobile station 110 GNSS module 120, 220, 520 Communication unit 130, 130a, 130b, 230, 230a, 230b, 530 Processing unit 132, 132a, 132b, 232, 232a Position information acquisition unit 134 Correction information acquisition unit 138 Correction calculation unit 140 Corrected Position Information Notification Unit 142 Billing Amount Information Acquisition Unit 150 Corrected Position Information Acquisition Unit 160, 260, 560 Memory Unit 200, 200a, 200b Server 234 Reference Station Position Information Acquisition Unit 236, 236a Correction Information Generation Unit 238 Correction Calculation Unit 240 Corrected Position Information Acquisition Unit 242, 242a Identification Unit 248 Output Unit 250 PCI Information Acquisition Unit 262 DB 300 Reference Station 400 GNSS Satellite 500 Billing Server 532 Specific Information Acquisition Unit 534 Calculation Unit 536 Notification Unit 538 Aggregation Unit 540 Settlement Unit 590, 590a, 590b Cell 580, 580a, 580b Radio Base Station 600 Automobile 602 User 604 Railway 700 Toll Road 800a, 800b Billing Point

Claims

1. A system comprising one or more computers, comprising: obtaining, from a first moving body that obtains its own first position information and corrects the first position information, the corrected first position information, and obtaining second position information corresponding to a second moving body; identifying a total moving section of a section in which the first moving body has moved and a section in which the second moving body has moved among sections of the charging points based on the corrected first position information, the second position information, and the charging points set at a predetermined position; obtaining a fare corresponding to the total moving section; wherein the first and second moving bodies are moving bodies of a transportation means in which the fare changes according to the moved section; in the step of identifying the total moving section: based on the corrected first position information, among the charging points, a point at which a passenger starts using the first moving body is set as the departure point of the passenger; based on the second position information, among the charging points, a point at which the passenger finishes using the second moving body that the passenger uses after using the first moving body is set as the arrival point of the passenger; identifying the section from the departure point to the arrival point as the total moving section; in the step of obtaining a fare corresponding to the total moving section: obtaining a fare to be charged to the passenger, taking the total moving section as a section in which the passenger moves using the first and second moving bodies of the transportation means; A system.

2. The departure point of the passenger is set in response to the passenger passing through the charging point when boarding the first moving body at the start of use; The arrival point of the passenger is set in response to the passenger passing through the charging point when getting off the second moving body at the end of use; The system according to claim 1.

3. A ticket gate where the passenger passes through when getting off the second moving body is set as the arrival point of the passenger as the charging point passed through when the passenger gets off the second moving body; The system according to claim 2.

4. The first position information includes information on a first charging point as a charging point passed through when the passenger boards the first moving body; Among the second position information, the position information of the ticket gate includes information on a second charging point as a charging point passed through when the passenger gets off the second moving body; The setting of the departure point of the passenger is set according to the fact that when the passenger boards the first moving body, the terminal held or worn by the passenger has passed the first charging point. The setting of the arrival point of the passenger is set according to the fact that when the passenger gets off the second moving body, the terminal held or worn by the passenger has passed the ticket gate. The system according to claim 3.

5. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first moving body is a bus and the second moving body is a railway.

6. When the passenger moves using the first moving body and the second moving body as a plurality of different moving bodies, In the step of acquiring the corrected first position information, the first position information is acquired from the first moving body used by the passenger at the start of use. In the step of specifying the total moving section of the moving body, In the setting of the departure point, the point among the charging points where the passenger starts using the first moving body is set as the first departure point, and the point among the charging points where the passenger starts using the second moving body is set as the second departure point. In the setting of the arrival point, the point among the charging points where the passenger finishes using the first moving body is set as the first arrival point, and the point among the charging points where the passenger finishes using the second moving body is set as the second arrival point. The section from the first departure point via the first arrival point to the second arrival point from the second departure point is specified as the total moving section. The system according to claim 1.

7. The system includes A database in which information on charging points set at stations and the position information of the charging points are associated. In the step of specifying the moving sections of the first and second moving bodies, The corrected first position information is compared with the position information of the charging points included in the database, and among the charging points, the point where the passenger starts using the first moving body is set as the departure point of the passenger. Based on the second position information and the position information of the charging points included in the database, among the charging points, the point where the passenger finishes using the second moving body is set as the arrival point of the passenger using the second moving body of the transportation means. The system according to claim 1.

8. A system comprising one or more computers, Obtaining the corrected first and second position information from a moving body that acquires its own first and second position information and corrects the first and second position information; Identifying a moving section, which is a section within the charging point section where the moving body has moved, based on the corrected first position information, the corrected second position information, and a charging point virtually set at an arbitrary position; Determining a fare corresponding to the moving section; Notifying information regarding the movement of the moving body, and having: The moving body is a moving body of a transportation facility in which the fare changes according to the moving section; In the step of identifying the moving section of the moving body: Based on the corrected first position information, setting, as a departure point of a passenger using the moving body of the transportation facility, a point among the charging points that the moving body first passed through; Based on the corrected second position information, setting, as an arrival point of a passenger using the moving body of the transportation facility, a point among the charging points that the moving body later passed through; Identifying the section from the departure point to the arrival point as the moving section; In the step of determining a fare corresponding to the moving section: Determining a fare to be charged to the passenger, taking the moving section as a section in which the passenger moved using the moving body of the transportation facility; In the step of notifying information regarding the movement of the moving body: Notifying information regarding the movement using the moving body by a passenger using the moving body of the transportation facility; A system.

9. A system comprising one or more computers, having: Obtaining the corrected first position information from a first moving body that acquires its own first position information and corrects the first position information, and obtaining second position information corresponding to a second moving body; Identifying a total moving section, which is a section within the charging point section where the first moving body has moved and a section where the second moving body has moved, based on the corrected first position information, the second position information, and a charging point set at a predetermined position; Determining a fare corresponding to the total moving section; The first and second moving bodies are moving bodies of a transportation facility in which the fare changes according to the moved section; In the step of identifying the total moving section: Based on the corrected first position information, among the charging points, the point where the passenger first passed the first moving body is set as the departure point of the passenger. Based on the second position information, among the charging points, the point where the passenger finally passed the second moving body used by the passenger after using the first moving body is set as the arrival point of the passenger. The section from the departure point to the arrival point is specified as the total movement section. In the step of obtaining the fare corresponding to the total movement section, the total movement section is set as the section where the passenger moved using the first and second moving bodies of the transportation means, and the fare to be charged to the passenger is obtained. System.

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