WO2004051580A1

WO2004051580A1 - Transportation payment

Info

Publication number: WO2004051580A1
Application number: PCT/IB2003/005053
Authority: WO
Inventors: Krishna P. Panje
Original assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV
Current assignee: Koninklijke Philips NV
Priority date: 2002-12-05
Filing date: 2003-11-06
Publication date: 2004-06-17
Anticipated expiration: 2005-06-05
Also published as: AU2003278466A1

Abstract

This invention relates to a method of and a system for transportation payment for use in a transportation system, said method including the steps of: locating a first position of a mobile device (10) and its owner; locating a second position of the mobile device and its owner; determining a travelling distance depending on said first and second located positions; and charging the owner for use of the transport system depending on said determined travelling distance. Said steps of locating a first and a second position and its owner, respectively, each includes the steps of: retrieving a first identification and the location of the mobile device by means of at least one of an A-GPS system, an E-OTD system and a Time of Arrival system; and determining the position based on the location, and determining the owner based on said first identification of the mobile device. Or, said steps of locating a first and a second position includes the steps of: retrieving a second station ID of a point of sale; transmitting a second identification of the mobile device and the second station ID to a service provider (40); and determining the position based on the second station ID, and determining the owner based on said second identification of the mobile device on the service provider. Or, said steps of locating a first and a second position includes the steps of: retrieving a third identification of the mobile device by a device (21) on a point of sale; transmitting by means of said device (21) on said point of sale said third identification of the mobile device and a third station ID of the point of sale to a service provider; and determining the position based on the third station ID, and determining the owner based on said third identification of the mobile device on the service provider. This enables for automated payment in the transportation system.

Description

Transportation payment

This invention relates to a method of transportation payment for use in a transportation system.

The present invention also relates to a computer system for performing the method. The present invention further relates to a computer program product for performing the method.

Additionally, this invention relates to a system - for transportation payment - comprising a mobile device, a service provider and optionally a device on a point of sale.

US 2002/0029165 discloses an automatic fare adjustment system and memory device for a transportation system. The automatic fare adjustment system uses the memory device to prevent illegal use.

However, the above prior art system involves the problem that a traveller has to carry said memory device in order to obtain a ticket and further he has to carry with him either a commuter pass or a coupon ticket to have a proof for a valid fare.

It is a further problem, generally, for the traveller that most underground stations are grouped into various tariff zones, and it forces the traveller to spend some time locating which tariff zone he belongs (and which one to travel to) and then he has to find a point of sale for a subsequent purchase of a ticket for intended travel zones. It is a further problem - if the traveller interrupts his travel, i.e. leaves one or more zones originally selected and paid for - that it is either trouble some to obtain a refund for unused zones or the traveller simply experiences that money paid for said zones is lost.

The above and other problems are solved by the method mentioned in the opening paragraph, since the method comprises the steps of:

- locating a first position of a mobile device and its owner;

- locating a second position of the mobile device and its owner;

- determining a travelling distance depending on said first and second located positions; and - charging the owner for use of the transport system depending on said determined travelling distance.

Hereby in said four steps, the two positions provide basis for calculation of the travelling distance, and, accordingly the owner - which can be the user of the mobile device - can be charged for the performed travelling distance.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, said steps of locating a first and a second position and its owner, respectively, each comprises the steps of: - retrieving a first identification and the location of the mobile device by means of at least one of an A-GPS system, an E-OTD system and a Time of Arrival system; and

- determining the position based on the location, and determining the owner based on said first identification of the mobile device.

Hereby, in said two steps, said systems - alone or in combination - can locate the position and identity of the owner.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention, said steps of locating a first and a second position and its owner, respectively, each comprises the steps of:

- retrieving a second station ID of a point of sale;

- transmitting a second identification of the mobile device and the second station ID to a service provider; and

- determining the position based on the second station ID, and determining the owner based on said second identification of the mobile device on the service provider.

Again, but in another preferred embodiment, in said three steps - by means of said second station ID of the point of sale and the second identification of the mobile device both transmitted to the service provider by means of the mobile device - the position and identity of the owner are determined on the service provider.

