JPH087131A - Automatic charge collecting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To discriminate whether a proper charge is automatically collected from a vehicle or not on the outside of the vehicle. CONSTITUTION:An on-vehicle machine 30 is mounted on a vehicle 90. An external alarm lamp 31 is arranged at the vehicle 90, and the ON/OFF of the external alarm lamp 31 is controlled by the on-vehicle machine 30. On the other hand, a transmitter for transmitting a turn-on command signal to turn the external alarm lamp 31 on is installed on the roof of a toll booth and when the on-vehicle machine 30 receives the turn-on command signal and the charge is regularly collected, the external alarm lamp 31 is turned on.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic toll collection device, and more particularly, to automatically collect toll charges for toll roads by wireless communication at the exit gates of toll roads such as highways, and also tolls by the conventional manual payment. The present invention relates to an automatic toll collection device that also has a payment station.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, an automatic toll collection device using a prepaid wireless card has been developed to collect toll charges for toll facilities, such as toll charges for toll roads. In this prepaid system, the amount paid in advance is recorded in the wireless card, and each time the toll road is used, the toll is subtracted from the amount recorded in the wireless card by wireless communication at the exit toll gate, and the balance is subtracted. Is recorded in a card, an example of which is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-242399.

Further, in this automatic fee collection device,
By operating the in-vehicle device when necessary, the user can be notified of the balance recorded in the card.

[0004]

However, in such an automatic toll collection device, it becomes possible for an occupant in the vehicle to know that the toll collection was properly performed by operating the vehicle-mounted device. However, it is not configured to notify the outside of the vehicle that the toll collection was done properly. For this reason, on the shoulder on the downstream side of the vehicle running path where the device that automatically collects the toll of the toll road by wireless communication is arranged,
At the exit of the toll road where the clerk collects the toll with cash or prepaid card from the vehicle that could not automatically collect the toll, the clerk will pass in front of the toll It is not possible to determine whether or not the vehicle has already received the appropriate fee, and there is a possibility that the vehicle that has not received the appropriate fee may pass directly in front of the toll payment station.

Further, when a vehicle equipped with an onboard device and a vehicle not equipped with an onboard device coexist through an exit gate, it cannot be confirmed which vehicle is automatically paying the fare.

In view of the above facts, an object of the present invention is to obtain an automatic toll collection device capable of automatically discriminating whether or not a vehicle has collected a proper toll from outside the vehicle.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is an on-vehicle device which is mounted on a vehicle and on which a road device installed on the road and a card in which balance information is recorded can be mounted. In an automatic toll collection device that automatically collects tolls through communication with the toll payment station located on the downstream side of the road machine in the vehicle traveling direction and the automatic toll collection result is reported outside the vehicle at the toll payment station. And an external notification unit that operates.

[0008]

In the automatic toll collection device according to the first aspect of the present invention, when the vehicle passes through the section where the toll is automatically collected by the communication between the roadside device and the vehicle-mounted device, and the vehicle reaches the toll payment point,
The result of automatic charge collection is notified outside the vehicle at the charge payment place. In this case, if all of the vehicles passing through the toll gate are equipped with an in-vehicle device, if the collection of the proper fee has already been completed, the collection of the proper fee is completed by the external notification means. It is effective to notify the outside of this fact or to the outside that the collection of the appropriate fee has not been completed. Moreover, you may notify so that both vehicles can be distinguished.

If a vehicle equipped with an in-vehicle device and a vehicle not equipped with an in-vehicle device pass through the toll payment point in a mixed manner, the vehicle without the in-vehicle device cannot be notified. , It is effective to automatically notify only the vehicle that paid the appropriate fee.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment of the automatic fee collection device of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

This automatic toll collection device performs radio wave communication between an on-vehicle device (details will be described later) mounted on a vehicle and a roadside device installed on the ground side such as an entrance gate or an exit gate of a toll road. In this way, the traffic section (route) in which the vehicle has traveled and the vehicle type are determined, and the toll is automatically collected without stopping the vehicle at the entrance gate and the exit gate. In addition, in the following embodiments, an example in which all vehicles are equipped with an in-vehicle device will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle 90 is equipped with an in-vehicle device 30 which will be described later. The in-vehicle device 30 is located in the windshield at the central portion in the vehicle width direction on the instrument panel 90A in front of the driver's seat. It is installed at a position close to the glass 90B. Further, the windshield glass 90B at the front end of the vehicle width direction central portion of the roof 90C in front of the driver's seat
An external notification lamp 31 as an external notification means is provided at a position close to. The external notification lamp 31 is connected to the vehicle-mounted device 30 by an electric wire (not shown), and is controlled to be turned on / off by the vehicle-mounted device 30.

