Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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PAYMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD
PRIORITY CLAIM
This application claims the benefit of PCT application number
PCT/GB2012/052802 filed
12 November 2012, PCT application number PCT/GB2012/052804 filed 12 November
2012,
and PCT application number PCT/GB2012/052805 filed 12 November 2012.
BACKGROUND
Unless otherwise indicated herein, the elements described in this section are
not prior
art to the claims and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this
section.
A parking lot (e.g., a parkade) is an area where motor vehicles may be parked.
In some
instances, a parking lot may be fee-based such that a motor vehicle may be
permitted to park in
the lot in exchange for payment of a fee. Typically, this fee is based on a
time period in which
the vehicle is parked in the lot.
Upon a motor vehicle entering a fee-based parking lot, a driver of the vehicle
may
receive a time-stamped ticket from an entry terminal. Before the driver leaves
the lot with the
vehicle, the driver may be required to insert the ticket into a payment
terminal, which may
determine a fee (e.g., based on the amount of time that has passed since the
driver received
the ticket). The driver may then pay the fee, either by providing cash or a
payment instrument
such as a credit card or debit card into the payment terminal. The payment
terminal may then
validate the ticket and return it to the driver. To exit the parking lot, the
driver may drive up to an
exit terminal and insert the validated ticket into the exit terminal. The exit
terminal may confirm
that the ticket has been validated, and in response, the exit terminal may
cause a boom to rise
so as to allow the driver's vehicle to exit the parking lot.
This process of paying a fee for a parking lot can be inconvenient and can
present safety
and health concerns. In some arrangements, the payment terminal may be located
at or near a
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pedestrian entrance to the parking lot. In such arrangements, queues at the
payment terminal
may be lengthy, particularly at peak times, thus causing delay and leading to
driver impatience
and frustration. Furthermore, the payment terminal may be out of service or
may have
insufficient cash to provide correct change, thereby further exacerbating
these problems. In
addition, the need for the driver to handle cash or payment instruments in a
public environment
may cause safety concerns.
In alternative arrangements, a payment terminal may be integrated with the
exit terminal,
which may allow a driver to pay the fee while sitting in the vehicle just
before exiting the parking
lot. However, such arrangements can lead to lengthy queues of vehicles waiting
to reach the
payment/exit terminal. In addition, the lengthy queues of vehicles can cause
high levels of
emissions in a relatively small area, which may be undesirable for health
reasons.
It is therefore desirable to improve the process by which a parking lot fee
(or another
type of fee) is paid.
OVERVIEW
Example embodiments are described herein. In one respect, an example
embodiment
takes the form of a method comprising, at a mobile device (i) capturing a code
disposed on a
medium dispensed by a dispenser terminal at an entry area of a parking lot,
wherein the code
was printed on the medium by the dispenser terminal, and wherein the code
encodes an
identifier; (ii) decoding the captured code to recover the identifier; (iii)
transmitting to a server via
a communication network the recovered identifier; (iv) receiving from the
server via the
communication network a fee associated with the transmitted identifier and
determined by the
server, wherein the server determined a first time when the dispenser terminal
dispensed the
medium, and wherein the server determined the fee as a function of at least a
time period
between the determined first time and a second time that is after the first
time; and (v)
transmitting authorization to pay the received fee.
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In another respect, an example embodiment takes the form of a mobile device.
The
mobile device comprising a network interface and a capture device, wherein the
mobile device
is configured for: (i) capturing a code disposed on a medium, wherein the code
encodes an
identifier; (ii) decoding the captured code to recover the identifier; (iii)
transmitting to a server via
a communication network the recovered identifier; (iv) receiving from the
server via the
communication network a fee associated with the transmitted identifier,
wherein the fee is a
function of at least a time period between a first time and a second time that
is after the first
time; and (v) transmitting authorization to pay the received fee.
In another respect, an example embodiment takes the form of a non-transitory
computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions that, when
executed by
a processor, cause performance of a set of functions comprising: (i) capturing
a code disposed
on a medium, wherein the code encodes an identifier; (ii) decoding the
captured code to recover
the identifier; (iii) transmitting to a server via a communication network the
recovered identifier;
(iv) receiving from the server via the communication network a fee associated
with the
transmitted identifier, wherein the fee is a function of at least a time
period between a first time
and a second time that is after the first time; and (v) transmitting
authorization to pay the
received fee.
In another respect, an example embodiment takes the form of a method
comprising, at a
server (i) determining a first time, wherein the first time represents a time
when a dispenser
terminal at an entry area of a parking lot dispensed a medium, wherein a code
is disposed on
the medium, wherein the code was printed on the medium by the dispenser
terminal, and
wherein the code encodes an identifier; (ii) receiving from a mobile device
via a communication
network the identifier; (iii) responsive to receiving the identifier,
determining a fee associated
with the identifier, wherein the server determines the fee as a function of at
least a time period
between the determined first time and a second time; (iv) transmitting to the
mobile device via
the communication network the determined fee; (v) receiving from the mobile
device via the
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=
communication network authorization to pay the determined fee; (vi)
determining that the
determined fee has been paid; and (vii) responsive to determining that the
determined fee has
been paid, transmitting an indication that the determined fee has been paid.
In another respect, an example embodiment takes the form of a server. The
server
comprising a network interface, wherein the server is configured for: (i)
determining a first time,
wherein the first time represents a time when a dispenser terminal at an entry
area of a parking
lot dispensed a medium, wherein a code is disposed on the medium, wherein the
code was
printed on the medium by the dispenser terminal, and wherein the code encodes
an identifier;
(ii) receiving from a mobile device via a communication network the
identifier; (iii) responsive to
receiving the identifier, determining a fee associated with the identifier,
wherein the server
determines the fee as a function of at least a time period between the
determined first time and
a second time; (iv) transmitting to the mobile device via the communication
network the
determined fee; (v) receiving from the mobile device via the communication
network
authorization to pay the determined fee; (vi) determining that the determined
fee has been paid;
and (vii) responsive to determining that the determined fee has been paid,
transmitting an
indication that the determined fee has been paid.
In another respect, an example embodiment takes the form of a non-transitory
computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions that, when
executed by
a processor, cause performance of a set of functions comprising: (i)
determining a first time,
wherein the first time represents a time when a dispenser terminal at an entry
area of a parking
lot dispensed a medium, wherein a code is disposed on the medium, wherein the
code was
printed on the medium by the dispenser terminal, and wherein the code encodes
an identifier;
(ii) receiving from a mobile device via a communication network the
identifier; (iii) responsive to
receiving the identifier, determining a fee associated with the identifier,
wherein the server
determines the fee as a function of at least a time period between the
determined first time and
a second time; (iv) transmitting to the mobile device via the communication
network the
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=
determined fee; (v) receiving from the mobile device via the communication
network
authorization to pay the determined fee; (vi) determining that the determined
fee has been paid;
and (vii) responsive to determining that the determined fee has been paid,
transmitting an
indication that the determined fee has been paid.
