Abstract: A mobile device periodically determines its location and compares its location to a set of user-authorized geofenced region definitions. The proximity to any of the geofenced regions, as determines how often the mobile device determines its location (location sampling), and how it handles location information. Initially, when the mobile device is well outside of any of the geofenced regions a low location sampling rate is used. When the mobile device is within any of the geofenced regions, location information is transmitted, generally, to a backend server over a network. When the mobile device is not within any of the geofenced regions, transmission of location information can be inhibited. Further, when the mobile device is within a threshold distance of one of the geofenced regions, the sampling rate can be increased.

Abstract: A mobile device includes an application program that is capable of determining location and a bearing direction of travel. Further, the application program is associated with a back end server that can receive definitions of local geofenced regions, including regions over roadways that indicate the proper bearing direction of traffic for vehicles in those defined regions. The application program monitors its location, which is also the location of a vehicle in which the device is traveling, and compares it with geofenced regions. When the vehicle is within a geofenced region having a traffic direction indication, the application program compares the present bearing direction with that indicated for the geofenced region. When the comparison indicates the vehicle in the wrong direction, the mobile device emits one or more alerts to indicate that the vehicle is traveling in the wrong direction for that traffic lane.

Abstract: A system, mobile device, backend server, and RFID toll module work in cooperation to automatically pay vehicular tolls to a toll agency that operates toll stations along a roadways travelled by the user of the mobile device. Upon approaching a toll station the mobile device enables the RFID toll module. The toll reader at the toll station transmits a toll reader signal that is received by the RFID toll module, which responds by transmitting a unique identifier. The unique identifier is associated with the mobile device at a toll account maintained by a toll service backend server. Upon completion of a toll transaction, the RFID toll module indicates the transaction to the mobile device, which forwards toll transaction information to the toll service backend server for payment from the toll account to the toll agency.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing vehicle license tag numbers allows subscribers of a toll service to avoid additional charges normally associated with processing photographs of vehicle license tags by toll agencies to collect tolls. A subscriber can upload one or more license tag numbers to be associated with the subscriber's account with the toll service. The toll service provides a list of license tag numbers to the toll agency. If, for a given toll event, the toll agency does not receive a response to a wireless toll tag reader signal, the toll agency compares a license tag number obtained by processing a photo of the vehicle's license tag with the list provided by the toll service to find a match and process the toll.

Abstract: A system, mobile device, backend server, and RFID toll module work in cooperation to automatically pay vehicular tolls to a toll agency that operates toll stations along roadways travelled by the user of the mobile device. Upon approaching a toll station the mobile device enables the RFID toll module. The toll reader at the toll station transmits a toll reader signal that is received by the RFID toll module, which responds by transmitting a unique identifier. The unique identifier is associated with the mobile device at a toll account maintained by a toll service backend server. Upon completion of a toll transaction, the RFID toll module indicates the transaction to the mobile device, which forwards toll transaction information to the toll service backend server for payment from the toll account to the toll agency.

Abstract: A phone device monitors an accelerometer while traveling in a vehicle to detect unusually large excursions or sudden changes in acceleration magnitude. When such an excursion is detected, the phone device then compares the excursion with the output of other components in the vehicle that can confirm or dispel a finding that the vehicle has experienced a collision. Once a likely collision has been detected, the phone device goes into an automated assistance mode where the use can be voice prompted as to their condition. If no response is received, the phone device can automatically call emergency services for assistance, providing the present location of the phone device. In less severe incidents, the phone device can automatically offer immediate access to other services, include a towing service, an attorney, an automobile service, among others. The service providers are based on a geo-fenced region in which the phone device is located.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for an RFID tag device that uses dynamic identifiers for transactions rather than a fixed identifier. An associated device communicates with the RFID tag device and obtains dynamic identifiers for transactions and provides the dynamic identifiers to the RFID tag device. The RFID tag device is protocol-agile and can be configured to operate using different protocols to complete transactions.

Abstract: An RFID tag device with an RFID antenna assembly that increases transmission range of the RFID tag device when adhesively coupled to a mobile device. The RFID tag device includes a RF interface that operates at a first RF frequency, a controller coupled to the RF interfaces, and the RFID antenna assembly. The RFID antenna assembly includes a first and a second dipole elements, each shaped as a half rectangle with an additional segment joining the respective element to a tuning element. The RFID antenna also includes a tuning element, which is a loop antenna, connecting the RF interface to the controller and a ferrite dielectric on the back of one of the dipole elements. A structure of the RF antennal assembly, when the RFID tag device is coupled to a mobile device, causes the mobile device to function as a reflector to increase gain of the RFID antenna assembly thereby improving transmission range.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining a distance traveled by a vehicle for the purpose of assessing and settling a road usage charge allows a mobile device to determine distance traveled with a vehicle while paired with a PAN transceiver of the vehicle by using GPS location information. The mobile device can also capture odometer images that are reported to a system that processes the images to obtain the odometer values and find the difference between the odometer values. Once the actual distance traveled by the vehicle is determined by the system, a road usage charge can be determined. Fuel excise taxes paid by the vehicle operator for fuel used by the vehicle can be subtracted from the road usage charge to determine a road usage settlement amount that can be paid from, or refunded to a financial account associated with the vehicle.

