Abstract:
A method and a system for registering tickets includes defining a waking zone with a transceiver unit having a transmitting unit, defining a registration zone with a registration transceiver unit, providing tickets having a processor, a memory, a ticket receiver, and a ticket transceiver for communicating between the waking zone and the tickets, transmitting a first information unit from the transmitting unit to the ticket receiver of a ticket located in the waking zone, activating the ticket transceiver of the ticket located in the waking zone with an item of information contained in the first information unit, at a beginning of ticket registration, setting up a bi-directional communication between the registration transceiver unit and a ticket transceiver of a ticket located in the registration zone through additional information units, and registering ticket presence to establish a service to be used or a defined presence.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of copending International Application No. PCT/EP00/08292, filed Aug. 25, 2000, which designated the United States. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The invention relates to a method and a system for registering tickets for establishing a service to be used and/or a defined presence, which tickets are provided with a processor module, a memory module, at least one first receiving module, and at least one transmitting/receiving unit, also referred to as a transceiver.  
           [0003]    The issuing of tickets and collection of fares by automatic ticket machines or manned points of sale is expensive for the transport company and sometimes very inconvenient for the passenger. If a passenger arrives at the place of boarding immediately before the departure of a transport, the person no longer has time to get a ticket, and gets on board and risks being accused of being a fare dodger if there is a ticket inspection. Such a situation involves considerable costs and unpleasantness.  
           [0004]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,418,525 to Frei et al. discloses a contactless identification system with electronic access cards, with which a person can be granted access to a closed area, for example, a building. The system described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,844,244 to Graf et al. additionally makes it possible to transmit data to the electronic access card, in order, for example, to change the access profile or disable the access card. These systems are not very suitable for the registration of electronic tickets because such a card only allows one person to be registered at a time.  
           [0005]    The configuration specified in U.S. Pat. No. 5,541,583 to Mandelbaum allows a number of electronic tickets to be registered at a place of admission (for example, to the subway) or at a place of boarding (for example, the door area of a railway carriage).  
           [0006]    The British Patent No. 2,246,896 discloses a ticket system for a transport in which location messages sent out by a broadcast method during a journey are stored on the tickets. When a passenger with such a ticket leaves the vehicle concerned, the location messages stored on the ticket and further data are inquired to check the validity of the ticket concerned for the journey undertaken.  
           [0007]    For such a method—also referred to as “walk in/walk out”—the registration of electronic tickets must additionally satisfy the following conditions:  
           [0008]    a) The registration must be thorough, for instance, the tickets in a coat pocket for a father and those for the children traveling with him must be registered.  
           [0009]    b) No unwanted registration may take place, for example, if a person with such an electronic ticket helps another person to get on board, this other person must not be registered as a passenger from whom payment is required.  
           [0010]    c) The registration must be as immune to fraud as possible, for instance, it should be possible to detect covering of the electronic ticket by a metallic foil.  
           [0011]    Methods and systems of the type specified in U.S. Pat. No. 5,541,583 to Mandelbaum only inadequately satisfy requirements b) and c) given above as examples because the direction in which a registration zone is passed cannot be detected.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0012]    It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a method and system for registering electronic tickets that overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices and methods of this general type and that avoids the non-registration of genuine passengers or service users and the unwanted registration of persons with an electronic ticket and reliably detects attempted fraud by temporarily shielding the electronic ticket.  
           [0013]    With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a method for registering tickets, including the steps of defining a waking zone and associating the waking zone with at least one transceiver unit disposed in the waking zone, the transceiver unit having a transmitting unit, defining a registration zone and associating the registration zone with a registration transceiver unit and the waking zone, providing tickets having a processor module, a memory module, at least one ticket receiving module, and at least one ticket transceiver module for communicating between the waking zone and the tickets, transmitting a first information unit from the transmitting unit to a ticket receiving module of a ticket located in the waking zone, activating, with the processor module, the ticket transceiver module of the ticket located in the waking zone with an item of information contained in the first information unit, at a point in time determined by a beginning of a ticket registration, setting up a bi-directional communication between the registration transceiver unit and a ticket transceiver module of a ticket located in the registration zone through additional information units, and registering a presence of the ticket at least once to establish at least one of a service to be used and a defined presence.  
           [0014]    In accordance with another mode of the invention, second and third information units include at least information concerning a location of the ticket and at least one of a date and a time, and the information is stored in at least one of an area of the memory module of the ticket and a data bank associated with an onboard computer, a remote computer system, and/or the registration transceiver unit.  
           [0015]    In accordance with a further mode of the invention, a plurality of registration zones is defined and registration is carried out by registering a presence of a ticket only for all tickets located in the registration zone having received an identical item of information associated with at least one of the registration zones concerning the location and the date and time.  
           [0016]    In accordance with an added mode of the invention, a fixed ticket transmitting locational information fields is provided, a receiving unit is attached to a vehicle, and the information concerning the location is transmitted with the locational information fields from the fixed ticket through the receiving unit to the registration transceiver unit utilizing the third information unit.  
           [0017]    In accordance with an additional mode of the invention, based upon the information concerning the location, a virtual journey section number is transmitted in the information unit to the tickets located in the registration zone and the journey section number is changed for each section of a journey by a counting increment, and the journey section number stored on the ticket is compared with a current journey section number to determine if the ticket was correctly registered in previous sections of the journey.  
           [0018]    In accordance with yet another mode of the invention, the ticket transceiver module of the ticket is intermittently activated.  
           [0019]    In accordance with yet a further mode of the invention, an activation timepoint of the ticket transceiver module is established with an item of information in the first information unit and/or an item of information in the second information unit.  
           [0020]    In accordance with yet an added mode of the invention, the activation timepoint of the ticket transceiver or transmitting module is determined with a random generator.  
           [0021]    In accordance with yet an additional mode of the invention, the second information unit includes information identifying the ticket and/or personal information fields identifying a person assigned to the ticket, and a reception of the third information unit is acknowledged by transmitting a further second information unit to the respective ticket.  
           [0022]    In accordance with again another mode of the invention, a frequency of the transmitting unit is selected to form a field of the registration or waking zone as a near field.  
           [0023]    In accordance with again a further mode of the invention, a frequency of the registration transceiver unit or transmitting module is selected to form a field of the registration zone as a far field.  
           [0024]    In accordance with again an added mode of the invention, the first information unit is transmitted from a writing/reading device to the ticket, the first information unit indicating one of an entitlement to use of a service and an identification, and bi-directional communication is set up between the writing/reading device and the ticket with the third information unit by activating the ticket transceiver module of the ticket located in the waking zone with the item of information contained in the first information unit. Alternatively, bi-directional communication is set up between the writing/reading device and the ticket with the further information unit by activating the transmitting module contained on the ticket with the item of information contained in the first information unit to cause transmission of the further information unit to the receiving unit of the registration transceiver unit.  