In another respect, an example embodiment takes the form of a method
comprising, at a
mobile device (i) capturing a code disposed on a medium dispensed by a
dispenser terminal,
wherein the code was printed on the medium by the dispenser terminal, and
wherein the code
encodes an identifier; (ii) decoding the captured code to recover the
identifier; (iii) transmitting to
a server via a communication network the recovered identifier; (iv) receiving
from the server via
the communication network a fee associated with the transmitted identifier and
identified by the
server, wherein the server determined a first location of the dispenser
terminal and wherein the
server determined the fee as a function of at least a distance between the
determined first
location and a second location that is different from the first location; and
(v) transmitting
authorization to pay the received fee.
In another respect, an example embodiment takes the form of a mobile device.
The
mobile device comprising a network interface and a capture device, wherein the
mobile device
is configured for: (i) capturing a code disposed on a medium dispensed by a
dispenser terminal,
wherein the code was printed on the medium by the dispenser terminal, and
wherein the code
encodes an identifier; (ii) decoding the captured code to recover the
identifier; (iii) transmitting to
a server via a communication network the recovered identifier; (iv) receiving
from the server via
the communication network a fee associated with the transmitted identifier and
identified by the
server, wherein the server determined a first location of the dispenser
terminal and wherein the
server determined the fee as a function of at least a distance between the
determined first
location and a second location that is different from the first location; and
(v) transmitting
authorization to pay the received fee.
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'
In another respect, an example embodiment takes the form of a non-transitory
computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions that, when
executed by
a processor, cause performance of a set of functions comprising: (i) capturing
a code disposed
on a medium dispensed by a dispenser terminal, wherein the code was printed on
the medium
by the dispenser terminal, and wherein the code encodes an identifier; (ii)
decoding the
captured code to recover the identifier; (iii) transmitting to a server via a
communication network
the recovered identifier; (iv) receiving from the server via the communication
network a fee
associated with the transmitted identifier and identified by the server,
wherein the server
determined a first location of the dispenser terminal and wherein the server
determined the fee
as a function of at least a distance between the determined first location and
a second location
that is different from the first location; and (v) transmitting authorization
to pay the received fee.
In another respect, an example embodiment takes the form of a method
comprising, at a
server (i) determining a first location of a dispenser terminal, wherein a
code is dispensed on the
medium, wherein the code was printed on the medium by the dispenser terminal,
and wherein
the code encodes an identifier; (ii) receiving from a mobile device via a
communication network
the identifier; (iii) responsive to receiving the identifier, determining a
fee associated with the
identifier, wherein the server determines the fee as a function of at least a
distance between the
determined first location and a second location that is different from the
first location; (iv)
transmitting to the mobile device via the communication network the determined
fee; (v)
receiving from the mobile device via the communication network authorization
to pay the
determined fee; (vi) determining that the determined fee has been paid; and
(vii) responsive to
determining that the determined fee has been paid, transmitting an indication
that the
determined fee has been paid.
In another respect, an example embodiment takes the form of a server. The
server
comprising a network interface, wherein the server is configured for: (i)
determining a first
location of a dispenser terminal, wherein a code is dispensed on the medium,
wherein the code
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=
was printed on the medium by the dispenser terminal, and wherein the code
encodes an
identifier; (ii) receiving from a mobile device via a communication network
the identifier; (iii)
responsive to receiving the identifier, determining a fee associated with the
identifier, wherein
the server determines the fee as a function of at least a distance between the
determined first
location and a second location that is different from the first location; (iv)
transmitting to the
mobile device via the communication network the determined fee; (v) receiving
from the mobile
device via the communication network authorization to pay the determined fee;
(vi) determining
that the determined fee has been paid; and (vii) responsive to determining
that the determined
fee has been paid, transmitting an indication that the determined fee has been
paid.
In another respect, an example embodiment takes the form of a non-transitory
computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions that, when
executed by
a processor, cause performance of a set of functions comprising: (i)
determining a first location
of a dispenser terminal, wherein a code is dispensed on the medium, wherein
the code was
printed on the medium by the dispenser terminal, and wherein the code encodes
an identifier;
(ii) receiving from a mobile device via a communication network the
identifier; (iii) responsive to
receiving the identifier, determining a fee associated with the identifier,
wherein the server
determines the fee as a function of at least a distance between the determined
first location and
a second location that is different from the first location; (iv) transmitting
to the mobile device via
the communication network the determined fee; (v) receiving from the mobile
device via the
communication network authorization to pay the determined fee; (vi)
determining that the
determined fee has been paid; and (vii) responsive to determining that the
determined fee has
been paid, transmitting an indication that the determined fee has been paid.
In another respect, an example embodiment takes the form of a mobile device
comprising: a processor; a capturing device configured to capture a code; a
network interface
configured for facilitating communication between the mobile device and a
server; and a non-
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=
transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions
that, when
executed by the processor, cause performance of a method disclosed herein.
In another respect, an example embodiment takes the form of a server
comprising: a
processor; a network interface configured for facilitating communication
between the server and
another device; and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored
thereon program
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= instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause performance of a
method disclosed
herein.
In another respect, an example embodiment takes the form of a method
comprising (i)
scanning, using a mobile device, a quick response (QR) code that encodes a
unique ticket code
that identifies a parking ticket for using a parkade; (ii) decoding, using the
mobile device, the QR
code to recover the unique ticket code; (iii) transmitting from the mobile
device to an application
server the unique ticket code; (iv) receiving, at the mobile device, a parking
fee for using the
parkade, and displaying, on the mobile device, the parking fee; (v) selecting,
using the mobile
device, a payment instrument for paying the parking fee, and authorizing the
parking fee for
payment; (vi) transmitting from the mobile device to the application server
data pertaining to the
payment instrument; and (vii) receiving, at the mobile device from an
application server, status
data indicating whether the parking fee was successfully or unsuccessfully
paid.
In another respect, an example embodiment takes the form of a mobile device
comprising; (i) a processor; (ii) a camera configured to capture a quick
response (QR) code that
encodes a unique ticket code that identifies a parking ticket for using a
parkade; (iii) a non-
transitory computer-readable data storage device comprising computer-readable
program
instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable by the processor
to decode the
QR code; (iv) a user interface configured to display a parking fee for using
the parkade and to
allow a user to select a payment instrument for an attempt at paying the
parking fee and to
authorize a parking fee for payment; and (v) a network interface; (vi) wherein
the network
interface is configured to transmit, to an application server, the unique
ticket code and data
pertaining to the payment instrument; and (vii) wherein the network
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interface is configured to receive, from an application server, status data
indicating whether
the initial attempt at paying the fee was successful or unsuccessful.
