DE29811292U1 - Device for calculating and collecting vehicle fees - Google Patents

Description

Cemil Karahan

Ottobrunnerstrasse 8

D-81737 Munich

ISDN Tel: +4989 68 44 04

Fax: +4989 688 90 92 7

E-mail ckarahan @ aol. com

Vehicle toll system

This invention relates to a system for parking, port entrance, road, tunnel, bridge, canal and sea route crossing of land, sea and air vehicles such as cars, ships and airplanes.
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Today, land, sea and air vehicles stop or are stopped, wait or are made to wait in order to pay parking, port entrance, road, tunnel, bridge, canal and sea crossing fees to officials in cash or at the machines installed for this purpose using coins, banknotes or payment cards, whereby cards are issued by machines which can be purchased beforehand or afterwards. These formalities entail considerable loss of time, especially since sometimes there are no coins or corresponding banknotes or payment cards and in bad weather it is necessary to get out of the vehicle and get back in again.

The existing vehicle toll system creates countless problems and difficulties due to the lack of reservations, both when looking for a parking or berth in ports and when parking, entering the port and during crossings. For example, when looking for a berth in the port, more driving is done than necessary, and sometimes a parking or berth is not found or is only found much later, which means more fuel is used, costs are increased, traffic is increased, people are stressed, the environment is polluted and valuable time is lost.

This also gives rise to circumstances such as delays in starting work or attending a meeting, which can lead to unintentional administrative offences and violations of the law.

For example, the existing system allows a driver to park in a parking space next to a road and not pay a fee if the parking space is not supervised. It can also happen that a driver who has put coins in the parking meter or taken a card from the machine and kept it in the vehicle can continue to park free of charge for the period of time that he exceeded the parking time if the parking space is not supervised.

The existing vehicle toll system does not allow parking, port entrance, road, tunnel, bridge, canal and sea crossing fees and related fines and penalties to be easily and fairly collected, and the highest

Parking and mooring times and parking and mooring fee rates and crossings are not easily determined and these are not easily adjusted to the requirements of various factors such as areas, times, supply and demand and circumstances such as inflation, etc., and the value added tax to be charged on parking, mooring and crossing fees is not easily calculated and paid, and parking, port entrance, road, tunnel, bridge, canal and sea crossing fees cannot be collected due to the high cost, so that some citizens pay parking, port entrance, road, tunnel, bridge, canal and sea crossing fees while others do not, which puts the former at a social disadvantage compared to the latter, and it is not possible to determine the time at which a vehicle is to be towed, for vehicles that are missing or are being sought by the police, have been stolen or whose last parked location is unknown. were, the same equipment or systems cannot be used, which increases costs and causes employers and employees to overcome countless difficulties and problems.

According to the invention, vehicles are equipped with an electronic device 1 with a closed circuit, which is connected to the control center 29 via a communication link with electromagnetic waves via another device 24 installed at a location intended as a toll station.

When vehicles 26 with vehicle device 1 enter and exit the 28 parking lot 28a, port and airport, a signal is generated which is then sent to the control center 29, which then calculates the parking and berth fees based on the time between the two signals and other parameters, which are then collected from the employee 1 and paid to the employer 24.

For crossings (road, tunnel, bridge, canal and sea crossings), the local device 24 must be installed at the entry or exit points of the crossings, because a single signal may be sufficient for this.

In this way, vehicles can then park, dock and drive over any space at any time using a single built-in device 1 without any further formalities, and payments can be made in a similar way to telephone charges.

Today, however, vehicles are not only driven in their own country but all over the world. For this reason, in order to make optimal use of the invention, all vehicles in the world must be equipped with the on-board device 1, location devices 24 must be installed at all toll sites and intergovernmental organizations and agreements must be implemented.

If you talk about the whole world, this may seem a little more difficult at first. However, I see the real difficulty in the fact that the invention is used differently by different countries without regard to others. In fact, individual experiments and the difficulties they encounter fully confirm my view.

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Our world is becoming more globalized day by day and this invention of mine corresponds to the universal development and offers many conveniences.

Another possibility of using this invention is that it is brought into being by at least an island and industrial state such as Japan for land and partly for sea vehicles such as yachts, thus showing the whole world that the invention is easy to implement, whereby other states in the world can then come together and decide to use this invention at the same time.

