Method and apparatus for determining tax of a vehicle

An apparatus on a vehicle for transmitting information to a remote location for purposes of tax determination, comprising:

• a positioning device operable to determine a plurality of position fixes along a route traveled by a vehicle;
• an odometer operable to generate a plurality of odometer readings;
• and
• a transmitter coupled to the positioning device and the odometer, the transmitter operable to initiate transmission of the position fixes and the odometer readings to the remote location based on a configurable condition for purposes of tax determination.

A method for determining distances traveled by a vehicle in a plurality of taxing regions, comprising:

• determining a plurality of position fixes for a vehicle;
• determining a plurality of odometer readings for the vehicle;
• initiating transmission of the position fixes and the odometer readings based on a configurable condition;
• receiving the position fixes and odometer readings at a remote location;
• storing geographic information at the remote location specifying a plurality of taxing regions;
• associating at the remote location each position fix with one of the taxing regions;
• and
• determining at the remote location a distance traveled by the vehicle in each taxing region using the odometer readings.

A method of determining distances traveled by a vehicle in a plurality of taxing regions, comprising:

• storing geographic information specifying a plurality of taxing regions;
• determining a first position fix and a successive second position fix;
• determining a mileage between the first and second position fixes;
• associating the first position fix with a first taxing region and the second position fix with a second taxing region;
• and
• determining a proportionate amount of the mileage traveled in the first and second taxing regions.

An apparatus on a vehicle for determining distances traveled by the vehicle in a plurality of taxing regions, comprising:

• a positioning device operable to determine a first position fix and a second position fix along a route traveled by the vehicle;
• a memory operable to store geographic information specifying a plurality of taxing regions;
• and
• a processor coupled to the positioning device and the memory, the processor operable to receive the first position fix and the second position fix from the positioning device, the processor further operable to associate the first position fix with a first taxing region and the second position fix with a second taxing region, the processor further operable to proportion a mileage traveled between the first and second position fixes to the first and second taxing regions.

An apparatus remotely located from a vehicle for determining distances traveled by the vehicle in a plurality of taxing regions, comprising:

• a communications device coupled to a communications link and operable to receive a plurality of position fixes and a plurality of odometer readings for a vehicle;
• a memory operable to store geographical information that specifies a plurality of taxing regions;
• and
• a central controller coupled to the communications device and the memory, the central controller operable to associate each position fix to a corresponding taxing region, the central controller further operable to determine distance traveled in the corresponding taxing regions using the odometer readings, the central controller further operable to determine a proportionate amount of a mileage traveled by the vehicle in a first region associated with a first position fix and a second region associated with a second position fix.