AU2005201725A1 - Passenger tracking in vehicles - Google Patents

Passenger tracking in vehicles Download PDF

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Publication number
AU2005201725A1
AU2005201725A1 AU2005201725A AU2005201725A AU2005201725A1 AU 2005201725 A1 AU2005201725 A1 AU 2005201725A1 AU 2005201725 A AU2005201725 A AU 2005201725A AU 2005201725 A AU2005201725 A AU 2005201725A AU 2005201725 A1 AU2005201725 A1 AU 2005201725A1
Authority
AU
Australia
Prior art keywords
passenger
driver
identification
vehicle
journey
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
AU2005201725A
Inventor
Arthur Edward Fisher
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Mobile Tracking and Data Pty Ltd
Original Assignee
Mobile Tracking and Data Pty Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from AU2004902152A external-priority patent/AU2004902152A0/en
Application filed by Mobile Tracking and Data Pty Ltd filed Critical Mobile Tracking and Data Pty Ltd
Priority to AU2005201725A priority Critical patent/AU2005201725A1/en
Publication of AU2005201725A1 publication Critical patent/AU2005201725A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

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  • Traffic Control Systems (AREA)
  • Management, Administration, Business Operations System, And Electronic Commerce (AREA)

Description

Regulation 3.2
AUSTRALIA
Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT
(ORIGINAL)
Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: MOBILE TRACKING AND DATA PTY. LTD.
ARTHUR EDWARD FISHER SANDERCOCK COWIE SUITE 8C, 50-54 ROBINSON STREET DANDENONG VIC 3175 PASSENGER TRACKING IN VEHICLES Details of Associated Provisional Application(s): No(s): Australian Provisional Application No. 2004902152 Filed: 2 2 n d April, 2004 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: 1 Fc2005-04-22,A: 7mobilefile.wpd I la- TITLE: PASSENGER TRACKING IN VEHICLES FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention concerns a method of tracking a passenger in a vehicle and a method of associating a particular passenger with a particular driver of the vehicle on a journey in the interests of driver and passenger safety.
In the interest of security, it is known to install a camera in a taxi in order to photograph passengers upon entry. Police investigations are assisted by this simple expedient. The safety of drivers is of concern to the taxi company and the safety of passengers is of 2005-04-22,A:\535mobile.cap.wpd, -2concern to the community.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The method aspect of the invention provides a method of tracking a passenger in a vehicle in the interests of passenger security, comprising: a) storing in a computer system situated in a remote service location, a series of unique passenger identifications and unique driver identifications, each of which are capable of identifying a particular passenger and a particular driver respectively, b) requesting the driver identification in order to positively identify the driver of the vehicle at the commencement of a driver shift, c) detecting the passenger identification when the passenger is conveyed in the vehicle using a reader located in the vehicle, d) sending the passenger identification data and the driver identification data to the remote service location by a wireless link at the commencement of the journey, and e) recording the passenger identification and driver identification, together with the starting date and time of the journey.
Preferably the starting location, travelling location position updates and the finishing location, date and time of the journey are also recorded. The passenger identification may be read by the passenger using a readable card, tag or equivalent method of reading the passenger's identification code and the passenger using the in-vehicle reader.
The passenger identification is issued after the passenger identification is established by the computer system after passenger upon introduction of the passenger to the server organisation. The server in turn be linked, for example by Internet to an operating branch 2005-04-22,A:\53Smobile.cap.wpd,2 of the business which runs the fleet of taxis. The system server may receive name and address details from regulars or parents wishing to ensure the safety of minors, or any person that requires an increased level of security whilst travelling in a taxi. New passenger data may be gathered from advertisements placed by the server organisation, online applications, personal visits to the fleet headquarters and the like.
The vehicle identification based on registration particulars may accompany the passenger identification when the passenger begins the journey. The driver may enter his identification at the commencement of his shift. During a working week there will be multiple drivers associated with any one vehicle.
The reader may be a conventional device such as a card reader but equivalent device that is suitable for installation in the vehicle is also feasible. The data is transmitted automatically to the remote control centre so that the driver and passenger data can be recorded as travelling together on a particular day at a particular time.
The geographical position of the vehicle may be recorded one or more times during the journey. The duration of the journey may also be recorded. If there is an incident during the journey, the control centre have a record of the presence in a known vehicle of a known passenger and a known driver. In the event of a police investigation, the service provider is able to retrieve the data and assist in the investigation.
The wireless link may be GPRS, CDMA or a mobile radio infrastructure.
As a further safety feature, the system may react to the arrival of passenger identification by sending an audio/visual signal to the passenger to indicate the passenger, vehicle and driver have been authenticated as valid. The passenger thereby knows that all details have been successfully validated. The signal may indicate the start of the tracking procedure during which the vehicle's journey will be tracked.
The system may react to the presence of an unauthorised driver by an audio/visual signal to the passenger and by activating an alarm facility by which the passenger can communicate with the fleet HQ via the server. The fleet HQ may then call the driver and 2005-04-22A:\535mobile.cap.wpd.3 1 investigate the circumstances. The identification may be data recorded on a USB flash ROM or another storage device carried by the driver. This will contain the drivers portrait, current address, type of licence held and useful background information. There may be an electronic interlock with a taxi meter which requires a driver to log his identification before the meter will function.
The apparatus may include a monitor for the dashboard. When the driver logs his/her identification, the drivers portrait appears on the monitor together with his/her name. The passenger is able thereby to check if the driver is the same person who logged on at the start of the shift. If the driver has found a substitute driver to take his place, the switch will be evident to the passenger who will not then commence the journey.
The apparatus may use signals to a global positioning satellite system in order that the journey may be tracked. Optionally the conversation in the taxi is recorded. It is preferable to store the data in the remote location rather than in the memory of the apparatus in the taxi because of the possibility of fire or accident causing the loss of the data.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Certain embodiments of the invention are now described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a block diagram of the communication equipment for a taxi.
Figure 2 is a schematic of the system using conventional radio links.
Figure 3 is a schematic of the system using the CDMA phone network.
Figure 4 is a schematic of the system using the GSM/GPRS phone network.
2005-04-22A:\535mobile.cap.wpd,4 DETAILED DESCRIPTION WITH RESPECT TO THE DRAWINGS In practice, a compact console 2 containing card reader 4 is installed in a taxi in the passenger compartment behind the driver. In the console is a microphone 6, a speaker 8, a green LED 10 and a red LED 12. The entire system is powered by the car battery voltage. The system processor provides signals to the GPRS and GPS engines. These emit signals by the antenna which are received by the GSM/GPRS phone network.
The system server invites passengers to become subscribers by giving name and address details and optional details such as favourite destination data. The server is connected via the Internet to a taxi company and to the phone network. The taxi company supplies the server with the registration particulars of the fleet vehicles and the drivers input their individual ids to the console port using their USB flash ROM. When the card carrying passenger inserts the card into the reader, the data processor at the server location logs the card codes together with the driver vehicle codes. A tone sounds and the green LED illuminates. This indicates both the driver and the passenger have been grouped as travelling together in a known vehicle and vehicle tracking begins. At the close of the journey, the system returns to zero and begins again when the next passenger inserts a different card.
We have found the advantages of the above embodiment to be: 1. Reliable information is available linking passenger and driver.
2. Variations from established procedure are quickly apparent.
3. Police investigations of incidents are facilitated.
It is to be understood that the word "comprising" as used throughout the specification is to be interpreted in its inclusive form, ie. use of the word "comprising" does not exclude the addition of other elements.
It is to be understood that various modifications of and/or additions to the invention can be made without departing from the basic nature of the invention. These modifications and/or additions are therefore considered to fall within the scope of the invention.
2005-04-22,A:\535mobilecap.wpd,5

