Ticketing system for personal rapid transit

• US 7,617,977 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2006
• Issued: 11/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taxi 2000 Corp.
• Original Assignee: Taxi 2000 Corp.
• Inventors: Mathews, Donald H. III, Poskey, Jeral G.
• Primary Examiner(s): FRANKLIN, JAMARA ALZAIDA
• Application Number:
  US11/452,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20070288307A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,253 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/380, 235/382, 235/384, 705/13, 340988-996, 701 1-302
• US Class Current: 235/384
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/045 using payment protocols involving tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• 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: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards

Abstract

A ticketing system for a transportation network comprising (a) at least one ticket having trip data that includes at least one destination within a transportation network, (b) a vehicle for transporting an item along the transportation network, and (c) a ticket reader configured and arranged to electronically read trip data on the ticket and assign a vehicle to travel along the transportation network in accordance with the trip data.

Claims

1. A ticketing system for a transportation network comprising:

(a) at least one ticket having trip data defining a trip that includes at least one destination within a transportation network,

(b) a vehicle for transporting an item along the transportation network wherein the item is a human,

(c) a ticket reader configured and arranged to electronically read trip data on the ticket and assign the vehicle to travel along a path on the transportation network in accordance with the trip data, and

(d) a control system configured and arranged to control movement of the vehicle as the vehicle travels along the path.

2. The ticketing system of claim 1 wherein the trip data includes a plurality of destinations within a transportation network.

3. The ticketing system of claim 1 wherein the ticket is a magnetic strip card.

4. The ticketing system of claim 1 wherein the ticket is an electronic ticket residing in computer memory on a computer network.

5. The ticketing system of claim 1 wherein travel of the vehicle along the transportation network is unscheduled until the ticket reader assigns the vehicle to travel along the transportation network in accordance with trip data read from the ticket.

6. A ticketing system for a transportation network comprising:

(a) at least one payment card having data identifying an account,

(b) a vehicle for transporting an item along a path on a transportation network,

(c) a control system configured and arranged to control movement of the vehicle as the vehicle travels along the path, and

(d) a check-in system configured and arranged to electronically (i) read account data from the payment card, (ii) interface with a human to receive trip data defining a trip that includes at least one destination within the transportation network, (iii) assign the vehicle to travel along the path on the transportation network in accordance with the trip data, and (iv) charge the account for the trip.

7. The ticketing system of claim 6 wherein the item is a parcel or package.

8. The ticketing system of claim 6 wherein the item is a human.

9. The ticketing system of claim 8 wherein the trip data includes a plurality of destinations within the transportation network.

10. The ticketing system of claim 6 wherein the payment card is reusable.

11. The ticketing system of claim 9 wherein the payment card is a magnetic strip card.

12. The ticketing system of claim 6 wherein the payment card is an electronic payment card residing in computer memory on a computer network.

13. The ticketing system of claim 6 wherein travel of the vehicle along the transportation network is unscheduled until the check-in system assigns the vehicle to travel along the transportation network in accordance with trip data received by the check-in system.

14. A ticketing system for a transportation network comprising:

(a) at least one ticket having (i) trip data defining a trip that includes at least one destination within a transportation network, and (ii) data identifying an account,

(b) a vehicle for transporting an item along a path on the transportation network,

(c) a control system configured and arranged to control movement of the vehicle as the vehicle travels along the path, and

(d) a ticket reader configured and arranged to electronically read the trip data on the ticket, assign the vehicle to travel along the path on the transportation network in accordance with the trip data, and charge the account for the trip.

15. The ticketing system of claim 14 wherein the item is a parcel or package.

16. The ticketing system of claim 14 wherein the item is a human.

17. The ticketing system of claim 16 wherein the trip data includes a plurality of destinations within the transportation network.

18. The ticketing system of claim 14 wherein the ticket is a magnetic strip card.

19. The ticketing system of claim 14 wherein the ticket is an electronic ticket residing in computer memory on a computer network.

20. The ticketing system of claim 14 wherein travel of the vehicle along the transportation network is unscheduled until the ticket reader assigns the vehicle to travel along the transportation network in accordance with trip data read from the ticket.