EP1200939B1 - Method for managing parking fee payment, validating coupon and payment verification terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention concerns a method for managing payment of parking fees in a specific geographical zone for a user (10) of at least one vehicle (13), comprising the following steps: the user (10) goes to a station registered for subscribing to a virtual date stamping service where he fills in a subscription form, and provides a statement of account information, and where he receives a two-part identifier: a sticker comprising an optical code (11), a secret code; he affixes the sticker on the windscreen of said one vehicle (13).

Description

Technical area

The present invention relates to a method of parking tax payment management, a validation coupon and a verification terminal this payment.

State of the art

Currently the means used to pay parking fees are based on time stamping machines that deliver driver, against payment in immediate currency and complete, a ticket indicating the right end time of parking. The driver leaves this ticket in view behind his windshield. Officers responsible for verification of the proper payment of taxes can then validate, during their rounds, parking at vehicle. However, for the city of Paris, some parking ticket machines offer payment by card prepaid, which is debited with the amount of the term of desired parking.

• Obligation pour le conducteur de posséder de la monnaie pour acquitter la taxe due.
• Obligation pour le conducteur de connaítre par avance et avec précision la durée de stationnement. S'il a apprécié cette durée de façon erronée, il doit retourner à son véhicule, ou prendre le risque d'avoir à payer une contravention.
• Pour le conducteur, procédure compliquée de paiement de la taxe de stationnement et, pour la municipalité, mangues à gagner importants pour non-paiement, notamment du fait des deux obligations précédentes.
• Pour la municipalité, gestion d'un parc de mobilier urbain important subissant les dégradations du temps et les malveillances consécutives à la conservation de monnaie dans les machines. Ce parc est, de plus, très sensible aux modifications des pièces de monnaie et n'est absolument pas adapté aux futures pièces en Euros.

The use of parking meters for the payment of parking taxes has the following disadvantages:

• Obligation for the driver to have change to pay the tax due.
• Obligation for the driver to know in advance and precisely the parking time. If he has assessed this period incorrectly, he must return to his vehicle, or take the risk of having to pay a fine.
• For the driver, complicated procedure for payment of the parking tax and, for the municipality, mangoes to gain significant for non-payment, in particular because of the two preceding obligations.
• For the municipality, management of a large street furniture park suffering from the deterioration of time and malice following the conservation of money in machines. This fleet is, moreover, very sensitive to changes in coins and is absolutely not suitable for future euro coins.

The replacement in the city of Paris of coin-operated parking machines by machines card parking meters does not remove the problems access to payment, because the driver has all the chances of not having a prepaid card: at best the driver has regular cards prepaid, but there always comes a time when the remaining amount is insufficient; at worst the driver does not know the operation of these machines.

The present invention therefore aims to facilitate drivers' access to payment for their parking taxes.

A document of known art, the patent US 5,905,247, describes a payment control system of parking taxes which includes a tax register of parking containing information concerning one or multiple vehicles for which payment, taxes parking lot is realized, an identification device of each vehicle including a vehicle code, by example a barcode affixed to the windshield of the vehicle, readable using a control device and such a control device allowing both automatic reading, for example optical, of the code vehicle, transmitting a request message from check containing the vehicle code to the register of parking fees, and receiving a message information regarding payment or non-payment of the parking tax.

Statement of the invention

• l'utilisateur se rend en un point homologué pour un abonnement à un service d'horodateur virtuel où il remplit un formulaire d'abonnement, où il fournit un relevé d'identité bancaire, et où il reçoit un identifiant en deux parties : d'une part une vignette comportant un code optique, de l'autre un code secret caché ;
• il découvre son code secret,
• il appose la vignette sur le pare-brise d'un dit véhicule,
• lorsque ledit utilisateur gare un dit véhicule sur un emplacement dans une zone géographique cliente du service d'horodateur virtuel, il compose sur un terminal téléphonique un numéro déterminé d'accès à un serveur téléphonique, il s'authentifie auprès de ce serveur en donnant un identifiant chiffré correspondant au code optique, il compose le code secret, il indique l'heure présumée de fin de stationnement, et il valide sa commande.

The present invention relates to a method for managing the payment of parking taxes in a given geographical area for a user of at least one vehicle, characterized in that it comprises the following steps:

• the user goes to an approved point for a subscription to a virtual parking meter service where he fills out a subscription form, where he provides a bank statement, and where he receives an identifier in two parts: on the one hand a sticker with an optical code, on the other a hidden secret code;
• he discovers his secret code,
• he affixes the sticker on the windshield of a said vehicle,
• when said user parks a said vehicle on a location in a client area of the virtual parking meter service, he dials on a telephone terminal a determined number of access to a telephone server, he authenticates himself with this server by giving a encrypted identifier corresponding to the optical code, it composes the secret code, it indicates the presumed time of end of parking, and it validates its order.

