Method and apparatus for the registration of a vehicle(s) in a free flow toll facility by tracking the vehicle along a path in the toll facility area

A system for registering vehicles in a road toll facility, the road toll facility includes with a radio transmitter and receiver equipment (7) configured to communicate with vehicle units (12) arranged in the vehicles (4) and including radio transmitter-receiver equipment and arranged so that on receipt of a command from the radio transmitter unit (7) of the road toll facility the vehicle unit communicates adequate data for performing a debiting operation regarding a toll, characterized in that the radio equipment (7) includes computer equipment configured to separate out the vehicles for which a correct debiting operation has been performed by means of the vehicle unit (12) from at least another vehicle from the vehicles for which the correct debiting operation has not been performed;

• and the device further comprises video cameras (9), image processing equipment connected to the video cameras, and means for recording a number plate or other representation of the vehicle identity, the image processing equipment being arranged, by means of the image recording of the video cameras (9), to track the vehicles (4) during their passage through the toll facility between an entry position using the means for recording and any point in the road toll facility in which the radio equipment (7) including the computer equipment is arranged to identify the vehicles for which the correct debiting operation has been performed, and additional means for storing recordings identifying the vehicles for which the correct debiting operation has not been performed, but said additional means configured not to perform the storing of the recordings of the vehicles for which the correct debiting operation has been indicated as performed.

A method for administering a road toll facility with at least one vehicle traveling in a free traffic flow therethrough, comprising the steps of:

• (a) determining when the vehicle approaches the road toll facility within a predetermined distance;
• (b) determining a position for the vehicle using a first video camera as the vehicle travels in the road toll facility;
• (c) identifying a number plate positioned on a visible area of the vehicle using a second video camera;
• (d) assigning a recording unit to the vehicle responsive to the location of the vehicle when identified by the second video camera;
• (e) determining the position and direction of the vehicle using the first recording unit as the vehicle travels in the road toll facility;
• (f) correlating the position of the vehicle using the first video camera and the assigned recording unit;
• (g) performing a debiting operation to collect a payment from the vehicle;
• (h) determining whether the payment was received from the vehicle;
• (i) classifying the vehicle in one of the following classes responsive to said determining step (h):
• (i1) vehicles for which the payment was received,
• (i2) vehicles provided with a transponder including transponder identification information for which the payment was not received, and
• (i3) vehicles without a transponder for which the payment was not received,
• (j) performing one of the following steps responsive to said classifying step (i):
• (j1) when the vehicle is classified in accordance with class (i1), allowing the vehicle to pass through the road toll facility without maintaining identification information relating to the vehicle,
• (j2) when the vehicle is classified in accordance with class (i2), tracking the vehicle using the first video camera as tracking information, and maintaining the transponder identification information and the tracking information for use in a later debiting operation,
• (j3) when the vehicle is classified in accordance with class (i3), tracking the vehicle using the first video camera as the tracking information, and maintaining the number plate and the tracking information for use in the later debiting operation;
• (k) performing the later debiting operation when the vehicle is classified in either of classes (i2) or (i3).

A method for administering a road toll facility with at least one vehicle traveling in a free traffic flow therethrough, comprising the steps of:

• (a) determining when the vehicle approaches the road toll facility within a predetermined distance;
• (b) determining a position for the vehicle as the vehicle travels in the road toll facility;
• (c) performing a debiting operation to collect a payment from the vehicle;
• (d) determining whether the payment was received from the vehicle;
• (e) classifying the vehicle in one of the following classes responsive to said determining step (d):
• (e1) vehicles for which the payment was received,
• (e2) vehicles provided with a transponder including transponder identification information for which the payment was not received, and
• (e3) vehicles without a transponder for which the payment was not received,
• (f) performing one of the following steps responsive to said classifying step (i):
• (f1) when the vehicle is classified in accordance with class (e1), allowing the vehicle to pass through the road toll facility without maintaining identification information relating to the vehicle,
• (f2) when the vehicle is classified in accordance with class (e2), tracking the vehicle as tracking information, and maintaining the transponder identification information and the tracking information for use in a later debiting operation,
• (f3) when the vehicle is classified in accordance with class (e3), tracking the vehicle as the tracking information including identifying a number plate positioned on a visible area of the vehicle, and maintaining the number plate and the tracking information for use in the later debiting operation;
• (g) performing the later debiting operation when the vehicle is classified in either of classes (e2) or (e3).

