# US 11,908,247 B2 · Systems and methods for collecting tolls along a toll road

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- Number: US 11,908,247 B2
- Document ID: US11908247B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/354,539
- Filed: 2021-06-22
- Published: 2022-12-22
- Granted: 2024-02-20
- Earliest claimed: 2021-06-22
- Assignees: Toyota Motor Credit Corporation
- Applicants: Toyota Motor Credit Corporation
- Inventors: Brittney Nicole Ferrell
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11908247B2

## CPC

- G07B 15/063: {using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station (identification of vehicles G08G)}
- G06Q 20/326: {Payment applications installed on the mobile devices}
- G06Q 30/04: Billing or invoicing
- G06Q 30/0645: Rental transactions; Leasing transactions
- G06Q 2240/00: Transportation facility access, e.g. fares, tolls or parking
- G07F 17/0014: {for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 (meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00)}
- G07F 17/0057: {for the hiring or rent of vehicles, e.g. cars, bicycles or wheelchairs (car rental G07B15/00)}
- G07B: TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G07F: COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS (coin sorting G07D3/00; coin testing G07D5/00; {handling coins or paper currencies apart from payment activated apparatus G07D; payment architectures, schemes or protocols G06Q20/00})

## Abstract

A system for collecting a toll owed by a rental vehicle traveling along a toll road includes network interface hardware. a memory module, and a processor communicatively coupled to the network interface hardware and the memory module. Wherein the memory module stores logic that when executed by the processor, causes the processor to receive a rental start notification from the network interface hardware; and automatically execute toll payment logic stored on the memory module in response to receipt of the rental start notification. The toll payment logic causes the processor to detect and toll payment event throughout a rental period.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for collecting a toll owed by a rental vehicle traveling along a toll road, the system comprising:
a network interface hardware;
two or more sensors comprising at least a GPS unit and one or more vehicle cameras mounted to the rental vehicle, the two or more sensors configured to output a signal indicative of a location of the rental vehicle relative to a toll booth;
a user interface device;
a memory module; and
a processor communicatively coupled to the network interface hardware, the two or more sensors, the user interface device, and the memory module, wherein the memory module stores a toll payment logic that when executed by the processor, causes the processor to:
receive a rental start notification from the network interface hardware; and
automatically execute the toll payment logic throughout a rental period stored on the memory module in response to receipt of a rental start notification, wherein the toll payment logic causes the processor to:
detect, using the two or more sensors, a location of the system relative to the toll booth based on the signal from the GPS unit and by performing object recognition on image data from the one or more cameras to identify the toll booth from the image data;
determine a toll payment event wherein a toll payment is due based on the location of the system relative to the toll booth;
access a stored rental agreement stored on the memory module;
split the toll payment between a renter, an owner, and a driver, based on the stored rental agreement;
generate an alert with the user interface device that the toll payment is due based on the location of the system relative to the toll booth, wherein the alert provides at least one of a notification of payment of the toll, a selection to pay the toll, and a selection to dispute the toll,
receive a rental end notification from the network interface hardware;
automatically end the toll payment logic in response to receipt of the rental end notification;
generate a payment report for a balance paid; and
transmit the payment report to a toll booth server with the network interface hardware.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the toll payment logic causes the processor to automatically pay the toll.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein the toll is paid in response to the system passing through the toll booth.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the toll payment logic causes the processor to:
receive a dispute input from the user interface device; and
transmit, with the network interface hardware, the dispute input to a vehicle rental service server associated with the rental vehicle.

### Claim 5

A system for collecting a toll owed by a rental vehicle traveling along a toll road, the system comprising:
a vehicle rental service server;
two or more sensors comprising at least a GPS unit and one or more vehicle cameras mounted to the rental vehicle, the two or more sensors configured to output a signal indicative of a location of the rental vehicle relative to a toll booth; and
a mobile device communicating with the vehicle rental service server via a network interface hardware, wherein the mobile device comprises a rental application, wherein the mobile device is configured to:
receive a rental request to rent the rental vehicle via the rental application;
determine a rental period start time for the rental vehicle based on the rental request;
automatically execute toll payment logic associated with the rental application at the rental period start time to detect a toll payment event throughout the rental period, wherein the toll payment logic causes the mobile device to:
detect, using the two or more sensors, a location of the system relative to the toll booth based on the signal from the GPS unit and by performing object recognition on image data from the one or more cameras to identify the toll booth from the image data;
determine a toll payment event wherein a toll payment is due based on the location of the system relative to the toll booth;
access a rental agreement;
split the toll payment between a renter, an owner, and a driver, based on the rental agreement;
generate an alert with a user interface device of the mobile device that the toll payment is due based on the location of the mobile device relative to the toll booth, wherein the alert provides at least one of a notification of payment of the toll, a selection to pay the toll, and a selection to dispute the toll,
receive a rental end notification from the network interface hardware;
automatically end the toll payment logic in response to receipt of the rental end notification;
generate a payment report for a balance paid; and
transmit the payment report to a toll booth server with the network interface hardware.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein the toll payment logic causes the mobile device to automatically pay the toll in response to the toll payment event.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein the toll payment event comprises the mobile device passing through the toll booth.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein the toll payment logic further causes the mobile device to generate a payment report in response to payment of the toll.

### Claim 9 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein the toll payment logic further causes the mobile device to:
receive a dispute input from the user interface device of the mobile device; and
transmit, with the network interface hardware, the dispute input to the vehicle rental service server associated with the rental vehicle.

### Claim 10

A computer implemented method for paying a toll owed by a rental vehicle traveling along a toll road, the method comprising:
receiving via a network interface hardware a rental start notification; and
automatically executing toll payment logic with a processor, the toll payment logic comprising:
detecting, using two or more sensors comprising at least a GPS unit and one or more vehicle cameras mounted to the rental vehicle, the two or more sensors configured to output a signal indicative of a location of the rental vehicle relative to a toll booth, a location of the rental vehicle relative to the toll booth based on the signal from the GPS unit and by performing object recognition on image data from the one or more cameras to identify the toll booth from the image data;
determining a toll payment event wherein a toll payment is due based on the location of the vehicle relative to the toll booth;
accessing a rental agreement;
splitting the toll payment between a renter, an owner, and a driver, based on the rental agreement;
generating an alert with a user interface device that the toll payment is due based on the location of the rental vehicle relative to the toll booth, wherein the alert provides at least one of a notification of payment of the toll, a selection to pay the toll, and a section to dispute the toll,
automatically generating via a vehicle rental service server the rental start notification based on receipt of a rental request;
transmitting the rental start notification to the processor via the network interface hardware;
generating a payment report for a balance paid; and
transmitting the payment report to a toll booth server with the network interface hardware.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising:
receiving a rental end notification from the network interface hardware; and
automatically ending the toll payment logic in response to receipt of the rental end notification.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the rental end notification is received in response to the rental vehicle being returned.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising:
automatically generating via a vehicle rental service server, the rental end notification based upon return of the rental vehicle; and
transmitting the rental end notification to the processor via the network interface hardware.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10 further comprising:
receiving a dispute input with the processor via a user interface device; and
transmitting, with the network interface hardware, the dispute input to the vehicle rental service server associated with the rental vehicle.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising:
determining with the toll booth server whether a toll-initiated charge has been charged to the rental vehicle owner or the rental vehicle in addition to the balance paid; and
canceling or refunding the toll-initiated charge, wherein
the payment report comprises information for identifying the rental vehicle or the rental vehicle owner.