           [0025]    In accordance with again an additional mode of the invention, the intermittent activation of the ticket transceiver module is monitored with a timing element and, if the ticket transceiver module is permanently activated, switching off the ticket transceiver module after a fixed time.  
           [0026]    In accordance with still another mode of the invention, the setting up and registering steps are carried out by commencing bi-directional communication with the tickets through a registration transceiver unit lying within a registration area and performing a first registration in accordance with one of a state of the ticket and a pre-history of the communication both within a randomly determined respective time interval.  
           [0027]    In accordance with still a further mode of the invention, the ticket transceiver module is a first ticket transceiver module and the tickets each have a second ticket transceiver module, and a passing zone associated with a stationary transceiver unit is defined, the second ticket transceiver module setting up one of unidirectional and bi-directional communication with the stationary transceiver unit, and access to the zone is granted and a presence of a ticket is registered in accordance with data stored in a memory area of the memory module and/or a data bank of a computer system associated with the second ticket transceiver module.  
           [0028]    In accordance with still an added mode of the invention, the tickets each have a third ticket transceiver module, and an issuing machine having a fourth transceiver unit is provided, the third ticket transceiver module setting up bi-directional communication with the fourth transceiver unit, and personal-information fields identifying a person and/or personal-information fields associated with a person are stored in an area of the memory module.  
           [0029]    In accordance with still an additional mode of the invention, registrations of the tickets are identified by attributes and performing actions, dependent on the attributes, selected from only acknowledging presence of the tickets and/or indicating use of a service requiring payment.  
           [0030]    In accordance with a further mode of the invention, the attributes are established with the issuing machine through a communication with the third ticket transceiver module and, on an output module of the ticket, dependent upon the attributes, the attributes and/or a given item of information is displayed.  
           [0031]    In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the ticket is registered for authorizing transportation, entry to an exhibition, and/or entry in a protected zone.  
           [0032]    With the objects of the invention in view, there is also provided a method for registering tickets to establish at least one of a service to be used and a defined presence, including the steps of providing tickets each having a processor module, a memory module, at least one receiving module, and at least one transmitting module, defining a registration zone and associating the registration zone with a registration transceiver unit for communicating with the tickets, the registration transceiver unit having a transmitting unit and a receiving unit, transmitting a first information unit from the transmitting unit to the receiving module of tickets located in the registration zone, activating, with the processor module, the transmitting module contained on the ticket with an item of information contained in the first information unit to cause transmission of a further information unit to the receiving unit of the registration transceiver unit, and upon receiving the further information unit, registering a respective presence of tickets at least once as a ticket record.  
           [0033]    In accordance with again an added mode of the invention, the writing/reading device is coupled to a network and the transmission of the entitlement to use of a service, contained in the first information unit, to the ticket is only enabled if the entitlement has been validated beforehand through the network.  
           [0034]    In accordance with again an additional mode of the invention, the ticket is pushed into the writing/reading device and/or place onto the writing/reading device, the first information unit is transmitted to the ticket by an inductive coupling, and the further information unit is transmitted to the writing/reading device by an electromagnetic coupling.  
           [0035]    With the objects of the invention in view, there is also provided a system for registering tickets at a given location including a waking zone and a registration zone for establishing at least one of a service to be used and a defined presence, including tickets each having a processor module, a memory module connected to the processor module, at least one receiving module connected to the processor module, and a ticket transceiver module, at least one transceiver unit for communicating with the receiving module, the transceiver unit including a transmitting unit disposed in the waking zone for communicating with the receiving module, a transceiver unit disposed in the registration zone, the transceiver unit setting up bi-directional communication with the ticket transceiver module when a respective one of the tickets is located in the registration zone, a data bank coupled to the transceiver unit, and at least one of the transceiver unit and the processor module being programmed to register a presence of the tickets in at least one of the waking zone and the registration zone as ticket records in a respective one of the data bank and the memory module.  
           [0036]    In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, there is provided an onboard computer and a remote computer system, and the data bank is disposed in the transceiver unit, the onboard computer, and/or the remote computer system.  
           [0037]    In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, communication between the tickets and the transceiver unit is at a given frequency through a given transmission method and the transmitting unit and the transceiver unit are connected to the onboard computer through a radio link at the given frequency and applying the given transmission method.  
           [0038]    In accordance with yet a further feature of the invention, the tickets each have a second ticket transceiver module and a third transceiver unit communicates with the second ticket transceiver module.  
           [0039]    In accordance with yet an added feature of the invention, the tickets each have a third ticket transceiver module and an issuing machine has a fourth transceiver unit communicating with the third ticket transceiver module.  
           [0040]    In accordance with yet an additional feature of the invention, the issuing machine is a portable inspection unit having a display displaying the ticket records and/or a slot for receiving at least one ticket, the transmitting unit and the transceiver unit communicate with the inspection unit.  
           [0041]    In accordance with again another feature of the invention, there is provided a receiving unit associated with the registration zone, a fixed ticket transmitting locational information concerning a given location with information fields to the receiving unit, and the receiving unit is coupled to at least one of the transmitting unit and the transceiver unit for supplying the locational information thereto.  
           [0042]    In accordance with again a further feature of the invention, at least one information unit is transmitted to the tickets indicating one of an entitlement to use of a service and an identification and a writing/reading device has a ticket recording device, a processor system connected to the ticket recording device, a receiving antenna and a receiving amplifier connected to the receiving antenna and to the processor system, the receiving antenna inductively coupling to the tickets, and a transmitting antenna and a transmitting amplifier connected to the transmitting antenna and to the processor system, the transmitting antenna electromagnetically coupling with the tickets.  
           [0043]    With the objects of the invention in view, there is also provided a system for registering tickets at a given location including a waking zone and a registration zone for establishing at least one of a service to be used and a defined presence, including tickets each having a processor module, a memory module connected to the processor module, at least one receiving module connected to the processor module, and at least one transmitting module, at least one transceiver unit for communicating with the tickets, the transceiver unit disposed in the registration zone and including a receiving unit disposed in the registration zone and at least one transmitting unit communicating with the receiving module and the transmitting module, the transmitting unit disposed in the registration zone, a data bank coupled to the receiving unit, and a presence of the tickets located in the registration zone being registered as ticket records in at least one of the memory module and the data bank by a first information unit transmitted to the tickets and a further information unit transmitted from the tickets to the receiving unit.  
           [0044]    In accordance with still another feature of the invention, the transmitting unit or transmitting module transmits at a frequency to form a field in the registration zone as a near field.  
           [0045]    In accordance with still a further feature of the invention, the transmitting module transmits at a frequency to form a field in the registration zone as a far field.  
