In-vehicle communication device and toll collecting method

An in-vehicle communication device comprising:

• a communication unit that communicates with a roadside machine of a system that automatically collects a toll of a toll road;
• a non-volatile memory;
• and
• a processing unit that executes a process of collecting a toll using the communication unit,
• wherein the processing unit obtains predetermined information for using the system from a server that stores the predetermined information through the Internet, and stores the same into the non-volatile memory,
• wherein the processing unit uses first storage information or second storage information during the execution of the process using the communication unit,
• wherein the processing unit writes the second storage information stored in the non-volatile memory into the server through the Internet at, at least, either timing when the power supply of the in-vehicle communication device is switched to on or off,
• wherein the first storage information is the predetermined information stored in the non-volatile memory after being read from the server, and
• wherein the second storage information is information stored in the non-volatile memory after being obtained in the process.

A toll collecting method comprising the steps of:

• reading predetermined information stored in an IC (integrated circuit) card to use a system that automatically collects a toll of a toll road through an interface for communicating with the IC card;
• storing the read predetermined information into a non-volatile memory;
• using first storage information or second storage information when a process of collecting a toll accompanied by communications with a roadside machine of the system is executed;
• and
• writing the second storage information stored in the non-volatile memory into the IC card through the interface at, at least, either timing when the power supply of an in-vehicle communication device is switched to on or off,
• wherein the first storage information is the predetermined information stored in the non-volatile memory after being read from the IC card, and
• wherein the second storage information is information stored in the non-volatile memory after being obtained in the process.