Fare charging apparatus for public transport systems

Claim 2

Fare charging apparatus for a common carrier, comprising : a. a carrier token having storage means for storing data on the token including data reflecting a number identifying the token b. means for generating a signal reflecting a fare charge for the trip c. means for producing on the fare token a record of the sum of fare charges arising from consecutive trips expressed as a number relative to a first fixed reference number, together with means for defining said first reference number. d. means for detecting when any individual fare charging operation causes the aggregate fare to increase from a value short of a second reference number to a value in excess of that second reference number, together with means for defining that number. e. means responsive to detector output signals causing the token identifying number to be transferred to a permanent memory of the common carrier.

Claim 3

Fare charging apparatus for a common carrier as set out in claim 1, wherein : a. the storage means on the common carrier token include data reflecting a reference number against which aggregating fare data are to be measured.

Claim 4

Fare charging apparatus for a common carrier as set out in claim 1 wherein : a. the storage means on the token hold data relating to an entrance point on the common carrier b. the fare charge means comprise an encoder device for encoding numbers allotted to zone areas, routes and discrete locations covered by the common carrier c. signal generating means for producing electrical signals representative of the encoded area, zone and location

Claim 5

Fare charging apparatus for a common carrier as set out in claim 3, including : a. means for producing a difference signal reflecting the difference between entrance data read from the carrier token and the exit data generated by the signal generating means, b. fare rate charging means for receiving the difference signal and applying a fare rate charge thereto for generating the fare charge signal.

Claim 6

Fare charging apparatus for a common carrier as set out in claim 1, including : a. sensor means for reading from the carrier token a fare charge aggregate arising from preceding trips, b. data processing means associated with the sensor means c. means for recording on the data storage means of a carrier token data reflecting the charge to be made for the trip on a common carrier plus the aggregate fare charge that has arisen from fare charges on preceding trips.

Claim 7

Fare charging apparatus for a common carrier as set out in claim 5, including : a. a sensor to read from a carrier token a mark indicating that a charge has been made for the preceding trip b. detector means for assessing whether or not such a mark had been recorded on the storage means of the carrier token c. a register as part of the token processor means to store a preset penalty number d. means responsive to detector output signals causing the data in the penalty reGister to be added to the aggregate fare charge data prior to recording onto the carrier token.

Claim 8

Fare charging apparatus for a common carrier as claimed in claim 1, comprising : a. means for reading an identifying number from the token , and comparator means ( CC1, TS ) for assessing its validity b. comparator output circuits generating a signal applied to the controlled exit gate to ensure unimpeded passage by the patron owning said identified token.

Claim 9

Fare charging apparatus for a common carrier as claimed in claim 7 in which : a. the exit gate is normally open and the signal instructing the gate to close is derived from a photo-electric device activated as a patron approaches the gate and causing the gate to close unless a prior cancelling output is produced by the comparator making the closing instruction ineffective so that the controlled gate remains open thus providing unimpeded passage for the patron.

Claim 10

Fare charging apparatus for a common carrier comprising : a. a carrier token having magnetically responsive storage means for storing data on the carrier token including data reflecting a number identifying a token account and entrance data of the user on the common carrier b. sensor means for reading the data on the token storage means c. data processing means including registers to receive and hold the signals received from the sensor means d. means including registers for generating exit data signals reflecting the exit point of the passenger from the common carrier e. comparison means as part of the data processing means connecting to registers holding entrance and exit data for producing a differential electrical signal f. fare rate charging means for receiving the differential signal and applying a fare rate charge thereto to produce a fare charge signal g. data recording means connected to fare charge means and to identity data storage means for transferring to a permanent memory (owned) of the common carrier a fare charge value as well as the number identifying the token account.

Claim 11

Fare charging apparatus for a common carrier comprising : a. a carrier token having magnetically responsive storage means for storing data on the carrier token including data reflecting a number identifying a token account and entrance data of the user on the common carrier b. sensor means for reading the data on the token storage means c. data processing means including registers to receive and hold the signals received from the sensor means d. means including registers for generating exit data signals reflecting the exit point of the passenger from the common carrier e. comparison means as part of the data processing means connecting to registers holding entrance and exit data for producing a differential electrical signal f. fare rate charging means for receiving the differential signal and applying a fare rate charge thereto to produce a fare charge signal g. data recording means connected to fare charge means and to identity data storage means for transferring to a permanent memory (owned) of the common carrier a fare charge value as well as the number identifying the token account.