Abstract:
A toll collection method of a toll collection apparatus that is jointly installed with a wireless toll collection system for the toll collection is to receive the vehicle data of a vehicle of which toll could not be collected by the wireless toll collection system, collect a toll from the vehicle corresponding to the received vehicle data and transmit the vehicle data to the wireless toll collection system when the toll collection process is completed by the processing means.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a toll collection apparatus which is installed jointly with an electric toll collection system (ETC) provided at tollgates of toll roads for the toll collection through a wireless communication with an onboard unit equipped to mobile bodies such as vehicles and the like, and a toll collection method of the toll collection apparatus. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     According to the technology so far available, in the case of an electric toll collection system (ETC) utilizing a wireless communication technology, all vehicles including ETC vehicles are once stopped and tolls are collected at exit lanes regardless of difference in manned/unmanned or private operations. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,872,525 discloses a toll collection systems. And, with the increase of the ETC utilization factor, it becomes possible to further increase the utilizing factor of toll collection process when the toll collection system is rather operated only for the full non-stop ETC private operation. 
     However, when the full non-stop ETC private operation is put for the use as a result of the spread of the ETC after the once stop type ETC that is examined at present is fixed, it is expected that some of vehicles force their way through the exit lane if tolls are not properly collected at the ETC private non-stop exit lanes and these vehicles may be processed as forced passing vehicles. In this case, there are some fear that erroneously processed vehicles and erroneously entered non-ETC vehicles may be regarded as forced passing vehicles even when they have no evil intention. 
     As described above, in the wireless toll collection system (ETC) utilizing the wireless communication technology, there was such a problem that when a full non-stop ETC private operation is provided for the use as a result of the spread of the ETC and tolls are not properly collected at the ETC private non-stop exit lanes, the vehicles of which tolls are not properly collected are processed as forced passing vehicles and erroneously processed vehicles and erroneously entered non-ETC vehicles may be regarded as forced passing vehicles even when they have no evil intention. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a toll collection apparatus that is jointly installed to and operated with a wireless toll collection system (ETC) and a toll collection method for positively collecting tolls of vehicles from which tolls could not be collected properly and preventing the generation of forced passing of tollgates. 
     According to the present invention, a toll collection apparatus that is installed jointly with a wireless toll collection system for toll collection. The toll collection apparatus comprises receiving means for receiving vehicle data of vehicles from which a toll could not be collected by the wireless toll collection system; processing means for performing a toll collecting process from the vehicle corresponding to the vehicle data received by the receiving means; and transmission means for transmitting the vehicle data of the vehicle to the wireless toll collection system when completing the toll collection process by the processing means. 
     Further, according to the present invention, a toll collection method of a toll collection apparatus that is jointly installed to a wireless toll collection system for the toll collection is provided. The toll collection method comprises the steps of receiving vehicle data of a vehicle from which a toll could not be collected by the wireless toll collection system, and transmitting the vehicle data of the vehicle to the wireless toll collecting system when the toll collection was made from the vehicle corresponding to the vehicle data received in the receiving way. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the schematic system equipment layout of a toll collection system to which a toll collection apparatus is jointly installed; 
     FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the schematic structure of an unmanned toll collection system to which a toll collection apparatus of the present invention is jointly installed; 
     FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the schematic structure of the toll collection apparatus shown in FIG. 2; and 
     FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the toll collection process by the toll collection apparatus shown in FIG.  3 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below referring to the attached drawings. 
     FIG. 1 shows an example of schematic layout of the toll collection system equipment of a toll collection system to which a toll collection apparatus  1  of the present invention is jointly installed. 
