Roadside device, central device, roadside device control method, roadside device control program, central device control method, and central device control program

Abstract

A roadside device (20) includes: an imaging device (14) configured to capture an image of a vehicle (2) using detection of the vehicle (2) as a trigger; a tag information reading device (12) disposed in a same lane as the imaging device (14) and configured to acquire tag information; and a processing unit (205) configured to acquire a communication start time (t1) and a communication end time (t2) of one piece of the tag information and transmit the tag information in a period of the communication start time (t1) to the communication end time (t2) and an imaging time (t3) of the image of the vehicle (2) in association with the image of the vehicle (2) to a central device (40) billing the vehicle (2) for one image of the vehicle (2). FIG. 1

Description

Roadside device, central device, roadside device control method, roadside device control program, central device control method, and central device control program

[0001] The present invention relates to a roadside device, a central device, a roadside device control method, a roadside device control program, a central device control method, and a central device control program.

[0002] Toll collection systems for road tolls have been proposed, demonstrated, or put into practical use. For example, in Singapore, a device mounted on a gantry (e.g., a gate-shaped structure) installed on a free-flow road (where vehicles can travel freely without barriers) communicates data with an on-board unit installed in a vehicle. A system called ERP (Electronic Road Pricing) is in operation in Singapore, where tolls are collected by deducting the amount from a prepaid balance stored in a toll recording device inserted into the on-board unit. In Japan, the following system is also in operation, called ETC (Electronic Toll Collection System). With ETC, data communication is performed with an on-board unit installed in a vehicle at toll booths with individual lanes and barriers. Furthermore, with ETC, tolls are collected by charging the amount to a credit card inserted into the on-board unit. These systems are highly reliable, but require expensive on-board equipment, so cheaper methods are being considered, particularly in developing countries, such as collection systems that use RFID (Radio Frequency Identifier) ​​tags.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which, in addition to communication with an RF tag, a license plate is photographed at a gate and the opening and closing of the gate is controlled using the information from the RF tag and the photographed image data.

[0004] However, if the technology described in Patent Document 1 is applied to toll roads, there is a possibility that vehicles traveling on adjacent non-toll roads will be charged, or that vehicles will not be charged even though they are actually traveling on the roads, due to problems with communication reliability.

[0005] Utility Model Registration No. 3115125

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems, and aims to provide a roadside device, a central device, a roadside device control method, a roadside device control program, a central device control method, and a central device control program that can accurately identify and charge passing vehicles.

[0007] To achieve the above object, a roadside device (20) according to one aspect of the present invention includes an image capture device (14) that captures an image of a vehicle when the vehicle is detected, a tag information reader (12) installed in the same lane as the image capture device and that captures tag information, and a processing unit (205) that acquires a communication start time (t1) and a communication end time (t2) for each tag information item, associates the tag information for the period from the communication start time to the communication end time with the image of the vehicle and the image capture time (t3) of the vehicle, and transmits the associated tag information to a central device that bills the vehicle. With this configuration, the tag information for the period from the communication start time to the communication end time is associated with the images of the vehicle captured during this period and the image capture times, thereby enabling the image of the vehicle subject to billing to be matched with the tag information. As a result, the central device can accurately identify passing vehicles using the information received from the roadside device for billing purposes.

[0008] In addition, in the roadside device according to one aspect of the present invention, the processing unit may associate the identification information of the device itself, the identification information of the lane, the image capturing time, the tag information, the communication start time, and the communication end time, and transmit them to the central device. With this configuration, since the information is associated with each lane and transmitted to the central device, it is possible to accurately identify and charge passing vehicles for each lane using the information received by the central device.

[0009] In addition, in the roadside device according to one aspect of the present invention, the processing unit may extract license plate information related to the license plate of the vehicle from the image of the vehicle by image recognition, and transmit the extracted license plate information to the central device in association with the tag information. With this configuration, the license plate information is also transmitted to the central device in association with the tag information, so that passing vehicles can be accurately identified and charged using the license plate information received by the central device.

[0010] To achieve the above object, a central device (40) according to one aspect of the present invention includes a communication unit (401) that receives information from a roadside device in which tag information for a period from a communication start time (t1) to a communication end time (t2) and the time (t3) at which the vehicle image was captured are associated with the image from the communication start time to the communication end time. A processing unit (402) extracts tag information for the time at which the vehicle image was captured from the received tag information for the period from the communication start time to the communication end time, associates the tag information for the time at which the vehicle image was captured with the image, and charges the vehicle based on the association result. This configuration allows the tag information for the time at which the vehicle image was captured to be extracted using the information received from the roadside device. As a result, passing vehicles can be accurately identified and charged using images and tag information with matching times.

[0011] In addition, in the central device according to one aspect of the present invention, the processing unit may extract license plate information related to the license plate of the vehicle from the image of the vehicle by image recognition, and charge the vehicle using the extracted license plate information as well. With this configuration, passing vehicles can be accurately identified and charged using the license plate information as well.