           [0046]    In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, at least the first information unit is transmitted to the tickets indicating an entitlement to use of a service and/or an identification, and a writing/reading device has a ticket recording device, a processor system connected to the ticket recording device, a receiving antenna and a receiving amplifier connected to the receiving antenna and to the processor system, the receiving antenna inductively coupling to the tickets, and a transmitting antenna and a transmitting amplifier connected to the transmitting antenna and to the processor system, the transmitting antenna electromagnetically coupling with the tickets.  
           [0047]    The method according to the invention has various advantages.  
           [0048]    First, the (transport) service actually used can be registered and, if need be, a charge can be made. In such a case, the actual traffic data (frequencies, occupation of the carriages, type of tickets) are available to the transport company virtually in real time.  
           [0049]    Second, unwanted registration is avoided by the validation of the registration taking place during the journey or while the service is being used. The mere boarding of a vehicle or entering of an area does not bring about validated registration.  
           [0050]    Third, persons with a ticket according to the invention who make use of a transport service or other service are always registered. Boarding very quickly, loitering in the entrance area or putting the ticket in an unusual place (for example, in one&#39;s shoes) cannot prevent registration.  
           [0051]    Fourth, attempted fraud by shielding the ticket at the beginning and during use of a service can be detected. Attempted fraud at the end of use of a service is ineffective because validation of the registration takes place intermittently during the journey. Resistance to fraud can be enhanced considerably by random ticket inspection.  
           [0052]    Fifth, the intermittent operation of a second transmitting/receiving module on the ticket according to the invention has the effect of minimizing the power consumption and, as a result, of achieving high autonomy.  
           [0053]    Sixth, the bi-directional communication has the effect that the registered journeys are contained both on the ticket and in a data bank associated with the registration zone and also in a stationary computer system for evaluation and/or billing.  
           [0054]    Seventh, in a special refinement of the invention, the tickets may be provided with a display module. This allows general or specific information for the attention of the person concerned to be displayed.  
           [0055]    Eighth, the use of an electronic ticket as a locational marker allows a low-cost transmission of locational information to a vehicle traveling past.  
           [0056]    Ninth, the chosen method of transmission allows a reading/writing device to be used for reliable information transmission to an electronic ticket without a complex mechanical insertion device being required.  
           [0057]    The invention is not restricted to the transport sector but can also be used for electronic admission or entry tickets, for example, to an exhibition. It is also possible to construct the invention as an identity card. The term “ticket” used herein document, therefore, also always covers the terms “admission ticket”, “entry ticket,” or “identity card” and similar tickets and passes.  
           [0058]    Other features that are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.  
           [0059]    Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a method and system for registering tickets, it is, nevertheless, not intended to be limited to the details shown because various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.  
           [0060]    The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0061]    [0061]FIG. 1 is a block circuit diagram of an electronic ticket for the method according to the invention;  
         [0062]    [0062]FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of a vehicle with a configuration of a first transmitting unit and a second transmitting/receiving unit and the associated zones according to the invention;  
         [0063]    [0063]FIG. 3 is a signal-flow timing diagram illustrating steps for registration of an electronic ticket according to the invention;  
         [0064]    [0064]FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating functional and logical portions of areas of the memory module of FIG. 1;  
         [0065]    [0065]FIG. 5 is a block circuit diagram of the overall system and information flows in the registration of electronic tickets according to the invention;  
         [0066]    [0066]FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic illustration of a configuration with an electronic ticket as a marker for the transmission of locational information to a vehicle traveling therepast according to the invention;  
         [0067]    [0067]FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic illustration of the transmission of journey section numbers in an embodiment according to the invention;  
         [0068]    [0068]FIG. 8 is a block circuit diagram of a reading/writing device for the assignment of an entitlement to a ticket according to the invention;  
         [0069]    [0069]FIG. 9 is a block circuit diagram of an alternative embodiment of the electronic ticket of FIG. 1;  
         [0070]    [0070]FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic representation of a motor bus with a configuration including a first transmitting unit and a receiving unit and associated zones according to the invention; and  
         [0071]    [0071]FIG. 11 is a signal-flow timing diagram of individual method steps for registration of an electronic ticket according to the invention. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0072]    Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly to FIG. 2 thereof, there is shown the outline of a railroad carriage  20  with a boarding area  25  at each end of the carriage and also a passing-through area  26 . The passing-through area  26  makes it possible to pass through to a further carriage of a train. These two areas  25 ,  26  allow access through a platform  24  to the passenger compartment  23 . Doors have not been depicted for the sake of clarity. The platform  24  and the passenger compartment  23  may be open or provided with a wall and an associated door. Associated with each of the two platforms  24  is a first transmitting unit  31 , which covers the entry zone  21  concerned with an electromagnetic field in a waking zone  21 ′. In applications other than in the instant example with a railroad carriage, the entry zone  21  need not necessarily coincide with the platform  24 . A second transmitting/receiving unit  32  is associated with the passenger compartment  23  and likewise covers a registration zone  22  with an electromagnetic field. The zones depicted correspond approximately to the coverage with regard to a minimal field strength of the transmitting units  31  and  32  concerned. The waking zone  21 ′ is preferably associated with the entry zone  21 , but it is also possible to place the waking zones  21 ′ at other locations, for example, for a number of waking zones  21 ′ to cover a registration zone  22  or for one or more waking zones to overlap only slightly with the registration zone  22 .  
         [0073]    [0073]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic ticket  10 . Such tickets  10  preferably have a credit card format. These tickets  10  can be used both as a credit card and as a debit card. With respect to the technology, such portable cards are referred to by a person skilled in the art, for example, with the term “smart card”. See, i.e., U.S. Pat. No. 5,541,583 to Mandelbaum or U.S. Pat. No. 5,878,124 to Griesmer et al. Provided in the block diagram as the central control unit is a processor module  16 , connected to an associated memory module  17  and also to a receiving module  11 , a second transmitting/receiving module  12 , a third transmitting/receiving module  13 , and a fourth transmitting/receiving module  14 . Depending on the chosen frequencies, only one or more than one antenna may be provided. In the embodiment according to FIG. 1, two antennas  15 . 1  and  15 . 2  are provided. The power supply takes place by a battery  19  and a power supply module  18 ; the connections are not depicted for the sake of clarity. The function, the air clearances to be bridged and the sensitivity of the various transmitting/receiving modules are explained in Table 1, in which the sensitivity ratings given are intended to be relative to one another.  
                                                 TABLE 1                                   Sensitivity                   of       Reference       Approximate   receiving       numeral   Function   range   module                                11   Activation of the   3   m   Low           tickets in the entry           zone.       12   Bi-directional com-   20   m   High           munication of a number           of electronic tickets           with a transmitting/           receiving unit in a           registration zone.       13   Communication of a   0.6   m   Moderate           transmitting/receiving           unit in a passing zone           with precisely one           ticket in each case.       14   Bi-directional   A few   cm   Very low           communication with an           issuing machine for           the initializing/           “personification” of           the ticket 10 and for           an insight into the           journeys registered.                  
