Abstract: A method and system for setting transmission rate of messages transmitted and received by a mobile unit. The method and system include monitoring the speed of the mobile unit; and adjusting the transmission rate based on the speed of the mobile unit. Prevailing conditions may also be determined and the transmission rate may be further adjusted based on the prevailing conditions. The prevailing conditions may be determined based on at least one of states of one or more sensors local to the mobile unit and information provided from an external source over a communication system. The prevailing conditions may include at least one of slick pavement, limited visibility, road construction, object in roadway, accident, dense traffic, and anomalous driving behavior.

Abstract: Control devices and methods for a road toll system that is based on vehicle-based on-board units, using recording vehicles, control vehicles and a violation server, wherein the recording vehicle reads out a toll parameter from the on-board unit of a passing vehicle via a DSRC radio interface, compares it to a shape parameter of the vehicle detected by a sensor, and based thereon, in case of inconsistency, generates a violation data record and transmits it to the violation server, wherein the control vehicle registers the position or surroundings thereof in the violation server, and the violation server makes available to a control vehicle such violation data records, the locations of the violations of which are within the surroundings of a position of the control vehicle, wherein the control vehicle issues an alert message when it detects a violating vehicle in the surroundings, and wherein, during the transmission of a violation data record from the recording vehicle to the violation server and/or from the v

Abstract: A control method for a road toll system using vehicle-based on-board units, recording vehicles, control vehicles, cellular mobile communication networks, and switching servers, comprising: registering a recording vehicle identifier and a mobile communication network cell identifier in the switching server; selecting a cell identifier in a control vehicle and transmitting the same with a control vehicle identifier to the switching server; associating the control vehicle identifier with the recording vehicle identifier for which a cell identifier that is identical to the selected cell identifier is registered; detecting a traffic or toll violation by means of the recording vehicle and transmitting a violation data record to the switching server, determining the assigned control vehicle identifier; transmitting the violation data record to the control vehicle identified by the determined identifier; and processing the violation data record in the control vehicle.

Abstract: Control devices and methods for a road toll system that is based on on-board units carried by vehicles, using at least one recording vehicle and at least one control vehicle, which communicate with a central violation server, wherein the recording vehicle reads out a toll parameter from the on-board unit of a passing vehicle via a DSRC radio interface, compares it to a shape parameter of the vehicle detected by a sensor, and based thereon, in case of inconsistency, generates a violation data record and transmits it to the violation server, wherein the control vehicle registers the position or surroundings thereof in the violation server, and the violation server makes available to this control vehicle those violation data records, the locations of the violations of which are within the surroundings of a position of a control vehicle, and wherein the control vehicle issues an alert message when it detects a violating vehicle in the surroundings thereof.

Abstract: Control devices and methods for a road toll system that is based on on-board units carried by vehicles, comprising: in a marking vehicle detecting a traffic or toll violation of an on-board unit, and, if a violation exists, transmitting a marker to the on-board unit via a DSRC radio interface; in an on-board unit periodically determining, upon receipt of a marker, the position of the unit and broadcasting a position message containing the respective current position; and in the control unit: detecting the vehicle based on at least one of the position messages that are broadcast by the on-board unit.

Abstract: The invention relates to the determination of direction, speed and/or distance of vehicles on a roadway by means of a sensor, which operates according to the light-section procedure and is directed onto the roadway, for recording the surface contour of a vehicle, and an evaluation unit, which is connected to the sensor and determines the direction, speed and/or distance of the vehicles therefrom.

Abstract: The invention relates to the detection of wheel axles of a vehicle on a roadway by means of a sensor, which operates according to the light-section procedure and emits at least one fan of light from a first location along the roadway to project a line of light onto the roadway and a vehicle possibly located thereon, and records this line of light from a second location along the same side of the roadway and detects a wheel axle as soon as the recorded line of light exhibits, in its course emanating from the said side of the roadway, a shift-free change in direction differing from its course when the roadway is empty.

Abstract: Determining traffic flow data in a road network comprising passing a first radio beacon and receiving a request message that at least includes a start location and a stop location; determining if an on-board unit position is within a predetermined range of the start location, and responsively starting a recording of measurement data; determining if the on-board unit position is within a predetermined range of the stop location, and responsively stopping the recording of the measurement data; and transmitting the recorded measurement data to a next radio beacon that is passed by the on-board unit.

Abstract: A control vehicle for a road toll system on the basis of vehicle-mounted onboard units which can be polled via DSRC radio communications, with the control vehicle comprising at least one DRSC transceiver with at least two antenna systems, which are distributed with a mutual distance over the longitudinal direction of the control vehicle, for polling a passing on-board unit.

Abstract: A method and an on-board unit for signaling toll transactions in a road toll system with geographically distributed radio beacons, carrying out toll transactions with passing on-board units of vehicles. In the on-board unit, it is verified in the course of a toll transaction between an on-board unit and a radio beacon whether a toll transaction dates back longer than a given time span, and if so, an acoustic signal is emitted by the on-board unit, and if not, no acoustic signal is emitted by the on-board unit.

