JP4901247B2 - Toll collection system and toll collection method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a toll collection system and a toll collection method called an ETC system that automatically performs toll collection processing of a toll road usage fee at a toll gate such as a highway.

  In general, the ETC system is equipped with a roadside wireless communication device as a base station installed on the toll gate side and an IC card called an ETC card installed on the vehicle side at a toll gate on a toll road such as a motorway. This is a system that automatically collects a usage fee in a non-stop manner for a vehicle by performing wireless communication with an on-vehicle device as a mobile station (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  In such an ETC system, a distinction is made between a distance charging system and a flat fee system. In the distance charging system, entrance information is recorded on an IC card when entering an entrance toll gate, and a toll is charged at the exit toll gate based on the entrance information. In the flat fee system, the toll is withdrawn at the entrance toll gate.

  Incidentally, at an entrance toll gate, normally, two antenna devices for performing wireless communication with the vehicle-mounted device, that is, the first antenna device and the second antenna device are sequentially arranged at a predetermined distance along the traveling direction of the vehicle. The validity of the IC card is checked by the first first antenna device, and it is determined whether or not the vehicle can pass. Next, the vehicle type information that is a basis for calculating the toll is recorded by the second second antenna device. These two antenna devices are installed independently for each toll collection lane, and are controlled independently.

Recently, the usage rate of the ETC system has increased, and the number of vehicles that have stopped in the toll collection lane due to the expiration of the IC card or the absence of the IC card when entering the entrance toll gate due to a mistake on the part of the user has increased. ing. For these measures, a third antenna device called a warning antenna device is installed in the entrance lane to the entrance toll gate, and the validity of the onboard device and the IC card mounted on the onboard device is checked in advance. Technology has been developed (see, for example, Patent Document 3).
JP 2004-13207 A JP 2004-246829 A JP 2001-167299 A

  However, in the above-described conventionally known technology, in addition to the first and second antenna devices, the third third antenna device is installed, while the first and second antenna devices installed in the toll collection lane. Since the distance of the antenna device is short, sufficient time is required for the vehicle passing at high speed from the completion of the processing related to the first first antenna device to the start of processing related to the second second antenna device. Therefore, the time required for writing the entrance information to the IC card is not secured, and the processing on the in-vehicle device side such as interrupting the writing process to the IC card during the processing related to the second second antenna device is performed. , You will be forced to control.

  In addition, there are many structures such as toll booths and island protectors in the vicinity where the first first antenna device is installed. In the case of the microwave used in the ETC system, this structure is used. It is easy to be affected by the reflection of radio waves, and requires extra incidental work such as installing a radio wave absorber.

  Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to integrate the first antenna device and the third antenna device, which have been conventionally required, into one antenna device, so that the installation conditions can be eased and the equipment and construction costs can be reduced. The object is to provide a fee collection system and a fee collection method.

  The toll collection system of the present invention includes a vehicle type discriminating unit that is provided at a predetermined position in each of a plurality of toll collection lanes of a toll gate on a toll road and determines the type of a vehicle that has entered the toll collection lane, and the toll collection lane The first communication area is formed at a predetermined position of an approach lane in which vehicles that pass through a plurality of toll collection lanes pass in common and are mounted on vehicles that have entered the first communication area. A first antenna device that performs wireless communication with an on-vehicle device, and an on-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle that forms a second communication area at a predetermined position in the toll collection lane and enters the second communication area A second antenna device that performs wireless communication with the vehicle, and information on the toll gate is transmitted to the vehicle-mounted device that is mounted on the vehicle that has entered the first communication area by controlling the first antenna device. You In addition, the vehicle-mounted device specific information unique to the vehicle-mounted device is acquired from the vehicle-mounted device, and the acquired vehicle-mounted device specific information is associated with the vehicle type information of the vehicle determined by the vehicle type determining unit and stored in the storage unit. The vehicle-mounted device-specific information obtained from the vehicle-mounted device mounted on the vehicle that has entered the second communication area by controlling the second antenna device, and the acquired vehicle-mounted device Vehicle type information having vehicle-mounted device specific information corresponding to the specific information is acquired from the storage unit, and the acquired vehicle type information is transmitted to the vehicle-mounted device.

