Method for registering a ticket medium

Abstract

A method of registering a ticket medium for use of a transport service, including detecting, by a validator device of a transit system, at least one electronic medium identifier of an unregistered ticket medium used for a use of the transport service, transmitting an identification data set containing at least the detected electronic medium identifier to a computing device that generates and outputs a billing data set based at least on the transmitted electronic identification data set, wherein the billing data set contains at least one transaction identifier associated with the used transport service. At least the transaction identifier is associated to the electronic medium identifier and the association is stored. The computing device receives at least one registration message containing at least the transaction identifier of the output billing data set and determines the electronic medium identifier based on at least the at least one stored association and the transaction identifier of the received registration message. Registering the unregistered ticket medium by creating a user data set containing at least the determined electronic medium identifier.

Claims

1. A method of registering a ticket medium for use of a transport service, comprising: detecting, by a validator device of a transit system, at least one electronic medium identifier of an unregistered ticket medium used for a use of the transport service, transmitting an identification data set containing at least the detected electronic medium identifier to a computing device, generating, by the computing device, a billing data set based at least on the transmitted electronic identification data set, wherein the billing data set contains at least one transaction identifier associated with the used transport service, associating, by the computing device, at least the transaction identifier to the electronic medium identifier, storing, by the computing device, of at least the association of the electronic medium identifier to the transaction identifier, outputting, by the computing device, the generated billing data set, receiving, by the computing device, at least one registration message containing at least the transaction identifier of the output billing data set, determining, by the computing device, the electronic medium identifier based on at least the at least one stored association of the transaction identifier to the electronic medium identifier and the transaction identifier of the received registration message; and registering, by the computing device, the unregistered ticket medium by creating a user data set containing at least the determined electronic medium identifier.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining of the electronic medium identifier comprises at least a comparing of the transaction identifier of the received registration message with the at least one stored transaction identifier.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein creating a user data set comprises storing at least one further user datum, wherein the at least one further user datum is selected from the group, comprising: user name, address data of the user, user password, billing data, transport service tariff data, account data, data of further payment media, association to a user group.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transaction identifier is a unique transaction identifier.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the outputting of the generated billing data set is in the form of an account statement.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the billing data set contains at least one further billing datum, wherein the associating comprises at least an associating of the transaction identifier and the further billing datum to the electronic medium identifier, wherein the storing comprises at least a storing of the association of the electronic medium identifier to the transaction identifier and the further billing datum, wherein the registration message contains at least the transaction identifier and the further billing datum, and wherein the determining of the electronic medium identifier comprises at least a determining of the electronic medium identifier based on the at least one stored association from the electronic medium identifier to the transaction identifier and the further billing datum and on the transaction identifier and the further billing datum of the received registration message.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the at least one further billing datum is a billing datum from the group, consisting of: an amount to be payable for the used transport service, a tariff characteristic applied to the used transport service, a time datum related to the used transport service, and a location datum related to the used transport service.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic medium identifier is a coded Primary Account Number PAN.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: checking, by the computing device, whether an amount to be payable for the used transport service has been paid within a specific period of time, and sending, by the computing device, a blocking message to the at least one validator device in such a way that the use of the ticket medium is blocked at the at least one validator device.

10. A computing device of a transit system, comprising: at least one identification receiving module configured to receive an electronic identification data set, generated by a validator device of the transit system, of an unregistered ticket medium used to use a transport service, wherein the electronic identification data set contains at least one electronic medium identifier of the unregistered ticket medium detected by the validator device, at least one billing module configured to generate a billing data set based at least on the received electronic identification data set and the used transport service, wherein the billing data set contains at least one transaction identifier associated with used the transport service, at least one associating module configured to associate at least the transaction identifier to the electronic medium identifier, at least one memory module configured to store at least the association of the electronic medium identifier to the transaction identifier, at least one output module configured to output the generated billing data set, at least one registration receiving module configured to receive at least one registration message containing at least the transaction identifier of the output billing data set, at least one evaluation module configured to determine the electronic medium identifier based at least on the at least one stored association of the transaction identifier to the electronic medium identifier and the transaction identifier of the received registration message, and at least one registration module configured to register the unregistered ticket medium by creating a user data set containing at least the determined electronic medium identifier.

