US20070124199A1 - System, method and computer readable medium for toll service activation and billing - Google Patents

Abstract

A system, method, and computer readable medium for toll service activation and billing, comprises receiving fleet information at a toll authority via a toll rental entity, receiving a service request at the toll rental entity, sending toll usage data related to the service request to a third party entity, receiving a payment at the toll rental entity based on the service request, and sending a payment to the toll authority based on the toll usage data.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
• The present patent application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/726,300, titled Toll Fee System And Method Using Prepaid Toll Pass, filed on Oct. 13, 2005, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/759,937, titled Business Process For Toll Fee System And Method For Vehicle Registration, Invoicing, Opt-In Services, And Toll Violations, filed on Jan. 18, 2006, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/763,097 titled Method And System For Toll Collection With Optional Service Capabilities, filed on Jan. 27, 2006, the entire contents of each of which is incorporated by reference herein.
• The present patent application is also related to U.S. Non-Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 11/125,521, titled Toll Fee System And Method, filed on May 10, 2005, to U.S. Non-Provisional Patent Application Docket No. RTL008, titled System, Method, And Computer Readable Medium For Billing, and to U.S. Non-Provisional Patent Application Docket No. RTL009, titled System, Method, And Computer Readable Medium For Billing Tolls, filed on Sep. 06, 2006, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• The present invention relates generally to toll systems and methods and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to systems, methods, and computer readable media for guaranteed preauthorized toll service activation and billing for third party renters and a toll collection entities.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
• The present invention incorporates by reference various information including: toll fee tracking systems and methods for automatic, non-contact, high-speed toll fee tracking and payment of vehicular tolls using a Pre-authorized Toll Pass, business processes for toll fee system and method for vehicle registration, invoicing, opt-in services, and toll violations, and to toll service systems and methods adapted to provide toll service to third party entity vehicles without having to stop at a toll authority. In such a scenario, a toll rental entity gathers all third party entity vehicle information such as, for example, license plate number, vehicle registration state, vehicle make, vehicle model and the like from third party entities to provide toll service to the third party entity vehicles. When a third party entity customer rents a third party entity vehicle with the toll rental service option, the toll rental entity receives such notification as opt-in service transaction from the third party entity and communicates the information back to the toll authority/toll collection entity to support the service for the third party entity vehicle.
• The third party entity also transfers opt-out service information to the toll rental entity in the event the customer decided to change his/her mind to use the toll service. In the preauthorized toll service model, the toll rental entity guarantees payment to the toll authority for the toll service. The toll rental entity may provide the toll usage such as, vehicle information, transponder information, location information, time stamp, and vehicle picture. The toll rental entity might all send the third party renter information on demand for any future references.
• If the customer is not opted for this service and violated the toll authority/toll collection entity by not paying at the toll authority/toll collection entity, then the toll authority/toll collection entity identifies third party vehicles by license plate number. The toll rental entity will then communicate with the third party entity to obtain rental violator information for later violation processing. Instead of charging the customer by toll usage, embodiments of the present invention charge the customer by the rental period.
• In one embodiment of the present invention, a method for toll service activation and billing, comprises receiving fleet information at a toll authority via a toll rental entity, receiving a service request at the toll rental entity, sending toll usage data related to the service request to a third party entity, receiving a payment at the toll rental entity based on the service request, and sending a payment to the toll authority based on the toll usage data.
• In another embodiment of the present invention, a method for toll service activation and billing, comprises receiving fleet information at a toll authority via a toll rental entity, receiving a service request at the toll rental entity, if the service request consists of an opt-in for service, sending a payment to the toll authority (or authorities) based on the service request, and if the service request consists of an opt-out for service, sending a payment to the toll authority if the toll rental entity receives a valid toll usage during the opt-out for service.