A method for administering a road toll facility with at least one vehicle traveling in a free traffic flow therethrough, comprising the steps of:

• (a) determining when the vehicle approaches the road toll facility within a predetermined distance;
• (b) identifying a location of the vehicle and number plate positioned on a visible area of the vehicle;
• (c) assigning a recording unit to the vehicle responsive to the location of the vehicle when identified;
• (d) determining the position an d direction of the vehicle using the assigned recording unit as the vehicle travels in the road toll facility;
• (e) performing a debiting operation to collect a payment from the vehicle;
• (f) determining whether the payment was received from the vehicle;
• (g) classifying the vehicle in one of the following classes responsive to said determining step (f):
• (g1) vehicles for which the payment was received,
• (g2) vehicles provided with an identification unit including identification information for which the payment was not received, and
• (g3) vehicles without an identification unit for which the payment was not received,
• (h) performing one of the following steps responsive to said classifying step (g):
• (h1) when the vehicle is classified in accordance with class (g1), allowing the vehicle to pass through the road toll facility without maintaining identification information relating to the vehicle,
• (h2) when the vehicle is classified in accordance with class (g2), tracking the vehicle as tracking information, and maintaining the identification information and the tracking information for use in a later debiting operation,
• (h3) when the vehicle is classified in accordance with class (g3), tracking the vehicle as the tracking information, and maintaining the number plate and the tracking information for use in the later debiting operation;
• (i) performing the later debiting operation when the vehicle is classified in either of classes (g2) or (g3).

A method for registering a vehicle in a road toll facility, which is provided with radio transmitter and receiver units (7), the radio transmitter and receiver units are configured to communicate with at least one vehicle unit (12) arranged in the vehicle (4), the at least one vehicle unit being configured with radio transmitter-receiver equipment so that on receipt of a command from the radio transmitter unit (7) of the road toll facility, the vehicle unit communicates adequate data for performance of a debiting operation regarding a toll, characterized in that, on the entry of the vehicle into the toll facility area, the transmitter and receiver units (7) of the toll facility determine whether the vehicle (4) is equipped with the at least one vehicle units (12) capable of performing a correct debiting transaction, thus logically distinguishing between vehicles for which the correct debiting can be performed and vehicles for which no debiting can be performed, and establishing a position for the vehicle by subjecting the vehicle to a successive position measurement by means of video cameras (9) and image processing, tracking the vehicle to a predetermined identity securing position, at which the license plate or other identifying characteristics of the vehicle that did not properly carry out a debiting operation is recorded for storing of identification characteristics which are used for postdebiting the toll.

A method for registering a vehicle in a road toll facility, comprising the steps of:

• (a) detecting a first position of the vehicle when entering the road toll facility;
• (b) recording a representation of the vehicle by a first recording device;
• (c) assigning the representation of the vehicle to a communication device;
• (d) following the vehicle along a distance sufficient for the communication device to determine whether the vehicle is in one of the following classes:
• (d1) vehicles for which payment was received,
• (d2) vehicles provided with an identification unit including identification information for which payment was not received, and
• (d3) vehicles without an identification unit for which payment was not received,
• (e) recording vehicle identification information including a number plate or other identifying characteristic;
• (f) performing one of the following steps responsive to said following step (d):
• (f1) when the vehicle is classified in accordance with class (d1), allowing the vehicle to pass through the road toll facility without maintaining identification information relating to the vehicle,
• (f2) when the vehicle is classified in accordance with class (d2), tracking the vehicle as tracking information, and storing the vehicle identification information and the tracking information for use in a later debiting operation,
• (f3) when the vehicle is classified in accordance with class (d3), tracking the vehicle as the tracking information, and storing the number plate and the tracking information for use in the later debiting operation;
• (g) performing the later debiting operation when the vehicle is classified in either of classes (d2) or (d3).