ES2384840B1 - PROCEDURE AND SYSTEM FOR COLLECTION MANAGEMENT IN A TOLL STATION. - Google Patents

Abstract

Procedure and system for collection management in a toll station. # Includes a safe (10) with electronic means of recognition of identified bags, containing monetary values, introduced by identified collectors, in combination with a station server (21) , a terminal (20) where the value of each bag is recorded, a count server (26) and a central control server (25). For the management, a communication of events of introduction and extraction of bags from the safe (10) and the communication of data of extraction of bags from the safe (10) of a collection remittance to the control center (25) is made. and on the part of the extraction data, to the collection center (26) where the bag identifiers are read, they are opened and the remittance count is communicated by communicating the data to said control center (25).

Description

Procedure and system for collection management in a toll station.

The present invention concerns, in a first aspect, a procedure for collection management by electronic means and computer support, at a toll station, in which a safe equipped with electronic means of introduction and extraction recognition is used of some identified bags, which contain monetary values and that are entered in the safe, by collectors who have previously calculated these values, while transferring their data through a terrninal to a computer serving as a station server, a count server of a collection entity having been removed from the safe and provided with a count and a central control server.

The invention also makes reference to a sisterna in a second aspect to implement the said procedure, which includes the interconnection of several computers depending on the server and said electronic safe.

Prior art

EP-B10201427 discloses a safe provided for a toll station, although security locks and a provision for easy removal of a receptacle in function of collecting cavity of a collection are described primarily in the Rnisrna.

Asirnisrno is known in the state of the art electronic sistern applied to the toll for different functions, implying the use of alarm and wireless computer networks, such as those described in patent applications JP10149465, JP2006268418 and in the patent ES-T3-2119387.

Asirnisrno, sisterna of collection management of a corn toll station are disclosed in the state of the art by collecting a safe equipped with electronic means of recognition of introduction and extraction of identified bags, which contain monetary values charged by collectors , and that are introduced by said collectors who have previously calculated said values, after their personal identification, by acquiring as associated support means a computer in function of a station server and a terrninal through which each collector transfers to said station server the result of the calculation in monetary units of a series of collections, and stores them in a bag. The said server connects when necessary and transfers this data to a control center.

The invention proposes in an environment as explained a procedure and sisterna in which the traceability of the monetary values is guaranteed throughout the operating cycle, from the collection, introduction into bags of some amounts, which are counted by collectors, as the introduction and exit of the safe, transfer to the collection center and transfer to the control center of the amount collected, linking to said central control server, electronic box and forrna counting server coordinated and bidirectional.

Explanation of the invention.

The present invention refers, in a first aspect, to a procedure for electronic management and with computer support (information flow control, principally) of collection at a toll station, which is based on the use of an electronic safe , known per se, equipped with electronic means of recognition of introduction and extraction of bags, each of them duly identified, which contain monetary values and which are entered in the safe by collectors who have previously calculated said values and extracted from the land by some employees of a surveillance and transport company, collecting. To adequately implement this procedure, the aforementioned safe must be combined with:

•

a functioning local server or station server;

•

a data entry terrninal, by means of which the introduced bags are stored on said station server, that is to say informations per bag, where each bag identifier has associated the result of a calculation of the monetary units that have been loaded on the rnisrna; the aforementioned terrninal is communicated with the local server and with the electronic safe informing in advance of the bags to be delivered;

•

a central control server to which information on events of interaction with the safe (principally accesses and exits of bags with monetary values) are sent in certain rnornentos.

•

a counting server, where a surveillance and transport company that collects the collection counts

the link between said control server and said count server

bidirectional (governed from said control server) so that in said

Central control server can be monitored at all times

collection, being able to trace each of the interaction events with the cashier's

process.

The proposed procedure, in a possible preferred implementation form, comprises the following steps:

introduction of the bags into a collecting cavity of the safe through

of a box door equipped with means for reading a first

bag identifier (such as a barcode) and in one embodiment

preferred, for reading also of another additional identifier (such as a

barcode) associated with a seal guarantee of closing the bag

before the introduction of the bag and reading media

differentiated (eg electronic card reader or TAG), of a second

bag identifier (electronic label or TAG) during the passage of the

bag inside the cavity, making a storage (in general it is

a transfer of the data to the local or station server) of said

first and second identifier read, for each bag;

extraction from time to time, of a number of accumulated bags in said

safe and reading of said first and second identifier of each bag,

and storage of said data (again it is in general a

data transfer in this case to the central server or center of

remote control or to the local server and from it to the central server);

transfer of the bags removed from the box, forming a consignment of

collection by a transport surveillance company to a center of

collection equipped with a collection server;

communication of the introduction and extraction data of bags from the box

strongly related to said collection remittance to said center of

remote control and a part of the extraction data, identifying the

minus the bags removed (for its two bag identifiers and seal)

to said collection center, from the station server;

electronic reading of the aforementioned first and second identifiers

identifier of each bag in said collection center and opening of the bags to calculate a monetary value or count of the remittance of

collection; Y

communication of the final collection data of each consignment of

collection to said control center.

