EP0577328A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Secure toll collection system for moving vehicles
Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1993-06-24
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2013-06-24
Abstract
Abstract A secure toll payment system is realized by transmitting a changeable encryption code from roadside equipment (1,2,310,320,330) at a toll plaza to a moving vehicle. Thereafter, the moving vehicle uses it to encrypt payment information according to the Data Encryption Standard algorithm. The moving vehicle transmits the encrypted payment information to the roadside equipment which performs a credit or debit transaction. Because the encryption code changes from time to time, so, too, does the nature of the signal which is transmitted by the vehicle; fraud, based on electronic eavesdropping, is substantially eliminated. The encryption code comprises an 8-bit random number and a time/date number. Vehicle-mounted apparatus includes a transponder unit and a portable smart card which inserts therein. The roadside equipment includes a pair of spaced-apart antennas (1,2) that are sequentially located along an express payment lane at a toll plaza, and a computer (310) which controls them.
Inventors
- 👤 David Michael Claus
- 👤 Kevin Dean Murphy
- 👤 Marjorie Esther Taylor
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 13:16
CPC Classifications
G; G07; G07F; G07F7/00; G07F7/08; G07F7/0866; G01; G01S; G01S13/00; G01S13/74; G01S13/75; G01S13/751; G06; G06K; G06K7/00; G06K7/0008; G06Q; G06Q20/00; G06Q20/30; G06Q20/36; G06Q20/363; G06Q20/367; G07B; G07B15/00; G07B15/06; G07B15/063
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
109 words
In a toll collecting system comprising a first transceiver (600) which is located in a moving vehicle (50) and a second transceiver (320) which is located at a relatively fixed location on a roadway, a secure method for collecting tolls from the moving vehicle comprising the steps of: generating an encryption code at the second transceiver; transmitting the encryption code to the first transceiver; storing payment information and a predetermined encryption algorithm in the first transceiver; encrypting the payment information, using the encryption code, in accordance with the predetermined algorithm; transmitting the encrypted payment information to the second transceiver; and verifying the encrypted payment information at the second transceiver.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 1 further including the steps of: encrypting an acceptance message at the second transceiver; and transmitting the encrypted acceptance message to the first transceiver.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
69 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the first transceiver (600) includes a removable debit card (500) which stores a money balance available for making payments, the method further including the following steps that take place at the first transceiver: locking the debit card while data is being exchanged with the second transceiver; and unlocking the debit card in response to the encrypted acceptance message from the second transceiver (320).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the encryption code includes a sequence of digits which changes in an unpredictable manner.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the encryption code comprises a sequence of digits which changes in a predictable manner.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 5 wherein the sequence of digits comprises an indication of the time-of-day and/or day-of-year.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the encryption code comprises a first sequence of digits which changes in a random manner, and a second sequence of digits which changes in a non-random manner.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined encryption algorithm comprises the Data Encryption Standard.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the second transceiver (320) comprises a pair of spaced-apart antennas (1, 2) and a computer (330) for controlling same, said antennas being sequentially positioned along a payment lane (20) of the roadway.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the first transceiver (600) comprises a transponder unit and a smart card which is inserted therein; the smart card storing the payment information and the encryption algorithm.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 10 wherein the payment information includes a secret code that is associated with the smart card and is known to the second transceiver.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 11 wherein the payment information further includes a money balance which is reduced by making toll payments.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
144 words
A secure toll collection system for moving vehicles (50) including roadside communication apparatus (1, 2, 310, 320, 330) and vehicle-mounted apparatus (600) for transmitting/receiving radio frequency signals to/from each other, the roadside communication apparatus comprising: a first antenna (1) for transmitting an encryption code to the moving vehicle; a second antenna (2), spaced apart from the first antenna, for receiving encrypted payment information from the moving vehicle; data processing means (310, 330), communicatively connected to the first and second spaced-apart antennas, for periodically changing the encryption code and for verifying the authenticity of the encrypted payment information, the vehicle-mounted apparatus comprising: means (550) for storing payment information, a secret code, and a predetermined algorithm; means (560) for encrypting the payment information in accordance with the predetermined algorithm and the encryption code; and means (600) for transmitting the encrypted payment information to the second antenna.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
22 words
The secure toll collecting system of claim 13 wherein the vehicle-mounted apparatus comprises a transponder unit (600) and a smart card (500).
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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