[0012] In addition, in the central device according to one aspect of the present invention, when the tag information to be associated with the image of the vehicle does not exist, the processing unit may associate information indicating the absence of the tag information with the image of the vehicle, and charge the vehicle based on the association result. With this configuration, even when the tag information cannot be acquired, processing can be performed using the same information (record) as when the tag information is acquired.

[0013] In addition, in the central device according to one aspect of the present invention, when there are n pieces of tag information (n is an integer equal to or greater than 2) to be associated with the image of the vehicle, the processing unit may associate an image of the vehicle with each of the n pieces of tag information and charge the vehicle based on the association results. With this configuration, even when one vehicle has multiple pieces of tag information or when multiple vehicles are traveling during a communication period, processing can be performed using the same information (record) as when one vehicle has one piece of tag information or when one vehicle is traveling during the communication period.

[0014] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a roadside device control method according to one aspect of the present invention includes a photographing step in which a photographing device photographs an image of the vehicle when the vehicle is detected, a tag information reading step in which a tag information reading device installed in the same lane as the photographing device acquires tag information, and a processing step in which a processing unit acquires the communication start time and communication end time of one of the tag information, and for one image of the vehicle, associates the tag information for the period from the communication start time to the communication end time and the photographing time of the image of the vehicle with the image of the vehicle, and transmits the associated information to a central device that charges the vehicle.

[0015] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a roadside device control program according to one embodiment of the present invention causes a computer of a roadside device to execute the following steps: a photographing step of photographing an image of a vehicle when a vehicle is detected, a tag information reading step of acquiring tag information, and a processing step of acquiring the communication start time and communication end time of one of the tag information, and for one image of the vehicle, associating the image of the vehicle with the tag information for the period from the communication start time to the communication end time and the photographing time of the image of the vehicle, and transmitting the associated image to a central device that charges the vehicle.

[0016] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a central device control method according to one aspect of the present invention includes a communication step in which a communication unit receives information from a roadside device in which tag information for the period from the communication start time to the communication end time is associated with an image of a vehicle, and a processing step in which a processing unit extracts tag information for the shooting time of the image of the vehicle from the received tag information for the period from the communication start time to the communication end time, associates the tag information for the shooting time and the shooting time of the image of the vehicle with the image of the vehicle, and charges the vehicle based on the association result.

[0017] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a central device control program according to one embodiment of the present invention causes a computer of the central device to execute a communication step of receiving information from a roadside device in which tag information for the period from the communication start time to the communication end time is associated with an image of a vehicle, and a processing step of extracting the tag information for the shooting time of the image of the vehicle from the received tag information for the period from the communication start time to the communication end time, associating the tag information for the shooting time and the shooting time of the image of the vehicle with the image of the vehicle, and charging the vehicle based on the association result.

[0018] The roadside device or central device of the present invention can accurately identify and charge passing vehicles.

[0019] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a toll collection system according to the present embodiment; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of information stored in a third storage device according to the present embodiment; FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of information stored in a fourth storage device according to the present embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of information stored in a sixth storage device according to the present embodiment; FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of information stored in a seventh storage device according to the present embodiment; FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of information stored in an eighth storage device according to the present embodiment; FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of components arranged near a gate, a communication area, and an example of an imaging range according to the present embodiment; FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a TID, a communication start time t1, a communication end time t2, and an imaging time t3 according to the present embodiment; FIG. 9 is a flowchart of an RFID reception processing procedure performed by a roadside device according to the present embodiment; FIG. 10 is a flowchart of an imaging processing procedure performed by a roadside device according to the present embodiment; FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a processing procedure performed by a central device according to the present embodiment; FIG. 12 is a flowchart of an imaging processing procedure performed by a roadside device according to a modified example of the present embodiment; FIG. 13 is a flowchart of an example of a processing procedure performed by a central device according to a modified example of the present embodiment;

[0020] <Configuration of toll collection system 1> First, we will explain an example of the configuration of the toll collection system 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the toll collection system 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the toll collection system 1 includes a roadside unit 20, a storage device 30, a central unit 40, a storage device 50, a first storage device 60, and a second storage device 70.

[0021] The roadside device 20 includes a sensor 10, an RFID reader 12 (tag information reader), an image capture device 14, an acquisition unit 201, an acquisition unit 202, an acquisition unit 203, a processing unit 205, and a communication unit 206. The storage device 30 includes a third storage device 301 and a fourth storage device 302.

[0022] The central unit 40 includes a communication unit 401 and a processing unit 402. The storage unit 50 includes a sixth storage unit 501, a seventh storage unit 502, and an eighth storage unit 503.

[0023] The sensor 10 detects a vehicle and outputs the detection result to the acquisition unit 201. The sensor 10 and the acquisition unit 201 may be connected by wire or wirelessly.

[0024] The RFID reading device 12 communicates with a wireless tag attached to a vehicle to acquire RFID information (tag information) including a unique ID (identification information) (hereinafter, the unique ID is also referred to as a TID). The RFID reading device 12 can repeatedly acquire RFID information. The RFID reading device 12 outputs the acquired RFID information to the acquiring unit 202. Note that the RFID reading device 12 continuously and intermittently outputs the RFID information, for example, at a predetermined cycle, while communicating with the wireless tag in a communication area described below. Note that the RFID reading device 12 adds time information to the output RFID information before transmitting it. Furthermore, when multiple wireless tags enter the same communication area, the RFID reading device 12 transmits the RFID information of one of the wireless tags to the acquiring unit 202, but does not manage the order or whether the RFID information is excessive or insufficient. Note that the RFID reading device 12 and the acquiring unit 202 may be connected by wire or wirelessly.

