Expressway Network Toll System Software

Since the expressway construction continues developed, there is an inserting point and working key point for expressway administration work, i.e. improving expressway network toll system, enhancing management of toll work, and to establish better service system for the public. This paper bases on the fully investigation and research on the theory, implementation and application of expressway network toll technology, thus has suggested a system model of expressway network toll software system and introduced the design and development work of toll lane software. The paper has described the interface design and implementation of toll lane software, as well to apply this system to Jilin Province expressway toll system.The paper firstly discusses the overall frame of network toll system software. Complying to the concept of Object-Oriented software engineering and principle of structural design. The overall business logic structures are: from top to bottom, Application Layer, Support Layer, and Data Layer. The Data Layer makes supporting environment for application layer and support layer. Databases are arranged at toll lane, toll station, sub-toll center and toll center, these databases together make data layer. The support layer and application layer together form up the core of overall business logic structure; support layer's public components make application fundamental system, and is the software supporting platform of the application layer. Through the support layer, can quickly create, assemble, deploy and manage dynamic strong application logic. Application layer is the core of entire business logic, by transferring the support layer's middle parts and component resources, by component packaging and non-component packaging, thus makes logic group. The application consists of two levels: business component and application function. Business component is made of modular function package and second development interface, thus provide stable, safe and easy-to-transfer bottom function implementation for those application modules. Bases on application layer, the application functions have implemented all application logic. The entire structure has shown: bases on data layer, support layer is the core, through application layer, thus provides service for customers in all aspects. For practice application, the paper has suggested a capable software system model for expressway toll lane, and briefly introduced the software's general functions.Toll lane software is the core of network toll system software. Focus on the core, the paper has discussed deeply and suggested about the design concept of toll lane software system structure. On logical aspect the system is divided into 7 components: equipment driver module, equipment interface module, business component module, status machine, business flow engine, distribution controller, and unified user interface. The equipment driver module is a program block, which is provided by equipment manufacturer or developed by own, and is used to carry out direct physical operation on peripherals. The equipment module has packaged specific operation of equipment driver program, thus provides unified interface for business components in business component layer. Business component module is the atomic unit for carrying out different procedures in toll flow process, components are transferred by business engine, inside the component, thus to make change of status machine according to execution results. The toll lane software itself is a status machine in principle, at any time, the toll lane software is on certain status of the status machine; the status machine's status shifting graph, is the definition of business flow. Change of status should bases on current status and external events, thus to transfer relevant business components, then according to the business component's execution results, thus determine next status to be reached. The overall software system is triggered by external events, then from one status jumps to another status. This flow is implemented by an automatically performed individual linear, when external events have triggered, the engine will conduct status jumping the status machine's current status. During the process of status jumping, relevant business components are executed. The distribution controller primarily receives message of external equipments events, as well notice business flow engine that the arrival of external events. Unified user interface provides operational prompt, as well displays system information to the users.On the practical implementation, the toll lane software is presented on 2 functional sub-systems: Lane and LaneUI. Lane has implemented most exchange functions of complex work flow. This part has to carry out a basic function: business exchange, as well it is related to peripherals driver, data storage and data communication. Lane consists of core business processing module, external equipment module, and data processing module. The core business processing module has packaged business component module, status machine, business flow engine and distribution controller. Peripheral module has packaged equipment driver module and equipment interface module; data processing module has packaged database operating function and communication function. The modules communicate by Windows message mechanism to each other, thus form up an entire body. LaneUI primarily receives Lane's commands and contents by message mechanism, thus upgrades the interface information.For the selection of development tools, is based on two aspects: short development period and high reliability. We choose Delphi as the program development tool. This tool is Object- Oriented, easy to handle, has quick compiling speed, and is convenient to transfer system model into program code. The lane database is MYSQL database, which is reliable and rapidly read.At the end of paper, it introduces the application of the toll lane software in Jilin Province expressway in detail. Jilin Province expressway has different contraction bodies, the toll system software and hardware are provided by different contractors. These have lead to a disordered situation of hardware equipment and related software. Equipments can not be exchanged, software has various versions, data formats are not unified…Mass difficulties occur on daily use and maintenance. The consequences are: toll data can not be shared by other units; toll fee can not be split in time; frequent malfunction occurs; network toll is totally unable to be implemented…These have brought mass trouble to the public and administration authority. To unify the province expressway toll system software shall perfectly solve the problem. This system's medium is IC card, carried out by"Issue card at entry, make toll at exit". At the entry toll personnel issues an IC card, which has information about vehicle information and toll station information. At exit, the toll personnel shall read message from this IC card, thus to know vehicle's driving information, simultaneously the system according to IC card information, will automatically calculate fee amount. The system supports cash payment, as well is capable for Value Card, China Union Pay, Pre-paid Card and Business Credit Card, various payment methods shall fulfill different users'requirements. In case of unable to make payment and other special situation, the system has provided related treatment measures. Since the system is applied on Jilin Province expressway, it has solved problems such frequent malfunction, inaccurate data, heavy traffic. Toll income and vehicle passing rate are significantly increased. Improved situation is well praised by the public and administration authority.Briefly, since the expressway network toll system software has been successfully applied, the service level and quality have been significantly improved, as well the administration work. In future work, people shall continue to create, to adopt and import advanced information technology, together with administration authority's practical requirements, thus to improve the system, make it perfect. The administration authority's service quality and working efficiency will be further improved, then it can provide better service to the public.