Advantageously, the user can program another time end of parking by accessing the server by telephone, by dialing the determined access number to this one.

The user can also request, by mail, a certification of his payment.

Advantageously, the optical code is a bar code. The user receives an identifier in the form a coupon in two parts: the first forming the sticker, the second containing the secret code. The sticker can be a sticker sticker, or in a material, such as paper or cardboard, allowing the user to insert the sticker in a pocket transparent attached to the windshield of a said vehicle. The secret code can be a secret code to be scratched on the second part of the coupon.

The agent responsible for verifying the voucher parking fee payment uses reader optical to read the applied optical code on the windshield of a vehicle, this reading being transmitted using a mobile phone to the server who checks the payment of the tax parking for the relevant identifier. Advantageously, an optical or audible signal emitted by the mobile phone notifies the officer responsible for verification in the event of invalid parking.

The invention also relates to the coupon for the payment of parking taxes characterized in that that it comprises two parts, the first forming a sticker with an optical code, which can be a barcode, the second containing a secret code.

Advantageously, this coupon can be made of any material, such as paper or cardboard, as the user can insert it in a transparent pocket attached to the windshield of a vehicle. The secret code can be a secret code to scratch. The sticker can also be a sticker self-adhesive

• les moyens de paiement des taxes de stationnement, en introduisant une technique de prélèvement bancaire ;
• les moyens mis en oeuvre par les municipalités pour procéder au recouvrement des taxes de stationnement en remplaçant les horodateurs physiques par des serveurs vocaux faisant office d'horodateurs virtuels ;
• les moyens mis à disposition des agents qui vérifient la validité du droit de stationnement d'un véhicule en leur fournissant un outil de lecture et de communication.

The implementation of the process of the invention modifies:

• the means of payment for parking taxes, by introducing a direct debit technique;
• the means implemented by the municipalities to recover parking taxes by replacing physical parking meters with voice servers acting as virtual parking meters;
• the resources made available to agents who verify the validity of the right to park a vehicle by providing them with a reading and communication tool.

• une prise de commande du paiement pour retrait ultérieur sur compte bancaire, ce qui supprime le besoin de moyen de paiement immédiat ;
• un accès à la prise de commande du paiement non associé au lieu de stationnement, ce qui permet à l'usager une gestion non stressée de sa durée de stationnement ;
• une homogénéité au moyen de paiement, ce qui permet à l'usager de bénéficier des facilités d'accès au paiement des taxes de stationnement, y compris lors de déplacements à l'extérieur.

The method of the invention makes it possible to facilitate the access of users to the payment of their parking taxes thanks in particular to:

• an order for payment for subsequent withdrawal to a bank account, which eliminates the need for immediate means of payment;
• access to the order taking of the payment not associated with the parking place, which allows the user an unstressed management of his parking time;
• uniformity in the means of payment, which allows the user to benefit from the facilities for access to payment of parking taxes, including when traveling outside.

• par une diminution des équipements (les machines horodatrices) coûteux en maintenance, ce qui entraíne pour les municipalités une diminution de leurs frais de fonctionnement en supprimant des causes de vandalisme et des frais de collecte de monnaie ;
• par une mise en oeuvre indépendante des changements de format des pièces de monnaie, ce qui permettra en particulier aux municipalités de diminuer leurs frais de passage à l'Euro ;
• par la suppression de causes de non-paiement générées par un accès impossible au paiement : l'usager ne dispose pas de pièces de monnaie pour s'acquitter de la taxe de stationnement, un handicap physique limite sa mobilité, ...

This method of the invention also makes it possible to give municipalities the means to more flexibly manage the payment of parking taxes:

• by a reduction in equipment (time stamping machines) costly to maintain, which results in a reduction in operating costs for municipalities by eliminating the causes of vandalism and the cost of collecting money;
• through independent implementation of coin format changes, which will enable municipalities in particular to reduce their costs of switching to the Euro;
• by eliminating causes of non-payment generated by an impossible access to payment: the user does not have coins to pay the parking tax, a physical handicap limits his mobility, ...

Brief description of the drawings

Figure 1 illustrates the different means involved in the process of the invention.

Figure 2 illustrates the dialogue between the user and the time server, according to the method of the invention.

Figure 3 illustrates a coupon that can receive the user when subscribing to virtual parking meter service.

Figure 4 illustrates the verification of the voucher payment of parking taxes in the process of the invention.