 
         [0074]    The method according to the invention is now explained with reference to FIG. 3, which shows the information flow over the air clearances between a first transmitting unit  31 , a second transmitting/receiving unit  32 , and an electronic ticket  10 . FIG. 2 should be referred to for the sequence of movements of a person P who is carrying such a ticket  10  (for example, in his wallet) and for the spatial configuration in a railroad carriage  20 . FIG. 4 reveals the type of storage of the various information units and fields.  
         [0075]    Method Step A1  
         [0076]    The ticket  10  is in a power-saving “sleeping state”, i.e., only the first receiving module  11  is ready to receive. If a person P in a station approaches the boarding area  25  of a railroad carriage  20 ,the person P with the ticket  10  enters what is referred to as the entry zone  21 . When the doors are open, the first transmitting unit  31  sends out an information unit periodically, for example, at intervals of 0.5 s. The information unit, referred to as INF 1 , has a structure as shown in Table 2.  
                             TABLE 2                           Information unit INF1                Information fields   Meaning                       CYCLE1   Time unit and time reference           COMMAND1   Commands to the ticket 10           POSITION1   Location, place of boarding           COURSE1   Course and/or carriage number           DATETIME1   Date and time of day           TYPE1   Type of transport                      
 
         [0077]    The information specified is stored in the ticket  10  in an area  43  of the memory module  17 : INF 1   n . See FIG. 4. Repeated reception of the information unit then causes further, separate storage INF n+1  if the field COURSE 1  has changed, which occurs if the person P has boarded the carriage  20  of a train X and immediately alights again and subsequently boards the carriage of a train Y. Such an operation also occurs when a person P with the ticket  10  according to the invention walks past close to an entry zone  21  of a carriage  20  of another train. If the information specified in the field COURSE 1  are retained, preferably only the fields CYCLE 1  and COMMAND 1  are updated. Such operation is not restricted to one ticket  10 , but takes place simultaneously for all the tickets  10  located in the entry zone  21 .  
         [0078]    Method step B1  
         [0079]    With the reception of information units INF 1  with the fields COMMAND 1  and CYCLE 1 , a timing element of the processor module  16  is initialized. The timing element causes intermittent switching on of the second transmitting/receiving module  12  according to a cycle time t CyCL1  contained in the field CYCLE 1 . The time reference is also defined in the field CYCLE 1 . In FIG. 3, the respective switching state is denoted by St 12 ; the individual method steps A1, C1, C2, etc. are entered equidistantly in FIG. 3; the indicated time periods t CYCL1 , t CYCL2 , etc., may be different, however: if a person P in a station enters the area of different entry zones  21 , the cycle times respectively received according to the field CYCLE 1  may likewise be different. The processor module  16  accordingly switches the transmitting/receiving module on and off in accordance with the various cycle times (intermittent reception readiness).  
         [0080]    Method Step C1  
         [0081]    As long as the train has not yet departed, the ticket  10  receives an information unit INF 2  from the second transmitting/receiving unit  32  at an interval defined according to the information field CYCLE 1 , for example t CYCL1 =10 s. The structure of the information unit INF 2  is similar to that of INF 1  according to Table 2. Additional fields ADDRESS 2  and APPLICATION 2  are provided to identify the transmitting/receiving unit  32  concerned or to specify more precisely the use of the registration according to the invention. The information unit, referred to as INF 2 , has a structure according to Table 3.  
                             TABLE 3                           Information unit INF2                Information fields   Meaning                       CYCLE2   Time unit and time reference           COMMAND2   Commands to the ticket 10           POSITION2   Location           COURSE2   Course number           DATETIME2   Date and time of day           TYPE2   Type of transport           ADDRESS2   Address of the transmitting/               receiving unit 32           APPLICATION2   Application                      
 
         [0082]    Method Step C2  
         [0083]    When the doors of the train are closed, for example, immediately before departure, the first transmitting unit  31  is switched off, for which purpose a door contact may be used. The method step C1 has the effect that further information units INF 2  are transmitted to the ticket  10 , for example, the cycle t CYCL2  can be reset, for example t CYCL2 =120 s. After departure, the registration begins in that, in the field COMMAND 2 , there is the instruction to mark the place of boarding stored at the beginning, or the current location last received,—according to the field POSITION 2 . In a simplified embodiment of the invention, it is possible to dispense with such marking and for the marking to be performed by the subsequent method step C3, by transmission of the current location. The marking is only performed, however, for that memory entry of INF 1   X  if the identical information, i.e., course number, is contained in the field COURSE 2 . The remaining units INF 1   2 , INF 1   3 , . . . stored in the area  43  are shifted after the elapse of a defined time into the area  44 , entries INF 1   1L L, INF 1   2L , etc. As used herein, L stands for “lost”. The information unit INF 2  is received by all activated tickets  10  located in the registration zone  22 . In the course of the time or journey, the respective location is indicated in the field POSITION 2 . It is possible that, together with the information specified in the fields COMMAND 2  and CYCLE 2 , the cycle time for the further communication is changed once again, for example, t CYCL2 =480 s. Such a change allows an adaptation to the type of transport concerned, for example, a much greater cycle time may be used in an intercity train than in a streetcar. It is possible for the method step C2 to be executed several times, if need be with different contents in the fields CYCLE 2 , COMMAND 2 , and POSITION 2 . At least those information units with the same information specified according to the field COURSE 2  are stored in a short-term registration memory  41  of the memory module  17 .  
         [0084]    Method Step C3  
         [0085]    In the field COMMAND 2 , a request that the ticket  10  is to transmit an information unit INF 3  to the transmitting/receiving unit  32  located in the carriage  20  has been transmitted in accordance with method step C2, the point in time of the transmission being determined by a time t RAND2 , which either corresponds to a time specified by the transmitting/receiving unit  32  or is randomly chosen by the processor module  16  by a non-illustrated random generator. The information specified by COMMAND 2  and CYCLE 2  has the effect that collisions are largely avoided, but are not ruled out. Before the transmitting/receiving module  12  sends out an information unit INF 3 , a detection takes place as to whether the time slot concerned is not already occupied by another ticket  10  or by a transmitting/receiving unit  12  of another train located in the vicinity (parallel journey, crossing of two trains). Any collision problems that may occur can be solved by conventional methods, for example, by the Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection (CSMA/CD) method.  
         [0086]    The information unit INF 3  has a structure according to the information specified in Table 4.  
