Touch Terminal

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Message areas on the screens allow detail information to be displayed to the collector. This information can include lane status, date/time, toll amount due, status information about the receipt printer, and information about the transaction being processed.

The touch screen unit offers an alternative to traditional manual toll terminals that are based on the use of mechanical buttons. Instead, information is displayed on a color screen and "touch targets" are used to perform the collection process. The advantage to using this device is that it is more flexible to changes such as the number of vehicle classes, the number of payment types, and the types of unusual occurrences that are needed in a toll collection system. If new classes are needed, there is no need to replace or modify a mechanical button-based terminal. Instead, new screens with new touch targets can be made in the software while retaining the same physical touch terminal.

Main Touch Screen

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Special functions such as processing credit cards for payment or selling coupon books in the lane are better implemented using this device. Functional targets on the main screen allow a completely new screen to be displayed for processing special functions. For example, if coupons were sold in the lane, a target labeled "Book Sale" would be shown on the main screen. When touched, a new screen prompting the collector with the information needed to sell the book would be displayed. When the sale process is finished, a target would be touched and the screen would return to the main screen.

Book Sale Screen

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The sample screen shown here is a sub-screen that would be displayed by the collector touching the "Book Sale" target on the main screen. From here the collector would either scan the book being sold or enter the book number manually using targets that generate alphanumeric data.

The black window at the top displays data entered. When all values are entered, the "Enter" target is touched and the screen returns to the main display. "Cancel" is used to exit the screen if it were reached by mistake.

Unusual Occurrences Screen

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Lane operations often require the collector to record unusual events that occur in the lane. This screen presents a list of occurrences each identified as a touch target. This screen is reached by touching the "Unusual Occurrences" target on the main screen. To record the event, the collector simply touches the appropriate target which will generate a message, clear the screen, and re-display the main screen.