Roadside equipment

Abstract

To provide a roadside device capable of reducing the time it takes to check cards.SOLUTION: A roadside device is provided, comprising a card conveying mechanism for conveying a card presented by a user of a toll road, a card reader for receiving stored information stored on the card from the card being conveyed, a card mounting table having a mounting surface for mounting the conveyed card, and an image capturing unit for capturing a card surface image of the card mounted on the mounting surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 16

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to roadside devices.

Background Art

[0002] The Electronic Toll Collection System (ETC (registered trademark)) used on toll roads enables the automatic collection of tolls by performing wireless communication between a wireless communication device installed in each lane of a toll booth and an in-vehicle unit mounted on a vehicle, thereby automatically performing toll collection processing (settlement processing) on the vehicle in motion.

[0003] On the other hand, in other technical fields, a cash automated teller machine as disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, for vehicles that do not support the Electronic Toll Collection System (non-ETC vehicles), toll collection processing cannot be automatically performed. Therefore, it may be necessary for the toll collector or the like to confirm the face information and stored information of cards such as the driver's license or My Number card owned by the toll road user. For this reason, since it is necessary to have the toll road user present the face information and the stored information, the time required to confirm the card may be prolonged.

[0006] This disclosure has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a roadside device capable of shortening the time required to confirm a card.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] To solve the above problems, the roadside device according to this disclosure comprises a card transport mechanism for transporting a card presented by a user of a toll road, a card reader for receiving stored information from the card during transport, a card stand having a mounting surface for placing the transported card, and a shooting unit for taking a picture of the card surface of the card placed on the mounting surface. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the roadside device described in this disclosure, the time required to verify the card can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This figure shows the overall configuration of the fee collection system according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram of a roadside device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] This is a front view of a roadside device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of a roadside device according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 5] This is a partial perspective view of a roadside device according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI of a roadside device according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 7] This is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII of a roadside device according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 8] This is a block diagram of a control unit according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] This is a flowchart showing the operation of the roadside device according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 10] This is a cross-sectional view of a roadside device according to a first modification of the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] This is a partial perspective view of a roadside device relating to a second modified example of the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 12] It is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line XII-XII of the roadside device according to the second modification of the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 13] It is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line XIII-XIII of the roadside device according to the second modification of the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 14] It is a partial perspective view of the roadside device according to the third modification of the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 15] It is a front view of the roadside device according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 16] It is a cross-sectional view taken along line XVI-XVI of the roadside device according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 17] It is a flowchart showing the operation of the roadside device according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 18] It is a diagram showing the operation of the control unit according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 19] It is an explanatory diagram of the discrimination of the control unit according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 20] It is an explanatory diagram of the discrimination of the control unit according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 21] It is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a computer included in the control unit according to each embodiment of the present disclosure.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0010] <First Embodiment> Hereinafter, a toll collection system according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 14.

[0011] (Overall Configuration of Toll Collection System) As shown in FIG. 1, the toll collection system 1 is provided at the exit toll gate of a toll road and is used by both ETC vehicles and non-ETC vehicles traveling in the lane L connecting the toll road and the general road. The toll collection system 1 collects tolls from ETC vehicles traveling in the lane L. The toll collection system 1 includes an ETC facility 2, a roadside device 3, and a monitoring panel 4.

[0012] In this embodiment, lane L is an ETC-only lane equipped with an electronic toll collection system (ETC equipment 2). Furthermore, in this embodiment, we will explain as an example the case in which vehicle A is a non-ETC vehicle that cannot collect tolls with ETC equipment 2.

[0013] Hereafter, the direction in which lane L extends will be described as ±X direction, and will also be referred to as "lane direction". Additionally, the toll road side (-X side) in the direction of the lane will be referred to as the "upstream side," and the general road side (+X side) as the "downstream side." Furthermore, the width direction of lane L is described as the ±Y direction, and the left direction when facing the +X direction is also described as the +Y direction. Furthermore, the vertical direction is also referred to as the ±Z direction, and the upward direction is also referred to as the +Z direction.

[0014] (ETC equipment configuration) ETC equipment 2 is a group of devices for performing toll collection processing, which automatically collects tolls via wireless communication from ETC vehicles equipped with an on-board unit. As shown in Figure 1, ETC equipment 2 includes an entry vehicle detector 21, a roadside antenna 22, a communication vehicle detector 23, a lane server 24, a start control unit 25, and an exit vehicle detector 26. ETC Equipment 2 utilizes existing equipment already installed in conventional ETC-only lanes.

