EP3012810A1 - Method and onboard unit (OBU) for recording tolls - Google Patents

Abstract

An on-board unit (OBU) for detecting the distance traveled by a vehicle on a toll road has a GPS module (17) for continuously calculating the vehicle position and the distance traveled, a communication device (23) for communicating with a control device (31). , and a computer unit having a processor (19) and a memory (15). The computer unit is in communication with the GPS module (17), the communication device (23) and the memory (15). A program (13) and data such as OBU-ID and vehicle master data are stored in the memory (15) of the OBU. In addition, in the memory (15), the geocoordinates of a plurality of control polygons, their distances to other control polygons and the corresponding measurement paths are stored. The control polygons serve to ascertain whether road sections subject to toll have been used. However, a traveled distance or measuring distance is only counted if the result is plausible, i. E. an independent distance measurement substantially matches the polygonal distances. It is also important that the routes are calculated on the basis of the officially determined measured road sections.

Description

The invention relates to a method for toll collection and an onboard unit (OBU) for carrying out the method, in particular travel distance and time data acquisition, according to the preambles of claims 1 and 13.

was standing of the technology

From the EP-A-1 909 231 For example, onboard equipment is known that implements at least one in-use link usage calculation system. The equipment includes a vehicle position data providing vehicle position device, a map memory containing one or more maps, a map comparison device that receives vehicle position data from the vehicle position device and map data from the map memory, compares them and determines therefrom the route usage data, a communication device in the form of a GSM / GPRS communication device Receives data for the route usage calculation and sends it to a background device. The on-vehicle equipment may switch between two comparison modes, an off-vehicle map comparison mode in which the data received and transmitted from the communication device is the changing vehicle position data from the vehicle positioning device, and a vehicle-side map comparison mode in which the data received and transmitted by the communication device is the one Track usage data from the card comparison device is. When entering the data, the location and time of entry and exit from a zone can also be recorded. In addition, at least one surface in the form of a polygon is stored in the equipment or in a trailing computer. Thus, only one surface in the form of a polygon corresponding to the paid area must be stored in the on-board equipment, but information about the distance traveled within the area may well be recorded for purposes of proof. In the case of highways, the distance covered can either be determined by the equipment or derived from the legal length of a section of the motorway.

The WO 03/098556 discloses an evaluation system for determining the time and / or distance traveled by a vehicle in a particular zone. The Zone is defined as a geographic polygon corresponding to larger streets. According to the WO 03/098556 the system calculates the distance traveled in a combination of corridors and polygon zones and spent time. The evaluation system needs only a limited accuracy for the position determination, since only usage and time information within each zone are determined.

The EP-A-1 696 208 discloses a method with which vehicles can be detected reliably when driving in and out of a certain area in a simple manner and with the simplest possible processing and calculation of data. This object is achieved by taking into account not only pure position data of the vehicle derived therefrom information such as the direction of travel. In the process, surfaces in the form of polygons are placed over entrances and exits and it is determined whether a vehicle is in such an area or not. If the vehicle is in the area, its direction of travel is additionally determined by comparing it with a direction-dependent attribute of the area. This has the advantage that a crossing of the surface is mistakenly regarded as driving on the geographical area associated with the surface. The area may be superimposed on the coordinates of a geographic area, eg, a city, covering at least a portion of the geographic area to detect entry and exit from the geographic area. The device used for the implementation is connected to a computer center in a communication connection, via which data (results of the comparison operation) and an identification data of the vehicle can be transmitted.

The WO 2009/146948 describes a method for collecting a motor vehicle toll using satellite and / or mobile telephone location, in which method at least one vehicle device on the basis of detected location data and stored tariff data fee data are determined, between the vehicle unit and a central system Established communication link, and for all actions of data transmission and billing authenticated certificates and digital signatures are used to ensure access, billing and tamper resistance. In this case, predetermined location data which are respectively required as a function of the current vehicle position are transmitted from the central system via the communication connection to the vehicle device in order to minimize the data stored in the vehicle device to reduce. However, repeatedly used location data remain permanently stored in the vehicle unit. The given location data may include information about the network availability of the communication link as well as about the local quality of GPS signals.

In principle, any time- and / or km-dependent toll system can be technically realized with a GPS track recording (track log). The evaluation of the lane data can take place both in a vehicle device itself or on a server. The biggest drawback, however, is that even if the aforementioned techniques were to work perfectly, the data protection authorities of many countries prohibit the transmission, storage or evaluation of route and speed data to a server, since the privacy of the driver can be violated.

Even a GSM connection between the OBU of a vehicle and a GSM network operator is rejected by the data protection authorities in toll collection because the transferred data can be intercepted and the way of the vehicle can be recorded via GSM location.

The existing toll systems with toll bridges, e.g. in Austria or Germany, or with up-and-down checks, e.g. in Italy or France, are well suited for highways and freeways, but not for federal highways, because here for plausible reasons (costs, structural restrictions) can not be created at each intersection, a toll bridge or an uphill and downhill control.

The height of the highway toll for eg trucks depends among other things on the total number of axles or the total weight. In a vehicle combination (trailer / trailer operation), the total number of axles and the total weight are composed of the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle. Before driving on a toll road with a trailer or semitrailer, the driver must enter the appropriate number of axles or the total weight of his vehicle combination in an on-vehicle data acquisition module (OBU). In order to automatically check the data entered by the driver, the OBU of the towing vehicle at toll bridges and / or control points sends, in addition to the OBU-ID and other information, the number of axles and / or the total weight specified by the driver. These control bodies have different technologies for determining the real number of axles or the total real weight. In case of disagreement between the transmitted information and the established facts, the photo becomes with the mark of the pulling Vehicle is stored as evidence and forwarded to the authorities or operators of the traffic toll road for follow-up (the license plate of the towed vehicle is irrelevant).

Tolls can be billed to individual vehicles using the systems mentioned above to record the distance covered. For composite vehicle combinations consisting of a towing vehicle and a trailer, however, there are no solutions that would allow automatic billing of tolls. Rather, it is the case that the truck driver must manually record the presence or absence of a trailer and enter it into a billing device.

With this prior art, truck trailers or truck semi-trailers on highway or expressway routes may be automatically manned, i. be charged with user charges. However, only highways and multi-lane highways, which are equipped with appropriate control points on entrances and exits or with "overhead control bars" or toll bridges, can be tolled with the prior art. The subordinate roads lack an automated bounce control. It also lacks the involvement of the trailer or semitrailer plate for bounce control.

Task of invention

The object of the present invention is to provide a self-sufficient, automatically operating, driver input-independent data acquisition system for toll collection. One goal is to provide a method and an OBU that can be used to record toll data either for driving on highways and / or low-level roads such as highways, without the need for expensive installations.

