TRANSPORTATION BOARDING SYSTEM USING GEOTAGGING AND MOBILE DEVICES

• US 20150294298A1
• Filed: 04/11/2014
• Published: 10/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Michishita, Hiroshi, Tomono, Mitsuru
• Application Number:
  US14/251,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20150294298A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/308 using the Internet of Things
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/30 Transportation; Communications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/02 taking into account a variable factor such as distance or time, e.g. for passenger transport, parking systems or car rental systems G07B15/06 takes precedence; taximeters G07B13/00; parking meters per se G07F17/24; car rental systems per se G07B15/00

Abstract

Methods and systems for bus boarding use geotags that are generated when a mobile device of a bus passenger passes in proximity to embark gates and disembark gates installed in buses of a bus system. The mobile device may be registered with a customer information database of the bus system and may provide a bus passenger identifier to identify the bus passenger at a time and a location when embark geotags and disembark geotags for a bus trip are generated. The embark and disembark geotags may be used to charge the bus passenger for the bus trip.

Claims

1. A method for bus boarding, comprising:

detecting, at an embark gate of a first bus, a physical indicator that a passenger is boarding the first bus at a first time corresponding to a first location of the first bus;

receiving, at the embark gate, a bus passenger identifier from a mobile device associated with the passenger;

using the first location, the first time, and the bus passenger identifier, generating an embark geotag for the passenger;

receiving, at a disembark gate of the first bus, the bus passenger identifier from the mobile device at a second time corresponding to a second location of the first bus;

using the second location, the second time, and the bus passenger identifier, generating a disembark geotag for the passenger; and

based on the embark geotag and the disembark geotag, charging the passenger for bus fare corresponding to a bus trip on the first bus between the first location and the second location.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the embark geotag and the disembark geotag in a customer information database for a bus system operating a plurality of buses, including the first bus.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

validating that the mobile device is registered with the customer information database; and

when the mobile device is not registered with the customer information database, generating a passenger alarm after the physical indicator is detected.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the physical indicator is a weight measurement at the embark gate, and further comprising:

after detecting the physical indicator, when the bus passenger identifier is not received at the embark gate within a predetermined delay, generating a passenger alarm.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the bus passenger identifier is received wirelessly from the mobile device, and wherein location information for a geotag is received from the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to charging the passenger, confirming that the bus trip coincides in location and time with a path taken by the first bus.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to a request from the mobile device, sending information associated with the bus trip to the mobile device.

8. A mobile device for bus boarding, comprising:

a processor having access to memory media, the memory media storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

detect an embark gate of a bus in proximity to the mobile device;

send, to the embark gate at a first time, a bus passenger identifier associated with a user of the mobile device;

detect a disembark gate of the bus in proximity to the mobile device; and

send, to the disembark gate at a second time, the bus passenger identifier, wherein the bus passenger identifier is registered with a customer information database of a bus system operating the bus.

9. The mobile device of claim 8, further comprising instructions to:

record the first time and a first location associated with the instructions to send the bus passenger identifier to the embark gate; and

record the second time and a second location associated with the instructions to send the bus passenger identifier to the disembark gate.

10. The mobile device of claim 8, further comprising instructions to:

receive, from the customer information database, a confirmation of a bus trip between the first time and the second time.

11. The mobile device of claim 10, further comprising instructions to:

receive, from the customer information database, a confirmation of a fare charge for the bus trip.

12. The mobile device of claim 8, further comprising instructions to:

register the mobile device with the customer information database, including instructions to receive the bus passenger identifier.

13. A method for bus boarding, comprising:

detecting, at an embark gate of a first bus, a physical indicator that a passenger is boarding the bus at a first time corresponding to a first location of the bus;

sending a bus passenger identifier to the embark gate from a mobile device associated with the passenger;

responsive to receiving the bus passenger identifier via the embark gate and using the first location, the first time, and the bus passenger identifier, generating, at a customer information database associated with a bus system, an embark geotag for the passenger;

sending the bus passenger identifier to a disembark gate of the first bus from the mobile device at a second time corresponding to a second location of the first bus;

responsive to receiving the bus passenger identifier via the disembark gate and using the second location, the second time, and the bus passenger identifier, generating, at the customer information database, a disembark geotag for the passenger; and

based on the embark geotag and the disembark geotag, charging the passenger for bus fare corresponding to a bus trip on the first bus between the first location and the second location.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

registering the mobile device with the customer information database, including generating the bus passenger identifier; and

sending the bus passenger identifier to the mobile device.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

storing the embark geotag and the disembark geotag in the customer information database, wherein the bus system operates a plurality of buses, including the first bus.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

validating that the mobile device is registered with the customer information database; and

when the mobile device is not registered with the customer information database, generating a passenger alarm.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the physical indicator is a weight measurement at the embark gate, and further comprising:

after detecting the physical indicator, when the bus passenger identifier is not received at the embark gate within a predetermined delay, generating a passenger alarm.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein mobile device wirelessly sends the bus passenger identifier, and further comprising:

sending location information for a geotag by the mobile device.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

prior to charging the passenger, confirming that the bus trip coincides in location and time with a path taken by the first bus.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

sending a request from the mobile device for details of the bus trip; and

responsive to the request from the mobile device, sending, from the customer information database, information associated with the bus trip to the mobile device.