  The toll collection method of the present invention includes a vehicle type discriminating means that is provided at a predetermined position in each of a plurality of toll collection lanes of a toll road toll gate and discriminates the type of a vehicle that has entered the toll collection lane. A first communication area is formed at a predetermined position of an approach lane provided in front of the toll collection lane, through which a plurality of toll collection lanes pass in common, and is mounted on a vehicle that has entered the first communication area. The first antenna device that performs wireless communication with the mounted vehicle mounted on the vehicle, and the second communication area is formed at a predetermined position of the toll collection lane and is mounted on the vehicle that has entered the second communication area. A second antenna device that performs wireless communication with the vehicle-mounted device, and controls the first antenna device to the vehicle-mounted device that is mounted on the vehicle that has entered the first communication area. Information A first step of transmitting and acquiring the OBE-specific information unique to the OBE from the OBE, the OBE-specific information acquired by the first step, and the vehicle type information of the vehicle determined by the vehicle type determination means And the second step of storing in the storage means, and the vehicle-mounted device unique to the vehicle-mounted device from the vehicle-mounted device mounted on the vehicle that has entered the second communication area by controlling the second antenna device. A third step of acquiring unique information and vehicle type information having on-vehicle device specific information corresponding to the on-vehicle device specific information acquired by this third step are acquired from the storage means, and the acquired vehicle type information is obtained from the vehicle-mounted information. A fourth step of transmitting to the device.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to integrate the first antenna device and the third antenna device, which have been conventionally required, into one antenna device, so that the installation conditions can be eased and the equipment and construction costs can be reduced. A toll collection system and a toll collection method can be provided.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 schematically shows a configuration of an ETC system as a toll collection system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  For example, a toll road charge system such as an expressway has a distance charge system in which the charge changes according to a traffic distance and a uniform charge system that pays a fixed charge at the entrance or exit. In the case of a flat fee system, if a fixed fee is collected at one of the exits or the entrance, for example, the entrance, there is no need to collect a fee at the exit, so a roadside device is arranged on the one. In the case of the distance charging method, the entrance information is stored in the ticket or IC card at the entrance, and the toll is calculated and received based on the entrance ticket or IC card entrance information and the exit toll gate information at the exit. Regardless of the charge system, the charge varies depending on the vehicle type set by the road operator.

  Usually, toll roads are provided with toll gates at the entrance and / or exit. At the entrance toll gate, at least one toll collection lane is provided. Toll collection lanes include ETC lanes dedicated to ETC vehicles, mixed lanes that can be processed by mixing ETC vehicles with abnormal ETC vehicles and ordinary vehicles (non-ETC vehicles), and general dedicated lanes for ordinary vehicles (non-ETC vehicles) only In order to make the explanation easy to understand, a mixed lane in which a toll booth is provided and an unmanned ETC dedicated lane in which no toy booth is provided will be described here.

  In FIG. 1, for example, an approach lane 1 for entering the entrance toll gate from a general road includes a mixed lane 2 and an unmanned system that can process ETC vehicles, abnormal ETC vehicles, and general vehicles (non-ETC vehicles) together. The entrance sides of the ETC exclusive lane 3 are in communication with each other, and the exit sides of the mixed lane 2 and the ETC exclusive lane 3 are in communication with an entry lane 4 for entering the main road of the toll road.

  In each side of the mixed lane 2 and the ETC dedicated lane 3, islands 5 and 6 are provided, respectively. Also, between the mixed lane 2 and the ETC dedicated lane 3, a receiver booth 7 in which a receiver who collects charges for vehicles in the mixed lane 2 stands by is provided. The islands 5 and 6 are provided with vehicle type discriminating devices 8a and 8b as vehicle type discriminating means and lane control devices 9a and 9b as first control means, respectively.

  A first antenna device 10 that forms a first communication area 10a is disposed at a predetermined position in the approach lane 1. That is, the 1st antenna apparatus 10 shall be installed between the general road before entering a toll collection lane and a toll gate, for example. The first antenna device 10 includes, for example, an antenna and a radio control device on the upper side of a U-shaped support straddling the lane, and is connected to the lane control devices 9a and 9b, respectively.

