Registers – Systems controlled by data bearing records – Mechanized store
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-21
2003-12-02
Le, Thien M. (Department: 2876)
Registers
Systems controlled by data bearing records
Mechanized store
C235S381000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06655587
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to smart card use in transit systems, and more specifically to a system for allowing patrons to have values automatically loaded onto their smart cards.
2. Background
The use of fare cards in mass transit systems has reached record levels with the introduction of free transfers, unlimited passes, and fare pricing systems based on distance traveled, time of day, and user categorization including age and frequent user. Automatic fare collection (AFC) presents several advantages over person-to-person cash exchanges including reduced operating costs based upon a decrease in required personnel, automation of system accounting, and improved convenience and safety for commuters by the elimination of ticket window lines and ticket purchases for each transit system ride.
Fare cards are available in various formats including magnetic stripe cards, contact smart cards and contactless smart cards. The fare cards may be purchased at automatic vending machines utilizing bills/coins, credit, and/or debit cards. The value of the card may be limited to the value of a single transit fare, or may exceed the value of a single transit fare so that the card may be used for multiple fares. A fare card having a value exceeding one transit fare offers an advantage of a single financial transaction for multiple rides. In addition, since the fare collection systems deduct value automatically for time and/or distance based fares, the rider does not need to compute exact fare amount as long as the amount on the card equals or exceeds the required fare, and thus, the time the rider spends at a fare card dispensing machine is shortened. Any monetary value remaining on the card is usable for a subsequent fare. Fare cards also offer the advantage of being reusable. The transit rider inserts a used card into an automatic fare vending machines along with a payment means including bills/coins, or credit/debit cards, and a corresponding added value is stored on the fare card.
Current automatic vending machines offer the above stated advantages of reuse of a smart card and quick transaction times. However, due to frequent use of the smart card, a transit patron is unlikely to know the exact amount on his or her card at any given time. In order to determine the value before attempting to pass through a transit gate, the patron must have access to a vending machine or another card reader. If the patron attempts to enter the gate without sufficient value in the smart card, he or she will be denied access to the transit system until value is added to the smart card. Thus, the patron will have to seek out a vending machine to add value to the smart card. During peak commuter hours, commuters are often faced with lines at the automatic fare vending machines.
The procedure of loading monetary value onto a smart card requires the patron to insert or wave the smart card past the vending machine to read the current value of the card. The patron then selects an action prompted by the vending machine to add monetary value to the card by either inserting cash into the vending machine conducting the transaction utilizing a credit card. The credit card transaction requires that the patron's credit card be inserted into the vending machine. The vending machine then initiates a check through the credit card company to obtain approval to charge the requested amount. Once a monetary value is deposited into the vending machine or approved via credit, the patron must re-insert or wave the smart card by a target to have the requested value added to the smart card. The patron is then ready to utilize the smart card to gain access to the transit system. The extra time required to add value to the smart card, as well as the need to have cash or a credit card on hand at all time, is inconvenient for the patron and may cause undue delays for the patron in arriving at his or her destination.
Smart cards may also be utilized to support employee benefits programs that supply a set monetary value to be used by the employee each month for payment of transit fare. To receive the benefit, a patron must have the monetary value loaded onto the card at a transit vending machine. Thus, there is a potential for long patron queues waiting at transit vending machines at the beginning of each month. As the benefits program expands, and is made available to an increasing number of patrons, the vendor queues will become frustratingly longer.
Therefore, a need remains in mass transit systems to deploy a system feature that allows transit system patrons participating in transit programs to automatically load a monetary value onto their smart cards at the rail transit gates and/or bus fare boxes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an advantage of the present invention to provide a system for automatically loading a monetary value onto a smart card.
It is another advantage to provide a the system which allow patrons to set up their smart cards for an autoload status and then simply allow them to use their smart cards without periodic reloads at the vending devices.
Another advantage of the present invention is to provide a system that is “Self Service” oriented for reloading monetary values on smart cards at transit gates, bus fare boxes, and other similar transit authority equipment, in order to reduce program administrative costs, including the costs associated with transit authority personnel and equipment.
Yet another advantage is to provide convenient payment vehicles, including credit cards and already-established employee benefits programs, at initial introduction of the system.
Still another advantage is to provide a system that automatically loads benefits to a patron's smart card without requiring changes to the transit authority central computer and processing.
A further advantage is to provide a system that improves the transit patron's security by eliminating the need for monetary transactions at a vending machine.
In the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a transit system allows patrons to set-up their smart cards for an autoload function, also referred to herein as a “customer administered autoload” system. The system for autoloading a smart card may be used to support all transit systems including rail systems and bus systems. The autoload feature of a transit system allows the transit patron to quickly refresh the value of his or her smart card by automatically billing the patron's credit card account, or by automatically applying the patron's employee benefits. Automatic loading of the monetary value may be exercised manually by the patron at a vendor, or automatically at gates or fare boxes which are set up to accept smart card transactions. As disclosed herein, gates are access control devices used in the rail system and fare boxes are access control devices used on buses. Automatic reloading at the gates or fare boxes allows transit patrons to use smart cards without having to periodically reload values onto their smart cards at the transit vending machines.
In the exemplary embodiment, the patron utilizes a vending machine or another transit facility for setting up the automatic load, i.e. “autoload” feature. During the set-up process, the patron supplies credit card or other debit-type card information and a pre-approved monetary refresh value. The credit card information is then stored on the patron's smart card. If a monetary value on the smart card does not cover a required fare, transit gates autoload the pre-approved monetary value to the smart card utilizing the credit/debit card information. In the exemplary embodiment, the patron may utilize more than one credit or debit vehicle. For example, if a patron is supplied with transit fare allowances through his or her employer, the patron may have a benefit of a line of credit for a set time period. The Customer administered autoload system may be set up to exhaust the benefit line of credit before utilizing the patron's credit card information to initiate an a
Andrews David W.
Callaway Leigh L.
Hughes Robert
Young Douglas
Brown Martin Haller & McClain LLP
Cubic Corporation
Le Thien M.
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