JPH1040428A - System for collecting passage toll of toll road - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a system for collecting passage toll of toll road in which the collection of passage toll can be automated while surely specifying a vehicle whatoner the environment is, by using a vehicle identifying method based on a radio signal different from image processing using an image-pickup device. SOLUTION: An automobile 1 moving into an interchange entrance part 2 or an interchange exit part 3 transmits the information of an automobile registration number in a ROM 13 from radio equipment 12. At the interchange entrance part 2 and the interchange exit part 3, radio devices 21 and 31 receive this information, entrance information and exit information is prepared by transmitters 22 and 32 and transmitted to communication lines 4 and 5. At a central control center 6, the entrance information is temporarily stored in a storage device 64. When the exit information is received, the entrance information is retrieved from the storage device 64, the passage toll of the same automobile 1 is calculated from this entrance information and exit information, and that toll information is transmitted through the communication line 5 to the interchange exit part 3. At the interchange exit part 3, based on this toll information, a toll collector 34 collects the passage toll from the driver.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a toll road toll collection system for collecting tolls at an interchange at an exit when the vehicle runs on a toll road.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional toll road toll collection system, at an interchange at an entrance to a toll road, a toll ticket recording information such as an interchange number and an entry time is handed to a vehicle driver. When the driver passes the toll ticket to the attendant at the exit interchange, the attendant generally collects a toll based on the information described in the toll ticket.

However, in this method, it is impossible to prevent troubles caused by loss of the toll ticket, to prevent unauthorized use of the toll ticket, and to automate the toll collection process.

[0004] As first and second examples of a method for solving this problem, there are a "toll collection method" described in JP-A-60-29887 and a "charge collection method" described in JP-A-3-82496. Vehicle identification system ".

In this first conventional example, entrance information including a vehicle type recognized from an image of a vehicle number slip of an entrance vehicle is registered in a central processing unit. The entrance information of the vehicle is searched based on the recognition result including the recognized vehicle type, and the toll collection process is performed on the exit vehicle based on the searched entrance information and the exit information.

In the second conventional example, a vehicle is identified by imaging a number plate, a bumper color, a headlight type, and the like.

[0007]

However, in each of the conventional examples, a vehicle is specified by performing optical image processing for imaging an object, and therefore, for example, the number plate is extremely dirty, There is a problem that it is difficult to read information by image processing of an imaged result in a vehicle where a number plate is not attached at a position or in an environment where visibility is extremely poor such as in dense fog.

An object of the present invention is to use a vehicle identification method using a radio signal different from image processing using an image pickup device, to thereby reliably identify a vehicle in any environment and to automate toll collection. It is an object of the present invention to provide a toll road toll collection method that can be used.

[0009]

According to the present invention, an RO in which a vehicle registration number written on a number plate is written.
A vehicle equipped with a wireless device for transmitting the contents of M, and a first wireless device for transmitting entrance information including the contents of the ROM received from the wireless device of the vehicle to the central control center through a first communication line. An interchange entrance provided with the ROM transmitted from the radio of the vehicle
A second wireless device that transmits exit information including the contents of the above to the central control center via a second communication line, and a toll collection device that collects a toll based on the toll information sent from the central control center. The central control center temporarily stores the entrance information from the interchange entrance in a storage device and retrieves the entrance information from the storage device when receiving the exit information. Control means for calculating a toll for the same vehicle from the entrance information and the exit information, and transmitting the toll information to the interchange exit section through the second communication line. A scheme is obtained.

The entrance information is information including the number information of the interchange entrance, the vehicle registration number information, and the time information when the vehicle enters the interchange entrance, and the exit information is the interchange. A toll road toll collection method is provided, which is information including exit number information, the vehicle registration number information, and time information when the vehicle enters the interchange exit.

Further, the interchange entrance and the interchange exit respectively include first and second image pickup devices for picking up an image of a vehicle registration number written on the number plate of the vehicle that has entered and performing image processing. The control means of the central control center comprises the first and second
A vehicle registration number obtained from image information from the first and second imaging devices received through the communication line of the vehicle and a vehicle registration number obtained from the entrance information and the exit information. A road toll collection system is obtained.

