Abstract: An automatic toll collection architecture and method combining short-range and long-range communication schemes comprising a vehicle communication unit, a lane communication unit, a law-enforcement unit and a billing unit; said law-enforcement unit obtaining a first time and a first photo of a license plate of said vehicle; said lane communication unit recording a first coordinate and a second time of a vehicle communication unit as a first data, using said vehicle communication unit to transmit said first data to said billing unit; said law-enforcement unit obtaining a third time and a second photo of said license plate of said vehicle; said lane communication unit recording a second coordinate and a fourth time of said vehicle communication unit as a second data, using said vehicle communication unit to transmit said second data to said billing unit; said billing unit obtaining a fee and finishing a charging transaction.