According to the invention, vehicles no longer have to stop or wait to pay parking, port entry or crossing fees, do not have to use coins, banknotes or payment cards (they can, however, pay with time or season tickets if they wish), can reserve parking and mooring spaces within the system, thus eliminating the problems of finding a parking or mooring space and intentional or unintentional free parking, thus transferring the previously unsuccessful individual check from humans to the system, parking and mooring fees and any penalty fees are collected more fairly after a unit of time (minutes or hours), maximum parking and mooring times and fee rates for parking and mooring spaces and crossings are more easily determined and adapted to the requirements of various factors such as areas, times, supply and demand and circumstances such as inflation, etc., in addition, the value added taxes to be charged on parking, mooring and crossing fees can be more easily calculated and paid, in addition, the previously high parking, port entrance and crossing fees not paid at cost can be collected, so that the injustice in the treatment of citizens is eliminated, in the case of a punitive measure, the start of the towing service for a vehicle can be determined in time by automatically forwarding the time of the towing service to the control unit with communication link 25, vehicles that are missing or are being sought by the police, have been stolen or whose last parked location is not known can be found more easily and a uniform device 1, which is installed in vehicles, can be used anywhere and at any time when parking, entering a port, crossing roads, tunnels, bridges, canals and sea routes at home and abroad, all land, sea and air vehicles in the system such as cars, ships and aircraft have a vehicle device 1 and all open or covered parking and mooring areas on land, sea and in the air as well as roads, tunnels, bridges, canals and Sea routes of the system a local device 24, a control unit with communication link 25, an information table with communication link 30, the system has a central unit 29 and transmitter 31 or no central unit and transmitter, if it is designed only as a small unit, for example with a local device, the elements of the system 1, 24, 25, 29, 30 are connected to each other via electromagnetic waves and/or light waves (IBFN) at certain frequencies.

According to the invention, the term 'vehicle' applies to all vehicles that move on land, sea and in the air. However, only land vehicles are discussed here first and the term 'vehicle' only applies to land vehicles in order to avoid repetition. After this description,

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also discussed in more detail how these explanations can apply in a similar way to other vehicles.

There are currently several inventions and patent applications for car parking spaces. Among them, the advantageous German model with number G9318281.7 offers a method using cards. According to this method, a device equipped with a card reader is located in the vehicle, into which the card is inserted when the vehicle drives into the parking space, whereby the card is validated as long as the vehicle remains parked. However, with this model it remains unclear how the parking fees can reach the owner of the parking space, who owns the parked space and how he can collect the fees, what use such a card is if, for example, a vehicle from Hamburg parks in a parking space in Istanbul or Munich, how the fees, which vary from parking space to parking space, can then be adjusted, so that this model obviously cannot be used.

Another invention is again a German patent with number DE 19544667A1. According to this patent, chips are used in parking meters, whereby the parking time is calculated according to fee units. However, this patent has the same defects as the model mentioned above and cannot be used either.

The English patent with number GB 2254463A provides for a unit in the vehicle that stores the data and works with one or more 'smart cards'. According to this, the credits in the unit's memory start to decrease while the vehicle is parked, with the radio waves in the room being stored by the unit while the vehicle is stationary and the signals changing when the vehicle starts moving again and the time in between being deducted from the credit as a parking fee. This patent cannot be used either because it has the same defects as the German models mentioned above.

On the other hand, it should be noted that the three patents referred to above only deal with parking spaces for land vehicles and other land, sea and air vehicles, thus ignoring other parking spaces as well as port entrances, road, bridge, tunnel, canal and sea crossings, so that in addition to their aforementioned deficiencies, they do not offer any solutions for reducing the cost price.
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Similarly, all inventions for road, bridge, tunnel, canal and sea crossings, port entrances and parking for aircraft in airports can only be used specifically in a single field and generally do not cover all vehicles and conditions associated with them. 45

The vehicle toll system according to the invention is described in detail using the following figures and the list of reference symbols. Accordingly, show;

Figure 1 - The vehicle device and

Figure 2 - The local unit, the vehicle unit and other units in communication.

List of reference symbols :

1 vehicle device

2 Official registration number and/or registration number of the vehicle, encrypted

3 Length of the vehicle, encrypted

4 Relevant parking space with communication link, encrypted (address of the parking space)

5 Maximum parking time

7 Time of towing the vehicle after the expiration of the punishable parking time (start of the towing service)

8 Fixed entrance fee for the parking lot

9 Parking fee and fines in relation to the time spent in the car park

10 Start of parking time

11 Only for the previously paid vehicle equipment time card, the remaining value of the card or its temporal equivalent

12 The period during which the parking reservation is valid

13 Parking fee in proportion to the fixed entrance fee of the parking lot or to the parking time or total fee, including penalty fees in proportion to the exceeded parking time if the maximum parking time is exceeded

14 cables for power supply

15 reservation buttons
16 On/Off button

17 Reservation button

18 Correction key

19 Card slot

20 Turning and control mechanism
21 Display

22 External signal

23 Antenna

24 Local device

25 Control unit with communication link
26 Vehicle with on-board device

27 Vehicle without on-board device

28 Communications connection area of the parking lot with communication connection
28a Parking lot with communication connection

29 Headquarters

30 Information table with message connection

31 transformers

The structure and function of the system for vehicle fees according to the invention are as follows: The vehicle device 1 is an electronic device which is installed in the vehicle and concerns parking fees, maximum parking times and parking space reservations.