Claims (9)

1. A method of tracking a passenger in a vehicle comprising: storing an electronic memory situated in a remote service location, a series of unique passenger identifications that uniquely identify each registered taxi user and a series of unique individual driver ids, each identifying an individual driver, each of which are capable of conveying the passenger on a paid journey; detecting the driver identification at the commencement of the drivers shift and passenger identification when the passenger is conveyed in the vehicle using a reader located in the vehicle; sending the driver identification and passenger identification data to the remote service location by a wireless link; and recording the passenger identification and driver identification and the starting time and date of the journey.
2. A method as claimed in Claim 1 including recording the starting location of the journey.
3. A method as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, including recording the finishing location of the journey.
4. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 1-3, including recording the date and time of the end of the journey.
5. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 1-4, including recording periodic updates of the journey locations en route.
6. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 1-5, including supplying the passenger
2005-04-22.A:53Smobile.cap.wpd,6 identification as a machine readable card, tag or equivalent.
7. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 1-6, including supplying the driver identification via a flash ROM, data storage device, driver number or equivalent at the commencement of a driving period.
8. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 1-7, wherein a monitor in the vehicle displays to the passenger an image of the driver authorised to drive that vehicle.
9. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 1-8, wherein a passenger duress switch is available that advises the remote monitoring service of customer safety concern. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 1-9, including initiation of a vehicle tracking operation when the passenger identification and driver identification have been received by the remote server, that is not on an empty return journey. 11. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 1-10, including initiation of a voice recording of the vehicle occupants when the passenger identification and driver identification have been received by the remote server. 12. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 1-11, including initiating an investigatory call from the fleet operator to the driver which the server becomes aware that the driver identification and the authorised driver do not match. 13. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 1-12, wherein the wireless link is the Internet, GPRS, CDMA or another wireless communication method. 14. A method of tracking a passenger in a vehicle substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings or as modified by Figures 3 and 4. 2005-04-22,A:\535mobile.capwpd,7 -8- Dated this 2 2 d day of April, 2005. SANDERCOCK COWIE PATENT ATTORNEYS FOR MOBILE TRACKING AND DATA PTY. LTD. 2005-04.22,A:\535mobilc.cap..vpd,8
AU2005201725A 2004-04-22 2005-04-22 Passenger tracking in vehicles Abandoned AU2005201725A1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU2005201725A AU2005201725A1 (en) 2004-04-22 2005-04-22 Passenger tracking in vehicles

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU2004902152A AU2004902152A0 (en) 2004-04-22 Passenger tracking in vehicles
AU2004902152 2004-04-22
AU2005201725A AU2005201725A1 (en) 2004-04-22 2005-04-22 Passenger tracking in vehicles

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
AU2005201725A1 true AU2005201725A1 (en) 2005-11-10

Family

ID=35500728

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
AU2005201725A Abandoned AU2005201725A1 (en) 2004-04-22 2005-04-22 Passenger tracking in vehicles

Country Status (1)

Country Link
AU (1) AU2005201725A1 (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN103179147A (en) * 2011-12-20 2013-06-26 触动多媒体技术(上海)有限公司 Remote monitoring method for taxi

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN103179147A (en) * 2011-12-20 2013-06-26 触动多媒体技术(上海)有限公司 Remote monitoring method for taxi

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
MK5 Application lapsed section 142(2)(e) - patent request and compl. specification not accepted