Tagless Transit Fare Settlement Using Mobile Base Station Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current tagless payment systems for public transportation face limitations in accuracy and efficiency due to reliance on short-range wireless communication technologies, which are not suitable for complex subway environments and require additional infrastructure, leading to congestion and disputes in intermodal fare settlement among multiple operating agencies.
Innovation Solution
A tagless payment system using mobile carriers' base stations to detect boarding and alighting through short-range communication, extracting location information to determine actual travel routes, and automate fare settlement without additional infrastructure, enabling accurate intermodal fare distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If short-range wireless communication technologies (BLE, UWB) are used for tagless boarding and alighting detection, then contactless payment capability is improved, but positioning accuracy and reliability deteriorate due to radio wave interference and limitations in complex subway environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces mobile carrier base stations as an intermediary system to provide positioning services. Instead of relying solely on short-range wireless communication technologies within the subway station, the system uses the existing mobile network infrastructure (base stations) to determine passenger location through cell ID information, thereby overcoming the limitations of radio wave interference and positioning accuracy in complex subway environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent leverages the universal mobile communication network infrastructure (base stations) that already exists across the city to serve the specific function of passenger positioning in subway stations. This approach allows the system to utilize the widespread coverage and reliability of mobile networks rather than requiring dedicated positioning infrastructure within each station.
2Measurement precision
If additional infrastructure is installed for accurate positioning in tagless systems, then positioning accuracy is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the system to use the mobile carrier's existing base station infrastructure to provide positioning services without requiring additional dedicated infrastructure installation. The mobile network's base stations automatically provide cell ID information that can be used for passenger location determination, eliminating the need for extra hardware deployment within the subway system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the positioning parameter from physical distance measurement (requiring complex infrastructure) to cell ID-based location identification. By using the mobile network's base station identifiers rather than direct physical positioning measurements, the system achieves sufficient accuracy for fare settlement without the complexity of additional positioning hardware.
3Productivity
If direct touch of transportation cards or smartphones is required for boarding and alighting, then fare collection is simplified, but passenger congestion at ticket gates increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical contact-based fare collection system (physical touching of cards or smartphones at gates) with a wireless communication-based system. Using short-range wireless communication between the passenger's mobile device and the station's tagless device, the system enables contactless boarding and alighting detection, thereby eliminating passenger congestion at ticket gates while maintaining fare collection efficiency.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables quick and accurate settlement of fares reflecting actual travel routes, reducing congestion and resolving disputes among operating agencies by optimizing fare distribution and minimizing unallocated balances.
Implementation Method 1
detecting boarding and alighting through communication between a short-range communication module installed in a user terminal carried by a passenger and a short-range communication module provided in a tagless device installed in a station
Implementation Method 2
receiving information of a mobile carrier's base station to which the user terminal is connected, extracting location information of the passenger according to the movement of the transportation means
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a tagless payment management apparatus in which boarding and alighting are detected in a tagless manner by a user terminal carried by a passenger and a tagless device of a station, and travel route information is determined by extracting the location information of the passenger according to the movement of a transportation means by receiving base station information of a mobile carrier from the user terminal, thereby enabling accurate intermodal fare settlement based on an actual travel route of a passenger when settling the payment fare per operating agency of public transportation means capable of transfer.