Process and device for measuring the occupancy in passenger transportation means

• US 5,920,057 A
• Filed: 12/22/1995
• Issued: 07/06/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: VOS Verkehrs-Optimierungs-Systems GmbH & Company
• Original Assignee: VOS Verkehrs-Optimierungs-Systems GmbH & Company
• Inventors: Kuhne, Georg, Sonderegger, Wilhelm
• Primary Examiner(s): Hajec, Donald
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rodriguez, Douglas X.
• Application Number:
  US08/583,060
• Time in Patent Office: 1,292 Days
• Field of Search: 235/384, 235/375, 235/380, 340/434, 340/439
• US Class Current: 235/384
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 13/00 Taximeters measuring distance travelled G01C; measuring time G04
• 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 5/0858 wherein the data carrier is removable
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00 Individual registration on entry or exit

Abstract

A process for tamper-proof measuring of vehicle occupancy in passenger transportation device whereby a counting of the transported persons is carried out and whereby the counting of passengers riding in the people transportation device takes place by individually assigned detectors, characterized in that measuring is carried out in such a manner that a manipulation of the measuring with the purpose of increasing the number of passenger is impossible or at least made very difficult and that data acquired is processed, stored and whereby the measurement is executed several times or continuously and whereby the measuring device is disposed completely inside the vehicle. The present invention also provides a device for the execution of the process.

Claims

1. A process for tamper-proof measuring of vehicle occupancy of passengers in transportation means, comprising the steps of:

(1) disposing a measuring device completely inside the transportation means for automatic recording of passenger utilization data, said measurement being executed several times or continuously;

(2) automatically counting the number of passengers in the transportation means utilizing passenger detecting means individually assigned to each seat of the transportation means, said detecting means being sensitive solely to specific physical characteristics identifiable with human beings comprising breathing frequency, heartbeat, body move thereby assuring that the number of persons measured in the vehicle does not exceed the number of persons actually present, so that manipulation of occupancy data by deceitfully increasing the number of passengers is possible or at least made very difficult; and

(3) processing, storing and displaying the data recorded in the measuring device.

2. The process according to claim 1, wherein the data acquired in connection with passenger utilization are machine readable, read with or without contact, or output from the transportation means.

3. The process according to claim 1, wherein the passenger utilization data is linked with additional reference data, including one or more of miles driven, time driven, energy consumption, emission volume, and numbers of trips to create statistical data and/or motivation of a financial nature, regarding the taking along of passenger.

4. The process according to claim 3, wherein the data acquired by the measuring device at the end of accounting periods is output from the transportation means for evaluation and invoicing purposes.

5. The process according to claim 1, wherein the passengers to be detected are individually assigned a card which is connected with the measuring device for automatic recording of data.

6. The process according to claim 1 wherein said physical characteristic is breathing.

7. A device for tamper-proof measuring of vehicle occupancy of passengers in transportation means, comprising:

(1) a measuring device installed on the transportation means for detecting, processing, storing and displaying of passenger utilization data including the number of passengers in the transportation means; and

(2) passenger detecting means individually assigned to each seat of the transportation means and connected with the measuring device for automatic recording of the passenger utilization data, said detecting means being sensitive solely to specific physical characteristics identifiable with human beings comprising breathing frequency, heartbeat and body movement.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the measuring device further comprises an internal sensor system for plausibility check of data detected.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein said internal sensor system further comprises an acceleration sensor to check distance traveled and similar data.

10. The device according to claim 7, which further includes route recorder means, a passenger detection module and an evaluating switch and wherein passengers are detected in connection with said route recorder via said passenger detection module, whereby data is fed via a bus conduit to the measuring device through said evaluation switch.

11. The device according to claim 7 wherein said detecting means is sensitive to breathing.