GB2450689A

GB2450689A - Indicator module for passenger areas in public transport

Info

Publication number: GB2450689A
Application number: GB0712772A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Joseph O'connor
Original assignee: HYPHEN DESIGN Ltd
Current assignee: HYPHEN DESIGN Ltd
Priority date: 2007-07-02
Filing date: 2007-07-02
Publication date: 2009-01-07
Also published as: GB0712772D0

Abstract

An indicator module for indicating a passenger's entitlement to occupy a region of a vehicle comprises an indicator (9) switchable between a first indicator mode in which the indicator (9) indicates that only an authorised passenger is entitled to occupy a region of the vehicle with which the module is associated, and a second mode in which the indicator (9) indicates that the region is available for occupation by any passenger and a data reader (11) for reading data from passenger data carriers. The data comprises information indicating whether a passenger with whom a given carrier is associated is an authorised passenger that is entitled to occupy the vehicle region associated with the module. Authorised passengers may include those with disabilities, the elderly, wheelchair users or those with pushchairs. The indicator (9) is switched to said first mode in the event that the data read indicates the passenger is an authorised passenger. The indicator module may be used on public transport vehicles such as buses.

Description

INDICATOR MODULE

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to indicator modules, in particular to indicator modules for indicating occupation entitlement, particularly but not exclusively for indicating a passenger's entitlement to occupy a region of a vehicle. Other embodiments of the invention relate to a monitoring system incorporating modules of the type aforementioned, and to a control terminal for such a system.

Particular reference will be made hereafter to the application of the teachings of the invention to busses, and to an integration of the teachings of the invention with an existing ticketing system. It will be appreciated, and should be noted, that these applications of the teachings of the invention are merely illustrative, and as such they should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the present invention in any way.

Background to the Invention

Recent United Kingdom legislation has required business owners and transport providers to consider whether their premises and vehicles are accessible to all sectors of society, and if not to take appropriate steps to make their premises and vehicles more accessible.

A good example of the efforts made by transport providers to provide better access to their vehicles is the manner in which London busses have been adapted to provide better access for less mobile sectors of society, in particular for wheelchair users. For example, some busses have been provided with ramps that can be deployed to enable wheelchair users to more easily board and disembark from the bus, and in most of these instances these ramps are deployed by a driver of the bus once a dedicated call button for persons with special needs has been pressed.

It is also typically the case that busses and other forms of transport will have dedicated seating, or other reserved regions of the vehicle, for passengers with special needs. For example, some busses are provided with one or more interior regions, which may or may not include seating, that are specially designated as regions where persons travelling with pushchairs, elderly persons, disabled persons or wheelchair users should be given priority (for example by being given preferential access to the region or to a seat in the region).

Typically the interior of the bus is provided with signage asking more able passengers to give less able passengers priority, and happily it is generally the case that the majority of the travelling public will give up their seat or move out of a designated region if asked to do so by someone less able than themselves. This is particularly the case if the limitations of that person's ability are readily apparent, for example because the person is elderly or carrying a walking aid or otherwise obviously encumbered Problems arise, however, when a less able person who has a condition that is not immediately transparent (such as chronic arthritis for example) asks an able bodied person to vacate a region (such as a seat) which is designated as being a priority region for the less able.

An able bodied person sat in a seat that is designated for priority use by a less able person and who is then asked to move by a person with no visible disability, can often be reluctant to give up their seat to someone who claims to be disabled, but does not have any immediately apparent disability. In such circumstances some able bodied persons may consider it to be reasonable to ask the disabled person whether they really are disabled or what their disability is, and this type of public interrogation can be extremely upsetting and embarrassing for disabled persons. Such problems can also arise when a person who is not obviously disabled is asked by a person with an obvious disability to vacate the seat that they are (legitimately) occupying.

A further problem faced by a person with no immediately obvious disability is that the driver of the bus, for example, will most probably not be aware that the person in question is less able and hence may need special consideration when using the vehicle.

