FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[001] The present invention relates to a GPS based metering system for vehicles. Particularly, the present invention provides virtual toll collection system that does not require any physical infrastructure on the roads for detecting vehicles for collecting toll.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[002] At present toll is collected at highways and/or important roads for maintenance and upkeep of the infrastructure and also to recover the cost of construction of any highway or road. This process of collecting toll is done by collecting toll in cash and/or online payment through a wallet and/or debit and credit cards whichever may be suitable for the traveler.
[003] In the conventional systems Integrated Circuit Card, Smart card, Microcircuit card or chip card etc. have been utilized. According to communication interface, IC-card is divided into Contact Type IC Card, non-contact IC and double-interface card (simultaneously possessing contact and contactless communication interface). These cards include an embedded integrated circuit that can be either a secure microcontroller or equivalent intelligence with internal memory or a memory chip alone. The card connects to a reader with direct physical contact or with a remote contactless radio frequency interface (RFID). Smart cards store large amounts of data due to embedded microcontroller and carry out their own on-card functions (e.g., encryption and mutual authentication) and interact intelligently with a smart card reader. Smart card technology conforms to international standards (ISO/IEC 7816 and ISO/IEC 14443) and is available in a variety of form factors, including plastic cards, key fobs, watches, subscriber identification modules used in GSM mobile phones, and USB-based tokens.
[004] The working of the IC card includes sending the carrier signal from IC card reader through the antenna. The background computer processes and controls for different applications according to the legitimacy of the ID card number. The card reader demodulates and decodes the received ID card return signal and forwards it to the computer at back-end. The data in the memory and the signal on the carrier is modulated by ID card chip read control module and forwarded back to the

card reader through the ID card internal antenna. As soon as the ID card is near the working area of the card reader, a resonant circuit composed of an inductance coil and a capacitor in the ID card receives the carrier signal transmitted by the card reader, and the RF interface module of the chip in the ID card generates a power supply voltage from this signal, reset signal and system clock, activates the chip.
[005] Furthermore, IC-card due to their intrinsic information security are easy to carry and has its usage in fields such as authentication, bank, telecommunications, public transport, parking lot management, the stored value card of bank, the SIM cards of mobile phones, the mass transit card of public transport, subway card, parking card etc., all play an important role in people's daily life.
[006] However, the technologies being used at present require heavy investments in establishing and maintaining IC card readers. The radiations emitted through this setup is also harmful for humans and animals as it may cause unwanted illness such as cancer. Further the said system does not have reliable automatic toll collection system. For e.g. if IC cards is not emitting proper electromagnetic field to reach the IC card and read the details the toll tax will not be deducted from the vehicle and it may pass without paying the toll tax.
[007] Therefore, keeping in view of the problems associated with the state of the art, there is a need for an improved system which facilitates easy and reliable deduction of toll tax and charges.
OBJECTIVE OF THE INVENTION
[008] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide GPS based metering system for vehicles.
[009] Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide virtual toll collection system that does not require any physical infrastructure on the roads for detecting vehicles for collecting toll.