• In a further embodiment of the present invention, a method for toll service activation and billing, comprises receiving a service request at the toll rental entity, if the service request consists of an opt-in for service, sending a payment to a toll authority (or authorities) based on the service request, and if the service request consists of an opt-out for service, sending a payment to the toll authority if the toll rental entity receives a valid toll usage during the opt-out period for service, receiving toll usage data at the toll rental entity, matching the toll usage data with information related to the opt-in for service and the opt-out for service, and sending a payment related to the matched toll usage data.
• In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a computer readable medium comprises instructions for: receiving fleet information, receiving a service request related to the fleet information, sending toll usage data related to the service request, receiving a payment from a first entity based on the sent service request, and sending a payment to a second entity based on the toll usage data.
• In yet a further embodiment of the present invention, a computer readable medium comprises instructions for: receiving fleet information, receiving a service request related to the fleet information, and sending a payment based on the service request if the service request consists of an opt-in for service.
• In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a computer readable medium comprises instructions for: receiving a service request, if the service request consists of an opt-in for service, sending a payment based on the service request, and if the service request consists of an opt-out for service, sending a payment based on a valid toll usage during the opt-out for service.
• In yet a further embodiment of the present invention, a system for toll service activation and billing, comprises a toll rental entity that: receives fleet information, receives service requests, receives payments based on the service requests, sends toll usage data related to the service requests to a first non-toll rental entity, and sends a payment to a second non-toll rental entity based on the toll usage data.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• For a more complete understanding of the present invention and for further objects and advantages thereof, reference may now be had to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
• FIG. 1 is a first flow diagram depicting messages sent between a third party entity, a toll rental entity, and a toll authority in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 2 is a second flow diagram depicting messages sent between a third party entity, a toll rental entity, and a toll authority in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 3 is a third flow diagram depicting messages sent between a third party entity, a toll rental entity, and a toll authority in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating service activation in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating service cancellation in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating an opt-in and an opt-out process in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and
• FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
• Referring now toFIG. 1, a flow diagram100 is illustrated. The depicted messages are sent and received by a number of entities or modules including a third party entity102 (such as a rent-a-car or other transport rental company), a tollrental entity104, and atoll authority106. The diagram100 describes a fleet based data exchange where charges provided by thetoll authority106 are based on transactions and charges provided by the tollrental entity104 are based on duration.
• Atstep110, thethird party entity102 sends fleet information to the tollrental entity104 which can store the information in adatabase111 and/or send theinformation112 to thetoll authority106 which can store it in adatabase114. At this point both the third party entity and the toll authority can initiate their processes in parallel. Thethird party entity102 sends aservice request116 to the tollrental entity104 indicating an opt-in or an opt-out of service for utilizing a toll tag or a toll reader device in a rented transport (or for utilizing a license plate). The tollrental entity104 can store this information in an opt-in and/or opt-outdatabase117.
• Thetoll authority106 sets up a tollrental entity account108 with an account balance. This action may occur at any time in this process. As a transport with a toll tag (whose information is stored in a tag database113) utilizes the toll authorities' toll booth(s), toll data is gathered (and stored in toll data database121) and matched122 against the fleet information with license plate number or by transponder. Thetag database113, thefleet database114, and thetoll data database121 may be the same database. Thetoll authority106 detects the matched toll data and charges124 the toll rental entity account.
• The toll authority sends126 the matched toll data (including, for example, a photograph of the transport or other proof of the transport utilizing the toll booth or other toll authority structure) and an invoice to the tollrental entity104 which sends118 the toll data and the invoice (for example, periodically) to thethird party entity100 for preauthorized toll service. Thethird party entity102 may also send payments120 (for example, periodically) to the tollrental entity104 which deposits117 capital in the toll rental entity account. Thetoll authority106 may also send128 the tollrental entity104 an invoice which can be paid130. These steps may be performed in various orders. For example, the depicted payments can occur before or after other depicted actions.
