Automatic Payment of Fees Based on Vehicle Location and User Detection

1 . A method, comprising:

determining, by a microprocessor executable fee area module, that a vehicle is approaching a fee area;

retrieving, by the microprocessor executable fee area module, rules associated with the fee area, wherein the fee area comprises one of a toll road, a high occupancy vehicle road, a park, a vehicle ferry, and a parking area;

determining, by the microprocessor executable fee area module, a fee required for the vehicle to enter the fee area based on the rules;

displaying an alert on an instrument display of the vehicle, wherein the instrument display comprises at least one of a configurable dash display and a heads-up display;

accessing, by a microprocessor executable payment module, a payment profile for the vehicle;

connecting to a server of the fee area; and

sending, by the microprocessor executable payment module, instructions to the server of the fee area to pay the fee required.

2 . The method of claim 1 :

wherein the fee area is one of the toll road, the high occupancy vehicle road, and the vehicle ferry; and

wherein the rules associated with the fee area comprise one or more of a rate charged per mile, a rate charged per unit of time, a rate based on a number of occupants in the vehicle, a rate based on a weight of the vehicle, a rate based on a number of axles of the vehicle, a rate based on an emission level of the vehicle, a rate based on a time of the day, and a rate based on a congestion level of the fee area.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the rules associated with the fee area are retrieved from one or more of a communications device, a cloud, another vehicle, and the server of the fee area.

4 . The method of claim 1 :

wherein the connection to the server of the fee area is at least partially encrypted;

wherein sending instructions to the server of the fee area to pay the fee further comprises creating, by the microprocessor executable payment module, a payment account with the server of the pay area;

wherein the payment account is associated with the vehicle; and

wherein in response to sending instructions to the server of the fee area to pay the fee required, receiving, a confirmation of access into the fee area.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the payment profile of the vehicle includes at least one of a credit card number, a debit card number, a bank account number, and a payment account number associated with the fee area.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the fee area is the high occupancy vehicle road, wherein the rules require a minimum number of occupants to be inside the vehicle to drive in the high occupancy vehicle road to avoid paying a penalty, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining, by the microprocessor executable fee area module, a number of occupants in the vehicle;

determining, by the microprocessor executable fee area module, a fee required for the vehicle to enter the high occupancy vehicle road based on the number of occupants in the vehicle, wherein the fee includes the penalty if less than the required minimum number of occupants are in the vehicle; and

sending, by the microprocessor executable payment module, the number of occupants in the vehicle and instructions to the server of the fee area to pay the fee required.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the microprocessor executable fee area module, an identity of a driver of the vehicle, wherein the identity of the driver is determined by:

identifying facial features associated with the driver detected via at least one image sensor; and

determining whether the identified facial features associated with the driver match user characteristics stored in a memory.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the identified facial features associated with the driver do not match the user characteristics stored in the memory, and wherein determining the identity of the driver further comprises:

prompting the driver for identification information;

receiving identification information from the driver; and

storing the identification information received from the driver in the memory.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the identified facial features associated with the driver match the user characteristics stored in the memory, and wherein the payment profile is retrieved from a profile associated with the identified driver.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending an alert to a communication device of an owner of the vehicle.

11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, by the microprocessor executable fee area module, one or more alternate routes to a destination of the vehicle;

determining, by the microprocessor executable fee area module, a cost of using each of the one or more alternate routes to the destination; and

displaying, by the microprocessor executable fee area module, the cost of using each of the one or more alternate routes to the destination in the alert.

12 . A tangible and non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a microprocessor executable fee area module, perform a method comprising:

determining that a vehicle is approaching a fee area;

retrieving rules associated with the fee area, wherein the fee area comprises one of a toll road, a high occupancy vehicle road, a park, a vehicle ferry, and a parking area;

determining a fee required for the vehicle to enter the fee area based on the rules;

displaying an alert on an instrument display of the vehicle, wherein the instrument display comprises at least one of a configurable dash display and a heads-up display;

accessing a payment profile for the vehicle;

connecting to a server of the fee area; and

sending instructions to the server of the fee area to pay the fee required.

