Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G06Q30/00—Commerce
  • G06Q30/02—Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
  • G06Q30/0283—Price estimation or determination
  • G06Q30/0284—Time or distance, e.g. usage of parking meters or taximeters
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G06Q20/00—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols
  • G06Q20/08—Payment architectures
  • G06Q20/14—Payment architectures specially adapted for billing systems
  • G06Q20/145—Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G06Q20/00—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols
  • G06Q20/30—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols characterised by the use of specific devices or networks
  • G06Q20/32—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols characterised by the use of specific devices or networks using wireless devices
  • G06Q20/327—Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
  • G06Q20/3276—Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being read by the M-device
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
  • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
  • G07B15/00—Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points
  • G07B15/02—Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points taking into account a variable factor such as distance or time, e.g. for passenger transport, parking systems or car rental systems
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
  • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
  • G07F17/00—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services
  • G07F17/24—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services for parking meters
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W4/00—Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a system for managing payments, in particular a system for performing and verifying the payment of parking fees.
• This approach involves a considerable waste of time, exposes the driver to the danger of being fined during the walk toward the parking meter, forces him or her to carry cash, often in the form of inconvenient coins to be kept in a wallet and requires him or her to return to the vehicle in order to display the receipt printed by the parking meter.
• the aim of the present invention is to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks of the known art by providing a new system that is capable of performing the payment of parking fees in a both quick and effective manner.
• an object of the present invention is to adapt the existing technologies and use them in a synergistic and efficient manner.
• the system uses devices which are not dedicated and are widely available on the market.
• the system is easy to use and does not require special skills.
• FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the system according to the present invention.
• Figure 1 comprises a service management unit 100, a plurality of first mobile devices 110, 110', 110", each one of which is associated with a user, and at least one second mobile device 120 which is associated with an inspector.
• the service management unit 100 is a known system of the server type, preferably a web server, which comprises means for interfacing with the mobile devices of users and of inspectors.
• the service management unit 100 comprises or has access to storage means, not shown, which can comprise for example a database or any data structure that is adapted to store information permanently.
• the web site can be implemented as a software application written in the PHP language and further comprises means for managing relational databases, such as for example MySQL®.
• the web site is organized in modular form and comprises an informational section and a system for registration and operation of the system.
• the informational section comprises means for the creation of dynamic sections in which text, photographs, video and data can be entered which are suitable for integration with social networks.
• the system for registration and operation of the system comprises means adapted to perform the registration of a new subscriber, which is associated with each one of the users and comprises at least one personal page of the user and means for receiving the data of that user.
• the user registration includes a vehicle registration form; such vehicle can be linked to one or more users.
• Such information is organized in the form of profiles, one associated with the user containing information such as details of the physical individual, of a company pertaining to the user, and a second profile corresponding to the data of the vehicle.
• Such user profile can be associated with one or more vehicle profiles.
• the user information also comprises the identification details of an account of a payment system belonging to the user. In one embodiment, such identification details correspond to the email address supplied by the user when registering with the system 100, which is possibly connected to a PayPal® account associated with the user.
• the service management unit 100 can perform financial transactions on behalf of the user provided the user supplies the password associated with the account of the payment system.
• the identifier codes 130 and 140 are conventional supports which are adapted to store information.
• the information encoded in the codes 130 and 140 can be read by still cameras or readers of cellular phones or smartphones.
• the information encoded can be textual, URLs or other types of data.
• codes are made for example in the form of QR codes, each one uniquely associated with the user.
• the user code 130 is arranged in the passenger compartment of the vehicle so that it can be easily read, via a still camera, by the mobile device 110, 110', 110".
• the control code 140 is arranged outside the passenger compartment so that it can be easily read, via a still camera, by the second mobile device 120.
• the mobile device 110, 110', 110" is any device that is configured to communicate with the service management unit 100 and/or for example a personal computer, a tablet computer or a smartphone.
• the mobile device 110, 110', 110" likewise comprises means of acquisition, via a still camera, of identifier codes, or hardware/software means that are adapted to detect, interpret and process the information encoded in the user code 130.
• it can be implemented with an iPhone® or an iPad® and such scanning means can comprise the still camera of the device and an adapted application.
• the same considerations apply for equivalent devices running Android® for example.
• Recognition by the mobile device 110, 110', 110" of the user code 130 constitutes a credential for accessing the service management unit 100, which enables the activation and configuration of the user profile.
• the user has already created his or her profile on the service management unit 100 by way of the registration system. Once the vehicle has been parked, the user acquires the user code 130 via a still camera using the mobile device 110, 110', 110".
• the mobile device reads such information, interprets it and transmits it to the service management unit 100 which responds by providing access to the personal area of the user.
• the user selects the duration of parking and the fee due and sends the password associated with his or her payment account, such as for example PayPal®, or payment via credit card.
• his or her payment account such as for example PayPal®, or payment via credit card.
• the payment can be on demand or prepaid, with topping-up of the pre-paid account via credit card or PayPal® and this amount can be used to pay in advance for a number X of hours, i.e. the system 100 makes it possible to start payment at a specific time and stop it at another specific time.
• the service management unit 100 is now in possession of all the data necessary for performing the payment of the parking fee. Contrary to what occurs when a financial transaction is made, the user does not have to enter the reason for the transaction, or the amount, because this information, which was previously stored in the profile of the user, is supplied and obtainable directly by the service management unit 100.
• the mobile device 120 is equivalent to the mobile device 110, 110', 110", but is adapted to recognize the control code 140 and constitutes a credential for accessing a dedicated page for the inspector, hosted in the service management unit 100. This page makes it possible to verify that the transaction mentioned above has been executed.
• a parking warden scans the control code 140 displayed outside the passenger compartment of the vehicle parked in a paid parking zone.
• the service management unit sends a dedicated page displayed on the mobile device 120 which makes it possible to verify whether the parking fee has been paid. If it has not been paid, the parking warden can report an infraction by pressing an adapted button present on the dedicated page.
• the service management unit 100, the first devices 110, 110' and 110" and the second device 120, all previously described, are connected over a data communications network: such network can be the cellular mobile network, but it can also be any network that is adapted to implement a communications protocol of the client-server type.
• a data communications network can be the cellular mobile network, but it can also be any network that is adapted to implement a communications protocol of the client-server type.

Landscapes

• Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Accounting & Taxation (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Finance (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Development Economics (AREA)
• Strategic Management (AREA)
• Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
• General Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• Economics (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Marketing (AREA)
• Game Theory and Decision Science (AREA)
• Entrepreneurship & Innovation (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Financial Or Insurance-Related Operations Such As Payment And Settlement (AREA)
• Management, Administration, Business Operations System, And Electronic Commerce (AREA)
• Devices For Checking Fares Or Tickets At Control Points (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=46939782

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Cited By (4)

Citations (6)

• 2012
  • 2012-07-17 IT IT001237A patent/ITMI20121237A1/it unknown
• 2013
  • 2013-07-15 WO PCT/EP2013/064896 patent/WO2014012885A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (6)

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