Importance

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Abstract

This invention relates generally to automatic radio-frequency (RF) real-time high-way toll collection from moving vehicles. It especially adapted to the use of an untraceable electronic check debited from smart card and communicated in a cryptographically sealed envelope message. The invention relates directly to an in-vehicle unit (IVN), noncontact IC card (NIC), and a roadside collection station (RCS) and to an overall system incorporating a plurality of RCS's, IVN's and NIC's. The invention may be used for parking collections and other types of road pricing and individual access remote control applications, that require personal authentication and payment. The new in the art is two-way radio-based electronic toll collection method on highway comprising the steps of providing communication terminal (Reader/Writer) with RF antenna which transmits continuously downlink energy-transmitting signal at first predetermined frequency, and generates a communication hopping channels for bi-directional data transfer, moreover hopping frequency is synthesized of said first predetermined frequency used as reference. Next phase of said toll collection method is to furnish each vehicle passing along the highway with a noncontact IC card capable to receive downlinked energy-transmitting signal in order to power the electronic components integrated within IC card, to synthesize of a communication channels of hopping frequency, that are synchronized by the said first radio-frequency used as reference.

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First Claim