In another respect, an example embodiment takes the form of a method
comprising:
(i) receiving, at an application server from a mobile device, a unique ticket
code that
identifies a parking ticket for using a parkade; (ii) determining, at the
application server, a
parking fee for using the parkade; (iii) transmitting, from the application
server to the mobile
device, the parking fee; (iv) receiving, at the application server from the
mobile device, data
pertaining to a payment instrument selected for an attempt at paying the fee;
(v)
determining, at the application server, whether processing the data pertaining
to the
parking fee and the data pertaining to the first payment instrument results in
successful or
unsuccessful payment of the parking fee; and (vi) transmitting, from the
application server
to the mobile device, status data indicating whether the attempt at paying the
parking fee
was successful or unsuccessful.
In another respect, an example embodiment takes the form of an application
server
system comprising: (i) a processor; (ii) a non-transitory computer-readable
data storage
device comprising computer-readable program instructions; and (iii) a network
interface;
(iv) wherein the network interface is configured to receive, from a mobile
device, (1) a
unique ticket code that identifies a parking ticket for using a parkade, and,
(2) data
pertaining to a payment instrument selected for an attempt at paying a parking
fee for using
the parkade; and (iv) wherein the program instructions are executable by the
processor to
determine whether processing the parking fee and the data pertaining to the
payment
instrument results in successful or unsuccessful payment of the parking fee;
(v) wherein the
program instructions are executable by the processor to cause the network
interface to
transmit status data to the mobile device; and (vi) wherein the status data
indicates whether
the attempt at paying the parking fee was successful or unsuccessful.
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In another respect, an example embodiment takes the form of a method
comprising:
(i) providing, at a parkade, a parking ticket for using the parkade; and (ii)
providing, at the
parkade, a quick response (QR) code that encodes a unique ticket number that
identifies
the parking ticket.
These as well as other aspects and advantages will become apparent to those of
ordinary skill in the art by reading the following detailed description, with
reference where
appropriate to the accompanying drawings. Further, it should be understood
that the
embodiments described in this overview and elsewhere are intended to be
examples only
and do not limit the scope of the disclosure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a system for paying a fee in
accordance with
an example embodiment;
FIG. 2 illustrates an example quick response (QR) code;
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a mobile device in accordance with an example
embodiment;
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an application server in accordance with an
example
embodiment;
FIG. 5A is a first part of a flow chart of functions of a method in accordance
with an
example embodiment;
FIG. 5B is a second part of the flow chart of FIG. 5A;
FIG. 5C is a third part of the flow chart of FIG. 5A; and
FIG. 6 illustrates a display of a mobile device in accordance with an example
embodiment
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
INTRODUCTION
This description describes, among other things, example embodiments of the
disclosed system and method. In this description the terms "user" and "driver"
can be used
interchangeably depending on the context. The articles "a" or "an" are used to
introduce
elements of the example embodiments, and the intent of using those articles is
that there is
one or more of the elements. The intent of using the conjunction "or" within a
described list
of at least two terms is to indicate that any of the listed terms or any
combination of the
listed terms. The use of ordinal numbers such as "first," "second," "third"
and so on is to
distinguish respective elements rather than to denote a particular order of
those elements.
The following abbreviations or acronyms are used in the description:
FIG. ¨ Figure;
FIGs. ¨ Figures;
PIN ¨ Personal Identification Number;
QR ¨ Quick Response;
EXAMPLE ARCHITECTURE
FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a system 100 for paying a fee in
accordance
with an example embodiment. To illustrate one example use case of the system
100, the
system 100 is described in connection with a parking lot. However, as
described further
below, the system 100 may be used in connection with other environments as
well.
The system 100 includes an application server 102, an entry or dispenser
terminal
104, a mobile device 106, an exit terminal 108, a payment processing server
110, and a
parking record database 112.
The dispenser terminal 104 may be configured to dispense a medium to a user,
such as a driver of a vehicle. In some instances, in response to a vehicle
entering the
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parking lot, the dispenser terminal 104 may dispense the medium. The medium
may take a
variety of forms. For example, the medium may take the form of a paper ticket
or a token.
The medium may have disposed thereon a code that encodes a session identifier.
The code may take a variety of forms. For example, the code may take the form
of a
one-dimensional code such as a linear barcode, or a two-dimensional code such
as a QR
code. The session identifier may uniquely identify a particular parking
session, that is, a
given instance of a vehicle parking in the parking lot. The session identifier
can take a
variety of forms. For example, the session identifier may be a numeric or an
alphanumeric
code. In some embodiments, the code can also encode other data, including for
example a
time or a parking lot identifier.
In some embodiments, the dispenser terminal 104 may be configured to print the
code on the medium (or otherwise cause the code to be disposed on the medium)
proximate (i.e., at or about) the time that the medium is dispensed. In one
example, an
event is proximate a time if the event and the time are within a threshold
number of
seconds of each other. The threshold may be, for example, five seconds, ten
seconds, or
twenty seconds.
In other embodiments, the medium may already have a code disposed thereon
when it is loaded into the dispenser terminal 104. The dispenser terminal 104
may be
operatively connected to the application server 102, and may further be
configured to
transmit to the application server 102 the session identifier encoded in the
code and/or a
time that generally indicating a time the vehicle entered the parking lot. As
used herein, the
term "time" refers to a time and/or date. The application server 102 may be
configured to
store the received session identifier and the time in a parking record
database 112 as
described in greater detail below.
The exit device 108 may be configured to regulate the exiting of vehicles out
of the
parking lot and may include or be integrated with an access control device,
which may take
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a variety of forms. In one example, the access control device may take the
form of a boom
mechanism that is configured to move between a low position, thereby
obstructing vehicles
from exiting the lot, and a high position, thereby permitting vehicles to exit
the lot. The exit
device 108 may raise and lower the boom.
In some instances, the same control access device may be used to regulate the
entry of vehicles into the lot and the exiting of vehicles out of the lot.
However, in other
embodiments, separate control access devices may be used for each purpose. The
exit
terminal 108 may be operatively connected to the application server 102.
The application server 102, the mobile device 106 and the payment processing
server 110 can communicate with each other by means of a communication network
116.
The communication network 116 can take a variety of forms. For
instance, the
communication network 116 may take the form of a local-area network or a wide-
area
network, such as the world-wide web or the Internet. The communication network
116 may
be supported by wired or wireless interfaces (e.g., interfaces configured to
communicate
using a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth protocol, for instance). Notably, in some
embodiments, other
devices in the system 100 may also communicate with each other via a
communication
network. Communication between any such devices may be facilitated by
corresponding
network interfaces.
