Microprocessor Based Portable Digital Bus Ticketing Machine Presented By

Transcription

1 Presented By Prof. Amal S. Kumarage J.D.A.I. Piyadasa W.R. Muthuthanthri

2 Contents 1. Title of the Invention 2. Description of the Invention 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Technical Field 2.3 Prior Art 2.4 Benefits and Usage 2.5 System Features 3. Claims 4. Abstract 5. Diagram Page 2 of 13

3 1. Title of the Invention Microprocessor Based Portable Digital Bus Ticketing Machine 2. Description of the Invention 2.1. Introduction Ticketing machines that require storage of variable data formats such as time of issue, value of issue and type of ticket issue are essential for the efficient functioning of transport system. They also need to have functional design features that make them portable, speedy and reliable. A microprocessor based portable digital ticketing machine provides a cost effective solution to the requirements typical of transport systems in developing countries. The Microprocessor Based Portable Digital Bus Ticketing Machine can be use to achieve following advantages. To issue proper ticket to the passengers (With full detailed ticket). Speed up the ticket issuing process. To reduce the pilfering of revenue by crew. To generate revenue reports. To analyze the day to day revenue of operators by connecting the machine to a computer. (Required special software developed for this purpose) To analyze the boarding and alighting of passengers for decision makers of transport authorities to improve the service. To update fare tables quickly by authorized persons when there is a fare revision. This machine consists of keypad, LCD, thermal printer, RS 232 connector and other electronic parts. The key pad is used to input data and retrieve information. The LCD provides display and thermal printer prints a ticket. The RS 232 connector is used to connect machine to computer for analyzing the data. This machine is handheld portable machine which can be used in crowed buses. Page 3 of 13

4 2.2. Technical Field In the present public transport sector there are several methods used by operators to collect their revenue. These methods include issuing a ticket with or without a copy, just collecting money, issuing a ticket with manual machines. These revenue collecting methods have following problems. Passengers do not get proper ticket with complete details. Passengers do not know whether they have paid correct amount. Pilfering of revenue by crew. There is no proper recording method of data. Analyze of data by operator or authorities will take lot of time or sometimes there is no data to analyze. Conductor has to issue multiple tickets to a group of passengers, which takes time. Difficult to find out passengers traveling more than what they have paid. To provide a proper solution to this problem we can deviate into following goals. A proper ticket with complete information must be issued to passenger. Fare tables must be stored in the machine by an authorized authority and others should not be able to alter them. Information of issued tickets must be stored in the machine. The machine should provide required reports after analyzing the data. There should be an easy way to connect machine to a computer in order to update fare tables and analyze data. Machine should be able to issue group tickets. To achieve these goals, a Microprocessor Based Portable Digital Bus Ticketing Machine can be introduced. Page 4 of 13

5 2.3. Prior Art Over the years, one of the most pertinent problems in the transport system is that the passengers did not know whether they paid the correct fare for their destination and whether they were treated fairly by the conductor. Numerous solutions to this problem were introduced and one such machine currently used is in the form of a hand carried machine (manual) which allows conductor to adjust the machine to its requirement. This is done manually by changing and rotating the numbers displayed on a register. This ticket machine was not accurate, did not have the destination programmed, did not print the ticket clearly, the speed at which was issued was almost the effort of the conductor and designed to use in another country. Ticket machines of this type were not effective and made the passenger and the transport system a difficult task. Furthermore the Transport system nor the passengers did not have a proper record of their travel and the monies expended on their travel. In today s competitive world decision makers in the transport sector must make their decisions fast and plan for the future. For that they must need the statistics of performance for each day as quickly as possible. In the above machine since everything is done manually it takes long time to provide necessary information. There are some ticket machines developed in other countries which are microprocessor based and provide solutions to above problems. But their price is very high(over Rs. 100,000). Due to high price, this type of machine can not be used in developing country like ours. In many cases repairing of these machines are difficult due the technology used in those machines are not available in our country. Page 5 of 13

6 2.4. Benefits and Usage This machine can be used in crowded buses and tickets can be issued quickly. The conductor only has to input fare stages of boarding and alighting stages through a keypad and then the machine will provide a complete ticket. We can achieve following benefits. Quick issue of tickets with complete information. Information of all issued tickets will be stored in the machine. Group tickets can be issued. Improve the productivity of conductor. Passengers will pay correct amount for their journey. Operator can check their revenue quickly. Authorities can analyze data quickly. Fare tables can be updated by authorized authorities in quick time. Alterations to machines can not be done to machine by a layman. Increase the income of operators. Easy to find out passengers traveling more than what they have paid. Administration of large company will be easy. Can save hundreds of working hours of works who are engage in preparing revenue reports. Managers can analyze performance of their buses in each route in day to day basis in order to make decision. Page 6 of 13