In still another preferred embodiment of the invention, said steps of locating a first and a second position and its owner, respectively, each comprises the steps of:

- retrieving a third identification of the mobile device by a device on a point of sale; - transmitting by means of said device on said point of sale said third identification of the mobile device and a third station ID of the point of sale to a service provider; and

- determining the position based on the third station ID, and determining the owner based on said third identification of the mobile device on the service provider. Again, but in still another preferred embodiment, in said three steps - by means of said third station ID of the point of sale and the third identification of the mobile device both transmitted to the service provider by means of said device on the point of sale - the position and identity of the owner are again determined on the service provider. In still another preferred embodiment of the invention, said method further comprising the steps of:

- transmitting, from the service provider to the mobile device, a message reflecting a determined position; and

- receiving and presenting said message on the mobile device. In said first step, from the service provider a message may be transmitted to the mobile device. The message may comprise information about traversed station routes, which transportation system entered, message about payment, payment and account status (e.g. on a prepaid card), fares, fare zones, available next stations, lines.

In said second step, said message may be received and presented on the mobile device. It may reflect a station, e.g. say "Welcome to the Moscow Metro, you are about to enter line Z, do you wish to buy a ticket?" or for a regular customer the message may comprise "Welcome to you Mr. X, you are our valued customer, but now your prepaid account or card has only 100 Rubles left, therefore you are only allowed to travel to the next station Y, but you may recharge your prepaid card at the next station or recharge in a counter positioned in the train's next section ".

Or - still in said second step - said message may inform the user that the travel is prepaid for, i.e. "Welcome to you Mr. X, you are our valued customer, your prepaid account or card has 100 Rubles left, therefore you are entitled to travel to any station in the Moscow Metro, but you will be charged accordingly; the amount will be drawn from your prepaid card or your account".

It is an advantage of the invention that the above message may then be displayed to the user of the mobile device or to a ticket checker in e.g. the Moscow Metro. The ticket checker can then be able to check whether the journey performed - or about to be performed - has been validly paid for or not. In still another preferred embodiment of the invention, said method further comprising the step:

- transmitting, from the mobile device to the service provider, a message reflecting a confirmation of said billing or a message reflecting a promise to pay for the travel during the use of said transportation system. Said message may reflect a confirmation of previous mentioned charging. Alternatively, the said message may reflect a promise from the user to pay for the travel. In the second case, user may be charged after the second position of the user is located. Said message may in the form of an SMS message and may be sent when the user presses a button on the mobile device.

Again, it is an advantage of the invention that the above message may then be displayed to the user of the mobile device or to a ticket checker in e.g. the Moscow Metro. In the latter case, the ticket checker reads the identity of the traveller's mobile device and sends said identity to the service provider through the Internet and receives a message returned on the mobile device carried by the ticket checker himself. Thus the ticket checker can then be able to check whether the journey performed - or about to be performed - has been validly paid for or promised to be paid for or not.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the mobile device can be a personal digital assistant, a palm top, a cell phone or a mobile phone. It is an advantage of the invention that all of the above can be accomplished by the mobile device carried by the user. The following system is also useful when user is to decide where he wishes to get off after he boards the means of transportation. The system is also helpful if the user cannot afford waste time buying ticket.

The system gives the same advantages for the same reasons as described previously in relation to the method.

The invention will be explained more fully below in connection with preferred embodiments and with reference to the drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a first embodiment of a mobile device and a device on a point of sale;

Fig. 2 shows a second embodiment of the mobile device;

Fig. 3 show data flow in three embodiments of the invention; and

Fig. 4 shows a method of transportation payment for use in a transportation system.

