SI26249A - Smart system for automatic validation and notification - Google Patents

Abstract

The smart system for automatic validation and notification represents the design of an intuitive back-end system, which, with the help of hardware and mobile and online applications, is intended for a wide variety of application implementations in the everyday use of the public transport service and accompanying services. At the same time, it enables easy, friendly, fast and safe two-way communication in real time in all steps of using public transport (before driving, during driving and after driving). These include up-to-date timetable information, ticket purchase, reservation and validation, real-time notification, direct communication with the driver and/or traffic control center and access to all other up-to-date information. The technical problem solved by the invention is the so-called automatic use of an integrated ticket. This requires information interoperability for its implementation, as it requires the transmission and exchange of information by various actors based on a common standard. The presented solution is an original technical solution that enables all of the above.

Description

SMART SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATIC VALIDATION AND NOTIFICATION

The subject of the invention is a smart system for automatic validation and notification, which, using a back-end system, hardware and mobile and online applications, is intended for a wide variety of application implementations in the everyday use of the public transport service and accompanying services.

The technical problem solved by the invention is the design of an intuitive back-end system that, with the help of hardware and supporting applications, enables the user to have easy, friendly, fast and secure two-way communication in real time in all steps of using public transport (before, during and after the trip ). These include up-to-date timetable information, ticket purchase, reservation and validation, immediate receipt of notifications, indirect communication with the driver and/or traffic control center and access to all other up-to-date information.

The public transport system represents one of the most important services of modern urban society. The quality, reliability, transparency, punctuality and general arrangement of public (city) transport are extremely important, and at the same time they represent one of the factors that visitors to a certain place (tourists) remember best. The process of collecting fares and validating tickets is an important factor affecting the flow of passengers entering/exiting the means of public transport.

The historical development of organized passenger transport generated the need to introduce a certificate that proves the user's entitlement to the service. In the middle of the fifteenth century, even before the invention of printing, organized transport was carried out by carriages and in some places by boats, users/passengers simply received handwritten vouchers as a confirmation, which is the basis of a ticket. The boom of the industrial revolution at the beginning of the 19th century and the introduction of railway connections represent an important evolutionary milestone of tickets. Tickets evolved from a simple written confirmation into printed documents that contained the attributes of a contract between the passenger and the carrier. The tickets in the form of printed paper included information about the passenger, carrier, conditions and rights of use, such as entry station, exit station, validity date and price.

Migration growth and increasing urbanization at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century brought innovations in the field of ticket development, the latter were reflected in sales distribution changes, different physical forms (metal tokens), types of transport (bus, railway, ship, metro ,...), and in addition to the above, the amount of information linked to the ticket has increased, such as e.g. discounts, subsidies, validity periods, special user rights. The ticket was no longer just a personal confirmation of the user's entitlement to the service, it became an integral information component of the wider transport system. The first plastic card with a magnetic strip as a storage medium - magnetic tickets were introduced in the Paris metro in 1969, their advantage was limited information flexibility and thus increased security, as they were more difficult to forge compared to paper tickets, making it easier fight against fare evasion. With the automation of ticket validation, the flow of passengers has also improved. The ticket system was further modernized with the introduction of vending machines in the 1980s. Positive experiences with the use of magnetic tickets, especially information flexibility and the rapid development of semiconductors, led to the introduction of the so-called reusable smart transport card with a built-in microchip inside the card in the mid-1980s. The embedded microchip not only increased the information volume of the tickets, but also enabled faster processing of information, which is the basis for making the transport service smarter. With the introduction of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology at the end of the last millennium, smart cards became contactless, which contributed to an even better user experience.

The global boom in smartphones quickly led to the idea of combining two devices, a smartphone and a smart card. The aforementioned merger fostered the creation of NFC smartphones and thus led to the development of non-materialized tickets. An additional advantage of the merger is the direct information interaction with the user, as smartphones allow permanent insight into ticket information changes, as well as remote manipulation of tickets by the user. In addition to the medium of the ticket itself, the rest of the infrastructure related to sales, distribution, validation, reservation, planning of transport capacities, etc., has also developed throughout history. For example, validation procedures underwent a metamorphosis from primitive punchers to sophisticated validation terminals that enable autonomous operation and validation of the user/passenger without direct interaction of the latter. Less noticeable by users, the evolution of back-end systems, which have gone from simple manual bookkeeping systems and grown over time, both hardware and software, to intelligent information systems, is nevertheless enormous. Today, the hardware backbone of back-end systems are computer systems in the cloud, equipped with efficient databases and modern software tools that include artificial intelligence and machine learning methods. Despite the rapid development of ticketing technology solutions in recent years, or precisely because of it, a number of new challenges are emerging for which new solutions are being sought.

