CZ307052B6 - A method of inspecting tickets in electronic mobile devices, especially at cultural and sports events, fares and parking fees - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method of checking tickets in electronic mobile devices, in particular for cultural and sporting events, fares and parking fees, in which an electronic ticket provided with a visual control element is inserted into the personal mobile device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Most electronic tickets today contain a unique barcode or QR code. The validity of this type of ticket must be checked using a hardware reader, which can only be used by trained operators. Barcodes or QR codes can also be easily copied, bringing potential complications during ticket validation and implying the need to extend organizational arrangements.

If the buyer stores a barcode or QR code ticket in their mobile device, there is another possible technical complication. Existing mobile devices are not designed to display these codes, and high-quality imaging is prevented by, for example, screen reflections. Thus, checking electronic tickets with this method is not as effective as checking conventional paper tickets with a control slip.

In practice, so-called active electronic tickets now appear. These are stored on the ticket holder's mobile device and are validated using visual elements that are clearly visible to the human eye. No hardware reader or any other list of valid ticket codes on the auditor's side is required to check them. Electronic active tickets containing these visual elements are visually uniform for one particular event, just like classic paper tickets with a cut. See also EP 1 668 598.

In order to protect the active electronic ticket from counterfeiting, the visual elements mentioned above, respectively. the decryption keys are sent to the ticket holder's mobile device just before the authenticity check. See also US 2012/0 296 828.

This protection and activation of the ticket just prior to its validation requires the ability of the ticket owner's mobile device to communicate networkly, which is a potential technical complication. If the network communication does not work for any reason at the time the electronic ticket is activated, the ticket holder is prevented from putting it into valid form.

This risk related to functional network communication is small for transport tickets - buses, metro, trains, ships, etc., where the potential connection problem concerns individuals at a particular time and where the auditor usually checks the validity only after boarding the vehicle. However, if such a failure occurs at a cultural or sporting event, where up to thousands of visitors are validated at one time, the organization of the event would be adversely affected. The guarantee of stable network communication during the event can be less effective for the organizer than the operation and servicing of barcode readers.

For active electronic tickets, the security risk is on the side of the auditor, as the general visual elements mentioned above apply to one event. By revealing the visual elements of the event, the auditor would greatly facilitate the falsification of an active electronic ticket. Ticket inspectors are typically more for one event and are often not directly the organizer of the event, but its staff.

- 1 GB 307052 B6

The current technical state described above brings in practice the necessary costs associated with the ticketing process. If the organizer accepts only classic paper tickets, the buyer does not have the opportunity to buy the ticket electronically and must pay for delivery by mail or physically arrive at the store. If the organizer accepts electronic tickets, it is a convenient way of purchasing for the buyer. However, the organizer must acquire, rent or lease hardware components for the purpose of checking the electronic ticket and subsequently train the ticket inspectors from this technical point of view.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These drawbacks are overcome by the method of ticket checking in electronic mobile devices, in particular for cultural and sporting events, fares and parking fees according to the invention. Its essence is that it consists of a personal mobile device connectable to a ticket vendor for insertion of an active electronic ticket provided with a security control element in the personal mobile device and an operator control pattern. The personal mobile device is provided with a control for visually distinguishing the checked electronic ticket without having to remove the personal mobile device to the inspected entity.

The control element is preferably formed by a varying mark displayed in a personal mobile device. The personal mobile device may be provided with a visually visible display time counter of the changing marker.

The changing tag is preferably a visually visible display time counter itself or a text string.

The base electronic ticket stored in the personal mobile device is preferably provided with monitoring software to identify tampering with the control element, wherein the monitoring software is connected to the control device of the organizer and / or system operator.

The design of the electronic ticket can correspond to a classic paper ticket with a control slip.

The solution enables the active protection of electronic tickets, such as tickets, which allows it to be safely stored and activated so that no network communication is required during the check itself. The solution protects visual elements of an active electronic ticket from being revealed by the ticket inspector. These new security features can also be applied to an active electronic ticket where network communication is required for ticket control.

