Transaction accounting of toll transactions in transponder systems
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorsDwaine S. Hurta, Francis B. Frazee
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This invention allows a toll authority to monitor transaction numbers which are sent from a transponder (14) to an interrogator (12). By incrementing the transaction counter stored in the transponder with successful transactions the toll authority can ascertain whether accounting of a transaction has been missed (i.e., a transaction number missing from the sequence), or double-counted (i.e., two transactions with the same transaction number).
Claims16
A method of tracking transactions in a system comprising an interrogator and a transponder having a transaction register, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing an interrogator and a transponder having a transaction register remote from said interrogator;
- providing a smartcard having data thereon and removably couplable to said transponder;
- coupling said smartcard to said transponder to set data including a transaction count from said smartcard into said transaction register of said transponder;
- sending an interrogation from said interrogator to said transponder when said transponder is within range of said interrogator to receive said interrogation above a predetermined minimum threshhold to commence operation of said transponder;
- sending a response to said interrogator from said transponder in response to said interrogation;
- modifying at said transponder said transaction count stored within said transaction register in response to an indication of a predetermined interrogation and response transaction being completed between said transponder and interrogator and communicated by said interrogator to said transponder;
- and
- storing said modified transaction count from said transaction register in said transponder in said smartcard.
A method of tracking transactions in a system comprising an interrogator and a transponder having a transaction register, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing an interrogator and a transponder having a transaction register;
- providing a smartcard having data thereon which is removably couplable to said transponder for transmission of said data to said transponder and receipt of data from said transponder;
- coupling said smartcard to said transponder to set data including a transaction count from said smartcard into said transaction register of said transponder;
- sending an interrogation from said interrogator to said transponder when said transponder is within range of said interrogator to receive said interrogation at at least a predetermined minimum threshhold to commence operation of said transponder;
- sending a response to said interrogator from said transponder in response to said interrogation;
- modifying at said transponder said transaction count stored within said transaction register in response to an indication of a predetermined interrogation and response transaction being completed between said transponder and interrogator and communicated by said interrogator to said transponder;
- and
- storing said modified transaction count from said transaction register in said transponder in said smartcard.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.