Yet another objective is to propose an OBU and a method that complies with the selective privacy laws in the various countries (e.g., no transmission of driving profile data to a central computer).

Yet another goal is to propose an OBU and a method that is parallel compatible with all existing toll systems, ie, that the toll data calculated by the OBU match the calculated toll data of the respective foreign system.

Another aim is to determine, without driver intervention, whether or not there is a vehicle combination of towing vehicle and trailer. Another goal is that no complex control systems for determining a vehicle combination, the total number of axles and the total weight are needed and the system can thus be used on subordinate roads with any number of intersections. Yet another goal is to be able to control the vehicle combination from behind (e.g., OCR (optical character recognition) camera image of the trailer license plate) for proper coupling with a towing vehicle registered in the system.

description

These and other objects are achieved by a method according to claim 1 and an OBU according to claim 10. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are defined in the subclaims.

• ID = Identifikations-Code
• GPS = Die Abkürzung GPS wird synonym für die Bezeichnung GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) verwendet und soll nicht ein spezifisches Satellitennavigationssystem bezeichnen, sondern allgemein für irgendein verfügbares Satellitennavigationssystem stehen (z.B. Galileo, Navstar, GPS, Glonass (Russland) und Compass (China)).
• Polygon = Vieleck, das durch eine Vielzahl von Geodaten definiert ist. Die Geodaten beschreiben die Peripherie einer geschlossenen Fläche.
• Kontrollpolygon ist ein Polygon, das nur einen vorzugsweise kleinen Abschnitt eines mautpflichtigen Abschnitts oder einer mautpflichtigen Fläche überspannt dergestalt, dass Fahrzeuge, die das Kontrollpolygon passieren, zuverlässig erfasst werden können. Kontrollpolygone werden beispielsweise an Verzweigungen, nach Autobahnauffahrten und vor Autobahnabfahrten definiert. Damit kann nach dem Passieren von wenigstens 2 Polygonen festgestellt werden, ob eine bestimmte kostenpflichtige Fläche oder Strasse befahren oder nicht befahren wurde.
• Fahrzeugspur = eine Reihe von Geokoordinaten, die einen gefahrenen Weg beschreiben = Track-Log
• Fahrprofil = Wegaufzeichnung mit Geschwindigkeitsprofil
• Fahrzeug-Stammdaten = Fahrzeugtyp (PKW, LKW, Hänger, Fahrzeug mit Anhänge- oder Aufliegevorrichtung etc.), Achsanzahl, Gewicht, Kennzeichen, etc.
• UTC-Zeit = koordinierte Weltzeit (coordinated universal time)
• Fahrzeug = alle zum Verkehr zugelassene Fahrzeuge, inklusive gezogener

In the following description, the individual terms used are defined as follows:

• ID = identification code
• GPS = The acronym GPS is used synonymously for the designation GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) and is not intended to designate a specific satellite navigation system but generally stand for any available satellite navigation system (eg Galileo, Navstar, GPS, Glonass (Russia) and Compass (China) ).
• Polygon = polygon defined by a variety of geodata. The geodata describe the periphery of a closed area.
• Control polygon is a polygon spanning only a preferably small portion of a toll section or toll area such that vehicles passing the control polygon can be reliably detected. Control polygons are defined for example at branches, after motorway exits and before motorway exits. Thus, it can be determined after passing at least 2 polygons, whether a certain paid area or road was traveled or not traveled.
• Vehicle lane = a series of geographic coordinates describing a driven lane = track log
• Driving profile = path recording with speed profile
• Vehicle master data = vehicle type (car, truck, trailer, vehicle with trailer or trailer device, etc.), number of axles, weight, number plate, etc.
• UTC time = coordinated universal time
• Vehicle = all vehicles approved for traffic, including towed vehicles

• Kontrollgerät = Überwachungs- und/oder Datenübertragungseinrichtung
• Mess-Punkt (= MP) = amtlich vermessener Punkt auf einer Verkehrsfläche
• Messstrecke (=MS) = amtlich vermessene Wegstrecke zwischen Messpunkten = Maut-Messstrecke
• Polygon-Distanz (=PD) = Wegstrecke zwischen zwei benachbarten Kontrollpolygonen im Straßenverlauf
• OBU = On Board Unit = Fahrzeuggerät, das in einem Fahrzeug mitgeführt wird
• OBU-ID = eindeutige alphanumerische OBU-Identifikationszeichenfolge
• Geoposition = Geodaten = Positionsdaten = Geokoordinaten + UTC-Zeit (Universal Time Code)
• Prellversuch = Betrugsversuch
• DSRC = Dedicated Short Range Communication = alle standardisierten Frequenzen und Protokolle wie z.B. DSRC, Bluetooth, WLAN, WiFi, ZigBee, RFID oder NFC. Vorzugsweise sind DSRC- Kommunikationseinrichtungen gemäss Vorgaben des deutschen Bundesamtes für Güterverkehr eingesetzt. Solche Kommunikationseinrichtungen für den Europäischen Elektronischen Mautdienst (EETS) verwenden als Kommunikationsgrundlage für eine Kontrolle der OBUs DSRC auf der Basis von CEN standardisierten 5,8 GHz Mikrowellentechnologie. Die entsprechenden Spezifikationen sind beim deutschen Bundesamt für Güterverkehr bezogen oder von dessen Webseite heruntergeladen worden (www.bag.bund.de)
• GPS-Km-Zähler = Km-Registrierung der Luftlinienverbindungen von aufeinanderfolgenden, vom GPS Modul empfangenen Geokoordinaten im OBU
• Straßenabschnitt = mautpflichtiger Straßenabschnitt
• Zeitbezogene Maut = Gebühr für die Benutzung von definierten Verkehrs- oder Parkflächen innerhalb eines definierten Zeitraums
• Kilometerbezogene Maut = Gebühr pro gefahrenen Kilometer resp. zurückgelegter Wegstrecke innerhalb definierter Verkehrsflächen
• OBU-Daten-Synchronisierung = datentechnische Synchronisierung eines OBUs im Zugfahrzeug mit einem OBU im gezogenen Fahrzeug = Synchron-OBU

Vehicles such as trailers, semi-trailers, caravans, etc.

