Transport system user inspection

• US 9,520,003 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2015
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Inventors: Cowen, Michael J., Noe, James C.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THIEN MINH
• Application Number:
  US14/661,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20150269786A1
• Time in Patent Office: 636 Days
• Field of Search: 235/384, 235/492, 235/380, 235/375
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2272 Management thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/23 Updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/08 Payment architectures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/34 using cards, e.g. integrated circuit [IC] cards or magnetic cards
• 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 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration

Abstract

A method of inspecting a user device of a user of a transport system includes obtaining, by a portable inspection device, identification data of a user device of a user of a transport system; generating an inspection result of the user device, by an inspection system, in dependence on the read identification data and an item in a record within a database, wherein the record comprises a plurality of items each relating to entry data of a respective user device of a respective of users of the transport system; and conveying, by the portable inspection device, the result of the inspection.

Claims

1. A method of inspecting a user device of a user of a transport system, wherein an inspection system comprises a portable inspection device and a server, the server being remote from the portable inspection device, the method comprising:

obtaining, by the portable inspection device, identification data of the user device of the user of the transport system;

generating an inspection result of the user device, by the inspection system, in dependence on the read identification data and an item in a record within a database, wherein the record comprises a plurality of items each relating to entry data of a respective user device of a respective plurality of users of the transport system;

conveying, by the portable inspection device, the result of the inspection;

receiving, by the server, batches of entry data from a plurality of computing devices at a respective plurality of locations; and

generating, within a database, a second record in dependence on the received batches, wherein the second record comprises, for each location, determined time and status data of the most recently received batch from that location.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein obtaining identification data of a user device comprises reading the user device by the portable inspection device, and wherein conveying the result of the inspection comprises displaying, by the portable inspection device, the result of the inspection.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the user device is at least one of a contactless chip credit card, debit card, commercial card, prepaid card, charge card, mobile telephone, sticker, watch, key fob or any other form factor that is capable of making a contactless payment of the user.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein generating an inspection result of the user device comprises:

either searching, or performing a look-up, in the record with data dependent on the identification data; and

generating the inspection result in dependence on data dependent on the identification data corresponding to entry data of a user device in the record.

5. The method according to claim 4, the method further comprising:

transmitting the data dependent on the read identification data to the server, wherein said search, or look-up, of the record and determination of the inspection result are performed by the server;

transmitting the inspection result to the portable inspection device.

6. The method according to claim 4, the method further comprising:

transmitting, by the server, the record to the portable inspection device;

wherein said search, or look-up, of the record and determination of the inspection result are performed by the portable inspection device.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

reading, by an entry user device reader configured to record the entry of user devices to the transport system, the identification data of user devices that enter the transport system;

generating entry data for each user device, wherein the entry data is generated in dependence on the read identification data, the time that the entry user device reader read the user device of the user and the location of the entry user device reader; and

transmitting the entry data of each user device to the server.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the server, entry data of a plurality of user devices; and

generating, by the server, the record in dependence of the received entry data of the user devices such that, for each user device, the record comprises data dependent on the identification data of the user device associated with the time and location where the identification data of the user device was read.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

reading, by an exit user device reader configured to record the exit of user devices from the transport system, the identification data of user devices of users when the user devices exit the transport system;

generating exit data for each user device in dependence on the read identification data; and

transmitting the exit data of each user device to the server.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, by the server, exit data of a user device; and

amending the record in dependence of the received exit data of the user device, such that the entry data in the record for the user device is either excised or amended to indicate that it applies to a user device that has already exited the transport system.

11. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

inputting time and location data to the portable inspection device; and

determining, by the inspection system, a user device that has failed the inspection in dependence on the received time and location data and the data in the second record.

12. The method according to claim 11, the method further comprising:

transmitting time and location data input to the portable inspection device to the server, wherein said determination of a user device that has failed the inspection in dependence on the received time and location data and the data in the second record is made by the server; and

transmitting the determination result to the portable inspection device.

