Transport system user inspection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9520003-B2
Application number	US-201514661851-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2015
Priority date	Mar 19, 2014
Publication date	Dec 13, 2016
Grant date	Dec 13, 2016

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.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

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 dev

Assignees

• Mastercard International Inc

Inventors

• Cowen Michael J
• Noe James C

Classifications

• G07C9/27

  with central registration · CPC title

• G07C9/22

  in combination with an identity check of the pass holder · CPC title

• G07B15/00 Primary

  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 title

• H04L67/12 Primary

  specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks · CPC title

• G07B11/00 Primary

  Apparatus for validating or cancelling issued tickets · CPC title