Method of paying for a service

• US 20040006512A1
• Filed: 07/03/2003
• Published: 01/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Siemens Transit Telematic Systems AG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Transit Telematic Systems AG (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Rebsamen, Aldo
• Application Number:
  US10/611,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20040006512A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0652 e-cash with decreasing value according to a parameter, e.g. time
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network 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 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02

Abstract

When registering electronic tickets by means of a transmitter/receiver unit located in a railway carriage, for charging purposes data is created in a remote computer system which yields a movement profile for the persons using such tickets. For the anonymous prepaid registration of tickets it is proposed that a shadow account be maintained on the tickets to which postings are made using provisional tariff units contained in transmitted information units. In the remote computer system, a booking or posting is made to an account assigned to the respective ticket, using definitive tariff units contained in tariff tables. When a prepayment is made or at certain points in time the balance of the shadow account is synchronized with the balance on the remote computer system. As a result of the fact that the value of the provisional tariff unit is greater than that of the definitive tariff unit and/or that a discounting scheme can be implemented on the account on the remote computer system, a safety measure of excess balance is present on the ticket account balance.

Claims

1. A method of paying for a service with a ticket, said ticket comprising storage and communication means, the method comprising the steps of:

maintaining a shadow account on said ticket;

determining a provisional tariff for said service;

posting said provisional tariff to said shadow account thereby generating an updated shadow account balance, said posting being in response to a registration for said service;

generating a first data field comprising indication of said registration and ticket identification;

transmitting said data field to a computer, said computer including storage means having ticket associated records, said records including a second data field comprising indication of an actual account; and

posting an actual tariff to said actual account thereby generating an updated actual account balance.

transmitting third data fields from a transceiver to said ticket, said third data fields comprising identification of said service and said provisional tariff;

storing said third data fields in storage means of said ticket;

transmitting fourth data fields from said ticket to said transceiver, said fourth data fields comprising identification of service location and said ticket identity;

adding date and time information to said fourth data fields so as to generate modified fourth data fields

storing said modified fourth data fields in a storage means associated with said transceiver

transmitting said modified fourth data fields from said transceiver to said remote computer;

calculating an actual cost based upon at least said actual tariff, service, and service location;

booking said actual cost to said actual account; and

saving said updated actual account balance associated with said ticket in a storage medium.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein,

said third data field further comprises said provisional tariff;

said ticket comprises a display element for displaying information; and

said method further comprises the step of;

displaying said updated shadow account balance and said provisional tariff on said display.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein,

said ticket further comprises a display;

and said method further comprises the step of;

broadcasting a fifth data field so as to cause tickets located within a range of said broadcasting to display said provisional tariff and said updated shadow account balance on said display.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein,

said step of broadcasting is performed from at least one transmitter to a plurality of areas defining at least one of a boarding zone and a passageway zone.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein,

wherein said tickets are located within said areas.

6. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting said updated actual modified account balance to said ticket; and

replacing said shadow account balance with said account balance.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said steps of transmitting said updated actual modified account balance and replacing said shadow account balance are performed periodically.

8. The method according to claim 2, wherein

said ticket further comprises an actuating element;

and said method further comprising the step of;

setting at least one of a registered service and charging-related parameters by means of said actuation element.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said ticket comprises an on/off switch.

10. The method according to claim 3, wherein

said ticket further comprises an actuating element;

and said method further comprising the step of;

setting at least one of a registered service and charging-related parameters by means of said actuation element.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said ticket comprises an on/off switch.

12. The method according to claim 2, wherein:

said third data field comprises and indication of said shadow account balance; and

said computer is functionally associated with said transceiver;

and further comprising the steps of;

transmitting said shadow account balance to said computer;

comparing said balance of said shadow account with said provisional tariff; and

displaying an identifier of a ticket having a shadow account balance less than said provisional tariff.

13. The method according to claim 3, wherein:

said third data field comprises and indication of said shadow account balance; and

said computer is functionally associated with said transceiver;

and further comprising the steps of;

transmitting said shadow account balance to said computer;

comparing said balance of said shadow account with said provisional tariff; and

displaying an identifier of a ticket having a shadow account balance less than said provisional tariff.

14. The method according to claim 2, wherein said step of storing is limited to fields identifying said ticket.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein said step of storing further comprises the step of assigning a plurality of fields identifying said ticket to a one of said ticket accounts.

16. The method according to claim 3, wherein said step of storing is limited to fields identifying said ticket.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said step of storing further comprises the step of assigning a plurality of fields identifying said ticket to a one of said ticket accounts.

18. The method according to claim 2, wherein said steps of posting are dependent upon at least one of a sum of said actual tariff, timing of said service, and type of service.

19. The method according to claim 3, wherein said steps of posting are dependent upon at least one of a sum of said actual tariff, timing of said service, and type of service.

20. The method according to claim 2, wherein said computer is functionally associated with a database, said database comprising data records identifying said tickets, said data records periodically updated so as to indicate an updated actual account balance and ticket usage status.