Throughout the drawings, the same reference numerals indicate similar or corresponding features, functions, etc. Fig. 1 shows a mobile device and a device on a point of sale. Said mobile device will be described by means of its features. The mobile device is shown by reference numeral 10. A user, which may be the owner - as indicated by reference numeral 18 - may obtain information content from the display of the mobile device, reference numeral 13, and / or from a loudspeaker, reference numeral 15, each positioned on the front. Said information content, e.g. an SMS message reflecting where the user is located (for a subsequently billing if he travels further or departs) may be displayed on the display and said information content when it comprises sounds or music may optionally or additionally be emitted by means of the loudspeaker. The mobile device may be operated in conjunction with other mobile devices, which may thereby basically provide the user with sound, textual and image information or in conjunction with said point of sale. The use of the mobile device in conjunction with the point of sale will be discussed in figure 4. Integrated in the mobile device may be one or more different identification readers, reference numeral 12 which may be positioned or embedded in the mobile device. That or those identification reader(s) may then be used to inform the mobile device in which transport environment, e.g. a bus stop, a stop in an underground station, a boarding point or check-in point in an airport, etc with a corresponding point of sale, it is actually located. The identification reader may be any sensor capable of receiving or reading a signal as known in the prior art used to locate a position. As an alternative - or additionally - to said identification reader(s), the mobile device may be equipped with a software installation, e.g. an E-OTD, A-GPS, etc software enabled mobile device, and the necessary hardware as known in the art. Thus the mobile device can to be identified and located by either an A-GPS system, an E-OTD system or a Time of Arrival system. Hereby, at least one of these systems can locate the position of the mobile device, thereby it is known where user of the mobile device is, e.g. at a stop in an underground station, at a boarding point or check-out point in an airport, etc.

E-OTD means Enhanced Observed time difference and is basically a triangulation technique to detect a location. Typically, E-OTD systems operate by location receivers or reference beacons being overlaid on the wireless network as a location measurement unit at multiple sites geographically dispersed in a vast area. Each of these receivers has an accurate timing source, and when a signal from at least three base stations is received by an E-OTD software-enabled mobile device and the location measurement unit, the time differences in the arrivals of the signal from each cell site at a handset (on the mobile device) and the location measurement unit are calculated. The differences in time stamps are then combined to produce intersecting hyperbolic lines from which the location is estimated. A-GPS means an Assisted-Global Positioning System, said A-GPS may be in the handset of said mobile device, but receives some assistance data (e.g. satellite info) from a network. The mobile device receives the information on GPS satellites from the network (typically with the help of a location server), so that mobile device need not spend time and energy to trace the satellites in its area. So the process to find the satellites when the mobile device is switched on for the first time is relatively simple. This is the case since the assistance date delivered to the mobile device relieves the mobile device from making a lot of computations, and further supporting hardware (for a full blown GPS) is also not required to be integrated into the mobile device. Thus such an A-GPS incorporated mobile device does not have a full blown GPS embedded in it. It is an advantage that the A-GPS system is more accurate under urban environments and consumes less power than said full blown GPS.

Further, the mobile device may located by means of a NI-LR, i.e. a so-called Network Induced Location Request, where a client (for example an external website) may request for the position of the mobile device (of course upon user approval) and forward this information to the service provider.

Additionally, the mobile device may be located by means of a MO-LR, i.e. Mobile Originated Location Request, where the user of the mobile device asks the network for his position to be delivered to him or to an external party, e.g. to a website; subsequently said position may be forwarded to the service provider.

Switching to said point of sale, reference numeral 20, it may be tagged or given an identification code, e.g. a station ID - reference numeral 19 - by means of a printed barcode, printed pattern, a smart card, a magnet stripe, a transponder, a code tag, an RF tag, etc.

Correspondingly, the identification reader for reading said station ID - now switching back to the mobile device - may be a barcode reader, a smart card reader, a magnet stripe reader, a transponder reader, a tag reader, a pattern reader, such as an optical reader, etc. This means that the mobile device may access, i.e. primarily read, identification of said point of sale either by close contact to the station ID of the point of sale or preferably by means of wireless communication. By means of said identification reader(s) of reference numeral 12, the location of the mobile device, i.e. where is the user (of it) located, e.g. close to a point of sale, may be determined. When said point of sale and the mobile device's ED are known, information regard a point of departure or a destination of a journey can be known and who, i.e. the user of the mobile device, performed the journey. Subsequently, the user can be charged accordingly for a fare representing the distance between the point of departure and of destination. The fare may be determined by said service provider keeping a list of zones, zone numbers, price-structure, discounts, various tariff zones and their corresponding fares, zone numbers, price-structure, available discounts, travel schedule information, etc. This will also be discussed in connection with a method in figure 4.