As a result of this, drivers can pull away from bus stops before the passenger has disembarked (thereby causing the passenger to miss their stop), or before the passenger has sat down in their seat. The former situation is inconvenient, but the latter situation can prove to be dangerous as the less able person may not be able to cope with the relatively violent movements associated with standing in a moving vehicle such asabus.

It is an aim of the present invention to address one or more of the foregoing problems.

Summary of the Invention

To this end, a presently preferred embodiment of the present invention provides an indicator module for indicating a passenger's entitlement to occupy a region of a vehicle, the module comprising: an indicator switchable between a first indicator mode in which the indicator indicates that only an authorised passenger is entitled to occupy a region of the vehicle with which the module is associated, and a second mode in which the indicator indicates that the region is available for occupation by any passenger; and a data reader for reading data from passenger data carriers, said data comprising information indicating whether a passenger with whom a given carrier is associated is an authorised passenger that is entitled to occupy the vehicle region associated with the module; wherein the indicator is configured to switch to said first mode in the event that data received from said reader is determined to include information indicating that the passenger is an authorised passenger.

By virtue of this arrangement it is possible for an authorised person (such as a less able person) to discretely indicate, for example to another person sat in a seat of the vehicle, that they are actually entitled to occupy the seat, whereupon the person already sat in the seat should vacate the seat without interrogating the authorised person as to why or whether they are entitled to sit in it. In general terms, the indicator module of this embodiment indicates in one mode that the region is legitimately occupied, and in the other mode indicates that the region is available for anyone to occupy or that if occupied, the occupier is not an authorised person.

Preferably, the module comprises a controller that is configured to receive data from said data reader. Preferably the controller is configured to determine whether data received from said data reader includes information indicating that the passenger with whom the data is associated is an authorised passenger entitled to occupy said vehicle region. Preferably the controller is configured, in the event that data received from said data reader is determined to include information indicating that the passenger with whom the data is associated is an authorised, to switch said indicator from said second mode to said first mode. In one embodiment the controller is located within the body of said indicator module.

The indicator may comprise one or more light sources that are switched on in one of said two modes and switched off in the other of said two modes.

The data reader may comprise a smartcard reader. In one embodiment the smartcard reader may comprise a contactiess smartcard reader. In a particularly preferred arrangement the smartcard reader is configured for reading data from an Oyster card The module may further comprise means for mounting the module to a surface or to a handrail.

In another embodiment, the module may comprise a passenger operable notification device. The notification device may comprise a button. The notification device may be operated by a passenger to indicate their desire to disembark from the vehicle. In a particularly preferred arrangement, the notification device is only operable by authorised passengers. Preferably the notification device is only enabled for operation once said indicator has been switched to said first mode. Preferably the notification device is disabled once said indicator has been switched from said first mode to said second mode. In one arrangement, operation of said notification device switches said indicator from said first mode to said second mode.

In one embodiment the controller may be configured to interface with a data carrier detector that is configured to detect and read data from a data carrier, and to determine whether information read from a data carrier by said data reader is included in data read from a data carrier by said data carrier detector.

Another embodiment of the present invention relates to a monitoring system comprising a control terminal and a plurality of indicator modules as described herein, said terminal being configured to communicate with said indicator modules. The terminal and indicator modules may be configured for bi-directional communications with one another. In a preferred arrangement the indicator modules are wired to said control terminal.

The control terminal may include a display. The control terminal may include a second data reader, the terminal being configured to indicate via said display when a passenger whose card has been read by the second data reader is an authorised passenger. The terminal may be configured to display an indication of which regions of a vehicle that have been designated for occupation by authorised passengers have actually been occupied by authorised passengers.

In a particularly preferred arrangement, the control terminal further comprises means enabling said terminal to function as a ticketing system.

In one embodiment said control terminal may be configured to receive data from said data reader, to determine whether data received from said data reader includes information indicating that the passenger with whom the data is associated is an authorised passenger entitled to occupy said vehicle region, and if said data includes information indicating that the passenger is an authorised passenger to switch said indicator to said first mode.