The vehicle unit is equipped with a chip in which the official number plate and/or the identification number of the vehicle 2 and the encrypted length of the vehicle 3 are stored either by the control center 29 when the vehicles enter the area with communication connection 28 via communication connection or by remote control or by the authority issuing the official number plate when issuing

which can be deleted if necessary and changed if there are changes to the official license plate number.

The registration number of vehicle 2 is used for identification and billing between the vehicle owner and the owner of the parking space 28, while the length of the vehicle is used for a fair calculation of parking fees for vehicles of different lengths.

The vehicle device is equipped with a unit that enables the use of payment cards, so that commercially available payment cards can also be used with vehicle devices. Alternatively, instead of the vehicle device, the local device 24 can be equipped with a higher performance unit that allows the use of these cards, so that it can be used jointly by all vehicles with vehicle devices 26 that are parked in the same parking space with communication connection 28, thus significantly reducing the cost of the vehicle devices.

The vehicle unit has a card slot 19 for inserting and removing cards and the cards are used through this card slot.

The vehicle device has buttons 15 and a writing unit for parking space reservation. Alternatively, instead of the vehicle device, the local device can be equipped with this reading unit for shared use by vehicle devices, so that the cost price of the vehicle devices is significantly reduced.

The vehicle device has a signal unit which emits a light signal 22 when the vehicle with the vehicle device enters the parking space with communication connection, so that the control officer can easily distinguish between a vehicle with the vehicle device 26 and a vehicle without the vehicle device if necessary.

The vehicle device has a measuring unit with which the maximum parking time 5, the time of towing the vehicle after the expiration of the punishable parking time (start of the towing service) 7 and the start of the parking time 10 can be determined, the time setting of which is carried out by the local device due to the existing communication connection from the control center 29.

The vehicle device has a roof antenna 23, which takes on the role of an antenna for the communications connection between the vehicle device and the local device and, if necessary, for the communications connection with the control center via the local device.

The vehicle device has a communication unit via which a communication connection is established both between the vehicle device and the local device and, if necessary, the communication connection with the control center via the local device.

The vehicle device is located in a housing and is therefore protected from external interference and thus from damage (not shown in the figure).

A rotation and control mechanism 20 is installed in the vehicle device so that the vehicle device can be seen from both outside and inside the vehicle and with the help of which the vehicle device can be brought into the desired position and secured.

The vehicle device has a communication connection 28 for displaying the encrypted address of the parking space where the vehicle is parked, the maximum parking time 5 and the reduction of the parking time during parking, the time of towing the vehicle after the expiration of the punishable parking time (start of the towing service) 7, the

fixed entrance fee to the car park 8, the parking fee and the penalty fees in proportion to the parking time in the car park 9, the start of the parking time 10, only for the previously paid vehicle device time card, the remaining value of the card or its temporal equivalent 11, the time for which the parking reservation is valid 12, the parking fee in proportion to the fixed entrance fee to the car park or to the parking time or the total fee, including the penalty fees in proportion to the exceeded parking time if the maximum parking time is exceeded 13 equipped with electronic units and an LED display 21 and can show them on the display.

The local device 24 is an electronic device which is set up and/or mounted in a convenient location with a view of the parking lot and is mutually connected to vehicles entering the parking lot, as well as to vehicle devices 26, 27 of these vehicles, to the control unit with communication link 25 and to the control center 29 via electromagnetic waves and/or light waves (IBFN).

The local device is equipped with a chip in which the encrypted address of the parking space with communication link where it is installed, maximum parking times, the identification number of the parking space according to the fee table or identification numbers of the parking spaces with communication link at its location are stored.

The encrypted address of the parking lot, which is stored in the memory of the local device, is used to identify this parking lot with communication (at what address it is located and who the owner of this parking lot with communication is), the parking lot code or the parking lot codes determine the parking fee in this parking lot with communication and the maximum parking time in this parking lot with communication.

The local device has a communication unit via which the local device is mutually connected to vehicles 26, 27, vehicle devices 26 in the vehicles, the control unit with communication connection 25 and to the control center 29.

The local device is equipped with a sensor to detect vehicles entering and exiting the parking lot. The local device does have a time measuring unit, but the time setting is carried out by the control center 29.

The local device has a unit for the use of payment cards, but the slot 19 is located in the vehicle device, so that commercially available payment cards can be inserted into the usual

manner together with the vehicle device and local device. In addition, only the vehicle device 1 is equipped with this usage unit.

