Patents by Inventor Robert Povolny

Robert Povolny has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11335130
    Abstract: The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a method for checking toll transactions, produced from position notifications of a mobile phone connected via a mobile network to a transaction server, with the aid of a network of distributed toll beacons, which can communicate via short-range radio with on-board units of passing vehicles and are connected to the transaction server. To this end, a interoperable multi-functional OBU is created that is formed from a GNSS- and NFC-enabled mobile phone on the one hand and an NFC- and DSRC-enabled OBU on the other hand, which exchange data concerning a session identifier (SID) via their common NFC interface, which session identifier forms a link between the infrastructureless and the infrastructure-bound billing functions of the multi-functional OBU. The disclosed subject matter also relates to a toll beacon and a transaction server for same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Kapsch TrafficCom AG
    Inventors: Robert Povolny, Oliver Nagy
  • Patent number: 10354457
    Abstract: Methods for tolling locations of a vehicle having a license plate number are performed by means of a tolling system. The tolling system has a camera at each location to be tolled, a server, a user terminal, linked by a network, and a database The method includes: generating one or more tolling records, each including a picture of the vehicle taken by one of the cameras, the location of the camera, and a license plate number read by optical character recognition from the picture, and storing the tolling records in the database; sending a confirmation request to the user terminal including the read license plate number and location information dependent on the locations in the tolling records; and receiving a response from the user terminal and, if the response confirms the request, deleting the pictures from the tolling records in the database. Alternative embodiments include pre-/post-registration of locations to toll.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Kapsch TrafficCom AG
    Inventor: Robert Povolny
  • Publication number: 20180336739
    Abstract: The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a method for checking toll transactions, produced from position notifications of a mobile phone connected via a mobile network to a transaction server, with the aid of a network of distributed toll beacons, which can communicate via short-range radio with on-board units of passing vehicles and are connected to the transaction server. To this end, a interoperable multi-functional OBU is created that is formed from a GNSS- and NFC-enabled mobile phone on the one hand and an NFC- and DSRC-enabled OBU on the other hand, which exchange data concerning a session identifier (SID) via their common NFC interface, which session identifier forms a link between the infrastructureless and the infrastructure-bound billing functions of the multi-functional OBU. The disclosed subject matter also relates to a toll beacon and a transaction server for same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2018
    Publication date: November 22, 2018
    Inventors: Robert Povolny, Oliver Nagy
  • Patent number: 10054662
    Abstract: The present subject matter relates to an onboard unit for a traffic telematics system, comprising: a first communication module, designed for near-range radio communication with a first external communication device, a second communication module, designed for far-range radio communication with a second external communication device, and a non-volatile memory, which can be accessed both by the first and the second communication module, wherein each communication module has a power-supplied communication mode and a powerless or power-saving rest mode, and wherein the power supply of the memory during an access thereto is effected by the accessing communication module. The present subject matter further relates to an onboard system for a vehicle comprising such an onboard unit, and to a communication device for said system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: Kapsch TrafficCom AG
    Inventors: Robert Povolny, Oliver Nagy
  • Patent number: 10055899
    Abstract: The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a method for checking toll transactions, produced from position notifications of a mobile phone connected via a mobile network to a transaction server, with the aid of a network of distributed toll beacons, which can communicate via short-range radio with on-board units of passing vehicles and are connected to the transaction server. To this end, a interoperable multi-functional OBU is created that is formed from a GNSS- and NFC-enabled mobile phone on the one hand and an NFC- and DSRC-enabled OBU on the other hand, which exchange data concerning a session identifier (SID) via their common NFC interface, which session identifier forms a link between the infrastructureless and the infrastructure-bound billing functions of the multi-functional OBU. The disclosed subject matter also relates to a toll beacon and a transaction server for same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: Kapsch TrafficCom AG
    Inventors: Robert Povolny, Oliver Nagy
  • Patent number: 10031566
    Abstract: Described are an on board unit (OBU) and a method to control an OBU within a communication zone of a road side unit (RSU), said OBU can be set into an active mode and a sleep mode. Said OBU is set into sleep mode upon receiving a release command from said RSU, and the OBU electronics are shut down so no or a minimum of power is consumed, and is set into active mode when entering said communication zone. A communication unit of said OBU is thereby powered such that the OBU can communicate with said RSU. Said OBU can be set into a tracking mode by said RSU, whereby in said tracking mode at least said communication unit is shut down and a timer is activated in said OBU, such that said OBU can restart said communication unit within a specified time limit from when it is shut down.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Kapsch TrafficCom AB
    Inventors: Johan Rogö, Robert Povolny, Markus Krapfenbauer, Heinz Liebhart
  • Publication number: 20180082491