The overall structure of the automatic fee collection device of the first embodiment will be described below. As shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle-mounted device 30 mounted on the vehicle 90 is equipped with an IC card read / write device 60 to which an IC card 62 storing charge balance information and the like is attachable / detachable (see FIG. 7). The in-vehicle device 30 includes a storage circuit that stores fixed data such as vehicle type information such as a vehicle number, and refers to charge balance information and an ID code of the IC card 62 mounted by the IC card read / write device 60. , The charge balance information is written in the IC card 62.

On the other hand, as the ground-side equipment, as will be described later, an in-vehicle device 30 is provided at each of an entrance gate 100 of a toll road, an intermediate route 200 immediately before or after a branch point, a service area, and an exit gate 300. A road machine is installed to exchange various information.

At the entrance gate 100, a roadside machine including an entrance antenna 117 made of a flat antenna and an entrance antenna control device 132 connected to the entrance antenna 117 is installed. This entrance antenna control device 132
Thus, via the entrance antenna 117, the entrance gate information of the toll road can be transmitted to the vehicle-mounted device 30 mounted in the vehicle and the signal from the vehicle-mounted device 30 can be received. Note that the entrance gate 100 is provided with a toll ticket issuing device 123 that issues a toll ticket similar to the conventional one for a vehicle that pays the toll by hand payment because automatic toll collection cannot be performed. Further, the entrance antenna control device 132 is connected to the central computer 400 in order to comprehensively manage vehicles entering the toll road.

On the way route 200, a route grasping antenna 217 composed of a flat antenna and a route grasping antenna 2
An on-road device including a route grasping antenna control device 232 connected to 17 is installed. This route grasping antenna control device 232, via the route grasping antenna 217, information indicating which route is selected from the branch point and the route is traveled, and route passage information indicating which route the toll road is traveling on ( The route grasping antenna control device installation position information and the like) are transmitted to the vehicle-mounted device 30. Further, the route grasping antenna control device 232 is connected to the central computer 400 in order to comprehensively manage the traveling state of the vehicle on the toll road.

At the exit gate 300, in order to improve the certainty of information transmission / reception by radio waves, a notice antenna 317 composed of a flat antenna and a tollgate antenna 341 are provided.
Various types of antennas are provided. This notice antenna 3
A notice antenna control device 331 is connected to 17, and a tollgate antenna control device 332 is connected to the tollgate antenna 341. These notice antenna control device 331
The tollgate antenna controller 332 is connected to a local controller 380 connected to the central computer 400. Although the notice antenna 317, the tollgate antenna 341, the notice antenna control device 331, and the tollgate antenna control device 332 act as the road device of the present invention, the notice antenna 317 and the notice antenna control device 331 can be omitted. .

Further, the exit gate 300 is connected to a vehicle type detection system 360 for discriminating the vehicle type by image processing or the like, and a camera 352 for capturing an illegally passing vehicle such as a vehicle passing without paying a toll. ,
A fee payment system 323 is installed for vehicles that cannot receive automatic tolls. By collectively controlling each of these systems with the local controller 380, measures are taken for the inability to collect tolls, and tolls are automatically received according to the traffic section (route) in which the vehicle has traveled and the vehicle type. There is. In addition, the central computer 400
By connecting the local controller 380 and the local controller 380, the information about the revision of the toll table and the information about the illegal traffic are smoothly and swiftly exchanged.

Next, an example of the schematic configuration of each of the entrance gate, the intermediate path, and the exit gate will be further described.