[0015] The entry-side vehicle detector 21 is installed on islands I provided on both sides of lane L at the entry detection position X1 on the upstream side (-X side) in the lane direction, and detects the entry of a vehicle into lane L. As shown in Figure 1, the entry-side vehicle detector 21 is a through-type vehicle detector and has a pair of light emitters and light receivers installed opposite each other on either side of lane L. The entry-side vehicle detector 21 outputs a detection signal that can distinguish whether or not a vehicle is present at the entry detection position X1 based on whether or not the light receiver has received light emitted from the light emitter. While the light receiver is receiving light, the entry-side vehicle detector 21 outputs a detection signal indicating that no vehicle is present at the entry detection position X1. On the other hand, while the light receiver is not receiving light, the entry-side vehicle detector 21 outputs a detection signal indicating that a vehicle is present at the entry detection position X1.

[0016] The roadside antenna 22 is installed above the road surface downstream (+X side) in the lane direction from the entering vehicle detector 21. When the entering vehicle detector 21 detects that a vehicle has entered lane L, the roadside antenna 22 emits radio waves for wireless communication towards a predetermined communication area on lane L. The roadside antenna 22 transmits and receives various commands and information for toll collection processing with the on-board unit of an ETC vehicle located within the communication area via wireless communication.

[0017] The communication vehicle detector 23 is installed on island I at the communication termination position X2 downstream (+X side) in the lane direction from the roadside antenna 22, and detects when a vehicle passes the communication termination position X2. The communication vehicle detector 23 has the same equipment configuration as the entry vehicle detector 21. When the communication vehicle detector 23 detects that a vehicle has passed the communication termination position X2, the roadside antenna 22 stops emitting radio waves.

[0018] The lane server 24 is installed on Island I and performs toll collection processing to receive tolls from ETC vehicles. The lane server 24 obtains information from the on-board unit via the roadside antenna 22, including the type of ETC vehicle, the location (entrance toll gate) and date and time when the ETC vehicle entered the toll road, and the payment method for the toll (ETC card number, etc.). Based on this information, it calculates the toll according to the type of ETC vehicle and the distance traveled, and performs processing such as settlement.

[0019] The departure control unit 25 is installed on island I downstream (+X side) in the lane direction from the roadside device 3. The departure control unit 25 raises and lowers the opening and closing bar in accordance with the opening and closing commands from the lane server 24 and the roadside device 3, thereby opening (permitting vehicle passage) and closing (restricting vehicle passage) lane L. When the toll collection process is completed, the lane server 24 outputs an open command to the departure control unit 25 to permit vehicle passage. In addition, when the exit vehicle detector 26 (described later) detects that a vehicle has exited lane L, the lane server 24 outputs a close command to the departure control unit 25 to restrict the passage of following vehicles.

[0020] The exit-side vehicle detector 26 is installed on island I at the exit detection position X3, which is the furthest downstream (+X side) in the lane direction, and detects when a vehicle passes through the exit detection position X3 (exits from lane L). The exit-side vehicle detector 26 has the same equipment configuration as the entry-side vehicle detector 21.

[0021] (Configuration of the monitoring panel) The monitoring panel 4 is installed in a remote location such as a toll booth office and is connected to the roadside device 3 via a communication network such as the internet. The monitoring panel 4 is used by toll collectors stationed at the toll booth office to remotely monitor the roadside equipment 3. The monitoring panel 4 comprises a display device 41, an input device 42, and an instruction transmission unit 43. The display device 41 displays various data received from the roadside device 3. The input device 42 accepts input operations from toll collectors and other personnel stationed at the toll booth office. The instruction transmission unit 43 transmits the instruction received via the input device 42 to the roadside device 3.

[0022] (Configuration of roadside equipment) For non-ETC vehicles, the roadside device 3 is installed on the roadside on the -Y side of lane L, with its front 3A facing towards lane L. The roadside device 3 is installed on island I in the lane direction, downstream of the communication vehicle detector 23 (+X side) and upstream of the start control unit 25 (-X side). The roadside device 3 is positioned so as to coincide with the position of the driver's seat of vehicle A that is stopped in front of the starting control unit 25 (on the -X side) when the opening / closing bar of the starting control unit 25 is closed.

[0023] As shown in Figure 2, the roadside device 3 comprises an imaging unit 31, a card reader 32, and a control unit 35. As shown in Figure 3, the roadside device 3 further comprises a transparent section 33 and an intercom 34.

