Public transportation usage tracking method and apparatus

• US 20090106101A1
• Filed: 10/19/2007
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Signal Technology Corp. (SPX Corporation), SPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: SPX Corporation
• Inventors: Green, Kim R.
• Application Number:
  US11/976,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20090106101A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.230
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

A method of tracking usage of a public transportation system for calculating a benefit for using public transportation includes: collecting trip data about a specific user and a specific trip on a public transportation system; and compiling trip data for the user and providing it to at least one of the following: the user and an entity interested in tracking the usage. A system for tracking a user'"'"'s use of public transportation includes: a portable storage medium; a reading device for reading trip information from the portable storage medium the portable storage medium associated with a public transpiration system; a central data storage operatively connected to several reading devices for storing trip information read by the reading device; a data compiler configured to compile the trip information and generate a report of trip information and amount of credits entitled to a user; and an interface with the data complier configured to make available the report to at least one of the following two entities: the user to which the trip data pertains and an entity.

Claims

1. A method of tracking usage of a public transportation system for calculating a benefit for using public transportation comprising:

collecting trip data about a user and a trip taken by the user on a public transportation system;

compiling trip data of the user based on the user'"'"'s usage of the public transportation system;

determining whether the user has earned the benefit based on the trip data;

providing the trip data and information on whether the user has earned the benefit to at least one of the following;

the user and a government entity.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising making the trip data and information available to the user via at least one of the following way:

via the internet, email, fax, telephone, and mail.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the government entity includes at least one of the following:

federal, state, county, city and local tax authority.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating trip data for a number of users having a common association and providing the associated trip data to a third party associated with the common association.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the common association is an employer employing all of the number of users.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising characterizing the trip data in terms of at least one of the following parameters:

miles traveled, time saved, trips made, fuel saved, carbons used, and carbons saved.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising collecting a fare from the user with at least some of the same portion of the system used to collect the trip data.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising recording the trip data in at least one of the following places:

a portable storage medium and a central storage device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the collecting trip data comprises:

communicating with a user storage medium via a transportation reading device;

sending user boarding information to a data storage device, wherein the compiling trip data comprises;

preparing a trip data report that includes benefits in the form of credits earned by the user; and

sending the trip data report to the user.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the user storage medium includes any one of the following:

a coded magnetic card, a credit card, a smart card, and a RFID.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the trip data includes any one or more of the following:

a user'"'"'s identification, date of trip, time of trip, and a boarding location.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the credits earned include any one or more of the following:

carbon credits and tax credits.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting trip data comprises communicating with a user storage medium with a transportation reading when a user uses the public transportation system at a first location and at a second location when the user ends the use of the public transportation system;

and

storing the trip data on a remote data storage system.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the trip data includes any one or more of the following:

a user'"'"'s identification, date of trip, time of trip, the initial location and the ending location.

15. A system for tracking a user'"'"'s use of public transportation system comprising:

a portable storage medium that the user uses in order to use the public transportation system;

a reading device that reads trip information from the portable storage medium of the user;

a remote central data storage operatively connected to several reading devices for storing trip information read by the reading device;

a data compiler configured to compile the trip information of the user and generates a report of the trip information and amount of credits entitled to the user; and

an interface with the data complier configured to make available the report to at least one of the following two entities;

the user to which the trip data pertains and a government entity.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the amount of credits entitled to the user is expressed in the report as at least one of the following:

an amount of carbons saved by the user for using public transportation, an amount of carbons used by the user by using public transportation, an amount of fuel saved by the user by using public transportation rather than some other mode of travel.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the trip information includes at least one of the following categories of information:

number of trips taken by the user on the public transportation system in a defined time period, distance traveled by the user on the public transportation system, dates of travel by the user on the public transportation system, and time traveling on the public transportation system.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the interface is the internet.

19. A method of tracking usage of a public transportation system by a user for calculating a benefit for using public transportation system, comprising:

obtaining trip information of a user by interacting with a trip information recording system that is located in the public transportation system;

sending the trip information on a remote data storage device;

receiving the trip information and whether a governmental benefit is due to the user that is sent by the remote data storage device; and

obtaining the government benefit based on the trip information.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the government benefit is at least one of the following:

a tax credit and tax deduction.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the trip information includes at least two of the following categories of information:

a user identification, an amount of carbon credits associated with a trip ridden by the user;

distance traveled on the public transportation system;

where the user boarded the public transportation system; and

where the user exited the public transportation system.

22. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

determining whether the user earned the government benefit based on the trip information.

23. A method of tracking usage of a public transportation system for calculating a benefit for using public transportation comprising:

collecting trip data about a user and a trip taken by the user on a public transportation system;

compiling trip data of the user based on the user'"'"'s usage of the public transportation system;

determining whether the user has earned the benefit based on the trip data;

providing the trip data and information on whether the user has earned the benefit to at least one of the following;

the user and an entity other than a governmental entity interested in tracking the trip data of the user.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the benefit is one of any of the following:

cash, trips, discounts, gifts, services, credits, tickets, days off, food and drinks.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the entity is one of any of the following:

an employer of the user, a radio station, a web site, a gas company, a credit card company, an environmental group, a foreign country, a public transportation system provider, a corporation, volunteer emissions control programs or any entity that would like to encourage or promote the use of the public transportation system.