Abstract: A system, mobile device, backend server, and RFID toll module work in cooperation to automatically pay vehicular tolls to a toll agency that operates toll stations along a roadways travelled by the user of the mobile device. Upon approaching a toll station the mobile device enables the RFID toll module. The toll reader at the toll station transmits a toll reader signal that is received by the RFID toll module, which responds by transmitting a unique identifier. The unique identifier is associated with the mobile device at a toll account maintained by a toll service backend server. Upon completion of a toll transaction, the RFID toll module indicates the transaction to the mobile device, which forwards toll transaction information to the toll service backend server for payment from the toll account to the toll agency.

Abstract: An RFID tag device with an RFID antenna assembly that increases transmission range of the RFID tag device when adhesively coupled to a mobile device. The RFID tag device includes a RF interface that operates at a first RF frequency, a controller coupled to the RF interfaces, and the RFID antenna assembly. The RFID antenna assembly includes a first and a second dipole elements, each shaped as a half rectangle with an additional segment joining the respective element to a tuning element. The RFID antenna also includes a tuning element, which is a loop antenna, connecting the RF interface to the controller. A structure of the RF antennal assembly, when the RFID tag device is coupled to a mobile device, causes the mobile device to function as a reflector to increase gain of the RFID antenna assembly thereby improving transmission range.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing vehicle license tag numbers allows subscribers of a toll service to avoid additional charges normally associated with processing photographs of vehicle license tags by toll agencies to collect tolls. A subscriber can upload one or more license tag numbers to be associated with the subscriber's account with the toll service. The toll service provides a list of license tag numbers to the toll agency. If, for a given toll event, the toll agency does not receive a response to a wireless toll tag reader signal, the toll agency compares a license tag number obtained by processing a photo of the vehicle's license tag with the list provided by the toll service to find a match and process the toll.

Abstract: A method for apportioning a vehicular toll among toll service subscribers in a vehicle can include determining a number of occupants in the vehicle in order to determine a toll amount, and dividing the toll amount among the toll service subscribers in the vehicle. The method can also detect the number of occupants and/or toll service subscribers in the vehicle automatically, or by prompting toll service subscribers to enter the number of occupants.

Abstract: A battery-less RFID tag device with an RFID antenna assembly and RFID transmitter, which harvests power from an RF source is disclosed. The RF source can be a mobile phone, and embedded system, and the like. The RFID device can include an energy harvesting component, an energy conversion component, an energy storing component, a non-transitory memory, a controller, and an RFID transmitting component. The energy harvesting component can inductively harvest energy from RF transmissions, which charges a capacitor to power other RFID device components, including the RFID transmitter. In one embodiment, the battery-less RFID tag device can be utilized in conjunction with a mobile phone for vehicle toll payments, which are RFID based.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for an RFID tag device that uses dynamic identifiers for transactions rather than a fixed identifier. An associated device communicates with the RFID tag device and obtains dynamic identifiers for transactions and provides the dynamic identifiers to the RFID tag device. The RFID tag device is protocol-agile and can be configured to operate using different protocols to complete transactions.

Abstract: An RFID tag device is associated with a mobile device to facilitate wireless transactions and identification. The RFID tag device includes two RF interfaces; one can communicate with RF tag readers, and one can communicate with the mobile device. The RFID tag device can be operated in a passive mode and stores transaction information for later retrieval by the mobile device, or it can be operated in an active mode where it is powered by the mobile device through the RF interface for communicating with the mobile device so that it can be read via the RFID interface. The RFID tag device can further detect and ignore communications between the mobile device and another device using the same communications mode and used by the RFID tag device to communicate with the mobile device.

Abstract: A system, mobile device, backend server, and RFID toll module work in cooperation to automatically pay vehicular tolls to a toll agency that operates toll stations along a roadways traveled by the user of the mobile device. Upon approaching a toll station the mobile device enables the RFID toll module. The toll reader at the toll station transmits a toll reader signal that is received by the RFID toll module, which responds by transmitting a unique identifier. The unique identifier is associated with the mobile device at a toll account maintained by a toll service backend server. Upon completion of a toll transaction, the RFID toll module indicates the transaction to the mobile device, which forwards toll transaction information to the toll service backend server for payment from the toll account to the toll agency.