[0024] Roadside device 3 is a device for obtaining at least some of the user information from card CC presented by a user riding in vehicle A (which is a non-ETC vehicle). The information obtained by the roadside device 3 from card CC is transmitted to the remote monitoring panel 4 and entered into a database for purposes such as the retroactive collection of tolls.

[0025] Card CC is a contactless IC card that stores user information as stored information and has a portion of the user information printed on the card surface. Here, a contactless IC card is a card that incorporates an IC (Integrated Circuit), an antenna, etc., and can send and receive information between the built-in IC and an external card reader by performing short-range wireless communication using radio waves without making contact with the terminals of an external card reader. Contactless IC cards are personal identification documents issued by government agencies or other related organizations, such as a user's driver's license, My Number card, or passport (hereinafter collectively referred to as "contactless public identification documents"). Furthermore, user information includes the identification number of contactless public identification (driver's license number, My Number, passport number, etc.), the user's name, address, etc.

[0026] When the roadside device 3 receives an open command from the monitoring panel 4, it outputs an open command to the starting controller 25 to allow vehicles to pass. Also, when the roadside device 3 receives a close command from the monitoring panel 4, it outputs a close command to the starting controller 25 to restrict the passage of following vehicles.

[0027] (Intercom configuration) The intercom 34 is a device for remotely responding to users and is installed on the front 3A of the roadside device 3. Users can communicate via voice and video calls with the receptionist who remotely monitors the roadside device 3 via the monitoring panel 4 through the intercom 34.

[0028] (Composition of the filming department) As shown in Figures 4 to 7, the imaging unit 31 captures an image of the card CC presented by the toll road user. The imaging unit 31 captures the image of the card CC pressed against the transparent unit 33 through the transparent unit 33 and the aperture 321A of the loop antenna 321, which will be described later. The imaging unit 31 is equipped with an imaging lens 311 on the +Y side, with the imaging axis 311A ​​extending in the ±Y direction. The imaging unit 31 captures an image of the front side of card CC when a toll road user presses the front side of card CC against the transparent unit 33, and captures an image of the back side of card CC when the user presses the back side of card CC against the transparent unit 33. The imaging unit 31 has a resolution capable of recognizing the information on the card CC, and based on the instructions of the control unit 35, which is based on the imaging command from the monitoring panel 4, it captures the image of the card CC as a still image or a moving image.

[0029] (Card reader configuration) The card reader 32 receives the stored information stored on the card CC at the position captured by the imaging unit 31. The card reader 32 receives the stored information stored on the card CC that is pressed against the transparent section 33 by performing short-range wireless communication using radio waves. The communication area of ​​the card reader 32 is adjusted so that it coincides with the imaging surface of the imaging unit 31 and the transparency unit 33.

[0030] The card reader 32 is equipped with a loop antenna 321. The loop antenna 321 is positioned such that the center 321C of the aperture 321A roughly coincides with the imaging axis 311A ​​of the imaging lens 311. The aperture 321A of the loop antenna 321 is sized so as not to obstruct the area on which the card CC, which is pressed against the transmission section 33, contains the card information, relative to the imaging section 31. The loop antenna 321 is located between the imaging unit 31 and the transmission unit 33, a few centimeters away from the transmission unit 33, and is positioned such that its loop surface is parallel to the plate surface 331 of the transmission unit 33, which will be described later.

[0031] (Configuration of the transparent section) The transparent section 33 is a glass plate that is transparent to the light captured by the imaging section 31 and can transmit radio waves transmitted by the card reader 32. The transparent portion 33 has a plate surface 331 against which the card CC is pressed. The plate surface 331 is positioned along the housing surface of the front 3A of the roadside device 3 and is flush with the housing surface.

[0032] (Configuration of the control unit) The control unit 35 performs various controls on the imaging unit 31 and the card reader 32, and acquires various information from the imaging unit 31 and the card reader 32. The control unit 35 transmits various information to the monitoring panel 4 and receives various commands from the monitoring panel 4. As shown in Figure 8, the control unit 35 includes a ticket surface information acquisition unit 351, a stored information acquisition unit 352, and a discrimination unit 353.

[0033] The ticket information acquisition unit 351 uses OCR (Optical Character Recognition) and other functions on the ticket image of the card CC acquired from the shooting unit 31 to acquire ticket information based on the captured ticket image of the card CC.

[0034] The storage information acquisition unit 352 acquires the storage information of the received card CC from the card reader 32.