11. A transit system including at least one computing device according to claim 10, the transit system further comprising: at least one validator device configured to detect an electronic identification data set of an unregistered ticket medium used to use a transport service.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0100] The foregoing features of embodiments will be more readily understood by reference to the following detailed description, taken with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0101] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a transit system according to the present application with an embodiment of a computing device according to the present application.

[0102] FIG. 2 is a diagram of an embodiment of a method according to the present application.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

[0103] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of an embodiment of a transit system 100 according to the present application, with an embodiment of a computing device 102 according to the present application.

[0104] The illustrated transit system 100 comprises at least one computing device 102 and at least one validator device 126. Further, the transit system 100 may comprise at least one transport device 122, by way of example herein in the form of a bus 122. It shall be understood that a transit system 100 may alternatively or additionally comprise other transport devices (e.g., cable car, train, watercraft, etc.).

[0105] In the present example, the at least one validator device 126 is arranged within the transport vehicle 122. As can be seen, the at least one validator device 126 is arranged at an access 134 (e.g., entrance and/or exit) of the transport vehicle 122 to a paid area, preferably, the interior of the transport vehicle 122. Preferably, at least one validator device 126 may be arranged at each access 134 of a transport vehicle 122. In other variants, the validator device may also be arranged in a station or the like.

[0106] During operation of the transit system 100, a user of the transportation vehicle 122 may check-in for an authorized use of the transport service when boarding the transport vehicle 122. To do so, the user may, in particular, bring his ticket medium 124, in particular, within the reach of a ticket medium interface 128 of the validator device 126.

[0107] The at least one ticket medium interface 128 may be a contact-based or contactless ticket media interface 128. It shall be understood that two or more ticket medium interfaces may be provided for a corresponding number of different ticket media.

[0108] In particular, by the ticket medium interface 128, at least one electronic medium identifier of the ticket medium 124 may be detected in the check-in process.

[0109] The validator device 126 may comprise at least one communication module 132 and/or be connectable to at least one (not shown) communication module. The communication module 132 may at least be configured to transmit a detected electronic (unique) medium identifier, preferably, together with further data, to a (central) computing device 102 of a backend system of the transit system. In particular, transmitting a corresponding identification data set takes place.

[0110] Further data of the identification data set may, in particular, be a time stamp (e.g., a calendar date and clock of the detection time point) and/or at least one location datum from which the location of the validator device (and the transport vehicle 122, respectively) during the detection of the electronic medium identifier can at least be derived.

[0111] Optionally, the validator device 126 may comprise at least one local data memory 130. The at least one data memory 130 may store a list of blocked respectively unauthorized electronic medium identifiers. When the electronic medium identifier is detected, it may be compared to the stored and blocked medium identifiers. If a correspondence (particularly identity) is detected, the computing device 102 may be informed accordingly.

[0112] A display device (not shown) of the validator device 126 may alternatively or additionally indicate that the ticket medium 124 is not authorized for correct use of the transport vehicle 122.

[0113] In other variants of the application, an access device (e.g., a passage barrier) may additionally be provided. This can only be released if it is determined during the comparing process that the detected electronic medium identifier is not a blocked medium identifier.

[0114] When leaving the transport vehicle 122, the user can check-out, in particular, analogously to the check-in process described above. In a corresponding manner, a validator device (for example, the same validator device 126) can transmit at least the electronic medium identifier, preferably, together with the mentioned further data to the backend system. In particular, transmitting a (further) identification data set takes place.

[0115] In the case of an inspection by an inspector, the inspector can use a (not shown) inspection device to retrieve, in particular, receive, the medium identifiers transmitted to the computing device 102 and use them for the inspection. In particular, the ticket media can be inspected by the inspection device by reading the respective medium identifier and comparing them with the medium identifiers received from the computing device. If it is determined here that a user has not checked in and/or has a ticket medium with a blocked medium identifier, the inspector can take known measures.