• Control device = monitoring and / or data transmission device
• Measuring point (= MP) = officially measured point on a traffic area
• Measuring distance (= MS) = officially measured distance between measuring points = toll measuring distance
• Polygon distance (= PD) = distance between two adjacent control polygons in the course of the road
• OBU = On Board Unit = vehicle unit that is carried in a vehicle
• OBU-ID = unique alphanumeric OBU identification string
• Geoposition = Geodata = Position data = Geo coordinates + UTC time (Universal Time Code)
• Bounce attempt = fraud attempt
• DSRC = Dedicated Short Range Communication = all standardized frequencies and protocols such as DSRC, Bluetooth, WLAN, WiFi, ZigBee, RFID or NFC. Preferably, DSRC communication devices are used in accordance with specifications of the German Federal Office for Goods Transport. Such communication facilities for the European Electronic Toll Service (EETS) use as communication basis for a control of the OBUs DSRC based on CEN standardized 5.8 GHz microwave technology. The corresponding specifications have been obtained from the German Federal Office for Goods Transport or have been downloaded from its website (www.bag.bund.de)
• GPS Km Counter = Km registration of the airline connections of successive geo-coordinates received from the GPS module in the OBU
• Road section = toll road section
• Time-based toll = charge for the use of defined traffic or parking areas within a defined period of time
• Mileage-based toll = charge per kilometer driven, resp. Distance traveled within defined traffic areas
• OBU data synchronization = data synchronization of an OBU in the towing vehicle with an OBU in the towed vehicle = synchronous OBU

The subject of the present invention is a method for detecting the distance traveled by a vehicle on a toll road. In the method according to the invention, a check is made on the basis of the geographic coordinates of a vehicle as to whether this area liable to use tolls is traveling or staying there by monitoring access to and leaving these areas.

1. a Editieren resp. Definieren von Kontrollpolygonen auf mautpflichtigen Straßen dergestalt, dass die Kontrollpolygone jeweils lediglich mit einem Teil eines mautpflichtigen Strassenabschnitts überlappen,
2. b Festlegen von Messstecken zwischen jeweils 2 vordefinierten, sich im Strassenverlauf befindlichen Messpunkten und Verknüpfen der jeweils festgelegten Messstrecken mit zumindest 2 sich auf der jeweiligen Messstrecke angeordneten Kontrollpolygonen;
3. c Berechnen der Kontrollpolygon-Distanzen zwischen den sich jeweils auf einer Messstrecke im Strassenverlauf angeordneten Kontrollpolygonen,
4. d Speichern aller Daten in einem On Board Unit (OBU).

The process according to the invention is characterized by the following process steps:

1. a Edit resp. Defining control polygons on toll roads such that the control polygons each overlap only with part of a toll road section,
2. b specifying measuring pieces between in each case 2 predefined measuring points located in the course of the road and linking the respectively determined measuring sections with at least 2 control polygons arranged on the respective measuring section;
3. c calculating the control polygon distances between the control polygons arranged in each case on a measurement path in the course of the road,
4. d Save all data in an on-board unit (OBU).

The steps a to d are carried out for the preparation of an OBU, preferably with the aid of an existing Geographic Information System (GIS). In existing geoinformation systems, the lengths of road sections are set by law through a variety of official measurement points. The measuring sections selected for the purpose of carrying out the method according to the invention can accordingly be composed of a multiplicity of partial measuring sections (measuring points). If all the above-mentioned information is defined resp. calculated, the data can be transferred to a computer or toll server, who then via a DSRC communication device to the OBUs.

• e Berechnen der Geokoordinaten bzw. Positionsdaten eines Fahrzeugs = OBU mittels des GPS-Moduls und Vergleichen der berechneten Geokoordinaten mit den abgespeicherten Geokoordinaten der Kontrollpolygone zur Feststellung, ob sich das OBU/Fahrzeug innerhalb eines Kontrollpolygons befindet;
• f Festlegung der Fahrrichtung eines Fahrzeuges nach dem Passieren von zwei im Strassenverlauf aufeinander folgenden Kontrollpolygonen;
• g Durchführen einer Plausibilitätsprüfung, indem die mit einem Kilometerzähler gemessene Wegstrecke zwischen zwei Kontrollpolygonen mit der abgespeicherten Kontrollpolygondistanz verglichen wird, und die der Fahrrichtung entsprechende Messstrecke nur dann als benutzt gewertet wird, wenn die Differenz zwischen der vom Kilometerzähler gemessenen Wegstrecke und der gespeicherten Kontrollpolygondistanz innerhalb einer definierten Toleranz liegt,
• h Abspeichern und Aufaddieren der mit dem Kontrollpolygon mit der entsprechenden Fahrrichtung verknüpften Länge der Messstrecke in einem Fahrstreckenspeicher;
• i Wiederholen der Schritte e bis h.

In operation, the following process steps take place in the OBUs prepared in this way:

• e calculating the geo-coordinates or position data of a vehicle = OBU by means of the GPS module and comparing the calculated geo-coordinates with the stored geo-coordinates of the control polygons to determine whether the OBU / vehicle is within a control polygon;
• f Determining the direction of travel of a vehicle after passing two in the course of the road consecutive control polygons;
• Performing a plausibility check by comparing the distance between two control polygons measured with an odometer with the stored control polygon distance, and using the measuring distance corresponding to the direction of travel only when the difference between the distance measured by the odometer and the stored control polygon distance within one defined tolerance lies,
• h storing and adding the length of the measuring section linked to the control polygon with the corresponding direction of travel in a route memory;
• i Repeat steps e to h.

The inventive method has the advantage that it has identical results as the z.Zt. used toll collection systems, since it is based on the officially measured waypoints, i. the distance traveled is derived from the statutory length of a section of road. The method is simple to implement, very flexible in use, can be used worldwide and requires no further infrastructure, such as the OBUs, the DSRC control devices and a toll server. Toll bridges, axle counting devices or control devices at the entrances and exits. A very big advantage is that with the proposed method both highways as well as federal roads or bypass roads can be tolled.

Advantageously, the distance covered between two control polygons is detected by means of a GPS-Km counter and compared with the control polygon distance stored in the control polygons, wherein the driving direction-specific measuring distance is evaluated after additional checking of the control polygon ID sequence if distance and control polygon distance are within a defined tolerance to match. This procedure is simple and can be performed using the GPS module in the OBU.

All movement data recorded by the OBU can be transmitted by means of a DSRC communication device to a corresponding monitoring device having DSRC communication capabilities, ie no continuous data connection to a central server is required. The transmission preferably occurs when the vehicle passes a DSRC controller.

Conveniently, only such data is transmitted to the toll server of the respective country, which have also been released by the local data protection authority. This allows you to comply with all national data protection regulations.

Since a toll fee can be stored in memory for each measuring section in the memory, the accumulated tolls are fixed at any time, or can be calculated at any time based on the collected data and, if desired, displayed or transferred via DSRC.

