Patent ID: 6340934
Filing Date: 2002-01-22
Classification: G07B,G08G

Abstract:
An vehicle-onboard ETC-relevant information communication control apparatus mounted on a motor vehicle capable of running on and along a toll road for interchanging information required for toll charge/payment transaction with ETC communication equipment installed in association with said toll road to thereby execute toll charge/payment settlement processing on the basis of said ETC-relevant information;said vehicle-onboard ETC-relevant information communication control apparatus comprising: communication limiting interval setting means for setting a communication limiting interval for disabling function of said vehicle-onboard ETC-relevant information communication control apparatus to conduct communication with said ETC communication equipment until said motor vehicle entered a communication area where communication between said vehicle-onboard ETC-relevant information communication control apparatus and said ETC communication equipment is allowed has traveled for a predetermined distance within said communication area after entry thereto; vehicle-traveled distance arithmetic means for arithmetically determining a vehicle-traveled distance for which said motor vehicle has traveled within said communication area from a time point when said motor vehicle entered said communication area; and communication control means for making decision as to whether or not said vehicle-traveled distance arithmetically determined by said vehicle-traveled distance arithmetic means exceeds said communication limiting interval preset by said communication limiting interval setting means, to thereby allow communication between said vehicle-onboard ETC-relevant information communication control apparatus and said ETC communication equipment to be started when said decision is made to such effect that said vehicle-traveled distance has exceeded said communication limiting interval.