[0025] The image capturing device 14 captures an image of the vehicle, including the license plate, at an image capturing timing controlled by the processing unit 205, and outputs the captured image data to the acquisition unit 203. The image data has a capture time t3 added to it. The image capturing device 14 and the acquisition unit 203 may be connected by wire or wirelessly.

[0026] The first storage device 60 stores the information written on the license plate in association with the name of the vehicle owner who acquired the license plate, the vehicle owner information, and the vehicle type (car class) information. Note that vehicle license plates are managed by a public institution such as a government when the vehicle is acquired. The first storage device 60 is also managed by a public institution such as a government.

[0027] The second storage device 70 stores the TID of the wireless tag in association with information about the acquirer, vehicle information (target vehicle, target vehicle license plate, model, etc.), information about the payment method (advance payment, deferred payment, credit payment, etc.), and an electronic account for billing.

[0028] (Functions of Roadside Device 20) The roadside device 20 is installed at each of the entrances and exits of a toll road, for example. The roadside device 20 controls the timing of photographing by the photographing device 14 based on the detection results obtained from the sensor 10. The roadside device 20 stores the TID obtained by the RFID reading device 12 in the third storage device 301 of the storage device 30. The roadside device 20 stores the image data photographed by the photographing device 14 in the fourth storage device 302 of the storage device 30. The roadside device 20 transmits the information stored in the storage device 30 to the central device 40. The roadside device 20 and the central device 40 are connected, for example, via a network.

[0029] The acquisition unit 201 acquires the detection result output by the sensor 10 and outputs the acquired detection result to the processing unit 205 .

[0030] The acquiring unit 202 acquires RFID information output by the RFID reader 12. In this case, the acquiring unit 202 adds the time when acquisition of the TID included in the RFID information started (communication start time) and the time when acquisition of the TID included in the RFID information ended (communication end time) to the RFID information, and outputs the RFID information to the processing unit 205. Note that the acquiring unit 202 may have a time measurement means (not shown). In this case, the acquiring unit 202 may measure the time when acquisition of the TID started and the time when acquisition ended, and add the measured time information to the RFID information.

[0031] The acquisition unit 203 acquires image data output by the image capturing device 14 and outputs the acquired image data to the processing unit 205 .

[0032] The processing unit 205 controls the image capture timing (shutter timing) of the image capture device 14 based on the detection result of the sensor 10 output by the acquisition unit 201. The image capture timing is, for example, when the vehicle reaches a predetermined position and is a time between the communication start time and the communication end time. The processing unit 205 acquires the RFID information output by the acquisition unit 202. As described above, the RFID information includes the TID, the communication start time, and the communication end time. The processing unit 205 associates the TID with the communication start time t1 and the communication end time t2 and stores them in the third storage device 301. The processing unit 205 acquires the image data output by the acquisition unit 203. As described above, the image data includes the image capture time t3. The image capture timing does not have to be the same as the time detected by the sensor 10. The image capture time t3 may be, for example, a time offset by a predetermined time from the time detected by the sensor 10. Even in this case, the image capturing time t3 may be a time between the communication start time t1 and the communication end time t2, and may be a timing triggered by the detection result of the sensor 10. Alternatively, the image capturing timing may be a timing when a vehicle is detected, and does not have to be a timing when the sensor 10 detects the vehicle. Therefore, the roadside device 20 may not be equipped with a sensor 10 that detects vehicles. For example, the image capturing timing may be a timing when the image capturing device 14 captures images continuously over time and the image of the vehicle in the captured images exceeds a predetermined area. Alternatively, the image capturing timing may be a timing based on the time when the RFID reading device 12 acquires RFID information to detect a vehicle.

[0033] The processing unit 205 assigns an image unique ID (hereinafter referred to as PID) to the image data, associates the image data, the PID, and the shooting time t3, and stores the image data in the fourth storage device 302. Note that the shooting time t3 may be the time of shooting timing when the camera 14 is controlled to take a picture. The processing unit 205 transmits all or any of the information stored in the third storage device 301 and the information stored in the fourth storage device 302 to the central device 40 via the communication unit 206. Note that the transmitted information is for each lane and includes unique information of the roadside device (roadside device ID), unique information of the lane (lane ID), unique information of the image data (PID), the shooting time t3, the TID, the communication start time t1, and the communication end time t2.

[0034] The communication unit 206 transmits the information output by the processing unit 205 to the central device 40 .

[0035] (Information stored in storage device 30) The third storage device 301 stores the TID, a communication start time t1, and a communication end time t2 in association with each other, as shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of information stored in the third storage device 301 according to this embodiment.