Figure 5 illustrates an example of creation of the payment verification terminal.

Detailed description of embodiments

The present invention is intended for drivers or users who want to park a vehicle on a parking space falling under the blow of a tax, for example hourly, of driver's parking space immediately and completely for a limited time.

In the method of the invention, the user first goes to the town hall or anywhere point approved for subscription to a service virtual parking meter, where he fills out a form subscription, where it provides an identity statement bank so that payment can be made by direct debit, and is given in exchange a identifying a sticker in two parts comprising an optical code, on the other a secret code.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the user subscriber 10 then affixes said sticker 11 on a vehicle 12. When he then parks on a paid parking space 13, in all geographic areas client of the system, it suffices to fulfill its parking tax to dial a given number free, from any telephone 14 (Payphone, mobile or landline).

This free server access number telephone time stamp 15 is translated so specific by the 16 subscriber switches attached to the municipality so that access is made on the parking meter server of this municipality. When the user travels to other municipalities, the same access number connects it to the telephone server parking meter of the municipality concerned by the parking and not the municipality of origin of subscription to the service.

After dialing this number, which for reasons for ease of use can be a number short, a voice server asks him to authenticate (encrypted identifier of the barcode) and compose its secret code, then asks him for the supposed end time after having indicated the price in force in the geographic area concerned. Once that the user has validated his order, the direct debit can be operated on his bank account 17.

We thus have the dialogue illustrated in the figure 2 between user and telephone server timestamp.

If the user subsequently visits realizes that he cannot take back his vehicle before the time limit, it can program another time of end of parking, always by accessing the server voice dialing the free number. The user may subsequently request by post a certification of his payment.

In an advantageous exemplary embodiment illustrated in figure 3, the identifier appears in the form of a coupon 20 in two parts: on the one hand a sticker 21, including a barcode, to affix on the windshield of his vehicle or one of its vehicles, on the other hand a secret code 22 to be scratched.

Sticker 21 can be a sticker self-adhesive, or be a sticker that can be inserted into a transparent pocket attached to the windshield of a vehicle. This sticker can be associated with a vehicle or driver. In the latter case it can be used for multiple vehicles, which is possible using a sticker insertable in several pockets.

As illustrated in Figure 4, the agents responsible for verifying the proper payment of taxes parking lot have a mobile terminal 31 coupled to an optical drive 32, which allows them to read the barcode 11 applied to the vehicle windshield 12. This reading is transmitted by the mobile terminal 31 to the parking meter server 15 which checks the acknowledgment of the parking tax for the identifier concerned. A signal, for example sound or light, emitted by the mobile notifies the officer in charge of verification in the event of invalid parking.

The parking meter server 15 has sufficient capacity to establish a dialogue with user 10 in order to receive the identifier and the secret code of it, to take into account a possible credit corresponding to this identifier to provide to user 10 the hourly tax amount parking, guide user 10 so that can enter a parking end time consistent, calculate the amount to be debited based of the possible credit, to indicate the amount to user 10, and send the debit order on the bank account corresponding to the identifier. This server must also be able to communicate with mobile terminals 31 agents responsible for verification in order to receive the identifiers read by optical reading transmitted to it and control the credit associated with an identifier before returning a positive or negative acknowledgment to the terminal of a said agent.

As illustrated in Figure 5, the terminal 31 can be made up of a telephone mobile coupled to an optical barcode reader 32. We can thus use a working mobile phone under the GSM standard, fitted on one side with a optical receiver. When taking a line on the device, it can be directly connected to the timestamp telephone server without the agent having need to dial a number. For example without numbering within three seconds after taking line, the telephone server access number agents' parking meter can be dialed automatically. The agent can then point the reader optical on the barcode of a vehicle being control. The information collected (identifier) is transmitted by the mobile phone to the server telephone parking meter and verification device expects a positive acknowledgment from the server, or negative. The server then checks the end time of parking corresponding to this identifier before send a negative acknowledgment in case of no validity. In case of negative acknowledgment the verification device beeps or luminous.

Example of an advantageous embodiment

In an exemplary embodiment the characteristics of the invention are as follows:

• Coupon 20

• il est composé de deux parties distinctes :
• l'une (vignette), qui doit être apposée au pare-brise, comporte un code-barres ; l'autre, qui doit être découpée, supporte un code secret caché par une substance qui pourra être grattée ;
• - le coupon est en papier épais, la première partie a une longueur d'environ 7 cm pour une largeur d'environ 4 cm, la seconde partie est un carré de 4 cm de côté, le fond est blanc et l'encre est par exemple de couleur noire ;
• - le coupon est livré avec une ou plusieurs pochettes autocollantes dans lesquelles peut se glisser la première partie à apposer au pare-brise ; ainsi, le coupon n'est pas collé au pare-brise et peut être apposé sur le pare-brise de n'importe quel véhicule moyennant la disponibilité d'une pochette autocollante à sa taille.