In one arrangement the control terminal may be configured to interface with a data carrier detector that is configured to detect and read data from a data carrier, and to determine whether information read from a data carrier by a data reader of a said indicator module is included in data read from a data carrier by said data carrier detector.

Another embodiment of the present invention relates to a control terminal for the system described herein, the control terminal comprising a display and means for interfacing with a plurality of indicator modules.

Yet another embodiment of the present invention relates to a vehicle comprising: a plurality of seats, at least some of said seats comprising priority seats designated as seats that an authorised passenger is entitled to occupy; a plurality of indicator modules as described herein, one indicator module being associated with each seat; and a control terminal arranged to interlace with said indicator modules.

In a preferred arrangement, the vehicle comprises a bus. In a particularly preferred arrangement, the control terminal further comprises means to enable the control terminal to function as a ticketing system. In a highly preferred arrangement the control terminal may be configured for use with the Oyster travel system.

Further features, embodiments and advantages of the present invention are set out in the accompanying claims, and will be apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention.

Brief DescriDtion of the Drawings Various aspects of the teachings of the present invention, and arrangements embodying those teachings, will hereafter be described by way of illustrative example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig 1 is a schematic front elevation of an indicator module according to one embodiment of the present invention; Fig 2 is a perspective view of the module depicted in Fig. 1, mounted for use; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the rear of the module depicted in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the module depicted in Fig. 1, mounted in a different configuration for use; Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the components of the module shown in Figs 1 to 4; Fig. 6 is a schematic front elevation of an indicator module according to a second embodiment of the present invention; Figs. 7 to 9 are further views of the module depicted in Fig. 6 Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the components of the module shown in Fig. 6; Fig. 11 is diagrammatic representation of a monitoring system incorporating indicator modules according to either of the first and second embodiments; Fig. 12 is an illustrative front elevation of a control terminal; Figs 13 to 1 5are illustrative representations of contemplated driver displays for different classes of authorised person; Fig. 16 is an illustrative representation of a contemplated driver display indicating priority region loading within a vehicle; and Fig. 17 is a diagrammatic representation of a monitoring system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed DeScriDtiOn of Preferred Embodiments Various preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of illustrative example with particular reference to a bus; to "authorised passengers" consisting of disabled, elderly and pregnant persons; and to the application of the teachings of the invention to the existing Oyster ticketing system that is currently in use in London, UK.

It will be immediately apparent, however, that the teachings of the present invention may be more widely applied, and as such the following illustrative description should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention in any way. Of particular note is the fact that the scope of the present invention is expressly not limited to the particular embodiment described hereafter, to the use of the teachings of the present invention in a bus, or indeed to the application of the teachings of the invention to the Oyster ticketing system.

It will also be appreciated that the teachings of the present invention may readily be used with "authorised persons" consisting of persons other than disabled, elderly or pregnant passengers. For example, the teachings of the present invention could readily be applied where "authorised persons" are those persons with a particular class of ticket.

In general, therefore, the term "authorised persons" should be construed to include any person who is authorised to have access to a given region, for example to a seat in a bus or other vehicle.

Referring now to Fig 1, there is shown a schematic front elevation of an indicator module 1, in this instance an indicator module for indicating a passenger's entitlement to occupy a region of a vehicle.

In this embodiment the module 1 comprises a housing 3 that has a generally circular front face. An upper portion of the rim (as orientated in Fig. 1) of the housing 3 includes an indicator 7 that consists, in this embodiment, of one or more lamps provided within the housing 3, the lamps being covered by a transparent or translucent cover 9.

As will later be described the indicator may be switched between two modes to indicate which persons are entitled to make use of a given region of a vehicle, for example a seat in a vehicle.

The principal part of the aforementioned generally circular front face is configured as a data reader 11, for example as a contactless smartcard reader or RFID reader, over which a data carrier (such as an Oyster card) may be swiped for the transfer of data to the apparatus.

