Integrated system and method for car pooling using smart cards, gps, gprs, active poster and near field communication devices

Abstract

A method, integrated system and in-vehicle Active Poster for processing mobile touch transactions including carpooling transactions. The integration includes a near field contactless or swipe smart card or other portable identification device which may be standalone, affixed to, or part of a mobile or hand held portable wireless communication device, a touch sensitive Active Poster also with swipe or near field contactless communication capability and also incorporating or in communication with GPS or other vehicle location services capability for the vehicle, a car pool management or other service provider's system and application and a host computer with networking capability.

1 . A system for facilitating management and implementation of a car pool management service used by a central agency administering said car pool management service, wherein at least one of a plurality of rider users share a car of one of a plurality of provider users resulting in a commerce transaction in the form of points associated with a journey comprises:
 a host computer;   a wireless service provider's network;   a device reader in each participating vehicle of each provider user to track boarding and alighting of rider users;   automatic vehicle location capability for each participating vehicle, including a vehicle mounted unit in each participating vehicle, to track the distance travelled by said rider user and monitor the location said vehicle;   a plurality of communication enabled devices each carried by one of said rider users including said rider user, capable of storing device identification information, which is capable of being received by said device readers when in proximity with said device;   an active poster located in each of said participating vehicles, each active poster in communication with said vehicle location unit in each respective vehicle, and each active poster also in communication with said device reader which is also located in said respective vehicle, and each active poster also in communication with said host computer over said wireless provider's network, for viewing various services offered and interacting on line, including a user interface and means such as buttons or a touch screen by which a user can input information into the active poster;   a carpooling service provider including at least capability enabling computer generated maps used at a central agency and including communication with said host computer, said host computer including or in communication with a users database including said rider users and said provider users, and used at least for monitoring vehicle locations, and associating said device identification information with a user account, and associating said vehicles with respective provider users' accounts, and tracking activity including receiving device identification received by said device readers;   wherein the system uses said device reader and active poster to identify the rider user by reading said device information when said device is brought into proximity with said device reader, and said active poster unit sending said device identification information to said host computer, where said host computer is in communication with said computer database where said device identification information is associated with said user's account with said car pool management service provider,   wherein an indication of the start of said journey and location of said vehicle at said start of said journey and information sufficient to identify said vehicle as a vehicle of said provider user is also transmitted to said host computer by said active poster,   and wherein said host computer identifies said rider user and said vehicle and said corresponding provider user, from correspondences within said database,   and wherein upon the end of said journey said rider user again brings said device in proximity to said device reader, and said reader communicates said device identification information to said active poster, and said active poster communicates with said host computer including an indication of the end of said journey and the location of said vehicle at said end of said journey;   and wherein said host computer creates a record of said journey, credits said provider user account with said carpooling service provider with a value associated with said journey and debits from the account of said rider user a value associated with said journey.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , where the device is a smart card enabled with near field communication capability, and said device reader is capable of receiving near field communications. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , where the device is a swipe card, and said device reader is capable of reading information encoded onto said swipe card. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , where the device is a mobile handset equipped with a near field enabled contactless SIM, and said device reader is capable of receiving near field communications. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , where the value associated with said journey is based on the calculated mileage of said journey. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , where in the vehicle location system uses at least one of GPS, GPRS or cell tower triangulation for tracking the location of said vehicle. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , where additionally the Host Computer sends an SMS or other type message to a mobile communications unit of said rider user, requesting acknowledgement of said transaction or a returned passcode associated with said user's account with said car pool management service provider. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , where additionally the Host Computer sends an acknowledgement request to said rider user, via said active poster unit, requesting acknowledgement of said transaction or a returned passcode associated with said user's account with said car pool management service provider. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , where additionally the function of device reader is carried out using a device separated from said active poster unit, located in said vehicle, but in wired or wireless communication with said active poster unit. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , where additionally said active poster user interface and input means are provided using a device separated from said active poster unit, located in said vehicle, but in wired or wireless communication with said active poster unit. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , where the capabilities of  claim 9  and  claim 10  are combined into a single device separate from said active poster unit, but in wired or wireless communication with said active poster. 
     
     
         12 . A method for a car pool management service, wherein at least one of a plurality of rider users share a car of one of a plurality of provider users resulting in a commerce transaction in the form of points associated with a journey including:
 placing a device reader in each participating vehicle of each provider user to track boarding and alighting of rider users;   placing automatic vehicle location capability in each participating vehicle, including a vehicle mounted unit in each participating vehicle, to track the distance travelled by said rider user and monitor the location said vehicle;   issuing a plurality of communication enabled devices each carried by one of said rider users including said rider user, each such device capable of storing device identification information, which is capable of being received by said device readers when in proximity with said device;   placing an active poster in each of said participating vehicles, each active poster in communication with said vehicle location unit in each respective vehicle, and each active poster also in communication with said device reader which is also located in said respective vehicle, and each active poster also in communication a common host computer over a wireless provider's network, for viewing various services offered and interacting on line, and each active poster including a user interface and means such as buttons or a touch screen by which a user can input information into the active poster;   said car pool management service provider using software capability including at least computer generated maps used at a central agency and including at least communication with said host computer, said host computer including or in communication with a users database including information corresponding to said rider users and said provider users, and used at least for monitoring vehicle locations, and associating said device identification information with a respective user account, and associating said vehicles with a respective provider user accounts, and tracking activity including receiving device identification received by said device readers;   said device reader and active poster identify said rider user by reading said device information when said device is brought into proximity with said device reader, and said active poster unit sends said device identification information to said host computer, where said host computer is in communication with said computer database where said device identification information is associated with said user's account with said car pool management service provider, and an indication of the start of said journey and location of said vehicle at said start of said journey and information sufficient to identify said vehicle as a vehicle of said provider user in said database is also transmitted to said host computer by said active poster,   and upon the end of said journey said rider user again brings said device in proximity to said device reader, and said reader communicates said device identification information to said active poster, and said active poster communicates with said host computer to generate and store records relating to the time and location of the end of said journey;   and said host computer creates a record of said journey, credits said provider user account with said carpooling service provider with a value associated with said journey and debits from the account of said rider user a value associated with said journey.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , where the device is a smart card enabled with near field communication capability, and said device reader is capable of receiving near field communications. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , where the device is a swipe card, and said device reader is capable of reading information encoded onto said swipe card. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , where the device is a mobile handset equipped with a near field enabled contactless SIM, and said device reader is capable of receiving near field communications. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , where the value associated with said journey is based on the calculated mileage of said journey. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , where in the vehicle location system uses at least one of GPS, GPRS or cell tower triangulation for tracking the location of said vehicle. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , where additionally the Host Computer sends an SMS or other type message to a mobile communications unit of said rider user, requesting acknowledgement of said transaction or a passcode associated with said user' s account with said carpooling service provider. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12 , where additionally the function of device reader is carried out using a device separated from said active poster unit, located in said vehicle, but in wired or wireless communication with said active poster unit. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 12 , where additionally said active poster user interface and input means are provided using a device separated from said active poster unit, located in said vehicle, but in wired or wireless communication with said active poster unit. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 12 , where the capabilities of  claim 19  and  claim 20  are combined into a single device separate from said active poster unit, but in wired or wireless communication with said active poster.