The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 10, 2001
Filed:
Aug. 10, 1999
Seiji Fuyama, Yokohama, JP;
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Osaka, JP;
Abstract
In a tolling apparatus including first and second vehicle sensors successively arranged along a lane of a toll way, and a communication unit having a communication area on the lane arranged to substantially correspond to an area on the lane between the first and second sensor for communicating with a communication unit on the vehicle to establish a communication link with the communication unit, a microprocessor judges a vehicle as a fair vehicle if the communication link is established during an interval between when the first sensor detects the vehicle and when the second sensor detects the vehicle and if the communication link is established during the predetermined interval to prevent more than one vehicle from establishing the communication link. The second interval may be between when the first sensor detects the vehicle and when the first sensor detects that the vehicle has just passed through the first sensor after the predetermined interval or may be between when the first sensor detects the vehicle and when the first sensor detects another vehicle following the vehicle. A third sensor between first and second sensor may be provided for a judge timing of estblishment of the communication link.