Method of adjusting ticket fares

• US 4,758,954 A
• Filed: 06/19/1987
• Issued: 07/19/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Computer Services Incorporated (Catalyst Merger Sub, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Computer Services Incorporated (Catalyst Merger Sub, Inc.)
• Inventors: Takiguchi, Kiyoaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jerry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tbui, Kimthanh
• Application Number:
  US07/065,088
• Time in Patent Office: 396 Days
• Field of Search: 364/401, 235/477, 235/475, 235/493, 235/384
• US Class Current: 705/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• 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

Abstract

Tickets carrying information indicative of ticket fares are effective for use on different transportation routes run by different transportation entities. After the tickets have been retrieved at terminal ends or stations of the transportation routes, the information is read from the tickets, and the transportation entities are billed for ticket fares or fare differences calculated on the basis of the read information.

Claims

1. A method of allocating ticket fares to be commonly usable in a plurality of companies operating a plurality of transporation routes, comprising the steps of:

issuing tickets storing information magnetically indicating at least uniform fares applicable to all the transportation routes and a name of a company issuing the tickets, said tickets being issued by each transporation company and commonly usable in all transportation routes;

collecting in advance a lump sum of ticket fares for a trip comprising a plurality of routes to be traveled at the company issuing said tickets;

selecting by users any of said routes with use of said commonly usable tickets;

retrieving said tickets at a last transportation route operated by one of said plurality of companies actually taken by each of the users;

reading at least information indicative of the name of the company issuing said tickets and said uniform fares from each of said retrieved tickets;

totaling at said last transportation route the number of tickets used in each of said routes actually taken by each of the users; and

settling said lump sum of ticket fares between the company issuing said tickets and each of the plurality of companies operating said transportation routes actually taken by each of said users.

2. A method of allocating ticket fares among a company operating a first route and a plurality of companies operating a plurality of second rotues, an entraining point of each of said second routes being connected with a specific stop of said first route of said first operating company, said second routes being selectively usable by each of users, comprising the steps of:

issuing tickets at the company operating said first route, said tickets storing information magnetically indicative of at least the name of the company issuing said tickets and a lump sum ticket fares indicating fares applicable to said first route and any of said plurality of second routes;

collecting in advance at the company operating said first route said lump sum ticket fares for said first route and any of said second routes to be actually taken by each of the users;

selectively transferring by each of the users from said first route to any of said second routes with use of said tickets;

retrieving said tickets at operating each of said plurality of companies a corresponding second route actually taken by each of said users;

reading at each of said plurality of companies operating said corresponding second route actually taken by a user information at least indicative of the name of the company operating said first route and said lump sum ticket fares, from each of said retrieved tickets;

totaling at each of said plurality of companies operating said second routes the number of tickets used on said first route and the corresponding second route actually taken by each of said users; and

demanding fares for the corresponding second route actually taken of each of said users from each of said plurality of companies operating said corresponding second route actually taken by each of the users to the company operating said first route.

3. A method of allocating ticket fares among a plurality of companies operating a plurality of first routes and a company operating a second route, stops of each of said first routes being nearby each other and an entraining point of said second route being nearby said stops of said first routes, comprising the steps of:

issuing tickets at each one of the companies operating said first routes, said tickets storing information magnetically indicating at least the name of the company operating a corresponding one of said first routes, and a lump sum of ticket fares to be paid by each user for a trip consisting of one of said first routes and said second route;

collecting in advance at a company operating a first route said lump sum of ticket fares for said trip consisting of one of said first routes and said second route;

selectively transferring by users from any one of said first routes to said second route with the use of said tickets;

retrieving said tickets at said company operating said second route after trips are finished;

reading at said company operating said second route information at least indicative of the name for the company operating a corresponding one of said plurality of first routes and said lump sum of ticket fares from each of said retrieved tickets;

totaling at said company operating said second route the number of tickets for each of said plurality of first routes taken by users and classifying said tickets into each of the plurality of companies operating said plurality of first routes; and

demanding fares for said second route taken by users by the company operating said second route from each of the plurality of companies operating said plurality of first routes.