     The toll collection apparatus  1  is installed at the rear of a non-stop private lane of a wireless toll collection (ETC) private system. An image pickup device  2  to take a picture of a vehicle number plate and an ITV camera  3  that is a monitor camera are installed near the toll collection apparatus  1 . The toll collection apparatus  1  is interlocking with a vehicle detector  4  which detects the entrance and exit of a vehicle V. In this embodiment, a diagram built in the toll collection apparatus  1  is displayed on the vehicle detector  4 . However, depending on the state of installation, the vehicle sensor  4  can be installed outside near the toll collection apparatus  1 . Further, although normal ETC exit lane side system devices are arranged at the ETC private non-stop exit lane, an unfair protection camera  5  only that is closely related to the present invention is illustrated. That is, the unfair protection camera  5  takes a picture of a number plate of a non-ETC vehicle with which the wireless communication could not be made and the taken image is recognized later. 
     FIG. 2 shows the schematic structure of an unmanned toll collection system installed jointly with the toll collection apparatus  1 . 
     The toll collection apparatus  1  comprises an unmanned toll collection system  7  together with ETC device  6  such as the image pickup device  2 , an antenna, etc. In FIG. 2, the unmanned toll collection system  7  houses the vehicle sensor  4  and ETC device  8  such as a controller, etc. in the toll collection apparatus  1 ; however, these devices can be installed outside the toll collection apparatus  1 . 
     Further, the ETC devices concerned with the toll collection apparatus  1  can be replaced by IC card reader/writer depending on the operation of the ETC system. 
     Further, the image pickup device  2  executes the image process in the later process. An image processor (not shown) that is used for this image process can be installed independently or realized in combination with another device in one unit. However, this image processor does not become a main element for the explanation of the present invention and therefore, its explanation is omitted. 
     The toll collection apparatus  1  is connected to a higher rank apparatus  9  such as a monitor, etc. together with an ETC private system (at the road side)  10  including the unfair protection camera  5 . Further, the ITV camera  3  explained in FIG. 1 is connected to the higher rank apparatus  9  having the monitor function. 
     The higher rank apparatus  9  is provided with a memory  9   a  which stores data of enforcing vehicles, etc. The details will be described later. 
     FIG. 3 shows the schematic structure of the toll collection apparatus  1 . 
     The toll collection apparatus  1  comprises a transit card processor  11 , a wireless card processor  12 , a vehicle detection unit  13  equipped with the vehicle detector  4 , a receipt issuer  14 , a card processor  15 , a paper money/coin processor  16 , a certificate processor  17  for handicapped person, a book of ticket processor  18 , an operation display including a voice guide function, an intercom  20 , an external interface  21 , a power source  22 , a controller  23  and a body of equipment  24 . Further, the wireless card processor  12  has the ETC device  8  and an IC card &amp; plate processor  25 . The controller  23  has a memory  23   a  which records an enforcing vehicle data list, number plate data, etc. that will be described later in detail. 
     Further, the vehicle detector  4  and the ETC device  8  can be installed outside the toll collection apparatus, and depending on the operation of the ETC system, the IC card reader/writer can be used for the ETC process. 
     Next, the toll collection process by the toll collection apparatus  1  in such the structure as described above will be described referring to a flowchart shown in FIG.  4 . 
     Now, when it is assumed that an ETC process error is generated at the ETC private operating exit lane for an entering vehicle V, the ETC exit system notifies a driver of this vehicle that an error is generated as a result of the ETC process (ST 1 ) and a toll could not be properly collected through a display (not shown), etc. provided to the ETC private system (the road side)  10  (ST 2 ). The ETC private system (the road side)  10  takes a picture of a number plate of that vehicle V with the unfair protection camera  5  as the vehicle V passes through the exit without paying a toll (ST 3 ). The number plate data N 1  of the vehicle V is detected and sent to the higher rank apparatus  9  as an forced passing vehicle (ST 4 ). 
     The higher rank apparatus  9  records this transmitted number plate data N 1  in the memory  9   a  as the forced passing vehicle data (ST 5 ). At the same time, the forced passing vehicle data is sent to the toll collection apparatus  1  (ST 6 ). 