                             TABLE 4                           Information unit INF3                Information fields   Meaning                       ADDRESS3   Received address of a               transmitting/receiving unit 32           COURSE3   Course number           POSITION3   Marked location           ACTPOSITION3   Current position according to the               POSITION2 last received           DATETIME3   Date and time of boarding           TYPE3   Type of ticket           TICKET_NR3   Ticket number           TICKET_OWNER3   Ticket owner           ATTRIBUTES3   Properties           STATE3   State information                      
 
         [0087]    Only those units INF 3  that coincide at least with respect to the information specified in the field COURSE 3  are processed in the transmitting/receiving unit  32 . Depending on the information specified in the field ADDRESS 3 , the units received may be stored either in a data bank, associated with the carriage and/or train, of a computer system referred to here as the onboard computer  35 . See FIG. 5. These units are referred to hereinafter as ticket records. The stored record records the presence of a ticket  10 , specifying the respective location and respective date and time of day. The specified location information is available in a control system of the vehicle or train concerned, for example, through Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers or through an especially advantageous use of the ticket according to the invention as markers. Such an embodiment is described further below. The field ADDRESS 3  contains the identity of the transmitting/receiving unit  32  last received by INF 2 . With such information specified in ADDRESS 3  and the information specified in COURSE 3 , it can be established whether or not a passenger with a ticket  10  has moved within the train from one carriage  20  to another carriage  20 ′. Such is necessary because the cycles may vary from carriage to carriage of the same train. Similarly, the information is required to identify possible incorrect registrations if overlaps occur between the registration zones  22  of different vehicles, for example, two trains or two motorbuses on a parallel journey. The field STATE 3  contains state information and/or what is referred to as history information (pre-history). Consequently, any attempted fraud, for example, a passenger enclosing the ticket  10  in a metal case during a journey and taking it out later, can be detected. It need not however only be attempted fraud. Such could also occur if a ticket  10  is kept in a piece of baggage, the piece of baggage being placed at a location where cancellation effects may occur on account of reflections (Raleigh fading) or on account of unintentional shielding by metal objects. Immediately after sending out an information unit INF 3 , an acknowledgement with an information unit INF 2  is given by the transmitting/receiving unit  32  concerned. The items of information required for the acknowledgement are contained in the fields COMMAND 2 , ADDRESS 2 , and APPLICATION 2 , in particular, also the identity of the ticket  10  according to the field TICKET_NR 3  in the information unit INF 3 .  
         [0088]    Method Step D1  
         [0089]    In this step, it is assumed—as explained under step C1—that the ticket  10  can no longer be reached by the transmitting/receiving unit  32 . The ticket  10  will then not be able to receive any information units INF 2  and not be able to transmit any information units INF 3  to the second tp transmitting/receiving unit  32 . The state is established both by the processor module  16  and by the onboard computer  35  associated with the carriage or train. Consequently, the ticket records stored in the data bank of the onboard computer  35  are provided with a flag and can be transmitted to a remote computer system  36  outside the train. See FIG. 5. On the ticket  10  itself, the stored position data are preferably likewise provided with a flag and stored in the short-term registration memory  41 . Such a case also occurs whenever a person with the ticket  10  according to the invention leaves the carriage at the place of alighting.  
         [0090]    Method Step E1  
         [0091]    This step E1 is based on the following two cases:  
         [0092]    If a person P with the ticket  10  according to the invention leaves the carriage through the entry area  21 , the information unit INF 1  transmitted through the receiving module  11  is recognized by the processor module  16  as belonging to the journey concerned, but it is not analyzed any further.  
         [0093]    It is assumed that the duration of the break in communication was so great that the ticket  10  has reverted to the “sleeping state”. If a person P with a “sleeping” ticket  10  leaves the railroad carriage  20 ,the ticket  10  receives a further information unit INF 1 . According to the information specified in the memory areas  43  or  44 , i.e., based upon a comparison with respect to the fields POSITION 1 , COURSE 1 , DATETIME 1 , it can be established by the processor module  16  that the registration in progress has failed. In such a case, the processor module  16  instigates the immediate transmission of an information unit INF 3 .  
         [0094]    Method Step E2  
         [0095]    This step is executed in accordance with the following three preconditions:  
         [0096]    According to step El, the ticket  10  has been “woken”. In such a case, the processor module  16  instigates the immediate transmission of an information unit INF 3  with the fields POSITION 3  and ACTPOSITION 3  to the transmitting/receiving unit  32 , which ensures registration even in such a case. The transmission of information in this case can also be taken from FIG. 7 for the ticket with reference number  102 .  
         [0097]    The reception of an information unit INF 1  has the effect according to the method step A1 and B1 that the ticket  10  is “woken”, i.e., the transmitting/receiving module is intermittently switched to reception readiness for a fixed time. If in such a time the ticket  10  does not receive any information units INF 2  from the transmitting/receiving unit  32  corresponding to the one entry zone  21  (same carriage or same train), the processor module  16  instigates transmission of an information unit INF 3  before “going back to sleep”. If, after repeated attempts there is no acknowledgement with an information unit INF 2 , the corresponding entry of INF 1  is shifted into the area  44  of the memory module  17 . If no further current entries INF 1  are contained any longer in the area  43 , the ticket  10  is put into the sleeping state by the processor module  16 .  
         [0098]    In a special further development of the invention, it is provided that, at a random time interval, for example, in a range from 10 minutes to 4 hours, a ticket  10  sends out an information unit INF 3  to receive a response from any transmitting/receiving unit  32  and, thereby, make registration possible.  
         [0099]    Shown in FIG. 5 is a system and the information and data flow for the registration of tickets  10 . The transmitting unit  31  and transmitting/receiving unit  32  disposed in a carriage are connected to an onboard computer  35 . Such an onboard computer may be provided for each carriage  20  or for each train. The connections  37  and  38  may be wired, for example, what is referred to as a train bus, or accomplished through a radio link. If accomplished with a radio link, preferably, the same frequency and the same transmission method are used as for the connection between the transmitting/receiving unit  32  and the transmitting/receiving module  12 . The onboard computer  35  contains a non-illustrated data bank, in which the registrations that have taken place are stored as what are referred to as ticket records. Depending on the application, these ticket records are transmitted immediately after registration or after the established completion of a journey to a stationary computer system through a connection  39 . Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) technology is preferably used for the connection  39 . If the method according to the invention is used in an exclusively stationary environment, for example, at an exhibition or in a museum, the link is advantageously made as a line-based link by the conventional methods and techniques, for example, as a Local Area Network (LAN).  
         [0100]    The transport service to be billed is determined by a remote computer system  36  in what is referred to as post-processing, based upon the registered ticket records in their entirety.  
         [0101]    The reception of the information unit INF 1  in the entry zone  21  must be made especially dependable. To achieve the best possible penetration (through clothes, bags) and to provide the receiving module  31  with a—relatively considered—low sensitivity, and, consequently, to ensure a low power consumption, a frequency range in which the entry zone is in the near field of the electromagnetic field emitted by the transmitting unit  31  is preferably provided, i.e., what is referred to as the H field component dominates. The near field is usually defined by r&lt;0.6·λ), where λ stands for the wavelength. For an extent of (2·6) m of the entry zone  21 , a frequency of 30 MHz is obtained. In practice, frequencies of 27 MHz and of 13.5 MHz have proven to be particularly advantageous.  