    Abstract: Methods for tolling locations of a vehicle having a license plate number are performed by means of a tolling system. The tolling system has a camera at each location to be tolled, a server, a user terminal, linked by a network, and a database The method includes: generating one or more tolling records, each including a picture of the vehicle taken by one of the cameras, the location of the camera, and a license plate number read by optical character recognition from the picture, and storing the tolling records in the database; sending a confirmation request to the user terminal including the read license plate number and location information dependent on the locations in the tolling records; and receiving a response from the user terminal and, if the response confirms the request, deleting the pictures from the tolling records in the database. Alternative embodiments include pre-/post-registration of locations to toll.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2017
    Publication date: March 22, 2018
    Inventor: Robert Povolny
  • Patent number: 9741179
    Abstract: An onboard unit for a vehicular identification system is disclosed herein. The onboard unit comprises a housing attachable to an exterior surface of a vehicle's windscreen, a transceiver, and a processor coupled to the transceiver and configured to communicate with the identification system via the transceiver. The transceiver and processor are contained in the housing. The onboard unit comprises a tampering protection unit which is split into a first part which is contained in the housing and a second part which is attachable to an inner surface of the windscreen. The first and the second part each comprise a limited range communication module for communication between each other. The tampering protection unit is configured to detect a loss of communication between both communication modules and, upon detection, to trigger an alarm event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Kapsch TrafficCom AG
    Inventors: Robert Povolny, Joze Hebar
  • Patent number: 9618355
    Abstract: An onboard unit for a vehicle for providing information to the driver when travelling on a road portion with at least two adjacent lanes forming a common traffic area, the onboard unit having a position detection device for determining the position thereof and having a measured value of the speed thereof, comprising a lane detector, connected to the position detection device, with a map memory for a digital road map for locating in the road map a lane corresponding to the determined position, a traffic jam detector for detecting a traffic jam when at least the speed measured value falls below a predefined threshold value, and an evaluation and output unit, which is connected to the lane detector and the traffic jam detector and which is configured, upon detection of a traffic jam, to output direction of travel information specific for the located lane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Kapsch TrafficCom AG
    Inventors: Oliver Nagy, Robert Povolny
  • Patent number: 9495570
    Abstract: A method for authenticating an RFID tag with the aid of an RFID reader via a radio interface, wherein a user-specific key is stored in the RFID reader and a tag-specific identifier and a password generated from the identifier and the key in accordance with a known derivative function are stored in the RFID tag, comprising the following steps performed in the RFID reader: receiving via the radio interface the identifier of an RFID tag to be authenticated, generating the correct password from the received identifier and the stored key according to the known derivative function, and generating at least one incorrect password differing from the correct password, sending a series of at least two passwords, at least one being correct and at least one being incorrect, via the radio interface to the RFID tag, and authenticating the RFID tag if no confirmation response is received to any incorrect password.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Kapsch TrafficCom AG
    Inventor: Robert Povolny
  • Publication number: 20160300401
    Abstract: The disclosed subject matter relates to an onboard unit for a vehicular identification system. The onboard unit comprises a housing attachable to an exterior surface of a vehicle's windscreen, a transceiver, and a processor coupled to the transceiver and configured to communicate with the identification system via the transceiver. The transceiver and processor are contained in said housing. The onboard unit comprises a tampering protection unit which is split into a first part which is contained in said housing and a second part which is attachable to an inner surface of the windscreen. The first and the second part each comprise a limited range communication module for communication between each other. The tampering protection unit is configured to detect a loss of communication between both communication modules and, upon detection, to trigger an alarm event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2016
    Publication date: October 13, 2016
    Inventors: Robert Povolny, Joze Hebar
  • Publication number: 20160232522
    Abstract: A method for electronically processing a traffic violation of a vehicle that comprises an onboard unit having a transceiver, an input device and an output device, and an onboard unit for carrying out the method, are provided. The method includes: transmitting a traffic violation message from a beacon to the transceiver of the onboard unit and outputting the traffic violation message on the output device of the onboard unit; accepting a user selection concerning two options regarding the traffic violation message via the input device of the onboard unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2016
    Publication date: August 11, 2016
    Inventors: Alexander Leopold, Robert Povolny, Oliver Nagy
  • Patent number: 9408020
    Abstract: A method for localizing an on-board unit, which has a radio transceiver and an identifier, to a predefined area around a radio beacon, comprising the following steps: a) storing the identifier and an associated radio property in a database; b) sending a first request; c) receiving a first response from an on-board unit; d) determining, from the database, the radio property of the transceiver associated with the received identifier; and e) localizing the on-board unit in the predefined area; wherein: the steps b) to e) are repeated, for each run-through of the steps b) to e), a localization result is stored in a presence list, and the localizing is verified when the number of the positive localization results exceeds a threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Kapsch TrafficCom AG