[0035] The discrimination unit 353 determines any discrepancies by comparing the acquired ticket information with the acquired stored information. The discrimination unit 353 determines that the card CC is abnormal or has been used fraudulently if the acquired card information does not match the acquired stored information.

[0036] (operation) The operation of the roadside device 3 will now be explained. As shown in Figure 9, first, the card information acquisition unit 351 acquires card information based on the card image of the photographed card CC (ST01: Card Information Acquisition Step). Following the execution of ST01, the storage information acquisition unit 352 acquires the storage information of the received card CC (ST02: storage information acquisition step). Following the execution of ST02, the discrimination unit 353 determines whether there is a mismatch between the acquired ticket information and the acquired stored information (ST03: discrimination step).

[0037] (Mechanism of Action and Effects) According to this embodiment, the roadside device 3 receives the stored information of card CC at the position where the card surface of card CC is photographed, thus reducing the time required to verify card CC. Furthermore, since the roadside device 3 receives the storage information of card CC at the position where the card surface of card CC is photographed, the area occupied by the card CC presentation area on the front 3A is reduced. Furthermore, the roadside device 3 can simultaneously capture the ticket image and receive the stored information, thus improving operability.

[0038] According to this embodiment, the roadside device 3 can capture an image of the card surface and receive stored information while the card CC is pressed against the transparent section 33. Therefore, with the roadside device 3, users can present their card CC to the roadside device 3 without having to surrender their card CC. Furthermore, since the card CC is pressed against the transparent section 33, there is no wobbling, and stable shooting can be performed by the roadside device 3.

[0039] According to this embodiment, since the photographing unit 31 photographs the ticket image through the opening 321A of the loop antenna 321, the roadside device 3 can prevent the photographing unit 31's field of view from being obstructed by the loop antenna 321.

[0040] According to this embodiment, the roadside device 3 can detect a mismatch between the ticket information and the stored information.

[0041] In addition, while the above explanation stated that non-ETC vehicles are vehicles that cannot collect tolls using ETC equipment 2, non-ETC vehicles may include any vehicle that cannot collect tolls using ETC equipment 2. For example, non-ETC vehicles may include vehicles that do not have an on-board unit installed, or abnormal ETC vehicles that have an on-board unit installed but are unable to collect tolls due to the toll collection process. In this case, abnormal ETC vehicles include vehicles that are unable to collect tolls due to reasons such as a malfunction of the ETC equipment 2 or on-board unit, a communication error, or an expired ETC card inserted in the on-board unit.

[0042] (First variation) In this embodiment, the loop antenna 321 is positioned such that the center 321C of the aperture 321A is located on the imaging axis 311A ​​of the imaging lens 311. However, the card reader 32 may be positioned in any location as long as it can receive the stored information stored in the card CC from the card CC pressed against the transparent section 33. As a modified example (first modified example), the loop antenna 321 may be provided near the imaging unit 31, as shown in Figure 10. In this case, the orientation of the loop antenna 321 is adjusted so that the penetrating unit 33, which presses the card CC against the card, falls within the directional range RG of the communicationable area. This modified version also reduces the area occupied by the card presentation area on the front 3A. In Figure 10, the loop antenna 321 is located on the -X side of the imaging unit 31, but the loop antenna 321 may be located on the +X side, +Z side, or -Z side of the imaging unit 31.

[0043] (Second variation) In this embodiment, a card surface image is captured and stored information is received for the card CC pressed against the transparent section 33. However, the configuration can be any way as long as a card surface image can be captured and stored information can be received. As a modified example (a second modified example), the roadside device 3 may include an imaging unit 31, a card reader 32, and a card holder 36, as shown in Figures 11 to 13. In this modified example, the imaging unit 31 includes an upper camera 315 positioned above the mounting surface 36A and for photographing the card CC placed on the mounting surface 36A. In this modified example, the card reader 32 receives storage information of card CC at a position captured by the upper camera 315. At this time, the communication area of ​​the card reader 32 is adjusted so that it coincides with the surface captured by the upper camera 315 and the mounting surface 36A. The card reader 32 also includes a lower loop antenna 325 located below the mounting surface 36A. The loop surface of the lower loop antenna 325 is provided to be parallel to the mounting surface 36A. In this modified example, the card holder 36 has a mounting surface 36A facing the +Z direction and is capable of transmitting radio waves used by the card reader 32 for communication. According to this modified configuration, the upper camera 315 is located above the mounting surface 36A, and the lower loop antenna 325 is located below the mounting surface 36A. Therefore, the roadside device 3 can prevent the view of the upper camera 315 from being obstructed by the lower loop antenna 325.