Abstract: A method for detecting vehicles with trailers in a road toll system, which comprises at least one radio beacon for radio communication with radio OBUs, wherein vehicles and trailers are respectively provided with their own OBUs carried by them, and a vehicle and a trailer are detected as belonging to one another when an evaluation of the radio communications with their OBU indicates that these are moving at a limited and constant distance from one another.

Abstract: A radio beacon for a wireless road toll system including a transceiver, which is arranged for packet-type radio communication with onboard units of passing vehicles; at least one camera for recording an image of a passing object; and a control device connecting to the transceiver and the camera. The control device is configured to measure, in conjunction with the transceiver, the number of data packets received per unit time from a specific onboard unit and to actuate the camera to record an image of the object carrying this onboard unit, in the case of a number exceeding a threshold value.

Abstract: A method for recharging an electric vehicle in a recharging station of a network of geographically distributed recharging stations. The method includes: communicating availability of a recharging station to a control center of the network; transmitting a recharge request from an onboard unit of the electric vehicle via communication devices of a road toll system to the control center; assigning the onboard unit to an available recharging station in the control center; notifying the onboard unit of the assigned recharging station via the communication devices of the road toll system and notifying the recharging station of the onboard unit; and activating the recharging station to recharge the electric vehicle, when the assigned onboard unit is detected therein. The recharging in the recharging station is monitored and an image of the vehicle is recorded in the recharging station in an event of an interruption, interference or deviation in the recharging process from a given course.

Abstract: A method of tolling vehicles in an open-road toll system with vehicle-based on-board units and roadside radio beacons. The method includes transmitting transaction information and a factor from the on-board unit; updating the factor as a function of the transmitted transaction information and calculating a debit amount as a function of the updated factor; transmitting a debit request with the calculated debit amount and the updated factor to the on-board unit; and debiting the received debit amount to a toll credit account in the on-board unit and writing a new transaction information concerning this new debit transaction and the received updated factor into the on-board unit.

Abstract: A radio beacon and a method for selective radio communication with a first onboard unit and a second onboard unit, in which a sequence of first data packet is transmitted to the first onboard unit in a first frequency band in accordance with 5.8 GHz DSRC standards, a sequence of second data packet is transmitted or received to/from the second onboard unit in accordance with 5.9 GHz DSRC standards, wherein the transmission of a data packet of the sequence of first data packet is delayed by the duration of the second data packet if the second data packet appears in the second frequency band.

Abstract: A system and method for detection of vehicle license plates including a video camera that has a first operating mode in which it generates a first image sequence of a small, strip-shaped section of its optical camera image at a high frame rate, and a second operating mode in which a second image sequence of its entire optical camera image is generated at a lower frame rate. In the first operating mode, at the time of the detection of a license plate in the first image sequence, the video camera is switched to the second operating mode to generate an image, which contains the license plate in or near the mentioned section.

Abstract: A system and method for conducting dynamic RF-link margin tests in an electronic toll collection for non-stationary vehicles travelling up to highway speed. The system maintains a list of candidate transponders and, during the course of a normal toll collection, if a transponder is on the list then the system schedules a margin test for a later handshake in the capture zone. At a location at or near the peak margin test the system conducts a margin test during one or more of the reader-transponder handshakes. The attenuation may be dynamically controlled by the system using a variable attenuator in the RF path from the reader RF module to the antenna. Distributing the margin measurement over multiple passes of a vehicle through the capture zone provides for a highway speed method of measuring link margin.

Abstract: Method for determining toll fees for vehicles in a road toll system including vehicle-onboard units and positionally distributed beacons capable of communicating with the onboard units via radio signals. The method includes: providing a toll fee level and a validity time frame; retrieving an identifier of the onboard unit, the toll fee level and the validity time frame from the onboard unit as a data record; resetting the toll fee level, if the validity time frame has expired; increasing the toll fee level and storing the updated data record in the onboard unit and the beacon; transmitting a request for deletion of stored data records for this identifier to other beacons; transmitting the data record from the beacon to the central station, if no deletion request for the data record arrives within the validity time frame; and deleting the data record in the beacon.

Abstract: Apparatus for personalization and registration of vehicle devices of different types in a road toll system, comprising: for each type of vehicle device, a respective personalization module that is configured to write personalization data into a vehicle device of this type and generate the associated registration data, which contains the personalization data, an interface module common to all personalization modules that is configured to receive their registration data and, following a release request, send it to a registration database of the road toll system, and a testing unit that reads out the personalization data of a personalized but not yet registered vehicle device, checks the registration data generated by the responsible personalization module for agreement of the personalization data contained therein with the read-out personalization data, and if it agrees, sends a release request with respect to this registration data to the interface module.