13 . The tangible and non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 , further comprising sending an alert to a communication device of an owner of the vehicle, wherein the owner is not located within the vehicle.

14 . The tangible and non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , further comprising:

determining one or more alternate routes to a destination of the vehicle;

determining a cost of using each of the one or more alternate routes to the destination; and

displaying the cost of using each of the one or more alternate routes to the destination in the alert.

15 . The tangible and non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 :

wherein the fee area is one of the toll road, the high occupancy vehicle road, and the vehicle ferry;

wherein the rules associated with the fee area comprise one or more of a rate charged per mile, a rate charged per unit of time, a rate based on a number of occupants in the vehicle, a rate based on a weight of the vehicle, a rate based on a number of axles of the vehicle, a rate based on an emission level of the vehicle, a rate based on a time of the day, and a rate based on a congestion level of the fee area;

wherein the rules associated with the fee area are retrieved from one or more of a communications device, a cloud, another vehicle, and the server of the fee area;

wherein the connection to the server of the fee area is at least partially encrypted;

wherein sending instructions to the server of the fee area to pay the fee further comprises creating a payment account with the server of the pay area; and

wherein, in response to sending instructions to the server of the fee area to pay the fee required, receiving a confirmation of access into the fee area.

16 . The tangible and non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , further comprising:

determining if a discount applies to the vehicle, wherein the discount comprises one or more of a senior discount, a handicapped driver discount, a frequent user discount, a fuel-efficiency discount, and a discount based on a number of people in the vehicle.

17 . The tangible and non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the fee area is the high occupancy vehicle road, wherein the rules require a minimum number of occupants to be inside the vehicle to drive in the high occupancy vehicle road to avoid paying a penalty, and the wherein the method further comprises:

determining a number of occupants in the vehicle;

determining a fee required for the vehicle to enter the high occupancy vehicle road based on the number of occupants in the vehicle, wherein the fee includes the penalty if less than the required minimum number of occupants are in the vehicle; and

sending the number of occupants in the vehicle and instructions to the server of the fee area to pay the fee required.

18 . A vehicle control system of a vehicle, comprising:

a memory; and

a microprocessor in communication with the memory, the microprocessor operable to execute a fee area module, the fee area module operable to:

determine that a vehicle is approaching a fee area;

retrieve rules associated with the fee area, wherein the fee area comprises one of a toll road, a high occupancy vehicle road, a park, a vehicle ferry, and a parking area;

determine a fee required for the vehicle to enter the fee area based on the rules;

display an alert on an instrument display of the vehicle, wherein the instrument display comprises at least one of a configurable dash display and a heads-up display;

access a payment profile for the vehicle;

connect to a server of the fee area; and

send instructions to the server of the fee area to pay the fee required.

19 . The vehicle control system of claim 18 , wherein the fee area module is further operable to:

determine if a discount applies to the vehicle, wherein the discount comprises one or more of a senior discount, a handicapped driver discount, a frequent user discount, a fuel-efficiency discount, and a discount based on a number of people in the vehicle;

determine one or more alternate routes to a destination of the vehicle;

determine a cost of using each of the one or more alternate routes to the destination;

display the cost of using each of the one or more alternate routes to the destination in the alert; and

send an alert to a communication device of an owner of the vehicle, wherein the owner is not located within the vehicle.

20 . The vehicle control system of claim 19 , further comprising:

wherein the fee area is one of the toll road, the high occupancy vehicle road, and the vehicle ferry;

wherein the rules associated with the fee area comprise one or more of a rate charged per mile, a rate charged per unit of time, a rate based on a number of occupants in the vehicle, a rate based on a weight of the vehicle, a rate based on a number of axles of the vehicle, a rate based on an emission level of the vehicle, a rate based on a time of the day, and a rate based on a congestion level of the fee area;

wherein the rules associated with the fee area are retrieved from one or more of a communications device, a cloud, another vehicle, and the server of the fee area;

wherein the connection to the server of the fee area is at least partially encrypted;

wherein sending instructions to the server of the fee area to pay the fee further comprises creating a payment account with the server of the pay area; and

wherein, in response to sending instructions to the server of the fee area to pay the fee required, receiving a confirmation of access into the fee area.