[0044] (Third variation) As a further variation of the second variation (third variation), as shown in Figure 14, the imaging unit 31 may further include a lower camera 316 located below the mounting surface 36A. In this case, the card mounting base 36 is a glass plate and is transparent to the light captured by the lower camera 316. The upper camera 315 captures an image of the front surface of the card CC placed on the mounting surface 36A, and the lower camera 316 captures an image of the back surface of the card CC placed on the mounting surface 36A. The lower camera 316 captures the card CC image through the mounting surface 36A and the opening 325A of the lower loop antenna 325. According to this modified version, the roadside device 3 can photograph both the front and back of the card with a single presentation, eliminating the need for the user to present the card CC twice. Furthermore, the roadside device 3 can photograph both the front and back simultaneously. Therefore, the roadside device 3 can reduce the time required to photograph the card image. In this modified example, the mounting surface 36A may be made of glass and, instead of the lower loop antenna 325, the mounting surface 36A may be configured to function as the antenna for the card reader 32.

[0045] (Other variations) In this embodiment, the loop antenna 321 is positioned several centimeters away from the -Y side of the transparent section 33 in the -Y direction. However, in a modified example, the loop antenna 321 may be positioned in contact with the -Y side of the transparent section 33. In another modified example, the loop antenna 321 may be positioned inside the transparent section 33.

[0046] In this embodiment, the card reader 32 is equipped with a loop antenna 321, but it may be configured in any way as long as it can receive the stored information. As a variation, the transparent section 33 may be made of glass, and instead of the loop antenna 321, the transparent section 33 may be configured to function as an antenna for the card reader 32.

[0047] In this embodiment, ST02 is performed following ST01, but the order is not limited to this, and the procedures may be followed in any way as long as the ticket information and stored information can be obtained. As a variation, ST01 and ST02 may be carried out in parallel, or ST01 may be carried out after ST02.

[0048] In this embodiment, the roadside device 3 is installed on the -Y side of lane L, but it is not limited to this, and as a modification, the roadside device 3 may be installed on the +Y side of lane L.

[0049] In this embodiment, an example has been described in which the toll collection system 1 is installed at the exit toll gate, but it is not limited to this, and as a variation, the toll collection system 1 may be installed at the entrance toll gate.

[0050] In this embodiment, the case where lane L is an ETC-only lane has been described, but it is not limited to this, and as a modification, lane L may be a mixed lane where both ETC vehicles and non-ETC vehicles travel.

[0051] Figure 1 of this embodiment shows an example where only one lane L is provided at the tollbooth, but it is not limited to this, and as a modification, multiple lanes L may be provided at the tollbooth.

[0052] In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the entry-side vehicle detector 21, the communication vehicle detector 23, and the exit-side vehicle detector 26 are through-type vehicle detectors, but the embodiment is not limited to this, and as a modification, they may be reflective vehicle detectors.

[0053] In this embodiment, the lane server 24 is installed on island I, but it is not limited to this, and as a modification, the lane server 24 may be installed inside the toll booth office.

[0054] <Second Embodiment> Next, the roadside device 103 according to the second embodiment of this disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 15 to 20. Components common to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and their detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0055] (Configuration of roadside equipment) The roadside device 103 is set up with respect to the lane L in the same position and for the same purpose as the roadside device 3 in the first embodiment. The front 103A of the roadside device 103 faces the left lane side.

[0056] As shown in Figures 15 and 16, the roadside device 103 includes an imaging unit 31, a card reader 32, a card holder 136, an intercom 34, a control unit 35, a card transport mechanism 37, and a card slot 38. The card slot 38 and the intercom 34 are located on the front surface 103A of the roadside device 103.

[0057] (Configuration of the card holder) The card holder 136 is a glass plate that is transparent to the light captured by the lower camera 316 (described later) and can transmit radio waves used for communication by the card reader 32. The card holder 136 faces the +Z direction and has a mounting surface 136A on which the card CC is placed.

[0058] (Configuration of the card transport mechanism) The card transport mechanism 37 has a transport surface 37A and transports the card CC presented by the user, which is inserted into the card slot 38, by placing it on the transport surface 37A. As shown in Figure 16, the transport surface 37A extends from the card insertion slot 38 to the mounting surface 136A. The card transport mechanism 37 moves the transport surface 37A by the drive of a motor or the like to transport the card CC from the card insertion slot 38 to the mounting surface 136A, and to transport the card CC from the mounting surface 136A to the card insertion slot 38.