The local device has a writing unit for use in parking space reservation, which can be used jointly by vehicle devices or only vehicle devices are equipped with it.

The local device has a control mechanism for sending electromagnetic waves and/or light waves with a specific frequency to a specific location and for receiving them from the sending location and sends the electromagnetic waves to the parking lot with communication connection at a specific angle in such a way that it only affects the area 28 required for the parking lot with communication connection and does not exceed this area. In this way, the connection between the vehicle 26, 27, the vehicle's license plate number 2 stored in the chip of the vehicle device, the length of the vehicle 3 and the payment card number in the card slot 19 of the vehicle device and the local device is only automatically established when the vehicle enters and leaves the parking lot because the vehicle device is always in a closed circuit.

The encrypted address of the parking space with communication connection 28 on which it is mounted is stored in the local device and the control center 29 can use the communication connection to determine which data and signals are being sent from which local device 24 and in turn which data and signals are being sent from which parking space with communication connection 28.

The local device 24 is equipped with a microprocessor, with the help of which it can regulate the mutual relationships with vehicles 26, 27, the vehicle device 1 in the vehicle, the control unit with communication link 25 and with the control center 29 and the procedures via the payment cards.

The local device receives only one signal from a vehicle without a vehicle device 27 that enters the parking space with a communication connection, thus data that the vehicle is a vehicle, and two different signals from a vehicle with a vehicle device 26, thus data that the vehicle is a vehicle and is equipped with a vehicle device. This determines that the vehicle does not have a vehicle device if only one signal is sent, whereby the local device 24 then automatically sends a signal to the control unit with a communication connection 25 to take appropriate action. This can prevent vehicles without a vehicle device 27 from parking in the parking space with a communication connection.

The local device has a transponder with a frequency converter and converts the electromagnetic waves sent to it and forwards them.

The units of the local device can be used jointly by all the on-board devices of the vehicles that enter, park and exit the parking lot with communication connection. If the on-board devices do not have common units with the local devices (payment card reader unit and writing unit exclusively

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buttons), all vehicle units must be equipped with these units, which represents a cost-increasing factor. Therefore, the decision as to which units should be in the local unit or vehicle unit is left to current and future technology, costs and advantages.

The control center 29 is equipped with devices such as ROM and EPROM, in which official license plates and/or identification numbers as well as lengths of the vehicles, the card numbers of the vehicle owners' on-board devices, maximum parking times and fee tables, identification numbers of the parking spaces according to the fee table, parking fee table also according to the length of the vehicles, length identification numbers of the vehicles according to the parking fee table and encrypted addresses of the parking spaces with communication connection are permanently stored and are stored and used via the communication connection with transmitter 21 and local devices in both the local device and the on-board device.

In addition, the customer and account numbers of vehicle owners and parking space owners and the associated required data are permanently stored and used at headquarters 29. These entries can be deleted and changed.

The parking lot with communication connection 28a is a parking area that is under the control of the electromagnetic waves of the local device 24. A parking lot with communication connection can also be created if a local device is set up or installed in a parking area of optimal size (such as parking spaces next to streets and paths, open or covered parking spaces, etc.). A parking lot with communication connection can be compared to an airplane, for which a uniform price is charged for all seats, so that, for example, the passenger can sit wherever he finds a seat, but the tariff, among other things, always remains the same.

Unlike in the case of aircraft, the spaces in parking lots with a communication link do not have to be numbered. However, they can be numbered if desired if it is necessary to know which parking customer has parked in which parking lot. However, these numbers are not important for the local unit 24 and the control center 29 with regard to maximum parking times and parking fees.

For the local device and the control center, the only thing that matters is which vehicle is parked in which parking space with a communication connection.

According to the vehicle fee system, provided that the parking area with communication link 28 is passed under the control of electromagnetic waves, it is possible to park in any place of the parking area with communication link 28a. In the same parking area, maximum parking times and fees, etc. are always the same, regardless of where you park.

For parking spaces with communication links 28a, optimal sizes can be calculated and lower and upper limits can be set. For example, parking spaces with communication links for at least ten and at most one thousand vehicles or

at least one hundred, at most one thousand square meters. The performance of the local devices must then be adapted to the size of the parking spaces.

The encrypted addresses of the parking spaces with communication connections, and thus the identification numbers of the local devices, can be found using code numbers on city maps of the cities in which the parking spaces with communication connections are located. The code number for Ottobrunnerstrasse in Munich, for example, is 81737 (this code number comes from the city map of Munich).' If, for example, there are many parking spaces with communication connections on Ottobrunnenstrasse and we only mean the 2nd parking space with communication connections, then the identification number of this 2nd parking space with communication connections is 81737-2. This code number is then also the encrypted address of the local device.