As shown in FIG. 4, the entrance gate 100 of the toll road of this embodiment has three lanes 102, 104, 1
Has 06. Lane 102 is formed between site 108 and divider 110, and lane 104 is divider 110.
And the separation zone 112, the lane 106 is formed between the separation zone 112 and the site 114. From site 108 to site 11 across these multiple lanes
The arch 116 is arranged over 4 and the arch 11
Entrance antennas 118, 120, and 122 are attached to the upper part of 6 so as to be located directly above each lane. The entrance antenna 118 transmits / receives information to / from a vehicle traveling in the lane 102, the entrance antenna 120 transmits / receives information to / from a vehicle traveling in the lane 104, and the entrance antenna 122 transmits / receives information to / from the lane 106. Information is exchanged with the traveling vehicle.

On the site 114, the entrance antenna control device 1
An entrance gate control center 130 having 32 is provided, and entrance antennas 118, 120, 122 are connected to the entrance antenna control device 132.

In FIG. 4, the entrance antenna 117 of FIG.
Although the entrance antennas 118, 120, and 122 are used as the above, one or two entrance antennas may be used in one or two lanes, or more entrance antennas may be used.

At the entrance gate 100, there are installed ticket issuing devices 124, 126, 128 for issuing the tolls for paying the tolls corresponding to the respective lanes. The pass issuing device 124 is located in the lane 102.
The ticket issuing device 126 is installed so as to correspond to the lane 104, and the ticket issuing device 128 is installed so as to correspond to the lane 106. These ticket issuing devices 12
4, 126 and 128 are connected to the entrance gate control center 130.

Signals 134, 136, 138 for instructing whether or not to enter each lane are provided on the downstream side of the arch 116 in the vehicle traveling direction so as to correspond to each lane. These traffic signals 134, 136, 138
Is connected to the entrance gate control center 130 and displays either a display when the vehicle can enter each lane (for example, a green light) or a display when the vehicle cannot enter the lane (for example, a red light). .

The entrance antenna control unit 132 of the entrance gate control center 130 is a central computer 400 (see FIG. 3).
See). In addition, without connecting the entrance antenna control device 132 to the central computer 400,
An independent control system using only the entrance gate may be used.

As shown in FIG. 5, the intermediate route 200 immediately before the branch point of the toll road has two lanes 202 and 20.
4 are formed adjacent to each other between the site 208 and the site 214. An arch 216 is arranged from the site 208 to the site 214 so as to straddle these lanes 202 and 204, and the route grasping antenna 21 is provided on the arch 216.
8, 220, 222 are attached. The route grasping antenna 218 is located above the lane 202 and is located in the lane 20.
2 transmits and receives information to and from the vehicle traveling on the route 2, and the route grasping antenna 222 transmits and receives information to and from the vehicle located on the lane 204 and traveling on the lane 204. Above the center line 206 between the route grasping antennas 218 and 222 and indicating the boundary between the lanes 202 and 204, there is a route grasping antenna 220 that transmits and receives information to and from the vehicle across the lanes 202 and 204. It is arranged.

A route control center 230 having a route grasping antenna control device 232 is arranged on the site 214, and route grasping antennas 218, 220, 222 are connected to the route grasping antenna control device 232. .

As shown in FIG. 6, the exit gate 300 of the toll road is provided with three lanes 302, 304 and 306. Lane 302 is site 308 and divider 31
0, lane 304 is formed between separators 310 and 312, and lane 306 is separated.
And the site 314.

An arch 316 is provided from the site 308 to the site 314 so as to straddle these plural lanes, and the notice antennas 318, 3 are provided on the arch 316.
20, 322 are attached. Notice antenna 318
Transmits / receives information to / from vehicles traveling on the lane 302 located above the lane 302.
Transmits and receives information to and from vehicles traveling on the lane 304 located above the lane 304. Similarly, the warning antenna 322 is located above the lane 306 and located on the lane 306.
Information is sent to and received from vehicles traveling on the road.

At the site 314, the exit gate control center 3
30 is provided, and this exit gate control center 33
At 0, a notice antenna control device 331 and a tollgate antenna control device 332 described later are arranged. The notice antenna control device 331 includes notice antennas 318 and 320,
322 is connected.