Advantageously, the information required for the toll charge is transferred when passing a DSRC control device. If, during or after the passage of a control polygon, the measured distance is greater than all control polygon distances that can be logically traversed in the direction of travel, it is assumed that the vehicle has left the course of the road. If, on the other hand, the measured GPS distance and the distance between two consecutively traversed control polygons match, the measured distance stored in the OBU is registered as a vehicle. The stored measurement path does not have to correspond either to the control polygon distance or to the distance measured, for example, by GPS, since the measurement points do not have to match the position of the control polygons.

The OBU can at least display its functional state so that the user can see at any time whether the OBU is ready for use and / or has a connection to the satellite navigation system.

The data of the OBU can be transmitted via a DSRC interface to an external computer and / or to a mobile terminal. There, the incurred toll fee can be calculated via an Apps.

Advantageously, the recorded data can be transmitted to a mobile device, preferably to a control device, smartphone or a tablet computer, in order to check the functionality of the OBU and / or calculate the toll. However, it is also conceivable that the traveled kilometers and the accumulated tolls are calculated in the OBU and displayed on a display. Alternatively, it is conceivable that the traveled kilometers and accrued tolls via an interface on a computer or a smartphone. Particularly preferred is a wireless interface such as WiFi available, which allows to display the distance traveled and accumulated tolls on a mobile device. In principle, it is conceivable that the recorded data of the OBU are additionally transmitted via smartphone or computer to any central detection point.

Manipulation attempts can be determined by comparing the OBU-GPS-Km counter reading with the mileage of the vehicle's speedometer.

Advantageously, for each traffic-approved vehicle, e.g. Tractor and trailer, one OBU each, and the OBUs are designed to operate synchronously, e.g. in a fraction or multiple of a UTC minute to determine the current position and to contact each other directly or indirectly. In this way it can be easily determined whether 2 vehicles are coupled together or not, i. the driver of a towing vehicle is not required to make manual entries to the OBU.

The program is advantageously designed to automatically determine a specific vehicle combination if the position data reported by two OBUs have a substantially constant distance from each other over a certain distance traveled.

Advantageously, the OBUs located in the transmission distance of a DSRC communication device directly contact each other and report their respective position data over a certain period of time or a certain distance, wherein the OBUs synchronize the position data - e.g. in the UTC clock, such as every half or full UTC minute - to determine the current position. A vehicle combination of two vehicles is then automatically detected by the OBUs when the position data reported by two OBUs have a substantially constant distance from each other over a certain distance traveled.

Advantageously, the vehicle master and movement data are exchanged between the OBUs of the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle. This means that preferably both involved OBUs at least temporarily (ie as long as the determined Vehicle combination exists). This has the advantage that the data from each of the two OBUs can be queried.

Advantageously, a control polygon pair is used to register a border crossing. This has the advantage that, depending on the direction of travel of a control polygon pair, it can be clearly determined whether the vehicle is on one or the other side of a country border.

• einem GPS-Modul zur laufenden Erfassung der aktuellen Fahrzeugposition,
• einer Kommunikationseinrichtung zur Kommunikation mit einem Kontrollgerät,
• einer Rechnereinheit mit einem Prozessor und einem Speicher, welche Rechnereinheit mit dem GPS-Modul, der Kommunikationseinrichtung und dem Speicher in Verbindung steht,
• einem im Speicher abgelegten Programm
• im Speicher abgelegten Daten, wie OBU-ID und Fahrzeug-Stammdaten, vorzugsweise inklusive des Kennzeichens jenes Fahrzeugs, in dem das OBU mitgeführt wird.

The invention also relates to an onboard unit (OBU) for detecting the distance covered by a vehicle on a toll road

• a GPS module for continuously recording the current vehicle position,
• a communication device for communication with a control device,
• a computer unit having a processor and a memory, which computer unit is in communication with the GPS module, the communication device and the memory,
• a program stored in memory
• stored in memory data, such as OBU-ID and vehicle master data, preferably including the license plate of that vehicle in which the OBU is carried.

• die Geokoordinaten einer Vielzahl von im Abstand voneinander angeordneten Kontrollpolygonen, die jeweils mit einem Teil eines mautpflichtigen Strassenabschnitts überlappen,
• mit den Kontrollpolygonen verknüpften Messstrecken zwischen jeweils 2 vordefinierten, sich im Strassenverlauf befindlichen Messpunkten,
• mit den Kontrollpolygonen verknüpften Polygondistanzen, die dem Abstand von zwei sich jeweils auf einer Messstrecke und im Strassenverlauf angeordneten Kontrollpolygonen entsprechen,

According to the invention, the OBU is characterized in that the following data are stored in the memory:

• the geocoordinates of a plurality of spaced-apart control polygons, each overlapping with a portion of a toll road section,
• measuring sections linked to the control polygons between in each case 2 predefined measuring points located in the course of the road,
• polygonal distances associated with the control polygons, which correspond to the distance of two control polygons arranged respectively on a measurement path and in the course of the road,

• e Berechnen der Geokoordinaten eines Fahrzeugs mittels des GPS-Moduls (17) und Vergleichen der berechneten Geokoordinaten mit den abgespeicherten Geokoordinaten der Kontrollpolygone zur Feststellung, ob sich das OBU/Fahrzeug innerhalb eines Kontrollpolygons befindet;
• f Festlegung der Fahrrichtung eines Fahrzeug nach dem Passieren von zwei im Strassenverlauf unmittelbar aufeinander folgenden Kontrollpolygonen;
• g Durchführen einer Plausibilitätsprüfung, indem die mit einem Kilometerzähler gemessene Wegstrecke zwischen zwei Kontrollpolygonen mit der abgespeicherten Kontrollpolygondistanz verglichen wird, und die der Fahrrichtung entsprechende Messstrecke nur dann als benutzt gewertet wird, wenn die Differenz zwischen der vom Kilometerzähler gemessenen Wegstrecke und der gespeicherten Kontrollpolygondistanz innerhalb einer definierten Toleranz liegt,
• h Abspeichern und Aufaddieren der mit dem Kontrollpolygon mit der entsprechenden Fahrrichtung verknüpften Länge der Messstrecke in einem Fahrstreckenspeicher; und
• i Wiederholen der Schritte e bis h.

In addition, the program is designed to perform the following actions during operation:

• e calculating the geo-coordinates of a vehicle by means of the GPS module (17) and comparing the calculated geo-coordinates with the stored geo-coordinates the control polygons to determine if the OBU / vehicle is within a control polygon;
• f determining the direction of travel of a vehicle after passing two control polygons directly following one another in the course of the road;
• Performing a plausibility check by comparing the distance between two control polygons measured with an odometer with the stored control polygon distance, and using the measuring distance corresponding to the direction of travel only when the difference between the distance measured by the odometer and the stored control polygon distance within one defined tolerance lies,
• h storing and adding the length of the measuring section linked to the control polygon with the corresponding direction of travel in a route memory; and
• i Repeat steps e to h.

