Abstract: A system and method in which various sensors collect and/or generate data that are analyzed to provide automated transit features. In the automatic capacity management feature, a transit operator is alerted of potential capacity issues in advance to enable the operator to handle the situation before a station or a vehicle reaches its capacity limit. The automatic trip planning feature allows a passenger to dynamically plan the fastest route to a destination according to real time data and historical data trends. The automatic fraud detection feature alerts a fare inspector to a ticket fraud or other fraudulent activity at a specific transit station or on a specific transit vehicle. The automatic vehicle routing feature dynamically routes autonomous transit vehicles to stations, notifies transit vehicle drivers to stop at a particular station, and/or notifies transit operators to route a vehicle to a particular station based on current and historical demand from passengers.

Abstract: This invention discloses novel systems and methods for providing visual confirmation that a passenger has a valid ticket and has previously paid for additional items such as luggage, suitcase, briefcase, bicycle, musical instrument, wheelchair, car, vehicle, motorcycle, automobile (in the case of, for example, a ferry). The visual validation display object allows tickets and additional items to be easily and quickly confirmed.

Abstract: A system and method in which the Bluetooth technology is used in conjunction with a user application on a mobile device to facilitate hands-free fare validation at a transit station. The user app communicates with a controller driver in a controller unit that interfaces with a compliant fare gate. Bluetooth beacons are used to determine a passenger's proximity to the gate and camera-like devices determine whether a passenger has entered a fare validation zone. A user with a valid and active electronic ticket on their mobile device may simply walk through the fare gate “hands free” without the need to search for a physical ticket or a smartcard or a mobile phone. This hassle-free approach significantly improves the user experience and passenger throughput through fare gates. The Bluetooth-based automated fare validation system also detects passengers with valid electronic tickets and those without a valid permit for travel.

Abstract: A system and method in which the Bluetooth technology is used in conjunction with a user application on a mobile device to facilitate hands-free fare validation at a transit station. The user app communicates with a controller driver in a controller unit that interfaces with a compliant fare gate. Bluetooth beacons are used to determine a passenger's proximity to the gate and camera-like devices determine whether a passenger has entered a fare validation zone. A user with a valid and active electronic ticket on their mobile device may simply walk through the fare gate “hands free” without the need to search for a physical ticket or a smartcard or a mobile phone. This hassle-free approach significantly improves the user experience and passenger throughput through fare gates. The Bluetooth-based automated fare validation system also detects passengers with valid electronic tickets and those without a valid permit for travel.

Abstract: Systems and methods using Bluetooth with a user application on a mobile device to facilitate hands-free fare validation at a transit station. Utilizes a set of signal strength detection data points and timestamps from a mobile device and synchronizes location data points and timestamps from a camera and determines an estimated location of the mobile device according to the set of signal strength detection data points and timestamps from the mobile device and the location data points and timestamps from the camera. This provides enhanced accuracy in determining the correct mobile device. The system computing device determines that the mobile device contains a valid ticket or does not, wherein the mobile device contains a valid ticket and the system computing device determines the estimated location of the mobile device is within a predetermined area the system computing device will mark the ticket as used and allow entry.

Abstract: A system and method in which the Bluetooth technology is used in conjunction with a user application on a mobile device to facilitate hands-free fare validation at a transit station. The user app communicates with a controller driver in a controller unit that interfaces with a compliant fare gate. Bluetooth beacons are used to determine a passenger's proximity to the gate and camera-like devices determine whether a passenger has entered a fare validation zone. A user with a valid and active electronic ticket on their mobile device may simply walk through the fare gate “hands free” without the need to search for a physical ticket or a smartcard or a mobile phone. This hassle-free approach significantly improves the user experience and passenger throughput through fare gates. The Bluetooth-based automated fare validation system also detects passengers with valid electronic tickets and those without a valid permit for travel.