  Second antenna devices 11 and 12 forming second communication areas 11a and 12a are disposed at predetermined positions of the mixed lane 2 and the ETC dedicated lane 3, respectively. The second antenna devices 11 and 12 are, for example, provided with an antenna and a radio control device on the upper part of a U-shaped support straddling the lane, and each of them is a second antenna as a second control means. It is connected to the control device 13.

  The first antenna device 10 forms a first communication area 10a at a predetermined position in the approach lane 1, and performs wireless communication with the vehicle-mounted device mounted on the vehicle that has entered the first communication area 10a. Thus, the information on the toll gate (for example, entrance toll gate number, date and time information, etc.) is transmitted to the vehicle-mounted device mounted on the vehicle that has entered the first communication area 10a, and the IC card mounted on the vehicle-mounted device. And the vehicle-mounted device specific information (for example, the vehicle-mounted device ID) specific to the vehicle-mounted device is acquired from the vehicle-mounted device.

  The lane control device 9a (or 9b) controls the first antenna device 10 to transmit tollgate information excluding uncertain vehicle type information to the vehicle-mounted device, and by the vehicle type determination devices 8a and 8b. The determined vehicle type information and the vehicle-mounted device ID obtained through communication between the vehicle-mounted device and the first antenna device 10 are associated with each other and transmitted to the second antenna control device 13 and stored in the memory 14 as storage means.

  The second antenna devices 11 and 12 form second communication areas 9a and 10a at predetermined positions in the mixed lane 2 and the ETC dedicated lane 3, respectively, and are mounted on vehicles that have entered the second communication areas 9a and 10a. By performing wireless communication with the in-vehicle device, the in-vehicle device ID is acquired from the on-vehicle device mounted on the vehicle that has entered the second communication areas 9a and 10a, and the acquired on-vehicle device ID is used as the second in-vehicle device ID. This is sent to the antenna control device 13.

  The second antenna control device 13 includes a control unit such as a CPU and a communication interface unit with the lane control devices 9a and 9b, and a memory 14 as storage means. The second antenna device 11 and 12 are connected to each other. Control. The memory 14 temporarily stores (stores) a set of vehicle type information and vehicle-mounted device ID sent from the lane control devices 9a and 9b via a communication cable (not shown).

  The 2nd antenna control apparatus 13 acquires the vehicle type information which has onboard equipment ID corresponding to the onboard equipment ID sent from the 2nd antenna apparatuses 11 and 12 from the memory 14, and this acquired vehicle type information is 2nd antenna apparatus. 11 and 12 to be transmitted to the vehicle-mounted device, and written to the IC card attached to the vehicle-mounted device.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 2, an on-vehicle device 30 on which an IC card (ETC card) 20 as an information recording medium is detachably mounted is mounted on the vehicle. The in-vehicle device 30 stores (stores) an IC card reader / writer unit 31, an IC card processing unit 32 that processes information read by the IC card reader / writer unit 31, processing results processed by the IC card processing unit 32, and the like. ) And the information stored in the memory 33 are transmitted from the on-board antenna 34, and the radio control unit 35 for storing the information received by the on-board antenna 34 in the memory 33 is operated by the user. Operation unit such as numeric keypad, designation key, execution key, and eject button, and display operation unit 36 having a display unit for visually displaying information received by the vehicle-mounted device antenna 34, and these units are controlled in an integrated manner. The controller 37 is configured.

The memory 33 includes, for example, the vehicle length, the vehicle height, the number of axles, the weight, the application, and the features of the vehicle on which the vehicle-mounted device 30 is mounted, the vehicle type (vehicle type), and identification information unique to each vehicle-mounted device. Vehicle information consisting of the vehicle-mounted device ID and the vehicle registration number are stored in advance.
In the memory of the IC card 20, for example, account information of a bank (financial institution) of a user who performs fee settlement, special contract information, and billing information such as a contract expiration date are recorded in advance.

  At the entrance toll gate where the vehicle enters the toll road, the amount information for determining the toll fee, entrance toll gate information such as entrance toll gate number, date and time information, and the vehicle type information of the vehicle type discrimination result are mounted on the radio communication It is recorded in the memory of the IC card 20 via the device 30. At the exit toll gate, the vehicle-mounted device 30 reads the information from the IC card 20 and wirelessly transmits it to the roadside device, whereby the toll is calculated, the amount is received, and the receipt result is returned.