• In one embodiment of the present invention, a method for toll service activation and billing, comprises receiving fleet information at a toll authority via a toll rental entity, receiving a service request at the toll rental entity, sending toll usage data related to the service request to a third party entity, receiving a payment at the toll rental entity based on the service request, and sending a payment to the toll authority based on the toll usage data. The method also comprises sending an invoice to the third party entity by the toll rental entity, wherein the payment is sent during at least one of: consistently, periodically, gradually, completely, wherein the fleet information comprises at least one of a license plate number, a license plate state, a license state type, an RFID transponder identification, a vehicle identification number, a vehicle owner, a vehicle make, a vehicle model, and a vehicle color, wherein the service request comprises at lease one of: a transaction based service request, a location based service request, a frequency based service request, and an occupancy based service request, wherein the receiving of the fleet information and the receiving of the service request occur during at least one of: at different times, at the same time, in real-time, in near real-time, in batch mode, serially, and in parallel, and wherein the service request comprises at least one of: an opt-in for the service, an opt-out for the service, a late opt-in for the service, and a late opt-out for the service.
• Referring now toFIG. 2, a flow diagram200 is illustrated. The depicted messages are sent and received by a number of entities or modules including a third party entity102 (such as a rent-a-car or other transport rental company), a tollrental entity104, and atoll authority106. The diagram200 describes an opt-in (for service) based data exchange where charges provided by thetoll authority106 are based on duration and charges provided by the tollrental entity104 are also based on duration.
• Atstep202, thethird party entity102 sends fleet information to the tollrental entity104 which can store the information in adatabase203 and/or send theinformation204 to thetoll authority106 which can store it in adatabase205. Thethird party entity102 sends aservice request206 to the tollrental entity104 indicating an opt-in or an opt-out of service for utilizing a toll tag or toll reader device in a rented transport. The tollrental entity104 can store this information in an opt-in or an opt-outdatabase207.
• The tollrental entity104 sends208 a deposit to thetoll authority106 for preauthorized toll service. Deposits are based on the service period mostly by duration. Deposits may be a flat fee for the toll authority. In this model, irrespective of the toll usage, the toll rental entity might pay the toll authority by the service period. Deposits can be sent real time or by batch. This deposit is stored and is managed in adeposit database209. As a transport with a toll tag (whose information is stored in a tag database201) utilizes the toll authorities' toll booth(s), toll data is gathered (and stored in toll data database224) and matched214 against the deposits and/or the fleet information. Thefleet database205, thetag database201, thedeposit database209, and the toll data database224 may be the same database. If thetoll authority106 detects the matched toll data the deposit account or another account is charged. Toll tag and license plate recognition can be used.
• The toll authority preferably sends216 the toll data daily that is unmatched in thedeposit database209 to thetoll rental entity104, but may send such data at any time or at various times. Thetoll rental entity104 checks218 the opt-in or opt-outdatabase207 in order to rectify the unmatched data. Thetoll rental entity104 sends220 a response to thetoll authority106 with at least one of: an opt-in for service, an opt-in on demand for service (whereby a customer that initially opted out and then changed his/her might to opt-in later), opt-out service or vehicle data not found. If thetoll rental entity104 determines that an opt-in for service, or an opt-in on demand for service is found, a payment is sent222 to thetoll authority106. These steps may be performed in various orders. For example, thethird party entity102 sendingpayments212 can occur before or after the third party entity sends aservice request206.
• In one embodiment of the present invention, a method for toll service activation and billing, comprises receiving fleet information at a toll authority via a toll rental entity, receiving a service request at the toll rental entity, if the service request consists of an opt-in for service, sending a payment to the toll authority based on the service request, and if the service request consists of an opt-out for service, sending a payment to the toll authority if the toll rental entity receives a valid toll usage during the opt-out for service. The sending of the payment to the toll authority based on the service request occurs irrespective of toll usage data.