The coupon has the following characteristics:

• it is made up of two distinct parts:
• one (sticker), which must be affixed to the windshield, has a barcode; the other, which must be cut out, supports a secret code hidden by a substance which can be scratched;
• - the coupon is in thick paper, the first part has a length of about 7 cm for a width of about 4 cm, the second part is a square of 4 cm side, the background is white and the ink is by example of black color;
• - the coupon is delivered with one or more self-adhesive pockets in which the first part to be affixed to the windshield can be inserted; thus, the coupon is not glued to the windshield and can be affixed to the windshield of any vehicle subject to the availability of a self-adhesive pocket at its size.

• Time server 15

• un raccordement au réseau téléphonique de type T2 ou équivalent permettant de traiter jusqu'à plusieurs dizaines d'appels à la seconde ;
• une base de donnée contenant une table par abonné ; cette table a pour clé l'identifiant (qui se trouve sur le coupon en chiffre pour l'utilisateur et en code-barres pour l'agent chargé de la vérification) ; les autres champs sont le nom de l'abonné, son code secret, son adresse, éventuellement son numéro de compte bancaire et le crédit en cours ;
• une fonction de périphérique intelligent pour fournir des annonces vocales.

The parking meter server is a telephone server available on the market having at least the following capacities:

• a connection to the telephone network of type T2 or equivalent making it possible to process up to several tens of calls per second;
• a database containing one table per subscriber; this table has for key the identifier (which is on the coupon in figures for the user and in barcode for the officer in charge of the verification); the other fields are the name of the subscriber, his secret code, his address, possibly his bank account number and the current loan;
• a smart device function to provide voice announcements.

This server can be installed in the premises of the municipality managing the parking taxes.

Public network switches (fixed and mobile) allow you to translate the access code to server (four-digit number type 3609 identical throughout the country) in server number actually present on their coverage area the Charging of calls to the server is left to the choice of the operator in accordance with the regulatory framework. However, the invention is all the more advantageous that the user is not charged when calling the server.

• Verification terminal 31

The verifier has a verification device that can read bar codes and establish communication with the server timestamp. This device consists of the coupling of a barcode reader and GSM terminal.

• Subscription

The invention is intended for the general public and must benefit from a very wide distribution method (tobacconists, telecom shops, municipality, supermarkets, ..) and very simple (supply of a bank account statement (RIB) and proof of residence against supply of the usable coupon immediately because the direct debit orders issued by the real-time server are processed a posteriori, so after recording the driver's contact details).

User provides RIB and proof of address and complete a form subscription. The distributor gives him the coupon and self-adhesive pockets. The user scratches his secret code and affix the barcode part of the coupon in a pocket on his windshield. The distributor transmits the file (RIB, proof, form) to the telecommunications operator responsible for to save the subscription data in all parking ticket servers that he installed.

• Payment methods

• prélèvement automatique mensuel regroupant tous les ordres de prélèvement émis, dans le mois, par le serveur pour un même identifiant ;
• facture mensuelle envoyée à l'utilisateur (celui qui s'est abonné) regroupant le montant de tous les ordres de prélèvement émis, dans le mois, par le serveur pour un même identifiant.

Two payment methods can be used depending on the banking agreements:

• automatic monthly debit grouping together all the debit orders issued, during the month, by the server for the same identifier;
• monthly invoice sent to the user (the one who has subscribed) grouping together the amount of all direct debit orders issued, in the month, by the server for the same identifier.

In both cases, the server issues an order direct debit (ticket including the date and time of parking order, date and time requested, the amount of tax to be levied and the relevant identifier), for each call having resulted in parking taxes to be levied. The direct debit tickets can also be used supporting documents to be sent to the user on his request.

• Parking

The subscribed user can park on all parking spaces managed by a municipality using the invention, i.e. parking spaces along the streets or in free parking areas intended for the payment of taxes.

• Payment order taking

The user of a vehicle equipped with a vingette (even if he is not the subscribed user for little he knows the secret code) can adjust his parking taxes by phone (mobile, Payphone, landline phone). It can add time in the same way (the server keeps then count the remaining credit to establish the new amount to be paid).

• Decrease in remaining credit

Every minute, the server decreased the credit of each parked vehicle whose regulations of the parking tax was made by the invention (depending on the rate per minute). Any action is not taken when the remaining credit is returned to zero.