The OBU according to the invention has the advantage that, for the calculation of the kilometers traveled, the metered distances measured and stored in the OBU, respectively. legally stipulated lengths of road sections. This has the advantage that the measured distances determined are identical to those determined by the systems currently in existence. Also, there are no additional costs for the infrastructure, such as Toll bridges in Austria or Germany or checkpoints on entries and exits in Italy or France. Yet another advantage is that the direction of travel of a vehicle is reliably and reliably determined by the registration of two chronologically consecutive control polygons in the course of the road. Another important feature of the OBU is that only those measuring lanes are detected as traveled distances that have survived a plausibility check with an independent kilometer measurement.

Another advantage of the inventive OBU is that a separate mileage detection of highways, highways, bypass roads and subordinate roads including off-road driving without additional effort is possible. This is very important for the allocation of toll income to the respective road owner. By comparison with the vehicle's tachometer, it is also possible to ensure that the OBU has been correctly installed and carried along (bounce check).

In contrast to the other known systems, all data relevant for toll collection is calculated autonomously in the OBU. Also, a DSRC communication device is sufficient for data exchange, i. There is no need for a permanent online data connection to a central computer. Advantageously, the transmission of the toll data and the control of the OBU functionality are exclusively via "short range communication", such as EETS (European Electronic Toll Service) or by means of DSRC. Depending on the country-specific laws, only those data are transmitted that comply with the respective data protection regulations.

Compared to the known toll collection systems, the inventive method has the advantage that no communication via the GSM network is required, i. that the OBU is self-sufficient. Because preferably no GSM module is provided, a location of the vehicle by third parties outside the DSRC area is not possible. Consequently, such a device meets the requirements of modern data protection. The OBU according to the invention fulfills the data protection regulations of most countries (no driving profile recording and no GSM locating allowed).

Advantageously, the distance covered between two control polygons is detected by means of a GPS-Km counter and compared with the control polygon distance stored in the control polygons, wherein the driving direction-specific measuring distance is evaluated after additional checking of the control polygon ID sequence if distance and control polygon distance are within a defined tolerance to match.

According to a preferred embodiment, the communication device is a DSRC communication device, e.g. Bluetooth, WiFi, ZigBee, RFID or NFC. The data transmission from the OBU to the outside world therefore preferably takes place exclusively via DSRC systems. With this technology, the provisions of data protection authorities and the requirements for a toll system can be met as far as possible. Unlike a DSRC communication device, a GSM communication device can be located even if there is no SIM card, which would be contrary to strict European data protection rules.

Preferably, the OBU has at least two DSRC interfaces, one adapted to transmit the data required for the toll calculation to a DSRC controller. Conveniently, the DSRC controller is designed for bidirectional communication with another OBU.

Each control polygon stored in the OBU has stored the control polygon distances to the preceding and to the subsequent control polygon in the course of the road and, depending on the direction of travel, the toll measurement path to be calculated. For plausibility control, at each control polygon transit, the stored control polygon distance to the previous control polygon is compared to the value of the GPS Km counter. If these two values agree within a defined tolerance, the control polygon is considered to pass through. The stored measuring distance in the direction of travel is saved as a drive. Control polygons are thus preferably not used to calculate the toll-km, but to determine which toll-measuring path is to be calculated.

A control polygon pair may also be used to register a border crossing if the control polygons are located, for example, on both sides of the border. Depending on the direction of travel of the control polygon pair, the vehicle must then be located on one or the other side of the border. This is of great advantage if the driven km on non-tolled roads are to be detected selectively within a border (state, country, city). Thus, e.g. also a city toll, such as in London, by registering the city entrance time and the city extension time point of a vehicle.

In order for the road user to be aware of the toll kilometers traveled, the OBU may have another DSRC interface by which the distance traveled may be selectively directed to an external computer or preferably a mobile terminal, e.g. Smartphone, to be transferred.

To check the bounce, the manual or technical comparison of the regular Km counter (speedometer) with the electronic target mileage of the GPS Km counter in the OBU can be used. This can be done, for example, by registering the current mileage of the vehicle in the OBU and preferably in a central server when the OBU is put into operation. Alternatively, it is also conceivable that the km counter of the vehicle is coupled directly to the OBU and deviations in the mileage detection are monitored. It would also be possible for the current mileage of the vehicle Km counter of e.g. a vehicle workshop is transmitted to a central toll server.

Alternatively, it is also conceivable that the operating hours counter of the vehicle is coupled to the OBU and deviations are monitored for driving time detection.

Another advantage that the OBU according to the invention has is that towed vehicles can be automatically coupled or data-synchronized with the respective towing vehicle without driver assistance. This is particularly important when towed vehicles have a selective toll rate and a bounce check even without toll bridges, such as a toll gate. in Germany or Austria, and without control posts, e.g. in Italy or France, must be possible. This is also particularly important in the tolling of federal roads, because here for practical and financial reasons, not at every road junction a toll bridge or a monitoring device can be built.

Basically, a trailer equipped with an OBU could be viewed or manned like a normal vehicle. However, this is not effective in practice, since the resulting toll for a towed vehicle must be added to the towing vehicle. A data synchronization of towing vehicle and towed vehicle is therefore of great advantage.

The program stored in the memory is advantageously designed to automatically determine vehicle combinations that are in motion, consisting of a towing vehicle and a trailer.

Fig. 1

zeigt schematisch die einzelnen Komponenten eines Mautsystems mit dem erfindungsgemässen OBU;

Fig. 2 bis 8

Zeigen schematisch einen Autobahnabschnitt mit zwei getrennten Fahrbahnen und mehreren in Abstand voneinander angeordneten Kontrollpolygonen, wobei in den einzelnen Figuren unterschiedliche Fahrrouten beispielhaft eingezeichnet sind;

Fig. 9 bis 13

Zeigen schematisch einen Strassenabschnitt umfassend eine Bundesstrasse und mehrere von der Bundesstrasse abzweigenden Nebenstrassen, wobei in den einzelnen Figuren unterschiedliche Fahrrouten beispielhaft eingezeichnet sind;

Embodiments of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1

schematically shows the individual components of a toll system with the OBU according to the invention;

Fig. 2 to 8

Schematically show a motorway section with two separate lanes and a plurality of spaced control polygons, wherein in the individual figures different routes are exemplified;

Fig. 9 to 13

Schematically show a road section comprising a main road and a plurality of secondary roads branching off the main road, wherein different driving routes are shown by way of example in the individual figures;

An OBU 11 according to the invention has a computer unit 19, at least one memory 15 and a GPS module 17 for the calculation of geographic coordinates. For the communication of the OBU 11 with a control device 31, a DSRC communication module 23 is provided. A power supply unit 21 supplies power to the above-described components of the OBU.

