Taxi payment system

• US 9,818,095 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2012
• Issued: 11/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Curb Mobility, LLC (Verifone Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verifone, Inc. (Verifone Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Altman, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Obaid, Fateh M
• Application Number:
  US14/347,312
• Publication Number:
  US 20140244410A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,861 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/00 Arrangements for holding or mounting articles, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0085 with adjustment by rotation in their operational position
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 13/02 Details; Accessories

Abstract

A taxi payment system including a point of sale device and a mounting assembly for mounting the point of sale device inside a taxi, the mounting assembly having at least two operative orientations, a first operative orientation in which the point of sale device is accessible to a taxi passenger and a second operative orientation in which the point of sale device is accessible to a taxi driver.

Claims

1. A mounting assembly for a point of sale device in a taxi comprising:

a point of sale device; and

a mounting assembly for mounting said point of sale device inside a taxi, said mounting assembly having at least two operative orientations comprising;

a first operative orientation in which said point of sale device is facing a back of said taxi and is accessible to a taxi passenger and a second operative orientation in which said point of sale device is rotated by at least 90 degrees from said first operative orientation to face a taxi driver and is accessible to said taxi driver.

2. The mounting assembly for a point of sale device in a taxi according to claim 1, said mounting assembly comprising a base element including a pivot plate portion defining a generally vertical pivot axis.

3. The mounting assembly for a point of sale device in a taxi according to claim 2, further comprising a point of sale mounting element including a pivot plate engaging portion configured to pivot relative to said pivot plate portion about said vertical pivot axis.

4. The mounting assembly for a point of sale device in a taxi according to claim 3, wherein said point of sale mounting element is pivotable about said vertical pivot axis through an angular range extending beyond 90 degrees.

5. The mounting assembly for a point of sale device in a taxi according to claim 1, said mounting assembly comprising a retaining element that is operative to retain said mounting assembly in either of said at least two operative orientations in the absence of the application of a rotation force thereto by either the taxi driver or the taxi passenger.

6. The mounting assembly for a point of sale device in a taxi according to claim 5, wherein said retaining element is configured for removable engagement with a selectable one of two apertures formed in a pivot plate portion, thereby to removably retain said mounting assembly in a corresponding selectable one of said at least two operative orientations.

7. The mounting assembly for a point of sale device in a taxi according to claim 5, said retaining element comprising an over-center spring arrangement including a tension spring having a first end thereof mounted on a first portion of said mounting assembly and a second end thereof mounted on a second portion of said mounting assembly and the second end is rotatable relative to said first portion.

8. The mounting assembly for a point of sale device in a taxi according to claim 1, said mounting assembly comprising a headrest post mounting portion for mounting onto headrest posts of a vehicle passenger seat.

9. The mounting assembly for a point of sale device in a taxi according to claim 8, said headrest post mounting portion comprising an elongate element having apertures extending therethrough for accommodating said headrest posts.

10. The mounting assembly for a point of sale device in a taxi according to claim 9, said elongate element comprising a pair of side cut-outs communicating with said apertures, thereby enabling side mounting of said elongate element onto said headrest posts without requiring removal of a headrest attached thereto.

11. The mounting assembly for a point of sale device in a taxi according to claim 2, said mounting assembly further comprising a retaining element that is operative to retain said mounting assembly in either of said at least two operative orientations in the absence of the application of a rotation force thereto by either the taxi driver or the taxi passenger.

12. The mounting assembly for a point of sale device in a taxi according to claim 3, said mounting assembly further comprising a retaining element that is operative to retain said mounting assembly in either of said at least two operative orientations in the absence of the application of a rotation force thereto by either a taxi driver or a taxi passenger.

13. The mounting assembly for a point of sale device in a taxi according to claim 4, said mounting assembly further comprising a retaining element that is operative to retain said mounting assembly in either of said at least two operative orientations in the absence of the application of a rotation force thereto by either the taxi driver or the taxi passenger.

14. The mounting assembly for a point of sale device in a taxi according to claim 11, said retaining element comprising an over-center spring arrangement including a tension spring having a first end thereof mounted on a first portion of said mounting assembly and a second end thereof mounted on a second portion of said mounting assembly, which second end is rotatable relative to said first portion.

15. The mounting assembly for a point of sale device in a taxi according to claim 12, said retaining element comprising an over-center spring arrangement including a tension spring having a first end thereof mounted on a first portion of said mounting assembly and a second end thereof mounted on a second portion of said mounting assembly, which second end is rotatable relative to said first portion.

16. The mounting assembly for a point of sale device in a taxi according to claim 13, said retaining element comprising an over-center spring arrangement including a tension spring having a first end thereof mounted on a first portion of said mounting assembly and a second end thereof mounted on a second portion of said mounting assembly, which second end is rotatable relative to said first portion.

17. The mounting assembly for a point of sale device in a taxi according to claim 2, said mounting assembly comprising a headrest post mounting portion for mounting onto headrest posts of a vehicle passenger seat.

18. The mounting assembly for a point of sale device in a taxi according to claim 3, said mounting assembly comprising a headrest post mounting portion for mounting onto headrest posts of a vehicle passenger seat.

19. The mounting assembly for a point of sale device in a taxi according to claim 4, said mounting assembly further comprising a headrest post mounting portion for mounting onto headrest posts of a vehicle passenger seat.

20. The mounting assembly for a point of sale device in a taxi according to claim 5, said mounting assembly further comprising a headrest post mounting portion for mounting onto headrest posts of a vehicle passenger seat.