         [0102]    The method according to the invention with the intermittent operation of the transmitting/receiving module  12  makes possible a high level of autonomy. The following approximate calculation applies:  
         [0103]    The ticket  10  or the transmitting/receiving module  12  is activated at intervals of t CYCL1 =60 s for t 12 =10 ms: 10 ms: 60 s produces a duty cycle of 1/6000. Taking into account a transient reaction and a corresponding load peak, the following data are taken as a basis:  
         [0104]    Current consumption: 5 mA Voltage: 3 V  
         [0105]    Average current consumption: 5 mA/6000=0.833 μA;  
         [0106]    The required battery capacity, rounded up, is: 1 μA·26280 h=26 mAh. Batteries for smart cards with a capacity of 50 mAh and above are available on the market.  
         [0107]    In a vehicle, it is especially important for the registration of the tickets  10  to be addressed by radio transmission independently of the position. The tickets  10  may also be contained in bags and these bags are either placed under a seat or on a rack near the ceiling. The field emitted by the transmitting/receiving unit  32  should have sufficient field strength and good propagation properties, as far as possible throughout the carriage. For such a purpose, a frequency which lies somewhat below the GSM 900 frequency range is preferably provided. The frequency of 868 MHz is particularly advantageous. Depending on the legal regulation, the frequency of 433 MHz may also be used. It may be provided on the ticket  10  that the intermittent activation of the second transmitting/receiving module  12  is monitored by a timing element. If permanently activated, the second transmitting/receiving module  12  is switched off after a fixed time. The switching off takes place in order not to disturb the communication with the other tickets any further.  
         [0108]    The various areas of the memory module  17  are represented in FIG. 4. The further areas required for the method according to the invention have the following four main functions:  
         [0109]    In the memory area  41 , what are referred to as the short-term registrations are contained, while in the memory area  42  the long-term registrations are stored. Such a distinction is necessary from at least two aspects. It is necessary for the method according to the invention that transport companies carry out a random inspection by personnel. For such a purpose, it must also be possible for the data located on the electronic ticket  10  to be viewed by the inspection personnel by inspection units  50 .  
         [0110]    The entry zones  21  and registration zones  22  of different route-bound vehicles may overlap, for example, immediately after motor buses leave a bus station, such a case may occur on a multi-lane streets:  
         [0111]    a) Incorrect registration in the event of overlapping of the entry zone is detected by the following embodiment of the invention. Provided in the memory module  17  are a number of areas in which the information contained in the information unit INF 1  is stored. Once the journey has started, the bi-directional communication is commenced by the method steps C1, C2, . . . With the information contained in INF 2 , the original first entry according to the information unit INF 1  received can be identified by an evaluation of the contents of the fields of COURSE, DATETIME, POSITION.  
         [0112]    b) Incorrect registration in the event of overlapping of the registration zones is improbable, in principle, one reason being the agreed communication cycles, but is not impossible. If in fact an information unit INF 2  is received from a registration zone traveling, for example, in parallel—it is quite conceivable for there to be a number of such transmissions—it can be detected immediately by the processor module  16 , based upon the information specified in the fields COURSE and/or ADDRESS, that this entry is to be discarded.  
         [0113]    In a further development of the method according to the invention, a third transmitting/receiving module  13  is provided on the ticket  10 . Certain services should in any event only be accessible to the actually entitled persons. The accessibility is generally accomplished by special turnstiles or barriers, which only allow access to a person who has been granted admission by inserting a ticket into a reading/writing unit and subsequent devaluation invalidation or charging. The insertion of the ticket is inconvenient for the users and reduces the admission numbers considerably. For such a purpose, in a passing zone to the left and right there is respectively provided a third transmitting/receiving unit  33 , which commences unidirectional or bi-directional communication with the ticket  10 , depending on the type of registration and/or charging chosen. The structure of the messages exchanged is the same or similar to that indicated above in Tables 1 to 3. The data storage therefor is provided in the area  47 . Because a ticket  10  is intended to be used for a number of such access zones (for example, ski lift in resort X and ski lift in resort Y) and the credits concerned on the ticket  10  must not be offset against one another, the area is correspondingly subdivided into partitions D 1  . . . D N .  
         [0114]    Another transmitting/receiving unit  34  is provided for initialization or inspection of the ticket  10 . An issuing machine can perform initialization by transferring a credit. Such an issuing machine may be used both by the public and by a point of sale. The portable inspection unit  50  mentioned above can be used for checking the electronic tickets  10 .  
         [0115]    [0115]FIG. 5 reveals how such an inspection unit  50  is embedded in the system according to the invention. A keypad  52  and a display element  51  are provided for the interaction. Likewise contained in the inspection unit  50  are a first receiving module and a second transmitting/receiving module, which can receive information units INF 1  and INF 2  from the first transmitting unit  31  and the second transmitting/receiving unit  32  disposed in the carriage  30 . As such, the current position of a carriage is stored in the inspection unit  50 . As a result, an up-to-the-moment inspection of the tickets  10  carried by passengers is ensured. The inspection unit also allows a passenger to verify the serviceability of the system according to the invention, for example, that of the first transmitting unit  31 . With the inspection unit  50 , the registrations contained in the first journey registration memory  41  and in the second journey registration memory  42  can be displayed in plain text, which makes it possible to establish when and where the registration of a ticket was begun or was completed. The configuration allows attempted fraud during the journey to be demonstrated. In the area  49  of the memory module  17 , the data identifying a person are stored. It is also possible for the digital image of the person concerned likewise to be stored in the area  49 . The image is required, for example, when carrying out a ticket inspection. Data access to the various memory areas is determined, on one hand, by the transmission path, i.e., through which receiving module  11 ,  12 ,  13 , or  14  information is being transmitted, and, on the other hand, by the structure of information units transmitted. The transmission path is preferably detected based upon a (minimal) level that has to be present at the input of the processor module  16 . In addition, there must be coincidence in respect of the structure of the information unit and an authentication must be performed. At the output of the receiving module  11 , an additional attenuation element may also be provided.  
         [0116]    The memory area  45  serves as a program memory, while temporarily required data, for example, interim results based upon enciphering/deciphering operations to be performed for the transmission with the transmitting/receiving modules  11  to  14 , are stored in the area  46 .  
         [0117]    With the issuing machine mentioned above, the public can provide a ticket  10  with further properties (ATTRIBUTES), for example, the ticket can be activated or deactivated, which is necessary if a person carries a number of tickets and there must not be a registration where payment is required. In a further refinement of the invention, the activation/deactivation of the ticket  10  may also take place on a logical basis. Even a deactivated ticket  10  is registered, but it is additionally specified in an information field that the presence of such a ticket does not lead to registration where payment is required. Similarly, the issuing machine can be used, for example, to transfer a certain number of persons to the ticket, so that a number of persons P can undertake a journey with a single ticket  10 .  