[0036] The fourth storage device 302 stores image data, a PID, and a shooting time t3 in association with each other, as shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of information stored in the fourth storage device 302 according to this embodiment.

[0037] 2 and 3 are merely examples, and for example, the storage device 30 may be configured to divide one storage device into multiple areas and store the information stored in the third storage device 301 and the information stored in the fourth storage device 302. The storage device 30 may also store other information in association with the information. The other information may be, for example, unique information of the roadside device 20 (such as a gate ID).

[0038] (Functions of Central Unit 40) Returning to Fig. 1 , the central unit 40 will be described. The central unit 40 collects information transmitted by the roadside units 20. The central unit 40 processes the collected information and stores the processed information in the storage device 50. The central unit 40 performs billing and other operations on the vehicle based on the information stored in the storage device 50.

[0039] The communication unit 401 receives information transmitted by the roadside device 20 and outputs the received information to the processing unit 402 .

[0040] The processing unit 402 extracts the TID between the communication start time t1 and the communication end time t2 for the image capture time t3 for each lane of the gate. The processing unit 402 records the extracted TID together with the PID and the image capture time t3 in the sixth storage device 501. After the above process, if the processing unit 402 can identify the license plate number of the image for a PID that does not have a TID to be associated, it associates the image data, PID, image capture time t3, and license plate information and records them in the seventh storage device 502. The processing unit 402 also identifies the license plate information written on the license plate using well-known image recognition techniques such as feature extraction and pattern matching for the image data. If the processing unit 402 cannot identify the license plate number of a PID that does not have a TID to be associated, it associates the image data, PID, and image capture time t3 and records them in the eighth storage device 503. The processing unit 402 charges the vehicle identified by the TID stored in the sixth storage device 501 by referring to the second storage device 70. The processing unit 402 refers to the first storage device 60 and charges the vehicle identified by the license plate information in the seventh storage device 502. The processing unit 402 charges the vehicle identified by the image data in the eighth storage device 503 by processing in accordance with the law, such as reporting to the police.

[0041] (Information stored in the storage device 50) The sixth storage device 501 stores the TID, the PID, and the shooting time t3 in association with each other, as shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of information stored in the sixth storage device 501 according to this embodiment.

[0042] The seventh storage device 502 stores image data, a PID, a photographing time t3, and license plate information in association with each other, as shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of information stored in the seventh storage device 502 according to this embodiment.

[0043] The eighth storage device 503 stores image data, a PID, and a shooting time t3 in association with each other, as shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of information stored in the eighth storage device 503 according to this embodiment.

[0044] 4 to 6 are merely examples, and for example, the storage device 50 may be configured to divide one storage device into multiple areas and store the information stored in the sixth storage device 501, the information stored in the seventh storage device 502, and the information stored in the eighth storage device 503. The storage device 50 may also store other information in association with the information. The other information may be, for example, unique information of the roadside device 20 (such as a gate ID).

[0045] (Outline of Components Installed Near the Gate) Next, an outline of the components installed near the gate will be described. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing example components installed near the gate according to this embodiment, a communication area, and an example of an imaging range. In FIG. 7, the area indicated by reference symbol g11 shows example components installed near the gate and a communication area, as viewed from above the road. The area indicated by reference symbol g12 shows example detection areas and example imaging ranges, as viewed from the side of the road. In FIG. 7, the traveling direction of the vehicle 2 is the x-direction, the direction of a horizontal plane perpendicular to the x-direction is the y-direction, and the height direction is the z-direction.

[0046] FIG. 7 illustrates a case where a vehicle equipped with a wireless tag 3 and a license plate 4 is traveling on a road. The example indicated by reference symbol g11 is an example of a road having three lanes. A sensor 10-n is provided in the nth lane (n is an integer from 1 to 3) via a support material 5. When one of the sensors 10-1 to 10-3 is not specified, it is referred to as the sensor 10. Furthermore, an RFID reader 12-n and an image capture device 14-n are provided in the nth lane via a support material 6. When one of the RFID readers 12-1 to 12-3 is not specified, it is referred to as the RFID reader 12. When one of the image capture devices 14-1 to 14-3 is not specified, it is referred to as the image capture device 14. The sensor 10 may be a shutter function using image processing by the image capture device 14.

[0047] 7, a sensor 10, an RFID reader 12, and an image capture device 14 are installed in the same lane. If it is possible to identify each lane, one image capture device may be installed to capture images of multiple lanes.

[0048] In the area indicated by the symbol g11, area 101-n is the communication area in the xy plane between the wireless tag 3 and the RFID reader 12. When one of the areas 101-n is not specified, it is referred to as area 101. Position 111 is the position where communication starts. Position 112 is the timing position where the image capturing device 14 captures an image. Position 113 is the position where communication ends.

[0049] As shown in the areas indicated by symbols g11 and g12, communication takes place between the wireless tag 3 and the RFID reader 12 in the section from position 111 to position 113. In the area indicated by symbol g12, symbols 121a and 121b indicate the range in the xz plane where communication is possible. In the area indicated by symbol g12, symbols 131a and 131b indicate the range in the xz plane where imaging is possible by the imaging device 14.

