Anti Fare Evasion System

• US 20110313821A1
• Filed: 02/23/2011
• Published: 12/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Eldon Technology Limited (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Hilton, David Gareth
• Granted Patent: US 9,478,071 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/13
• 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: G07C 11/00 Arrangements, systems or apparatus for checking, e.g. the occurrence of a condition, not provided for elsewhere

Abstract

A system for monitoring passengers on a vehicle includes one or more detectors for detecting passenger data including one or more passenger identification properties. A computer system receives data from the detectors and uniquely identifies each passenger based on the one or more passenger identification properties. A device receives fare data indicative of whether a passenger has paid the correct fare, and uses the fare data, passenger identity and passenger data from the computer system to indicate which passengers have paid the correct fare.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring passengers on a vehicle, the system comprising:

at least one detector that detect passenger data including at least one passenger identification property;

a computer system that receives data from the at least one detector and uniquely identifies each passenger based on the at least one passenger identification property; and

a device that receives fare data indicative of whether a passenger has paid a correct fare and uses at least one of the fare data, the passenger identity and the passenger data from the computer system to indicate which passengers have paid the correct fare.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the device is a mobile device that indicates on a display which passengers have paid the correct fare.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer system and device are separate devices and the device receives the passenger data and passenger identity from the computer system.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the computer system and mobile device both comprise a wireless transmitter and receiver for communicating with each other.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the passenger data detected by the at least one detector includes positional information on a location of each passenger within the vehicle and the device displays the location of each passenger within the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one detector comprises a plurality of detectors that are respectively positioned facing at least one of each entrance/exit of the vehicle, the entrance/exit of a section of the vehicle or a passenger seating area.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the device includes the computer system.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one detector is a camera, the at least one passenger identification property comprises at least one facial feature, and the computer system executes facial recognition software to uniquely identify each passenger.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the facial recognition software performs a method when executed comprising:

comparing a first image from the camera with a second later image from the camera to detect a change a portion of the second image and the first image;

performing one or more facial recognition functions on the portion of the second image that has changed relative to the first image;

wherein

if a new passenger face is identified, identification data is stored in storage medium along with passenger position information;

if a known passenger face is identified, but it is not new to the computer system, the passenger position information is updated.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one detector is located in at least one different location than the computer system and device and the fare data is collected in the at least one different location.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one ticket scanner that detects the fare data and the device receives the fare data from the at least one ticket scanner and automatically indicates which passengers have paid the correct fare using at least one of at least one display device or at least one audio system.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one ticket scanner comprises at least one radio frequency detector that detects at least one radio frequency tag.

13. A method for monitoring passengers on a vehicle, the method comprising:

detecting passenger data, utilizing at least one detector, wherein the passenger data includes at least one passenger identification property;

assigning each detected passenger a unique identification based on the at least one passenger identification property;

providing, to a device, fare data indicative of whether a passenger has paid a correct fare, wherein the device uses the passenger data and passenger identification to indicate which passengers have paid the correct fare.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said operation of assigning each detected passenger a unique identification is performed by the device.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the detected passenger data includes positional information on a location of each passenger within the vehicle and wherein the method further comprises displaying the location of each passenger within the vehicle on the device.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one detector comprises a camera and the at least one passenger identification property comprises at least one facial feature and wherein the method further comprises performing a facial recognition function to uniquely identify each passenger.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

comparing a first image from the camera with a second later image from the camera to detect a change between a portion of the second image and the first image;

performing one or more facial recognition functions on the portion of the second image that has changed relative to the first image;

wherein

if a new passenger face is identified, identification data is stored in storage medium along with passenger position information;

if a known passenger face is identified, but it is not new, the passenger position information is updated.

14. The method of claim 14, wherein the passenger identification and passenger data are transmitted to a mobile device.

19. A computer program product, comprising:

a first set of instructions, stored in at least one non-transitory storage medium, executable by at least one processing unit to detect passenger data, utilizing at least one detector, wherein the passenger data includes at least one passenger identification property;

a second set of instructions, stored in the at least one non-transitory storage medium, executable by the at least one processing unit to assign each detected passenger a unique identification based on the at least one passenger identification property;

a third set of instructions, stored in the at least one non-transitory storage medium, executable by the at least one processing unit to provide, to a device, fare data indicative of whether a passenger has paid a correct fare, wherein the device uses the passenger data and passenger identification to indicate which passengers have paid the correct fare.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the at least one detector comprises a camera, the at least one passenger identification property comprises at least one facial feature, and the computer program product further comprises a fourth set of instructions, stored in the at least one non-transitory storage medium, executable by the at least one processing unit to perform a facial recognition function to uniquely identify each passenger by:

comparing a first image from the camera with a second later image from the camera to detect a change a portion of the second image and the first image;

performing one or more facial recognition functions on the portion of the second image that has changed relative to the first image;

wherein

if a new passenger face is identified, identification data is stored in storage medium along with passenger position information;

if a known passenger face is identified, but it is not new, the passenger position information is updated.