In the memory 15, the program 13 and the data are stored. The program 13 is used to control the OBU and calculate the distances covered. The data stored in the memory 15 comprise on the one hand a plurality of control polygons and on the other hand the master data of the vehicle in which the OBU is carried. The control polygons define surfaces by means of a plurality of geographic coordinates, preferably rectangles, which are laid across a road to be monitored. It should be noted that in the OBU 11 itself no digital road maps must be stored, but only control polygons that overlap with the geo-coordinates of the road to be monitored.

The controller 31 is in communication with a toll calculator 33 which collects the transmitted user data and ultimately charges the user for the use of the road.

The data of the OBU 11 can in principle also be sent to a e.g. Smartphone 29 are transmitted. The communication connection can also be a DSRC connection. By means of an executable on the smartphone application, the resulting toll fee can be calculated based on the transmitted data. Likewise, the data can be transmitted to a smartphone of a control body, which can detect, for example, the continuous functioning of the OBU on the basis of a mileage / tacho comparison. Each OBU can also communicate and exchange data with another DSRC area OBU.

Based on the in Fig. 2 shown highway section 35, the operation of the toll collection system is explained in more detail. The highway section 35 comprises on the first lane 37 the three measuring points MP1, MP2 and MP3 and on the other second lane 39 the three measuring points MP4, MP5 and MP6. All measuring points MP _n are determined by an official survey and define the official length of a road section lying between the individual measuring points. Between the first and the second measuring point MP1 and MP2 is a first measuring path MS1 and between the second and the third measuring point MP2 and MP3 a second measuring section MS2 defined. On both sides of a measuring point MP _n are each spaced apart Kontrollpolygonpaare P1 and P2, P3 and P4, respectively. P5 and P6 defined by means of corresponding geo-coordinates. The individual control polygons are separated by the control polygon distances PD1, PD2, .... PD5. These distances are stored in the OBU.

Now, when a vehicle drives on the route F1 on the highway 35, it passes first the control polygon P5 and then the control polygon P4. After passing at least 2 control polygons, the direction of travel of the vehicle results automatically. After the control polygon P3 is not traversed after the control polygon distance PD3, which is known and stored in the OBU (check by internal GPS-km counter), the vehicle must logically have departed from the highway. Therefore, the measured distance MS2 stored in the OBU is registered as driven motorway kilometers.

The program of the OBU carries out the following plausibility check: driving directions Polygon order invalid GPS-PD valid GPS-PD valid MS 1. Second Third 4th 5th 6th PD1 PD2 PD3 PD4 PD5 PD1 PD2 PD3 PD4 PD5 MS1 MS2 MS3 MS4 F1 P5 P4 X X X X

The control polygons are traversed in the order P5, P4. However, the control polygon P3 is no longer reached. Consequently, only the control polygon distance PD4 lying between the control polygons P5 and P4 is registered as valid, but not the control polygon distance PD3, since the control polygon P3 is no longer passed through. Consequently, the measuring path MS2, which is an attribute of the control polygons P4 and P5, is stored as the measuring path.

According to example of Fig. 3 the vehicle travels on the route F2 the control polygons in the order P5, P4, P3 and P2. Thus, the direction of travel is clearly defined. After the control polygon P1 is not traversed to the control polygon distance PD1, which is compared to the GPS GPS-Km internal counter, the vehicle is considered to be off the highway. Accordingly, only the control polygon distances PD4, PD3 and PD2 lying between the control polygons P5, P4, P3 and P2 are registered as valid but not the control polygon distances PD1 and PD5 since the control polygon pairs defining the control polygon distances are not traversed. As a driven motorway km are therefore deposited in the OBU Toll routes MS2 and MS1 registered. The corresponding plausibility check looks like this: driving directions Polygon order invalid GPS-PD valid GPS-PD valid MS 1. Second Third 4th 5th 6th PD1 PD2 PD3 PD4 PD5 PD1 PD2 PD3 PD4 PD5 MS1 MS2 MS3 MS4 F2 P5 P4 P3 P2 X X X X X X X

According to example of Fig. 4 A vehicle on the route F3 passes through the control polygons P4 and P5, but no further control polygons. Consequently, the measuring section MS4 is registered as a driven measuring section.

The corresponding plausibility check looks like this: driving directions Polygon order invalid GPS-PD valid GPS-PD valid MS 1. Second Third 4th 5th 6th PD1 PD2 PD3 PD4 PD5 PD1 PD2 PD3 PD4 PD5 MS1 MS2 MS3 MS4 F3 P4 P5 X X X X

According to example of Fig. 5 the vehicle passes on the driving route F4 the control polygons P2 to P5. Consequently, the detected measurement path corresponds to the sum of the measurement paths MS3 and MS4. The corresponding plausibility check looks like this: driving directions Polygon order invalid GPS-PD valid GPS-PD valid MS 1. Second Third 4th 5th 6th PD1 PD2 PD3 PD4 PD5 PD1 PD2 PD3 PD4 PD5 MS1 MS2 MS3 MS4 F4 P2 P3 P4 P5 X X X X X X X

In the in Fig. 6 As shown, a vehicle travels both on route F5 as well as on route F6 the entire section of the highway shown. Accordingly, for the vehicle, the measuring sections MS1 and MS2 and the measuring sections MS3 and MS4 are recorded as driven motorway kilometers. The corresponding plausibility check looks like this: driving directions Polygon order invalid GPS-PD valid GPS-PD valid MS 1. Second Third 4th 5th 6th PD1 PD2 PD3 PD4 PD5 PD1 PD2 PD3 PD4 PD5 MS1 MS2 MS3 MS4 F5 P6 P5 P4 P3 P2 P1 X X X X X X X F6 P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 X X X X X X X

If a vehicle traverses only one control polygon on the route F7, it will not be possible to detect a valid measuring route ( Fig. 7 ). Such a situation may arise, for example, in that a lower ranking road leads over the motorway section 35. After neither control polygon P4 is traversed after a distance PD4 nor control polygon P6 after a distance PD5 (internal GPS Km counter), there is no valid detection of a measurement path and the measurement is deleted. The corresponding plausibility check looks like this: driving directions Polygon order invalid GPS-PD valid GPS-PD valid MS 1. Second Third 4th 5th 6th PD1 PD2 PD3 PD4 PD5 PD1 PD2 PD3 PD4 PD5 MS1 MS2 MS3 MS4 F7 P5 X X