The user may respond to previously mentioned information content - e.g. an SMS telling the user where he is, where to go, the fare for trips, etc - given by means of an input device as shown by reference numeral 14. The response could be another SMS message reflecting that the user confirms his location (e.g. bus station, underground station, etc) and is willing to pay, i.e. to be subsequently charged, if he performs a further travel or begins a travel from the particular station. Alternatively, the response could be given by a simple pressing on a pushbutton on the mobile device.

The input device may be a keyboard, some pushbutton and / or fields sensitive to touch on said display. The input device may further be a button and / or an arrangement of buttons, a pointing device, such as a mouse, a trackball, a touch pad, a digital pen, or the like. Additionally, said input device may comprise a microphone for reception of voice and speech commands controlling the functionality of said mobile device, e.g. responding to said SMS by returning information to said point of sale. The mobile device may receive said information by means of communications device, reference numeral 16 connected to a processor, reference numeral 17. The communications device may receive or send information by means of a network, e.g. a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a Bluetooth communication, an Infrared communication or any combination thereof, e.g. the Internet, an intranet, an extranet. The network may comprise wired and wire-less communication links, e.g. a mobile communications network. Said network may be a general solution known in the art, or it may be dedicated to an optimized communication between the mobile device, the point of sale and the service provider. Said processor is arranged to receive inputs from the display, if it has touch- sensitive fields on its front, the input device, signal from said identification reader(s) and the communications device. The processor is further arranged to generate display data for the display, sound or music data for the speaker, and other data in response to the communications device. In another embodiment of the invention, a device on said point of sale, reference numeral 21 may read an identification (code) identifying the mobile device by means of a smart card, a magnet stripe, a transponder, a code tag, an RF tag, etc, integrated in said mobile device. Correspondingly, other identification reader(s) similar to previously discussed reader(s) in the mobile device - may be integrated in the device, reference numeral 21, on said point of sale. The identification reader may be a transponder reader, a tag reader, a pattern reader, a smart card reader, etc. Hereby, the device on said point of sale can identify the mobile device (and thereby its owner) and then transfer this information - with a station ID belonging to said point of sale to a service provider. The device on said point of sale may receive and transmit information by means of a communications device, e.g. transmit / receive information to/from a service provider and/ or to/from the mobile device as well.

As an alternative to identification readers (in the device on said point of sale, said device identified by reference numeral 21), said device may directly read an identification of the mobile device or send the identification of the station (e.g. by a station ID) to the mobile device by means of an access to said mobile device, e.g. via a short range communication, such as Bluetooth, IrDA, etc.

It is therefore possible to have an intelligent system comprised of the service provider, the mobile device with identification readers and the point of sale optionally with its own device equipped with a station ID, and also having the device of the point of sale, optionally equipped with identification readers. The most intelligent of said station IDs is placed in or located close to the point of sale, and said station IDs may have an integrated micro-controller with self-contained amendable program(s) embedded. Now, the service provider or the device at the point of sale may re-program/run a Java applet on said station IDs by using an application; hereby the station ED's can be redefined at bus stops, stops in underground stations, boarding points or check-in/out points in airports, etc.

Figure 2 shows a preferred embodiment of the invention, which may contain the mobile device. Shown is a mobile telephone as one embodiment of the mobile device - still reference numeral 10 - having display means, reference numeral 13, a keypad, reference numeral 14 as input means, an antenna, reference numeral 22, connected to previously mentioned communications device, a microphone, reference numeral 23 as another possible input means, and a speaker as reference numeral 15. The method - as discussed in the next figure - according to the present invention may be executed on said mobile device with access to the service provider and optionally requiring the device on said point of sale. As an alternative to said mobile telephone may be a personal digital assistant, a palm top or a cell phone.

Figure 3 show data flow in three embodiments of the invention. The arrow 1 in figure 3 A reflects that, in a first embodiment of the invention, the mobile device communicates with the service provider reference numeral 40. This is possible since said service provider keeps track of where the mobile device is located by means of by an A-GPS system, an E-OTD system or a Time of Arrival system. Thus at least one of these systems is able to locate the position of the mobile device and subsequently inform the service provider accordingly. Figure 3B reflects in a second embodiment of the invention, by means of reference numeral 2, that still the mobile device and the service provider, reference numeral 40, communicate. By means of the device, reference numeral 21, located in the point of sale, the station ED of the point of sale is retrieved by said mobile device and subsequently transferred to the service provider. By means of said station ID and by an identification of the mobile device, the location of the mobile device and its owner are determined by the service provider.