• Referring now toFIG. 3, a flow diagram300 is illustrated. The depicted messages are sent and received by a number of entities or modules including a third party entity102 (such as a rent-a-car or other transport rental company), atoll rental entity104, and atoll authority106. The diagram300 describes an opt-in (for service) based data exchange where charges provided by the toll authority320 are duration and transaction based, and charges provided by the toll rental entity310 are duration based. Thethird party entity102 sends302 opt-in and opt-out information to thetoll rental entity104 which stores such information in adatabase303. Thetoll authority106 captures the toll data, which can be received304 via a number of sources such as OCR, RFID, and GPS, and stores the toll data in adatabase305. This information is sent or is downloaded todatabase307.
• Thetoll rental entity104 sends314 an invoice to thethird party entity102 based on the individuals or entities opting-in, and sends308 an opt-in, an opt-in on demand, or data not found to thetoll authority106. Third party entity receives all the rental agreements/service requests from the third party entity and later matches the toll data from the toll authority. The toll rental entity also maintains a queue in the event the toll data comes before the third party service request. The toll rental entity maps toll data with the service request and sends the invoice to the third party entity periodically based on opt-in, opt-out or late/early opt-in and out-out. Thethird party entity102 sends316 payments to thetoll rental entity104, receives310 an invoice(s) based on opt-ins or by the transactions noted above and sends312 payments to thetoll authority106 based on these invoices.
• In one embodiment of the present invention, a method for toll service activation and billing, comprises receiving a service request at the toll rental entity, if the service request consists of an opt-in for service, sending a payment to a toll authority based on the service request, and if the service request consists of an opt-out for service, sending a payment to the toll authority if the toll rental entity receives a valid toll usage during the opt-out for service, receiving toll usage data at the toll rental entity, matching the toll usage data with information related to the opt-in for service and the opt-out for service, and sending a payment related to the matched toll usage data. The payment is sent to at least one of: the toll authority, and a third party entity.
• Referring now toFIG. 4, aflow chart400 illustrating service activation is depicted. Atstep402, user information, vehicle information and service information is collected, atstep404, users and vehicle information is transferred to activate service, atstep406, information is received at a toll rental entity for service usage, atstep408, information validation is performed for service usage, and transaction Identification and a tracking number is assigned atstep410. The flow chart further discloses vehicle information and transaction information that is transferred or sent to a toll authority atstep412, a received request by the toll authority to activate service atstep414, and to update a toll authority database and a toll rental entity database atsteps416 and418 respectively.
• Referring now toFIG. 5, aflow chart500 illustrating service cancellation is depicted. At step502 a customer contacts (via phone, computer, or any device) a third party entity. A vehicle is identified atstep504 and a check is made to determine if a service agreement for the customer and the vehicle is complete atstep506. If it is not, further steps must be taken (for example, customer information or payment information must be received) in order to complete the service agreement. If it is, a toll rental entity is notified to cancel the service atstep508 and the cancellation is received atstep510. A check for the completed cancellation request is made atstep512. If it is, the cancellation is then send to a toll authority atstep514, which checks for toll usage by the vehicle atstep516. If no toll usage has occurred, the toll authority database is updated atstep518, the transaction is acknowledged atstep520 and the toll rental entities database is updated atstep522. If toll usage has already occurred, verified atstep524, a third party entity database is updated atstep530. If the check for the completed cancellation request made atstep512 is not complete, toll usage may be checked atstep526. If is not, the request for service cancellation is performed atstep528, and the third party entity database is updated atstep530. The flow chart ends atstep532.
• FIG. 6 is aflow chart600 illustrating an opt-in and an opt-out process. As a vehicle passes a toll gate atstep602, vehicle information (and optionally driver and/or passenger information) is captured atstep604. Atstep606, a determination is made whether the vehicle information is associated with a toll rental entity. If it is not, a toll violation is performed atstep608 and the process ends atstep626. If it is, atstep610, a determination is made if the vehicle and/or the customer/driver or an entity has opted-in to the service. If the customer has opted-in and the deposit is received for the transaction, the toll rental entity is updated for the toll usage. If the toll authority could not match the deposit, the toll authority marks the transaction unmatched and sends it to the toll authority for the disposition status. The toll rental entity may pay the toll authority by transaction for the unmatched usage or it may be grouped with the OPT-IN or OPT-OUT or OPT-IN on demand and provide the payment accordingly.