Communication between the application server 102, the mobile device 106 and
the
payment processing server 110 can be facilitated by using a server-hosted
program that is
installed on the application server 102, a payment application program (a
"payment app")
that is installed and executed on the mobile device 106, and a processing
application
program (a "processing app") that is installed and executed on the payment
processing
server 110.
A user can download a copy of the payment app from a download repository, for
example, from a data storage device 188 of the application server 102 (FIG. 4)
and install
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the payment app on the mobile device 106. During or after installation, the
payment app
may create a user profile 114 on the mobile device 106 and prompt the user to
manually
provide certain attributes such as, the user's first name, the user's last
name, an e-mail
address, a physical address and particulars of one or more payment instruments
such as
credit cards, debit cards, e-wallets and the like. In accordance with at least
some example
embodiments, the user profile 114 may be stored locally on the mobile device
106 and not
passed to the application server 102. The payment app may facilitate the
performance of a
variety of functions, including but not limited to the functions of capturing
a code that
encodes a session identifier, decoding the captured code to recover the
session identifier,
transmitting to a server the recovered session identifier, receiving from the
server a fee
associated with the recovered session identifier, and providing to the server
authorization to
pay the fee.
As noted above, one example of a code is a QR code. FIG. 2 illustrates an
example QR code 200. A QR code is a two-dimensional code. The example
embodiments
may use any of a variety of two-dimensional codes, such as an Aztec barcode, a
codablock
F code, a code16K barcode, a code49 barcode, a data-matrix barcode, a micro
PDF417
barcode, a QR code, a micro QR code or some other two-dimensional code.
Alternatively,
the example embodiments may use a one-dimensional code, such as a barcode in
which
only a width of each bar is used to decode the barcode..
Next, FIG. 3 is a block diagram depicting an example embodiment of mobile
device
106. As shown in FIG. 3, the mobile device 106 includes (i) a processor 150,
(ii) a network
interface 152 for transmitting data to and receiving data from communication
network 116,
(iii) a user interface 154, (iv) a camera (or other capture device) 156
configured to capture a
code such as a QR code, and (v) a data storage device 158, all of which can be
linked
together via a system bus or other connection mechanism 160. Data storage
device 158
includes computer-readable program instructions (CRPI) 162, the payment app
164, and a
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user profile 114. CRPI 162 can include the payment app 164. Data storage
device 158
can comprise a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium readable by
processor
150. Each computer-readable storage medium described herein can comprise
volatile
and/or non-volatile storage components, such as optical, magnetic, organic or
other
memory or disc storage, which can be integrated in whole or in part with a
processor.
Each processor described herein can comprise one or more general purpose
processors (for example, INTEL single core microprocessors or INTEL multicore
microprocessors) or one or more special purpose processors (for example,
digital signal
processors). Processor 150 is configured to execute CRPI 162 and the payment
app 164.
Mobile device 106 can be configured as or comprise a cellular phone, a
smartphone, a tablet device, or some other device arranged to carry out
cellular
communications. In this regard, communication network 116 can comprise a
cellular
communication network, such as a network for carrying out communications
according to
the 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard developed by the 3rd Generation
Partnership
Project (3GPP), or some other communication standard developed for a cellular
communication network.
Next, FIG. 4 is a block diagram depicting an example embodiment of the
application
server 102. As shown in FIG. 4, application server 102 can include (i) a
processor 182, (ii)
a network interface 184 for transmitting data to and receiving data from
communication
network 116, (iii) a user interface 186, and (iv) a data storage device 188,
all of which can
be linked together via a system bus or other connection mechanism 190. Data
storage
device 188 can include (i) CRPI 192, and (ii) the payment app 194 (which may
be the same
as the payment app 164) to be downloaded by the mobile device 106. CRPI 192
can
include the payment app 194. Data storage device 188 can comprise a non-
transitory
computer-readable storage medium readable by processor 182. Processor 182 is
configured to execute CRPI 192.
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III. EXAMPLE OPERATION
The system 100 can be used to pay a fee. The following example describes an
example use of the system 100 in connection with a user who wishes to pay a
parking lot
fee. However, as described further below, the system 100 may be used in
connection with
users who wish to pay other types of fees as well.
FIGS. 5A-5C shows a flow chart depicting a set of functions of a method in
accordance with an example embodiment. The set of functions are shown within
blocks
502 through 548. A description of those blocks now follows.
At block 502, the method may involve the dispenser terminal 104 dispensing a
medium having a code disposed thereon, wherein the code encodes a session
identifier.
At block 504, the method may involve the mobile device 106 capturing the code
disposed
on the medium. This may involve the mobile device 106 using the camera 156 and
the
payment app 164 to capture the code. At block 506, the method may involve the
mobile
device 106 decoding the captured code to recover the session identifier. This
may involve
the mobile device 106 using the payment app 164 to decode the captured code
and to
recover the session identifier.
In some embodiments, the mobile device 106 may determine that the captured
code
has a particular property, and in responsive the mobile device 106 may
automatically
launch an application, such as the payment app 164. In one example, the
captured code
having the particular property may involve the capture code having a
particular set of data
(e.g., the string "launch_payment_app" encoded therein.
At block 508, the method may involve the mobile device 106 transmitting to the
application server 102 via the communication network 116 the recovered session
identifier.
At block 510, the method may involve the application server 102 receiving from
the mobile
device 106 via the communication network 116 the transmitted session
identifier.
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At block 512, the method may involve the application server 102 determining a
fee
associated with the received session identifier, wherein the fee is a function
of at least a
time period between a first time and a second time that is after the first
time.
Generally, the first time is proximate a time when the vehicle enters the
parking lot.
The application server 102 may determine the first time in a variety of ways.
For example,
the dispenser terminal 104 may determine the first time to be a time when the
dispenser
terminal 104 dispenses the medium. The dispenser terminal 104 may then
transmit the
first time to the application server 102 together with the session identifier.
In another
example, the application server 102 may determine the first time to be a time
when the
application server 102 receives the session identifier from the dispenser
terminal 104. In
either of the two examples described above, the application server 102 may
store in the
parking record database 112 the received session identifier together with the
received first
time. Therefore, the act of the application server 102 determining the fee
associated with
the received session identifier may involve the application server 102 using
the received
session identifier to retrieve the corresponding first time from the parking
record database
112.
Generally, the second time is proximate a time when the driver is in the
process of
paying the fee and/or exiting the parking lot. The application server 102 may
determine the
second time in a variety of ways. For example, the mobile device 106 may
determine the
second time to be a time when the mobile device 106 (i) captures the code,
(ii) decodes the
captured code to recover the session identifier, or (iii) transmits to the
application server
102 the recovered session identifier. The mobile device 106 may then transmit
the second
time to the application server 102 together with the session identifier. In
another example,
the application server 102 may determine the second time to be a time when the
application server 102 receives the session identifier from the mobile device
106. In either
of the two examples described above, the application server 102 may store in
the parking
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record database 112 the received session identifier together with the received
second time.
