SYSTEM FOR CARRYING OUT A PAYMENT OPERATION

Abstract: The invention concerns a system for performing a payment operation between a movable and a fixed object, such as vehicles passing through a road toll, whereby the fixed object has a transmitter provided for debiting information and a receiver for the same, which is carried by the movable object and has a logic organ arranged for performing said payment operation and which is provided with a register to store a sufficient credit amount for the purpose. According to the invention, said logic organ of said receiver has a presentation organ arranged to provide an indication to authorised personnel outside said movable object, at a distance, that said payment operation is performed and, when checked, verification data for the same.

Description: SYSTEM FOR CARRYING OUT A PAYMENT OPERATION Technical field The invention concerns a system for performing a payment operation between a movable and a fixed object, such as vehicles passing through a road toll, whereby the fixed object has a transmitter provided for debiting information and a receiver for the same, which is carried by the movable object and has a logic organ arranged for performing said payment operation and which is provided with a register to store a sufficient credit amount for the purpose. Prior art It is previously known from, as an example, the American patent No 4 303 904 to perform a debiting and payment operation using two-way radio communication at a road toll. A problem with the prior art is that the debiting and payment operation takes time to perform and that the equipment at the road toll may be observed as both costly and bulky. If vehicles passes through at high speed, it may be difficult to perform the payment operation during the short period of time available. A conceivable measure consists of shortening the payment operation by processing data in advance or afterwards, which may make the equipment specialised. Another conceivable measure consists of extending the available time period for the payment operation by arrange a multiple of stands with transmitters and receivers along the passage way, which will increase the cost and may be disturbing for the environment. Statement of the invention The invention concerns a system for performing a payment operation between a movable and a fixed object, such as vehicles passing through a road toll, whereby the fixed object has a transmitter provided for debiting information and a receiver for the same, which is carried by the movable object and has a logic organ arranged for performing said payment operation and which is provided with a register to store a sufficient credit amount for the purpose. According to the invention, said logic organ of said receiver has a presentation organ arranged to provide an indication to authorised personnel outside said movable object, at a distance, that said payment operation is performed and, when checked, verification data for the same. By the invention it is achieved that a payment operation may be performed between a movable and a fixed object without requirements on two-way radio communications and without costly or bulky equipment at the fixed object. In an embodiment for debiting of vehicles in environmental zones is the logic organ, according to the invention, arranged to handle debiting information divided into a start message from a zone start transmitter and an end massage from a zone end transmitter and is provided with a time counter for performing the payment operation based on that the payment information states the cost per time period. For vehicles that travels fast through environmental zones is the logic organ arranged to handle a credit period indicated in the start message from the zone start transmitter so that a credit amount stated in the end message from the zone end transmitter is written into said register. In an embodiment for parking lots is it sufficient with one transmitter that periodically, for instance every five minutes, transmits debiting information to the logic organ in the vehicle, in which case the time counter is redundant. According to an embodiment of the invention, said logic organ is arranged to handle a credit information in such a way that a reception of this proceeding, within a predetermined period, said debiting information results in a crediting arranged to mainly compensate a debiting as a consequence of the debiting information, whereby the latter is arranged to be received from said transmitter located within a geographic debiting boundary while said crediting information is arranged to be received from a second transmitter located outside said debiting boundary. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, said presentation organ is only a light emitting diode. Its light indicates if the payment operation is performed and is furthermore arranged to be pulse coded by the logic organ for trans ittal of said verification data to a receiver and a decoder of known type, e.g. at a police control. In connection with that there is no influence required outside said movable object for the transmittal of the verification data after the reception of the debiting information. Regardless of the embodiment of the invention it is obvious for the man skilled in the art that the debiting information may be transmitted and received with simple and known radio transmitters and receivers for short distance, and that the logic organ preferable is protected against unauthorised handling using, among other things, encryption in known manner for writing and reading in said register. Furthermore, it is apparent that information regarding exemption from debiting, as an example for emergency vehicles, local residents' parking, disablement permit and for electric cars as an example of exception from environmental fee. The equipment, with belonging electronics, that is required for said embodiments including suitable indications of when said credit amount needs to be renewed and automatic machines for the purpose, relies on known techniques that every person skilled in the arts controls and does not constitute any part of the present invention, whereby it is not described more closely.

Claims: Claims 1. System for performing a payment operation between a movable and a fixed object, such as vehicles passing through a road toll, whereby the fixed object has a transmitter provided for debiting information and a receiver for the same, which is carried by the movable object and has a logic organ arranged for performing said payment operation and which is provided with a register to store a sufficient credit amount for the purpose, characterised in that said logic organ of said receiver has a presentation organ arranged to provide an indication to authorised personnel outside said movable object, at a distance, that said payment operation is performed and, when checked, verification data for the same. 2. System according to claim 1, characterised in that said logic organ is arranged to handle said debiting information divided into a start message from a zone start transmitter and an end massage from a zone end transmitter and is provided with a time counter for performing the payment operation based on that the payment information indicates a cost per time period. 3. System according claim 2, characterised in that said logic organ is arranged to handle a credit period indicated in the start message from the zone start transmitter so that a credit amount stated in the end message from the zone end transmitter is written into said register. 4. System according to claim 1, characterised in that said ■ logic organ is arranged to handle a credit information in such a way that a reception of this proceeding, within a predetermined period, said debiting information results in a crediting arranged to mainly compensate a debiting as a consequence of the debiting information, whereby the latter is arranged to be received from said transmitter located within a geographic debiting boundary while said crediting information is arranged to be received from a second transmitter located outside said debiting boundary. 5. System according to claims 1-4, characterised in that said presentation organ of said logic organ is a light emitting diode . 6. System according to claim 5, characterised in that said light emitting diode is arranged to be pulse coded to give authorised personnel, in addition to the indication that said payment operation is performed, verification data for the same without any influence outside said movable object than the reception of said debiting information.

Inventors: DE BONNENFANT BJOERN, DE BONNENFANT, BJOERN
Applicants: BONNENFANT BJOERN DE, SATSAFE MLS AB, DE BONNENFANT, BJOERN
Application year: 1998
Main classification: G07B15
IPC codes: G07B15