In Fig. 8 an application example is shown where a vehicle F8 passes though two consecutive control polygons P4 and P5, but the distance measured with the GPS-Km counter is significantly greater than the control polygon distance PD4, ie the plausibility check leads to a rejection of the result. Consequently, there is no valid detection of a measuring section. The corresponding plausibility check looks like this: driving directions Polygon order invalid GPS-PD valid GPS-PD valid MS 1. Second Third 4th 5th 6th PD1 PD2 PD3 PD4 PD5 PD1 PD2 PD3 PD4 PD5 MS1 MS2 MS3 MS4 F8 P4 P5 X X X

The situation is different if the route detection is not on highways but on e.g. Federal roads should take place. There is the problem that vehicles between two control polygons can basically change the direction of travel and that between two neighboring control polygons there may still be a side road or an off-road connection. It must therefore be ensured that a user is charged only with a toll, even if he has actually used a certain paid road section.

In the FIGS. 9 to 14 In each case, an identical street image with federal highway 41 and several subordinate roads 43 to 51 crossing or branching off the federal highway are shown. In order to be able to record the measuring distance of a vehicle as accurately as possible, the control polygons are each overlapped by branches. It is not absolutely necessary that every single branch must be occupied by a control polygon. The more intersections are provided with Kontrollpolygonen, the more accurate the measurement distance of a vehicle can be detected.

According to example of Fig. 9 Crosses a vehicle on the route F9 the federal highway 41, ie it is only the control polygon P1 passed through, but no further. Accordingly, there is no detection of a measuring section. The corresponding plausibility check looks like this: driving directions traversed polygons invalid GPS-PD valid GPS-PD valid MS P1 P2 P3 P4 PD1 PD2 PD3 PD1 PD2 PD3 MS1 MS2 MS3 F9 X X

If a vehicle drives a section of the main road on route F10, but leaves it before a second control polygon is reached, there is likewise no valid detection of a measuring route ( Fig. 10 ). The corresponding plausibility check looks like this: driving directions traversed polygons invalid GP5-PD valid GPS-PD valid MS P1 P2 P3 P4 PD1 PD2 PD3 PD1 PD2 PD3 MS1 MS2 MS3 F10 X X

If a vehicle drives on route F11 via secondary road 45 onto federal highway 41 where no control polygon has been created at the junction, the vehicle is registered only when driving through control polygon P2 (junction 47) ( Fig. 11 ). However, if the vehicle does not continue on the main road 41, but reaches the control polygon P3 via an abbreviation (off-road), then, despite passing two consecutive control polygons P2 and P3, no valid detection of a measuring path takes place. This is because the distance detected by the GPS Km counter is significantly shorter than the control polygon distance PD2. The corresponding plausibility check looks like this: driving directions traversed polygons invalid GPS-PD valid GPS-PD valid MS P1 P2 P3 P4 PD2 PD3 PD1 PD2 PD3 MS1 MS2 MS3 F11 X X X X X

In Fig. 12 a vehicle drives on the route F12 on the side street 45 on the main road and leaves it again on the side street 51. In contrast to the example above, the vehicle remains between the on and departure on the highway 41. Consequently, the measuring sections MS2 and MS3 recorded. The corresponding plausibility check looks like this: driving directions traversed polygons invalid GPS-PD valid GPS-PD valid MS P1 P2 P3 P4 PD1 PD2 PD3 PD1 PD2 PD3 MS2 MS3 F12 X X X X X X X X

In Fig. 13 a vehicle drives on the route F13 on the side street 43 on the main road 41 and leaves it again on the side street 51 Consequently the measuring sections MS1, MS2 and MS3 are recorded as a measuring section. The corresponding plausibility check looks like this: driving directions traversed polygons invalid GPS-PD valid GPS-PD valid MS P1 P2 P3 P4 PD1 PD2 PD3 PD1 PD2 PD3 MS1 MS2 MS3 F13 X X X X X X X X X X

The OBU functions as follows: A large number of so-called virtual control polygons are stored in a memory of the OBU. Each control polygon is defined by a plurality of geographic coordinates and can basically take any shape (round, rectangular or polygonal). Of importance is only that the control polygons overlap with a short road section of the real world, so that it can be determined by means of a GPS receiver when a vehicle is within a control polygon resp. This happens and it can be proven that this vehicle drives on a certain road. The control polygons are defined on a backend computer according to the roads to be tolled and then transferred to the OBU.

Existing geographic information systems (GIS) can be used to collect control polygons. The GIS has a large number of official measuring points that officially determine the length of road sections. With the aid of the GIS, it is also possible to detect the control polygons necessary for carrying out the method according to the invention. This can be done in a backend computer. The acquired control polygons, and the mutual distances of the control polygons associated therewith and the length of the measurement paths, are then transferred to the OBU.

Control polygons on highways are preferably provided between the respective predetermined measurement points and on federal highways, preferably directly at the measurement points of road junctions. Usually, the control polygons have such longitudinal extent in the direction of travel that at least one and preferably several measuring points of the GPS receiver within the control polygon passage can be detected even at very high travel speed of a vehicle at a certain measuring frequency of the GPS receiver. The control polygons have a longitudinal extent in the direction of the road of up to 1000 m, preferably up to 500 m and particularly preferably up to 300 m. Typically, the polygons in the roadway direction have a length between 20 and 300 m, preferably between 50 and 180 m and more preferably between 70 and 150 m. In terms of width, the polygons are chosen to exceed the width of the carriageway by a certain amount depending on the accuracy of the position determination.

An important feature of the toll collection system according to the invention is the reliable data acquisition by means of a plausibility check carried out: the distance measured by the GPS-Km counter or detected by the tachometer between two control polygons traversed is compared with the control polygon distance stored in the OBU. Only if the plausibility check is positive, i. if the measured distance substantially matches the control polygon distance stored in the OBU, a valid measurement has been made. This can be effectively prevented that road users are charged for unused routes.

On motorways there are official survey points, which are used in each case for the calculation of the official length of a road section between entrances and exits or at motorway junctions. Examples of specific measuring points for freeway and motorway exits are shown at the following link: http://mgo.ms/s/x7wt0. So that driving on resp. Departure from a highway can be reliably detected, control polygons are provided between the measuring points. The OBU stores not only the geocoordinates of the control polygons, but also the official measuring sections between the individual entrances and exits. If required for the toll calculation, the IDs of the entries and exits can also be stored in the OBU.

If it is determined by means of the OBU 11 that a measuring route has been traveled and a corresponding plausibility check is positive, the account of a road user is charged with a toll.