As such, the act of the application server 102 determining the fee associated
with the
received session identifier may involve the application server 102 using the
received
session identifier to retrieve the corresponding second time from the parking
record
database 112.
As noted above, the fee may be a function of at least the time period. As
such, the
application server 102 may use a look-up table (e.g., that is stored in a data
storage of the
application server 102) to determine the fee based on the time period. The
data in the
look-up table may be set via a user interface by, e.g., a manager of the
parking lot.
In some instances, the fee may further be a function of other factors,
including but
not limited to a location of the parking lot, a time of day, week, month, or
year in which the
time period falls within, and the user profile. As such, in some embodiments,
the dispenser
terminal 104, the mobile device 106, and/or another device may provide such
data to the
application server 102 so that the application server 102 can determine the
fee by using
such factors.
At block 514, the method may involve the application server 102 transmitting
to the
mobile device 106 via the communication network 116 the determined fee. At
block 516,
the method may involve the mobile device 106 receiving the transmitted fee.
At block 518, the method may involve the mobile device 106 displaying the
received
fee. FIG. 6 shows an example screenshot 600 of a display of the mobile device
106 at
block 518. As shown, in addition to displaying the determined fee, the mobile
device 106
may further display the first time and the second time. This allows the user
to review
details relating to a parking session before authorizing payment of the fee
for the parking
session.
If the user wishes to authorize payment of the fee, the user may provide such
authorization via the user interface 154 of the mobile device 106. In turn, at
block 520, the
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method may involve the mobile device 106 transmitting to the application
server 102 via the
communication network 116 authorization to pay the received fee. In
addition to
transmitting such authorization, the mobile device 106 may further transmit
payment data to
the application server 102. Payment data may include at least a portion of at
least one of a
credit card number, a debit card number, a cardholder name, a card expiry
date, a card
verification code, a PIN, and a mailing code associated with the cardholder,
among other
things. In one example, the user may provide such payment data to the mobile
device 106
via the user interface 154.
In another example, the mobile device 106 may transmit to the application
server
102 a user profile identifier, which the application server 102 may use to
retrieve payment
data associated with the user (e.g., stored in the user profile 114). In some
instances, the
application server 102 may transmit to the mobile device at least a portion of
the retrieved
payment data such that the mobile device 106 may display payment data options
to the
user. This may allow the user to select payment data (e.g., a particular
payment
instrument) from among the payment data options being displayed. In turn, the
mobile
device 106 may select such payment data and transmit the selection to the
application
server 102.
At block 522, the method may involve responsive to the application server 102
receiving authorization to pay the determined fee, the application server 102
transmitting
the particulars of the fee transaction (for example the parking fee and
details relating to a
selected payment instrument to the payment processing server 110 for
processing).
At block 524, the method may involve the application server 102 determining
that
the fee was paid. In some examples, the application server 102 may determine
this based
on the payment processing server 110 transmitting a payment status indicator
to the
application server 102, for example, either successful or unsuccessful. At
block 526, the
method may involve responsive to the application server 102 determining that
the fee was
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paid, the application server 102 updating a status of the session identifier
in the parking
record database 112 as paid. Further in response, at block 528, the method may
involve
the application server 102 transmitting to the mobile device 106 an indication
that the fee
was paid. At block 530, the method may involve the mobile device 106 receiving
the
indication that the fee was paid. And in response, at block 532, the method
may involve
the mobile device 106 displaying an indication that the fee was paid.
In some instances, further in response to the application server 102
determining
that the fee was paid, the application server 102 may initiate a countdown
timer that
indicates how much time remains until the vehicle must exit the parking lot
(e.g., before
incurring an additional fee). For example, the countdown timer may start at 10
or 15
minutes once initiated. In one example, the application server 102 may also
communicate
with the mobile device 106 to cause the mobile device 106 to display the value
of the
countdown timer in a dynamic or live manner.
Notably, if the payment processing server 110 is unsuccessful at processing
the
payment, the application server 102 may notify the mobile device 106
accordingly, such
that the mobile device 106 may re-authorize payment of the fee, perhaps after
selecting
alternate payment data.
Once payment has been successfully completed, the driver of the vehicle may
provide the code to the exit terminal 108 to gain permission to leave the
parking lot with the
vehicle. In one example, the driver may do this by providing to the exit
terminal 108, the
medium with the code disposed thereon. In another example, the mobile device
106 may
be configured to display the code, and therefore, the driver may provide to
the exit terminal
108 the mobile device 106 with the code displayed thereon.
At block 534, the method may involve the exit terminal 108 capturing the code.
This
may involve the exit terminal 108 using a camera and a payment app to capture
the code.
At block 536, the method may involve the exit terminal 108 decoding the
captured code to
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recover the session identifier. This may involve the exit terminal 108 using a
payment app
to decode the captured code and to recover the session identifier.
At block 538, the method may involve the exit terminal 108 transmitting the
recovered session identifier to the application server 102. At block 540, the
method may
involve the application server 102 receiving the transmitted session
identifier.
At block 542, the method may involve, responsive to the application server 102
receiving the transmitted session identifier, the application server 102
determining that the
fee associated with the received session identifier has been paid. This may
involve the
application server 102 using the received session identifier to perform a
lookup in the
parking record database 112 to retrieve the session identifier's corresponding
status.
At block 544, the method may involve the application server 102 transmitting
to the
exit terminal 108 an indication that the fee has been paid. At block 546, the
method may
involve the exit terminal 108 receiving the indication that the fee has been
paid.
At block, 548, the method may involve responsive to the exit terminal 108
receiving
the indication that the fee has been paid, the exit terminal 108 causing an
action to be
performed. In an alternative example, the method may involve responsive to (i)
the exit
terminal 108 receiving the indication that the fee has been paid, and (ii) the
exit terminal
108 determining that the countdown timer has not expired, the exit terminal
causing the
action to be performed. In the event that the application server 102
determines that the fee
has been paid, and that the countdown timer has expired, the application
server 102 may
determine and transmit to the mobile device 106 an additional fee, and the
mobile device
106 may authorize payment of that fee in a manner similar to that described
above in
connection with the original fee.
In one example, the exit terminal 108 causing an action to be performed may
involve the exit terminal 108 causing an access control device to be moved.
For instance,
where the access control device takes the form of a boom, the exit terminal
108 may cause
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the boom to be raised thereby permitting vehicles to exit the parking lot.
However, the exit
terminal 108 may cause other actions to be performed. For instance, the exit
terminal 108
may cause tire spikes to be retracted, thereby permitting vehicles to exit the
parking lot.
IV. VARIATIONS AND BENEFITS OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS
Clearly, numerous variations and permutations are possible to the embodiments
without departing from the scope of this disclosure: Some of these variations
and
permutations are described below.