[0010] Still another objective of the present invention is to reduce the cost in establishing the physical infrastructure for toll management system.
[0011] Yet another objective of the present invention is to reduce and save on fuel consumption by automobiles.
[0012] Another objective of the present invention is to reduce pollution levels.
[0013] Yet another objective of the present invention is to reduce the travelling time and decrease the traffic congestion.
[0014] Another objective of the present invention is not only to track vehicles for toll collection but also for recovery, theft, and crime.
[0015] Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide reliable system for toll collection and management.
[0016] Yet another objective is to eliminate the need to setup speed detection cameras for over speeding vehicle detection.
[0017] Another objective is providing aid in assessing traffic jams and clearing the path for emergency services.
[0018] Yet another objective is to eliminate the use of RFID based systems that emit harmful radiations not suitable for the health of humans and animals.
[0019] Other objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein, by way of illustration and example, the aspects of the present invention are disclosed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0020] The present invention relates to a GPS based metering system for vehicles. The system (100) includes a metering unit, a power source, a cellular network, a cloud server, a control unit, and an artificial management module. The metering unit is encased in a vehicle. The metering unit is configured to track vehicles for collection and management of toll tax. The power source is connected to the metering unit. The power source is configured to supply power to the metering unit. The cellular network is wirelessly connected to the metering unit. The cellular network is configured to transmit real time location of the vehicle to the cloud server. The cloud server is wirelessly connected to the metering unit. The cloud server is configured to store, manage and analyze the data received from the cellular network. The control unit is operably coupled to the system. The control unit is configured to monitor and regulate the functioning of the system. The artificial management module communicably coupled to the cloud server. The artificial management module is configured to map toll collection points on mapping services for charging toll tax. The present invention provides a system for collecting toll on highways and roads using GPS technology by eliminating all physical infrastructure required for toll collection thereby, reducing travel time and fuel consumption of the vehicle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0021] The present invention will be better understood after reading the following detailed description of the presently preferred aspects thereof with reference to the appended drawing, in which the features, other aspects and advantages of certain exemplary embodiments of the invention will be more apparent from the accompanying drawing in which:
[0022] Figure 1 illustrates a GPS based metering system for vehicles;
[0023] Figure 2 illustrates an interconnection of components of the system;
[0024] Figure 3 illustrates an artificial intelligence module for mapping toll collection points on the mapping service.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
[0025] The following detailed description and embodiments set forth herein below are merely exemplary out of the wide variety and arrangement of instructions which can be employed with the present invention. The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. All the features disclosed in this specification may be replaced by similar other or alternative features performing similar or same or equivalent purposes. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, they all are within the scope of the present invention.
[0026] Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications of the embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions are omitted for clarity and conciseness.
[0027] The terms and words used in the following description and claims are not limited to the bibliographical meanings but are merely used to enable a clear and consistent understanding of the invention. Accordingly, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the following description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention are provided for illustration purpose only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention.
[0028] It is to be understood that the singular forms "a", "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
[0029] It should be emphasized that the term "comprises/comprising" when used in this specification is taken to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof.

[0030] In accordance with the present invention as illustrated in Figure 1 and Figure 2, the system
(100) includes a metering unit (101) encased in the vehicle and wirelessly connected to a cellular
network (103) and a cloud server (106). The cloud server (106) is configured to provide access to
the user for accessing the stored data received from the metering unit (101) and other cloud
computing services through IoT enabled devices. The metering unit (101) is configured to track
vehicles for collection and management of toll tax. The cellular network (103) is configured to
transmit real time location of the vehicle to the cloud server (106). The cloud server (106) is
configured to store, manage and analyze the data received from the cellular network (103). The
system (100) also includes a control unit (107) operably coupled to the system (100); an artificial
management module (108) communicably coupled to the cloud server (106); and a power source
(104) connected to the metering unit (101). The control unit (107) is configured to monitor and
regulate the functioning of the system (105). The artificial management module (108) is configured
to map toll collection points on mapping services for charging toll tax. The mapping services are
connected to the cloud server (106) via a network. The power source (104) is configured to supply
power to the metering unit (101).
[0031] The metering unit (101) comprises of a GPS antenna (102) and a GSM module (103) for IoT connectivity, enabling accurate tracking and monitoring of the vehicle. The metering unit
(101) comprises a plurality of sensors including such as, but not limited to, a gyroscope sensor and
an accelerometer sensor for monitoring the speed and orientation of the vehicle. The metering unit
(101) is powered by such as, but not limited to, a battery of the vehicle or backup battery of the
metering unit (101).
[0032] As per an embodiment the GPS antenna and GSM module are communicably connected to a GPS satellite for evaluating latitude and longitude of the vehicle. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention the device ascertains the vehicle position in real time with an accuracy of 5 meters. The GSM module is connected to the cellular network (105) through the use of a SFM card, housed inside the tracker device and enables transmission of the location data to the cloud server (106).

[0033] In an embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, the artificial management module (108) being used at the backend by the toll management organization enables the marking of toll collection location points virtually on the map. Whenever the vehicle crosses the toll collection point marked on the map based on its location being shared by the GPS and GSM module, toll is collected automatically by deducting the amount of money directly from the prepaid account of the metering unit (101).
[0034] As per an embodiment each metering unit (101) has to be topped up with a prepaid amount of money using electronic money transfer mechanism such as, but not limited to, credit card, debit card, internet banking, online wallet and UPI.
[0035] In the present invention the system for toll collection is purely virtual and does not require any physical infrastructure on the roads for detecting vehicles for collecting toll.
[0036] As per an exemplary embodiment of the present invention in case of existing internal combustion engine vehicles, the metering system is fitted inside the vehicle with a tamper proof casing so that in case of any tampering or disconnection of device from the vehicle, an alarm is generated at the control unit (107) and proper action can be taken against the person doing so. Particularly, in case of new internal combustion engine vehicles, the metering unit (101) is encased inside the vehicle by the manufacturers of the vehicles and comes as a standard with each vehicle.
[0037] As per an exemplary embodiment of the present invention in the Electric Vehicle the task of the system (101) can be solely handled by the battery management system (BMS) which has GPS connectivity and GSM communication capability to communicate with the toll management system by the method of application program interface (API) with the hardware of the BMS.
[0038] As per an exemplary embodiment of the present invention in case the metering unit (101) has low balance or negative balance the toll collection authority can define the limits for recharge credit that can be availed by users.