[0050] As shown in the areas indicated by the symbols g11 and g12, the photographing device 14 photographs the vehicle 2 including the license plate 4 at position 112 based on the detection results of the sensor 10. The photographing device 14 outputs the photographed image data to the roadside unit 20 (FIG. 1). Also, as shown in the areas indicated by the symbols g11 and g12, in the section from positions 111 to 113, the RFID reading device 12 communicates with the wireless tag 3 and acquires RFID information from the wireless tag 3. The RFID reading device 12 outputs the acquired RFID information to the roadside unit 20 (FIG. 1).

[0051] (Examples of TID, communication start time t1, communication end time t2, and photographing time t3) Next, an example of TID, communication start time t1, communication end time t2, and photographing time t3 will be described. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of TID, communication start time t1, communication end time t2, and photographing time t3 according to this embodiment. FIG. 8 is also a diagram showing an example of communication for one lane. The horizontal axis represents time. As shown in FIG. 8, the RFID reading device 12 outputs RFID information including TID, which is acquired intermittently, to the roadside unit 20 during the period from communication start time t1 to communication end time t2. Also, as shown in FIG. 8, photographing time t3, which is the photographing timing, is a time between communication start time t1 and communication end time t2. The TID acquisition cycle is, for example, 200 ms.

[0052] (Processing example of roadside device 20 and central device 40) Next, an example of processing performed by the roadside device 20 and the central device 40 will be described. It should be noted that the following three types of vehicles may coexist and travel on a toll road: - Class 1 vehicles: vehicles equipped with registered license plates and registered wireless communication tags - Class 2 vehicles: vehicles equipped with registered license plates but not with registered wireless communication tags - Class 3 vehicles: vehicles without registered license plates, or vehicles with license plates that are damaged or intentionally deformed or concealed so that they cannot be properly seen, and vehicles without registered wireless tags

[0053] First, the RFID reading process will be described with reference to Fig. 9, which is a flowchart showing the procedure of the RFID receiving process performed by the roadside device 20 according to this embodiment.

[0054] (Step S11 ) The processing unit 205 acquires, via the acquisition unit 202 , the RFID information acquired by the RFID reader 12 .

[0055] (Step S12) Based on the RFID information, the processing unit 205 authenticates and verifies whether the wireless tag from which the RFID information was obtained is one issued by the toll collection system 1.

[0056] (Step S13) If the authentication is successful, i.e., if the wireless tag from which the RFID information was obtained is authenticated as having been issued by the toll collection system 1 (step S13; YES), the processing unit 205 proceeds to the processing of step S15. If the authentication is unsuccessful, i.e., if the wireless tag from which the RFID information was obtained is authenticated as not having been issued by the toll collection system 1 (step S13; NO), the processing unit 205 proceeds to the processing of step S14.

[0057] (Step S14) The processing unit 205 discards the acquired RFID information. After completing step S14, the processing unit 205 ends the process.

[0058] (Step S15) The processing unit 205 associates the TID included in the RFID information with the communication start time t1 and the communication end time t2, and stores them in the third storage device 301. The processing unit 205 transmits the information stored in the third storage device 301 to the central device 40 via the communication unit 206.

[0059] Next, the photographing process will be described with reference to Fig. 10, which is a flowchart showing the photographing process performed by the roadside device 20 according to this embodiment.

[0060] (Step S21) The processing unit 205 determines whether it is time to take a photograph based on the detection result output by the sensor 10. If the processing unit 205 determines that it is time to take a photograph (step S21; YES), the processing unit 205 proceeds to the processing of step S22. If the processing unit 205 determines that it is not time to take a photograph (step S21; NO), the processing unit 205 repeats the processing of step S21.

[0061] (Step S22) The processing unit 205 takes a photograph by controlling the photographing device 14. Subsequently, the processing unit 205 assigns a PID to the photographed image.

[0062] (Step S23) The processing unit 205 associates the image data, the PID, and the shooting time t3 included in the image data, and stores them in the fourth storage device 302. The processing unit 205 transmits the information stored in the fourth storage device 302 to the central device 40 via the communication unit 206.

[0063] Next, the photographing process will be described with reference to Fig. 11, which is a flowchart showing the processing procedure performed by the central unit 40 according to this embodiment.

[0064] (Step S31) The processing unit 402 receives the information transmitted by the roadside device 20 via the communication unit 401.

[0065] (Step S32) The processing unit 402 extracts TIDs between the communication start time t1 and the communication end time t2 for the photographing time t3 for each lane of the individual gate.

[0066] (Step S33) The processing unit 402 determines whether a TID to be associated with the PID exists and whether there is one corresponding TID. If the processing unit 402 determines that a TID to be associated with the PID exists and that there is one corresponding TID (step S33; YES), the processing unit 402 proceeds to processing of step S34. If the processing unit 402 determines that there is no TID to be associated with the PID or that there are multiple corresponding TIDs (step S33; NO), the processing unit 402 proceeds to processing of step S36.

[0067] (Step S34) The processing unit 402 associates the TID with the PID.