This organization automatically determines the address of the parking space with communication link and, in particular, the owner of this parking space with communication link (who is now being paid).

The parking spaces with a communication connection and with the option to reserve differ from parking spaces with a communication connection without the option to reserve only in that they can be reserved.
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Parking spaces with communication connection and reservation option can only be used by those who have reserved parking spaces in this parking lot with communication connection and reservation option.

If a parking space in a parking lot with a communication connection and with reservation option is to be reserved, the vehicle drives into any nearest parking lot with a communication connection and reserves a parking space there in order to establish the communication connection with the central office 29. This is because the reservation data is stored in the central office and is also processed by the central office.

In the parking lots with communication connection, information tables with communication connection 30 are set up, with the help of which the customers who want to park in these parking lots can find out the maximum parking times applicable to this parking lot with communication connection, the fixed entrance price and also the parking fees according to the length of the vehicles and can decide whether they want to park, whereby these information tables are connected with or without a cable to the local device. The information table with communication connection is an electronic table and is connected to the local device 24 and thus to the control center 29, whereby the changes in the control center are automatically transmitted to this table.

Between the local device and the control center there are transformers 31, via which a mutual communication connection is established between the local device 24 and the control center and thus between the control center 29 and the vehicle device 1, 26.

So that the parking fees for the parking spaces with communication connection can be determined according to whether these parking spaces are in the center or in the periphery

erected, open or covered, with or without the possibility of reservation, insured or uninsured, guarded or not, what the value of the plots of land on which they were erected is, in which country they are located, which days of the year and which times of the day are involved, and in order to determine the highest parking times of the parking spaces with a communication link and to be able to change the parking space codes and thus the parking times and fees, in order to balance the occupancy rates of the parking spaces and so that the tariffs can be changed immediately and easily due to inflation and deflation, these tables and the parking space codes from these tables are determined. These parking space codes are stored both in the control center and by the control center via the communication link in the local device so that they are transmitted to the vehicle devices 26 and the parking space table with a communication link 30, which are in communication link with the local device.

In the time and fee tables, the 1st column shows the maximum parking times, the 2nd column shows the fixed entrance fee and the 3rd column shows the parking fee based on the time, whereby the code numbers in these three columns consist of three-digit numbers. For example, the number "0.00" next to the code number "001" under the column Fixed entrance fee means that there is no fixed entrance fee for this parking lot with a communication connection and the number "2.00" next to the code number "002" under the same column means that the fixed entrance fee for this parking lot with a communication connection is 2.00 DM.

1. COLUMN Hours 2. COLUMN DM 3. COLUMN DM/h Maximum parking time ¹ A Fixed entrance fee 0.00 Parking fee based on time 0.00 Code number 1 Code number 2.00 Code number 1.00 001 3 001 4.00 001 2.00 002 4 002 5.00 002 3.00 003 5 003 003 004 6 004 004 005 7 005 005 720 1,160 999 999

The parking space code is a code that defines the maximum parking time and the parking fee and is determined by the head office based on the time and

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Fee tables are determined. These parking space codes are stored in the head office and also stored by the head office in the relevant local devices 24 by remote control automatically or according to instructions from the head office. The vehicle devices 26 of the vehicles that drive into the parking space with communication connection 28 then connect with the codes stored in the local device 24.

The parking codes determined according to time and fee tables are nine-digit numbers, the first three digits of which show maximum parking times, the second three digits fixed entrance prices, and the third three digits parking fees based on time.

At this point we will now specify what has been described so far, establish two parking space codes according to the "time and fee tables" and then explain what these parking space codes mean. If, for example, the maximum parking time selected for a parking space with communication connection A is 30 minutes, the code is 001. If, on the other hand, the fixed entrance fee is 2.00 DM, the code is 002. If the parking fee after a selected time is 2.00 DM/h, the code is 003. Accordingly, the code of the parking space with communication connection is 001.002.003. This code of the parking space with communication connection means that;

- this parking lot with communication connection can only be used for a maximum of 30 minutes,

- the fixed entrance fee to this car park with communication connection is 2.00 DM and

- parking in this parking lot with communication connection costs 2.00 DM/h.
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For another parking space with communication link B, we determine a different parking space code (003.001.001) and then explain what this code means:

- This parking lot with communication connection allows a maximum of 3 hours of parking.

- There is no fixed entrance fee for this communication car park, so it is zero.

- This parking lot with communication connection is free of charge.
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In this way, meaningful, realistic and fair parking indicators can be determined and used as needed based on the maximum parking time and the fee schedule.

Length codes are codes that influence fixed entrance prices for parking spaces and parking fees based on time in parking codes and ensure that fair parking fees are paid based on the length of the vehicles.