         [0118]    On the ticket  10 , a display module may be additionally provided, one reason being to allow certain data and states of the ticket  10  as the using person P himself to be viewed. By additional fields in the information units INF 2  and INF 3 , it is also possible to display certain information.  
         [0119]    In another embodiment of the invention, the first transmitting unit  31  is not switched off after the departure of the train. Such a process is preferably performed whenever the individual registration zones of a train each have an identification of their own and, in particular, these registration zones cannot be associated with a consistent train number in accordance with the field COURSE.  
         [0120]    The configuration of the transmitting unit  31  and the transmitting/receiving unit  32  is not restricted to that according to FIG. 2, but, instead, may be adapted to the respective application. In particular, it is also envisaged to place the two units in one housing and to predetermine by a corresponding controller which of the two units  31  and  32  is permanently or intermittently activated.  
         [0121]    As an alternative to the particulars specified in the method step D1, the data bank may be disposed in the second transmitting/receiving unit  32  itself. Such a configuration allows dependable registration of the tickets present in a registration zone  22  in the case in which the connection to the onboard computer is interrupted. It is also possible that, when the second transmitting/receiving unit  32  has a compact type of construction, the registered data are transmitted from the latter through a connection  39  to the remote computer system  36 . The data bank may be coupled in a wireless or wire-bound manner to the second transmitting/receiving unit  32 ; the configuration of the data bank is not restricted to the onboard computer  35  or the remote computer system  36 .  
         [0122]    The transmission of the current locational information to a vehicle  20 , such as, for example, a subway train carriage, cannot be accomplished by a GPS receiver in tunnel sections. For such a purpose, in a special embodiment of the invention, an electronic ticket  10  is used. FIG. 6 shows in elevation a vehicle  20  that is passing a marker  64 . The marker  64  is formed by a mast  61  and a recording box  62  fastened to the mast  61  at approximately the height of the vehicle roof. Accommodated in the recording box  62  are an embodiment of an electronic ticket  10  and a non-illustrated power supply unit. By an initialization stored in the program memory  45 , the ticket  10  sends an information unit INF 3  with, for example, a duty cycle of 3%. Disposed on the roof of the vehicle  20  is a receiving unit  63 , which is connected either to an onboard computer  35  or to at least one second transmitting/receiving unit  32 . The information units INF 3  transmitted to the receiving unit  63  are identified in the fields STATE 3  and/or ATTRIBUTES 3  such that the information specified in POSITION 3  is evaluated by the onboard computer  35  or by the second transmitting/receiving unit  32  as locational information and is used for the communication with the tickets  10  located in the registration zone  22 .  
         [0123]    In railroad trains, it is not always possible to presume that there is a bus system for the connection of the carriages to one another. Accordingly, as already mentioned, a consistent course number cannot be used or presumed in all cases. In local transport, there is additionally the problem that a motorbus generally travels several times over the same route. Without an additional measure, such travel would have the consequence that a passenger who, for example, alights three stops before the terminus and, after a relatively short time at the stop, boards the same bus again in the opposite direction would be treated in the same way as a passenger with tickets not allowing registration to be correctly carried out. See in this respect steps E1 and E2. Such a situation would have the consequence of a charge being made for the stop X—terminus—stop X sections of the route. To eliminate such a case of an unjustified charge being made, a further embodiment of the invention is explained below with reference to FIG. 7.  
         [0124]    In FIG. 7, I, II, and III designate three stops and n, (n+1), and (n+2) designate the associated sections of the journey. The arrival of a bus  20  is designated by a (arrive) and the departure is designated by d (depart). It is assumed that  936  is provided as the vehicle number in the transmitting/receiving units  31  and  32  of the bus  20 . Also assumed are three tickets with the numbers  101 ,  102 , and  103 . To avoid the problems mentioned above of unjustified registration on the basis of a terminus, on the vehicle the sections of the journey are consecutively numbered with a randomly chosen initial number. Such numbering is also commonly referred to by the term “virtual numbering”. According to FIG. 7, these are the virtual numbers n, (n+1), and (n+2). If the vehicle  20  reaches a terminus, the journey section number stored on the vehicle  20  is changed by a relatively great value, for example, by the value 1089 or −1089. The journey section counter is in this case configured as a modulo k counter; k has, for example, a value of 2 16 =65536. The virtual numbering can also be performed with a counting increment greater than one and by incrementing or decrementing by a fixed value.  
         [0125]    Ticket  101   
         [0126]    With ticket  101 , a normal journey from I to II is undertaken. On boarding, it receives through the information unit INF 1  the vehicle number  936 , the position information I and the journey section n. On the ticket  10 , the value decremented by 1 (n−1) is entered. After departure d, the bi-directional communication takes place with the information units INF 1  and INF 2 . As a result, the section n is then entered on the ticket  101 . On alighting at the location II, the current position II is added to the information unit INF 1  on the ticket. Furthermore, the last stored journey section number is compared on the ticket  101  with that of the point of alighting  8 ; it is less by 1, i.e., the ticket has be registered correctly. The journey section number n is entered on the ticket  101 .  
         [0127]    Ticket  102   
         [0128]    In the case of ticket  102 , it is assumed that bi-directional communication cannot be performed for malicious or other reasons. On alighting at the location III, the ticket  102  is “woken” and thereby receives the information unit INF 1 . The comparison of the stored journey section number (n−1) with the current number (n+2), and the establishment that the vehicle number  936  is the same, shows that the ticket  102  has made the journey but was not registered. The ticket then reports its identity and the stored place of boarding I to the second transmitting/receiving unit  32  of the vehicle  20  by the unit INF 3 . On the ticket  102 , the journey section number (n+1) is entered. In the comparison of the journey sections, an upper limit is provided. If the limit is exceeded in the comparison, this means that a passenger with the ticket has boarded the same bus again and not for instance made a “concealed” journey.  
         [0129]    Ticket  103   
         [0130]    Ticket  103  starts a normal journey from I to III and onward. The last location in each case is stored on the ticket and on the vehicle by the bi-directional communication, by the information units INF 2  and INF 3 .  
         [0131]    The method disclosed above with the section numbering is not restricted to journey sections as such; for example, in a stationary environment the method can also be applied to time sections, for example, in a resolution of 15 minutes, to establish the permanent or intermittent presence of a ticket in a registration zone  22 .  
