Method and system for ordering, loading and using admission tickets

• US 20070022472A1
• Filed: 07/21/2006
• Published: 01/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ICEPAT Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Swisscom Mobile AG (Government of Switzerland)
• Inventors: Ritter, Rudolf, Lauper, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 7,823,193 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/045 using payment protocols involving tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3226 Use of secure elements separate from M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3255 using mobile network messaging services for payment, e.g. SMS
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/00 Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence

Abstract

Method and system for ordering, loading and using admission tickets for access to access-controlled service devices, in which admission tickets are ordered from a reservation center through transmission of order data via an order channel, the order data comprising the call number of a mobile communications terminal to which the ordered admission tickets are transmitted via a mobile network and are stored there in a memory module. The data exchange between this memory module and a reading device of a said service device takes place over a contactless interface. Decisions about the access authorization of the user of the said communications terminal are made, for example in the reading device or in the communications terminal, taking into account the ticket information contained in the said admission ticket, for example limited to a digitally signed ticket number or with indications about the respective service device, and, in accordance with the decision, access to the service device is given or denied to the user through an access device connected to the said reading device.

Claims

1. A method for ordering, loading and using admission tickets for access to access-controlled service devices (3), in which method admission tickets are stored in a memory module (21) of a mobile communications terminal (1), in which method data are exchanged between the memory module (21) and a reading device (31) of a respective service device (3) via a contactless interface (13), in which method a decision about the access authorization of the user of the mobile communications terminal (1) are <

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made taking into account ticket information contained in the said admission ticket, and in which method, in accordance with the decision made, access of the user to the respective service device (3) is granted or denied by an access device (32) connected to the said reading device, characterized by the following steps;

ordering at least one admission ticket from a reservation center (4) through transmission of order data via an order channel, of various possible order channels, to the said reservation center (4), the order data containing the call number of the mobile communications terminal (1), and

transmitting the ordered admission ticket via a mobile network (6) to that mobile communications terminal (1), to which the said call number contained in the order data is assigned.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the said admission tickets each contain a ticket number which is provided with a digital signature, the admission ticket stored in the said memory module (21) is transmitted to the said reading device (31), access data are transmitted from the said reservation center (4) to the said reading device (31), and the decision about access authorization is made taking into account these access data and by checking the said signature.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the said admission tickets contain ticket information about at least one access-controlled service device (3), the decision about access authorization is made taking into account this ticket information and with a positive decision the admission ticket stored in the memory module (21) is marked as used.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the said ticket information is transmitted to the said reading device (31) and the decision is made in this s reading device (31).

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the said reading device (31) transmits a device identification to the said communications terminal (1), the decision is made in this communications terminal (1) additionally taking into account the said device identification, and the result of this decision is transmitted to the said reading device (31).

6. The method according to one of the claims 1 to 5, wherein at least certain admission tickets are assigned to a particular user, and with the decision about access authorization it is checked whether the respective certain admission ticket is assigned to the user, who is identified through a user identification stored in the said memory module (21).

7. The method according to one of the claims 1 to 6, wherein the said reading device (31) transmits a digitally signed device identification to the said communications terminal (1), and the said reading device (31) is authenticated in the communications terminal (1) on the basis of this device identification before data stored in the memory module (21) are transmitted to the reading device (31).

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, following a positive authentication of the said reading device (31), a user identification, with a digital signature, stored in the said memory module (21), is transmitted to the said reading device (31), and the said reading device (31) authenticates the user of the said communications terminal (1) on the basis of this user identification.

9. The method according to one of the claims 1 to 8, wherein, after a positive decision has been made, an access confirmation is transmitted by the said reading device (31) to the said memory module (21).

10. The method according to one of the claims 1 to 9, wherein the said contactless interface (13) is supplied with energy by the said reading device (31).

11. A system for ordering, loading and using admission tickets, which system includes a mobile network (6) in which a multiplicity of users are able to communicate by means of mobile communications terminals (1), and to which mobile network (6) at least one reservation center (4) is connected, which system includes access-controlled service devices (3), for the access to which service devices (3) said admission tickets are used, the said service devices (3) being provided with reading devices (31) which include transceivers (33) for the exchange of data via a contactless interface (13), the said communications terminals (1) each containing a loading module (211), which loading module (211) stores received admission tickets in a memory module (21) of the respective communications terminal (1), the said communications terminals (1) each including a communications module (212) that exchanges data between the said memory module (21) and one of the said reading devices (31) by means of a transceiver (11) via the said contactless interface (13), which system includes decision-making modules (213, 312), which decision-making modules (213, 312) make decisions about the access authorization of the user of one of the said communications terminals (1) taking into account ticket information contained in the said admission tickets, and the said reading devices (31) being connected to access devices (32), which, in accordance with the decision made, grant or deny the said user access to one of the said service devices (3), wherein

the said reservation center (4) includes an ordering module (41) which 25 receives orders, via various order channels, with order data, for admission tickets, the order data comprising the call number of one of the said communications terminals (1), and

the said reservation center (4) includes a transmission module (44) which transmits ordered admission tickets, via a mobile network (6), to that 30 communications terminal (1) to which the call number contained in the order data is assigned.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the said admission tickets each contain a ticket number provided with a digital signature, a said reservation center (4) includes a table (43) with stored access data, the said reservation center (4) is connected to the said reading devices (31) via a telecommunications network (5), the said reservation center (4) includes an updating module (42) which transmits the said access data via the said telecommunications network (5) to one of the said reading devices (31), and the said decision-making modules (312) are located in the said reading devices (31) and make decisions about access authorization taking into account said access data and by checking the said signature.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the said admission tickets contain ticket information about at least one of the access-controlled service devices (3), the said decision-making modules (213, 312) make decisions about the access authorization taking into account this ticket information, and the said communications terminals (1) each include a cancellation module (214), which, with a positive decision, marks as used the admission ticket stored in the respective memory module (21).

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the said decision-making modules (312) are located in the said reading devices (31).

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein the said reading devices (31) each include an identification module (314) which transmits a device identification to one of the said communications terminals (1), the said decision-making modules (213) are located in the said communications terminals (1), and the said decision-making modules (312) make decisions about the access authorization taking into account in addition the said device identification and transmit results of these decisions in each case to one of the said reading devices (31).

16. The system according to one of the claims 11 to 15, wherein at least certain admission tickets include a user identification, the said memory modules (21) each contain a user identification, and the said decision-making modules (213, 312), in deciding about the access authorization, check whether the user identification of the respective admission ticket coincides with the user identification in the respective memory module (21).

17. The system according to one of the claims 11 to 16, wherein the said reading devices (31) each include an identification module (314), which transmits a digitally signed device identification to one of the said communications terminals (1), and the said communications terminals (1) eacj include a first authentication module (215), which authenticates a respective reading device (31) on the basis of this device identification.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the said memory modules (21) each contain a user identification, the said first authentication module (215) transmits the stored user identification with a digital signature to the respective reading device (31), after a positive authentication of the said reading device (31), and the said reading devices (31) each include a second authentication module (311), which authenticates the user of the respective communications terminal (1) on the basis of this user identification.

19. The system according to one of the claims 11 to 18, wherein the said reading devices (31) each include a confirmation module (313), which, after a positive decision has been made, transmits an access confirmation to the respective memory module (21).

20. The system according to one of the claims 11 to 19, wherein the said contactless interface (13) is supplied in each case with energy by the said reading devices (31).