Patent Publication Number: US-2015066604-A1

Title: Fare payment method and apparatus thereof

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2013-0101857 filed on Aug. 27, 2013 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, and all the benefits accruing therefrom under 35 U.S.C. 119, the contents of which in its entirety are herein incorporated by reference. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a fare payment method and apparatus thereof, and more particularly to a fare payment method and apparatus thereof, for paying fares by authorizing card transaction by allowing a plurality of terminals to share card transaction history information. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     In an account based payment system or an open payment system, no data is recorded on a card on which a transaction request is made. In order to authorize a card transaction, a terminal having received the transaction request transmits a card transaction authorization request to a center computer, and the center computer determines whether to authorize or unauthorize the card transaction and transmits a response to the card transaction authorization request to the terminal. 
     Although the terminal and the center computer are connected to each other through a network, a communication state of the network may be interrupted. In a case where a communication between the terminal and the center computer is interrupted, since the terminal has invalid card transaction history information that is not synchronized with another terminal adjacent thereto, a card to be unauthorized may be unwantedly authorized. 
     Korean Patent Publication No. 2009-0066149 discloses a payment method and system including a terminal and an application server executing for payment. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention provides a fare payment method for paying fares by authorizing card transaction by allowing a plurality of terminals to share card transaction history information. 
     The present invention also provides a fare payment apparatus for paying fares by authorizing card transaction by allowing a plurality of terminals to share card transaction history information. 
     These and other objects of the present invention will be described in or be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments. 
     According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fare payment method including receiving information on a connection to one selected as a main terminal among a plurality of terminals connected to one another through a network, and outputting a signal in response to a transaction request from a card user to the card user based on information on a card transaction history received from the main terminal when a communication between the main terminal and a center computer in charge of a card transaction authorization process is interrupted. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fare payment method including checking a communication state with a center computer in charge of a card transaction authorization process, when the communication state with the center computer is normal, receiving card transaction history information from the center computer, when a communication with the center computer, receiving the card transaction history information from a main terminal pre-configured to collect transaction information for a plurality of terminals, outputting a response to a transaction request based on the received card transaction history information, and transmitting new card transaction history information created according to the response to the main terminal and the center computer. 
     According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fare payment apparatus including a transaction request information generating unit generating information on a transaction request according to the transaction request based on an open payment, a main terminal information recording unit storing information on a connection to one selected as a main terminal among a plurality of terminals connected to one another through a network, and a transaction processing unit outputting a signal in response to a transaction request from a card user to the card user based on information on a card transaction history received from the main terminal when a communication between the main terminal and a center computer in charge of a card transaction authorization process is interrupted. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a conventional fare payment system including a plurality of terminals; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a fare payment executing procedure in the conventional fare payment system shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a fare payment executing procedure when a network communication is interrupted in the conventional fare payment system shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram of a fare payment system according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a database table storing information on card transaction histories of a plurality of terminals; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a fare payment executing procedure in a fare payment method according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a fare payment executing procedure in a fare payment method according to another embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 8 and 9  are flowcharts illustrating the fare payment executing procedure shown in  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 10  illustrates a process of selecting a main terminal in the fare payment executing procedure shown in  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 11  is a schematic diagram of a fare apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 12  is a partially schematic diagram of a main terminal in which a fare payment method according to an embodiment of the present invention is implemented. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     Advantages and features of the present invention and methods of accomplishing the same may be understood more readily by reference to the following detailed description of preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the concept of the invention to those skilled in the art, and the present invention will only be defined by the appended claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification. 