         [0132]    Shown in FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a preferred embodiment of a writing/reading device  80 , which allows certain information to be transmitted onto a ticket  10  and information stored on the ticket  10  to be read. The writing/reading device  80  contains a processor module  86  and a memory module  87 , which is divided into a read-only memory and a volatile memory. The communication with a ticket  10  by the transmission of a first information unit INF 1  takes place through a modulator  81  and a downstream transmitting amplifier  83 , to which a frame antenna  85 . 1  is connected; also connected in parallel therewith is a resonance capacitor. Data stored in the ticket  10  are received by a rod antenna  85 . 2  and fed through a receiving amplifier  84  and a demodulator  82  to a processor system  86 . The writing/reading device  80  may have an encryption module  88 . The writing/reading device  80  is preferably connected through a standardized interface  89 , for example, Universal Serial Bus (USB), to a customary personal computer, which, for its part, is connected to a network. Standardized interfaces such as USB, which also allow power to be supplied to the writing/reading device, are used with preference. With the writing/reading device  80  it is possible by a further refinement of the method according to the invention to allocate to a ticket  10  an individual entitlement or information identifying a person: an entitlement is fetched by a transport company by a data connection to the network, for example, by electronic payment facilities, and passed on for transmission to an electronic ticket  10 . The fetching of the entitlement is referred to as validation. Because the entitlement may only be transmitted to the ticket  10  with express authorization, an encryption module  88  that encrypts the information to be transmitted and possibly provides it with an electronic signature to ensure the authenticity of the point where such a ticket  10  is issued, is provided in the writing/reading device. With these security measures, it is possible for even a private user at home to issue to oneself an entitlement to an electronic ticket  10 . The embodiment is preferably applied to what are referred to as debit-card tickets  10 . With the same method, a ticket  10  can also be provided with the identity of the legitimate owner.  
         [0133]    Apart from the USB interface  89 , the construction of an inspection unit  50  corresponds to the construction of the writing/reading device  80  explained above. Both units allow a particularly simple form of link with a ticket  10  from a mechanical viewpoint; due to the inductive transmission to the ticket  10  and the electromagnetic transmission from the ticket  10 , there is no need for an electrical coupling. It is, for example, only necessary to place the ticket  10  onto a small recess of the housing or push it into a single slot in the writing/reading device  80  or in the inspection unit  50 . In the application “entitlement to be transmitted”, the information unit INF 1  to be transmitted may contain the corresponding command in the field COMMAND 1 ; based upon such a command, the further fields transmitted with the unit INF 1  are correspondingly interpreted by the processor module  16  of the ticket  10 . Depending on the amount of information to be transmitted, the transmission of these entitlements may also take place iteratively. With a rectifier module  97  contained on the ticket  10  in a special embodiment, the battery  19  can be charged up through the power supply module  18 ; the voltage generated by the inductive coupling is transformed in the rectifier module  97  into a DC voltage and fed to the power supply module  18 . With the writing/reading device  80 , an electronic ticket  10 —also referred to as an e-ticket—can be handled like a classic cardboard ticket. A ticket issuing it point can also used the writing/reading device  80 .  
         [0134]    A further embodiment of the invention is explained by the block diagram of a ticket  10  according to FIG. 9, a configuration in a motorbus  100  according to FIG. 10, and the individual method steps for registration according to FIG. 11.  
         [0135]    According to FIG. 9, the ticket  10  has a frame antenna  95 . 1 , preferably with a parallel-connected resonance capacitor, which are connected through amplifiers  93 . 1 ,  93 . 2 ,  93 . 3  through two setpoint detectors/demodulators  94 . 1  and  94 . 2  to the processor module  16 . The number of amplifiers depends on the circuit requirements and is insignificant for the invention. The two setpoint detectors  94 . 1 ,  94 . 2  allow the establishment of a source identity from which an information unit INF 1  was transmitted to the ticket  10 . In addition, the processor module  16  can establish the meaning of the first information unit received after analysis has taken place, for example, of the content COMMAND 1 . By contrast with the embodiment according to FIG. 1, ticket  10  has a modulator and only one transmitting module  96 . Depending on the application, an encryption module  98  is also provided on the ticket  10 . In the motorbus  100 , three first transmitting units  31  are provided, each with an associated waking zone  21 ′, and also a receiving unit  32 ′, with an associated registration zone  22 .  
         [0136]    The registration of tickets  10  in the motorbus  100  takes place by the steps specified in FIG. 11. A first transmitting unit  31  sends a first information unit INF 1  at a fixed or adjustable time interval t REP  to the tickets  10  located in the associated waking zone  21 ′. The tickets  10  temporarily leave the sleeping state and, in each case after a ticket-individual random time t RAND′ , t RAND″ , . . . send an information unit INF 3  to the receiving unit  32 ′. With the randomly determined time, collisions can largely be avoided, but cannot be ruled out. However, dependable registration is ensured by the first transmitting unit  31  continually re-waking the tickets with a periodicity T REP . Within the motorbus  100 , the waking cycles can he performed in a staggered manner by the various first transmitting units  31 . In the first information unit INF 1 , the fields COMMAND 1  and TYPE 1  can cause the processor module  16  to instigate reversion to the sleeping state of the ticket  10  immediately after sending out an information unit INF 3 . Such an embodiment according to the invention ensures that even tickets  10  with a block diagram according to FIG. 1, and according to the method steps specified by FIG. 3, are registered reliably, even in such an environment with only a second receiving unit  32 ′, i.e., without a second transmitting/receiving unit  32 . The data saving of the ticket records can also be performed in the same way as with the measures disclosed according to FIGS. 1 and 3. The activation of the transmitting units  31  preferably takes place after the doors have been closed and the motorbus has departed. Such action avoids registrations that could be caused by merely boarding and leaving a motorbus, for example, by providing assistance in boarding.  
         [0137]    Registration machines at the entrance to a vehicle can also register the ticket  10  according to the invention. These registration machines are of the type of the writing/reading device  80  described above. As a result, multiple uses of the ticket  10  according to the invention and of the registration method are possible.  
         [0138]    The method according to the invention can also be used for making use of comparable services and charging for them, for example, as an entry ticket to a movie theater or exhibition. At an exhibition there are often various additional sections for which payment is required. The method according to the invention allows a visitor to visit certain such sections only once without a supplementary payment.  
         [0139]    Similarly, the invention can also be used for the monitoring and protection of persons in certain zones. Such monitoring and/or protection may be required in installations where there is a potential risk of accident and the last registered whereabouts of a person or of the electronic identity card associated with that person can be established with the aid of the invention so that members of a rescue team can conduct a targeted search. Similarly, the invention may also be used to allow a profile of the movements of a person in a highly sensitive area with different zones to be recorded, for example, including for the monitoring of a person kept in what is referred to as semi-captivity.  
         [0140]    The method according to the invention also allows objects on a conveying path to be monitored. For such a purpose, an electronic ticket is preferably fastened in a secured manner to the object concerned.  
         [0141]    The invention can also be used for the generation and evaluation of statistical data, for example, the occupancy of a train, without the method also resulting in charging with payment required. In particular, the invention allows statistical evaluations to be conducted virtually in real time.