Transit account management with mobile device messaging

• US 8,942,677 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2012
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cubic Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cubic Corporation
• Inventors: Dixon, Philip B., Cook, Timothy, Mistry, Pradip, Koenig, Janet, deKozan, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, CONGVAN
• Application Number:
  US13/610,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20130066689A1
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• Field of Search: 455/403, 455/406, 455/408, 455/412.1, 455/414.1, 455/466, 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 705/64, 705/75, 705/14.15, 705/14.51
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/349 Rechargeable cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• 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: 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

Abstract

Embodiments of systems, methods, and machine-readable media are disclosed for enabling the management of a transit user account of a transit system with a mobile device. Embodiments of a transit system utilizing such transit user accounts are also disclosed. Embodiments for enabling a mobile device to manage a transit user account can include receiving an identification code of a fare media and receiving contact information of the mobile device. The transit user account, which can be used in transactions of the transit system associated with the fare media, can be created using user information and a passcode. Additionally, the mobile device can be authenticated by sending at least one message to the mobile device and receiving at least one message from the mobile device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, at a transit system from a mobile device, an account management request that includes information identifying the mobile device and a particular account management command;

associating, by the transit system, the mobile device with a transit user account based on the information identifying the mobile device;

determining, by the transit system, whether funding is required to implement the particular account management command;

sending, by the transit system to a funding source associated with a user of the mobile device, a request for transfer of funds to a product associated with the transit user account when funding is required to implement the particular account management command; and

sending, by the transit system to the mobile device, an account management response that includes an indication of completed transfer of funds to the product associated with the transit user account when the transfer of funds is complete, and an indication of incompleted transfer of funds to the product associated with the transit user account when the transfer of funds is incomplete.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether a transaction fee is associated with the account management request.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining that a transaction fee of zero amount is associated with the account management request.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the account management request comprises a query to identify a balance of the transit user account; and

the account management response specifies the balance of the transit user account.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the account management request comprises a query to determine a status of the transit user account; and

the account management response specifies the status of the transit user account as active or inactive.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the account management request comprises a command to enroll with the transit system particular transit fare media other than the mobile device; and

the account management response includes confirmation of enrollment of the particular transit fare media with the transit system.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the account management request comprises a command to activate particular transit fare media other than the mobile device, the method further comprising:

associating the transit user account with the particular transit fare media such that the transit fare media can be used in transactions with the transit system; and

including, in the account management response, confirmation of activation of the particular transit fare media with the transit system.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining that a transaction fee of non-zero amount is associated with the account management request.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the account management request comprises a command to add a predetermined amount of value to a product associated with the transit user account; and

the account management response specifies confirmation or denial of addition of the predetermined amount of value to the product associated with the transit user account.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the account management request comprises a command to add a user-specified amount of value to a product associated with the transit user account; and

the account management response specifies confirmation or denial of addition of the user-specified amount of value to the product associated with the transit user account.

11. A computing system, comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory communicatively coupled to at least one processor, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to implement at least one module to enable a user of a mobile device to manage a transit user account using the mobile device, the transit user account associated with the mobile device and used in transactions with a transit system, the at least one module configured to;

detect receipt, from the mobile device, of an account management request that includes information identifying the mobile device and a particular account management command;

determine whether funding is required to implement the particular account management command;

send to a funding source associated with the user of the mobile device a request for transfer of funds to a product associated with the transit user account when funding is required to implement the particular account management command; and

send to the mobile device an account management response that includes an indication of completed transfer of funds to the product associated with the transit user account when the transfer of funds is complete, and an indication of incompleted transfer of funds to the product associated with the transit user account when the transfer of funds is incomplete.

12. The computing system of claim 11, wherein the at least one module is further configured to determine whether the transit user account is a valid account prior to a sending of the account management response message.

13. The computing system of claim 12, wherein the at least one module is further configured to send an error message to the mobile device upon determination that the transit user account is an invalid account.

14. The computing system of claim 11, wherein the at least one module is further configured to, prior to a sending of the account management response message, determine whether a transaction fee is associated with the account management request message.