Vehicle emissions testing and toll collection system

1. A method for testing a motorized vehicle's exhaust emissions during toll collection, the method comprising:

using a sensor fixed to a toll collection structure to query an electronic tag fixed to a motor vehicle as said vehicle passes through a lane of said toll collection structure, said tag responding with information about said vehicle and further responding with a date of said vehicle's last emissions test;

determining, based upon said date of said vehicle's last emissions test, whether said vehicle requires an emissions test; and

based upon said date of said vehicle's last emissions test, performing emissions testing on said vehicle as said vehicle passes through said toll collection structure, said testing comprising:

using at least one emissions detector fixed to said toll collection structure to capture an image of an exhaust plume emitted by said vehicle;

analyzing said image to determine concentrations of any of: N 2 , CO x , NO x , O 3 , C x H y , and particulate matter, a result of said analysis producing emissions data;

comparing said emissions data to an emissions standard set for said vehicle to determine whether said vehicle meets said standard;

updating said vehicle's electronic tag with a date of said emissions test;

deducting a cost of said emissions test from an account associated with said vehicle's electronic tag;

notifying an authority in response to said vehicle not meeting said standards;

notifying a registered owner of said vehicle of a result of said emissions test;

associating said vehicle's emissions data with information obtained from said vehicle's electronic tag; and

storing said vehicle's emissions data to a database.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said emissions detector comprises any of a combination of dispersive or non-dispersive infrared detector and a dispersive or non-dispersive ultraviolet detector.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising issuing a citation to a registered owner of said vehicle in response to said vehicle not meeting said standard.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein a cost of said citation is adjusted based upon a result of said vehicle's emissions test.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein information about said motor vehicle includes any of: the vehicle's license plate number, the vehicle's year/make/model, the vehicle's registration information, and the vehicle owner's name and address.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising normalizing said emissions data such that an error value is reduced.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

storing emissions data for all vehicles passing through said toll collection structure; and

performing a statistical analysis on any of: said emissions data and vehicle information.

8. A toll collection system for testing a motorized vehicle's exhaust emissions during toll collection, said system comprising:

a toll collection structure comprising:

a sensor fixed to a toll collection structure which queries an electronic tag fixed to a motor vehicle as said vehicle passes through a lane of said toll collection structure, said tag responding with information about said vehicle and further responding with a date of said vehicle's last emissions test; and

at least one emissions detector; and

a processor in communication with a memory and executing machine readable instructions for performing:

determining, based upon said date of said vehicle's last emissions test, whether said vehicle requires an emissions test;

based upon said date of said vehicle's last emissions test, performing emissions testing on said vehicle as said vehicle passes through said toll collection structure, said testing comprising:

signaling said emissions detector to capture an image of an exhaust plume emitted by said vehicle;

analyzing said image to determine concentrations of any of: N 2 , CO x , NO x , O 3 , C x H y , and particulate matter, a result of said analysis producing emissions data;

comparing said emissions data to an emissions standard set for said vehicle to determine whether said vehicle meets said standard; and

updating said vehicle's electronic tag with a date of said emissions test;

deducting a cost of said emissions test from an account associated with said vehicle's electronic tag;

notifying an authority in response to said vehicle not meeting said standards;

notifying a registered owner of said vehicle of a result of said emissions test;

associating said vehicle's emissions data with information obtained from said vehicle's electronic tag; and

storing said vehicle's emissions data to a database.

9. The toll collection system of claim 8 , wherein said emissions detector comprises any combination of dispersive or non-dispersive infrared detector and a dispersive or non-dispersive ultraviolet detector.

10. The toll collection system of claim 8 , further comprising issuing a citation to a registered owner of said vehicle in response to said vehicle not meeting said standard.

11. The toll collection system of claim 10 , wherein a cost of said citation is adjusted based upon a result of said vehicle's emissions test.

12. The toll collection system of claim 8 , wherein information about said motor vehicle includes any of: the vehicle's license plate number, the vehicle's year/make/model, the vehicle's registration information, and the vehicle owner's name and address.

13. The toll collection system of claim 8 , further comprising normalizing said emissions data such that an error value is reduced.

14. The toll collection system of claim 8 , further comprising:

storing emissions data for all vehicles passing through said toll collection structure; and

performing a statistical analysis on any of: said emissions data and vehicle information.