[0068] (Step S35) The processing unit 402 associates the TID, PID, and shooting time t3 and records them in the sixth storage device 501. The information stored in the sixth storage device 501 corresponds to the above-mentioned Type 1 vehicle. After processing, the processing unit 402 proceeds to the processing of step S40.

[0069] (Step S36) The processing unit 402 performs image recognition processing to recognize license plate information from the image data.

[0070] (Step S37) The processing unit 402 determines whether or not the license plate information was image-recognized from the image data. If the processing unit 402 determines that the license plate information was image-recognized from the image data (step S37; YES), the processing unit 402 proceeds to processing in step S38. If the processing unit 402 determines that the license plate information was not image-recognized from the image data (step S37; NO), the processing unit 402 proceeds to processing in step S39.

[0071] (Step S38) The processing unit 402 associates the image data, the PID, the shooting time t3, and the license plate information and records them in the seventh storage device 502. The information stored in the seventh storage device 502 corresponds to the case where TID acquisition failed for the above-mentioned Class 1 vehicle, or the above-mentioned Class 2 vehicle. After processing, the processing unit 402 proceeds to the processing of Step S40.

[0072] (Step S39) The processing unit 402 associates the image data, the PID, and the shooting time t3 and records them in the eighth storage device 503. The information stored in the eighth storage device 503 corresponds to the three types of vehicles described above. After processing, the processing unit 402 proceeds to the processing of step S40. Note that if the image data includes multiple vehicles subject to charging, the processing unit 402 performs the processing of steps S36 to S39 for each vehicle.

[0073] (Step S40) The processing unit 402 performs a billing process. For example, the processing unit 402 refers to the second storage device 70 and charges a vehicle associated with the TID stored in the sixth storage device 501. Alternatively, the processing unit 402 refers to the first storage device 60 and charges a vehicle associated with the license plate information in the seventh storage device 502. Alternatively, the processing unit 402 charges a vehicle associated with the image data in the eighth storage device 503 by a legal process such as reporting to the police.

[0074] In this manner, in this embodiment, by associating the TID of the time t3 (timestamp) when the image data was captured, it is possible to perform billing accurately without misidentification.

[0075] 11, the accuracy can be further improved by checking whether the license plate information associated with the TID matches that of the image data. If the data does not match, the processing unit 402 records it in the seventh storage device 502 and charges based on the stored information.

[0076] In the above example, the central device 40 performs image recognition of license plate information from image data, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the roadside device 20 may perform image recognition of license plate information from image data. In this case, the processing unit 205 of the roadside device 20 may store the license plate information in, for example, the fourth storage device 302 and transmit the stored license plate information to the central device 40. Furthermore, if the processing unit 205 is unable to recognize the license plate information from the image data, the processing unit 205 may transmit information to the central device 40 indicating that the license plate information could not be recognized.

[0077] As described above, according to this embodiment, images are captured during the period when RFID information is received (time t1 to t2), and the captured image data is stored in association with the RFID information. This prevents the central unit 40 from erroneously charging a toll road even if RFID information is received from a vehicle traveling on a toll-free road adjacent to a toll road to be charged, unless the license plate information in the image data associated with the RFID information matches the data in the first storage device 60 associated with the RFID information. This allows the present embodiment to properly identify passing vehicles on toll roads where charging is performed by a combination of wireless communication and image capture, without installing a transmission controller on the road.

[0078] (Modification) Next, a modification of the above-described embodiment will be described. The RFID reading process performed by the roadside device 20 is the same as the process in Fig. 9. The photographing process when the roadside device 20 recognizes license plate information will be described. Fig. 12 is a flowchart of the photographing process procedure performed by the roadside device 20 according to a modification of this embodiment.

[0079] (Steps S21 to S22) The processing unit 205 performs the processes of steps S21 to S22. After the processes, the processing unit 205 proceeds to the process of step S25.

[0080] (Step S25) The processing unit 205 performs image recognition processing to recognize license plate information from the image data.

[0081] (Step S26) The processing unit 205 determines whether or not the license plate information was recognized from the image data. If the processing unit 205 determines that the license plate information was recognized from the image data (step S26; YES), the processing unit 205 proceeds to processing of step S27. If the processing unit 205 determines that the license plate information was not recognized from the image data (step S26; NO), the processing unit 205 proceeds to processing of step S28.

[0082] (Step S27) The processing unit 205 sets NP1 to "Read". After processing, the processing unit 205 proceeds to processing in step S29. (Step S28) The processing unit 205 sets NP1 to "Null". After processing, the processing unit 205 proceeds to processing in step S29.

[0083] (Step S29) The processing unit 205 associates the image data, the shooting time t3, the PID, and the NP1, and stores them in the fourth storage device 302. The processing unit 205 transmits the information stored in the fourth storage device 302 to the central device 40 via the communication unit 206.

[0084] 13 and 14 are flowcharts showing an example of a processing procedure performed by the central device 40 according to a modification of this embodiment.

[0085] (Steps S31 to S32) The processing unit 402 performs the processes of steps S31 to S32. After the processes, the processing unit performs the process of step S100.