Length codes of the
vehicles Actual length measurements
of vehicles (cm) Coefficients of
Vehicles according to
Length codes 01 300-319 0.5 02 320-339 0.6 03 340-359 0.7 04 0.8 05 0.9 06 1 07 1.1 08 1.2 09 1.3 10 1.4 11 1.5 12 1.6 13 1.7 14 1.8 15 1.9 16 2 17 2.1 18 760-789 2.2 19 790-809 2.3 20 810-....

The length measurements of the vehicles are transmitted by the authority issuing the official license plate with the official license plate to the control center 29, whereby the control center then converts this data into identification numbers and automatically stores them in vehicle devices via the communication link with the local device 24 when the vehicles enter the parking lot with the communication link. However, this can also be done immediately when the official license plate is issued by the authority issuing the official license plate.

At this point we will give an example of three vehicles that have been parked for one hour and ten hours according to length measurements and therefore length indexes. If the length measurements of the selected vehicles are 305 cm, 348 cm and 721 cm in sequence, their length indexes are then in sequence

01
03
18

whose coefficients in sequence

0.5
0.7
2.2

and the fixed entrance fee calculated according to the fee and charge table for this parking lot with communication connection 2.00.- DM and the parking fee based on time 2.00.- DM/h.

Using this data, we can calculate parking fees fairly based on the length of the vehicles as shown in the table below:

Vehicle length
and code number Co-
efficient
t After 1 hour After 10 hours 305cm01 0.5 2+1.2*0.5*1= 2.60 DM 2+1.2*0.5*10= 8.- DM 348cm03 0.7 2+1.2*0.7*1= 2.84 DM 2+1.2*0.7*10=10.40 DM 721cm16 2.2 2+1.2*2.2*1= 4.64 DM 2+1.2*2.2*10=28.40 DM

As can be seen from the table above, a vehicle of 305 cm length pays DM 2.60 and DM 8.00 after one and ten hours, in sequence, a vehicle of 348 cm length pays DM 2.84 and DM 10.40, a vehicle of 721 cm length pays DM 4.64 and DM 28.40, so that the parking fees are calculated in a fair manner according to the length of the vehicles. However, if the parking fees are to be calculated according to the length of the vehicles, the relevant data in the vehicle device 1, 26 can be deleted by the control center 29 via the communication link with the local device.

Different pricing policies can be applied in a parking lot depending on the number of vehicles parked. For example, if a vehicle is parked in the parking lot for a short period of time, a parking fee that decreases or does not decrease according to an arithmetic series can be charged for the unit of time, but if it is parked for a longer period of time, a parking fee that decreases more according to time, or a parking fee calculated according to a time unit that increases using an arithmetic or geometric series or any desired calculation method if the parking time increases.

According to the invention, taking these or similar circumstances into account, tables are generated and time and fee codes are generated from these tables, which are stored in the control center 29, then transmitted by the control center to the local device 24 for storage and subsequently made available by the local device for the vehicle device 1, so that in this way an optimal policy of the highest parking fees and parking lot fees can be implemented much more easily.

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The beginning of the parking time 10 is the moment when the maximum parking time 5 in the vehicle device 1 begins to decrease and the device for paying the parking fee begins to function.

All commercially available payment cards can be used in the vehicle device as usual. This can also be done in such a way that the card slot is provided in the vehicle, the card reader unit is provided in the local device and in the communication connection between the vehicle device and the local device are used in the same way as is customary on the market. The vehicle device card is a permanent card like the commercially available VISαλ 5 cards etc., which is produced by the central office 29 specifically for use in the vehicle device 1. When a vehicle device card is used, the billing between the customer and the central office, i.e. the owner of the parking space, takes place via this payment card. However, if cards other than vehicle device cards are used, the vehicle device card is automatically excluded and the inserted card 19 takes its place. The vehicle device card, which is not installed, also has the cardholder's number, as with credit cards, which also offers considerable convenience for rental or loan vehicles. In this case, the invoice will be addressed by Head Office 29 to the owner of the vehicle equipment card used.

The vehicle unit time cards are cards which are produced and marketed by the head office 29 for an entire country or for countries which use these cards and are used in a similar way to telephone cards by inserting them into the card slot 19 of the vehicle unit.

