WO2013184046A1

WO2013184046A1 - One stop validation device

Info

Publication number: WO2013184046A1
Application number: PCT/SE2012/000090
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jacob Weitman
Original assignee: Unwire ApS
Current assignee: Kuba Denmark ApS
Priority date: 2012-06-07
Filing date: 2012-06-07
Publication date: 2013-12-12
Anticipated expiration: 2014-12-07

Description

ONE STOP VALIDATION DEVICE

The present invention refers to a ticketing device for different kinds of tickets, coupons, vouchers and access passes as defined in the pre- characterizing portion of claim 1. In the areas of ticketing, couponing and security/access control there is a strong trend towards contactless technologies. The acronym CTT (Contactless Ticketing Technology) will in the following be used as a generic reference to tickets, coupons, vouchers and access passes which can be detected and validated at a distance by electromagnetic means, including light waves. CTT thus includes detection and validation of tickets, coupons, vouchers and access passes by electromagnetic waves of various frequencies, such as light (optical detection devices) and radio waves (inductive detection devices, such as RFID and NFC). Furthermore, tickets and ticketing will be used as a common generic notation for issuing and use of tickets, coupons, vouchers and access passes by CTT methods.

A problem encountered today is the diversity of CTTs which are used in transportation, entertainment (arenas, theatres, etc.), retail and security (access control) businesses. The diversity entails higher system complexities, larger space requirements for various terminals, higher costs, increased demands on training of personnel involved and - not least - risks of confusing the end users.

A particular drawback, for instance in the transportation industry, causing not only confusion of end users but also nuisance to staff (such as bus drivers, ticket collectors and inspectors), increased costs and extra demand on the already limited availability of space at dashboards, counters and desks, is that the use of a range of different CTTs requires different specialized detectors and validators, such as for instance for tickets by RFID/ SmartCards, NFC, barcodes on paper and mobile tickets by barcodes and text-SMS on mobile phone displays.

The object of the present invention is to provide a ticketing device which eliminates the drawbacks mentioned above.

The object is achieved by means of a ticketing device according to the characterizing portion of claim 1.

The ticketing device or the acronym OSV (One Stop Validation) device used in the following refers to a device which allows all types of currently used tickets produced by CTTs to be detected, read and validated if placed on or close to a clearly delimited combined optical window and induction sensor area. The acronym OSV underlines the important fact that only one and the same area is used for the detection, reading and validation of all the various types of tickets. The concept window denotes in the following the area on or close to which both optical and inductive detection occurs.

The OSV device according to the present invention is simple in its design, space and cost saving, intuitively easy to use and economically attractive to staff and end users.

Preferred embodiments of the OSV device according to the invention are defined in the sub-claims.

The OSV device according to the invention provides for a single window integrated detection, reading and/or validation apparatus by means of which all kinds of contactless tickets in the generic sense defined in the foregoing can be detected, read and validated. For proper understanding of the characteristics of the invention it is essential to observe the distinction between detection and reading on the one side and validation on the other. Devices for detection and reading only are in a sense "stupid", in that the detector/reader or the external system communicating with it and displaying results is not expected to have any built in logic or intelligence intended to determine the implications or validity of the information detected and read. In contrast, validation is a process which requires client software in the validator or in the system communicating with it which allows decisions on the applicability and validity of the information detected and read. As used in this application, a validator or validation system has software programmed in such a way that the information detected and read can be matched against a set of parameters and criteria to determine its validity. For instance, the client software in the validator will be able to determine if a ticket presented to it is valid for the specific zone or for the specific transportation line on which it is installed, has not been refunded or expired in relation to its prescribed time of validity, etc. In a preferred embodiment the validator has communications means (such as by GPRS or a fixed Internet line) allowing remote downloading to the validator of updated or upgraded client software with new validation logic.

The invention will now be described with reference to the enclosed drawings showing a preferred embodiment.

Fig 1 is a perspective view from above of a ticketing device according to the invention. Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the ticketing device in fig 1. In figs. 1 and 2 is shown a ticketing device 1 for tickets, coupons, vouchers and access passes such as SMS-tickets, bar code tickets, RFID- tickets, NFC-tickets, biometric tickets or the like.

The ticketing device 1 according to the invention comprises a housing 2, a window (in the sense defined above) 3 at an outer surface 4 of said housing 2, a processing and validation unit 5 which is situated within the housing 2, a digital camera 5a, which here but not necessary is attached to the processing and validation unit 5, a lens 6 which is part of the camera 5a and is directed towards the window 3, an illumination means 7 which is situated below the window 3 and arranged to constantly or adaptively emit indirect light toward the window 3, and an antenna 8 which substantially surrounds the window 3. The processing and validation unit 5 can alternatively be placed outside of the housing 2. The outer surface 4 of the housing 2 can consist of a plate which is opaque except for the optical opening of the window 3 which is transparent and for instance made of glass or a suitable plastic material. Alternatively only the optical opening of the window 3 is made of a transparent material. The illumination frame 7 and the antenna 8 can be integrally mounted and are situated so that they do not interfere with the space between said opening 3 and said camera lens 6. A RFID or NFC receiver or transceiver module is either mounted on the frame 7 carrying the antenna 8 or is connected to the antenna 8 by a cable with suitable impedance adaptation.

The illumination means 7 is preferably placed closely below and surrounding the window and arranged such as to illuminate the optical opening of the window area by light beams essentially parallel to the plane of the window, to avoid disturbing by direct light, reflections or in other way the capture by the camera 5 a of an interpretable image of information displayed on mobile phones.