[0116] The illustrated computing device 102 comprises a plurality of modules 104 to 120 (possibly arranged in a distributed manner). Thus, at least one identification receiving module 104 is provided at least configured to receive an identification data set generated by a validator device 126 of the transit system 100. As has been described, this may contain at least the detected electronic medium identifier of a (non-registered and/or registered) ticket medium 124 used for a use of a transport service.

[0117] Furthermore, at least one billing module 110 is provided at least configured to generate a billing data set at least based on the received medium identifier and, in particular, the used transport service.

[0118] In the case of a medium identifier that has already been registered, for generating the billing data set it can be, preferably additionally, accessed, by the billing module 110, a user data set, in particular, in the form of a user account that has already been stored. The billing data set contains at least one transaction identifier associated with the used transport service. The transaction identifier can be generated by a (not shown) generation unit during the generation of the billing data set according to a predefined rule and/or selected from a pre-stored list of transaction identifiers.

[0119] The computing device 102 comprises at least one associating module 112 configured to associate at least the transaction identifier to the electronic medium identifier.

[0120] Further, at least one memory module 114 is provided in the computing device 102 configured to store at least the association of the electronic medium identifier with the transaction identifier, preferably in a data storage arrangement 120. By way of example, the computing device 102 comprises the data storage arrangement 120. The at least one user data set may additionally be storable in the data storage arrangement 120.

[0121] The computing device 102 further comprises at least one output module 106 configured at least to output the generated billing data set, in particular, to the corresponding user. For example, outputting may comprise (directly or indirectly) transmitting of the generated billing data set to a further computing device 136, in particular, a user terminal 136 (e.g., a computer, tablet, smartphone, etc.) of the user. The user terminal 136 may comprise at least one communication module 138. It shall be understood that the billing data set may also be output to the user in other ways.

[0122] Further, the computing device 102 comprises at least one registration receiving module 108. The registration receiving module 108 is configured to receive at least one registration message (in particular, from a user terminal 136) containing at least the transaction identifier of the output billing data set.

[0123] As further shown in FIG. 1, the computing device 102 comprises at least one evaluation module 116 configured to determine the electronic medium identifier based at least on the at least one stored association from the transaction identifier to the electronic medium identifier and the transaction identifier of the received registration message.

[0124] The computing device 102 further comprises at least one registration module 118 configured to register the unregistered ticket medium 124 by creating a user data set containing at least the determined electronic medium identifier. As has been described, this may be stored in the data storage arrangement 120, for example.

[0125] As can be further seen, at least one communication network 140 (wireless and/or wired) may be provided to enable a communication between at least the illustrated elements 102, 126, 136.

[0126] The operation of the transit system 100 according to FIG. 1, in particular, a registration process according to the application, is described in more detail below with the aid of FIG. 2.

[0127] FIG. 2 shows a diagram of an embodiment of a method, in particular, for registering a (previously) unregistered ticket medium 124 in a transit system 100. In this example, the ticket medium 124 is a credit card 124 with an encoded PAN stored in a memory means of the credit card. This can be detected via a (contact-based or contactless) interface.

[0128] It shall be understood that in other variants of the application other ticket media can be used alternatively or additionally, as has already been described.

[0129] In a first step 201, a detecting, by a validator device 126 of a transit system 100, of at least the electronic medium identifier of an unregistered ticket medium used for a use of the transport service occurs. As it is described above, the detecting may be performed by a ticket medium interface 128. For example, the electronic medium identifier in the form of the encoded PAN is detected in the course of a check-in process and/or check-out process described above.

[0130] In a further step 202, a transmitting of an identification data set takes place containing at least the detected electronic medium identifier to a computing device 102 of a backend system. As has already been described, the computing device 102 may form the backend system of the transit system 100.

[0131] For example, the communication module 132 of the validator device 126 may generate the identification data set immediately after detecting the electronic medium identifier. The communication module 132 may then transmit the generated identification data set containing at least the detected electronic medium identifier via the at least one communication network 140.