As depicted in Figs. 2 to 4, the module includes a mount 5 that, in this embodiment, allows the housing to be attached to (for example to be slid over) a horizontal bar (such as a handrail in a bus) or a vertical bar (such as a floor-to-ceiling type handrail). Alternative mounts, not shown, may be provided to enable the housing to be fixed to a bulkhead, seat back or other such surface within the vehicle.

Referring now to Fig. 5 of the drawings, the module of this embodiment comprises a controller 13 that is coupled to the indicator 7 (specifically to the lamps -not shown -of the indicator), and to the data reader 11. The controller 13, and the module as a whole, is powered by a power source 15 that may comprise an electrical outlet of the power source of the vehicle in which the module is installed, or a battery. If a battery is provided, then the module could be adapted to include a solar panel that is configured to charge the battery during daylight hours The data reader ii is configured, in this arrangement, to interface wirelessly with a smartcard 17 placed in close proximity to the front face of the module The smartcard, as is known in the art, comprises an aerial 19 that is coupled to an integrated circuit 21 via an inductor 23. The arrangement is such that when the smartcard aerial is placed in the RF field generated by the data reader 11, the aerial 19 picks up the RF signal and the inductor 23 induces a voltage from this RF signal that is used to power the integrated circuit 21. The integrated circuit 21 then communicates with the controller using conventional smartcard wireless protocols, and transmits certain information (such as information uniquely identifying the card) to the controller.

In this embodiment of the invention, the controller 13 is operable, on receipt of information from a smart card to determine whether that information includes data that identifies the card as belonging to an authorised person.

As an illustrative example, a system could be devised where every smart card is provided with a unique identifying number, and those identifying numbers could be devised so as to readily indicate whether the identifying number from a given card is associated with an authorised person. For example, the system could be arranged so that disabled passengers are allocated a smart card unique identifier that begins with the digit "1", pregnant passengers are allocated a smart card with an identifier that beings with the digit "2", elderly passengers are allocated a smart card identifier that begins with the digit "3", and all other passengers are allocated a smart card identifier that begins with the digit "5". In such a scenario the controller would readily be able to determine whether the unique identifying number received from a given smart card is associated with an authorised person, simply by considering whether the first digit of the identifier is a "1, a or a "3".

If the controller should determine that the information received from the smart card indicates that the person associated with that card is an authorised person (.e. g. a person who is authorised to sit in a seat with which the apparatus is associated), the controller 1 3 controls the indicator 7 to switch between first and second indicator modes.

For example, in a particularly preferred arrangement, the controller may be configured to de-energise (i.e. turn off) the indicator in the event that the person swiping their card over the module is entitled to be sat in the seat associated with that module.

By virtue of such an arrangement, other passengers (including anyone currently sat in a seat set aside for authorised persons) are discretely informed that the person swiping their card over the module is entitled to sit in the seat, for example, associated with the module. Conversely, vacant or occupied seats that are associated with a module where the indicator is lit clearly indicate to the other passengers, and more importantly to an authorised person boarding the vehicle, that the seat is vacant or occupied by someone who is not authorised to be sat in it.

In the context of a vehicle such as a bus or train where a number of stops may be made between an origin and a destination, it will be necessary to provide a means for resetting the indicator (in a preferred arrangement, energising the indicator) when the authorised person wishes to leave the vehicle.

In one arrangement the controller may be configured, in the event that a particular card is swiped for a second time, to switch the indicator back to the operating mode from which it was switched when the card was swiped for the first time. In this arrangement the controller may be configured to notify the driver of a vehicle in which the apparatus is installed that an authorised person wishes to disembark, for example by ringing a bell or displaying a warning notice to the driver.

In another arrangement, particularly appropriate where the card is designed to be readable from a greater distance, exits to the vehicle may be provided with a data carrier detector 25 that is configured to read information from cards that pass through the detector (n.b. Fig. 5 shows the detector 25 as being coupled to the controller by a dashed line to emphasise that the provision of a detector 25 is optional, and not an essential feature of the invention).