• Agent verification

Officers responsible for verifying the voucher parking fee payment have a GSM terminal coupled with a barcode reader they apply, during their verification tours, bar codes of vehicles parked in areas chargeable (if they do not otherwise have a ticket provided by a physical parking meter).

When taking a line on the GSM terminal, if agent does not dial in three seconds, the terminal connects logically permanent with the server. As soon as a barcode is read, the data packet corresponding to the identifier is sent to the server which then consults its database data and returns an audible alert if the time of end of parking is exceeded for the vehicle control.

The different steps of the method of the invention are, therefore, set out below, each step being composed of a user action, of a processing and of a response from the server by a voice announcement (if the user hangs up before validation, the operation does not issue a debit order). User action Server access (3609) Processing in the server Translation of the number Connection with the server of the municipality concerned Server response Authentication request User action Authentication (identifier + secret code) Processing in the server Access to the database to load the table corresponding to the identifier provided.
Verification of the secret code Server response If voucher code, indication of hourly cost and request of desired end time If wrong code, incorrect code announcement and authentication request (up to times before blocking the code If non-existent identifier, announcement of non-existent identifier and authentication request User action Entering the end time (on 4 digits, 2 for the hours between 00 and 23 and 2 for the minutes between 00 and 59) Processing in the server Checking the time format
Calculation of the end time in minutes
Calculation of the current hour in minutes
Calculation of the tax amount according to the formula:
amount = (end time-current hour) * rate per minute- credit remaining Server response If valid time, reminder of the end time and indication of the cost which will be charged if validation then request for validation or cancellation (repeated if no correct action by the user) If the time is not valid, announces how to enter the time and requests to enter the desired end time User action Validation (press the key proposed by the server for validation) Cancellation (press the key proposed by the server for cancellation) Processing in the server Establishment of a debit order (ticket including the date and time of the order, the date and time of end of parking requested, the amount of the tax to be levied and the identifier concerned) Resource release Server response Confirmation of the end time and the amount withdrawn and invitation to hang up Confirmation of cancellation and invitation to hang up User action Hang Processing in the server Resource release

Claims (16)

1. A process for managing the payment of parking charges in a given geographical area for a user (10) of at least one vehicle (13), characterized in that it includes the following stages:

   the user goes to an approved point to subscribe to a virtual pay and display service where he completes a subscription form, where he provides particulars of his bank account, and where he receives an ID in two parts: on the one hand a sticker (11) comprising an optical code, on the other a secret code;

   he affixes the sticker (11) to the windscreen of a said vehicle (13), when said user (10) parks a said vehicle at a location within a geographic area covered by the virtual time pay and display service, he keys in on a telephone terminal (14) a preset telephone server (15) access number, he authenticates himself with this server (15) by giving a coded ID corresponding to the optical code, he keys in the secret code, he indicates the prospective parking end time, and he validates his instruction.
2. A process according to claim 1, wherein the user programs another parking end time by accessing the telephone server (15), by keying in its preset access number.
3. A process according to claim 1, wherein the user requests, by mail, certification of his payment.
4. A process according to claim 1, wherein the optical code is a bar code.
5. A process according to claim 1, wherein the user receives an ID in the form of a voucher (20) in two parts, the first (21) forming the sticker, the second (22) containing the secret code.
6. A process according to claim 5, wherein the sticker is a self-adhesive sticker.
7. A process according to claim 3, wherein the sticker is made of a material such that the user can insert it into a transparent pocket fixed on the windscreen of a said vehicle.
8. A process according to claim 5, wherein the secret code is a secret scratch code on the second part of the voucher.
9. A process according to claim 1, wherein the official responsible for verifying the correct payment of the parking charges uses an optical reader to read the optical code applied on the windscreen of a vehicle, and wherein this reading is transmitted by means of a mobile telephone to the telephone server which verifies the payment of the parking charge for the ID concerned.
10. A process according to claim 9, wherein a signal emitted by the mobile telephone warns the official in the event of invalid parking.
11. A process according to claim 10, wherein the signal emitted is an optical signal or a sound signal.
12. A voucher for the payment of parking charges, characterized in that it includes two parts, the first (21) forming a sticker comprising an optical code, the second (22) containing a secret code.
13. A voucher according to claim 12, wherein the optical code is a bar code.
14. A voucher according to claim 12, wherein the sticker is a self-adhesive sticker.
15. A voucher according to claim 12, wherein the sticker is made of a material such that it may be inserted into a transparent pocket fixed on the windscreen of a vehicle.
16. A voucher according to claim 12, wherein the secret code is a secret scratch code.

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