Travel system and methods utilizing multi-application traveler cards

• US 6,609,658 B1
• Filed: 05/01/2000
• Issued: 08/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Richard P. Sehr
• Original Assignee: Richard P. Sehr
• Inventors: Sehr, Richard P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Diane I.
• Application Number:
  US09/562,741
• Time in Patent Office: 1,212 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/376, 235/378, 235/380, 235/382, 235/384, 235/492, 902/1, 902/4, 902/5, 705/5, 705/6, 705/13, 705/17, 705/44
• US Class Current: 235/384
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/045 using payment protocols involving tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/355 Personalisation of cards for use
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3576 Multiple memory zones on card
• 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 2209/41 with means for the generation of identity documents
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/25 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

A travel system and methods that encompass a plurality of travel service providers and multi-application traveler cards for the automated compilation, issuance, and utilization of the traveler cards for said plurality of travel services, including the implementation of related application scenarios. The multi-application cards are realized by portable device technologies, such as, smart cards or pocket-sized computer devices, and have the ability to store and activate a traveler'"'"'s permit for transportation and other travel services; as well as a monetary value for electronic payment means. Biometrics identification of cardholders, as well as cryptographic certification of card data and travel-related information, can optionally be encoded onto the cards and can be verified, including validated, at various point-of-service locations upon presentation of the card for utilization.

Claims

1. A method for utilizing a portable passenger card for a plurality of travel services, the method comprising the steps of:

storing in said portable passenger card an use right qualifying a particular cardholder for a traveling service from among said plurality of travel services;

subsequently coupling the passenger card to a travel service provider database;

automatically uploading said use right by the card to the service provider database; and

verifying by the database the uploaded right; and

if the verification is successful, then providing said traveling service to said particular cardholder;

and otherwise, denying delivery of said use right via the card;

wherein said traveling service comprising the right to use the travel service comprising a rental car, the method comprising the steps of;

storing in the card a car reservation data comprising a confirmation number guaranteeing the reservation of said rental car;

subsequently coupling the card to a rental car database;

automatically uploading by the card said confirmation number to the database,

verifying by the database the uploaded number and if successful, then automatically compiling a rental car contract, the compiling step comprising;

automatically inputting by the database into said rental car contract a set of database information; and

automatically retrieving by the database a set of card data from the portable card and inputting by the database the retrieved data into said rental car contract; and

storing the compiled contract into the card;

wherein said use right further comprising a means for gaining access to said rental car;

the step comprising;

subsequently coupling the card to a control module monitoring access to the car;

uploading by the card said means for gaining access to the module;

verifying by the module the uploaded means for gaining access; and

if successful, then allowing access to said rental car; and

otherwise, denying access to the car;

said step of verifying by the module the uploaded means for gaining access comprising;

retrieving by said control module from the card a card data comprising said rental car contract; and

comparing by the module said car license number and a date included in the uploaded card data; and

if said car license number and said date match a particular license number and a particular date provided via said control module, then allowing access to said rental car.

2. The method in claim 1 wherein said portable passenger card is a smart card comprising a memory for storing said use right.

3. The method in claim 1 wherein said portable passenger card is a pocket-sized computer.

4. The method in claim 1 wherein said use right comprising a card-based ticket valid for a particular transportation carrier, the method further comprising the steps of:

automatically retrieving by said travel service provider database said card-based ticket from the card; and

comparing by the provider database the retrieved ticket against an information previously stored in the database; and

if the comparison is successful, then allowing usage of said card-based ticket for said particular transportation carrier; and

otherwise, denying usage of the ticket;

said particular transportation carrier comprising a public transportation means useable via said card-based ticket;

said card-based ticket comprising a price that was paid for the issuance of said card-based ticket;

said information stored in the database comprising a ticket price that is due for using said public transportation means.

5. The method in claim 4 wherein the step of comparing the card-based ticket against the database information comprising:

verifying by the database if said price stored in the card represents a special price category; and

if affirmative, then determining and conveying by the database a predefined requirement said particular cardholder has to meet in order to qualify for said special price category; and

otherwise, comparing by the database said price retrieved from the card against said ticket price previously stored in the database.

6. The method in claim 5 wherein said predefined requirement comprising a predetermined age said particular cardholder has to have when using said card-based ticket, the method further comprising:

retrieving from the card and uploading to the database the cardholder'"'"'s DOB (Date Of Birth) previously stored in the card;

subtracting by the database the DOB from an automated date including present year provided to the database, such as to establish said particular cardholder'"'"'s age; and

comparing the established age against said predefined requirement including said predetermined age; and

if there is a match including correlation, then confirming by the database that said particular cardholder is qualified for said special price category; and

otherwise, computing by the database a price difference said particular cardholder has to pay for the usage of said particular transportation carrier.

7. The method in claim 1, further including the step of automatically paying for said traveling service;

the paying step comprising;

storing a payment form including a monetary value in said portable passenger card;

subsequently coupling the card to said travel service provider database to pay for said traveling service;

automatically debiting/crediting said monetary value directly in the card, with no online authorization calls to remote entities being necessary;

communicating by the card the debited/credited payment value to the provider database;

verifying by the database the communicated payment value;

earmarking by the database the verified payment with a security key; and

forwarding the earmarked payment for clearing purposes;

said security key comprising a means for ensuring that the forwarded payment will be deposited to a particular service provider'"'"'s account.

8. The method in claim 1 wherein said set of database information comprising a license number of said rental car;

and said set of card data comprising a cardholder personal information.

