Modular architecture for fare collection systems

• US 9,437,050 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2015
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cubic Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cubic Corporation
• Inventors: Hilton, Michael, Busch-Sorensen, Katarzyna, Mistry, Pradip
• Primary Examiner(s): Hess, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US14/962,325
• Publication Number:
  US 20160163120A1
• Time in Patent Office: 273 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379, 235/384, 194/350
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1658 related to the mounting of internal components, e.g. disc drive or any other functional module
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• 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: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0254 comprising one or a plurality of mechanically detachable modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/04 including near field communication means, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver

Abstract

A fare device having modular architecture includes a display module that controls inputs and outputs of a display of the device, a fare media reader module that sends and receives data from a fare media and processes fare transactions conducted using the fare media as payment, and an external communications module that communicates external data with one or more remote devices. A controller controls operation of the modules. A carrier board includes one or more mountings with which to communicatively couple each respective module with the at least one controller and a common communications interface coupled between the one or more mountings and the at least one controller such that each of the modules is communicatively coupled with the at least one controller. The interface includes a single communications protocol and each module has a translation element that translates a native communications protocol of a corresponding module to protocol.

Claims

1. A portable fare collection device having modular architecture, comprising:

a plurality of modules comprising;

a display module configured to control inputs and outputs of a display of the portable fare collection device;

a fare media reader module configured to send and receive data from a fare media and to process fare transactions conducted using the fare media as payment; and

an external communications module configured for communication of external data with one or more remote devices;

at least one controller configured to control operation of one or more of the modules; and

a carrier board comprising;

a plurality of mountings with which to communicatively couple each of the plurality of modules with the at least one controller;

a common communications interface coupled between the plurality of mountings and the at least one controller such that each of the plurality of modules is communicatively coupled with the at least one controller; and

a plurality of translation elements coupled between each of the plurality of modules and the at least one controller such that information communicated from each of the plurality of modules to the at least one controller via the common communications interface passes through at least one of the one or more translation elements, wherein the one or more translation elements are configured to translate a native communications protocol of a corresponding module to a single communications protocol such that exchanging a first component for a second component of a single module only requires reprogramming one of the plurality of translation elements without the need to reprogram the remaining translation elements corresponding to other modules that were not exchanged.

2. The portable fare collection device having modular architecture of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one controller comprises a separate controller for each of the plurality of modules.

3. The portable fare collection device having modular architecture of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one controller comprises a plurality of controllers, each of the plurality of controllers being configured to control operation of at least one distinct module.

4. The portable fare collection device having modular architecture of claim 1, wherein:

the single communications protocol comprises Ethernet.

5. The portable fare collection device having modular architecture of claim 1, further comprising:

a global positioning satellite (GPS) module.

6. The portable fare collection device having modular architecture of claim 1, wherein:

the fare reader module comprises a contactless card interface configured to communicate with one or both of Type A and Type B contactless smart cards.

7. The portable fare collection device having modular architecture of claim 1, wherein:

the external communications module comprises one or more of wireless and wired communications interfaces.

8. The portable fare collection device having modular architecture of claim 1, wherein:

each of the plurality of modules comprises several sub-modules, each sub-module within a module having a related functionality such that a number of interfaces of the at least one controller are minimized.

9. The portable fare collection device having modular architecture of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of mountings comprise at least one more mounting than current modules to support an additional module.

10. The portable fare collection device having modular architecture of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of translation elements comprise a TCP/IP stack.

11. A method for manufacturing a portable fare device having modular architecture, the method comprising:

coupling a display module configured to control inputs and outputs of a display of the portable fare collection device to a common communications interface of a carrier board of a portable fare device;

coupling a fare media reader module configured to send and receive data from a fare media and to process fare transactions conducted using the fare media as payment to the common communications interface;

coupling an external communications module configured for communication of external data with one or more remote devices to the common communications interface; and

coupling at least one controller to the common communications interface such that the at least one controller controls operation of at least one of a plurality of modules;

wherein the common communications interface comprises a single communications protocol;

wherein the portable fare device comprises a plurality of translation elements coupled between each of the plurality of modules and the at least one controller such that information communicated from each of the plurality of modules to the at least one controller via the common communications interface passes through at least one of the one or more translation elements, wherein the one or more translation elements are configured to translate a native communications protocol of a corresponding module to a single communications protocol such that exchanging a first component for a second component of a single module only requires reprogramming one of the plurality of translation elements without the need to reprogram the remaining translation elements corresponding to other modules that were not exchanged.

12. The method for manufacturing a portable fare device having modular architecture of claim 11, wherein:

the at least one controller comprises a separate controller for each of the plurality of modules.

13. The method for manufacturing a portable fare device having modular architecture of claim 11, wherein:

the at least one controller comprises a plurality of controllers, each of the plurality of controllers being configured to control operation of at least one distinct module.

14. The method for manufacturing a portable fare device having modular architecture of claim 11, wherein:

the single communications protocol comprises Ethernet.

15. The method for manufacturing a portable fare device having modular architecture of claim 11, further comprising:

communicatively coupling a global positioning satellite (GPS) module to the common communications interface.

16. The method for manufacturing a portable fare device having modular architecture of claim 11, wherein:

the fare reader module comprises a contactless card interface configured to communicate with one or both of Type A and Type B contactless smart cards.

17. The method for manufacturing a portable fare device having modular architecture of claim 11, wherein:

the external communications module comprises one or more of wireless and wired communications interfaces.

18. The method for manufacturing a portable fare device having modular architecture of claim 11, wherein:

each of the plurality of modules comprises several sub-modules, each sub-module within a module having a related functionality such that a number of interfaces of the at least one controller are minimized.

19. The method for manufacturing a portable fare device having modular architecture of claim 11, wherein the portable fare device further comprises:

a plurality of mountings with which to communicatively couple each of the plurality of modules with the at least one controller.

20. The method for manufacturing a portable fare device having modular architecture of claim 11, wherein:

the plurality of translation elements comprise a TCP/IP stack.