• In one embodiment of the present invention, a computer readable medium, or software of the present invention, comprises instructions for receiving fleet information, receiving a service request related to the fleet information, and sending a payment based on the service request if the service request consists of an opt-in for service. The computer readable medium further comprises instructions for sending a payment if a transport rental entity receives a valid toll usage during an opt-out for service, and sending the payment irrespective of toll usage data.
• If the unmatched transaction is an opt-outprocess step614, the third party entity and the customer are notified of the process atstep616 and a third party entity database is updated atstep618. If no opt-in for the service has occurred atstep610, the toll usage is sent to the toll rental entity atstep620, an invalid transaction is removed atstep622, and a toll rental entity database is updated atstep624
• In another embodiment of the present invention, a computer readable medium comprises instructions for receiving a service request, if the service request consists of an opt-in for service, sending a payment based on the service request, and if the service request consists of an opt-out for service, sending a payment based on a valid toll usage during the opt-out for service. The computer readable medium further comprises instructions for receiving toll usage data and matching the toll usage data with information related to the opt-in for service and the opt-out for service, sending a payment related to the matched toll usage data, and sending the payment to a toll authority.
• FIG. 7 is a block diagram of asystem700 that comprises athird party entity708, atoll authority710, and atoll rental entity716 and722. These elements include an on-line or graphical user interface (GUI) via a third partyentity agent GUI704, a toll authority agent GUI706, and a tollrental entity site702. Thethird party entity708 and thetoll authority710 are connected torespective gateways712 and714. In alternate embodiments, these connections may be wireless and may be made to other elements that connect to thetoll rental entity716 and722. The toll rental entitybusiness services module716 receives the rental agreements from the third party entity and toll usages from the toll authority/toll collection entity processes the information based on the matched or unmatched and also opt-in, opt-out, late opt-in/opt-out, early opt-in/opt-out of the transactions. The toll rental entitybusiness services module716 utilizes theevent queue718 and the toll rental entitydata services module722 for queuing the data persistence. Theworkflow engine720 gets the notification from the event queue and based on the event queue business process will be executed. Theworkflow engine720 usesbilling system726, acontract management module728, a third partyentity management system730, a tollauthority management system732, a usage management system734 and acollection agency module736 for process execution. One or more of these elements may be positioned in different areas within the system and the functionality provided by two or more of these elements may be provided by one of these elements.Components716,720, and722use billing system726,contract management module728, the third partyentity management system730, the tollauthority management system732, the usage management system734 and thecollection agency module736 for the business process implementation and execution.
• Although an exemplary embodiment of the system of the present invention has been illustrated in the accompanied drawings and described in the foregoing detailed description, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed, but is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications, and substitutions without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth and defined by the following claims. For example, the capabilities of the invention can be performed fully and/or partially by one or more of the described or depicted elements. Also, these capabilities may be performed in the current manner or in a distributed manner and on, or via, any device able to provide and/or receive information. Further, although depicted in a particular manner, various modules or blocks may be repositioned without departing from the scope of the current invention. For example, information being sent to the toll rental entity can be sent to the third party entity or to multiple third party entities or may be sent to one of the entities in lieu of the other. Still further, although depicted in a particular manner, a greater or lesser number of elements and connections can be utilized with the present invention in order to accomplish the present invention, to provide additional known features to the present invention, and/or to make the present invention more efficient. For example, a cellular phone, RFID chip or other electronic device can be used to send, receive, and/or store any of the data described or depicted herein. Also, the information sent between various elements described or depicted herein, can be sent via a wireless source and/or a wired source and via a plurality of protocols.