[0086] (Step S100) The processing unit 402 determines whether or not there is a TID to be associated with the PID. If the processing unit 402 determines that there is a TID to be associated with the PID (step S100; YES), the processing unit 402 proceeds to the processing of step S102 (FIG. 14). If the processing unit 402 determines that there is no TID to be associated with the PID (step S100; NO), the processing unit 402 proceeds to the processing of step S101.

[0087] (Step S101) The processing unit 402 creates a record by associating TID="Null", NP1="Null", a communication start time t1, and a communication end time t2 with the PID. Note that the processing unit 402 may also create a record by associating TID="Null", NP1="Null", and a communication end time t2 with the PID.

[0088] The explanation will be continued by moving to Fig. 14. (Step S102) The processing unit 402 determines whether there is one TID to be associated with the PID. If the processing unit 402 determines that there is one TID to be associated with the PID (step S102; YES), the processing unit 402 proceeds to the processing of step S103. If the processing unit 402 determines that there is not one TID to be associated with the PID (step S102; NO), the processing unit 402 proceeds to the processing of step S104.

[0089] (Step S103) The processing unit 402 creates a record in which the PID is associated with the TID. Specifically, the processing unit 402 creates a record in which the PID is associated with the TID, the shooting time t3, and the NP1. After processing, the processing unit 402 proceeds to processing in step S109.

[0090] (Step S104) The processing unit 402 determines whether there are multiple TIDs to be associated with the PID. If the processing unit 402 determines that there are multiple TIDs to be associated with the PID (step S104; YES), the processing unit 402 proceeds to the processing of step S106. If the processing unit 402 determines that there are not multiple TIDs to be associated with the PID (step S104; NO), the processing unit 402 proceeds to the processing of step S105.

[0091] (Step S105) The processing unit 402 creates a record in which the PID is associated with TID="Null". Specifically, the processing unit 402 creates a record in which the PID is associated with TID="Null", the shooting time t3, and NP1. After processing, the processing unit 402 proceeds to the processing of step S109.

[0092] (Step S106) The processing unit 402 determines whether or not multiple vehicles have entered the communication area of ​​interest based on the PID, the shooting time t3, the image data, and the license plate information transmitted by the roadside device 20. If the processing unit 402 determines that multiple vehicles have entered the communication area of ​​interest (step S106; NO), the processing unit 402 proceeds to processing in step S108. If the processing unit 402 determines that multiple vehicles have not entered the communication area of ​​interest (step S106; YES), the processing unit 402 proceeds to processing in step S107.

[0093] (Step S107) The processing unit 402 creates a record associated with the PID. Specifically, the processing unit 402 uses the newly registered TID as the TID, discards the other TIDs, and creates a record by associating the new TID, the image capture time T3, and the license plate information with the PID. After processing, the processing unit 402 proceeds to the processing of step S109. Note that the creation of the record in step S107 is performed assuming a vehicle with multiple tags.

[0094] (Step S108) The processing unit 402 creates a record by dividing the PID into branch numbers equal to the number of TIDs and associating each with each of them. For example, if there are n vehicles, j is set to 1 to n. Then, the processing unit 402 creates the first record (PID １ , TID, shooting time t3, license plate information), ..., jth record (PID ｊ , TID, shooting time t3, license plate information), ..., nth record (PID ｎ , TID, shooting time t3, and license plate information). After processing, the processing unit 402 proceeds to the processing of step S109. Note that the creation of the record performed in step S108 is performed assuming that multiple vehicles enter the communication area.

[0095] (Step S109) The processing unit 402 creates a DB (database) for each lane. The elements of the DB are (PID, TID, shooting time t3, license plate information). The processing unit 402 stores the DB in the storage device 50.

[0096] (Step S110) The processing unit 402 determines whether the same TID has been detected within a predetermined time range from the image capture time t3 for each adjacent lane. If the processing unit 402 determines that the same TID has not been detected within the predetermined time range from the image capture time t3 for each adjacent lane (step S110; NO), the processing unit 402 proceeds to processing in step S112. If the processing unit 402 determines that the same TID has been detected within the predetermined time range from the image capture time t3 for each adjacent lane (step S110; YES), the processing unit 402 proceeds to processing in step S111.

[0097] (Step S111) The processing unit 402 deletes the street record of the adjacent lane from the DB. After the process, the processing unit proceeds to the process of step S112. The process of step S11 is performed because the same TID has been detected as being duplicated in the adjacent lane.

[0098] (Step S112) The processing unit 402 performs the billing process in the same manner as in step S40 (FIG. 11).

[0099] Note that steps S110 and S111 are processes to prevent duplicate charging due to the same TID being detected multiple times in adjacent lanes. If steps S110 and S111 were performed for each file per day, even if the same vehicle passed through the same lane multiple times, the data would be deleted by the processing of step S111, making it impossible to properly charge. For this reason, a time constraint of being within a predetermined time range is imposed on the processing of step S110. Note that the predetermined time range is sufficiently shorter than the time it takes for the same vehicle to pass through the same lane multiple times.

[0100] As described above, according to the modified example, even when, for example, a four-wheeled vehicle and a two-wheeled vehicle are traveling in the communication area of ​​one lane, it is possible to properly charge the vehicle.