The transfer of the bags is carried out in a preferred example, in some properly identified bags, which contain several bags, and the information of the bag identifiers is also sent to the control center that also sends them to the counting center with which the latter has additional information on the elements that make up the collection remittance that it should receive.

It is observed that through the aforementioned steps there is a control of the content (monetary value and individual bag number) and location of the bags at the moment from the moment of their formation, by a toll station collector, during their loading, storage in the safe and unloading of said safe, and during its transfer to the counting center. Interesting to highlight:

that the safe knows, before receiving the bags, what bags it will receive,

because this information is sent to the box from the terminal of

introduction, at the end of the formation of the bags with monetary values;

the counting center receives information from at least the bags that are going to

receive from the central server so that upon their arrival (such

as stated with the bags arranged in the bags) a

first verification that verifies that all the bags removed have

Come to the counting center.

In this way, in the control center, through the associated server, a very exact monitoring of the degree of coincidence of the information of the bags formed and those that have actually been loaded in the toll station's safe as well as of the control centers can be carried out. bags taken out of the box and received at the counting center.

As for the system for implementing the method of the invention, it is based mainly on the fact that the electronic safe is connected to said station server and / or to said central unit to communicate all the events related to the circulation, storage and extraction of the bags containing monetary values and consisting of reading of some identifiers associated with said bags at their entrance, fall into the cavity and exit of said safe and because said count server of said collection entity is also bidirectionally connected to said central control server to receive information on the bags extracted and transmit the reading of said identifiers associated with each bag received, as well as a total collection after a final count.

Communication between the safe and the station server takes place through a local network (LAN), while communication with the central, remote server takes place through a network such as by Eg internet (WAN), through a dedicated or protected channel.

Brief description of the drawings

Fig. 1 is a representative scheme of the electronic system for collection management of a toll station, organized around the electronic safe of this invention. The steps of the procedure have been indicated next to each of the system elements

In Fig. 2 the steps of the procedure have been represented together with the actors involved.

Detailed description of an embodiment example

In Fig. 1 it can be seen that the electronic safe of the invention 10 has a bar code reader next to an access door for the introduction stage of the bags. This operation is generally carried out by approximating a staff in charge, such as a toll station collector, the bag provided with a seal with a barcode label to the reader.

Inside the box and next to the introduction duct, an RFID (radio frequency) antenna is provided for reading an RFID or TAG tag also attached to each bag. In this way it is verified that the bag identified by the first reading has really fallen into an inner cavity or collector of the safe 10.

In the stage of introduction of bags, it is carried out through access to the safe, the identification of the collector with, for example, an identification card, the electronic reading of at least one barcode (although it is advantageously proposed to read a first code of bars associated with the bag and a second barcode associated with a guaranteed seal of the bag), the introduction of the bag and finally the electronic reading of the RFID or TAG electronic tag associated with each bag.

Next to the extraction door 16 there is an RFI antenna D 15 for bag output control and a barcode reader 14.

In the bag extraction stage, the identification of the carrier is carried out by means of the detecting devices or sensors mentioned, for example, an identification card, the electronic reading of the bar code of the bags, the electronic reading of the TAG of the bags and the electronic reading of a seal that is associated with bags that group a specific number of bags,

A work station 20 is also shown in Fig. 1 where the manual counting actions, identification of a collector and declaration of the liquidation that is introduced in a bag are carried out. This information passes to a local server 21 or station server from which the information is sent (output arrow 24) to a central server not shown in Fig.

With arrow 22 it is indicated that the server and the box dialogue bidirectionally, so that a detection of any possible discrepancy between the declaration (bag formed) and introduction is established. Finally, with arrow 23 it is indicated that the safe dialogues at the exit stage again with the station server to detect any type of discrepancy between introduction and removal.

