Using wireless beacons for transit systems

• US 10,332,162 B1
• Filed: 09/30/2013
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Inventors: Brock, Zachary, Reddig, Randolf Farish
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Kevin H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Walsh, Emmett K.
• Application Number:
  US14/042,366
• Time in Patent Office: 2,094 Days
• Field of Search: 705 13, 4554563
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0284 Time or distance, e.g. usage of parking meters or taximeters

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for processing transit system fares using wireless beacons. One of the methods includes determining, at a receiver device on a passenger transport vehicle, presence of a user device on board the passenger transport vehicle based on a wireless signal emitted by the user device. A user identifier is determined based on the signal emitted by the user device. Ride information associated with the user is determined based at least in part on the determination of presence of the user and based at least in part on determining that the exit criterion is satisfied. The user identifier and the ride information is provided to a payment service system, wherein the payment service system determines a fare based on the ride information and initiates a payment transaction for the fare using a user account identified by the user identifier.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, from a receiver device on a passenger transport vehicle, a user identifier and ride information describing a transit ride by a user while the user is determined to be present on the passenger transport vehicle, the user identifier provided to the receiver by a wireless electronic device carried by the user upon establishing a wireless connection with the receiver device, the ride information being indicative of at least a first location at which the receiver device established the wireless connection with the wireless electronic device;

periodically sending at least one identifier to the wireless electronic device;

maintaining a record associating the at least one identifier with the wireless electronic device;

determining, using the record, whether the user is on-board the passenger transport vehicle based at least in part on (1) a first signal strength between the receiver and the wireless electronic device carried by the user at the first location, (2) a second signal strength between the receiver and the wireless electronic device carried by the user after the passenger transport vehicle has moved a threshold distance from the first location and before arriving at a second location at which the receiver device ended a wireless communication with the wireless electronic device, and (3) comparing a drop in signal strength between the first signal strength and the second signal strength to a threshold;

upon determining that the user in on-board the passenger transport vehicle, determining a fare based on the first location and the second location;

identifying a user account of a payment service system based on the user identifier; and

initiating a payment transaction to charge the user account for an amount based on the determined fare.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein

the ride information includes a plurality of times that the user is determined to be present on the passenger transport vehicle, and

the computer-implemented method further comprises determining, from the ride information and a schedule that associates times with respective locations, a plurality of locations to which a passenger transport vehicle traveled while the user is determined to be present on the passenger transport vehicle.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each of the first location and the second location comprises geographic coordinates.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each of the first location and the second location comprises a landmark identifier or a station identifier.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein

determining a fare based on the first location and the second location comprises:

determining a distance traveled based on the first location and the second location; and

determining a fare based on the distance traveled.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining a fare based on the first location and the second location comprises:

receiving fare calculation information from a transit system authority; and

computing the fare based on the first location, the second location and the fare calculation information.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the user is determined to be on-board the passenger transportation vehicle when the drop in signal strength between the first signal strength and the second signal strength is less than the threshold.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a user is determined to be off-board the passenger transportation vehicle at the second location when a drop in signal strength between the second signal strength and a third signal strength measured at the second location is greater than the threshold.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning multiple identifiers to the wireless electronic device; and

periodically sending a different one of the multiple identifiers to the wireless electronic device;

wherein the record associates the multiple identifiers with the wireless electronic device, wherein every time the user identifier is received from the receiver device between a first time at which the passenger transport vehicle is at the first location and a second time at which the passenger transport vehicle is at the second location, the received user identifier is a different one of the multiple identifiers.

10. A server comprising:

memory having computer-readable instructions stored therein; and

one or more processors configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to;

receive, from a receiver device on a passenger transport vehicle, a user identifier and ride information describing a transit ride by a user while the user is determined to be present on the passenger transport vehicle, the user identifier provided to the receiver by a wireless electronic device carried by the user upon establishing a wireless connection with the receiver device, the ride information being indicative of at least a first location at which the receiver device established the wireless connection with the wireless electronic device;

periodically send at least one identifier to the wireless electronic device;

maintain a record associating the at least one identifier with the wireless electronic device;

determine, using the record, whether the user is on-board the passenger transport vehicle based at least in part on (1) a first signal strength between the receiver and the wireless electronic device carried by the user at the first location, (2) a second signal strength between the receiver and the wireless electronic device carried by the user after the passenger transport vehicle has moved a threshold distance from the first location and before arriving at a second location at which the receiver device ended a wireless communication with the wireless electronic device, and (3) comparing a drop in signal strength between the first signal strength and the second signal strength to a threshold;

upon determining that the user in on-board the passenger transport vehicle, determine a fare based on the first location and the second location;

identify a user account of a payment service system based on the user identifier; and

initiate a payment transaction to charge the user account for an amount based on the determined fare.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein

the ride information includes a plurality of times that the user is determined to be present on the passenger transport vehicle, and

the one or more processors are configured to determine, from the ride information and a schedule that associates times with respective locations, a plurality of locations to which a passenger transport vehicle traveled while the user is determined to be present on the passenger transport vehicle.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein each of the first location and the second location comprises geographic coordinates.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein each of the first location and the second location comprises a landmark identifier or a station identifier.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine a fare based on the first location and the second location by:

determining a distance traveled based on the first location and the second location; and

determining a fare based on the distance traveled.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein one or more processors are configured to determine a fare based on the first location and the second location by:

receiving fare calculation information from a transit system authority; and

computing the fare based on the first location, the second location and the fare calculation information.

16. The device of claim 10, wherein the user is determined to be on-board the passenger transportation vehicle when the drop in signal strength between the first signal strength and the second signal strength is less than the threshold.

17. The device of claim 10, wherein the user is determined to be off-board the passenger transportation vehicle at the second location when a drop in signal strength between the second signal strength and a third signal strength measured at the second location is greater than the threshold.

18. The device of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to:

assign multiple identifiers to the wireless electronic device; and

periodically send a different one of the multiple identifiers to the wireless electronic device;

wherein the record associates the multiple identifiers with the wireless electronic device, wherein every time the device receives the user identifier from the receiver device between a first time at which the passenger transport vehicle is at the first location and a second time at which the passenger transport vehicle is at the second location, the received user identifier is a different one of the multiple identifiers.