[0039] As per an embodiment of the present invention tracking vehicles and collecting toll virtually can also be harnessed to trace vehicles involved in fraudulent activities such as, but not limited to, theft, crime, or any other reason due to which the law enforcement agencies may want to locate and capture a vehicle.
[0040] As per an embodiment of the present invention the system (101) can also be utilized to penalize vehicles crossing the maximum speed limit allowed at a stretch of a road and reduce the cost of installing and maintaining the speed sensing cameras.
[0041] As per an embodiment of the present invention the entire system (101) works on cloud computing technology wherein the data is collected through IOT enabled devices and the data is stored, managed, and analyzed at the cloud server (106).
[0042] As per an embodiment of the present invention each tracker is given a unique identification number which is also mapped with vehicle registration number and user information such as driver's license etc. As per an embodiment of the present invention the system (100) is also capable of assessing any traffic jams or grid locks by assessing the speed, time, location, distance traveled by vehicles across a path or road. This also provides better management of traffic and diversions management on routes.
[0043] The system (100) is configured to track emergency situations by marking the vehicles with color codes on the mapping service for quick detection by the control unit operating staff. The accelerometer sensor and gyro sensor also provide auto updates to the control unit (107) about accidents, traffic snarls, grid locks, over speeding, under speeding, rash driving etc.
[0044] As per an embodiment of the present invention the advantages of the present invention are:
• It reduces the cost of investment on infrastructure for toll collection.
• It reduces the travel time thereby reducing the pollution and traffic.
• It promotes hassle free transactions.
• The said system has multiple uses for tracking the vehicle in case of theft and crime.

• It also eliminates the need for speed detection cameras for over speeding vehicle detection.
• It also promotes in assessing traffic jams and clear the paths for emergency services.
[0045] While this invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the scope of the appended claims.

WE CLAIM:
1. A GPS based metering system (100) for vehicles comprising:
(a) a metering unit (101) encased in a vehicle comprising:
i. a GPS antenna (102) configured to the metering unit (101); and ii. a GSM module (103) configured to the metering unit (101);
(b) a power source (104) connected to the metering unit (101);
(c) a cellular network (105) wirelessly connected to the metering unit (101);
(d) a cloud server (106) wirelessly connected to the metering unit (101);
(e) a control unit (107) operably coupled to the system (100); and
(f) an artificial management module (108) communicably coupled to the cloud server (106);
wherein,
• the metering unit (101) is configured to track vehicles for collection and management of toll tax;
• the GPS antenna (102) and the GSM module (103) are configured for tracking and monitoring of the vehicle;
• the cellular network (105) is configured to transmit real time location of the vehicle to the cloud server (106);
• the cloud server (106) is configured to store, manage and analyze the data received from the cellular network (105);
• the control unit (107) is configured to monitor and regulate the functioning of the system (100);
• the artificial management module (108) is configured to map toll collection points on mapping services for charging toll tax; and
• the power source (104) is configured to supply power to the metering unit (101).

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cloud server (106) is configured to provide access to the user for accessing the stored data received from the metering unit through an IoT enabled devices.
3. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the GPS antenna (102) and the GSM module (103) are communicably connected to a GPS satellite for evaluating latitude and longitude of the vehicle.
4. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the GSM module (103) is connected to the cellular network (105) for enabling transmission of the location data to the cloud server (106) through the cellular network (105) and for tracing vehicles involved in fraudulent activities.
5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the metering system (101) comprises a plurality of sensors, such as but not limited to a gyroscope sensor and an accelerometer sensor for monitoring the speed and orientation of the vehicle.
6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mapping services are connected to the cloud server (106) via a network
7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the metering unit (101) is topped up through electronic money transfer mechanism for directly paying the toll tax, as the vehicle passes by the toll collection points.
8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system (100) is configured to evaluate the speed, time, location, distance covered by vehicles for predicting traffic jams and/or gridlocks on the road.
9. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system (100) is configured to track emergency situations by marking the vehicles with color codes on the mapping service for quick detection by the control unit (107) operating staff.