US5663548A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Vehicle-carried unit for automatic toll-paying systems and automatic toll-receiving apparatus
Assignee: Toyota Motor Corp
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Filing: 1995-08-03
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Granted: 1997-09-02
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Expires: 2015-08-03
Abstract
Abstract A vehicle-carried unit for automatic toll-paying systems carried on a vehicle for automatically paying a toll from a plurality of IC cards through communication with an on-road unit installed on a road. The toll is calculated at an exit gate in accordance with predetermined toll information (step 432), and it is judged whether or not payment is possible in accordance with balance information of a plurality of IC cards stored in a storage circuit (step 434). In the case of being capable of payment, the toll is subtracted (step 486), and a payment signal is transmitted to the on-road unit (step 488). Because balances of a plurality of IC cards are stored as described above, it becomes unnecessary to stop at a tollbooth due to shortage in balance.
Inventors
- 👤 Hironao Hayashi
- 👤 Ken Goto
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 09:06
CPC Classifications
G; G07; G07B; G07B15/00; G07B15/06; G07B15/063
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 35
Claim 1
Independent Claim
83 words
An automatic toll-paying system carried on a vehicle for automatically paying a toll charge through communication with an on-road unit installed on a road, said automatic toll-paying system comprising: reading and accumulating means for reading respective balance information from each of a plurality of physically separate recording media and accumulating said respective balance information into a total balance; and transmitting means for transmitting said total balance accumulated in said reading and accumulating means to said on-road unit to automatically pay said toll charge.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
83 words
An automatic toll-paying system carried on a vehicle for automatically paying a toll charge through communication with an on-road unit installed on a road, said automatic toll-paying system comprising: reading and accumulating means for reading respective balance information from each of a plurality of physically separate recording media and accumulating said respective balance information into a total balance; and transmitting means for transmitting said total balance accumulated in said reading and accumulating means to said on-road unit to automatically pay said toll charge.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
106 words
An automatic toll-paying system carried on a vehicle for automatically paying a toll charge through communication with an on-road unit installed on a road, said automatic toll-paying system comprising: reading and accumulating means for reading respective balance information from each of a plurality of physically separate recording media and accumulating said respective balance information into a total balance; and control means for paying said toll through communication with said on-road unit in accordance with said total balance accumulated in said reading and accumulating means, respective new balance information being recorded on each of said plurality of physically separate recording media after said toll charge is paid.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
106 words
An automatic toll-paying system carried on a vehicle for automatically paying a toll charge through communication with an on-road unit installed on a road, said automatic toll-paying system comprising: reading and accumulating means for reading respective balance information from each of a plurality of physically separate recording media and accumulating said respective balance information into a total balance; and control means for paying said toll through communication with said on-road unit in accordance with said total balance accumulated in said reading and accumulating means, respective new balance information being recorded on each of said plurality of physically separate recording media after said toll charge is paid.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
63 words
The automatic toll-paying system according to claim 2, further comprising: charge-paying means for allowing a driver to designate said respective new balance information to be recorded on each of said plurality of physically separate recording media; said control means further for controlling recording of said respective new balance information on each of said plurality of physically separate media after paying said toll charge.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
The automatic toll-paying system according to claim 2, further comprising: warning means for giving a warning when said toll charge is larger than said total balance.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
49 words
The vehicle-carried unit for automatic toll-paying systems according to claim 2, further comprising: display means for displaying at least one of a payment amount obtained through communication with said on-road unit, said total balance before paying said toll charge, and a new total balance after paying said toll charge.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
47 words
The automatic toll-paying system according to claim 5, wherein: said display means displays at least one of said respective balance information before paying said toll charge and said respective new balance information after paying said toll charge for each of said plurality of physically separate recording media.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
47 words
The automatic toll-paying system according to claim 5, further comprising: display-prohibiting means for prohibiting display of at least one of said payment amount obtained through communication with said on-road unit, said total balance before paying said toll charge, and said total balance after paying said toll charge.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
146 words
An automatic toll-paying system carried on a vehicle for automatically paying a toll charge through communication with an on-road unit installed on a road, said automatic toll-paying system comprising: detecting means for detecting that respective balance information recorded on each of a plurality of physically separate recording media is not greater than a predetermined amount; reading and accumulating means for reading said respective balance information and adding said respective balance information to an accumulated balance when said detecting means detects that said respective balance information is not greater than said predetermined amount; and control means for paying said toll charge through communication with said on-road unit in accordance with a total balance, said total balance being a sum of said accumulated balance and said respective balance information from one of said plurality of physically separate recording media having said respective balance information exceeding said predetermined amount.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