[0132] Preferably, the identification data set may additionally comprise a pre-described location datum and time datum. For this purpose, the validator device may, for example, have suitable means, such as a clock and/or position sensor. As has been described, a location datum may also be determinable from a validator device identifier. The identification receiving module 104 of the computing device 102 receives the generated and transmitted identification data set.

[0133] Upon receipt of the transmitted identification data set, in step 203 a generating, by the computing device 102 (in particular, by the billing module 110), of a billing data set takes place, at least based on the transmitted electronic identification data set and, in particular, the used transport service.

[0134] Preferably, the billing module 110 may be configured to generate a billing data set based on two received identification data sets each containing the same electronic medium identifier. The first identification data set may be a check-in identification data set detected and generated, respectively, during the check-in process described above with a particular (previously unregistered) ticket medium 124.

[0135] The second identification data set may be a check-out identification data set detected and generated, respectively, during the check-out process described above using that particular ticket medium 124. In particular, a billing data set may be generated by the billing module 110 from the respective location datum and/or time datum (and a tariff information) of the first identification data set and second identification data set. This may, in particular, contain an amount to be paid for the used transport service.

[0136] Further, the billing module 110 may, in particular, generate a transaction identifier and add it to this billing data set. Preferably, the billing data set may contain at least the transaction identifier and the amount to be paid. These two data together may be (nearly) unique system-wide. In other words, this data tuple can uniquely identify the billing data set and, in particular, the associated electronic medium identifier (as will be explained below).

[0137] As has already been explained, a billing data set may contain additional data, such as information about the used and billed transport service (e.g., trip distance, applied tariff, time period, etc.).

[0138] In step 204, an associating, by the computing device 102, of at least the transaction identifier to the electronic medium identifier of the at least one received identification data set occurs. In particular, the associating module 112 is configured to do this. Preferably, the data tuple containing the transaction identifier and the amount to be paid (and/or another billing data) can be associated to the corresponding electronic medium identifier.

[0139] This association, in particular, said data tuple and the electronic medium identifier, is/are stored in step 205, by the computing device. In particular, the memory module 114 controls the storing of this association, preferably in a data storage arrangement 120. The data storage arrangement 120 may be controlled by the memory module 114 and/or another module.

[0140] In step 206, the generated billing data set is output by the computing device 102. The outputting takes place, by the output module 106, in particular, in such a way that the user of the ticket medium 124 is informed of the content of the billing data set. For example, a billing message may be sent via a communication network 140.

[0141] At step 207, a receiving, by the computing device 102, of at least one registration message occurs containing at least the transaction identifier of the output billing data set. In particular, a registration receiving module 108 receives a registration message. Advantageously, a user terminal 136 may generate the registration message and, in particular, send the registration message via the at least one communication network 140. For example, the user may manually enter the transaction identifier and preferably said amount using a user interface of the user terminal 136.

[0142] In other variants of the application, this data may also be detected automatically. Further, in other variants, the at least one registration message may comprise further user data, such as user name, address data, billing data, etc. It shall be understood that two or more registration messages may be sent, as previously explained.

[0143] Upon a receipt of a registration message, an evaluating of the content of the received registration message occurs by the computing device 102 in step 208.

[0144] Thus, the electronic medium identifier is determined by the evaluation module 116 based at least on the at least one stored association of the transaction identifier with the electronic medium identifier and the transaction identifier of the received registration message. In particular, in the present example, a comparing of the received data tuple containing transaction identifier and amount is performed with the stored data tuples containing transaction identifier and amount, respectively. In particular, when identity is determined between the received data tuple and a stored data tuple, the electronic medium identifier associated with that stored data tuple is determined as the electronic medium identifier to be registered.

[0145] After a determination of the electronic medium identifier to be registered, a registration, by the computing device 102, of the unregistered ticket medium 124 is performed in step 209 by creating a user data set containing at least the determined electronic medium identifier.

[0146] Preferably, by the registration module 118, a user data set can be created that includes further user data, such as user name, address data, billing data, etc.