Control devices and methods for a road toll system

A recording vehicle for a road toll system, comprising:

• a communication unit for wirelessly communicating with a central violation server,
• a DSRC (dedicated short range communication) transceiver for reading out a vehicle shape-specific toll parameter of a passing vehicle,
• a sensor for detecting a shape parameter of the passing vehicle, and
• a read unit for reading the license plate number of a license plate of the passing vehicle,
• wherein the recording vehicle is configured to check the toll parameter for consistency with the shape parameter and, in case of inconsistency, to determine and transmit a violation data record, including the location of the violation and the license plate number read result of the passing vehicle, to the central violation server for transmission to a control vehicle at the position or the surroundings thereof from among a plurality of control vehicles that enforces the violation,
• wherein the recording vehicle and the plurality of control vehicles are different vehicles, a recording vehicle does not function as a control vehicle, and a control vehicle does not function as a recording vehicle.

A violation server for a road toll system comprising:

• a communication unit for wirelessly communicating with recording vehicles and control vehicles,
• wherein the recording vehicles and the control vehicles are different vehicles, a recording vehicle does not function as a control vehicle, a control vehicle does not function as a recording vehicle, and
• wherein the violation server is configured to:
• receive violation data records and corresponding license plate numbers from the recording vehicles configured to determine a violation of a monitored vehicle based on an automatically detected shape parameter and automatically received toll parameter from an on-board unit of the monitored vehicle,
• store the received violation data records,
• register the control vehicles, including the positions or the surroundings thereof, and
• provide the violation data records and the corresponding license plate numbers, the locations of the violations of which are within the surroundings of a position, to a control vehicle from among the control vehicles that is registered with this position or these surroundings.

A control vehicle for a road toll system comprising:

• a communication unit for wirelessly communicating with a central violation server,
• a unit for registering the control vehicle position or surroundings thereof in the central violation server, and
• a read unit for reading the license plate number of a license plate of a passing vehicle,
• a unit for receiving violation data records and corresponding monitored vehicle license plate numbers from the central violation server, the locations of the violations of which are at the position or within the surroundings of the position of the control vehicle,
• wherein the received violation data records and corresponding license plate numbers have been transmitted to the central violation server from one or more recording vehicles which determine a violation based on an automatically detected shape parameter and automatically received toll parameter from an on-board unit of a monitored vehicle,
• wherein the control vehicle is configured to determine if a corresponding monitored vehicle license plate number for a violation data record generated by a recording vehicle and that has been provided by the central violation server also corresponds to the license plate number read from the license plate of the passing vehicle, and if correspondence exists, to issue an alert message, and
• wherein the control vehicle and the recording vehicle are different vehicles, the recording vehicle does not function as a control vehicle, and the control vehicle does not function as a recording vehicle.

A control method for a road toll system which is based on onboard units carried by monitored vehicles, using at least one recording vehicle and a plurality of control vehicle vehicles, which can wirelessly communicate with a central violation server, the method comprising:

• in the at least one recording vehicle:
• determining a traffic or toll violation of an on-board unit, or of a monitored vehicle carrying the same, and if a violation exists,
• transmitting a violation data record, containing a determined location of the violation and a read license plate number of the monitored vehicle, to the central violation server;
• in the central violation server:
• registering the plurality of control vehicles, including positions or the surroundings thereof,
• receiving violation data records from the at least one recording vehicle and, if the locations of the violations thereof are within the surroundings of a position,
• providing these violation data records to a control vehicle from among the control vehicles that are registered with this position or these surroundings;
• in each of the plurality of control vehicles:
• registering the position or surroundings thereof in the central violation server,
• reading the license plate number of a passing vehicle,
• determining a violation data record determined by the at least one recording vehicle and provided by the central violation server for the read license plate number and, if such a record exists,
• issuing an alert message,
• wherein the at least one recording vehicle and the plurality of control vehicles are different vehicles, a recording vehicle does not function as a control vehicle, and a control vehicle does not function as a recording vehicle.