A vehicle type detection system 360 is provided near the arch 316. This vehicle type detection system 3
The reference numeral 60 includes vehicle type detection devices 362, 364, 366 each of which is a CCD line scanner. The vehicle type detection device 362 is arranged on the site 308 and the separation zone 310 corresponding to the lane 302 in order to identify the vehicle type of the vehicle traveling on the lane 302. Similarly, the vehicle type detection device 364 is arranged in the separation band 310 and the separation band 312 corresponding to the lane 304 near the arch 316 in order to identify the vehicle type of the vehicle traveling in the lane 304, and the vehicle type detection device 366 is In order to identify the vehicle type of the vehicle traveling on the lane 306, it is arranged on the separation belt 312 and the site 314 corresponding to the lane 306. The vehicle type detection system 360 including these vehicle type detection devices is connected to the local controller 380, and determines the vehicle type by determining the silhouette of the passing vehicle by image processing based on the image obtained by the CCD line scanner, thereby determining the vehicle type information. To the local controller 380.

On the downstream side in the vehicle traveling direction of the position where the arch 316 is arranged, so as to straddle the plurality of lanes,
An arch 340 is arranged from the site 308 to the site 314, and the tollgate antenna 34 is provided on the arch 340.
2, 344 and 346 are attached. The tollgate antenna 342 is located above the lane 302 and is located in the lane 30.
The tollgate antenna 344 exchanges information relating to the charge with respect to the vehicle traveling in 2, and the tollgate antenna 344 transmits and receives information with respect to the vehicle traveling in the lane 304 above the lane 304. , Lane 30
Information is transmitted and received to and from vehicles traveling above the lane lane 306. These tollgate antennas 342, 3
Tollgate antenna control device 332 is connected to 44 and 346.

At the exit gate 300, a fee payment box 32 as a toll payment station is provided corresponding to each lane for vehicles paid by hand that cannot automatically collect tolls.
4, 326, 328 are installed. Transmitters 324A, 326A, and 328A are provided on the roofs of these fee payment boxes 324, 326, and 328, respectively, and a lighting command signal for lighting the external notification lamp 31 is transmitted to each vehicle 90. . Fee payment box 32
4 is arranged corresponding to the lane 302, the charge payment box 326 is arranged corresponding to the lane 304, and the charge payment box 328 is arranged corresponding to the lane 306. These fee payment boxes 324, 326, 3
A microcomputer (not shown) is arranged in each of the 28, and a fee manual payment system 323 for managing the information received by manual payment by integrally controlling each microcomputer (not shown) is configured. This fee payment system 323 is based on the local controller 38.
0 (see FIG. 3).

Further, an unauthorized vehicle photographing system 350 for photographing an illegally passing vehicle is arranged on the downstream side of the toll payment box in the traveling direction of the vehicle (see FIG. 3). Camera 352, which is
354 and 356 are arranged corresponding to the lanes 302, 304 and 306. This unauthorized vehicle photography system 35
0 is connected to the local controller 380.

Signals 334, 336, 338 for instructing whether or not to enter each lane are provided on the downstream side of the arch 340 in the traveling direction of the vehicle so as to correspond to each lane. These traffic lights 334, 336, 338
Is connected to the exit gate control center 330,
Either a display indicating that the vehicle can enter each lane (for example, a green light) or an indication that the vehicle cannot enter (for example, a red traffic light) is displayed.

The exit gate control center 330 is connected to the central computer 400 (see FIG. 3). The exit gate control center 330 may not be connected to the central computer 400, but may be an independent control system using only the exit gate.

Next, the structure of the vehicle-mounted device 30 mounted on the vehicle will be described. As shown in FIG. 7, the vehicle-mounted device 30 includes a transmission / reception antenna 32. The transmitting / receiving antenna 32 receives a signal transmitted from a roadside device described later. Further, the transmission / reception antenna 32 is connected to a detection circuit 34 that detects the modulated wave received by the transmission / reception antenna 32 and obtains a data signal. The detection circuit 34 is connected via a data signal reception circuit 44 to a signal processing circuit 46 including a microcomputer.

The signal processing circuit 46 is connected to a storage circuit 48 for storing data such as an ID code and vehicle type information, and a transmission circuit 50 for transmitting a data signal including the ID code as a response signal. Reference numeral 50 modulates the inquiry signal, which is an unmodulated carrier wave received by the transmission / reception antenna 32, with the data signal from the signal processing circuit 46, and returns it via the transmission / reception antenna 32.