[0012]

Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a system block diagram showing an embodiment of a toll toll collection system according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the system according to the present embodiment includes a vehicle 1 equipped with a wireless device 12 for transmitting the contents of a ROM 13 in which a vehicle registration number written on a number plate 11 is written. An interchange entrance part 2 entering when getting on a motorway, an interchange exit part 3 entering when getting off from a toll road,
It comprises an interchange entrance 2, an interchange exit 3, and a central control center 6 connected by communication lines 4, 5.

The interchange entrance 2 is provided with a wireless device 21 for receiving the contents of the ROM 13 from the wireless device 12 of the vehicle 1 and an image pickup device for capturing the vehicle registration number described on the number plate 11 of the vehicle 1 for image processing. Device 23
And the entrance information obtained by adding the interchange number information, the entry time information of the automobile 1 and the like to the vehicle registration number information from the wireless device 21 and the image information from the imaging device 23 to the communication line 4.
And a transmission device 22 for transmitting the data.

The interchange exit unit 3 is connected to the automobile 1
A wireless device 31 that receives the contents of the ROM 13 from the wireless device 12 of the vehicle, an image capturing device 33 that captures an image of the vehicle registration number described on the license plate 11 of the vehicle 1 and performs image processing,
Exit information obtained by adding interchange number information, entry time information of the automobile 1 and the like to the vehicle registration number information from the wireless device 31 and image information from the imaging device 33 are transmitted to the communication line 4 and the charge information is transmitted from the communication line 5. The transmission device 32 includes a transmission device 32 that receives the information and a toll collection device 34 that collects a toll from a driver based on the fee information received by the transmission device 32.

Further, the central control center 6 has a communication line 4,
5 and transmission devices 62 and 63 respectively
And a storage device 64 for temporarily storing the entrance information from the interchange entrance unit 2, and when receiving the exit information from the interchange exit unit 3, the entrance information is searched from the storage device 64 and the same information is retrieved from the entrance information and the exit information. A main controller 61 for calculating a toll for the automobile 1 and transmitting the toll information to the interchange exit unit 3 through the transmission device 63;

Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described.

When the vehicle 1 enters the interchange entrance 2 of the toll road, the information of the vehicle registration number written in the ROM 13 is transmitted from the wireless device 12,
At the interchange entrance 2, the wireless device 21 receives this registration number information and sends it to the transmission device 22. At the same time, the image capturing device 23 captures an image of the license plate 11 of the automobile 1, performs image processing, and sends character (numerical) data to the transmission device 22.

The transmission device 22 transmits, to the communication line 4, entrance information obtained by adding interchange number information, entry time information of the automobile 1, and the like to the registration number information.

In the central control center 6, when the transmission device 62 receives the information from the communication line 4, the information is temporarily stored in the storage device 64 through the main control device 61.

When the vehicle 1 travels on the toll road and approaches the interchange at the exit and enters the interchange exit 3, the information of the vehicle registration number written in the ROM 13 is transmitted from the radio 12. The wireless device 31 of the interchange exit unit 3 receives this registration number information and sends it to the transmission device 32. At the same time, the imaging device 33 captures an image of the license plate 11 of the automobile 1, processes the image, and sends character (numerical) data to the transmission device 32.

The transmission device 32 transmits to the communication line 5 exit information obtained by adding interchange number information, entry time information of the automobile 1 and the like to the registration number information.

In the central control center 6, when the transmission device 63 receives the information from the communication line 5, the main control device 61 searches the storage device 64 and reads out the entrance information corresponding to the vehicle registration number in the exit information. The vehicle type of the automobile 1 is specified from the vehicle registration number information, and the toll is calculated based on the mileage of the toll road obtained from the entrance interchange number information and the exit interchange number information.

