Method and System for Electronic Toll Payment

Abstract

A system and method for making electronic payments for tolls, parking and related transactions. A customer downloads an application onto their personal electronic device and registers the customer's vehicle and financial account information with a provider. The application detects upcoming toll facilities and notifies the customer. The customer can accept the payment of the toll through the application whereupon the provider makes a payment from the customer's designated account to the toll facility.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for making payments, comprising:
 providing, by one or more processors, an application to a customer for installation on a personal electronic device;   registering, by the one or more processors, the customer's vehicle's license plate and financial account information with a financial network, wherein the financial network is communicatively connected to a vehicle license plate detection device that is located within a toll facility;   detecting, through the vehicle license plate detection device, the customer's vehicle's license plate at the toll facility;   paying a toll charge for the customer's use of the toll facility by debiting the customer's financial account and paying the toll facility; and   notifying the customer through the application that the customer has paid the toll charge.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the financial network is a network providing services specifically for toll facilities and not a cellular phone carrier. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the toll facility is a parking facility. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the registration is performed online by the customer. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the customer receives the notification on the customer's personal electronic device. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, at the time of registration or thereafter, the customer designates a financial account for processing the payment when utilizing the toll facility during certain periods of time and designates another financial account for processing the payment when utilizing the toll facility during other periods. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at such time as the customer receives notification when approaching the toll facility, the customer is provided with an option to refuse the payment. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein after receiving notification that the toll charge has been paid, the customer is provided with an option to dispute the payment. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein when the financial account is closed or contains insufficient funds to make the payment, the payment is made through another account designated by the customer. 
     
     
         10 . A method for making payments, comprising:
 providing an application to a customer for installation on a personal electronic device;   registering the customer's vehicle and financial account;   detecting the customer's vehicle at such time as the customer passes through a toll facility;   after the customer passes through the toll facility, notifying the customer through the application of the toll charges for using the toll facility;   receiving instructions from the customer through the application to pay the toll charges; and   paying fees for the customer's use of the toll facility by debiting the customer's financial account and paying the toll facility.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further including registering a date on which the paying a toll charge for the customer's use of the toll facility by debiting the customer's financial account and paying the toll facility commences and a date on which the paying a toll charge for the customer's use of the toll facility by debiting the customer's financial account and paying the toll facility stops. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the application is configured so that the customer may take a picture of the customer's license plate for use by the toll facility for verification. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the application is configured to display toll access locations and rates. 
     
     
         14 . A method for making payments, comprising:
 providing, by one or more processors, an application to customers for installation on a personal electronic device;   registering, by the one or more processors, a customer's vehicle's license plate and financial account;   detecting the customer at a toll facility using the personal electronic device's geolocation system;   paying fees for the customer's use of the toll facility by debiting the customer's financial account and paying the toll facility; and   notifying the customer through the application that the customer has paid the toll charge.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the personal electronic device is not present in the vehicle while the vehicle passes through the toll facility. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the personal electronic device is not activated while the vehicle is passing through the toll facility. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the personal electronic device is not present in the vehicle while the vehicle is passing through the toll facility. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the personal electronic device is not activated while the vehicle is passing through the toll facility. 
     
     
         19 . A method for making payments, comprising:
 providing, by one or more processors, an application to customers for installation on a personal electronic device;   providing, by one or more processors, an application to a driver for installation on a personal electronic device;   registering, by the one or more processors, the customer's financial account and the driver's financial account;   registering, by the one or more processors, the driver's vehicle's license plate;   detecting the driver at a toll facility using the personal electronic device's geolocation system;   debiting the customer's financial account and paying the driver the amount of the toll facility's fee;   debiting the driver's financial account and paying the toll facility the amount of the toll facility's fee.   paying fees for the driver's use of the toll facility by facility; and   notifying the customer through the application that the toll facility's fee has been paid.