The signal processing circuit 46 is connected to a display 54 composed of an LCD or a CRT for displaying the reachable range and a ten-key pad 56 which is an input means for inputting a signal such as a selection signal to the signal processing circuit 46. ing.

An IC card read / write device 60 to which an IC card 62 can be attached / detached is connected to the signal processing circuit 46.

The vehicle-mounted device is always supplied with power from the vehicle-mounted battery when the ignition is turned on.

Next, a roadside device that communicates with the vehicle-mounted device 30 will be described by taking the roadside device provided at the entrance gate 100 as an example. Note that, for the sake of simplicity, the lane 102
The description will be made using the entrance antenna 118 and the entrance antenna control device 132 that are in charge of transmission and reception of radio waves to and from a vehicle traveling in the area.

As shown in FIG. 8, the device on the ground side with respect to the vehicle traveling on the lane 102 is composed of an entrance antenna 118 and an entrance antenna control device 132. The entrance antenna 118 is composed of the transmission / reception antenna 22. The entrance antenna control device 132 includes the signal processing circuit 12 including a microcomputer. The signal processing circuit 12 includes a central computer 40.
Can be connected to 0. The signal processing circuit 12 is connected to a transmission circuit 14 that transmits a data signal (communication request signal) including a command. The transmission circuit 14 is connected to the transmission / reception antenna 22 via the mixer 18. A carrier generation circuit 20 that generates a carrier of a predetermined frequency is connected to the mixer 18. The mixer 18 mixes a signal input from the transmission circuit 14 and a carrier input from the carrier generation circuit 20, and the transmission circuit 14 The carrier wave input from the carrier wave generation circuit 20 is modulated by the signal input from. The modulated wave is transmitted as a radio wave from the transmitting / receiving antenna 22.

In the carrier wave generation circuit 20, a transmission / reception circuit 2 for extracting a data signal from the modulated wave which is modulated and returned from the vehicle-mounted device 30 shown in FIG. 7 and received by the transmission / reception antenna 22.
4 are connected. The transmission / reception circuit 24 is connected to the signal processing circuit 12.

The structure of the other entrance antennas at the entrance gate 100 is the same as that described above, and a description thereof will be omitted. In addition, the intermediate route 200 and the exit gate 30
The configuration of each antenna and the antenna control device in No. 0 is substantially the same as the above, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

FIG. 9 shows an example of the processing routine of the roadside machine when passing through the exit gate.
A toll is calculated from the vehicle type information and the entrance gate information communicated with the vehicle-mounted device, and the toll collection process is performed. In this charge collection process, the charge is calculated by the vehicle-mounted device or the roadside device, for example, when it is calculated by the roadside device and paid appropriately, the payment end information indicating that the roadside device has paid the appropriate charge. To record.

Next, in step 602, it is determined whether or not the fee collection process has been completed. If it is determined that the fee collection process has been completed, in step 604,
A toll collection result, for example, payment completion information is transmitted from the tollgate antenna 341 to the in-vehicle device, and the in-vehicle device stores the information. Then, in step 606, the transmitter 3 installed on the roof of the fee payment boxes 324, 326, 328.
A lighting command signal is transmitted from 24A, 326A, and 328A.

Next, the external notification lamp 31 in the vehicle-mounted device
The flow of the on / off control of is described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In step 700, a toll is calculated from the vehicle type information, entrance gate information, etc. communicated with the roadside machine, and a fee collection process is performed. In this charge collection process, the charge is calculated by the vehicle-mounted device or the roadside device. For example, when the charge is calculated by the vehicle-mounted device and the charge is paid properly, the payment end information indicating that the proper amount has been paid to the vehicle-mounted device. And record this payment end information to the roadside machine,
The road machine remembers this.

Next, in step 702, the vehicle-mounted device 3
0 determines whether or not the lighting command signal is received from the transmitters 324A, 326A, 328A provided on the roofs of the charge payment boxes 324, 326, 328, and if the lighting command signal is received, the next step At 704, the charge collection result is determined. In other words, if it is determined that the fee has not been collected properly, the external notification lamp 31
Does not light up.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the fee has been collected, the external notification lamp 18 is turned on in step 706.