The payments made in advance by purchasing the vehicle device time cards are transferred directly to the control center 29 and from the control center to the parking lot owners. The supply of the required energy to the vehicle device 1 can be made via a connection to the vehicle's accumulator, but also via batteries or by equipping the vehicle device itself with solar cells, or by a combination of some or all of these possibilities, with alternative possibilities being activated if the energy requirement can be covered by one of these energy sources, so that an uninterrupted energy supply is possible. The energy requirement of the local device 24 is also covered by solar energy or normal industrial energy, depending on the device's output, via a connection to the household electricity supply or, for the local device and the control center, additionally by special generators. The interstate payment card system works as follows: Either the countries concerned make arrangements between themselves and the on-board unit time cards can be used in those countries, or the on-board unit time cards of the country in which parking takes place are purchased and used, so that each owner of a parking lot with communication links can collect his own parking fees from the central office 29. Programs of countries that only prefer and operate according to their own on-board unit time cards only accept the on-board unit time cards of their own countries and do not work with foreign on-board unit time cards. For those outside the area of on-board unit time cards, an interstate account can be kept and in this case those who park in parking lots with communication links of other countries

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countries, who pay against a bill issued in their own country. There are great similarities in terms of payments and accounting between mobile phones used by people and in-vehicle devices1 used by vehicles. What mobile phones are to people, in-vehicle devices are to vehicles, so it is quite conceivable to use a similar organization for the system of vehicle tolls and interstate payments as for mobile phones and similar accounting and payment systems.

The program and operation of this system is as follows: The control center 29 prepares programs for parking spaces with communication links, which are stored both in the control center and by the control center in local devices 24, so that in this way the vehicles 26, 27 in parking spaces with communication links and the on-board devices of the vehicles are in mutual communication with this program. For example, the control center stores parking space codes in the local device, so that the on-board devices of the vehicles entering parking spaces with communication links automatically contact these parking space codes and can park in these parking spaces with communication links as long as the parking time stipulated by the parking space codes allows this, and pay the parking fee as stipulated by the parking space codes.

When entering the parking lot with communication connection, the driver of the vehicle sees on the information table with communication connection 30 the maximum parking time, the fixed entrance price, the parking fee according to time and the fee coefficient according to the length of the vehicles and then makes his decision whether to enter this parking lot with communication connection and the parking time starts automatically when he enters.

If there is no on-board device 27 in the vehicle or it is defective, the vehicle sends a single signal to the local device 24 that the vehicle is only a vehicle 27 and the signal that must be sent by the on-board device 1 is not sent. In this case, the local device 24 automatically sends a signal to the control unit with communication link 25 and the control service takes the appropriate action (removal or towing of the vehicle from the parking lot with communication link, etc.).

What has been described so far about the function of the system only takes place between the vehicle 27 or the vehicle and the on-board device 26 located therein and the local device 24; there is still no connection with the control center 29. The fact that this is done in this way brings with it cost-effective factors. When the vehicle enters the parking lot with communication connection 28a, the local device - if the vehicle has an on-board device and this is not defective - transmits its own encrypted address, i.e. the encrypted address of the parking lot with communication connection on which it is set up or mounted (the encrypted address of the parking lot and the identification number of the local device are the same identification numbers), the identification number of the official license plate and the identification number of the length of the parked vehicle, the card number if a card other than the vehicle device time card is used,

automatically to the control center, whereby the control center also adds the start of the parking time and then all of this data is stored in the control center, for example as 81796-2*(D) M-CH 9763 * 2032577 *549cm*14.08.96*10.30, whereby this current connection between the local device 24, thus the vehicle device and the control center 24 is then interrupted. From this point on, the external signal 23 lights up so that it can also be determined from outside that the vehicle's vehicle device is working. Another connection between the vehicle device and the local device, thus with the vehicle device and the control center, is then established when the vehicle (thus the vehicle device in the vehicle) leaves the parking lot with a communication connection (end of the parking time).

The vehicle device starts to function from the moment the vehicle enters according to the code of the parked parking space with communication connection 28 and the length code of the vehicle 26, whereby the fixed entry price is immediately deducted and then the parking fees are calculated according to time (so and so many fees for one or five minutes or for one minute, etc.) and the maximum parking time is reduced (120 minutes, 119 minutes ... 0 minutes ... after the maximum parking time has elapsed, the penalized parking time begins to run ... +5 minutes ... 10 minutes ... etc., whereby then instead of the normal parking fee of 5.00 DM per hour, penalized parking fees of 25.00 DM per hour begin to run). The owner of the parking space with a communication link receives the 5.00 DM portion of this penalty, while the remaining 20.00 DM is given to the person who issued the penalty (the state or local authority) (25-5 = 20 DM, etc.). After the penalty-free parking time has expired, the tracking device 24 automatically sends a signal to the control unit with a communication link 25, which then initiates the appropriate action (e.g. towing the vehicle, etc.).

When the same vehicle leaves the parking lot with communication connection (end of the parking time), the local device automatically forwards the official license plate number of vehicle 2 to the control center together with its own identification number, thus the encrypted address of the parking lot with communication connection 28a (81737-2*D*M-CH 9763).