146 words
An automatic toll-paying system carried on a vehicle for automatically paying a toll charge through communication with an on-road unit installed on a road, said automatic toll-paying system comprising: detecting means for detecting that respective balance information recorded on each of a plurality of physically separate recording media is not greater than a predetermined amount; reading and accumulating means for reading said respective balance information and adding said respective balance information to an accumulated balance when said detecting means detects that said respective balance information is not greater than said predetermined amount; and control means for paying said toll charge through communication with said on-road unit in accordance with a total balance, said total balance being a sum of said accumulated balance and said respective balance information from one of said plurality of physically separate recording media having said respective balance information exceeding said predetermined amount.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
38 words
The automatic toll-paying system according to claim 8, further comprising: shortage amount accumulating means for accumulating, when said toll charge is larger than said total balance, a shortage amount equal to said total balance minus said toll charge.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
17 words
The automatic toll-paying system according to claim 9, further comprising: display means for displaying said shortage amount.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
30 words
The automatic toll-paying system according to claim 9, wherein: said shortage amount accumulating means prohibits accumulation of said shortage amount having an absolute value not less than a shortage-limit amount.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
31 words
The automatic toll-paying system according to claim 11, further comprising: warning means for giving a warning when said absolute value of said shortage amount is not less than said shortage-limit amount.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
104 words
An automatic toll-paying system carried on a vehicle for automatically paying a toll charge through communication with an on-road unit installed on a road, said automatic toll-paying system comprising: accepting means for accepting a plurality of physically separate recording media, respective balance information having been recorded on each of said plurality of physically separate media; and control means for reading a total balance information after paying said toll charge obtained through communication with said on-road unit and recording said total balance information as said respective balance information on at least one of said plurality of physically separate recording media accepted by said accepting means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
104 words
An automatic toll-paying system carried on a vehicle for automatically paying a toll charge through communication with an on-road unit installed on a road, said automatic toll-paying system comprising: accepting means for accepting a plurality of physically separate recording media, respective balance information having been recorded on each of said plurality of physically separate media; and control means for reading a total balance information after paying said toll charge obtained through communication with said on-road unit and recording said total balance information as said respective balance information on at least one of said plurality of physically separate recording media accepted by said accepting means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
130 words
An automatic toll-paying system according to claim 13, wherein: said control means subtracts said respective balance information from said toll charge in an order starting from said respective balance information from one of said plurality of physically separate recording media having said respective balance information smaller than said respective balance information recorded on each remaining recording medium of said plurality of physically separate recording media, said control means records a respective new balance information onto said one of said plurality of physically separate recording media, said respective new balance information is 0 when said toll charge is not less than said respective balance information, said respective new balance information equals said toll charge subtracted from said respective balance information when said toll charge is less than said respective balance information.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
26 words
An automatic toll-paying system according to claim 13, wherein: said control means subtracts a predetermined amount from each of said plurality of physically separate recording media.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
59 words
An automatic toll-paying system according to claim 15, further comprising: remainder-paying means for allowing a driver to designate one of said plurality of physically separate recording media from which a remainder is to be subtracted; said control means subtracting said predetermined amount and said remainder from said one of said plurality of recording media designated by said remainder-paying means.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
137 words
An automatic toll-receiving apparatus receiving a toll amount automatically based on communicated balance information received through a communication between a vehicle-carried unit which accepts a plurality of physically separate recording media, respective balance information being recorded on each of said plurality of physically separate recording media, and an on-road unit installed on a road, wherein one of said vehicle-carried unit and said on-road unit includes: accumulating means for accumulating a total balance from said respective balance information recorded on each of said plurality of physically separate recording media after receiving said toll amount, and for recording new respective balance information on each of said plurality of physically separate recording media; and balance information output means for processing said total balance accumulated in said accumulating means and recording said processed total balance information on a new recording medium.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
137 words