The technical solution focuses on situations where the validity of a ticket is checked at a predetermined time or place and where it is also invalidated. Typically, these are mainly cultural and sporting events. Furthermore, a single ticket, which is checked and impaired when boarding the means of transport or parking ticket, which is checked before entering the parking lot. This is a specific process where it is sufficient to display the security visuals on the ticket for a few seconds after the ticket inspector prompts.

The realization of this solution means that the event organizer does not have to have any technology for ticket control or is dependent on functional network communication. The ticket is stored in the mobile device of the visitor, who is equally responsible for the functionality of his device and proving it with a valid electronic ticket, as well as for eventually having a paper ticket with a snippet.

The described process of securing an active electronic ticket is similar to the process of checking a classic paper ticket with a control clip and becomes the most efficient for the organizer

-2GB 307052 B6. If there is no need for equipment or technical background on the part of the organizer to check the ticket, the risk of technical complications on the part of the organizer is significantly reduced and the demand for the use of these electronic tickets in practice increases. The sale and distribution of tickets in a purely electronic way is very effective for the organizers if they do not have to do anything technically to control them.

In practice, a large part of classic paper tickets can be replaced by electronic tickets without the need to learn new ticketing principles. Both the buyer and the organizer. The widespread introduction of this technology brings strong environmental benefits in terms of the loss of 10 printed paper tickets.

The electronic ticket also offers the possibility of displaying a much larger amount of content than a paper ticket, which is limited by its physical size. Thereby the electronic ticket offers wide possibilities for commercial use such as more space for advertising. It is then highly effective in terms of efficiency measurement 15, as the buyer must actively work with the contents of the ticket.

Clarification of drawings

The electronic check card according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 shows a classic paper ticket with a check slip. Fig. 2 shows an active electronic ticket - ticket in a mobile device. Fig. 3 shows a ticket pattern with a valid and invalid form of an electronic ticket.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Figure 1 shows a classic paper ticket 1 with information about the organizer 2 and events 3, which may be in the form of a logo or image. An essential part of the paper ticket is also a control clip 4 and a basic security element 5 preventing easy copying of the ticket L

Fig. 2 shows an example of an active electronic ticket 7 - tickets in a mobile device 35 12. It shows an example of the form of an electronic ticket on the display 13 of the mobile device 12. Like a traditional paper ticket 1, the electronic ticket contains information about the organizer 2 and event 3. a security inspection element 10 and a valid inspection clip 8.

Fig. 3 shows a pattern 6 that is available to ticket inspectors before the event begins. It shows 40 in the form of a valid electronic ticket 7 and invalid ticket 9 including a security and control element 10 - tickets in the mobile device 12 of the ticket holder. A defective electronic ticket is characterized by an invalid or missing control slip - control element 11, as well as a classic paper ticket E

The control electronic ticket 7 consists of visual elements in the personal mobile device 12, provided with a security control element 10 and a control slip 8, which after inspection is visually distinguished from the basic valid valid electronic ticket 7 without having to remove the personal mobile device 12 to the inspected entity. The security control element 10 is formed by a dynamic mark displayed in the personal mobile device 12. The security control element 10 is displayed in the personal mobile device 12 only during the inspection by the inspector. The security control element 10 is activated based on a predetermined time or location, that is, information provided by the personal mobile device 12.

The following defines the security features of an active electronic ticket so that the complete ticket is safely stored in the mobile device 12 of the event visitor. If, at the first storage in the mobile device 12, the control electronic ticket 7 contains the complete necessary information, there is no need for network communication to check it. These safety elements can be put into practice gradually or in any combination.

The preparation of the ticket inspection process for the event is carried out in such a way that the organizer acquaints the auditors with a valid ticket pattern 6 to be checked at the entrance. The classic paper slip 1 with a control slip has specific security elements 5, for example a silver color sign, which prevents a simple copy of the paper ticket 1.