In the digital age in which we live, people with impairment or loss of hearing and/or vision, as well as the elderly, find it difficult to perceive and respond correctly to information from the environment. The disabled, the elderly population and vulnerable groups face problems and obstacles in public transport that even ordinary people find it difficult to overcome. Unfortunately, the demands and needs of these groups are often ignored, so the system we live in is still not fully adapted and properly designed in the direction of helping and designing means of transportation to the extent that they are properly adapted for everyone. In spite of some positive attempts in everyday life, vulnerable groups encounter a large number of shortcomings in the use of public transport, as the awareness and readiness of both people and the infrastructure are still not at an adequate level to be able to talk about full adaptation for all groups. It is precisely this problem that is solved with innovative approaches by the functionalities of the described invention.

Considering the fact that almost every person, especially people from vulnerable groups, has smart mobile devices, it was necessary to find suitable solutions and possibilities for their use in public transport. Examples in practice differ depending on the individual type of user:

a blind user uses a smart mobile device with headphones, through which he receives information about the status of the traffic light before crossing the road, a disabled person in a wheelchair uses a smart mobile device to find the way to the door of the means of transport along a path that does not have curbs and/or ramps,

- a deaf user needs graphic visualization to the greatest extent possible, while a blind user needs the greatest possible level of communication through built-in vibrations and gestures, and a physically challenged passenger the possibility of interacting with a smart mobile device, without being tied to just holding the device.

The need of modern society and at the same time the technical problem solved by the invention is the so-called automatic use of the integrated ticket. Although there is no single definition of an integrated ticket, it can be defined as the electronic purchase of a ticket at a distance or at the point of sale, which allows users to travel by different modes of transport (different means of transport), operated by one or more carriers or combining different modes of transport in one tickets themselves and is considered a self-evident solution for multimodal travel, from providing relevant information to users and route planning services, to easy electronic remote purchase and automatic validation of users on the means of transport.

The main goals of integrated tickets are to make public multimodal transport more sustainable and attractive for users by promoting more efficient use of existing infrastructure and services, thereby increasing customer comfort and the efficiency of public transport. From a broader perspective, promoting the use of public multimodal transport can contribute to achieving goals such as a better quality of the living environment (e.g. reduction of air and water pollution, etc.), less traffic congestion, greater efficiency of the transport system as a whole, increasing the capacity of transport systems, social inclusion, promotion of new jobs and innovation of society.

Automation and organizational-technical implementation of an integrated ticket system requires close integration between the operation of many phases of the travel chain; from the user's searches/inquiries for information about the route, to the sharing of revenues between different actors, in the case of booking, payment and accounting, issuing and validating tickets, possible changes to reservations/redirections in case of errors or delays, and handling user complaints.

The integrated ticket needs information interoperability for its implementation, as it requires the mediation and exchange of information by various actors based on a common standard. The presented solution of the described invention is an original technical solution that enables the latter.

With the help of the advantages of the described invention, it is possible in practice to perform various tasks in real time and inform various types of users:

Automatic validation of the passenger's ticket

When the passenger enters the means of transport, the passenger's smart mobile device and the machine's validator equipment are automatically connected via Bluetooth connection and the passenger is informed if he wants to validate the ticket via the mobile application by clicking on the 'Confirm' button. Everything else is then done behind the scenes by a smart automatic validation system. In addition to the described method of validating the ticket, all other methods of validating the ticket with the help of a validator still remain viable. These are: DOV token, High-Frequency token, NFC, Nearfield Bluetooth, QR code...

Notifying the driver

The driver is immediately informed of the need to stop the means of transport at the next station. At the same time, he is aware of all the other necessary information, such as the number of passengers who are disembarking, the type of individual passenger and the rest (e.g. a passenger in a wheelchair who needs help getting out of the means of transport is disembarking...).

Informing the passenger

The passenger is informed in good time that they are approaching the station at which they must get off or to cross.

Other passenger activities

The passenger has the option at any time to press the virtual STOP button in the mobile application, which triggers the STOP sign at the driver and warns him that he must stop at the next stop. It also monitors the estimated travel time to the station where you plan to get off or to cross.

Additional functionalities for the needs of vulnerable groups or persons with special needs

In the case of purchasing a ticket, the passenger receives all the necessary information via the application about his current location, the required travel time to the desired station, the arrivals of the selected means of transport at the desired station, information about the surroundings of the station and the possibility that the processing center automatically informs the driver that he will a disabled person was waiting at the station with a wheelchair who needs help getting into the means of transport. With this, the disabled person is informed that he will be taken care of. At the same time, he will be constantly informed via the mobile application about the waiting time or unforeseen road conditions, due to which the wait for the arrival of the means of transport will be longer than originally planned.

The smart system for automatic validation and notification consists of the building blocks of the following communication infrastructure:

Process center

The process center represents a central point for collecting and processing data, performing analyzes and managing them. At the system level, it contains a data server with an associated database, communication and web interfaces (English Web Services) for connecting to mobile applications and a web server for running web applications. The key added value of the system is represented by the modules for the implementation of machine learning and artificial intelligence methods, which adjust the user experience on the fly based on the passenger's habits and thus facilitate the work of daily use of the system.

A passenger's mobile application on a smart mobile device

The mobile application on a smart mobile device provides the passenger with several different functions: booking and purchasing a ticket, checking timetables,

- review of the arrival forecast at the desired station,

- ticket validation in the means of transport in different ways: automatic validation via an established Bluetooth connection, DOV token, High-Frequency token, NFC, Near field

Bluetooth, QR code...

determining the exit station for automatic notification of the driver,

- review of the current travel time to the desired exit station, contactless activation of the STOP button on the means of transport,

- making an emergency call, navigating to the entry station (location guidance on the map), reviewing the history of all tasks,

- all other information and services offered by the system.

In the following, the invention is shown schematically. The included schematics clearly and concisely show the following:

Figure 1: Schematic representation of the components of the processing center,

Figure 2. Schematic representation of the hardware in the means of transport operated by the driver, Figure 3: Schematic representation of the components of a smart mobile device that are active during the use of the mobile application,

Figure 4: Schematic representation of the system showing the interconnections between the smart mobile device of the passenger, the hardware in the vehicle and the processing center.

The Process Center 100 represents a server solution in the cloud that contains all components of a classic server architecture. The data server with the associated database 101 takes care of the operation and storage of all data of the smart system. The communication and web interfaces 102 ensure a constant communication connection with the hardware 200 in the means of transport and the mobile application 306 on the smart mobile devices of the passengers 300. The web server with the associated applications 103 includes service and user applications for working and managing the system. The machine learning and artificial intelligence modules 104 are used for data analysis, data mining, and learning to recognize and behave in specific situations according to specific conditions. The result of the analysis enables the continuous improvement of the user experience and thus help in giving recommendations to the passenger in the daily use of the system when using public passenger transport.

The basis of the hardware 200 is represented by the processing unit 201, which contains all the necessary process logic for the operation of the hardware mounted in the vehicle. The communication interface 202 enables continuous communication with the communication interfaces 102 of the processing center 100 via the currently existing wireless technology (e.g. LTE/5G/WiFi/LoRa network, direct IP network, ...). The Bluetooth module 202 enables connection with the passenger's smart mobile device 300 and performing automatic ticket validation. The module for connecting sensors 203 enables the connection of a wide variety of external devices that work within the operation of the means of transport (passenger counting, door opening/closing...). The system and application 204 take care of the operation of the components of the smart system within the closed ecosystem of the individual means of transport. The driver controls the hardware 200 and the validator 207 with the help of the screen 205. The location module 206 enables the precise determination of the current location of the vehicle. The validator 207, connected to the hardware 200 via the RS232 interface 202, remains in the system as an alternative to validating the passenger's ticket in all other feasible ways (e.g. with the help of the NFC contactless module 208), if automatic validation is not feasible due to an older version of the passenger's mobile device.

The smart mobile device 300 represents a device that contains at least the following listed assemblies. Communication interface 301, which via the currently existing wireless technology (e.g. GSM/3G/4G/5G network, direct IP network, WiFi network...) enables communication with the web interfaces 102 of the back-end system 100. The passenger controls the mobile application 306 via the screen 302 smart mobile device 300. Automatic validation of the ticket is performed using the established connection using the Bluetooth module 303, which reconnects to the Bluetooth module 202 of the hardware 200 of the vehicle each time the passenger enters the vehicle. With the help of the location module 304, it is possible to obtain the current location and in this way navigate the passenger to the entry station. With the help of the NFC 305 contactless module, the ticket is validated in a classic (contactless) way. The mobile application 306 on the smart mobile device 300 enables user interaction with all supported functions of each version of the mobile application 306 .

Claims (11)

1. A smart automatic validation and notification system, characterized in that it includes a back-end processing center (100), vehicle-mounted hardware (200), and a user's smart mobile device (300). 2. A smart system for automatic validation and notification according to claim 1, characterized in that the processing center (100) contains at least a data server with an associated database (101), communication and web interfaces (102) for a permanent communication connection with the hardware (200) ) and mobile applications (306) on smart mobile devices (300), web server and applications (103) and modules for implementing modern methods of machine learning and artificial intelligence (104). 3. A smart system for automatic validation and notification according to claim 1, characterized in that the hardware (200) contains at least a processing unit (201), communication interfaces of the type Bluetooth/LTE/5G/WiFi/NFC/LoRa/RS232 or newer ( 202), sensor connection module (203), operating system and applications (204), user screen (205), current location acquisition module (206) and connected validator (207) with contactless NFC module (208). 4. A smart system for automatic validation and notification according to claim 1, characterized in that the smart mobile device (300) contains at least a communication interface of the GSM/3G/4G/5G/IP/WiFi type or later (301) for communicating with web interfaces (102) of the processing center (100), screen (302), Bluetooth module (303) for performing automatic ticket validation, module for obtaining the current location (304), contactless NFC module (305) for performing classic ticket validation and mobile application (306) ) to perform user interaction. 5. Process center according to claim 2, characterized in that, based on the history of data collected in the database (101) of the process center (100) with the help of machine learning and artificial intelligence methods (104), it enables the optimization of the planning of capacities, costs and passenger lines of transport funds. 6. The smart system for automatic validation and notification according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that it enables the autonomous recognition of passenger needs according to the desired entry and/or exit location. 7. A smart system for automatic validation and notification according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that it allows passengers to purchase and reserve a ticket remotely and physically validate the ticket on the check computer (207) using a contactless NFC module (208) or validate the ticket upon automatic recognition of the passenger's presence on the vehicle. 8. Automatic recognition of the presence of a passenger according to claim 7, characterized in that based on the current location (304) of the smart mobile device of the passenger (300) and the established communication between the smart mobile device of the passenger (300) and the hardware of the vehicle (200) with the help of machine learning and artificial intelligence methods (104) perform reliable localization of the passenger and thus ticket validation. 9. A smart system for automatic validation and notification according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that it enables full information support and user interaction for the passenger, such as information on ticket prices, departure and/or arrival times at the desired station, options for combined journeys with transfers, occupancy means of transport, navigation from the start to the end point and various other route optimization mechanisms. 10. A smart system for automatic validation and notification according to claim 1, characterized in that it enables immediate user interaction with the transport system installed on the means of transport remotely by means of the passenger's smart mobile device and/or physically by means of buttons on the means of transport, where information communicated in real time from the passenger to the driver of the means of transport and the processing center, such as unplanned exit, potential danger, discomfort of the passenger and other critical passenger information. 11. A smart system for automatic validation and notification according to claim 1, characterized in that, with the help of a mobile application (306) on the passenger's smart mobile device (300) and established communication with the hardware of the means of transport (200), it enables additional notification of passengers with special needs with all the information that is important to them in communication methods adapted to it.