Abstract: A system and method in which the Bluetooth technology is used in conjunction with a user application on a mobile device to facilitate hands-free fare validation at a transit station. The user app communicates with a controller driver in a controller unit that interfaces with a compliant fare gate. Bluetooth beacons are used to determine a passenger's proximity to the gate and camera-like devices determine whether a passenger has entered a fare validation zone. A user with a valid and active electronic ticket on their mobile device may simply walk through the fare gate “hands free” without the need to search for a physical ticket or a smartcard or a mobile phone. This hassle-free approach significantly improves the user experience and passenger throughput through fare gates. The Bluetooth-based automated fare validation system also detects passengers with valid electronic tickets and those without a valid permit for travel.

Abstract: A system and method in which various sensors collect and/or generate data that are analyzed to provide automated transit features. In the automatic capacity management feature, a transit operator is alerted of potential capacity issues in advance to enable the operator to handle the situation before a station or a vehicle reaches its capacity limit. The automatic trip planning feature allows a passenger to dynamically plan the fastest route to a destination according to real time data and historical data trends. The automatic fraud detection feature alerts a fare inspector to a ticket fraud or other fraudulent activity at a specific transit station or on a specific transit vehicle. The automatic vehicle routing feature dynamically routes autonomous transit vehicles to stations, notifies transit vehicle drivers to stop at a particular station, and/or notifies transit operators to route a vehicle to a particular station based on current and historical demand from passengers.

Abstract: A system and method in which a user application on a mobile device facilitates hands-free fare validation and gateless entry/exit at a transit facility like a transit station or a transit vehicle. The user application communicates with a Bluetooth gateway to authenticate the device and provides device-specific information for device identification and location determination. The user application also sends a secure token to the gateway to validate an electronic ticket stored in the device. A positioning unit uses the device-specific information to generate a timestamped location data for the device. A camera monitors the device user's movement and generates another timestamped location data for the device. A controller driver compares two timestamped location data to determine that the user of the device is approaching a gateless entry point and allows the user to avail a transit service through the gateless entry point when the electronic ticket is valid and active.

Abstract: Systems and methods using Bluetooth with a user application on a mobile device to facilitate hands-free fare validation at a transit station. Utilizes a set of signal strength detection data points and timestamps from a mobile device and synchronizes location data points and timestamps from a camera and determines an estimated location of the mobile device according to the set of signal strength detection data points and timestamps from the mobile device and the location data points and timestamps from the camera. This provides enhanced accuracy in determining the correct mobile device. The system computing device determines that the mobile device contains a valid ticket or does not, wherein the mobile device contains a valid ticket and the system computing device determines the estimated location of the mobile device is within a predetermined area the system computing device will mark the ticket as used and allow entry.

Abstract: A system and method in which the Bluetooth technology is used in conjunction with a user application on a mobile device to facilitate hands-free fare validation at a transit station. The user app communicates with a controller driver in a controller unit that interfaces with a compliant fare gate. Bluetooth beacons are used to determine a passenger's proximity to the gate and camera-like devices determine whether a passenger has entered a fare validation zone. A user with a valid and active electronic ticket on their mobile device may simply walk through the fare gate “hands free” without the need to search for a physical ticket or a smartcard or a mobile phone. This hassle-free approach significantly improves the user experience and passenger throughput through fare gates. The Bluetooth-based automated fare validation system also detects passengers with valid electronic tickets and those without a valid permit for travel.

Abstract: A host server may optimize configurations of a set of readers under its control. The server assigns a multicast address to each reader in the set. Once connected, the server sends a multicast message to each reader assigned to the multicast address or to each reader within a given address range. Information in the multicast message is used for configuring or managing polling operations of each reader assigned to the multicast address or each reader within the given address range.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for selectively reading radio frequency identification device (RFID) tags by an RFID reader includes the RFID reader transmitting an interrogation signal at each of a plurality of power levels beginning with a lowest power level and sequentially increasing power of the transmitted interrogation signal to a highest power level. The RFID reader receives, in response to transmitting the interrogation for at least one of the power levels, at least one data signal from each RFID tag within a read zone of the RFID reader, wherein each of the data signals contains stored data corresponding to the RFID tag responding to the transmission of the interrogation signal. The RFID reader selectively reads the stored data contained in the data signals received from the responding RFID tags.