If an active electronic ticket 7 - ticket is used for the event, there is also a paper pattern 6 that displays the valid and invalid form of the electronic ticket in the mobile device 12. This pattern 6 further includes a security control element 10 similar to the security element 5 on the paper ticket 1, the security control element 10 is in the form of a text string or image. Pattern 6 of this active electronic ticket is displayed as a static image in digital or paper format. The maximum unification of paper and electronic ticketing processes is crucial for organizers to effectively organize events and train auditors. Therefore, an active electronic ticket also works on the principle of a control slip - control slip 8, and an invalid control slip 11.

During the review process, the ticket holder will present a valid active electronic ticket 7 - ticket on his mobile device 12 at the request of the controller. 12. He / she does so by a simple gesture on his / her mobile device 12 and the inspector again verifies that the ticket is invalidated on the mobile device 12 and cannot be reused - invalid ticket 9. Thus, the validation of the ticket is successfully completed. The key to an effective event process is the way in which the auditor has not come into direct contact with the mobile device 12 of the ticket holder, validated the ticket by glance and prompted the ticket owner to void it by voice command. Thus, the organizer not only does not have to acquire its own hardware, but also does not have to teach the controllers to operate other hardware, in this case the mobile device 12 of the visitor. Just as the auditor verifies the authenticity of the paper ticket 1 only visually by means of the security element 5, and also in the case of the electronic ticket 7, the dynamic security control element 10 is key to determining the authenticity.

The principle described above, in which the auditor receives a paper pattern 6 of a valid active electronic ticket, presents a security risk. The inspector could copy the paper pattern 6 and hand it over to unauthorized persons who would have received a basis for possible counterfeiting. This risk is prevented by the security control element 10 in a dynamic form. For example, a dynamic element is a rotating text, a geometric shape, or another shape. The direction of rotation is random, but it is the same for a particular event on all active electronic tickets. The dynamic form of the security control element 10 cannot be determined from the static pattern 6.

In one event where one or more inspectors check up to thousands of active electronic tickets, said dynamic tag on security control element 10 is the same for each ticket. The inspector thus easily identifies the missing or incorrect dynamic tag on the active electronic ticket. However, he became acquainted with the dynamic tag only with the first checked active electronic ticket.

In order to further protect the active electronic ticket, the security check element 10 is displayed in the mobile device 12 only for the time of review by the inspector. This is the time in seconds. The display of the security control element 10 is activated by a deterioration event of the control slip 8 and a predetermined time and location of the event. In the event that the owner of the mobile device 12 deteriorates the control slip 8 at the wrong time or location, the security control 10 will not be displayed and any copy of the active electronic ticket 7 will not contain the security control 10.

-4GB 307052 B6

A fully-fledged active electronic ticket 7 - the ticket is stored in the mobile device 12 well before the event begins. This way, the ticket holder can be sure that a non-functional network communication does not endanger his entry to the event. The active electronic ticket stored in the mobile device 12 is monitored to identify suspicious ticket handling. Suspicious treatment is understood, for example, to attempt to invalidate a ticket prior to the day of the event in order to ascertain the security controls 10 of the active electronic ticket. And the effort to manipulate the data of an active electronic ticket.

Such a suspicious treatment is sent from the mobile device 12 to the organizer of the ticketing system via network communication. If network communication is not available, sending the message is delayed and retried.

Industrial applicability

The method of checking tickets according to this technical solution finds application especially in organizing cultural and sporting events, checking fares and parking fees and the like and is also industrially applicable in retail in the form of coupons and vouchers.

Claims (2)

Method for checking tickets in electronic mobile devices, in particular for cultural and sporting events, fares and parking fees, in which an electronic ticket is inserted into a personal mobile device, characterized in that the electronic ticket (7) formed by a visual element in the personal mobile device ( 12) is provided with a valid slip (8), which visually turns into an invalid slip (11) after inspection, and the electronic ticket (7) is provided with a security check element (10) consisting of a dynamic mark displayed in the personal mobile device (12) only during the inspection by the inspector having a control pattern (6), wherein the validity of the active electronic ticket (7) is performed without the need to remove the personal mobile device (12) from the inspected entity. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the dynamic mark consists of a visual countdown of its display time 2 drawings