13. The method according to claim 11, the method further comprising transmitting, by the server, the second record to the portable inspection device;

wherein said determination of a user device that has failed the inspection in dependence on the received time and location data and the data in the second record is made by the portable inspection device.

14. A method of inspecting a user device of a user of a transport system, wherein an inspection system comprises a portable inspection device and a server, the server being remote from the portable inspection device, the method comprising:

obtaining, by the portable inspection device, identification data of the user device of the user of the transport system;

generating an inspection result of the user device, by the inspection system, in dependence on the read identification data and an item in a record within a database, wherein the record comprises a plurality of items each relating to entry data of a respective user device of a respective plurality of users of the transport system;

conveying, by the portable inspection device, the result of the inspection; and

further comprising a computing device for a location;

receiving entry data of a plurality of user devices from all of the entry user device readers at the location;

determining a time at which all of the received entry data, that has not already been transmitted to the server, is to be provided to the server;

generating a batch of entry data that has not already been transmitted to the server, the batch comprising received entry data at, or prior to, the determined time; and

transmitting the batch of entry data to the server, wherein the transmitted batch comprises time data that provides the determined time for the entry data comprised in the batch.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the transmitted batch further comprises:

location data that provides the location of the entry user device readers that generated the entry data of the batch; and

status data that indicates whether or not the batch comprises all of the received entry data by the computing device at, or prior to, the determined time and after a determined time of the previously transmitted batch to the server by the computing device.

16. An inspection system comprising a portable inspection device and a server, the server being remote from the portable inspection device, the inspection system being operative to perform a method of inspecting a user device of a user of a transport system comprising:

obtaining, by the portable inspection device, identification data of the user device of a user of the transport system;

generating an inspection result of the user device, by the inspection system, in dependence on the read identification data and an item in a record within a database, wherein the record comprises a plurality of items each relating to entry data of a respective user device of a respective plurality of users of the transport system;

conveying, by the portable inspection device, the result of the inspection;

receiving, by the server, batches of entry data from a plurality of computing devices at a respective plurality of locations; and

generating, within a database, a second record in dependence on the received batches, wherein the second record comprises, for each location, determined time and status data of the most recently received batch from that location.

17. The inspection system according to claim 16, the method performed by the inspection system further comprising:

inputting time and location data to the portable inspection device;

determining, by the inspection system, a user device that has failed the inspection in dependence on the received time and location data and the data in the second record.

18. The inspection system according to claim 17, the method performed by the inspection system further comprising:

transmitting, by the server, the second record to the portable inspection device;

wherein said determination of a user device that has failed the inspection in dependence on the received time and location data and the data in the second record is made by the portable inspection device.

19. An inspection system comprising a portable inspection device and a server, the server being remote from the portable inspection device, the inspection system being operative to perform a method of inspecting a user device of a user of a transport system comprising:

obtaining, by the portable inspection device, identification data of the user device of a user of the transport system;

generating an inspection result of the user device, by the inspection system, in dependence on the read identification data and an item in a record within a database, wherein the record comprises a plurality of items each relating to entry data of a respective user device of a respective plurality of users of the transport system; and

conveying, by the portable inspection device, the result of the inspection;

the inspection system further comprising a computing device for a location, the computing device being operative to;

receive entry data of a plurality of user devices from all of the entry user device readers at the location;

determine a time at which all of the received entry data, that has not already been transmitted to the server, is to be provided to the server;

generate a batch of entry data that has not already been transmitted to the server, the batch comprising received entry data at, or prior to, the determined time; and

transmit the batch of entry data to the server, wherein the transmitted batch comprises time data that provides the determined time for the entry data comprised in the batch.

20. The inspection system according to claim 19, wherein the transmitted batch further comprises:

location data that provides the location of the entry user device readers that generated the entry data of the batch; and

status data that indicates whether or not the batch comprises all of the received entry data by the computing device at, or prior to, the determined time and after a determined time of the previously transmitted batch to the server by the computing device.