     The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a conventional fare payment system including a plurality of terminals and  FIG. 2  illustrates a fare payment executing procedure in the conventional fare payment system shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the fare payment system may include a plurality of terminals  100 ,  102  and  110  and a center computer  150 . The plurality of terminals  100 ,  102  and  110  may be connected to the center computer  150  through a network. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , a card user may issue a transaction request to the terminal  102  (S 201 ). For example, the card user tags a card on the terminal  102  to generate the transaction request, and the terminal  102  having received the transaction request may transmit an authorization request for the card transaction to the center computer  150  (S 203 ). The center computer  150  receives the authorization request, and decides whether to approve the authorization request or not (S 205 ), and outputs a response indicative of authorization or unauthorization to the terminal  102  (S 207 ). Meanwhile, the terminal  102  having received the transaction request may not transmit the authorization request for the card transaction to the center computer  150  but may directly determine whether to authorize the card transaction (that is, check transaction validity) based on the card transaction history information stored in the terminal  102  (S 213 ). The response indicative of authorization or unauthorization to the terminal  102  may be output to the terminal  102  (S 215 ). 
     If the terminal  102  outputs the response indicative of authorization or unauthorization, new card transaction history information is created according to the response. For example, the new card transaction history information may indicate that a card used in the terminal  102  cannot be used in the future (that is, the card should be rejected.). The new card transaction history information may become reference data in determining whether to authorize or unauthorized a subsequent transaction request. The new card transaction history information may be shared by the center computer  150 . 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a fare payment executing procedure when a network communication is interrupted in the conventional fare payment system shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the card user may issue a transaction request to the terminal  100  (S 301 ). The terminal  100  having received the transaction request may communicated with the center computer  150  or may decide transaction validity for itself (S 303 ), and may output a response indicative of unauthorization for the transaction request (S 305 ). 
     Thereafter, when the card user tags the card to the terminal  102  to create a transaction request (S 307 ), a communication between the terminal  102  and the center computer  150  is interrupted, so that an authorization request may not be issued to the center computer  150  (S 309 ). Therefore, the terminal  102  may determined whether to authorize a transaction based on the card transaction history information owned by the terminal  102  itself (S 311 ). When a communication between the terminal  102  and the center computer  150  is interrupted, since the card transaction history information created in the terminal  100  is not shared by the terminal  102 , the terminal  102  may authorize a card to be unauthorized (S 313 ). In order to overcome the problems, even when the communication between the terminal  102  and the center computer  150  is interrupted, it is necessary to share transaction information between the terminal  100  and the terminal  102 . 
       FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram of a fare payment system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , the fare payment system according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a main terminal  400 , sub terminals  410 ,  412  and  414  and a center computer  150 . 
     The main terminal  400  is a terminal that collects pieces of card transaction history information associated with the sub terminals  410 ,  412  and  414  constituting the fare payment system and manages the same. In some embodiments of the present invention, the main terminal  400  and the sub terminals  410 ,  412  and  414  may be, for example, transit terminals installed in a station or within a transportation system, such as a bus. 
     The main terminal  400  may be selected in the following manner. In the fare payment method according to an embodiment of the present invention, a terminal having a largest number of adjacent terminals directly connected to a single link on the network, among the plurality of terminals, may be selected as the main terminal  400 . In the fare payment method according to another embodiment of the present invention, a terminal having highest stability, among the plurality of terminals, may be selected as the main terminal  400  by evaluating stability of a connected state between each of the terminals and the center computer  150 . For example, a terminal having the smallest number of times the connection between the terminal and the center computer  150  is interrupted for a predetermined period of time may be selected as the main terminal  400 . Alternatively, a terminal having highest stability may be selected as the main terminal  400  by referring to a table in which pieces of data produced by quantifying stability of the communication state. 
     Meanwhile, the main terminal  400  may have all of functions of the sub terminals  410 ,  412  and  414 , that is, intrinsic functions of receiving a transaction request from the card user and issuing an authorization request to the center computer  150 , but aspects of the present invention are not limited thereto. In some embodiments of the present invention, the main terminal  400  may be implemented as a dedicated terminal configured to manage pieces of card transaction history information associated with the sub terminals  410 ,  412  and  414 . For ease of explanation, the main terminal  400  and the sub terminals  410 ,  412  and  414  will be separately described. However, in embodiments in which the main terminal  400  is not implemented as dedicated terminal, since the main terminal  400  has the same functions as those of the sub terminals  410 ,  412  and  414 , it is evident that the main terminal  400  also operates as a sub terminal. 