Information read by the detector may then be compared with information held by the controller 13, and if a match should be determined to have occurred the controller may be configured to switch the associated indicator back to the state it was in before the card was swiped over the module.

In either event it is preferred for the controller to notify the driver of the vehicle that an authorised person wishes to disembark. For example, the controller may be configured to ring a bell or to display a message to the driver, each of which indicate that an authorised person wants to disembark In the latter case, the indicator module may be connected to a ticketing system utilised by the driver, which system may be configured to display a message to the driver on a display.

Referring now to Figs. 6 to 9 of the accompanying drawings, there is depicted a module 27 according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and where appropriate the same reference numerals have been used for similar components of the two embodiments.

In common with the earlier embodiment, the indicator module 27 of this embodiment comprises a housing 3 that is provided with an indicator 7, the outer translucent or transparent cover 9 of which is visible. The front face of the housing 3 comprises a smartcard data reader 11 over which smartcards can be swiped to transfer information from the card to the module 27.

The principal difference between the module 27 of this embodiment and the module 1 of the first embodiment, is that in this embodiment the module further comprises a personal stop button 29 that can be pressed by a passenger.

Referring now to Fig. 10, the stop button 29 is coupled to the controller and is operable by a passenger to convey a message to the driver, for example, to indicate that the passenger wishes the vehicle, for example a bus, to stop at the next available stop In a particularly preferred arrangement, the message conveyed to the driver specifically indicates to the driver that the person wishing to disembark is an authorised person, for example a disabled person. Conveying such a message to the driver may be accomplished in any of a variety of different ways.

For example, in a bus it is usual for passenger stop buttons to be connected to a bell, so that when the button is pressed the bell rings and the driver is notified that a passenger wishes to disembark, and in one arrangement the personal stop button 29 may be arranged to ring a bell with a different tone to that of a bell that rings when the stop button for non-authorised passengers is pressed. This difference in tone would be sufficient to notify the driver of the bus that an authorised person was intending to disembark, and the driver would then be able to moderate his actions accordingly.

To supplement the bell system, the apparatus 27 may be in communication with (for example wired to) a control unit provided for use by the driver, and in such circumstances the control unit may be configured to display a special message to the driver in the event that a personal stop button should be activated by an authorised person.

In a particularly preferred arrangement, the personal stop button is only activated (for notifying the driver) once the smartcard allocated to an authorised person has been swiped over the card reader of the module. This arrangement is particularly advantageous as prevents non-authorised passengers from using personal stop buttons.

Activation of the stop button may be indicated by illuminating the stop button, for example by energising one or more light sources (such as LEDs for example) housed within the housing and arranged to illuminate an interior surface of the button, which button surface is configured to be at least partly translucent.

As with the first embodiment, in the context of a vehicle such as a bus or train where a number of stops may be made between an origin and a destination, it will be necessary to provide a means for resetting the indicator (in a preferred arrangement, energising the indicator) when the authorised person wishes to leave the vehicle.

In one arrangement the controller may be configured, on operation of the personal stop button, to switch the indicator back to the operating mode from which it was switched when the card was swiped.

In another arrangement, particularly appropriate where the card is designed to be readable from a greater distance, exits to the vehicle may be provided with a data carrier detector 25 that is configured to read information from cards that pass through the detector (n.b. Fig. 10 shows the detector 25 as being coupled to the controller by a dashed line to emphasise that the provision of a detector 25 is optional, and hence not an essential feature of the invention).

In a particularly preferred arrangement, the controller may be arranged to reset the indicator when either the personal stop button is pressed or if a match should be determined to have occurred with data read by the data carrier detector This arrangement is particularly preferred as the data carrier detector then functions as a means to cause the indicator to be reset if an authorised person should happen to forget to press the personal stop button before leaving the vehicle (perhaps because a person with whom they are travelling has already pressed their personal stop button).