However, in a simpler implementation, i.e. when the station ID of the point of sale can be directly read by the mobile device, the device (reference numeral 21 in figure 1 and 3B) belonging to the point of sale may not be required, thus said device is optional. As an example, the point of sale may have a smart card or a printed barcode positioned as a simple easy readable station ID (as reference numeral 19 in figure 1). This simple station ID may then be read by either a corresponding smart card reader or a bar code reader integrated into said mobile device.

Figure 3C reflects, in a third embodiment of the invention, by means of reference numeral 3, that still the mobile device and the service provider communicate. By means of the device (located in the point of sale), reference numeral 21, an identification of said mobile device is retrieved by said device (located in the point of sale) and subsequently transferred to the service provider by means of a communication as indicated in reference numeral 4. By means of a station ID (belonging to the device on the point of sale) and the retrieved identification of said mobile device, the owner of the mobile device and location is subsequently determined by the service provider

Figure 4 shows a method of transportation payment for use in a transportation system. Said transportation system may comprise trains in a system of underground stations, busses with corresponding bus stops, airplanes, taxies with fixed stops, ships, etc. The transportation system may comprise a mix of trains, busses, airplanes, taxies, ships, bicycles, etc. suitable for transportation.

Said trains, busses, airplanes, taxies, ships may have a corresponding a boarding point or check-in point comprising a point of sale where the user using said system needs to pay or needs to be identified for a subsequent automated payment.

Generally, when the wording of "point of sale" is used throughout the application, it may be a point of sale typically located where a journey is commenced, alternatively it may be an intermediate point of sale (seen from the travellers point of view), and, it may further be a point of sale typically located where the journey is ended, e.g. where the user is leaving the underground station by walking out of tunnel system of the underground station's, etc.

In step 90, the method in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention is started. Variables, flags, buffers, etc., keeping track of location(s), station(s), owner(s), first and second positions, first and second station ID's, first, second and third identifications, presented message(s), etc on the service provider are set to default values. When the method is started a second time, only corrupted variables, flags, buffers, etc, are reset to default values.

In step 100, a first position of a mobile device and its owner may be located. Typically said first position may represent where the user of the mobile device is about to board a train in an underground station, enter a bus at a bus stop, a boarding point or check-in point in an airport, etc., with a corresponding point of sale. The first position of the mobile device may be located by means of an A-GPS system, an E-OTD system or a Time of Arrival system. Alternatively or additionally said identification reader(s) discussed in figure 2 either placed in the mobile device or in said device on the point of sale may also be used to locate the first position of the mobile device. Said first position is typically determined when the user starts using the transportation system.

In step 200, a second position of the mobile device and its owner may be located. Typically said second position may represent where the user of the mobile device has left a train in an underground station, has left a bus at a bus stop, the user is at an intermediate stop or at a transfer point and is considering where to go to catch another line in the underground station, is leaving an airline in airport, may be waiting for his luggage in the airport, etc. with a corresponding point identifying that the user is leaving the transportation system. The second position of the mobile device may also be located by means of an A-GPS system, an E-OTD system or a Time of Arrival system. Alternatively or additionally said identification reader(s) discussed in figure 2 is are / also either placed in the mobile device or in said device on the point of sale may also be used to locate said second position of the mobile device. Said second position is typically determined when the user leaves or changes line (bus, train, etc) during the use of the transportation system. In one embodiment of the invention, steps 100 and 200, respectively, constitutes a generalisation of steps 105 and 110; these are discussed below.

In step 105, a first identification and the location of the mobile device may be retrieved by means of an A-GPS system, an E-OTD system or a Time of Arrival system. It may further be possible to identify and locate the mobile device by a combination of said three systems, where appropriate. As an example, it may be the case that, at the start of a journey, the A-GPS system is used to locate (the mobile device) and then, at the end of the journey or at an intermediate transfer point, the E-OTD system is used to locate said mobile device, and finally at the end of the journey, the Time of Arrival system is used to locate said mobile device. Conversely, the Time of Arrival system may be applied at the start of a journey and the E-OTD system may be used to locate the mobile device and its owner for the remaining station(s) travelled during the last part of the journey. In other words, any of said A-GPS system, E-OTD system and Time of Arrival system may be applied at the start of a journey, during the transfer to other station(s) and when said journey is ended. Hereby, the mobile device and its owner will be tracked regardless of where it is located during any journey. Optionally, in order to help one of said three systems to more accurately locate the mobile device, especially where it makes sense, i.e. at the start or end of a journey, the user may simply press a button on the mobile device to initiate this step.

