EP0626665B1 - Device for selecting and rendering services against payment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a device allowing the delivery, against payment in cash or by credit card for example, of a service such as a ticket. The device of the invention also allows the user to choose the service which suits him, from different possible choices, as a function of different parameters, each of the parameters being able to take several values.

Thus, in the example of a ticket distributor, the user chooses the ticket he wishes, depending for example on the destination, the price, and the one-way or round trip type. Such automatic dispensers are experiencing a great development and are made necessary in view of the constant increase in the number of passengers, and the trend towards a decrease in ticket dispensing counters, which requires a large staff.

In the application of the invention to ticket distributors, the latter must fulfill numerous and varied conditions which are often contradictory, and as listed but not limited to below.

These devices must be able to withstand the stresses to which they are subjected in the environment in which they are placed, generally outdoors and without shelter. This therefore results in vulnerability on the one hand, to vandalism, and on the other hand to attacks due to bad weather (wind, rain and dust).

It is also important that the time for selecting and issuing the transport ticket is as short as possible. Waiting in front of a device is generally poorly supported by users in front of the device being even less for potential users in the queue.

Another characteristic that distributors must have is user-friendliness, which combines the concepts of ease of use and the lack of learning how to operate.

Also, the user must be able to choose, validate and settle the corresponding amount in a minimum number of operations.

From the point of view of the selection of the transport ticket, the user appreciates on the one hand to remain in control of the selections which he operates, and in particular of the order of the parameters chosen and on the other hand to be able to go back " "in the event of an error without a false maneuver either leading the user to abandon the transaction, or (if it is prolonged due to the slowness of the device or its lack of user-friendliness) causes impatience and dropping potential users from the queue.

Furthermore, from the operator's point of view, the distributors must have very great flexibility of use, that is to say propose a large number of parameters, the latter being able to take a very large number of values, in particular for destinations (up to 100 for example). Also, it is desirable to issue different tickets without increasing the complexity of the maneuvers. Finally, the presentation of the information submitted to the user to make his choice must be compatible with the uses of the operator, whether in terms of standards, colors, users of logos or pictograms.

Finally, distributors are by definition called to be used by any type of individual, whatever their gender, age, size or any other criteria. Also, it is important that the device can be used whatever the viewing angle or the position of the user relative to the device, without the user being obliged to put himself in a precise position relative to the latter, which represents an unacceptable constraint on the commercial level.

Known distributors use various means of presenting information to allow the user to make his choice, and means to validate the choice made, that is to say to trigger the control of the payment made and delivery of the chosen title.

Mention may be made, for example, of distributors comprising a touch screen. The latter has a major drawback, namely its relative fragility and vulnerability, whether to vandalism or environmental damage. We have tried to remedy this drawback by placing a sheet of protective material, polycarbonate, placed about 3 cm from the screen in front of such touch screens. However, this offset leads to a parallax phenomenon which greatly limits the possibilities of reading the screen and therefore obliges to limit the number of pieces of information placed on the screen, if we want it to be read by people. of different size for example.

A second known type of dispenser comprises a screen comprising certain information relating to the tickets; validation or selection is carried out using keys each corresponding to an area of the screen and placed laterally. This device has the drawback of being physically limited by the number of keys that can be placed laterally on the screen and, consequently, limit the number of information that can be displayed. Also, the relative arrangement of the areas of the screen and the corresponding keys does not allow exact alignment, which means that optical arrangements must be made to allow the user to intellectually associate the area of the screen containing the selected information and the corresponding key;

There are also distributors comprising a front face provided with a matrix of keys each corresponding to a destination, other sets of keys being provided for the other parameters (class, price, etc.). Beyond a few parameter values, that is to say for a few possible destinations, this type of device is extremely difficult to use. Indeed, to allow a large choice of destination, the key matrix can contain up to 600 keys, which leads to a "wall" effect in front of which the user is placed. Despite the classification of these keys in alphabetical order, for example, the search for the chosen destination is extremely long. In addition, the user must take a step back from this large matrix, which forces him to return to the device to perform other operations, such as choice, class or type of transport, without mentioning the payment itself. Such devices require an extremely long habituation period. In addition, after this period, the time required for the user to carry out all of the selection, validation and payment operations remains much higher than generally accepted standards. Furthermore, this type of presentation of the information necessary for the user to allow him to choose, results in a given sequence of parameters to be chosen. In other words, the user must first understand the operation of the device, for example by pictograms or figures indicating the sequence of operations, before even starting the selection operations themselves.