[0059] (Composition of the filming department) The imaging unit 31 captures an image of the card CC placed on the mounting surface 136A. In this embodiment, the imaging unit 31 includes an upper camera 315 located above the mounting surface 136A and a lower camera 316 located below the mounting surface 136A. The upper camera 315 captures an image of the front side of the card CC placed on the mounting surface 136A, and the lower camera 316 captures an image of the back side of the card CC placed on the mounting surface 136A through the mounting surface 136A. The shooting axis 315A of the upper camera 315 and the shooting axis 316A of the lower camera 316 are located at different positions in the Y direction and extend in the ±Z direction. Following the upper camera 315, which captures an image of the front side of card CC, the lower camera 316 captures an image of the back side of card CC.

[0060] (Card reader configuration) The card reader 32 receives stored information from the card CC during transport by performing short-range wireless communication using radio waves. The antenna 326 of the card reader 32 is located near the top of the transport surface 37A.

[0061] (Configuration of the control unit) The control unit 35, like the control unit 35 of the first embodiment, includes a ticket surface information acquisition unit 351, a stored information acquisition unit 352, and a discrimination unit 353.

[0062] (operation) The operation of the roadside device 103 will be explained.

[0063] As shown in Figure 17, first, the card transport mechanism 37 transports the card CC presented by the user from the card insertion slot 38 to the mounting surface 136A (ST101: transport step).

[0064] Following the execution of ST101, the ticket surface information acquisition unit 351 acquires ticket surface information based on the ticket surface image of the front side of the card CC captured on the mounting surface 136A (ST102: Ticket surface information acquisition (front) step). At that time, as shown in Figure 18, the card information acquisition unit 351 acquires the card information of the front side of the card CC based on the card image of the card CC captured by the upper camera 315.

[0065] Following the execution of ST102, the ticket information acquisition unit 351 acquires ticket information based on the ticket image of the back of the card CC that was photographed on the mounting surface 136A (ST103: Ticket Information Acquisition (Back) Step). At that time, as shown in Figure 18, the card information acquisition unit 351 acquires the card information on the back of the card CC based on the card image of the card CC captured by the lower camera 316.

[0066] Following the execution of ST103, the card transport mechanism 37 is discharged from the mounting surface 136A to the card insertion slot 38 (ST104: discharge step).

[0067] On the other hand, in parallel with the execution of ST101 to ST104, the storage information acquisition unit 352 acquires the storage information of card CC received by the card reader 32 (ST105: storage information acquisition step).

[0068] Following the execution of ST104 and ST105, the discrimination unit 353 determines whether there is a mismatch between the acquired card information and the acquired stored information by determining whether there is a mismatch between the acquired card information and the acquired stored information by determining whether there is a mismatch between the acquired card information and the acquired stored information (ST106: discrimination step).

[0069] If Card CC is a valid driver's license that includes address change history due to moving, etc., the current address is stored on Card CC and printed on the back of Card CC, while the previous address is printed on the front of Card CC. Therefore, as shown in Figure 19, if the surface information on the front side of the acquired card CC is determined to be inconsistent with the acquired stored information, and the surface information on the back side of the acquired card CC is determined to be consistent with the acquired stored information, the discrimination unit 353 determines that the stored information is consistent with the surface information. Conversely, as shown in Figure 20, if the card information on the front side of the acquired card CC matches the acquired stored information, and the card information on the back side of the acquired card CC does not match the acquired stored information, the discrimination unit 353 determines that the stored information is inconsistent with the card information. The discrimination unit 353 determines, if there is an inconsistency, that the card CC is abnormal or has been used fraudulently.

[0070] (Effect, Action) According to this embodiment, the roadside device 103 can align the orientation of the card CC during transport, thus reducing the time required to check the image of the card CC after it has been photographed.

[0071] For example, in the first embodiment, if rotation occurs around the normal direction of the card CC when the user presses it against the transparent part 33, the visibility of the captured card surface image of the card CC may decrease, or rotation correction processing of the card surface image of the card CC may be required to improve visibility. In contrast, in this embodiment, the orientation of the card CC can be aligned during transport, thus suppressing rotation of the card CC around the normal direction of the image being taken. If rotation around the normal direction of the card CC is suppressed, the visibility of the card information on the monitoring panel 4 screen will be improved for the cardholder, or rotation correction processing for improved visibility will become unnecessary. Furthermore, if rotation around the normal direction of the card CC is suppressed, even when using the OCR function to acquire card information, it will no longer be necessary to consider the rotation around the normal direction of the card CC, so an improvement in the accuracy of the OCR function can also be expected. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the time required to check the image of the captured card CC can be reduced.