Next, the operation will be described with reference to the operation explanatory diagram shown in FIG. 3 and the flowchart shown in FIG.
When the vehicle 40 entering the entrance toll gate passes through the entry lane 1 and enters the first communication area 10a, the vehicle-mounted device 30 and the first antenna device mounted on the vehicle 40 in the first communication area 10a. 10, wireless communication is performed. First, the validity of the vehicle-mounted device 30 and the IC card 20 is checked.

  This validity check is performed, for example, by normal wireless communication with the vehicle-mounted device 30 by wireless communication between the vehicle-mounted device 30 and the first antenna device 10, and the charging information read from the IC card 20 is If normal, it is determined to be valid (normal).

As a result of the validity check, if it is valid (normal), information on the toll gate is transmitted from the first antenna device 10 to the vehicle-mounted device 30 to be written in the IC card 20. At this time, the vehicle-mounted device 30 is instructed to guide the vehicle-mounted device 30 so as to enter the ETC dedicated lane 3.
If it is determined that the result of the validity check is invalid (abnormal), the vehicle-mounted device 30 is instructed to guide the vehicle-mounted device 30 so as to pass through the mixed lane 2.

  At this time, the first antenna device 10 simultaneously reads the vehicle-mounted device ID from the vehicle-mounted device 30 and transmits the vehicle-mounted device ID to the lane control device. In this case, the vehicle-mounted device ID is transmitted to the lane control device 9b of the ETC-dedicated lane 3 instructed to the vehicle-mounted device 30. However, since the vehicle-mounted device ID does not necessarily enter the designated lane, all lane control devices, this example In this case, the vehicle-mounted device ID is transmitted to each of the lane control devices 9a and 9b.

  When the vehicle 40 that has passed through the first communication area 10a enters the ETC-dedicated lane 3 instructed by the vehicle-mounted device 30, the vehicle type is determined for the vehicle 40 by the vehicle type determination device 8b, and the determination result is the lane control device. 9b.

  When the lane control device 9b receives the vehicle type determination result (hereinafter also referred to as vehicle type information) from the vehicle type determination device 8b, the lane control device 9b integrates the vehicle type information with the vehicle-mounted device ID previously received from the first antenna device 10. The integrated information is transmitted to the second antenna control device 13 via a communication cable laid in the site, for example.

  The second antenna control device 13 receives the integrated information from each of the lane control devices 9a and 9b in the plurality of lanes 2 and 3, so that the vehicle-mounted device ID is associated with the vehicle type information, that is, the vehicle-mounted device. The integrated information received so as to classify the vehicle type information for each ID is stored in the memory 14 (step S1).

  The second antenna devices 11 and 12 always transmit radio waves to form the second communication areas 11a and 12a, and are in a polling waiting state (step S2). In this state, when the vehicle 40 that has passed through the vehicle type identification device 8b enters the second communication area 12a and polling from the vehicle-mounted device 30 is received by the second antenna device 12, the second receiving device receives the received signal. The two-antenna control device 13 determines that there is a vehicle-mounted device (step S3), and requests the vehicle-mounted device 30 to transmit the vehicle-mounted device ID.

  When the onboard equipment ID transmitted from the onboard equipment 30 in response to this request is received by the second antenna device 12 (step S4), the second antenna control device 13 uses the received onboard equipment ID as a key for memory. 14 is searched. As a result of this search, if vehicle type information having an onboard unit ID that matches the onboard unit ID exists in the memory 14, the second antenna control device 13 reads the vehicle type information from the memory 13, and the second antenna unit. 12 to the vehicle-mounted device 30 (step S5), and the vehicle type information is written to the IC card 20.

  Note that the communication interface between the lane control devices 9a and 9b of the plurality of lanes 2 and 3 and the second antenna control device 13 may be the above-described communication cable or wireless communication. There is no particular limitation on the means.

  As described above, according to the above-described embodiment, the first antenna device and the third antenna device, which have been conventionally required, are integrated into one first antenna device 10 and the first antenna device is integrated. 10 is installed between the general road before entering the toll collection lane and the toll booth, and the second antenna devices 11 and 12 may be installed in each toll collection lane. Construction costs can be reduced.