An automatic toll-receiving apparatus receiving a toll amount automatically based on communicated balance information received through a communication between a vehicle-carried unit which accepts a plurality of physically separate recording media, respective balance information being recorded on each of said plurality of physically separate recording media, and an on-road unit installed on a road, wherein one of said vehicle-carried unit and said on-road unit includes: accumulating means for accumulating a total balance from said respective balance information recorded on each of said plurality of physically separate recording media after receiving said toll amount, and for recording new respective balance information on each of said plurality of physically separate recording media; and balance information output means for processing said total balance accumulated in said accumulating means and recording said processed total balance information on a new recording medium.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
31 words
The automatic toll-receiving apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said vehicle-carried unit further comprise: failure detecting means for detecting a failure of one of said plurality of physically separate recording media.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
31 words
The automatic toll-receiving apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising: warning means for giving a warning when a failure of said one recording medium is detected by said failure detecting means.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
48 words
The automatic toll paying system according to claim 8, further comprising: display means for displaying at least one of a payment amount obtained through communication with said on-road unit, said total balance before paying said toll charge, and a new total balance information after paying said toll charge.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
47 words
The automatic toll-paying system according to claim 8, wherein: said display means displays at least one of said respective balance information before paying said toll charge and a respective new balance information after paying said toll charge for each of said plurality of physically separate recording media.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
48 words
The automatic toll-paying system according to claim 8, further comprising: display-prohibiting means for prohibiting display of at least one of a payment amount obtained through communication with said on-road unit, said total balance before paying said toll charge, and a new total balance after paying said toll charge.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
111 words
An automatic toll-paying system carried on a vehicle for automatically paying a toll charge through communication with an on-road unit installed on a road, said automatic toll-paying system comprising: a plurality of accepting means, each of said plurality of accepting means accepting one of a plurality of physically separate recording media, respective balance information having been recorded on each of said physically separate recording media; and control means for reading a total balance information after paying said toll charge obtained through communication with said on-road unit and recording said total balance information on at least one of said plurality of physically separate recording media accepted by said plurality of accepting means.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
111 words
An automatic toll-paying system carried on a vehicle for automatically paying a toll charge through communication with an on-road unit installed on a road, said automatic toll-paying system comprising: a plurality of accepting means, each of said plurality of accepting means accepting one of a plurality of physically separate recording media, respective balance information having been recorded on each of said physically separate recording media; and control means for reading a total balance information after paying said toll charge obtained through communication with said on-road unit and recording said total balance information on at least one of said plurality of physically separate recording media accepted by said plurality of accepting means.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
130 words
An automatic toll-paying system according to claim 23, wherein: said control means subtracts said respective balance information from said toll charge in an order starting from said respective balance information from one of said plurality of physically separate recording media having said respective balance information smaller than said respective balance information recorded on each remaining recording medium of said plurality of physically separate recording media, said control means records a respective new balance information onto said one of said plurality of physically separate recording media, said respective new balance information is 0 when said toll charge is not less than said respective balance information, said respective new balance information equals said toll charge subtracted from said respective balance information when said toll charge is less than said respective balance information.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
32 words
An automatic toll-paying system according to claim 23, wherein said control means pays said toll charge by subtraction of a predetermined amount from each of said plurality of physically separate recording media.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
66 words
An automatic toll-paying system according to claim 25, further comprising remainder-paying means for providing a driver with a means to indicate one of said plurality of physically separate recording media from which a remainder is subtracted when said remainder is generated, wherein said control means subtracts said predetermined amount and said remainder from said one of said plurality of recording media indicated by said remainder-paying means.
Claim 33
Independent Claim
62 words
A method of automatically paying a toll charge through communication with an on-road unit installed on a road, said method comprising the steps of: reading respective balance information from each of a plurality of physically separate recording media; accumulating said respective balance information into a total balance; and transmitting said total balance to said on-road unit to automatically pay said toll charge.
Claim 34
Independent Claim
62 words
A method of automatically paying a toll charge through communication with an on-road unit installed on a road, said method comprising the steps of: reading respective balance information from each of a plurality of physically separate recording media; accumulating said respective balance information into a total balance; and transmitting said total balance to said on-road unit to automatically pay said toll charge.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method of automatically paying a toll charge according to claim 27, further comprising the step of recording a respective new balance information on each of a plurality of said physically separate recording media.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2000-09-01 | 2001-03-03 | 2001-09-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2004-09-01 | 2005-03-03 | 2005-09-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2008-09-01 | 2009-03-03 | 2009-09-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |