WO2003042908A1

WO2003042908A1 - Method and means to prevent payment evasion at self service stations

Info

Publication number: WO2003042908A1
Application number: PCT/SE2002/001642
Authority: WO
Inventors: Douglas Oest; Göran Johansson
Original assignee: PRODUKT POOLEN I STOCKHOLM AB
Current assignee: PRODUKT POOLEN I STOCKHOLM AB
Priority date: 2001-09-14
Filing date: 2002-09-13
Publication date: 2003-05-22
Anticipated expiration: 2004-03-14

Abstract

The present invention relates to means (20) for collecting biometric data, comprising a registration area (42) and at least one registration unit (29, 43, 46), said data then being stored in a storage medium (32a, b, c). The registration area (42) comprises at least one positioning means (22, 23, 44, 45). The invention also relates to a method encompassing the steps of: registering a set of biometric check data by means (20) disposed on a service unit at a service station; that a computer device (34) compares the check data obtained with biometric stop data; that the person receives access to the service unit only if the check data does not match that stored in the storage medium (32a, b, c); that, if the biometric check data does not match that stored in the storage medium (32a, b, c) as stop data, the check data will be temporarily stored in the storage medium (32a, b, c); that the check data is removed from the storage medium (32a, b, c); and that the check data is stored medium (32a, b, c) as stop data if the person leaves without paying.

Description

Method and means to prevent payment evasion at self service stations

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a method for preventing a person, who previously left a service station, e.g. a petrol station or filling station, without paying, from being able to repeat his crime, and means for carrying out said method.

Non-payment by people who have already received the goods in a transaction, is a significant economic problem for many companies. A typical example of such a transaction is the sale of fuel at fuel pumps, where payment is effected at the cash register after the person has already received the fuel. For these companies it would thus be of advantage if the customer's reliability could be checked without any par- ticipation by the personnel.

Previous documents, e.g. WO 99/56495, describe a method where the customer is required to provide some form of biometric data before the transaction has begun, whereafter these data are converted to script which is then stored. Other methods described use voice recognition or manually keyed-in information. Regardless of which procedure is used, the collected information, after verification, will be used to identify the person by comparison with data stored in a local storage medium. If the person has previously been shown to be unreliable, this information is stored there, and the system issues a warning.

The problems with the above procedures are numerous. Primarily, a register where the creditworthiness of an individual is registered together with other personal information can be considered to invade one's personal integrity. In addition to the discomfort to the individual, special permits may be required from the relevant authorities to establish such a register. Another disadvantage is that when such methods are used, the person must usually become a member of the company or register himself in some other manner in order to establish such a register. Conse- quently, only a selected number of persons will gain access to the service stations ' and, for these persons, access to such a service will require a certain amount of work, and possibly cost.

THE PURPOSE OF THE INVENTION

A first purpose of the present invention is to provide a method and means for pre- venting persons, who previously have left a service station without paying, from gaining access to service units where this method and these means are employed. Another purpose is to make these service units accessible to all individuals in a society without requiring any fees or work, in the form of membership fees and/or registrations. A third purpose is to achieve the above goals without compromising the person's personal integrity by revealing his identity and possibly recording it in a storage medium together with personal information. In this manner it may be possible for a company using the present invention to prevent payment jumpers from using its service stations, without the need to apply for permits from the relevant authorities.

SHORT DESCRIPTION

The above purposes are achieved with the present invention as it is disclosed in independent claims 1 and 8, where claim 1 encompasses a method for preventing re- peated leaving without paying when carrying out a transaction at a service station, e.g. a filling station. According to claim 1, this method involves registering or transmitting biometric check data which is unique to a person by a means arranged at a service unit at the service station for collecting biometric data. Further, it comprises that a computer arrangement, coupled to said means, compares the check data obtained from said means with biometric stop data, which are stored in a storage medium and are obtained from persons who previously have left without paying. The storage medium are furthermore connected to at least one service unit. If the comparison shows that the check data is not registered in the storage medium as stop data, the check data is stored temporarily and the person is given access to the service unit. The check data is then removed from the storage medium after completion of the transaction. If the person should leave without paying, the check data will, however, be stored in the storage medium as a stop entry.

Since the storage medium, in a preferred embodiment, is in communication with all of the service units within a certain area, a person, whose check data has been transferred to the storage medium, will not obtain access to any service unit within this area. Compromising of personal integrity will, however, be minimal or non-existent since no personal data beyond a possible payment failure will be coupled to a specific set of biometric data. It is possible that the person may be subject to other con- sequences, such as being obligated to pay a penalty fee to erase the stop entry. This is, however, a possibility which is subject to prevailing law where used. Since the person is not identified during the process, a company using the present invention may not be required to obtain a permit from the relevant authorities to establish the storage medium.

Claim 8 discloses a means for collecting biometric data in order to prevent a person who previously has left a service station, e.g. a filling station, without paying, from repeating this act. This means is arranged on a service unit at a service station where the transaction takes place. These means are arranged to register at least one set of biometric data from a person. The means encompasses a registering area on which the person is to place a specific biological unit before initiating the transaction and at least one registering unit which collects at least one set of biological data. This data is then stored in a storage medium which communicates with the means. The registering area comprises at least one positioning means to check that the biological unit is correctly applied to the registering area. The means described above thus sees to it that the person using the service unit registers himself in the correct manner without inconvenience to the person, if he should mistakenly apply the biological unit in an erroneous manner.

Another advantage of the present invention is to put a stop order for certain fingerprints, thereby enabling the police, for example, to prevent criminal elements from purchasing fuel. This, of course, would also be possible even when the perpetrator is unknown but where the police are in possession of biometric data obtained from the perpetrator. According to one embodiment of the invention, there is the possibility of checking the function of said means by comparing the first registered set of check data with at least another set of registered check data before the person is given access to the service unit. If the registered check data should deviate from each other, it may be because the means are defective, the registrator is dirty or scratched, etc., which, after alerting the personnel, can be checked and repaired. A comparison as described above can increase the reliability of the process by making the registration of the check data more precise. It is also conceivable that an owner of a service station, using the method and the means as described above, could protect himself from theft since security is increased substantially.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to examples of embodiments with reference, but in no way limited to, the accompanying drawings, of which: Fig. 1 illustrates a flowchart of one embodiment of the process according to the present invention; Fig. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 3 illustrates a second embodiment of the present invention, as seen from above; and Fig. 4 illustrates a side view of the embodiment in Fig. 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Fig. 1 illustrates a flowchart of one embodiment of the process according to the present invention. In the first step 1, a person wishing to use a service unit places a biological unit, such as his hand, on a means for collecting biometric data, mounted on a service unit where cash payment is made, e.g. a gas pump. Said means can be a registering unit which registers the fingerprints of the person. A positioning means determines that the person has placed the biological unit on the means in a correct manner 2. If not, the person obtains, e.g. via a monitor, a message 3 advising him to try again, or containing instructions as to how to proceed. When the biological unit is correctly placed on the means, a registration unit 4 is activated, to register at least one set of biometric check data, e.g. corresponding to characteristic features of the hand. This check data is then stored temporarily in a first register 5. The biological unit is then read at least one more time 6. This provides at least one additional reg- istration of the person's check data, which is compared with the temporarily saved check data 7. If it is verified that the same data have been registered both times, the check data is saved in a second register 8 and is deleted from the first register 9. If it should be determined that it is not the same check data which has been recorded, the person will receive an error message prompting him to try again 3. Dirt, scratches etc. can impair registration of the check data preventing verification and therefore the means, after a certain number of readings, can send a signal to a person at the cash register, prompting him to check that the means are functioning properly. When the check data is finally verified, it is compared with biometric stop data saved in a stop register 10. If the check data matches data in the stop register, the service station personnel is immediately notified 11. If not, the person is given access to the service unit in question 12. After completed transaction, assuming the person has been given access to the service unit, the person is asked to complete the transaction at a cash register in the service station 13. When payment has been made, the check data is erased from the second register 14. The biometric data be- longing to a person who leaves without paying will, however, not be erased. Rather, it will be saved in the stop register as stop data 15. This saved biometric data will hopefully prevent this person from using the service station again.

The term "biometric data" includes signatures, fingeφrints, handprints, DNA-codes, speech recognition, retina or iris readings, vein patterns or other data by which a specific person can be identified and which are difficult to alter.

The term "storage medium" is used in turn as a name for one or more means for storing information, and a storage medium can encompass any number of databases.

With reference to Fig. 2, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described, comprising a means 20 for collecting biometric data. Said means is mounted on a handle 21, by means of which the person can operate a service unit, e.g. a fuel pump, whereafter payment is made to personnel at a cash register. The means 20 includes first and second positioning means 22 and 23. The positioning means 22 consists of four vertically spaced pressure-sensitive sensors 24, 25, 26 and 27, which are arranged on a plate 28 on one side 21a of the handle 21. This side 21a faces away from a person when he is filling the tank. The pressure-sensitive sensors 24, 25, 26 and 27 communicate via a control means and first and second leads (not shown in Fig. 2) with a registration unit 29 for registering fingerprints and a computer means (not shown in Fig. 2). The positioning means 23 are placed on the left- hand side 21b of the handle 21 immediately below the filler portion 30. The positioning means 23 is in the shape of a sphere through which a cylindrical hole 31 extends. On the inside 23 a of the positioning means 23, a registration unit 29 is ar- ranged, which is connected, via a third lead 35 (shown only schematically in Fig. 2), with three storage media 32a, b and c. The storage medium 32b includes a number of databases 33 (shown only schematically in Fig. 2). Further, the storage media 32a, b and c are connected to a computer device 34 and to a storage medium 32d at another service station (not shown in Fig. 2). Alternatively, the number of storage media 32a, b and c can vary in this first embodiment. A central storage medium 32e, e.g. an FTP-server, can also be used and be connected to at least two storage media (32a, b and c as well as 32d) arranged at least at two service stations and comprising, for example, at least one regionally placed database (not shown in Fig. 2) and possibly also at least one centrally placed database (not shown in Fig. 2). Stop data are stored in the central storage medium. In one embodiment, the storage medium 32c could then be replaced by the storage medium 32c.

In an additional embodiment, the positioning means can consist of registration units (not shown in Fig. 2), which, by registering biometric data, can determine if the biological unit is being correctly applied to the registration area. For example, the positioning means could consist of four registration units, which are arranged as pressure-sensitive sensors 24, 25, 26 and 27, but which register fingerprints instead of pressure. It is also conceivable that the registration unit 29 in such an embodiment comprises all five registration units and thereby constitutes a positioning means in itself.

When a person grasps the handle 21 with one hand, the fingers of the hand, with the exception of the thumb, will press against the pressure-sensitive sensors 24, 25, 26 and 27, and a signal will be sent via the control means through the first lead, which will activate the registration unit 29. If an applied pressure is not registered on all four pressure-sensitive sensors 24, 25, 26 and 27, a signal will be sent via the control means through the second lead to the computer means, which in turn, via a monitor for example (not shown in Fig. 2), will inform the person that his hand has been applied in an erroneous manner on the positioning means 22. When the regis- tration unit 29 has been activated, it will register the thumbprint when the thumb has been inserted into the positioning means 23 with the thumbprint applied to the registration unit 29. It should be noted that the pressure against the pressure-sensitive sensors 24, 25, 26 and 27 must be continuous for the means 20 to remain active. The reason for the other fingers having to be applied to the pressure-sensitive sensors is that the person must not be able to use another finger than the thumb and thus get- ting around stop data stored in the stop register. The registered thumbprint will then be stored via the third lead in the storage medium 32a. The thumbprint will then be read once more and be compared to the print stored in the storage medium 32a, to verify that the first registered thumbprint was correctly captured. If this is not the case, the person will be prompted via the monitor to repeat the process. If the two registered thumbprints are identical, the thumbprint will be erased from storage medium 32a and be stored instead in storage medium 32b. It would, of course, also be possible in this first embodiment to eliminate the repeated capture of the thumb- print, and this would make the storage medium 32a unnecessary. The thumbprint will then be compared by the computer device 34 with biometric stop data in the form of thumbprints obtained from persons, who previously have left a service station without paying. These thumbprints are stored in the storage medium 32c. If the thumbprint does not match, the person is given access to the service unit, otherwise an alert is sent. After payment, the thumbprint will be removed from the second storage medium 32b. Should the person leave without paying, the thumbprint is, however, stored as stop data in the storage medium 32c. As was mentioned above, it is also possible to connect and coordinate a plurality of storage media 32a, b, c, d and e, located at least at two service stations as a network and in this manner prevent someone who leaves without paying from using service units at several different service stations. In one embodiment, the central storage medium 32e comprises a regional and/or at least one centrally placed database, arranged as a network storing stop data. Stop data stored in the at least one regional database is updated at intervals in this embodiment against at least a second database, preferably a central database where all stop data is stored. By virtue of the fact that the thumbprint registered is compared with stop data stored in the regionally placed database associated with the service station, the load on the regionally and/or centrally placed database can be reduced. The above mentioned network, comprising the at least one regional and/or central databases, could be the Internet, for example, and the connection between the databases could be, for example, broadband or ISDN. Figs. 3 and 4 show a second embodiment of the invention, illustrating a means 20 for collecting biometric data, comprising a box 41, a registration area 42, first, second and third positioning means and a control means in the form of a socket 43. The registration area 42 consists of the first positioning means, which is a depres- sion 44 in the box in the form of a right hand. The second positioning means is a hinged cover 45, the shape of which essentially follows the curved top 46 of the box 41 (see Fig. 4) and on which additional control means in the form of a pin 46 is mounted to be inserted into the socket 43 when the cover 45 is closed. The cover 45 can also be permanently mounted on the box 41, forming a hood of the same shape as the cover 45 when closed. The third positioning means is finally the four pressure sensors 24, 25, 26 and 27^* which are placed at the tops 51 of the fingers in the depression 44 in the curved topside 46 of the box 40. The pressure sensors 24, 25, 26 and 27 communicate, on the one hand, with the socket 43 via a fourth lead (not shown in Figs. 3 or 4). The means 40 also encompasses a registration unit 29 for registering a thumbprint arranged at the end of the thumb 53 in the depression 44 and on the left-hand side 54 of the box 40, as shown in Fig. 3, which side is inclined relative to the upper side of the box 10. The registration unit 29 is also in communication with the pressure sensors via a fifth lead (not shown in Fig. 3 or 4) and also with a storage medium (according to Fig. 2) via a sixth lead (not shown in Fig. 3 or 4). In the present embodiment there is also a thermostat arranged (not shown in Fig. 3 or 4), which regulates the temperature of the box and above all the positioning means, in order to avoid personal injury and to avoid impairment of the reading of the thumbprint due to frost or sweat.

A person who is to use a service unit in which the means 40 are arranged, will thus be forced to provide a fmgerprint/thumbprint by placing his right hand in the depression 44. The person must then close the cover 45 and thus insert the pin 46 into the socket 43, which is arranged to register the presence of the pin and to activate the pressure sensors 47, 48, 49 and 50 via the fourth lead. These pressure sensors 47, 48, 49 and 50 will, provided the person has correctly placed his hand in the de- pression 44, register a thumbprint and will, via a signal through the fifth lead, activate the registration unit 52. The registration unit 52 will then register the thumb- print of the person's right thumb and, via the sixth lead forward this thumb-print to a storage medium.

Claims

1. Method of preventing a person who has previously left a service station, e.g. a filling station, without paying, from being able to repeat such an act, comprising the steps of:

- registering biometric check data unique to said person, by means disposed at a service unit of the service station for collecting biometric data, characterized in

- that a computer device (34), coupled to said means (20), compares the check data obtained from said means (20) with biometric stop data stored in storage medium (32a, b, c) and which has been obtained from persons who previously have left without paying;

- that the storage medium (32a, b, c) is in communication with one or more service units; - that the person receives access to the service unit only if the check data is not stored in the storage medium (32a, b, c) as stop data;

- that the check data is temporarily stored in the storage medium (32a, b, c) if comparison shows that the biometric check data is not registered in the storage medium (32a, b, c) as stop data; - that the check data after completion of the transaction is removed from the storage medium (32a, b, c) where it has been saved;

- that the check data is stored in the storage medium (32a, b, c) as stop data if the person leaves without paying.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in

- that the check data is registered at least once more and that it is verified that it is the same check data which was registered previously before it is compared to the stop data;

- that the person gains access to the service unit only if the comparison verifies that it is the same check data.

3. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that the storage medium (32a, b, c) consists of a second and a third storage medium (32b, c), which communicate with each other, the second storage medium (32b) being used to store the at least one check data while the third storage medium (32c) is used to store the stop data.

4. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that the storage medium consists of a first, a second and a third storage medium (32a, b, c), which are coupled to each other, the first and the second storage medium (32a, b) being used to store the at least one check data and the third storage medium (32c) being used to store the stop data, the check data being stored in the first storage medium (32a) prior to verification, and the check data being stored in the second storage medium (32b) after verification, whereafter it is erased from the first storage medium (32a).

5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one storage medium (32a, b, c) at the service station is in communication with at least one additional storage medium (32d) arranged at another service station.

6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one storage medium (32a, b, c) at the service station is in communication with a central storage medium (32e), which is in communication with at least one additional storage medium (32d) arranged at another service station.

7. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the person is not allowed access to the service unit if a biological unit, from which the check data is obtained, is applied improperly to the means (20).

8. Means (20) for collecting biometric data to prevent a person, who has previously left a service station, e.g. a filling station, without paying, from being allowed to repeat such an act, said means (20) being disposed at a service unit at a service station where a transaction takes place and which are disposed to register at least one set of biometric data from a person, comprising a registration area (42) at which the person is to place a specific biological unit prior to initiation of the transaction, and at least one registration unit (29, 43, 46) which collects at least one set of biometric data, which is then stored in a storage medium (32a, b, c) in communication with the means (20), characterized in that the registration area (42) comprises at least one positioning means (22, 23, 44, 45) to check that the biological unit is correctly applied to the registration area (42).

9. Means (20) for collecting biometric data according to claim 8, characterized in that the means (20) are arranged to communicate to the person that the biological unit has been applied in an erroneous manner to the registration area (42), if this is the case.

10. Means (20) for collecting biometric data according to one of claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the means (20) are arranged to communicate to the person how the biological unit is to be applied if the person has not succeeded therewith.

11. Means (20) for collecting biometric data according to one of claims 8-10, characterized in that the positioning means (22, 23, 44, 45) comprise at least one of said registration units (29, 43, 46), placed at or near the registration area (42), which is disposed to register at least one set of biometric data, to thereby register a physical presence of the biological unit.

12. Means (20) for collecting biometric data according to one of claims 8-11, characterized in that the registration unit (29, 43, 46) is in itself the positioning means.

13. Means (20) for collecting biometric data according to one of claims 8-12, characterized in that the positioning means (22, 23, 44, 45) comprise at least one sensor (24, 25, 26, 27) placed at or near the registration area (42), which is disposed to register a physical presence of the biological unit.

14. Means (20) for collecting biometric data according to one of claims 8-13, characterized in that the registration area (42) has the shape of a hand.

15. Means (20) for collecting biometric data according to one of claims 8-14, char- acterized in that the registration area (42) is made on a handle (21) associated with the service unit, by means of which handle the person can regulate the service unit.

16. Means (20) for collecting biometric data according to one of claims 8-15, char- acterized in that the positioning means (22, 23, 44, 45) have the shape of a cover

(45), designed to cover at least portions of the registration area (42), to force the person to correctly apply the biological unit to the registration area (42).

17. Means (20) for collecting biometric data according to one of claims 8-16, char- acterized in that the cover (45) is hinged to the registration area (42).

18. Means (20) for collecting biometric data according to one of claims 8-17, characterized in that the at least one sensor (24, 25, 26, 27) is placed in a position so that upon correct application of the biological unit in the form of a hand, it will come into contact with at least one of the finger tips of the hand.

19. Means (20) for collecting biometric cata according to at least one of claims 8-18, characterized in that the positioning means (22, 23, 44, 45) are disposed to be in communication with at least one control means (43, 46), to provide the person with access to the service unit when the biological unit is correctly applied to the registration area (42).