If tolls are to be charged for federal roads, the control polygons are preferably placed over the measuring points at road junctions, in principle, not at every turn a control polygon must be provided if no 100% detection of miles driven on toll roads is required. If necessary, control polygons can be placed over measurement points that are not on any road junction.

The fee due for use of the toll roads may be calculated on the basis of time and / or route data. The corresponding information can be stored in the OBU or in a central toll server.

The toll road data calculated in the OBU is automatically transferred to existing DSRC control devices when they are passed.

An on-board unit (OBU) for detecting the distance traveled by a vehicle on a toll road has a GPS module for continuously calculating the vehicle position and the distance traveled, a communication device for communicating with a control device, and a computer unit with a processor and a Storage. The computer unit is in communication with the GPS module, the communication device and the memory. The memory of the OBU contains a program and data such as OBU-ID and vehicle master data. In addition, the geo-coordinates of a plurality of control polygons, their distances to other control polygons and the corresponding measurement paths are stored in the memory. The control polygons serve to ascertain whether road sections subject to toll have been used. However, a traveled route or measuring route is only counted if the result is plausible, ie an independent distance measurement substantially matches the polygonal distances. It is also important that the routes are calculated on the basis of the officially determined measured road sections.

Legend

11

Onboard unit (OBU = vehicle unit)

13

program

15

Storage

17

GPS module

19

CPU (microprocessor)

21

Power supply unit

23

DSRC control unit

25

Information (data)

27

Synchronous OBU

29

Smartphone

33

toll server

35

Of highway

37

first highway lane

39

second highway lane

41

highway

43 to 51

secondary roads

Claims (15)

Method for recording the kilometers traveled by a vehicle on a toll road, comprising the following steps: a Edit control polygons on toll roads so that the control polygons each overlap only with part of a toll road section, b specifying measuring pieces between in each case 2 predefined measuring points located in the course of the road and linking the respectively determined measuring sections with at least 2 control polygons arranged on the respective measuring section; c calculating the control polygon distances between the control polygons arranged in each case on a measurement path in the course of the road; d Store the data calculated in steps a to c in an on-board unit (OBU) (11) e calculating the geo-coordinates or position data of a vehicle = OBU by means of the GPS module (17) and comparing the calculated geo-coordinates with the stored geo-coordinates of the control polygons to determine whether the OBU / vehicle is within a control polygon; f determining the direction of travel of a vehicle after passing two consecutive control polygons in the course of the road; Performing a plausibility check by comparing the distance between two control polygons measured with an odometer with the stored control polygon distance, and using the measuring distance corresponding to the direction of travel only when the difference between the distance measured by the odometer and the stored control polygon distance within one defined tolerance lies, h storing and adding the length of the measuring section linked to the control polygon with the corresponding direction of travel in a route memory; i Repeat steps e to h. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the distance traveled between two Kontrollpolygonen detected by means of a GPS-Km counter and compared with the stored in the Kontrollpolygonen Kontrollpolygondistanz is, wherein the driving direction-specific measuring section is evaluated after additional verification of the control polygon ID sequence only if distance and control polygon distance match within a defined tolerance. A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that only such data from the OBU (11) to the toll server (33) of the respective country are transmitted, which have also been released by the local data protection authority. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the information required for the toll calculation when passing a DSRC control device (31) from the OBU (11) are transmitted to the first. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the data of the OBU via a DSRC interface to an external computer, preferably to a mobile terminal, are transmitted. Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the recorded data for the purpose of checking the functionality of the OBU and / or for the calculation of the toll fee to a mobile device, preferably to a control device (31), smartphone (29) or a Tablet Computer, to be transmitted. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that one OBU is provided per towing vehicle and per towed vehicle, and that the OBUs are designed to determine the current position synchronously, eg every full UTC minute, and directly or to contact each other indirectly to preferably automatically determine a particular vehicle combination when the position data reported by two OBUs have a substantially constant distance from each other over a certain distance traveled. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that OBUs located in the transmission or reception area of the DSRC communication device (23) directly contact each other and report their position data, the OBUs (11) synchronizing the position data in the UTC Clock, as at every half / full UTC minute, and / or driving through a control polygon in the UTC second clock determine the current position, and a certain combination of vehicles is determined when the two OBUs (11) reported position data about a certain distance traveled have a substantially constant distance from each other. Method according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the vehicle master and movement data are exchanged between the OBUs of the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle. Onboard unit (11) for recording the distance covered by a vehicle on a toll road a GPS module (17) for continuously detecting the vehicle position, a communication device (23) for communication with a control device (31), - A computer unit with a processor (19) and a memory (15), which is in communication with the GPS module (17), the communication device (23) and the memory (15), and a program (13) stored in the memory (15) and data stored in the memory (15), such as OBU-ID and vehicle master data of the vehicle in which the OBU is carried,
characterized, - that in the memory (15) the following data are stored: the geocoordinates of a plurality of spaced-apart control polygons each overlapping a portion of a toll road, - Measuring sections linked to the control polygons between in each case 2 predefined measuring points located in the course of the road; and polygon distances associated with the control polygons, which correspond to the distance of two control polygons arranged respectively on a measurement path and in the course of the road, - and that the program (13) is designed to carry out the following operations during operation: e calculating the geo-coordinates of a vehicle using the GPS module (17) and comparing the calculated geo-coordinates with the stored geo-coordinates of the control polygons to determine if the OBU / vehicle is within a control polygon; f determining the direction of travel of a vehicle after passing two consecutive control polygons in the course of the road; Performing a plausibility check by comparing the distance between two control polygons measured with an odometer with the stored control polygon distance, and using the measuring distance corresponding to the direction of travel only when the difference between the distance measured by the odometer and the stored control polygon distance within one defined tolerance lies, h storing and adding the length of the measuring section linked to the control polygon with the corresponding direction of travel in a route memory; and i Repeat steps e to h. OBU according to claim 10, characterized in that the distance covered between two control polygons is detected by means of a GPS-Km counter and compared with the control polygon stored in the control polygon distance, wherein the driving direction-specific measuring distance is evaluated after additional verification of the control polygon ID sequence, when distance and control polygon distance match within a defined tolerance. OBU according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the communication device (23) is a DSRC communication device. OBU according to one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that the OBU has at least two DSRC interfaces, one being adapted to transmit the data required for the toll calculation to a control device (31). OBU according to one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that the DSRC communication device is designed for (bidirectional) communication with another OBU. OBU according to one of claims 10 to 14, characterized in that the program is designed to automatically determine moving vehicle combinations consisting of a towing vehicle and a trailer (each with an OBU) to determine and exchange data.

Images