Fig. 11 is a schematic representation of an illustrative monitoring system in which the module of either embodiment may be employed. In this embodiment, the monitoring system also exhibits ticketing functionality, but it will be appreciated that this ticketing functionality is not an essential feature of the present invention.

Referring now to Fig. 11, the monitoring system 31 comprises a control terminal 33 that is coupled to a card reader 35, a ticket dispenser 37, to a power source 39 (for example an electrical power outlet of a vehicle in which the system is installed), and to an array of indicator modules 41(a) to 41(d) -each of which may comprise indicating apparatus according to any of the embodiments previously described. The indicator modules may be wired to the control terminal 33 (as indicated) or in another configuration the control terminal and indicator modules may be configured to communicate wirelessly with one another. As aforementioned, each of the indicating modules is associated with a region of the vehicle that authorised persons have priority access to.

The control terminal comprises a computing resource that is, in one preferred embodiment, specially configured to be used by the driver of a bus. The terminal can be operated by the driver to dispense tickets to customers boarding the bus who indicate to the driver that they wish to purchase a ticket. The terminal may also be used, in conjunction with the card reader, to indicate to the driver when a valid smartcard (for examplea smartcard that is associated with at least a minimum credit value) has been swiped over the card reader.

As shown in Fig 12, a front face 43 of the control terminal 33 comprises a plurality of control buttons 45, a selection of data buttons 47 (for example a "0" to "9" keypad), and a display screen 49 on which information (such as information derived from smartcards swiped over the reader 35) is displayed to the driver.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the control terminal is configured to display special messages to the driver when authorised persons" board his or her vehicle For example, as shown in Fig 13, the controller may be configured to display a large "E" if the information read from a smartcard swiped over the card reader by a person entering the vehicle should indicate that that card has been allocated to an elderly passenger. In another example, as shown in Fig. 14, the controller may be configured to display a large "D" if the information read from a smartcard swiped over the card reader by a person entering the vehicle should indicate that that card has been allocated to a disabled passenger. In another example, as shown in Fig. 15, the controller may be configured to display a large "P' if the information read from a smartcard swiped over the card reader by a person entering the vehicle should indicate that that card has been allocated to a passenger who is pregnant. A driver who sees any of these displays is then made aware that the individuals concerned may need additional time to get to a seat and sit down, and can moderate his or her behaviour accordingly.

In a particularly preferred arrangement, as depicted in Fig. 16, the control terminal may be configured to enable the driver to display information indicating which of the regions set aside in his or her vehicle for authorised persons are actually occupied by authorised persons. In the particular arrangement shown, regions of the vehicle that are set aside for authorised persons, but which are unoccupied or occupied by persons who are not authorised are indicated by a vacant box 51 in the control terminal display 49. In contrast, regions of the vehicle that are occupied by authorised persons are indicated by a checked box 53.

The information displayed in the control terminal display is gathered from the indicating modules provided in the vehicle, which indicator modules are configured to notify the control terminal when a smart card is swiped over each of the card readers.

The system is also configured so that the control terminal is notified if an authorised person should be determined to have left (or to be about to leave) the vehicle. In one embodiment the indicator modules are configured to send a signal to the control terminal when the personal stop buttons of the modules are pressed, and in another embodiment, the indicator modules are configured to send a signal to the control terminal when a smartcard is swiped for a second time over a card reader.

In each case the driver is able to manually change the indicator for a given region if the driver should notice that an authorised person should have left the region that they were previously occupying without having reset the indicator module associated with that region.

In another embodiment depicted schematically in Fig. 17, the monitoring system may further comprise one or more data carrier detectors 57 (located, for example, in the vicinity of each exit to the vehicle).

If the indicator modules of this system should be as depicted in Figs. 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings, then the system may be configured so that the indicator of a given indicating module is reset when the data carrier detector 57 detects a smartcard that has a unique identifier that is the same as a unique identifier previously detected by one of the indicator modules. The system may also or alternatively be configured to reset the indicator of a given indicating module if it should be determined that a given smartcard has been swiped for a second time over the reader of a given indicator module.