7 2.5. System Features The flow chart of the ticket machine is given in figure 1. The system uses password secured computer software Bus Fare Writer which is used to initialize and authenticate the microprocessor system. The input parameters such as name of transport authority/company, serial number of ticket, registration number of bus/vehicle, route number, fare stages and unit fare are privileged data. The software also provides for multiple operational modes of the machine such as I. Issue of tickets II. Local inputs and III. Account output. The ticket issue information is stored in a Non-Volatile Random Access Memory(NVRAM) for retrieval by a) user and b) Owner under different access levels pre-specified under password. A real time clock provides temporal coordinates of issued tickets. The system architecture is depicted in Figure 2. This consists of several inter-link modular subsystems viz; the microprocessor unit (MPU), Input/Output Unit(I/OU), Output Interface Unit(OIU), Real Time Clock(RTC), Power Supply Unit(PSU), Random Access Memory(RAM), Non-Volatile Random Access Memory(NVRAM), Keypad(KPP), Liquid Crystal Display(LCD), and Thermal Printer(TPP). The MPU consists of microprocessor pre programmed through RS232 port as a I/UO, which is pre programmed and receives local input through the IIU and the RTC. Local data is received through the inbuilt KPP, designed for easy handling and identification at varying visibility levels and angles of housing. The machine also have a LCD for verification of input through the pad. The data is in the RAM and NVRAM components which are also controlled by the MPU. The PSU is either 6 volts or 12 volts battery fed from the vehicle or by long life portable battery with AC re-charger unit. The OIU is connected to a high performance compact TPP which provides for speedy and quality output and tear-way facility and can be preset for length of ticket. The data structure for the ticket machine is depicted in figure 3. The data structure for secured input may be input by an authorized agent under secure password. The data structure for information output has two levels. User of the ticket machine can determine the cumulative income for each class of ticket as well as total income up to a given time. A print out of this information can be obtained at any time for immediate accounting. The owner of the ticket machine can determine more detailed information under password protection. This includes the detailed issue profile such as time of ticket issue, revenue, ticket information, etc. Print out facility via the TPP is also available. This data also can be elicited through the RS 232 I/OU port for analysis using Bus Fare Analyst software program. The machine housed in several facilities; a) Portable for carrying on shoulder strap b) Portable for carrying on waist belt. Page 7 of 13

8 c) Portable hand held and d) Fixed on vehicle. Page 8 of 13

9 3. Claims 3.1. The ticket machine issues tickets printed on high quality thermal paper, at a single command containing pre-assigned information such as name of transport authority/company, serial number of ticket, registration number of bus/vehicle, route number, fare stages for boarding and alighting, number of tickets(group tickets) and total fare payable for multiple ticket issues where this information is stored in a non-volatile memory The starting fare stage is entered through a single key strike on the keypad on entry of the vehicle to particular fare stage with each ticket issue made through a second single keystroke indication alighting stage, followed by another entry if ticket is to include multiple passengers of same value Fare stages and other authorized information such as serial number, machine number and vehicle registration number is input under secure password through a personal computer connect via a RS232 port with fare revisions authorized by a simple and speedy updating process of the memory of the machine from time to time The ticket machine has facility to provide summery information to user such as numbers issued for each fare stage and total revenue through a statement print out from the thermal printer The machine provides for the owner to elicit under secure password, user information on time of use, number of issues, total revenue as a statement from a thermal paper print out or connected through the RS 232 port to a personal computer for more detail analysis and logging of historical data The machine is housed for multiple and varied use on transport facilities including for portable personal carriage and in vehicle fixed carriage The machine is powered using long-life 6V or 12V rechargeable battery or vehicle power The machine can provide statistical data when connect to a computer through RS232 to the decision makers and transport planners to make accurate decisions. Page 9 of 13

10 4. Abstract The Microprocessor Based Portable Digital Bus Ticketing Machine designed to solve the problems in collecting revenue in public transport sector and speed up the process of issuing tickets and analyzing data to reduce the administrative tasks. The major problems in collecting revenue in public transport sector can be eliminated with this machine. This machine will improve the productivity of conductor and staff involved in preparing revenue reports and statistics. Conductor, owners and authorities can easily access data stored in machine and this will eliminate the pilfering of revenue by crew. The management of company or bus owner can easily analyze the performance of route and make required decisions quickly. Key pad is used to input data, LCD is used to visualize the input data and thermal print is used to print tickets. Each and every part in this machine is controlled by microprocessor and it can be directly connect to a computer through RS 232 port and using special software machine can be programmed (using Bus Fare Write ) or analyze data stored in machine (using Bus Fare Analyst ). Page 10 of 13

11 5. Diagrams Page 11 of 13

12 RS232 I/OU To Computer IIU MPU OIU RAM NVRAM TO LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY TO THERMAL PRINTER FROM VEHICLE FROM KEYBOARD RTC MPU - Microprocessor Unit I/OU - Input/Output Unit IIU - Input Interface Unit OIU - Output Interface Unit RTC - Real Time Clock PSU - Power Supply Unit RAM - Random Access Memory NVRAM - Non-Volatile RAM PSU 12V or 6V Page 12 of 13

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