The schematic diagram which shows schematically the structure of the ETC system as a fee collection system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The block diagram which shows roughly the structure of the onboard equipment mounted in a vehicle. The figure for demonstrating operation | movement of an ETC system. The flowchart explaining operation | movement of an ETC system.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Entrance lane, 2 ... Mixed lane (toll collection lane), 3 ... ETC exclusive lane (toll collection lane), 4 ... Incoming lane, 8a, 8b ... Vehicle type discrimination device (vehicle type discrimination means), 9a, 9b ... Lane control Device (first control means), 10 ... first antenna device, 10a ... first communication area, 11,12 ... second antenna device, 11a, 12a ... second communication area, 13 ... second antenna Control device (second control means), 14 ... Memory (storage means), 20 ... IC card (ETC card, information recording medium), 30 ... On-vehicle device, 31 ... IC card reader / writer unit, 32 ... IC card processing Part, 33 ... memory, 34 ... vehicle-mounted device antenna, 35 ... radio control part, 40 ... vehicle.

Claims (3)

Vehicle type discriminating means that is provided at a predetermined position of each of the toll collection lanes of the toll gate and determines the type of the vehicle that has entered the toll collection lane;
A vehicle that is provided in a preceding stage of the toll collection lane, forms a first communication area at a predetermined position of an entry lane through which a plurality of toll collection lanes pass in common, and enters the first communication area A first antenna device that performs wireless communication with the vehicle-mounted device mounted on
A second antenna device that forms a second communication area at a predetermined position of the toll collection lane, and performs wireless communication with an on-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle that has entered the second communication area;
The information on the toll gate is transmitted to the vehicle-mounted device mounted on the vehicle that has entered the first communication area by controlling the first antenna device, and the vehicle-mounted device-specific information unique to the vehicle-mounted device is transmitted from the vehicle-mounted device. A first control unit that acquires and stores the acquired vehicle-mounted device specific information and the vehicle type information of the vehicle determined by the vehicle type determination unit in a storage unit in association with each other;
By controlling the second antenna device, OBE-specific information unique to the OBE is acquired from the OBE mounted on the vehicle that has entered the second communication area, and the OBE-specific information corresponding to the acquired OBE-specific information is obtained. Second model means for acquiring vehicle type information having in-vehicle device specific information from the storage unit, and transmitting the acquired vehicle type information to the on-vehicle device;
A toll collection system characterized by comprising: The in-vehicle device is equipped with an information recording medium in which billing information such as account information and expiration date of a financial institution for settlement of charges is recorded,
The first control means controls the effectiveness of the on-vehicle device mounted on the vehicle that has entered the first communication area and the information recording medium mounted on the on-vehicle device by controlling the first antenna device. The toll collection system according to claim 1, wherein the toll collection information is transmitted to the in-vehicle device when checked and valid. A vehicle type discriminating means for discriminating the type of the vehicle that has entered the toll collection lane, provided at a predetermined position of each of the toll collection lanes of the toll road toll gate; A first communication area is formed at a predetermined position in an approach lane through which vehicles that pass through the toll collection lane commonly pass, and wireless communication is performed with an on-vehicle device mounted on the vehicle that has entered the first communication area. Wireless communication is performed between the first antenna device that performs the above and the second communication area formed at a predetermined position of the toll collection lane and the vehicle-mounted device that is mounted on the vehicle that has entered the second communication area. A second antenna device,
The information on the toll gate is transmitted to the vehicle-mounted device mounted on the vehicle that has entered the first communication area by controlling the first antenna device, and the vehicle-mounted device-specific information unique to the vehicle-mounted device is transmitted from the vehicle-mounted device. A first step of acquiring;
A second step of storing the vehicle-mounted device specific information acquired in the first step and the vehicle type information of the vehicle determined by the vehicle type determination unit in association with each other in the storage unit;
A third step of acquiring OBE-specific information unique to the OBE from the OBE mounted on the vehicle that has entered the second communication area by controlling the second antenna device;
A fourth step of acquiring vehicle type information having on-vehicle device specific information corresponding to the on-vehicle device specific information acquired by the third step from the storage unit, and transmitting the acquired vehicle type information to the on-vehicle device;
A toll collection method characterized by comprising:

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