9. The method in claim 1 wherein said access to said rental card comprising starting the ignition of said rental car including opening the door of said rental car.

10. The method in claim 1, further including the steps of:

storing in the card a street map including a layout of the parking lot said rental car is parked at;

subsequently inputting into the card a said license number; and

in response to inputting the license number, automatically conveying by the card the car'"'"'s location within the parking lot.

11. The method in claim 10, further including the steps of:

displaying said layout on said portable passenger card; and

in response to inputting the car'"'"'s license number, automatically pinpointing including displaying by the card the car'"'"'s location onto said layout.

12. The method in claim 1, further including the step of settling a rental car bill which is due for using said rental car;

the step comprising;

subsequently utilizing and returning said rental car;

coupling the card to said rental car database and uploading the card-based contract to the database; and

based upon data retrieved from the card-based contract, automatically compiling by the database said rental car bill.

13. The method in claim 12, further including the steps of:

automatically compiling by the database said rental car bill based upon additional data inputted into the database;

downloading by the database the compiled bill into the card; and

storing into the card the bill including amount of payment due;

said additional data comprising the number of mileage driven including days used by said rental car.

14. The method in claim 1, further including the step of computing by said travel service provider database a set of frequent usage points in exchange for using said traveling service;

the computing step comprising;

coupling the card to the database upon said traveling service including said rental car contract has been concluded; and

in response thereto, automatically compiling and storing by the database the usage points in said portable passenger card;

said set of frequent usage points being earned for driving said rental car.

15. The method in claim 1 wherein said use right comprising a parking permit to be used by a vehicle for parking throughout a parking lot;

the method comprising the steps of;

parking said vehicle at a location in said parking lot;

presenting including coupling said portable passenger card to a parking control module;

automatically compiling by the control module said parking permit including a time stamp; and

storing by the module the permit including the stamp into the card;

subsequently picking up said vehicle from said parking lot;

coupling the card to said parking control module;

retrieving by the module said parking permit previously stored in the card; and

based upon the retrieved permit, automatically conveying by the control module said location said vehicle is parked at;

said parking permit comprising said parking lot'"'"'s layout including the location coordinates said vehicle is parked at.

16. The method in claim 15, further including the step of displaying onto said portable passenger card said parking lot'"'"'s layout;

and in response to inputting into the card said vehicle'"'"'s license number, automatically pinpointing by the card said vehicle'"'"'s location onto the displayed layout.

17. The method in claim 15, further including the step of:

proceeding to said location and driving said vehicle to said parking lot'"'"'s exit;

presenting and coupling the card to said parking lot'"'"'s exit ramp;

retrieving by the exit ramp said time stamp including the date/time of arrival previously stored in the card;

automatically subtracting by the ramp the arrival date/time from the actual date/time of exit; and

based upon the result, automatically compiling including conveying by the ramp a parking fee due for the provided parking service.

18. The method in claim 1 wherein said use right comprising a monetary value to be used as legal tender for crossing a toll bridge, the method comprising:

presenting said portable passenger card for paying a required toll which is due by a particular vehicle;

coupling the card to said toll bridge comprising a control module; and

in response to coupling the card, automatically compiling by said control module said required toll;

the compiling step comprising;

determining a set of factors said required toll is a function of;

based upon said set of factors, automatically computing by the module an amount of payment due; and

automatically debiting/crediting said amount of payment from said monetary value previously stored in the card.

19. The method in claim 18 wherein said set of factors comprising a plurality of conditions consisting of a number of passengers in said particular vehicle, a type of said particular vehicle, a weight of said particular vehicle, or a combination thereof;

said number and said type being determined via a camera in communication with said control module; and

said weight being determined via a weight station in communication with said control module.

20. The method in claim 1 wherein said traveling service comprising the right to use a hotel accommodation, the method comprising the steps of:

storing in the card a hotel reservation data comprising a confirmation number guaranteeing the reservation for said hotel accommodation;

subsequently coupling the card to a hotel reservation database;

automatically uploading by the card said confirmation number to the database; and

verifying by the database the uploaded number and if successful, then automatically compiling by the database a registration slip;

the compiling step comprising;

automatically compiling including inputting into said registration slip a set of card data; and

storing the compiled registration slip into the card;

said registration slip comprising a hotel room number;

said card data comprising a cardholder credit/debit card number previously stored in said portable passport card;

said set of card data being automatically located and retrieved by the card.

21. The method in claim 20, further including the steps of:

storing in the card a room access key for gaining access to a particular hotel room;

subsequently coupling the card to a control module monitoring access to hotel rooms including said particular hotel room;

uploading by the card a card data comprising said room access key to said control module;

verifying by the module the uploaded data including said room access key; and

if the verification is successful, then allowing access to said particular room; and

otherwise, denying access to, the room;

said card data further comprising a date said room access key is valid for.

22. The method in claim 20, further including the step of compiling a hotel bill due for said hotel accommodation;

the step comprising;

subsequently coupling the card to said hotel reservation database;

uploading by the card said hotel room number to the database;

in response to the uploading, retrieving including compiling by the database said hotel bill;

downloading by the database the compiled bill into the card;

in response to the downloading, deducting by the card a monetary value previously stored in the card;

uploading by the card the deducted value to the database to pay for said hotel accommodation; and

upon acceptance of said monetary value, automatically compiling by the database a receipt and storing said receipt into the card.

23. The method in claim 22, wherein said receipt stored in the card comprising a set of frequent usage points being earned in exchange for using said hotel accommodation.