In step 110, the position may be determined based on the location, and the owner may be determined based on said first identification of the mobile device. Said location may comprise X, Y and Z coordinates referring to a given reference point of a system of coordinate and / or said location may comprise ordinary GPS data or like data used in navigation systems. In all cases, said location is used to determine the position reflecting where the user, i.e. the owner of the mobile device, currently is, i.e. in an underground station, is at or has just left a certain bus-line at a bus stop, at a transfer point, is on an aeroplane, waiting for his luggage, etc. Typically, a service provider will perform the position determination. Further, the service provider will perform the owner determination, since the service provider may keep lists or a database used to obtain owner information from the mobile device's first identification. In another embodiment of the invention, steps 100 and 200, respectively, constitute a generalisation of steps 120, 125 and 130; these are discussed below.

In step 120, a second station ID of a point of sale may be retrieved by the mobile device. The point of sale may have a unique station ED. Said second station ID may be comprised in a printed barcode, a printed pattern, on a smart card, on a magnet stripe, in a transponder, in a code tag, in an RF tag, etc. readable to the mobile device. Said second station ID may the be read by means of the previously mentioned identification reader - integrated into the mobile device - such as a corresponding barcode reader, smart card reader, magnet stripe reader, transponder reader, tag reader, pattern reader, etc. Hereby, said second station BO of said point of sale may be retrieved by the mobile device. Optionally, in order to locate the mobile device accurately, the user may simply press a button when he knows he is close to said point of sale. Subsequently, the device on a point of sale and the mobile device may establish a wireless communication (e.g. an IrD A Bluetooth link) and thus the second station BO can be retrieved by the mobile device. In step 125, a second identification of the mobile device and the second station

ED may be transmitted to a service provider. Said second station ED just retrieved is then transmitted from the mobile device to the service provider along with said second identification of the mobile device.

In step 130, the position may be determined based on the second station ED, and the owner may be determined based on said second identification of the mobile device on the service provider. Said position is used to determine where the user currently is, i.e. the owner of the mobile device, e.g. in an underground station, at a bus stop, at a transfer point, etc. The service provider will perform the position determination, since the service provider may keep lists or a database used to convert the second station ED to an exact position. Said exact position may then be converted to a corresponding underground station, a bus stop, etc. Further, the service provider will perform the owner determination as discussed in the corresponding last part of step 110, but by use of said second identification (of the mobile device).

In still another and last embodiment of the invention, steps 100 and 200, respectively, constitute a generalisation of steps 150, 155 and 160; these are discussed below. In step 150, a third identification of the mobile device may be retrieved by a device on a point of sale. By means of a Bluetooth protocol, IrD A, an Infrared communication or the like, the device belonging to said point of sale, may retrieve said third identification of the mobile device. Correspondingly, if the device on a point of sale comprises an identification reader, then it can read the third identification of the mobile device.

In step 155, said third identification of the mobile device and a third station ED of the point of sale may be transmitted to a service provider by means of said device on said point of sale. Again, said point of sale may have a unique station ED, i.e. said third station ED. Said third station ED may correspond to the station ED discussed in 120; however in this step, said ED on the device on said point of sale is fixed and given during said device's installation and set-up.

In step 160, the position may be determined based on the third station ED, and the owner may be determined based on said third identification of the mobile device on the service provider. This step corresponds to step 130; however with application of the third station ED instead of the second station ED.

