Systems and methods for tracking public transportation vehicles using an internet-enabled device

• US 10,083,610 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2016
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Network Technologies India Private Limited (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sling Media Pvt Ltd. (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Nagamma, Manjunatha Dhummappa
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafi, Muhammad
• Application Number:
  US15/275,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20170011630A1
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• Field of Search: 701400-541, 340988-996, 710117
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/26 Government or public services business processes related to the transportation industry G06Q50/40
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A system for tracking a public transportation vehicle includes a reporting device implemented on the public transportation vehicle that transmits a signal including information regarding an identity of the public transportation vehicle and a receiving device implemented on a public transportation station that receives the signal from the reporting device and communicates the information regarding the identity of the public transportation vehicle and a time-stamp regarding an arrival of the public transportation vehicle at the public transportation station. The system further includes an internet-enabled back-end server that receives the communication from the reporting device and stores the identity of the public transportation vehicle and the time-stamp regarding the arrival of the public transportation vehicle at the public transportation station in a database of the back-end server. The back-end server is configured to allow access of its database by an internet-enabled commuter device.

Claims

1. A system for tracking a vehicle comprising:

a reporting device comprising a wireless transmitter implemented on the vehicle that electronically transmits a wireless signal comprising information regarding an identity of the vehicle, wherein the reporting device transmits the signal using Zigbee or Bluetooth technology;

a receiving device comprising a wireless receiver implemented on a vehicle transportation station that electronically receives the wireless signal from the reporting device as the vehicle arrives at the vehicle transportation station and electronically communicates the information regarding the identity of the vehicle and a time-stamp regarding an arrival of the vehicle at the vehicle transportation station to a computer server located remotely, wherein the receiving device receives the signal using Zigbee or Bluetooth technology, wherein the time-stamp corresponds to a time that the vehicle arrived at the vehicle transportation station, and wherein the wireless signal is receivable at the receiving device only when the vehicle arrives at the vehicle transportation station; and

the computer server that electronically receives the communication from the reporting device and stores the identity of the vehicle and the time-stamp regarding the arrival of the vehicle at the vehicle transportation station in a database of the server, wherein the database of the server comprises a non-transitory storage medium,

wherein the computer server electronically provides and allows access of its database by an electronic communication device through an electronic communication network that is both communicatively coupled with the computer server and the electronic communication device, wherein the server comprises a software-based application stored on a non-transitory storage medium that electronically facilitates access of the database using the electronic communication device, wherein access of the database comprises both;

(1) access to the information regarding the identity of the vehicle and (2) access to the time-stamp corresponding to when the vehicle arrived at the vehicle transportation station, and wherein the computer server is providing access to the information regarding the identity of the vehicle and the time-stamp corresponding to when the vehicle arrived at the vehicle transportation station.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle comprises a bus or a train.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is enabled for a plurality of vehicles.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the system is enabled for a plurality of vehicle transportation stations.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is located remotely from the vehicle transportation station.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the receiving device communicates with the server over the internet.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication device comprises a smartphone.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication device comprises a personal computer.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication device comprises a software-based application that facilitates the access of the database.

10. A method for tracking a vehicle comprising the steps of:

automatically and electronically transmitting, from a wireless signal transmitter, from the vehicle a wireless signal comprising digital or analog information regarding an identity of the vehicle, wherein automatically and electronically transmitting is performed using Bluetooth or Zigbee technology;

automatically and electronically receiving, from a wireless signal receiver, at a vehicle transportation station the signal from the vehicle as the vehicle arrives at the vehicle transportation station, wherein the signal is receivable at the receiving device only when the vehicle arrives at the vehicle transportation station, and wherein automatically and electronically receiving is performed using Bluetooth or Zigbee technology;

the wireless signal receiver automatically and electronically communicating, from the vehicle transportation station and to a computer server the information regarding the identity of the vehicle and a time-stamp regarding an arrival of the vehicle at the vehicle transportation station, wherein the time-stamp corresponds to a time that the vehicle arrived at the vehicle transportation station, and wherein the step of automatically and electronically communicating is accomplished using an electronic communication network;

the computer server automatically and electronically storing the identity of the vehicle and the time-stamp regarding the arrival of the vehicle at the vehicle transportation station in a non-transitory database at the computer server; and

the computer server automatically and electronically allowing and providing remote access of the non-transitory database by an electronic communication device using a computer software-enabled application stored non-transitorily at the computer server on a storage medium, wherein the computer server and the electronic communication device are communicatively coupled with one another through the electronic communication network, wherein the step of allowing and providing access is facilitated by the software-enabled application at the computer server, wherein access of the database comprises both;

(1) access to the information regarding the identity of the vehicle and (2) access to the time-stamp corresponding to when the vehicle arrived at the vehicle transportation station, and wherein the computer server is providing access to the information regarding the identity of the vehicle and the time-stamp corresponding to when the vehicle arrived at the vehicle transportation station.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of automatically and electronically communicating is performed using the internet.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of receiving is performed upon arrival of the vehicle at the vehicle transportation station.