Other types of device have been proposed comprising keyboards making it possible to enter alphanumeric values corresponding to a pre-established code, each code corresponding to a given value of the parameters. We can easily understand that this type of device requires relatively long learning and habituation. Above all, this type of device transforms a simple operation in itself and which is simply expressed in the mind of the user, namely the determination of the destination or the type of transport, into a complex and abstract mental operation which requires translating simple and intuitive information into a series of abstract codes. In addition, the use of a keyboard leads on the one hand, to a significant loss of time which increases the duration of the transaction, and on the other hand, obliges the user to take his eyes off the display panel containing information to enter the corresponding code. This breakdown of successive operations further increases the time required for the transaction.

British patent application No. 1259092 describes a ticket dispensing machine in which, using a telephone type dial, the user displays on a display assigned to each parameter the value chosen for said parameter. The value thus displayed is automatically validated at the end of a certain period, unless the user decides to cancel it to replace it with another.

Also known from French patent application No. 2 683 650 is a device for issuing a ticket also comprising a display assigned to each parameter, an increment / decrement button for displaying by rotation the value chosen for each parameter and a button for separate validation.

In this context, the present invention overcomes the drawbacks mentioned above and proposes a device allowing a user to select and be provided with a service (for example a ticket) in a quick and user-friendly manner, without prior learning, and whatever regardless of gender, age, height, intellect and physical position in front of the camera.

To this end, according to the invention, a device for the delivery, against payment, of a service from among several possible choices as a function of different parameters, each of which can take several values, comprising means for displaying the values proposed for each parameter of said service. , is characterized in that it comprises a single control member capable, on the one hand, of allowing the selection, on the display means, of the desired value for each parameter, and, on the other hand, of validating the parameter by parameter the values thus selected.

Preferably, the device comprises a screen, and the single control member is a rotary wheel mounted in rotation in a plane parallel to the screen.

Advantageously, the wheel is provided with a push button adapted to allow the validation operation. The the push button is preferably in the central position on the wheel.

The values of each parameter are displayed for example by column, and the screen also includes the display of additional information whose validation makes it possible to trigger the display of a second set of parameters on the screen.

• la figure 1 est une vue schématique en perspective d'un distributeur de titre de transport;
• la figure 2 montre une vue de détail de l'écran et de l'organe de commande unique;
• la figure 3 est un schéma synoptique simplifié du fonctionnement du dispositif; et
• la figure 4 montre un synoptique de fonctionnement du dispositif.

The invention will be clearly understood in the light of the following description of an exemplary embodiment of the invention, referring to the attached drawings in which:

• Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a ticket dispenser;
• Figure 2 shows a detail view of the screen and the single control member;
• Figure 3 is a simplified block diagram of the operation of the device; and
• Figure 4 shows a block diagram of the device.

The invention will be described below in the application to a ticket vending machine.

Figure 1 shows a dispenser, schematically shown in the form of a rectangular block and bearing the reference 1, and comprising a front face 2 accessible to the public. On the face 2 are provided a bowl 3, a slot 4 for distributing transport tickets, a cancellation key 5, a screen 6, a control member 7, explanatory pictograms 8, a coin insertion slot 9 , tickets 10A, credit card or other 10B, and a refund slot 10C in case of cancellation.

The user wishing to be issued a transport ticket, actuates the control member 7 in order to choose from the values proposed on the screen 6, the one which suits him and this for each parameter, with a view to issuing the corresponding type. . The user validates the values chosen, parameter by parameter, and sets the amount correspondent, also displayed on screen 6, by entering cash through slot 9, or by entering a card (credit or payment) through slot 10.

The distributor 1 has inside a central unit and means of control, command and operation known in themselves and capable of allowing the verification of the cash or credit card inserted, then the printing of the ticket according to the information received from the central unit, connected on the one hand to the control means 7 and to the screen 6 so as to issue the appropriate ticket, and then order a printer which delivers a ticket to the user through the opening 4. In the event of overpayment, the apparatus also comprises means capable of calculating the return of money required and of delivering the money to the bowl 3. The means mentioned above are not shown and are known in themselves, as regards the central unit, the means of verification of the payment, printing of the ticket and return of change.

FIG. 2 shows in detail the means of displaying information allowing the user to determine the ticket which suits him.

Screen 6 includes a series of information, arranged in a column, in the example shown, each column corresponding to a parameter. Each parameter can take several values. In the example shown, a first column 11 corresponds to a series of possible destinations, a second column 12 corresponds to the class (first or second), while a third column 13 lists two values of a parameter relating to the type of ticket (one-way or round-trip) and finally, a column 14 mentions the different applicable tariffs.

Other information may be displayed on screen 6, such as the place where the distributor is located (rectangle 15), that is to say the departure station, and also the time for example or the day.