In step 300, a travelling distance maybe determined depending on said first and second located positions. Since said first and second located positions may either comprise X, Y and Z coordinates, have or comprise ordinary GPS data or like data used in navigation systems, the travelling distance can easily be computed - by means of the service provider - by use of trigonometry or by use of computations known from navigation, etc. As an example of travelling distance determination, the service provider may use database of locations against geographical positions to identify stations, etc In step 400, the owner may be charged for use of the transport system depending on said determined travelling distance. The determined travelling distance may - also by means of the service provider - here be subdivided into zones with corresponding fares, hereby the cost for the owner can be estimated by means of a simple summation. In case the owner is entitled to discounts, these may here be withdrawn from the cost in order to settle a final charge.

Alternatively, it may be the case that the user already at the first located position is being automatically charged since either he moves in a direction where only one final or next station (e.g. subsequently determined as the second located position) is possible, or the user is - as will be explained in step 700 - at or close to the second subsequently located position, and then he may confirm to be charged. In other words, when the system supervising where the mobile device is at a very early stage of the journey, the system can determine that only one final station is possible to travel to, said system may therefore charge for use of the transport system even before said travel is actually finalized. When the user is charged for the journey or when the user initiates a travel, an alert, e.g. an SMS message on mobile device may be received and presented to inform said user, e.g. the service provider in this case may transmit the SMS message for alerting (to the mobile device). The billing may take place after the point of sale has been located or during the j ourney. However, the latter is only possible when it at a very early stage of the j ourney can with no doubt be determined where said travel will be finalized.

The alert may instead be transmitted directly to the mobile device from the device on the point of sale, i.e. not using the service provider in this case for alerting. If the user has money (on his account, prepaid card, etc,) the service provider may bill him only at the end of the day/week after monitoring his traversed routes, so that user will have to subsequently settle his account. This, of course depends on agreed billing methods agreed between the owner of the mobile device and the service provider. Said alerts with a confirmation for billing or a promise (i.e. an agreement) to pay, etc. is reflected in steps 500 through 700. In step 500, from the service provider a message may be transmitted to the mobile device. Said message may reflect a determined position of the mobile device. As an example the message may comprise information about traversed station routes, which transportation system entered, message about payment, payment and account status (on a prepaid card), fares, fare zones, available next stations, lines, etc. In step 600, said message may be received and presented on the mobile device.

Since said message, e.g. in an SMS form, may reflect a station, etc, the message may comprise "Welcome to Bangalore Metro, you are about to enter line Z, do you wish to buy a ticket?" or for a regular customer the message may comprise "Welcome to you Mr. X, you are our valued customer, but now your prepaid account or card has only 10 Rupees left, therefore you are only allowed to travel to the next station Y, but you may recharge your prepaid card at the next station or recharge in a counter positioned in the train's section 18 (next to your section 17)". Accordingly with the recharged prepaid card, the mobile device can then again be used to pay for trips to further stations. Or, with the next step, it can be confirmed to actually buy the ticket. Conversely, said message may inform the user that the travel is prepaid for, i.e. "Welcome to you Mr. X, you are our valued customer, your prepaid account or card has 100 Rupees left, therefore you are entitled to travel any next station in the Bangalore Metro, but you will be charged accordingly; the amount will be drawn from your prepaid card or your account, etc". The above messages may be presented to the user (of the mobile device) or to a ticket checker. To the ticket checker, the message information can be delivered either manually, i.e. look at the travellers display of the mobile device or remotely; in the latter case, the ticket checker reads the identity of the travellers mobile device and sends said identity to the service provider through the Internet and receives a message returned on the mobile device carried by the ticket checker himself. In both cases, the ticket checker is able to check whether the journey performed - or about to be performed - has been validly paid for or not. However, it may be the case that first in step 700 (by a confirmation) and in a later step (after confirmation in step 700) that the ticket checker is able to check that the journey has been validly paid for.

In step 700, a message may be transmitted from the mobile device to the service provider during the use of said transportation system. Said message may reflect a confirmation of said billing as discussed in step 400. Alternatively, said message may reflect a promise to pay for the trip. In the first case it may seem to be appropriate to confirm said billing during the travel, i.e. the use of said transportation system, since the user may loose interest in doing so later, i.e. after the use, etc., since the user - after leaving said transportation system -may speculate in not paying, since he cannot physically be caught for cheating anymore. However, it is an advantage of the invention that the second position of the user can be tracked (as explained in step 200) after the first position is determined, so that user can be automatically billed, when he moves out of positions, which have stations, stops etc. Said message may in the form of an SMS message, etc, to the service provider. Said "during the use of said transportation system" means from said first to said second located positions.