An explanation is shown in Fig. 2 with indication of a possible spatial distribution of the active agents, the transport entity 17 and the counting center 26 appearing, as well as the central server 25 and the interrelation of these elements being appreciated by arrows.

Thus, in the workstation 20 the manual count, the identification of the collector and the declaration of the liquidation are carried out.

From the dialogue between the server 21 associated with the post of 20 and the electronic safe 10, the collector is identified with his card, the electronic reading of the bar code of the bag seal, the introduction of the bag, and the Electronic label reading (TAG) of the bag.

From the dialogue between the electronic safe 10 and the transport entity 17, the identification of the carrier with his card, the electronic reading of the bar code of the bag seal, the electronic reading of the label (TAG) is carried out of the bag, and the electronic reading of the barcode of the seal of the bag.

Finally, the electronic reading of the bar code of the bag seal, the electronic reading of the bar code of the bag seal, the collection count is collected in the counting center 26 of the collection and flow accounting company. , and the sending of counting files.

Claims (11)

1.-Procedure for collection management in a toll station, in which a safe equipped with electronic means of recognition of introduction and extraction of identified bags, containing monetary values and which are introduced by some collectors who have previously calculated said values, in combination with a computer in the role of a station server, a terminal through which the result of a calculation is stored in monetary units available in each exchange, at least said station server , a counting server of a collection entity and a central control server, characterized by comprising the following steps: introduction of the bags into a collecting cavity of the safe through a door provided with reading means of at least one first bag identifier before the introduction and differentiated reading means, of at least a second bag identifier during the passage of the bag into the cavity, storing said first and second identifier read, for each bag; extraction of an accumulated number of bags in said safe and reading of said at least first and second identifier of each bag, and storage of said data; transfer of the bags removed from the box, forming a collection remittance to a collection center equipped with a collection server; communication of the data of introduction and extraction of bags from the safe related to said collection remittance to said remote control center and a part of the extraction data, identifying at least the bags extracted to said collection center, from the station server; reading by electronic means of said at least a first identifier and at least a second identifier of each bag in said collection center and opening of the bags to calculate a monetary value or count of the collection remittance; and communication of the final collection data of each collection remittance to said control center. 2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that said storage of said at least a first and a second identifier of each of the bags that circulate through the safe and form a collection remittance, both during its introduction and during the extraction , takes place on the server of the station to which said safe is communicated. 3. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that said storage of said at least a first and a second identifier of the bags that circulate through the safe and the seal that closes them, both during its introduction and during the extraction takes place in the central server to which said safe is communicated. 4. Method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the bags integrate a third identifier associated with a seal that closes them, and because said second identifier is read and its reading is communicated to a server to which said safe is linked, both during the introduction of the bag and during its extraction. 5. Method according to claim 4 characterized in that said first identifier is a barcode that identifies the collector who has prepared the bag and provides information about the calculated monetary value thereof and said third identifier provides information about the operation of opening of the bags. 6. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that said second identifier is an electronic tag (TAG), which contains additional information identifying the bag. 7. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that in said stage of extraction of the bags, they are arranged in sacks, which are closed by identification seals and optionally by some TAGs, and because said elements of identification of the bags. Sacks are read and sent to the control center that sends them to the collection center and because in the collection center a reading of the bag identifiers is made and sent to said control center. 8. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the station server is in two-way communication with the electronic safe, both at its entrance to detect any discrepancy between the declaration to the station server from the terminal where the bags are formed, and the actual introduction of bags, such as at the exit of the box to detect any discrepancy between the bags introduced and removed. 9. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that for the formation of the bags a manual count of a group of monetary units that constitute a settlement and are introduced into a bag, equipped with a seal and a TAG, is carried out, then performing a statement of said settlement by a collector, and identification of said collector and transfer of said data from said terminal to said station server; 10.-System for collection management in a toll station, which integrates: a safe equipped with electronic means for recognizing the introduction and removal of identified bags, which contain monetary values and which are introduced by collectors who have previously calculated said values; a functioning station server computer, a terminal through which each collector transfers the calculation result in monetary units of a series of collections to said station server, and stores them in a bag; characterized in that it also includes a counting server of a collection entity, and a central control server said safe being connected to said station server and / or said central unit to communicate all the events consisting of reading of identifiers associated with said bags at its entrance or exit of said box and because said server of counting said collection entity, it is also bidirectionally connected to said central control server to receive information on the extracted bags and transmit the reading of said identifiers associated with each received bag, as well as a total collection. 11. System according to claim 10, characterized in that said station server or part thereof is integrated in the safe.