Another insert 16, arranged for example in the lower part, is provided for the display of general information relating to the payment, such as for example the amount of the coins and the minimum payment by credit card, or also a character message. commercial.

Located laterally with respect to the screen 6, and close to the latter, there is the control member 7, in the form of a knob rotatably mounted on the front face 2 of the dispenser along an axis transverse to the face. frontal. The wheel 7 is capable of turning in a plane parallel to the front face and to the plane of the screen 6. The pictogram 8A shows the possibilities of movement in rotation in one direction or the other of the wheel 7.

The latter also includes a central button bearing the reference 17 and on which the user is likely to press, as shown by the pictogram 8B.

With reference to FIG. 2, the use of the device and in particular of the screen and of the control member by the user is as follows:

The screen is provided with a cursor in the form of a highlighted band, corresponding to a value of one of the parameters. As an example and as shown in Figure 2, one of the destinations (Toulon) is highlighted compared to the others. Starting from this operating state, the user turns the rotary wheel in one direction or the other to move the cursor in column 11 mentioning the different destinations. Thus, by turning the knob anti-clockwise, the cursor is moved down in column 11 and will end, for example in the example indicated, towards the indication Other Directions, while starting from the representation of the figure 2, by turning the knob clockwise, the highlight cursor will move up. The user continues this movement until the highlight cursor reaches the desired destination. The user then validates the destination, by pressing the central button 17, as shown by the pictogram 8B.

The selection of the class, corresponding to table 12 with two lines, is carried out in the same way, by moving the highlight cursor, starting for example from the representation of FIG. 2, downwards and continuing the movement anti-clockwise rotation of the scroll wheel 7 until the cursor, arrived at the last line of block 11, leaves the latter to reach block 12 where the user once arrived on the chosen line (for example second class ) confirms his choice by pressing the central button 17 again.

The same is true for the selection and validation operations relating to columns 13 and 14 corresponding to the type of ticket (one-way or round-trip) and type of fare.

Once the selections and validations have been made, the user pays the amount corresponding to the service and the transport ticket is issued.

With reference to FIG. 3, the means of the device making it possible to carry out these operations are described schematically below.

The wheel 7 is connected to a displacement sensor 20, itself connected to a functional block 21 capable of differentiating the rotational movement (R) of the wheel 7 and the pressure movement (P) on the central push-button 17 for validation . In the event of a rotational movement, the functional block 21 controls the screen to allow the movement of the highlight cursor as a function of the direction of rotation. When a pressure movement on the central button 17 is detected, the functional block 21 acts on a unit 22 having several functions. On receipt of the information that the central button 17 has been pressed (to confirm the choice in the corresponding column) the unit 22 acts on the block 21 to possibly allow the again move the highlight cursor on the screen, in case the user continues his successive validation operations by turning the scroll wheel.

Once the various selection and validation operations have been carried out successively, the transport ticket is defined and the unit 21 then controls the opening of the slots 9 and 10 for introducing the currency or payment card. The corresponding amount entered is then processed by means 23 for processing money or a bank card and capable of delivering to unit 22 correct or incorrect payment information. In the case of a payment considered to be correct, the unit 22 controls printing means 24 of a transport ticket 25 which itself will be distributed at the level of the opening 4 provided on the front face 2 of the distributor. . In case of change, the processing means 23 are able to return change by the bowl 3. The unit 22 puts, at the end of operations, the dispenser in the standby state and closes the introduction openings change or bank card 9 and 10 respectively. The device is then ready to process another transaction.

Still referring to FIG. 3, a block 26 represents means making it possible to establish and display on the screen a pre-selection or a combination of parameters corresponding to a transport ticket having given characteristics. This pre-selection is useful if a large number of transport tickets, from a statistical point of view, are issued and sold for one and the same destination, according to a given price and for the same type of ticket. transport. This may be the case for example for factual reasons, such as an event likely to attract a large number of people, or elements relating to the local clientele (return of a population of soldiers on Friday evening), or any other factual material. This preselection by block 26 is pre-established by the operator according to information in his possession. This pre-selection can be made according to statistical studies established in advance, but can also be adjusted statistically as and when transactions over a longer or shorter period. The pre-selection block 26 is thus able to receive from the unit 22 any information relating to all the transactions carried out over a period of time in order to be able to process this information statistically and possibly correct the proposed preselection.

The preselection results for the user in the presence of four highlight sliders each corresponding respectively to a value of the four respective parameters constituting the transport ticket. The user, if he is part of the population likely to acquire such a transport ticket, only has to validate in a single operation by pressing the central button 17. This represents a saving of time very appreciable.