The purpose of the illumination is to allow detection, reading and validation by the optical means, such as a digital camera or a so called imager, of the OSV device of information printed on paper. However, it is at the same time an intentional design feature of the invention to allow robust reading of information off mobile phone displays, which do not require external illumination because of intrinsic illumination. The optional adaptive illumination according to the invention can to some extent reduce the problem of reflections in display windows, but the adaptive control is not perfect because of difficulties to differentiate between ambient light and light emitted by mobile phone displays. It is consequently important to design the illumination such as to prevent glare from the illumination and reflections which could reduce robustness of validation.

The housing 2 is supported in a suitable way, for instance by a hollow support rod 9 which is mounted on a mounting plate 10 and through which cabling for the OSV device extends.

In fig. 2 the different parts of the housing are shown, which parts are assembled, preferably by means of screws (not shown). Denoted by reference numbers 11, 12 and 13 are mounting brackets to stabilize the construction of the housing 2. Distance arms 14 are fastened at the housing to hold in position a hollow plate 15, the illuminating frame 7 and mounting frames 15 and 16.

A signalling device in the form of a LED 17 is mounted on one side surface of the housing 2 and is arranged to emit light, preferably red or green, to indicate to the conductor/driver if the ticket or coupon is valid or not. Other signalling devices in the form of LEDs 18 and 19 are mounted on the opposite side of the housing 2 in relation to the LED 17 and are arranged to emit light, preferably green and reed, respectively, to indicate to the end user if the ticket is valid or invalid. The validation operation of the OSV device according to the invention can also incorporate an acoustic signalizing device (not shown) which is arranged to emit signals with different sounds indicating if the ticket or coupon is valid or invalid. Other audiovisual signalling means of a similar nature can be used for alerts about special ticket types, such as reduced price tickets. The visible and acoustic signals are suitably correlated /synchronized.

The hood cover 20 having a lid 21 is provided for enclosing contacts and connecting cables.

The processing and validation unit 5 has processors (not shown) to process the signals from the optical and inductive detectors of the OSV device and thereby to locally determine by means of client software in the processing unit if the ticket detected and read is valid or not. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the validation process is performed in two steps, the first step being local validation based on the ticket parameters encoded in the payload of the ticket code. In case a ticket successfully passes the first local validation step and the OSV device is on-line (by for instance GPRS or a fixed Internet line) with a server, a second validation step follows to determine against a data base on the server that the ticket is not earlier used at another location, refunded, fraudulently copied or for some other reason which cannot be determined locally no longer valid. In the off-line case, when there is no server contact, the ticket is accepted based on the local validation only. Data on such off-line and locally only validated tickets are stored in the OSV device. As soon as the server contact is re-established, all data on tickets read off-line are uploaded to the server.

The end user, such as a traveller who has ordered the ticket via the Internet or a mobile phone or has bought the ticket in any other way, simply places the ticket against or at a short distance from the active window 3 at the outer surface 4 of the housing and waits until one of the LEDs 18 or 19 is activated indicating that the ticket is valid or invalid. The end user can also remove the ticket from the active window opening 3 when an acoustic signal is heard which indicates that the ticket is valid or invalid.

In a preferred embodiment of the OSV device according to the invention the processing unit 5 is provided with various communication ports and means, such as USB, RS232, RJ45, video, audio, GPI/O, GPRS and GPS. This allows, whenever applicable in a specific use case, the OSV device to be connected to external touch screens, etc. The GPOs can be used to control gates and turnstiles and external audiovisual signalling means.

Consequently, by means of the OSV device according to the invention, all kinds of CTT type tickets for travelling or other purposes can be detected, read and validated by one and the same apparatus and one and the same window and external control functions related to decisions by the OSV device on validity of tickets, such as opening of gates and turnstiles, can be executed.

Modifications, including modifications of the apparatus design, are of course possible within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

Claims:

1. Ticketing device for the handling of various kinds of tickets, coupons, vouchers and access passes, such as by RFID, NFC, barcodes, text-SMS, fingerprint or the like, characterized in that the ticketing device is an integrated one stop validation device for the detection, reading and validation over one and the same window (3) of all optically and inductively detectable, readable and validable tickets.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the validation is either performed locally in the processor unit (5) or remotely on a server communicating with the processor unit (5) over the air or via a fixed Internet line.

3. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the validation process is a two step process, whereby the first validation step is local validation by means of software with validation logic downloaded in the processor unit (5) for interpretation and validation of tickets, coupons, vouchers and access passes based on parameters encoded in said tickets, coupons, vouchers and access passes.

4. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the validator has communications means (such as by GPRS or a fixed Internet line) allowing remote downloading to the validator of updated or upgraded client software with new validation logic.

5. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that illumination means (7) is arranged to illuminate the window (3).

6. Device according to any of claims 1- 5, characterized in that said illumination means (7) is placed closely below and surrounding the optical opening of the window (3) and arranged such as to illuminate the optical opening of the window area by light beams essentially parallel to the plane of the window, to avoid disturbing by direct light, reflections or in other ways the optical reading by the camera (5a) of mobile phone display information.

7. Device according to any of claims 1 - 6, characterized in that said illumination means (7) and antenna means (8) are mounted on a common frame.

8. Device according to any of claims 1-7, characterized in that signalling means (17, 18, 19) can provide audio and/or visual signals indicating that said ticket, coupon, voucher or access pass is valid or invalid.

9. Device according to any of claims 1- 8, characterized in that said signalling means (17, 18, 19) can be of different colours or of different sounds.

10. Device according to any of claims 1 - 8, characterized in that a RFID and/or NFC receiver or transceiver module is either mounted on the frame (7) carrying the antenna means (8) or is connected to the antenna means (8) by a cable with suitable impedance adaption.

11. Device according to any of claims 1 - 9, characterized in that said illumination means (7) and said antenna means (8) are situated so that they do not interfere with the path of light between said reader opening (3) and said camera lens (6).