1. In accordance with one or more of the disclosed embodiments, the user
profile 114 may be stored on the mobile device 106 and on the application
server 102. In
this embodiment, the capturing app 164 on the mobile device 106 may
synchronize
changes to the user profile 114 with the copy of the profile on the
application server 102 as
the changes occur, or periodically, or explicitly under user command. The copy
of the user
profile on the application server 102 can then be imported to a different
mobile device 106,
for example when the user changes mobile devices or in the event the user
loses or
damages the mobile device 106.
2. In accordance with one or more of the disclosed embodiments, in order to
improve security of the system 100, transmission of any of the data described
herein can
be encrypted.
3. In accordance
with one or more of the disclosed embodiments, instead of
the application server 102 sending the particulars of the financial
transaction (for example,
the fee and the payment details) to the payment processing server 110 for
processing, the
application server 102 can process the payment itself.
4. In
accordance with at least one example embodiment, after establishing the
user profile 114 and capturing the code, the only user action required to
effect payment of
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the fee is selecting a payment instrument from the payment data associated
with the user
profile 114 or otherwise entering information regarding a payment instrument.
5. The use of codes such as QR codes, as described in the example
embodiments, can enable payment of a parking lot fee to be conducted more
efficiently
.. than is possible by means of known prior art methods. In one example, once
a user has
established a user profile 114, the user need only capture, by means of the
mobile device
106, a code disposed on a medium in order to effect payment of the parking lot
fee. The
user is spared the tedium of having to locate a payment terminal in the
parking lot, having
to wait in line to use the payment terminal, and having to tender cash or a
physical payment
.. instrument such as a credit or debit card for payment. Furthermore, the
user does not face
the risk of the payment terminal being out of order or out of change. Still
further, the user
can pay the parking fee just before arriving back at the user's vehicle in the
parking lot or,
alternatively, when safely seated in the user's vehicle, with a clear
indication of how much
time remains before expiry of a countdown timer within which to exit the
parking lot without
.. an additional payment. It is anticipated that the disclosed system and
method for paying
parking lot fees will reduce the tedium of such payments.
6. In accordance with one or more of the example embodiments, the
application server 102 can provide the exit terminal 108, prior to the exit
terminal 108
receiving the code or medium with the code for a driver to exit the parking
lot, the session
.. identifier, an indication the fee has been paid, and data identifying the
countdown timer
associated with the fee payment for the session identifier. Providing those
items to the exit
terminal 108 in this manner can allow the exit terminal 108 to confirm
successful payment
and timely provision of the code or the medium for the parking session more
quickly.
7. As noted above, an example application of the system 100 allows a user
to
.. pay a parking lot fee. However, the system 100 may be used in connection
with users who
wish to pay other types of fees as well. For instance, the system may allow a
user to pay a
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fee for a travel session associated with a toll road. In this example, rather
than the fee
being a function of at least a time period between a first time and a second
time, the fee
may be a function of at least a distance between a first location (e.g., where
a dispenser
terminal is located) and a second location (e.g., where an exit terminal is
located). In such
instances, the application server 102 may determine the first and/or second
locations
based on a location of the dispenser terminal 104, a location of the exit
terminal 108, and/or
a location of the mobile device 106, any of which may transmit such locations
to the
application server 102 for use in determining the fee.
V. ADDITIONAL EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS
The following examples are offered as further description of the disclosed
invention.
1. A method comprising:
a mobile device (106) capturing a code disposed on a medium, wherein the code
encodes an identifier;
the mobile device (106) decoding the captured code to recover the identifier;
the mobile device (106) transmitting to a server (102) via a communication
network
(116) the recovered identifier;
the mobile device (106) receiving from the server (102) via the communication
network (116) a fee associated with the transmitted identifier, wherein the
fee is a function
of at least a time period between a first time and a second time that is after
the first time;
and
the mobile device (106) transmitting authorization to pay the received fee.
(FIGS. 1,
3, 4, and 5A-5C).
2. The method of
example 1, wherein the medium comprises a paper ticket.
(FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
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3. The method of
example 1 or 2, wherein the code comprises a
one-dimensional code. (FIGS. 1, 3,4, and 5A-5C).
4. The method of
one of examples 1-3, wherein the code comprises a
two-dimensional matrix code. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
5. The method of example 4, wherein the code comprises a Quick Response
(QR) code (200). (FIGS. 1, 2-4, and 5A-5C).
6. The method of one of examples 1-5, wherein the identifier comprises a
unique identifier of a parking session associated with a parking lot, and
wherein the fee
comprises a fee for the parking session. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
7. The method of
one of examples 1-6, wherein the mobile device (106)
capturing the code comprises a camera (156) of the mobile device (106)
capturing the
code. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
8. The method of one of examples 1-7, wherein the mobile device (106)
capturing the code comprises the mobile device (106) scanning the code. (FIGS.
1, 3, 4,
and 5A-5C).
9. The method of one of examples 1-8, wherein the communication network
(116) comprises a local-area network. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
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10. The method of one of examples 1-9, wherein the communication network
(116) comprises a wide-area network. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
11. The method of example 10, wherein the wide-area network comprises the
world-wide web. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
12. The method of example 10, wherein the wide-area network comprises the
Internet. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
13. The method of one of examples 1-12, wherein the code further encodes
the
first time, the method further comprising:
the mobile device (106) decoding the code to recover the first time; and
the mobile device (106) transmitting to the server (102) via the communication
network (116) the first time. (FIGS. 1, 3,4, and 5A-5C).
14. The method of one of examples 1-13, wherein the first time is
proximate a
time when the medium was dispensed from a dispenser terminal (104). (FIGS. 1,
3, 4, and
5A-5C).
15. The method of one of examples 1-14, wherein the second time is
proximate
a time of the mobile device (106) transmitting to the server (102) via the
communication
network (116) the recovered identifier. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
16. The method of one of examples 1-15, further comprising:
the mobile device (106) displaying the received fee. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, 5A-5C,
and 6).
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17. The method of one of examples 1-16, the method further comprising:
the mobile device (106) transmitting to the server (102) via the communication
network (116) payment data to facilitate payment of the received fee. (FIGS.
1, 3, 4, and
5A-5C).
18. The method of one of examples 1-16, wherein the identifier is a first
identifier, the method further comprising:
the mobile device (106) transmitting to the server (102) via the communication
network (116) a second identifier; and
the mobile device (106) selecting payment data to facilitate payment of the
received
fee, wherein the payment data is associated with the second identifier. (FIGS.
1, 3, 4, and
5A-5C).