     The main terminal  400 , the sub terminals  410 ,  412  and  414  and the center computer  150  may be connected to each other through a network. According to some embodiments of the present invention, the network may be a wireless network, such as WIFI, or a wired network, such as LAN, but not limited thereto. In particular, in the fare payment system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the main terminal  400  and the sub terminals  410 ,  412  and  414 , which are connected to each other through a network, may transmit/receive data between terminals not via the center computer  150 . According to some embodiments of the present invention, a mesh-type network may be established between the main terminal  400  and the sub terminals  410 ,  412  and  414 . 
     Meanwhile, the main terminal  400  and the sub terminals  410 ,  412  and  414  may be located in geometrically adjacent areas. For example, in the fare payment system according to some embodiments of the present invention, the main terminal  400  and the sub terminals  410 ,  412  and  414  may be installed in the same station to be adjacent to each other. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a database table storing information on card transaction histories of a plurality of terminals. 
     The main terminal  400  may collect card transaction history information associated with the sub terminals  410 ,  412  and  414  constituting the fare payment system and may manage the same using the database table  480 . According to some embodiments of the present invention, the database table  480  may have various entities including terminal ID, transaction ID, transaction content, and transaction time. As will later be described, when the sub terminals  410 ,  412  and  414  may send a request for information on a particular transaction, the main terminal  400  may search the database table  480  to respond to the request. The main terminal  400  may store data of new transaction information received from the sub terminals  410 ,  412  and  414  and may store the data in the database table  480 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the database table  480  indicates a series of transaction information for a card. The card transaction history will now be briefly described. A user entered a gate through a terminal having a terminal ID  2 , for example, a gate installed in a station, and left out the gate through a terminal having a terminal ID  3 . Next, the user entered the gate through the terminal having a terminal ID  2  and then entered the gate again through the terminal having a terminal ID  2 . In the fare payment system according to various embodiments of the present invention, in order to avoid illegal use of a card, consecutive authorization of the same card may be prohibited according to the policies of card issuing companies. For example, in a case where a plurality of terminals are installed within a station, and several terminals adjacent to each other were tagged by the same card almost simultaeneously, consecutive transactions of the card may be considered as illegal use of the card. In this case, card transactions by the user who has consecutively entered the terminal having a terminal ID  2  may be determined as being inappropriate based on the transaction information of the card shown in  FIG. 5 . 
     Several terminals adjacent to each other being tagged by the same card almost simultaeneously may mean the several terminals adjacent to each other received transaction authentication request from the same card within a predetermined time duration. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a fare payment executing procedure in a fare payment method according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 6 , the sub terminal  410  is capable of communicating with the center computer  150  and the sub terminal  412  is incapable of communicating with the center computer  150 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , the card user may send a transaction request to the sub terminal  410  (S 501 ). The sub terminal  410  having received the transaction request communicates with the center computer  150  to check transaction validity (S 503 ), and may output a response indicative of authorization for the transaction request (S 505 ). Next, new card transaction history information created according to the response is transmitted to the main terminal  400  (S 507 ) to allow the main terminal  400  to collect and manage the card transaction history information created from the sub terminal  410 . 
     Next, the card user may send a transaction request to the sub terminal  410  once again (S 509 ). The sub terminal  410  having received the transaction request communicates with the center computer  150  to check transaction validity (S 511 ), and outputs a response indicative of unauthorization for the transaction request (S 513 ). Accordingly, new card transaction history information indicating that the card used in the sub terminal  410  cannot be further used and the created new card transaction history information is transmitted to the main terminal  400  (S 515 ). 