[0072] According to this embodiment, the user's single action of inserting the card completes two operations: obtaining the card surface information and obtaining the stored information, thereby improving the convenience of presenting the card CC.

[0073] According to this embodiment, with just one action by the user—inserting the card—three operations are completed: obtaining the information on the front (front side) of the card, obtaining the information on the back (back side) of the card, and obtaining the stored information, thus improving convenience.

[0074] According to this embodiment, the roadside device 103 can detect a mismatch between the ticket information and the stored information.

[0075] In this embodiment, the card reader 32 receives the stored information from the card CC during transport. However, this can occur at any time during transport, and the stored information may be received from the card CC during loading (during ST101) or from the card CC during unloading (during ST104). The roadside device 103 can effectively utilize the waiting time for loading if it receives storage information from the card CC that is being loaded, and it can effectively utilize the waiting time for unloading if it receives storage information from the card CC that is being unloaded.

[0076] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the discrimination unit 353 makes the discrimination as shown in Figures 19 and 20, but in other embodiments, similar discrimination may be performed as long as the card information on the front (front side) of the card CC, the card information on the back of the card CC, and the stored information can be obtained. For example, in the third embodiment of the first embodiment, the determination may be made as shown in Figures 19 and 20.

[0077] (modified version) In this embodiment, the shooting axis 315A of the upper camera 315 and the shooting axis 316A of the lower camera 316 are at different positions in the Y direction, but they can be configured in any way as long as they can capture images of the front (front) and back sides of the ticket. As a variation, the shooting axis 315A of the upper camera 315 and the shooting axis 316A of the lower camera 316 may extend coaxially in the ±Z direction. According to this modified example, the roadside device 103 can simultaneously photograph both the front and back surfaces, thus reducing the time required to photograph the ticket image.

[0078] In this embodiment, the antenna 326 of the card reader 32 is located near the top of the transport surface 37A, but it may be positioned in any location as long as it can receive stored information from the card CC during ejection. As a modified example, the antenna 326 of the card reader 32 may be located closer to the imaging unit 31 than to the transport surface 37A.

[0079] In this embodiment, the ticket surface information acquisition unit 351 performs ST103 after performing ST102, but it may be performed in any way as long as the ticket surface information and stored information can be acquired. As a variation, the ticket information acquisition unit 351 may perform ST102 after performing ST103.

[0080] <Example of hardware configuration for the control unit> In each of the embodiments described above, a program for realizing the various functions of the control unit 35 is recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded on this recording medium is read by the computer 39 provided by the control unit 35 and executed to perform various processing. Here, the processes of various processing of the CPU (Central Processing Unit) of the computer system are stored in the form of a program on a computer-readable recording medium, and the above-mentioned processing is performed when the computer reads and executes this program. The computer-readable recording medium refers to magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), DVD-ROMs (Digital Versatile Disc Read Only Memory), semiconductor memory, etc. Alternatively, this computer program may be distributed to a computer via a communication line, and the computer that receives this distribution may execute the program.

[0081] In each of the embodiments described above, an example of a computer hardware configuration for executing a program to realize the various functions of the control unit 35 will be explained.

[0082] As shown in Figure 21, the computer 39 provided by the control unit 35 includes a CPU 391, a memory 392, a storage / playback device 393, an Input Output Interface (hereinafter referred to as "IO I / F") 394, and a communication Interface (hereinafter referred to as "communication I / F") 395.

[0083] Memory 392 is a medium such as Random Access Memory (hereinafter referred to as "RAM") that temporarily stores data used by the program executed by the control unit 35. Memory 392 stores the ticket image, ticket information, storage information, etc.

[0084] The storage / playback device 393 is a device for storing data on external media such as CD-ROMs, DVDs, and flash memory, and for playing back data from external media.

[0085] The IO I / F394 is an interface for inputting and outputting information between the control unit 35 and other devices.

[0086] Communication I / F395 is an interface that enables communication with other devices via communication lines such as the internet or dedicated communication lines.

[0087] <Other Embodiments> As described above, several embodiments relating to this disclosure have been explained, but all of these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the disclosure. These embodiments and their variations are included in the claims and their equivalents, as well as in the scope and gist of the disclosure.