If the indicator modules of this system should be as depicted in Figs. 6 to 10 of the accompanying drawings, then the system may be configured so that the indicator of a given indicating module is reset when the personal stop button of that indicator module is pressed, or if the data carrier detector should detect a smartcard that has a unique identifier that is the same as a unique identifier previously detected by one of the indicator modules.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that we have described herein a system whereby authorised persons are provided with a means by which they can discretely advise fellow travellers of their entitlement to occupy a given region of the vehicle.

It will be appreciated that whilst various aspects and embodiments of the present invention have heretofore been described, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the particular arrangements set out herein and instead extends to encompass all arrangements, and modifications and alterations thereto, which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

For example, in one envisaged arrangement "authorised persons" may include persons who have purchased a particular ticket type, such as a season ticket for example, which provides them with priority access to seating in a vehicle In such an arrangement, any user of the vehicle could sit in a seat until asked to vacate that seat by an authorised person, namely someone who has a season ticket that provides priority access to that seat.

In another envisaged arrangement, the "authorised person" may comprise an individual who has reserved a particular region of a vehicle. In such an arrangement, a person may be provided with a smart ticket" (i e. a ticket that comprises an integrated circuit) storing information that authorises them to have access to a particular seat or region of the vehicle That ticket bearer would then easily be able to demonstrate their entitlement to that seat or region to anyone already satin it.

In another modification, whilst the foregoing embodiments contemplate reading of data from a contactless smartcard or an RFID card, it will be apparent to persons skilled in the art that a conventional contact based reader (the like of which is well known in the art) may be provided, as an alternative or in addition to a contactless reader.

It will also be appreciated that whilst some embodiments described above provide a controller in each indicator module, this need not necessarily be the case. For example, it is conceivable that each module could be in communication with a processor in the control module for the processing of data read from passenger cards, and the sending of signals (such as a control signal indicating whether a given indicator is to be switched between modes) to respective indicator modules.

In a particularly preferred arrangement, the indicator module comprises a light and the module is configured to extinguish the light once the authorised person has had their data carrier read by the data reader (for example by swiping a smartcard over the reader). The advantage of this arrangement is that it is then relatively easy for a driver of a vehicle in which the module is provided to see when the authorised person has reached the particular region of the vehicle that they are entitled to occupy. In a particularly preferred arrangement, authorised persons will be instructed to occupy their designated regions (for example to sit in their seats) before swiping their carriers over the data reader so that those persons are safely on-board before the driver of the vehicle pulls away. To accommodate for those persons who swipe their smartcards before occupying their designated region (for example by sitting down), the module may provide a short delay between swiping of the smart card and extinguishing the indicator.

It should also be noted that whilst the accompanying claims set out particular combinations of features described herein, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the particular combinations hereafter claimed, but instead extends to encompass any combination of features or embodiments herein disclosed.

Claims

1 An indicator module for indicating a passenger's entitlement to occupy a region of a vehicle, the module comprising: an indicator switchable between a first indicator mode in which the indicator indicates that only an authorised passenger is entitled to occupy a region of the vehicle with which the module is associated, and a second mode in which the indicator indicates that the region is available for occupation by any passenger; and a data reader for reading data from passenger data carriers, said data 1 0 comprising information indicating whether a passenger with whom a given carrier is associated is an authorised passenger that is entitled to occupy the vehicle region associated with the module; wherein the indicator is switched to said first mode in the event that data received from said reader is determined to include information indicating that the passenger is an authorised passenger.

2. A module according to Claim 1, comprising a controller that is configured to receive data from said data reader.

3 A module according to Claim 2, wherein said controller is configured to determine whether data received from said data reader includes information indicating that the passenger with whom the data is associated is an authorised passenger entitled to occupy said vehicle region.

4. A module according to Claim 3, wherein said controller is configured, in the event that data received from said data reader is determined to include information indicating that the passenger with whom the data is associated is an authorised, to switch said indicator from said second mode to said first mode.