Therefore, the fee payment boxes 324, 32
At 6, 328, the clerk can see whether the external notification lamp 31 of each vehicle 90 is turned on or off, and determine whether or not a proper charge has already been received from the vehicle 90.

In the next step 708, it is determined whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed after receiving the lighting command signal. During this predetermined time, the vehicle 90 pays the fee payment boxes 324, 3
26, 328. If the predetermined time has not elapsed, step 70 is performed again.
8 is repeated, and if the predetermined time has elapsed, step 71
The process proceeds to 0 and the external notification lamp 31 is turned off.

Therefore, in the first embodiment, the transmitter 324 is provided immediately before the fee payment boxes 324, 326, 328.
By giving the lighting timing of the external notification lamp 31 from A, 326A, 328A, the fee payment box 32
It is possible to reduce variations in the lighting position of the external notification lamp 31 with respect to 4, 326, and 328, and it is possible to reliably confirm the lighting state of the external notification lamp 31.

It should be noted that, in step 702 of FIG. 2, that is, from the transmitters 324A, 326A, 328A to the external notification lamp 3
It is also possible to stop the lighting timing of 1 and determine the collection result at the same time as the completion of the charge collection process in step 704. In this case, the lighting position of the external notification lamp 31 is the charge payment boxes 324, 326, 328. On the other hand, even if it is quite before, it is necessary to turn off the external notification lamp 31 after the clerk has confirmed the lighting state of the external notification lamp 31, so that the lighting time of the external notification lamp 31 becomes long.

In addition, in the first embodiment, the external notification lamp 18 is used when it is determined that the charge has been collected legally.
Is lit, the clerk lights the external notification lamp 31 of each vehicle 90 even when a vehicle equipped with an in-vehicle device and a vehicle not equipped with an in-vehicle device pass through the toll payment point in a mixed manner. It is possible to determine whether or not a proper charge has already been received from the vehicle 90 by looking at the turning-off.

Regarding the lighting of the external notification lamp 31, as described above, the transmitters 324A, 326A, 328A.
You may send the lighting command signal from. Further, the lighting instruction signal may be transmitted from the tollgate antennas 342, 344, 346.

As for the turning off of the external notification lamp 31, the on-vehicle device 30 may control the lighting time as described above. In addition, fee payment boxes 324, 326, 3
A transmitter that transmits a turn-off command signal for turning off the external notification lamp 31 may be installed on the downstream side of the traveling path 28.

Also, in the first embodiment, step 704.
In step 706, if it is determined that the charge has not been received legally, the external notification lamp 31 is not turned on, and if it is determined that the charge has been received properly in step 706, the external notification is given. Although the lamp 31 is turned on, the external notification lamp 31 is not turned on when it is determined in step 704 that the fee has been legally received, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. If it is determined that the charge has not been properly received, the external notification lamp 31 may be turned on in step 706.

In this case, since the external notification lamp 31 is turned off when the charges are collected legally, the vehicle and the vehicle-mounted device 30 where the charges are collected legally are not mounted. Since it is difficult to distinguish between vehicles, when a vehicle equipped with an onboard device and a vehicle not equipped with an onboard device coexist, a dedicated lane through which only a vehicle having the onboard device 30 can pass is provided. There is a need.

The second embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 11 and 13. The same members as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 11, in the second embodiment, the left and right direction indicators (hazard lamps) 33 already mounted on the vehicle 90 are used as external notification means. These direction indicators 33 are connected to the vehicle-mounted device 30 by electric wires (not shown), and the vehicle-mounted device 30 performs blinking (external notification blinking) different from the normal lighting state.

Next, the flow of blinking control of the direction indicator 33 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

The same steps as those in the flow of the first embodiment are designated by the same step numbers and the description thereof is omitted.

In the second embodiment, if it is determined in step 704 that the charge has not been properly collected, the direction indicator 33 does not blink the external information. On the other hand, if it is determined that the toll has been legally received, in step 716, the turn indicator 33 starts blinking the external information in response to the turn-on indicator lighting instruction.

The external information flashing of the direction indicator 33 is
A vehicle for which the charge has not been collected legally has a blinking pattern that cannot be illegally blinked, that is, a blinking pattern different from the normal blinking pattern.