[0101] In each of the above-described embodiments, all or part of the various processes performed by the roadside unit 20 and the central unit 40 are stored in the form of a program on a computer-readable recording medium, and the various processes are performed by the computer reading and executing the program. The computer-readable recording medium refers to a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, a semiconductor memory, etc. Alternatively, the computer program may be distributed to a computer via a communication line, and the computer that receives the program may execute the program.

[0102] The program may be a program for realizing some of the above-mentioned functions, or may be a so-called differential file (differential program) that can realize the above-mentioned functions in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system.

[0103] As described above, several embodiments of the present invention have been described, but all of these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as defined in the claims, as well as in the scope and spirit of the invention.

[0104] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Toll collection system 2... Vehicle 3... Wireless tag 4... License plate 10, 10-1, 10-2, 10-3, 10-n... Sensor 12, 12-1, 12-2, 12-3, 12-n... RFID reading device 14, 14-1, 14-2, 14-2, 14-3, 14-n... Photography device 20... Roadside device 30... Storage device 40... Central device 50... Storage device 60... First storage device 70... Second storage device 101, 101-1, 101-2, 102-3, 101-n... Communication area 111... Communication start position 112... Position of photography timing 113... Communication end position 201, 202, 203... Acquisition unit 205... Processing unit 206... Communication unit 301... Third storage device 302... Fourth storage device 401: Communication unit 402: Processing unit 501: Sixth storage device 502: Seventh storage device 503: Eighth storage device

Claims

1. A roadside device comprising: a camera that captures an image of a vehicle when the vehicle is detected; a tag information reader that is installed in the same lane as the camera and acquires tag information; and a processing unit that acquires the communication start time and communication end time of one of the tag information, associates the tag information for the period from the communication start time to the communication end time with the image of the vehicle and the time the image of the vehicle was taken, and transmits the associated information to a central device that charges the vehicle.

2. The roadside device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit associates the identification information of the device itself, the identification information of the lane, the photographing time, the tag information, the communication start time, and the communication end time and transmits them to the central device.

3. The roadside device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the processing unit extracts license plate information relating to the license plate of the vehicle from an image of the vehicle by image recognition, associates the extracted license plate information with the tag information, and transmits the information to the central device.

4. A central device comprising: a communication unit that receives information from a roadside device in which tag information for the period from the communication start time to the communication end time and the shooting time of the vehicle image are associated with an image of the vehicle; and a processing unit that extracts the tag information for the shooting time of the vehicle image from the received tag information for the period from the communication start time to the communication end time, associates the tag information for the shooting time with the image of the vehicle, and charges the vehicle based on the association result.

5. The central device according to claim 4, wherein the processing unit extracts license plate information relating to the license plate of the vehicle from an image of the vehicle by image recognition, and charges the vehicle using the extracted license plate information.

6. The central device according to claim 4 or claim 5, wherein, when there is no tag information to be associated with the image of the vehicle, the processing unit associates information indicating that there is no tag information, and charges the vehicle based on the association result.

7. The central device described in claim 4 or claim 5, wherein when there are n pieces of tag information (n is an integer greater than or equal to 2) to be associated with an image of the vehicle, the processing unit associates an image of the vehicle for each of the n pieces of tag information and charges the vehicle based on the association results.

8. A roadside device control method comprising: a photographing step in which detection of a vehicle is used as a trigger to photograph an image of the vehicle; a tag information reading step in which a tag information reading device installed in the same lane as the photographing device acquires tag information; and a processing step in which a processing unit acquires the communication start time and communication end time of one of the tag information, and for one image of the vehicle, associates the tag information for the period from the communication start time to the communication end time and the photographing time of the image of the vehicle with the image of the vehicle, and transmits the associated information to a central device that charges the vehicle.

9. A roadside device control program that causes a computer in a roadside device to execute the following steps: a photographing step of photographing an image of a vehicle when the vehicle is detected; a tag information reading step of acquiring tag information; and a processing step of acquiring the communication start time and communication end time of one of the tag information, and for one image of the vehicle, associating the image of the vehicle with the tag information for the period from the communication start time to the communication end time and the photographing time of the image of the vehicle, and transmitting the associated information to a central device that charges the vehicle.

10. A central device control method including: a communication step in which a communication unit receives information from a roadside device in which tag information for the period from the communication start time to the communication end time is associated with an image of a vehicle; and a processing step in which a processing unit extracts the tag information for the shooting time of the image of the vehicle from the received tag information for the period from the communication start time to the communication end time, associates the tag information for the shooting time and the shooting time of the image of the vehicle with the image of the vehicle, and charges the vehicle based on the association result.

11. A central device control program that causes a computer of a central device to execute the following steps: a communication step of receiving from a roadside device information in which tag information for the period from the communication start time to the communication end time is associated with an image of a vehicle; and a processing step of extracting the tag information for the time the image of the vehicle was taken from the received tag information for the period from the communication start time to the communication end time, associating the tag information for the time the image of the vehicle was taken with the image of the vehicle, and charging the vehicle based on the association result.