     Next, the card user may send a transaction request to the sub terminal  412  (S 517 ). The sub terminal  412  having received the transaction request checks a communication state between the sub terminal  412  and the center computer  150  connected thereto through the network. As described above, in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 6  in which a communication between the sub terminal  412  and the center computer  150  is interrupted, the sub terminal  412  may transmit an authorization request to the main terminal  400  (S 519 ). The main terminal  400  checks transaction validity based on the card transaction history information (S 521 ), and transmits a response to the transaction request (i.e., unauthorization) to the sub terminal  412  (S 523 ), and the sub terminal  412  may output the received response to the user (S 525 ). 
       FIG. 7  illustrates a fare payment executing procedure in a fare payment method according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
     Like in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 6 , in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 7 , the sub terminal  410  is capable of communicating with the center computer  150  and the sub terminal  412  is incapable of communicating with the center computer  150 . 
     Since the content of steps S 601  to S 615  is the same as that of steps S 501  to S 515  shown in  FIG. 6 , repeated descriptions thereof will be omitted. 
     The card user may send a transaction request to the sub terminal  412  (S 617 ). The sub terminal  412  having received the transaction request checks a communication state between the sub terminal  412  and the center computer  150  connected thereto through the network. As described above, in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 7  in which a communication between the sub terminal  412  and the center computer  150  is interrupted, the sub terminal  412  may transmit a card information request to the main terminal  400  (S 619 ). The main terminal  400  transmits transaction information of the card to the sub terminal  412  (S 621 ), the sub terminal  412  checks transaction validity based on the card transaction history information received from the main terminal  400  (S 621 ), and outputs a response for the transaction request (in this case, a response indicative of unauthorization) to the card user (S 625 ). 
     The embodiment shown in  FIG. 6  and the embodiment shown in  FIG. 7  are different from each other in the following point. That is to say, in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 6 , the main terminal  400  checks the transaction validity and the sub terminal  412  just transmits the determination result of the main terminal  400  to the user, while in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 7 , the sub terminal  412  checks the transaction validity and the main terminal  400  just transmits the card transaction history information to the sub terminal  412 . 
       FIGS. 8 and 9  are flowcharts illustrating the fare payment executing procedure shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 , a terminal may receive a transaction request from a user (S 701 ). The terminal having received the transaction request checks a communication state between the terminal and the center computer  150  connected thereto through the network. If the communication between the terminal and the center computer  150  is interrupted, the terminal transmits an authorization request or a card information request to the main terminal  400  and may receive a result thereof (S 705 ). Thereafter, the terminal may output a response indicative of authorization or unauthorization to the user according to the received result (S 707 ) and transmits new card information created according to the response to the main terminal  400  or the center computer  150  to update the card transaction history information (S 709 ). 
     Here, when the communication with the center computer  150  is interrupted, the new card transaction history information is transmitted only to the main terminal  400 , and the new card transaction history information received by the main terminal  400  may be transmitted to the center computer  150 . Thereafter, the main terminal  400  and the center computer  150  may perform data synchronization for the card transaction history information. 
     Referring to  FIG. 9 , a terminal may receive a transaction request from a user (S 801 ), the terminal having the transaction request may check transaction validity of a card transaction (S 803 ). If a card transaction is determined as being invalid, like in a case where transaction requests using a single card have occurred in terminals adjacent to each other, the terminal may transmit a message indicative of unauthorization to the user (S 807 ). Unlikely, if a card transaction is determined as being valid, the terminal may transmit a message indicative of authorization to the user (S 805 ). As described above, transaction validity may be determined by the center computer  150  or the main terminal  400 . Alternatively, transaction validity may also be determined by the sub terminals  410 ,  412  and  414  in the fare payment method according to some embodiments of the present invention. 