Abstract: A method and system for orientation compensation of a mobile device within an environment includes providing a plurality of reference markers having straight edges and having a defined, regular orientation with respect to the environment. Information about the orientation of the reference markers is supplied to a mobile device operating within the environment. An orientation sensor disposed within the mobile device estimates an orientation of the mobile device. An image of one reference marker is captured, and at least one edge of that reference marker is located. The estimated orientation is compensated by correcting for the reference marker orientation and aligning the corrected estimated orientation to the at least one edge of the reference marker that is closest to being parallel to the corrected estimated orientation.

Abstract: A method and system for locationing of a mobile device (100) within an environment includes light sources (116) disposed within the environment and modified to provide a plurality of unique identity patterns (202) associated with particular locations within the environment. A camera (106) and image processor (102) of the mobile device can obtain images of a modified light source (200) and recognize the unique identity patterns in the image and a horizontal and vertical angle of a position of the light source in the image from a center position. An accelerometer (300) can capture the gravity vectors of the camera. A locationing engine (102, 130) can determine a location of the mobile device using the unique optical pattern, gravity vectors, and the horizontal and vertical angles.

Abstract: A method and system for orientation compensation of a mobile device within an environment includes providing a plurality of reference markers having straight edges and having a defined, regular orientation with respect to the environment. Information about the orientation of the reference markers is supplied to a mobile device operating within the environment. An orientation sensor disposed within the mobile device estimates an orientation of the mobile device. An image of one reference marker is captured, and at least one edge of that reference marker is located. The estimated orientation is compensated by correcting for the reference marker orientation and aligning the corrected estimated orientation to the at least one edge of the reference marker that is closest to being parallel to the corrected estimated orientation.

Abstract: A method and system for locationing of a mobile device (100) within an environment includes light sources (116) disposed within the environment and modified to provide a plurality of unique identity patterns (202) associated with particular locations within the environment. A camera (106) and image processor (102) of the mobile device can obtain images of a modified light source (200) and recognize the unique identity patterns in the image and a horizontal and vertical angle of a position of the light source in the image from a center position. An accelerometer (300) can capture the gravity vectors of the camera. A locationing engine (102, 130) can determine a location of the mobile device using the unique optical pattern, gravity vectors, and the horizontal and vertical angles.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for obtaining data of a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag in a virtual read zone of a non-RFID enabled device. The method comprises determining a location of the non-RFID enabled device, determining a virtual read zone of the non-RFID enabled device using at least the location of the non-RFID enabled device, identifying at least one fixed reader device having an RFID read zone that at least partially includes the virtual read zone, reading data of the RFID tag using the at least one fixed reader device, and transmitting the data of the RFID tag from the at least one fixed reader device to the non-RFID enabled device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for selectively reading radio frequency identification device (RFID) tags by an RFID reader includes the RFID reader transmitting an interrogation signal at each of a plurality of power levels beginning with a lowest power level and sequentially increasing power of the transmitted interrogation signal to a highest power level. The RFID reader receives, in response to transmitting the interrogation for at least one of the power levels, at least one data signal from each RFID tag within a read zone of the RFID reader, wherein each of the data signals contains stored data corresponding to the RFID tag responding to the transmission of the interrogation signal. The RFID reader selectively reads the stored data contained in the data signals received from the responding RFID tags.

Abstract: A method and apparatus updates a central plan for an area based on the location of a plurality of radio frequency identification (RFID) readers by identifying the location of each of the RFID readers using an associated location mechanism. A read zone coverage area for each of the RFID readers is identified. The central plan is updated with the position and the read zone coverage area relative to the position for each of the RFID readers. A status of read zone coverage is determined for the area based on the read zone coverage areas on the central plan for all of the RFID readers in the plurality of RFID readers, wherein a report is provided based on the status of read zone coverage for the area.