The calculated fee information is transmitted from the transmission device 32 to the interchange exit unit 3 through the communication line 5,
At the interchange exit section 3, when the transmission device 32 receives this and sends it to the toll collection device 34, the amount of the toll is posted, and the driver of the automobile 1 indicates the amount to the toll collection device 34.
To

At the time of calculating the fare in the central control center 6, if the required time obtained from the entry time information in the entrance information and the exit information is extremely long, the attendant of the interchange exit section 3 is notified and The driver can check whether there has been any accident, or if the required time is extremely short, it can be determined that something has been wrong.

The central control center 6 compares the vehicle registration number obtained from the image information transmitted from the interchange entrance 2 and the interchange exit 3 with the vehicle registration number obtained from the entrance information and the exit information. By
It is possible to ensure the specification of the automobile 1.

[0028]

As described above, according to the present invention, the ROM in which the vehicle registration number written on the number plate is written.
And a first transmitting the entry information including the contents of the ROM received from the radio of the vehicle to the central control center through the first communication line.
And a second wireless device for transmitting exit information including the contents of the ROM transmitted from the wireless device of the vehicle to the central control center through the second communication line, and the central control center. And an interchange exit unit provided with a toll collection device for collecting tolls based on the obtained toll information. The central control center temporarily stores entrance information from the interchange entrance unit in a storage device, and stores the exit information. Control means for retrieving entrance information from a storage device upon receipt of the information, calculating a toll for the same vehicle from the entrance information and the exit information, and transmitting the toll information to the interchange exit through the second communication line; And the entrance information includes the number information of the interchange entrance, the vehicle registration number information, and the The exit information is information including time information when the vehicle enters the mouth, and the exit information is information including the number information of the interchange exit, the vehicle registration number information, and the time information when the vehicle enters the interchange exit. According to the present invention, the interchange entrance section and the interchange exit section each include first and second image pickup devices for picking up an image of a car registration number written on a number plate of a car that has entered and performing image processing.
The control means of the central control center compares the vehicle registration number obtained from the image information received from the first and second imaging devices received through the first and second communication lines with the vehicle registration number obtained from the entrance information and the exit information. The collation has the effect that the car can be specified more reliably than before.

In addition, the operation of giving and receiving a toll ticket at the toll gate at the entrance of the toll road becomes unnecessary, and by installing an automatic opening / closing gate, the toll road can be fully automated, including toll collection. It has the effect of.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system block diagram showing an embodiment of a toll toll collection system according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Automobile 2 Interchange entrance part 3 Interchange exit part 4, 5 Communication line 6 Central control center 11 Number plate 12 Radio 13 ROM 21, 31 Radio equipment 22, 32, 62, 63 Transmission equipment 23, 33 Imaging equipment 34 Fee Receiving device 61 Main control device 64 Storage device

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A vehicle equipped with a wireless device for transmitting the contents of a ROM in which a vehicle registration number written on a number plate is written, and entrance information including the contents of the ROM received from the wireless device of the vehicle. An interchange entrance having a first wireless device for transmitting to the central control center through one communication line, and exit information including the contents of the ROM transmitted from the wireless device of the vehicle through the second communication line; A second wireless device transmitting to the central control center, and an interchange exit unit including a toll collection device for collecting tolls based on the toll information sent from the central control center, wherein the central control center is The entrance information from the interchange entrance is temporarily stored in a storage device, and the exit information is received from the storage device when the exit information is received. Control means for retrieving mouth information, calculating a toll for the same vehicle from the entrance information and the exit information, and transmitting the toll information to the interchange exit through the second communication line. Automobile toll collection method. 2. The entrance information is information including the number information of an interchange entrance, the vehicle registration number information, and time information when the vehicle enters the interchange entrance. The exit information is an interchange. 2. The toll road toll collection system according to claim 1, wherein the information includes information on an exit portion, information on the vehicle registration number, and information on a time when the vehicle enters the interchange exit portion. 3. The interchange entrance section and the interchange exit section each include first and second image pickup devices for picking up an image of a car registration number written on the number plate of the car that has entered and performing image processing. The control means of the central control center obtains the vehicle registration number obtained from the image information from the first and second imaging devices received through the first and second communication lines, and obtains the vehicle registration number from the entrance information and the exit information. The toll vehicle toll collection system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle registration number is compared with the registered vehicle registration number.