Patent ID: 8660890

Claim:
A computerized method comprising: providing a website configured to enable users to open an account with a toll management system for payment of toll fees; electronically receiving, from a user associated with a vehicle and through the user interacting with the website, a request to open a toll payment account and a selection of a preferred toll fee payment method; generating an account record for the user that includes the selected preferred toll fee payment method and storing the account record in a billing database; electronically detecting, through use of a vehicle sensor, a transaction event representing an interaction between the vehicle and a toll facility, the transaction event corresponding to the vehicle traveling a particular distance defined as a distance between a starting point and an ending point on a toll road; in response to detecting the transaction event, using a camera to capture an image of the vehicle; electronically determining a license plate number and a state for the vehicle based on the captured image of the vehicle; electronically selecting, based on the determined state, a state vehicle registration system from among multiple different candidate state vehicle registration systems, each candidate state vehicle registration system being a computer system of a public motor vehicle department affiliated with a state; electronically accessing the selected state vehicle registration system; electronically searching public motor vehicle records stored by the selected state vehicle registration system using the license plate number as a key for searching the public motor vehicle records; electronically identifying a public motor vehicle record as corresponding to the vehicle based on the searching of public motor vehicle records stored by the selected state vehicle registration system; using the identified public motor vehicle record to electronically search the billing database to identify the account record of the user associated with the vehicle; accessing, from the account record, the preferred toll fee payment method selected by the user; calculating a toll fee for the transaction event based on the particular distance traveled by the vehicle on the toll road; and requesting payment of the toll fee corresponding to the transaction event from the user in accordance with the accessed preferred toll fee payment method selected by the user.