    Inventors: Robert Povolny, Josef Winkler, Martin Frischherz
  • Patent number: 9380117
    Abstract: A method and device for radio programming wireless terminal devices, which have a unique radio identification and an optical or acoustic signal device, with a transceiver for radio communication with the terminal devices and a control device connected to the transceiver. The control device is configured for radio programming the terminal devices with a predetermined radio identification via the radio transceiver. The control device is connected with at least one optical or acoustic signal detector and is configured for transmitting a request for emission of an optical or acoustic signal to a terminal device with a predetermined radio identification via the transceiver. The terminal device is radio programmed, only when the signal detector detects an optical or acoustic signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: KAPSCH TRAFFICCOM AG
    Inventors: Robert Povolny, Jasja Tijink
  • Patent number: 9335397
    Abstract: Selective radio communication between a radio beacon and an onboard unit of a vehicle passing the radio beacon comprising: in the onboard unit determining the current heading of the onboard unit and transmitting information thereon to the radio beacon; in the radio beacon checking whether the heading indicated in the heading information is within predetermined boundaries, and if so, carrying out a radio communication with the onboard unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Kapsch Trafficcom AG
    Inventors: Robert Povolny, Refi-Tugrul Guner
  • Publication number: 20150198457
    Abstract: An onboard unit for a vehicle for providing information to the driver when travelling on a road portion with at least two adjacent lanes forming a common traffic area, the onboard unit having a position detection device for determining the position thereof and having a measured value of the speed thereof, comprising a lane detector, connected to the position detection device, with a map memory for a digital road map for locating in the road map a lane corresponding to the determined position, a traffic jam detector for detecting a traffic jam when at least the speed measured value falls below a predefined threshold value, and an evaluation and output unit, which is connected to the lane detector and the traffic jam detector and which is configured, upon detection of a traffic jam, to output direction of travel information specific for the located lane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2015
    Publication date: July 16, 2015
    Inventors: Oliver Nagy, Robert Povolny
  • Patent number: 9070973
    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 DSRC 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: Kapsch TrafficCom AG
    Inventors: Harald Hanisch, Robert Povolny, Oliver Nagy
  • Publication number: 20150169018
    Abstract: Described are an on board unit (OBU) and a method to control an OBU within a communication zone of a road side unit (RSU), said OBU can be set into an active mode and a sleep mode. Said OBU is set into sleep mode upon receiving a release command from said RSU, and the OBU electronics are shut down so no or a minimum of power is consumed, and is set into active mode when entering said communication zone. A communication unit of said OBU is thereby powered such that the OBU can communicate with said RSU. Said OBU can be set into a tracking mode by said RSU, whereby in said tracking mode at least said communication unit is shut down and a timer is activated in said OBU, such that said OBU can restart said communication unit within a specified time limit from when it is shut down.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2013
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Applicant: Kapsch TrafficCom AB
    Inventors: Johan Rogö, Robert Povolny, Markus Krapfenbauer, Heinz Liebhart
  • Patent number: 9019151
    Abstract: System and method for determining the distance between a radio beacon and a vehicle device passing in the radio beacon, in a road toll system. A signal having a known temporal profile is emitted by one of the radio beacon and vehicle device. The signal is captured in the other component during the passing of the device and the temporal profile of the frequency is recorded in relation to the known temporal profile; a modification in the recoded frequency profile exceeding a first threshold value is detected; two distant wave zones in the frequency profile, lying temporally in front of and behind the detected modification are determined, the zones displaying a frequency modification below a second threshold value are searched for; the recorded frequency profile is scaled in such a way that the distant wave zones take the predetermined values; and the distance is determined from the scaled frequency profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Kapsch TrafficCom AG
    Inventors: Dieter Smely, Josef Winkler, Oliver Nagy, Alexander Paier, Robert Povolny
  • Publication number: 20150100394
    Abstract: The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a method for checking toll transactions, produced from position notifications of a mobile phone connected via a mobile network to a transaction server, with the aid of a network of distributed toll beacons, which can communicate via short-range radio with on-board units of passing vehicles and are connected to the transaction server. To this end, a interoperable multi-functional OBU is created that is formed from a GNSS- and NFC-enabled mobile phone on the one hand and an NFC- and DSRC-enabled OBU on the other hand, which exchange data concerning a session identifier (SID) via their common NFC interface, which session identifier forms a link between the infrastructureless and the infrastructure-bound billing functions of the multi-functional OBU. The disclosed subject matter also relates to a toll beacon and a transaction server for same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2014
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Inventors: Robert Povolny, Oliver Nagy