     The collection apparatus  1  records the number plate data N 1  transmitted as the forced passing vehicle data in the forced passing vehicle data list in the memory  23   a  of the controller  23  (ST 7 ). In succession, when the vehicle V is entering in front of the toll collection apparatus  1 , the toll collection apparatus  1  detects the entry of the vehicle V (ST 8 ) with the vehicle detector  4  and at the same time, directs the image pickup device  2  to take a picture of the number plate of the vehicle V (ST 9 ). The number plate data taken with the image pickup device  2  is detected and stored in the memory  23   a  as the number plate data N 2  of the vehicle V that is subject to the toll collection process (ST 10 ). 
     The toll collection apparatus  1  performs the toll collection process for the entering vehicle V. At this time, in the toll collection process of a non-ETC vehicle ST 11 ), the toll collection apparatus  1  reads and stores the number plate data N 3  recorded on a ticket in the memory  23   a  and obtains an entrance information. In the case of an ETC vehicle (ST 13 ), the ETC device  6  reads and stores the number plate data N 3 ′ recorded on a wireless card (IC card) in the memory  23   a  and obtains an entrance information (ST 14 ). Further, the wireless card process can be according to either a system using an IC card reader/writer or a system using a wireless communication antenna. 
     The, the toll collection apparatus  1  checks the conformity of the number plate data N 2  and N 3  and N 3 ′ stored in the memory  23   a  (ST 15 ). At this time, the toll collection apparatus  1  is also able to display the conformed number plate data N 2  or N 3  and N 3 ′ on the operation display  19  so as to have a driver confirm it (ST 15 ). When the conformity of the number plate data N 2  and the number plate N 3  recorded on a ticket is confirmed, the toll collection apparatus  1  assumes this number plate data (N 2 , N 3 ) as N 4  (ST 17 ) and collates it with the number plate data N 1  recorded on the forced passing vehicle data list in the memory  23   a  as the data of the toll collected vehicle V (ST 18 ). 
     When they are not agreed with each other as a result of the collation in Step  18 , an action is taken by an official (ST 19 ). 
     When the number plate data N 1  as the forced passing vehicle data agreed with the number plate data N 4  as the toll collected vehicle data as a result of the collation of them, the toll collection apparatus  1  deletes the number plate data N 1  from the forced passing vehicle data list as the toll was collected from the forced passing vehicle (ST 20 ) and directs the higher rank apparatus  9  to delete the forced passing record of that vehicle (ST 21 ). 
     The high rank apparatus  9  deletes the forced passing vehicle data stored in memory  9   a  according to the number plate data N 1  that is the data of a force passing vehicle directed to delete by the toll collection apparatus  1  (ST 22 ) or a step to change data as a toll collected vehicle. 
     Further, in the case where the ETC process error did not occur in Step ST 1 , the toll collection apparatus  1  compares the photographed number plate data N 2  with the ETC vehicle number plate data N 3 ′. When they agree each other as a result of the comparison, the ETC vehicle is approved to pass the gate. When not agreed, a proper toll is set and input by an official and the toll collection apparatus processes the toll collection. 
     As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the toll collection apparatus is installed and operated jointly with the wireless toll collection system (ETC). The toll collection apparatus collects tolls certainly from those vehicles that did not intentionally make the forced passing but could not pay tolls for an error of the ETC device, the erroneous entry of non-ETC vehicles out of the vehicles recorded in a toll unpaid vehicle list that is prepared for vehicles from which the toll could not be collected properly at the ETC private non-stop exit lane, etc. At the same time, the toll collection apparatus specifies the vehicles from which tolls were collected after the forced passing process and deletes applicable vehicles data from the forced passing vehicle list. As a result, it becomes possible to prevent drivers who have no malicious intention from being subject to get disadvantage. 
     According to the present invention described above in detail, it is possible to provide a toll collection apparatus that is installed and operated jointly with a wireless toll collecting system (ETC) and its toll collecting method to certainty collect tolls from vehicles from which tolls could not be collected properly and prevent generation of unintentional forced passing of toll houses.