[0088] <Note> The roadside equipment described in each embodiment can be understood, for example, as follows:

[0089] (1) The roadside device 103 according to the first embodiment includes a card transport mechanism 37 for transporting a card CC presented by a user of a toll road, a card reader 32 for receiving stored information stored in the card CC from the card CC during transport, a card mounting stand 136 having a mounting surface 136A on which the transported card CC is placed, and a shooting unit 31 for taking a picture of the card surface image of the card CC placed on the mounting surface 136A.

[0090] According to this embodiment, the roadside device 103 can align the orientation of the card CC during transport, thereby reducing the time required to check the card CC. Furthermore, the user's single action of inserting the card completes two operations: obtaining the card information and obtaining the stored information, thus improving convenience.

[0091] (2) The roadside device 103 according to the second embodiment is the roadside device 103 of (1) further comprising an upper camera 315 located above the mounting surface 136A described above and a lower camera 316 located below the mounting surface 136A described above.

[0092] According to this embodiment, the user can perform three actions—retrieving the information on the front (front side) of the card, retrieving the information on the back (back side) of the card, and retrieving the stored information—with just one action of inserting the card, thereby improving convenience.

[0093] (3) The roadside device 103 according to the third embodiment is the roadside device 103 according to (1) or (2) in which the card reader 32 receives the stored information from the card CC being brought into the mounting surface 136A described above.

[0094] According to this embodiment, the roadside device 103 can acquire storage information from the card CC being delivered, thus making effective use of the delivery waiting time.

[0095] (4) The roadside device 103 according to the fourth embodiment is the roadside device 103 according to (1) or (2) wherein the card reader 32 receives the stored information from the card being removed from the mounting surface 136A described above.

[0096] According to this embodiment, the roadside device 103 can acquire storage information from the card CC during removal, thus enabling effective use of the removal waiting time.

[0097] (5) The roadside device 103 according to the fifth embodiment is the roadside device 103 according to (1) to (4), comprising: a ticket information acquisition unit 351 that acquires ticket information based on the captured ticket image; a storage information acquisition unit 352 that acquires the received storage information; and a discrimination unit 353 that determines whether the acquired ticket information and the acquired storage information are inconsistent.

[0098] According to this embodiment, the roadside device 103 can detect a mismatch between the ticket information and the stored information. [Explanation of symbols]

[0099] 1. Toll collection system 2 ETC equipment 3 Roadside equipment 3A Front 4 Monitor board 21. Approaching Vehicle Detector 22 Roadside antenna 23. Vehicle detection device for communications 24-lane server 25 Launch control unit 26 Exit vehicle detector 31 Photography Department 32 card readers 33 Transparent part 34 Intercom 35 Control Unit 36 card slots 36A Mounting surface 37. Card transport mechanism 37A Conveyor surface 38 Card slots 39 Computer 41 Display device 42 Input devices 43 Instruction transmission unit 103 Roadside equipment 103A Front 136 Card Stands 136A Mounting surface 311 Shooting lens 311A Shooting axis 315 Upper camera 315A Shooting axis 316 Lower camera 316A Shooting axis 321 Loop Antenna 321A Aperture 321C center 325 Lower Loop Antenna 325A aperture 326 Antenna 331 Board surface 351 Ticket Information Acquisition Unit 352 Storage Information Acquisition Unit 353 Discrimination part 391 CPU 392 memory 393 Storage / playback device 394 IO I / F 395 Communication I / F Vehicle A CC Card I Island L lane X1 Entry detection position X2 Communication termination position X3 Exit detection location

Claims

1. A card transport mechanism that transports the card inserted by toll road users through the card slot, A card reader that receives stored information from the card being transported, A card holder having a mounting surface on which the transported card is placed, A shooting unit comprising an upper camera located above the aforementioned mounting surface and a lower camera located below the aforementioned mounting surface, for capturing an image of the card surface of the card placed on the aforementioned mounting surface, Roadside equipment equipped with the following features.

2. The card transport mechanism has a transport surface that extends to the aforementioned surface, The card reader receives the stored information from the card in transit by performing short-range wireless communication using radio waves. The roadside device according to claim 1.

3. During the transport, the orientation of the card surface around the normal direction is aligned with the imaging unit. The roadside device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The roadside device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the card reader receives the stored information from the card being transported to the aforementioned mounting surface.

5. A ticket information acquisition unit acquires ticket information based on the captured ticket image, A storage information acquisition unit that acquires the received storage information, A determination unit that determines whether there is a mismatch between the acquired ticket information and the acquired stored information, A roadside device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising:

Images