Fare collection system using microwaves

• US 4,977,501 A
• Filed: 02/14/1989
• Issued: 12/11/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Compagnie Generale D'Electricite (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Compagnie Generale D'Electricite (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Lefevre, Jean Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jerry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huntley, David
• Application Number:
  US07/310,267
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: 235/384, 364/401, 455/2
• 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 15/02 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/12 Billing, invoicing, buying or selling transactions or other related activities, e.g. cost or usage evaluation

Abstract

A payment system for transport vehicles includes a transmitter within each vehicle enclosure for transmitting information within the vehicle enclosure indicating a fare to be charged between successive vehicle stops as well as the location of the next vehicle stop. A ticket for each user includes a data processing unit, including a memory, and transceiver circuitry. Transceiver circuitry on the vehicle at a passenger boarding point interrogates the ticket to ensure a credit balance while also causing the ticket to store the location of the point of entry. Between successive stops, the transmitter equipment within the vehicle enclosure transmits signals indicating the fare to be charged for travel between successive stops, as well as the location of the next vehicle stop. The data processing unit on the ticket stores the location of the next vehicle stop while also decrementing the credit balance maintained in memory.

Claims

1. A payment system for the users of transport means for transporting passengers, said transport means having at least one transport cell for carrying at least one passenger, said transport cell having a user boarding passage through which a user passes during boarding, the system comprising a ticket for each user, and including the improvement wherein each transport cell includes transmitter equipment, a microcomputer, and a boarding terminal including transmitter/receiver means for transmitting and receiving signals, said transmitter/receiver means being located on the user boarding passage, the microcomputer being connected to said transmitter equipment and to said boarding terminal, and said ticket containing a data processing member including a memory and ticket transmitter/receiver means for transmitting and receiving signals, said system further including means for interchanging information between the ticket and both the transmitter equipment and the boarding terminal by means of electromagnetic signals.

2. A payment system according to claim 1, wherein said electromagnetic signals are at microwave frequencies.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein said transmitter equipment included in each transport cell further includes receiving means for receiving signals.

4. A method of using a payment system for the users of transport means for transporting passengers, said transport means comprising a transport vehicle having at least one transport cell for carrying at least one passenger, said transport cell having a user boarding passage through which a user passes during boarding, transmitter equipment, a boarding terminal including transmitter/receiver means located on the user boarding passage for transmitting and receiving the signals, and a microcomputer connected to said transmitter equipment and to said boarding terminal, said payment system further comprising a ticket containing a data processing member including a memory and ticket transmitter/receiver means for transmitting and receiving signals, with information being interchanged between the ticket and both the transmitter equipment and the boarding terminal by means of electromagnetic signals, said method comprising the steps off:

activating said ticket by said boarding terminal when a user boards said transport vehicle to transmit information from said ticket to said boarding terminal relating to a remaining credit on said ticket in transport units, together with the date, boarding point and exit point of the ticket'"'"'s previous journey, and

during a journey between two stops, transmitting from said transmitter equipment a debit signal concerning a given number of transport units, which number is debited from the credit of each ticket in the vehicle, said transmitter equipment also emitting a signal corresponding to the next stop point, which information is written in the memory of each of the tickets.

5. A payment system for the users of transport means for transporting passengers between vehicle stops, said transport means comprising a vehicle having at least one transport cell for carrying at least one passenger, said transport cell having a user boarding passage through which a user passes during boarding, the system comprising:

transmitter means within each transport cell and movable with the vehicle between successive vehicle stops, for automatically transmitting a debit signal between successive vehicle stops; and

a ticket for each user, each said ticket including memory means for storing a credit balance and means responsive to said debit signal for simultaneously decreasing said credit balance of each of said tickets carried by users in said transport cell.

6. A system according to claim 5, further comprising boarding terminal means located on said vehicle at said user boarding passage for transmitting to said ticket an entry signal indicating the location of said vehicle at the time of entry by said user.

7. A system according to claim 5, wherein said transmitted means also transmits an exit signal indicating the location of a next stop of said vehicle, and wherein each said ticket includes means responsive to said exit signal for storing the location of said next stop.