       FIG. 10  illustrates a process of selecting a main terminal in the fare payment executing procedure shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     The main terminal  400  may be selected in the same manner as in the method described with reference to  FIG. 4 . In order to select the main terminal  400  in the same manner as in the method described with reference to  FIG. 4 , first, pieces of state information of a plurality of terminals are collected (S 901 ). Here, the state information may include information on the number of adjacent terminals directly connected to a single link on a network for each terminal and the number of times a communication with the center computer  150  is interrupted for a predetermined period of time. Next, the collected pieces of the state information are analyzed and the main terminal  400  is selected (S 903 , S 904 ). For example, based on the state information, a terminal having a largest number of adjacent terminals directly connected to a single link on the network may be selected as the main terminal  400 . Alternatively, a terminal having the smallest number of times communication with the center computer  150  is interrupted for a predetermined period of time may be selected as the main terminal  400 . After the main terminal  400  is selected in such a manner, information of the main terminal  400  is set with respect to the respective terminals  400 ,  410 ,  412  and  414  (S 907 ). For example, connection information, including address information of the selected main terminal  400 , may be stored as information for setting configurations of the respective terminals  400 ,  410 ,  412  and  414 . In some embodiments of the present invention, a system manager may manually set the connection information for the main terminal  400  in the respective terminals  400 ,  410 ,  412  and  414 . The respective terminals  400 ,  410 ,  412  and  414  may also receive the connection information for the main terminal  400  through a network and may set the received connection information automatically, without manual configuration of a system manager. 
     In some embodiments of the present invention, the operation of selecting the main terminal  400  may be performed periodically or intermittently according to operation policies of the fare payment system. However, when the operation of selecting the main terminal  400  is performed again, address information of the selected new main terminal  400  may be notified the respective terminals  400 ,  410 ,  412  and  414  through the network. 
       FIG. 11  is a schematic diagram of a fare payment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 11 , the fare payment apparatus  1010  according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a transaction request information generating unit  1011  generating information on a transaction request according to the transaction request based on an open payment, a main terminal information recording unit  1013  storing information on a connection to one selected as a main terminal  400  among a plurality of terminals connected to one another through a network, and a transaction processing unit  1015  outputting a signal in response to a transaction request from a card user to the card user based on information on a card transaction history received from the main terminal  400  when a communication between the main terminal and a center computer  150  in charge of a card transaction authorization process is interrupted. In some embodiments of the present invention, the fare payment apparatus  1010  may be a public transportation system boarding gate. 
     The fare payment apparatus  1010  according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a communication unit  1017  receiving a signal responsive to the transaction request from an RF card and providing the signal to the transaction request information generating unit  1011 , wherein data associated with the response signal is not transmitted to the RF card. 
       FIG. 12  is a partially schematic diagram of a main terminal in which a fare payment method according to an embodiment of the present invention is implemented. The main terminal  400  may have a configuration as shown in  FIG. 12 . The main terminal  400  may include a processor  143  executing a command, a storage  141 , a memory  144 , a network interface  142  for data transmission and reception with respect to an external device, and a data bus  140  connected to the storage  141 , the network interface  142 , the processor  143  and the memory  144  to establish a data movement path. Program or software codes for implementing the fare payment method according to an embodiment of the present invention may be stored in the memory  144  and executed by the processor  143 . Transaction data, including card transaction history information for the sub terminals  410 ,  412  and  414 , may be stored in the storage  141 . 
     As described above, in order to avoid illegal use of a card, consecutive authorization of the same card may be prohibited according to the policies of card issuing companies. For example, in a case where a plurality of terminals are installed within a station, several terminals adjacent to each other were tagged by the same card almost simultaeneously, consecutive transactions of the card may be considered as illegal use of the card. In this case, if a communication between the terminal and the center computer is interrupted, the terminal may not be notified of information associated with card transactions having occurred in adjacent terminals while the communication is interrupted, so that the illegal use of the card may not be appropriately handled. For example, even if the same card has been tagged by several adjacent terminals, such an event may not be notified the terminal and there may be a possibility of authorizing the illegally used card. 
     According to the present invention, since card transaction history information is shared by a plurality of terminals, even when a communication between a terminal and a center computer is interrupted, an invalid card transaction can be accurately identified, thereby avoiding the problem of illegal use of a card. Further, even when a communication between a terminal and a center computer is interrupted, card services can be offered to users without interruption. 
     While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims. It is therefore desired that the present embodiments be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being made to the appended claims rather than the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.