Electronic Toll Payment System Using Mobile Pre-authorization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional open road tolling systems lack customer choice for payment methods, particularly at unmanned locations, and require a stored value account, which is inconvenient for infrequent users and may necessitate multiple accounts for users of multiple regional toll systems.

Innovation Solution

An electronic payment system that allows customers to register vehicles and choose payment methods using a personal electronic device, enabling payment authorization through various financial accounts, including credit cards and bank accounts, without the need for a stored value account, and supports both attended and unattended transactions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If traditional open road tolling systems use stored value accounts for payment, then automated transaction processing is enabled, but customer convenience deteriorates due to the need for initial deposits and account replenishment

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransaction processing efficiencyVSAvoidcustomer convenience

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-authorizing payment amounts on linked financial accounts before toll transactions occur. The application pre-loads payment information and automatically authorizes transactions without requiring customers to manually replenish stored value accounts, thus maintaining automated processing while improving convenience.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention extracts the stored value account requirement from the toll payment system. By directly linking to external financial accounts (credit cards, bank accounts), the system removes the intermediate stored value account that caused inconvenience, while still enabling automated transaction processing through electronic payment authorization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Adaptability or versatility

If traditional toll systems require stored value accounts for each customer, then account management is standardized, but system complexity increases for customers using multiple regional toll systems

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemulti-region toll system compatibilityVSAvoidnumber of accounts to manage

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The payment application provides universal functionality across multiple regional toll systems by linking to a single financial account. The system can associate multiple vehicles with the same financial account and works across different toll authorities, eliminating the need for customers to maintain separate stored value accounts for each region or vehicle.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention merges multiple account management requirements into a single financial account linkage. Instead of requiring separate stored value accounts for each vehicle or region, the system combines all toll payments under one financial account through the mobile application, significantly reducing the number of accounts customers must manage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Speed

If open road tolling processes vehicles at highway speeds with no cash machines, then transaction speed is improved, but payment method flexibility deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevehicle processing speedVSAvoidpayment method choice

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system replaces mechanical cash handling systems with electronic payment authorization through mobile devices. The application captures payment authorization electronically, eliminating the need for physical cash machines while maintaining high-speed processing suitable for highway toll collection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The mobile application serves as an intermediary between the toll system and financial institutions. It enables flexible payment method selection (credit card, bank account, stored value) while maintaining automated high-speed processing by acting as a communication bridge that authorizes payments without requiring physical cash transactions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS9691061B2Method and system for electronic toll payment

Publication Date: 2017.06.27 AMERICAN TRAFFIC SOLUTIONS CONSOLIDATED LLC

AI summary

A system and method for making electronic payments for tolls, parking and related transactions. A customer downloads an application onto their personal electronic device and registers the customer's vehicle and financial account information with a provider. The application detects upcoming toll facilities and notifies the customer. The customer can accept the payment of the toll through the application whereupon the provider makes a payment from the customer's designated account to the toll facility.