Therefore, the fee payment boxes 324, 32
6 and 328, the staff member turns the direction indicator 3 of each vehicle 90.
It is possible to determine whether or not the charge has already been legally collected from the vehicle 90 by looking at the blinking state of 3.

Further, in the second embodiment, the direction indicator 33 blinks when it is determined that the toll collection is properly carried out. Therefore, the vehicle equipped with the vehicle-mounted device and the vehicle-mounted device are mounted. Even when a vehicle that does not exist is mixed and passes through the toll gate, the clerk sees the blinking state of the direction indicator 33 of each vehicle 90 and determines whether or not a proper fee has already been received from the vehicle 90. Can be determined.

When a predetermined time has elapsed after receiving the lighting instruction signal, in step 718, the external indicator blinking of the direction indicator 33 is stopped.

Therefore, in the second embodiment, since the direction indicator 33 already mounted on the vehicle is used as the external notification means, it is not necessary to newly provide an external notification lamp.

In the second embodiment, the direction indicator 33 is used as the external notification means. However, instead of the direction indicator 33, a lighting member such as a fog lamp or a headlamp which is already mounted on the vehicle is used. You may. That is, in the automatic fee collection device, the external notification means uses the lighting member already mounted on the vehicle, and sets the lighting state of the lighting member to an external notification lighting state different from the normal lighting state.

Also, in the second embodiment, step 704.
In the case where it is determined that the toll collection has not been legally carried out, the external notification blinking of the direction indicator 33 is not carried out, and when it is determined that the toll collection has been legally carried out, in step 716. The external indicator flashes on and off of the turn signal indicator 33, but instead of this, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 13, when it is determined in step 704 that the toll has been legally received, the turn signal indicator 33 is turned on. Three
If it is determined that the charge has not been properly received, the external notification blinking of step 3 may not be performed, and the external indicator blinking of the direction indicator 33 may be performed in step 716.

In this case, since the external indicator blinking of the direction indicator 33 is not performed when the toll collection is legally performed, the vehicle and the in-vehicle device 3 where the toll collection is legally performed.
Since it is difficult to distinguish a vehicle not equipped with 0, when a vehicle equipped with an in-vehicle device and a vehicle not equipped with an in-vehicle device coexist, only the vehicle having the in-vehicle device 30 It is necessary to provide a dedicated lane that can pass through.

[0074]

According to the present invention as set forth in claim 1, a charge is automatically made by communication between a roadside device installed on the road and an in-vehicle device on which a card having balance information can be mounted and which is mounted on the vehicle. In an automatic toll collection device that collects money, a configuration having a toll payment point disposed downstream of a road machine in the vehicle traveling direction, and an external notification means for notifying the result of the automatic toll collection outside the vehicle at the toll payment point Therefore, there is an excellent effect that it is possible to automatically determine from the outside of the vehicle whether or not the vehicle has a proper charge collected.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a vehicle to which an automatic fee collection device according to a first embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an external notification unit lighting control of the automatic fee collection device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an automatic fee collection device to which the present invention can be applied.

4 is a schematic perspective view showing an entrance gate of the automatic toll collection device of FIG. 3. FIG.

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing an intermediate route of the automatic fee collection device of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing an exit gate of the automatic toll collection device of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an in-vehicle device of the present embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of a road machine.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a processing routine at an exit gate.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing another control of the automatic toll collection device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view showing a vehicle to which the automatic toll collection device according to the second embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing control of the automatic fee collection device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing another control of the automatic toll collection device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 30 vehicle-mounted device 31 external notification lamp (external notification means) 33 left and right direction indicators (external notification means) 90 vehicle 324 charge payment box (charge payment point) 326 charge payment box (charge payment point) 328 charge payment box (charge payment) Place) 324A transmitter 326A transmitter 328A transmitter

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Kazuhiro Umeda 1 Toyota Town, Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture Toyota Automobile Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An automatic toll collection device for automatically collecting tolls by communication between an on-board device installed on the road and a vehicle-mounted device on which a card having balance information can be mounted and which is mounted on a vehicle, An automatic toll collection device, comprising: a toll payment station arranged on the downstream side of the road machine in the vehicle traveling direction; and an external notification means for notifying the result of the automatic toll collection outside the vehicle at the toll payment station. .