19. The method of example 17 or 18, wherein the payment data comprises at
least a portion of at least one of a credit card number, a debit card number,
a cardholder
name, a card expiry date, a card verification code, a personal identification
number, and a
mailing code associated with the cardholder. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
20. The method of one of examples 1-19, the method further comprising:
the mobile device (106) receiving from the server (102), an indication that
the fee
was paid; and
responsive to the mobile device (106) receiving the indication that the fee
was paid,
the mobile device (106) displaying an indication that the fee was paid. (FIGS.
1, 3, 4, and
5A-5C).
21. The method of one of examples 1-20, the method further comprising:
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providing the code displayed on the medium to an exit terminal. (FIGS. 1, 3,
4, and
5A-5C).
22. The method of one of examples 1-21, the method further comprising:
the mobile device (106) displaying the captured code; and
providing the code displayed on the medium to a capturing device. (FIGS. 1, 3,
4,
and 5A-5C).
23. The method of one of examples 1-21, further comprising:
the mobile device (106) determining that the captured code has a particular
property; and
responsive to the mobile device (106) determining that the captured code has
the
particular property, the mobile device (106) launching an application to
facilitate payment of
the received fee. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
24. A mobile device (106) configured for performing the functions recited
in one
of examples 1-23. (FIGS. 1, 3,4, and 5A-5C).
25. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon program
instructions (162) that, when executed by a processor (150), cause performance
of the
functions recited in one of examples 1-23. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
26. A method comprising:
a server (102) receiving from a mobile device (106) via a communication
network
(116) the identifier;
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responsive to the server (102) receiving the identifier, the server (102)
determining
a fee associated with the identifier, wherein the fee is a function of at
least a time period
between a first time and a second time;
the server (102) transmitting to the mobile device (106) via the communication
network (116) the determined fee;
the server (102) receiving from the mobile device (106) via the communication
network (116) authorization to pay the determined fee;
the server (102) determining that the determined fee has been paid; and
responsive to the server (102) determining that the determined fee has been
paid,
the server (102) transmitting an indication that the determined fee has been
paid. (FIGS. 1,
3, 4, and 5A-5C).
27. The method of example 26, wherein the identifier comprises a unique
identifier of a parking session associated with a parking lot, and wherein the
fee comprises
a fee for the parking session. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
28. The method of example 26 or 27, wherein the communication network (116)
comprises a local-area network. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
29. The method of one of examples 26-28, wherein the communication network
(116) comprises a wide-area network. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
30. The method of example 29, wherein the wide-area network comprises the
world-wide web. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
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31. The method of example 29, wherein the wide-area network comprises the
Internet. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
32. The method of one of examples 26-31, further comprising:
the server (102) receiving from the mobile device (106) via the communication
network (116) the first time. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
33. The method of one of examples 26-32, wherein the first time is
proximate a
time when a medium was dispensed from a dispensing device, wherein a code is
disposed
on the medium, and wherein the code encodes the identifier. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4,
and 5A-5C).
34. The method of example 33, further comprising:
the server (102) receiving from the dispenser terminal the first time. (FIGS.
1, 3, 4,
and 5A-5C).
35. The method of one of examples 26-34, wherein the second time is
proximate a time of the server (102) receiving from the mobile device (106)
via the
communication network (116) the identifier. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
36. The method of one of examples 26-35, further comprising:
the server (102) receiving from the mobile device (106) via the communication
network (116) payment data to facilitate payment of the determined fee; and
the server (102) causing the determined fee to be paid using the payment data.
(FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
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37. The method of one of examples 26-35, wherein the identifier is a first
identifier, the method further comprising:
the server (102) receiving from the mobile device (106) via the communication
network (116) a second identifier;
the server (102) causing the determined fee to be paid using payment data
associated with the second identifier. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
38. The method of one of examples 26-37, further comprising:
the server (102) transmitting to the mobile device (106) via the communication
network (116) an indication that the fee was paid. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
39. The method of one of examples 26-38, further comprising:
the server (102) transmitting to an exit terminal (108) an indication that the
fee was
paid, wherein the exit terminal (108) is configured for: (i) receiving from
the server (102) the
indication that the fee was paid, and (ii) responsive to receiving from the
server (102) the
indication that the fee was paid, causing an action to be performed. (FIGS. 1,
3, 4, and 5A-
5C).
40. The method of example 39, wherein causing the action to be performed
comprises causing the action to be performed so as to permit a vehicle to exit
a parking lot.
(FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
41. The method of example 40, wherein causing the action to be performed
comprises causing an access control device in the parking lot to be moved.
(FIGS. 1, 3, 4,
and 5A-5C).
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42. A server (102) configured for performing the functions recited in one
of
examples 24-41. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
43. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon program
instructions (192) that, when executed by a processor (182), cause performance
of the
functions recited in one of examples 24-41. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
44. A method comprising:
a mobile device (106) capturing a code disposed on a medium, wherein the code
encodes an identifier;
the mobile device (106) decoding the captured code to recover the identifier;
the mobile device (106) transmitting to a server (102) via a communication
network
(116) the recovered identifier;
the mobile device (106) receiving from the server (102) via the communication
network (116) a fee associated with the transmitted identifier, wherein the
fee is a function
of at least a distance between a first location and a second location that is
different from the
first location; and
the mobile device (106) transmitting authorization to pay the received fee.
(FIGS. 1,
3, 4, and 5A-5C).
45. The method of example 44, wherein the medium comprises a paper ticket.
(FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
46. The method of example 44 or 45, wherein the code comprises a
one-dimensional code. (FIGS. 1, 3,4, and 5A-5C).
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47. The method of one of examples 44-46, wherein the code comprises a
two-dimensional matrix code. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
48. The method of example 47, wherein the code comprises a Quick Response
(QR) code (200). (FIGS. 1, 2-4, and 5A-5C).
49. The method of one of examples 44-48, wherein the identifier comprises a
unique identifier of a travel session associated with a toll road, and wherein
the fee
comprises a fee for the travel session. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
50. The method of one of examples 44-49, wherein the mobile device (106)
capturing the code comprises a camera (156) of the mobile device (106)
capturing the
code. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
51. The method of one of examples 44-50, wherein the mobile device (106)
capturing the code comprises the mobile device (106) scanning the code. (FIGS.
1, 3, 4,
and 5A-5C).
52. The method of one of examples 44-51, wherein the communication network
(116) comprises a local-area network. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
53. The method of one of examples 44-52, wherein the communication network
(116) comprises a wide-area network. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
54. The method of example 53, wherein the wide-area network comprises the
world-wide web. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
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55. The method of example 53, wherein the wide-area network
comprises the
Internet. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
56. The method of one of examples 44-55, wherein the code further encodes
the first location, the method further comprising:
the mobile device (106) decoding the code to recover the first location; and
the mobile device (106) transmitting to the server (102) via the communication
network (116) the first location. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
57. The method of one of examples 44-56, wherein the first location
is proximate
a location when the medium was dispensed from a dispenser terminal (104).