The pre-selection block 26 is shown in the block diagram of FIG. 4 described below in more detail.

We find the four parameters, destination, price, class and route, which lead to a functional block 40 capable of determining whether the selection is complete or not, that is to say if all the parameters have been defined by a value. respectively for each of them. If not, the user is invited to continue his selection and validation operations, as described above.

If the selection is complete, another option is offered to the user in the form of "multimodality" (block 41) offering the user a combined urban-type ticket, for example, with the mainline route ticket. or suburb that he could have selected previously. Another option (block 42) is also offered in the form of multiple tickets, i.e. the group purchase of several tickets of the same type by the same user.

These sub-options are optional and can be eliminated in certain cases and for devices that we want to maintain at a reduced level of design, price, and use.

It is understood that the invention allows, in an extremely short time, of the order of a few seconds (of the order of about five seconds at most), the average user to be able, without any prior learning, to understand the operation of the device, select four successive parameters and operate the successive validations.

Among the many advantages of the invention, the following will be cited for example.

The uniqueness of the control unit allowing selection and validation, makes it possible to limit the number of operations required, and therefore to reduce the total time of the transaction, and also brings a welcome simplification to users. The fact of using a very user-friendly device, such as a rotary wheel, for example, makes it possible to get rid of almost any learning period. In a few seconds maximum, any user, or most of them, are able to understand the operation. Also note that the operating mode is likely to be represented on the front of the device (pictograms 8A and 8B) in an extremely simple and pictorial way and capable of being understood by the majority of users in a relatively short time. . This user-friendliness and simplicity also bring with them an additional advantage, namely that the user operates the wheel intuitively and can thus make his selection without taking his eyes off the screen. This is extremely important in so far as the user carries out the various successive operations without breaking the rhythm and with great ease, which takes away some stress from the selection operations compared to the prior art.

Once the operation understood by the user, the latter quickly understands that the movement of the cursor is always the same depending on the movement of the wheel. Since it can only rotate in one direction or the other, the cursor can only be moved in one direction or the other. This simplicity of movement allows the user to locate his request and his various selection and validation requests in the complete sequence. Indeed, the user can predict at any time where the cursor will be located depending on the movement of the wheel.

The screen allows you to display, in a minimum area, all the information necessary for the selection of a ticket.

The device also includes additional means making it possible, for example, to reinforce these advantageous characteristics.

For example, provision may be made to maintain the value of said parameter which has just been validated in each column, corresponding to a parameter, highlighted. Thus, at a glance the user sees at all times all of the parameters that he has already determined, and can also check which ones remain to be selected and validated.

All of the information offered to the user is extremely limited, since the latter has in front of him only a small screen and a soft wheel, with advanced ergonomic qualities, and also intuitive handling such as previously mentioned.

Note that the cancel key 5 is separated and highlighted, for example by a flashy color, which allows quick access in case of difficulty or change user decision. This is a reassuring point on the psychological level for the latter.

Other options are also possible, for example, such as a device making it possible to automatically compost the transport ticket just before it is issued by the opening 4.

Also, as part of the proposed pre-selection, it is possible to allow the modification of the pre-selection remotely, using a telephone network for example.

The display can be improved by adding a particular area of the screen where a message or several different messages may be displayed depending on certain operations or at the end of each operation, such as for example a commercial message. (welcome, thanks ...).

The great simplicity of the device allows great resistance to external, environmental or vandalism constraints.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment shown and described but on the contrary encompasses any variant as mentioned in the claims below.

Claims (8)

1. A device for dispensing a service, against payment, from a plurality of possible choices as a function of various parameters (11, 12, 13, 14) each being capable of taking a plurality of values, said device comprising means (6) for displaying values proposed for each parameter of said service, said device being characterized in that it comprises a single control member (7, 17) adapted firstly to allow selection on the display means (6) of the desired value for each parameter and secondly to confirm parameter by parameter the values thus selected.
2. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the display means are formed by a screen (6) and in that the single control member comprises a knob (7) mounted to rotate in a plane substantially parallel to the screen (6).
3. A device according to claim 2, characterized in that the knob (7) is provided with a push-button (17) adapted to effect the confirmation operation.
4. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the values of each parameter are displayed in columns.
5. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises means (41) for displaying additional information, whose confirmation triggers the display of a set of parameters.
6. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises means (23) for entering a code of alphanumeric nature corresponding to a payment and means (22) for verifying said code in order to allow the said service to be dispensed.
7. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises automatic means (26) for preselection of a given value of each parameter.
8. A device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the said preselection can be modified.

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