Said message may be transmitted from the mobile device when the user presses a button on the mobile device, which then makes request to a program in itself, which visits the service provider and makes a request to travel and to pay for the trip. This can be in a form of a simple SMS to the service provider. Alternatively, said message form the mobile device may be transferred to the service provider, by means of the program in the mobile device, which automatically sends the confirmation or a promise to the service provider as a response to a message received from the service provider.

In a further step, a new message may be received and presented on the mobile device. Said new message may reflect that the journey now has been validly paid for. Alternatively, the said new message may reflect that the user has promised to pay for the travel. Correspondingly, the ticket checker now is able to verify that the journey performed has been validly paid for or the ticket checker is now able to verify that the user has made a promise to pay for the travel once the user finishes the travel. The finishing of the travel is identified by the second located position of the user. User shall be charged after second position is located. By the wording "message" is meant information items, which would normally represent what may be presented by means of a display and / or a loudspeaker on the mobile device, i.e. plain text, pictures, frames, video, word-processor data, spread-sheet data such as tariff zones and their corresponding fares, zone number, price-structure, discounts, various tariff zones, travel schedule information. Said information items may alternatively or additionally also be picture messages, voice mail, video mail, e-mail, SMS and combinations thereof. Conversely, the mobile device may transmit as a response comprised of one or more of said information items.

Usually, the method will start all over again for as long as said mobile device is powered. Otherwise, the method may terminate in step 800; however, when the mobile device and the service provider are powered again, etc, the method may proceed from step

100.

Said mobile device may be a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant, a palm top, a cell phone or any other mobile device capable of executing its part of said method. A computer readable medium may be magnetic tape, optical disc, digital versatile disk (DND), compact disc (CD record-able or CD write-able), mini-disc, hard disk, floppy disk, smart card, PCMCIA card, etc.

In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be constructed as limiting the claim. The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those listed in a claim. The word "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements.

The invention can be implemented by means of hardware comprising several distinct elements, and by means of a suitably programmed computer. In the device claim enumerating several means, several of these means can be embodied by one and the same item of hardware. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A method of transportation payment for use in a transportation system, said method comprising the steps of:

- locating a first position of a mobile device and its owner;

- locating a second position of the mobile device and its owner; - determining a travelling distance depending on said first and second located positions; and

- charging the owner for use of the transport system depending on said determined travelling distance.

2. A method according to claim 1 characterized in that said steps of locating a first and a second position and its owner, respectively, each comprises the steps of:

- retrieving a first identification and the location of the mobile device by means of at least one of an A-GPS system, an E-OTD system and a Time of Arrival system; and

3. A method according to claim 1 characterized in that said steps of locating a first and a second position and its owner, respectively, each comprises the steps of:

- retrieving a second station ED of a point of sale; - transmitting a second identification of the mobile device and the second station ED to a service provider; and

- determining the position based on the second station ED, and determining the owner based on said second identification of the mobile device on the service provider.

4. A method according to claim 1 characterized in that said steps of locating a first and a second position and its owner, respectively, each comprises the steps of:

- retrieving a third identification of the mobile device by a device on a point of sale;

- transmitting by means of said device on said point of sale said third identification of the mobile device and a third station ED of the point of sale to a service provider; and - determining the position based on the third station ED, and determining the owner based on said third identification of the mobile device on the service provider.

5. A method according to any one of claims 1 through 4, characterized in said method further comprising the steps of:

- receiving and presenting said message on the mobile device.

6. A method according to any one of claims 1 through 5, characterized in said method further comprising the step of:

- transmitting, from the mobile device to the service provider, a message reflecting a confirmation of said billing or a message reflecting a promise to pay for the travel during the use of said transportation system.

7. A method according to any one of claims 1 through 6, characterized in that the mobile device is a personal digital assistant, palm top, cell phone or a mobile phone.

8. A system comprising a mobile device, a service provider and optionally a device on a point of sale comprising means for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 through 7.

9. A computer system for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 through 7.

10. A computer program product comprising program code means stored on a computer readable medium for performing the method of any one of claims 1 through 7 when the computer program is run on a computer.