Claims (20)

1. A method for toll service activation and billing, comprising:

receiving fleet information at a toll authority via a toll rental entity;

receiving a service request at the toll rental entity;

sending toll usage data related to the service request to a third party entity;

receiving a payment at the toll rental entity based on the service request; and

sending a payment to the toll authority based on the toll usage data.

2. The method ofclaim 1 comprising sending an invoice to the third party entity by the toll rental entity.

3. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the payment is sent during at least one of: consistently, periodically, gradually, completely.

4. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the fleet information comprises at least one of a license plate number, a license plate state, a license state type, an RFID transponder identification, a vehicle identification number, a vehicle owner, a vehicle make, a vehicle model, and a vehicle color.

5. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the service request comprises at lease one of a transaction based service request, a location based service request, a frequency based service request, and an occupancy based service request.

6. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the receiving of the fleet information and the receiving of the service request occur during at least one of at different times, at the same time, in real-time, in near real-time, in batch mode, serially, and in parallel.

7. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the service request comprises at least one of: an opt-in for the service, an opt-out for the service, a late opt-in for the service, and a late opt-out for the service.

8. A method for toll service activation and billing, comprising:

receiving fleet information at a toll authority via a toll rental entity;

receiving a service request at the toll rental entity;

if the service request consists of an opt-in for service, sending a payment to the toll authority based on the service request; and

if the service request consists of an opt-out for service, sending a payment to the toll authority if the toll rental entity receives a valid toll usage during the opt-out for service.

9. The method ofclaim 8, wherein the sending of the payment to the toll authority based on the service request occurs irrespective of toll usage data.

10. A method for toll service activation and billing, comprising:

receiving a service request at the toll rental entity;

if the service request consists of an opt-in for service, sending a payment to a toll authority based on the service request; and

if the service request consists of an opt-out for service, sending a payment to the toll authority if the toll rental entity receives a valid toll usage during the opt-out for service;

receiving toll usage data at the toll rental entity;

matching the toll usage data with information related to the opt-in for service and the opt-out for service; and

sending a payment related to the matched toll usage data.

11. The method ofclaim 10, wherein the payment is sent to at least one of: the toll authority, and a third party entity.

12. A computer readable medium comprising instructions for:

receiving fleet information;

receiving a service request related to the fleet information;

sending toll usage data related to the service request;

receiving a payment from a first entity based on the sent service request; and

sending a payment to a second entity based on the toll usage data.

13. A computer readable medium comprising instructions for:

receiving fleet information;

receiving a service request related to the fleet information; and

sending a payment based on the service request if the service request consists of an opt-in for service.

14. The computer readable medium ofclaim 13 comprising instructions for sending a payment if a transport rental entity receives a valid toll usage during an opt-out for service.

15. The computer readable medium ofclaim 13 comprising instructions for sending the payment irrespective of toll usage data.

16. A computer readable medium comprising instructions for:

receiving a service request;

if the service request consists of an opt-in for service, sending a payment based on the service request; and

if the service request consists of an opt-out for service, sending a payment based on a valid toll usage during the opt-out for service.

17. The computer readable medium ofclaim 13 comprising instructions for receiving toll usage data and matching the toll usage data with information related to the opt-in for service and the opt-out for service.

18. The computer readable medium ofclaim 17 comprising instructions for sending a payment related to the matched toll usage data.

19. The computer readable medium ofclaim 17 comprising instructions for sending the payment to a toll authority.

20. A system for toll service activation and billing, comprising:

a toll rental entity that:

receives fleet information;

receives service requests;

receives payments based on the service requests;

sends toll usage data related to the service requests to a first non-toll rental entity; and

sends a payment to a second non-toll rental entity based on the toll usage data.

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