When the parking time has expired, the control center uses the data on the start of the parking time to determine how long the vehicle has been parked and can use the data stored in it, such as parking space codes, length codes, payment card numbers, account numbers of the parking space owners, etc., to carry out the necessary calculations, procedures, collections from the parking space customers and payments to the parking space owner.
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If cards other than vehicle device season tickets have been used in the vehicle device, the credit card holder is charged after the parking time has expired, i.e. when the vehicle leaves the parking lot, whereby the season ticket is then ejected and is therefore no longer processed. The card can then be removed if necessary or left in this position in the card slot 19.

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However, if no on-board unit time card, no season ticket, i.e. no card at all has been used, in this case the license plate number stored in the on-board unit and/or the vehicle's code number 2 for the central office 29 takes the place of the central office's credit card and the invoice is addressed to the holder of the license plate number. If there are other options that also offer further conveniences, this is the most practical and easiest way. We have left the people's advantages to them and incorporated the use of credit cards into the system.

If the penalizable parking time begins after the maximum parking time has expired, the penalizable parking fee is shown in the same place on the display 9 instead of the normal parking fee.

If on-board unit time cards are used, as with telephone cards, a central organization must be developed for the countries where these cards are to be used, with other organizations being implemented for payments made without on-board unit time cards for the independent parking lots with communication links. However, if an organization is to be developed that is to cover both payments made with and without on-board unit time cards, a domestic and inter-state organization is appropriate.

If a parking space is to be reserved, the vehicle drives into any nearest parking space with a communication connection 28 in order to establish the communication connection with the control center. To make the reservation, the ON button 16 of the vehicle device is pressed and immediately afterwards the encrypted address of the desired parking space and the desired parking period are entered using the corresponding buttons 15. For example, instead of the address Ottobrunnerstrasse 8, 81787 Munich, the encryption 8*81737*31.12.96*23.30 *01.01.97*12.00 is entered. With these entries, only the data about the reservation is shown on the display. When the desired display such as 81737-2*23.30*31.12.96*12.00 «01.01.97 appears on the display, the reservation button 17 is then pressed so that the parking space is now reserved.

If the parking space closest to the entered address is occupied, the next parking space will appear on the display after the program.

Parking space reservations can be made by fax, etc., just like hotel room reservations.

In cases where no reservation has been made, nothing appears in the "Reservation" position on the display 12, so this position remains empty.

Although the description took a little longer, the vehicle toll system is basically about the entry of vehicles into the parking lots with communication connection, the parking of vehicles in parking lots with communication connection and the exit of vehicles from parking lots with communication connection. If permanent payment cards or vehicle device time cards are to be used, cards must be inserted into the

Card slot and if reservations are to be made must be reserved separately.

The system is accounted for as follows: The income from sales of vehicle device season tickets as well as from all other parking spaces and the expenses required for this income are brought together in the head office and paid out to the parking space owner according to their earnings.

In order to reduce costs, i.e. the cost price and the associated reduction in parking fees, principles can be agreed according to which collections and payments are made from certain amounts, etc.

The above explanations about land vehicles also apply equally to ports, sea vessels, airports and aircraft. Nothing changes for road, tunnel, bridge, canal and sea crossings, although here the local device is only set up or installed at entry or exit points in order to keep the cost price as low as possible.

In order to avoid any difficulties in the communication between the on-board unit and the local unit, which may arise due to the speed of the vehicles when crossing roads, tunnels, bridges, canals and sea routes, barriers are set up at the relevant locations and tables are drawn up showing speed regulations and the speed of the vehicles is reduced if necessary or the control centre informs the on-board unit about the speed at which the vehicles must travel.

Claims (5)

Protection claims 1. This invention relates to a system for calculating and collecting parking fees, harbor facility fees for sea-going vessels, roads, tunnels, canals, bridges, etc., usage fees, whereby this calculation and collection is carried out by communication. It is characterized in that the vehicle contains a vehicle device (1), each fee-paying location (28a) has a local device (24), and the system has a central unit (29), transmitter (31), control unit (25) and these are connected to one another in two directions by means of electromagnetic waves, etc. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the vehicle device (1) contains an identification code and a communication unit. 3. Device according to claim 1 , characterized in that the locating device (24) contains a mechanism with which electromagnetic waves etc. can be sent angularly to necessary, limited areas (28). In addition, the locating device contains recognition code, sensor, time measuring, card reading, memory and communication units and microprocessor. 4. Device according to claims 1 and 3, characterized in that the local device contains a transponder with frequency modulator and thus modulates the electromagnetic waves etc. sent to it and forwards them (28 or 1 and 25..). 5.Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the control center (29) is equipped with devices such as ROM, EPROM and communication units.