5. A module according to any of Claims 2 to 4, wherein said controller is located within the body of said indicator module

6 A module according to any preceding claim, wherein said indicator comprises one or more light sources that are switched on in one of said two modes and switched off in the other of said two modes.

7. A module according to any preceding claim, wherein said data reader comprises a smartcard reader.

8. A module according to any of Claim 7, wherein said smartcard reader comprises a contactless smartcard reader.

9. A module according to Claim 8, wherein said smartcard reader is configured for reading data from an Oyster card.

10. A module according to any preceding claim, further comprising means for mounting the module to a surface or to a handrail.

11. A module according to any preceding claim, further comprising a passenger operable notification device.

12. A module according to Claim 11, wherein said notification device comprises a button.

13. A module according to Claim 11 or 12, wherein said notification device is operable by a passenger to indicate their desire to disembark from the vehicle.

14. A module according to any of Claims 11 to 13, wherein said notification device is only operable by authorised passengers.

15. A module according to Claim 14, wherein said notification device is only enabled for operation once said indicator has been switched to said first mode.

16. A module according to Claim 15, wherein said notification device is disabled once said indicator has been switched from said first mode to said second mode.

17. A module according to Claim 16, wherein operation of said notification device switches said indicator from said first mode to said second mode.

18. A module according to any of Claims 6 to 17 when dependent on any of claims 2 to 5, wherein said controller is configured to interlace with a data carrier detector that is configured to detect and read data from a data carrier, and to determine whether information read from a data carrier by said data reader is included in data read from a data carrier by said data carrier detector

19. A monitoring system comprising a control terminal and a plurality of indicator modules according to any preceding claim, said terminal being configured to communicate with said indicator modules.

20. A system according to Claim 19, wherein said terminal and indicator modules are configured for bi-directional communications with one another.

21. A system according to Claim 19 or 20, wherein said indicator modules are wired to said control terminal.

22. A system according to any of claims 19 to 21, wherein said control terminal includes a display

23. A system according to Claim 22, wherein said control terminal includes a second data reader, the terminal being configured to indicate via said display when a passenger whose card has been read by the second data reader is an authorised passenger.

24. A system according to Claim 22 or 23, wherein said terminal is configured to display an indication of which regions of a vehicle that have been designated for occupation by authorised passengers have actually been occupied by authorised passengers.

25. A system according to any of Claims 19 to 24, wherein said control terminal further comprises means enabling said terminal to function as a ticketing system.

26. A system according to any of Claims 19 to 25 when dependent on Claim 1, wherein said control terminal is configured to receive data from said data reader, to determine whether data received from said data reader includes information indicating that the passenger with whom the data is associated is an authorised passenger entitled to occupy said vehicle region, and if said data includes information indicating that the passenger is an authorised passenger to switch said indicator to said first mode

27. A system according to any of Claims 19 to 26 when dependent on any of claims 1 to 17, wherein said control terminal is configured to interface with a data carrier detector that is configured to detect and read data from a data carrier, and to determine whether information read from a data carrier by a data reader of a said indicator module is included in data read from a data carrier by said data carrier detector.

28. A control terminal for the system of any of Claims 19 to 27, the control terminal comprising a display and means for interfacing with a plurality of indicator modules.

29. A vehicle comprising: a plurality of seats, at least some of said seats comprising priority seats designated as seats that an authorised passenger is entitled to occupy; a plurality of indicator modules according to any of Claims 1 to 18, one indicator module being associated with each seat; and a control terminal arranged to interface with said indicator modules.

30. A vehicle according to Claim 29, wherein the vehicle comprises a bus.

31. A vehicle according to Claim 29 or 30 wherein said control terminal further comprises means to enable the control terminal to function as a ticketing system.

32. A vehicle according to Claim 31, wherein said control terminal is configured for use with the Oyster travel system.

33. An indicator module substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

34. A monitoring system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.