(FIGS. 1, 3,
4, and 5A-5C).
58. The method of one of examples 44-57, wherein the second location is
proximate a location of the mobile device (106) when transmitting to the
server (102) via
the communication network (116) the recovered identifier. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and
5A-5C).
59. The method of one of examples 44-58, further comprising:
the mobile device (106) displaying the received fee. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, 5A-5C,
and 6).
60. The method of one of examples 44-59, the method further comprising:
the mobile device (106) transmitting to the server (102) via the communication
network (116) payment data to facilitate payment of the received fee. (FIGS.
1, 3, 4, and
5A-5C).
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61. The method of one of examples 44-59, wherein the identifier is a first
identifier, the method further comprising:
the mobile device (106) transmitting to the server (102) via the communication
network (116) a second identifier; and
the mobile device (106) selecting payment data to facilitate payment of the
received
fee, wherein the payment data is associated with the second identifier. (FIGS.
1, 3, 4, and
5A-5C).
62. The method of example 60 or 61, wherein the payment data comprises at
least a portion of at least one of a credit card number, a debit card number,
a cardholder
name, a card expiry date, a card verification code, a personal identification
number, and a
mailing code associated with the cardholder. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
63. The method of one of examples 44-62, the method further comprising:
the mobile device (106) receiving from the server (102), an indication that
the fee
was paid; and
responsive to the mobile device (106) receiving the indication that the fee
was paid,
the mobile device (106) displaying an indication that the fee was paid. (FIGS.
1, 3, 4, and
5A-5C).
64. The method of one of examples 44-63, the method further comprising:
providing the code displayed on the medium to an exit terminal. (FIGS. 1, 3,
4, and
5A-5C).
65. The method of one of examples 44-64, the method further comprising:
the mobile device (106) displaying the captured code; and
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providing the code displayed on the medium to a capturing device. (FIGS. 1, 3,
4,
and 5A-5C).
66. The method of one of examples 44-65, further comprising:
the mobile device (106) determining that the captured code has a particular
property; and
responsive to the mobile device (106) determining that the captured code has
the
particular property, the mobile device (106) launching an application to
facilitate payment of
the received fee. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
67. A mobile device (106) configured for performing the functions recited
in one
of examples 44-66. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
68. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon program
__ instructions (162) that, when executed by a processor (150), cause
performance of the
functions recited in one of examples 1-23. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
69. A method comprising:
a server (102) receiving from a mobile device (106) via a communication
network
__ (116) the identifier;
responsive to the server (102) receiving the identifier, the server (102)
determining
a fee associated with the identifier, wherein the fee is a function of at
least a distance
between a first location and a second location that is a different from the
first location;
the server (102) transmitting to the mobile device (106) via the communication
__ network (116) the determined fee;
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the server (102) receiving from the mobile device (106) via the communication
network (116) authorization to pay the determined fee;
the server (102) determining that the determined fee has been paid; and
responsive to the server (102) determining that the determined fee has been
paid,
the server (102) transmitting an indication that the determined fee has been
paid. (FIGS. 1,
3, 4, and 5A-5C).
70. The method of example 69, wherein the identifier comprises a unique
identifier of a travel session associated with a toll road, and wherein the
fee comprises a
fee for the travel session. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
71. The method of example 69 or 70, wherein the communication network (116)
comprises a local-area network. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
72. The method of
one of examples 69-71, wherein the communication network
(116) comprises a wide-area network. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
73. The method of example 72, wherein the wide-area network comprises the
world-wide web. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
74. The method of example 72, wherein the wide-area network comprises the
Internet. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
75. The method of one of examples 69-74, further comprising:
the server (102) receiving from the mobile device (106) via the communication
network (116) the first location. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
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76. The method of one of examples 69-75, wherein the first location is
proximate
a location when a medium was dispensed from a dispensing device, wherein a
code is
disposed on the medium, and wherein the code encodes the identifier. (FIGS. 1,
3, 4, and
5A-5C).
77. The method of example 76, further comprising:
the server (102) receiving from the dispenser terminal the first location.
(FIGS. 1, 3,
4, and 5A-5C).
78. The method of one of examples 69-76, further comprising:
the server (102) receiving from the mobile device (106) via the communication
network (116) payment data to facilitate payment of the determined fee; and
the server (102) causing the determined fee to be paid using the payment data.
(FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
79. The method of one of examples 69-78, wherein the identifier is a first
identifier, the method further comprising:
the server (102) receiving from the mobile device (106) via the communication
network (116) a second identifier;
the server (102) causing the determined fee to be paid using payment data
associated with the second identifier. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
80. The method of one of examples 69-79, further comprising:
the server (102) transmitting to the mobile device (106) via the communication
network (116) an indication that the fee was paid. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
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81. The method of one of examples 69-80, further comprising:
the server (102) transmitting to an exit terminal (108) an indication that the
fee was
paid, wherein the exit terminal (108) is configured for: (i) receiving from
the server (102) the
indication that the fee was paid, and (ii) responsive to receiving from the
server (102) the
indication that the fee was paid, causing an action to be performed. (FIGS. 1,
3, 4, and 5A-
50).
82. The method of example 81, wherein causing the action to be performed
comprises causing the action to be performed so as to permit a vehicle to exit
a toll booth.
(FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
83. The method of example 82, wherein causing the action to be performed
comprises causing an access control device in the toll booth lot to be moved.
(FIGS. 1, 3,
4, and 5A-5C).
84. A server (102) configured for performing the functions recited in one
of
examples 69-83. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
85. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon program
instructions (192) that, when executed by a processor (182), cause performance
of the
functions recited in one of examples 69-83. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-5C).
86. A mobile device (106) comprising:
a processor (150);
a capturing device (156) configured to capture a code;
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a network interface (152) configured for facilitating communication between
the
mobile device (106) and a server (102); and
a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon program
instructions (162) that, when executed by the processor (150), cause
performance of the
functions recited in one of examples 1-23 or 44-66. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-
5C).
87. A server (102) comprising:
a processor (150);
a network interface (184) configured for facilitating communication between
the
server (102) and another device; and
a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon program
instructions (192) that, when executed by the processor (182), cause
performance of the
functions recited in one of examples 26-41 or 69-83. (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5A-
5C).
VI. CONCLUSION
Example embodiments have been described above. Those skilled in the art will
understand that changes and modifications can be made to the described
embodiments
without departing from the true scope and spirit of the present invention,
which is defined
by the claims.
This detailed description describes various features and functions of the
disclosed
systems, devices, and methods with reference to the accompanying figures. In
the figures,
similar symbols typically identify similar components, unless context dictates
otherwise.
The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, figures,
and claims are
not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments can be used, and other changes can
be
made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter
presented herein. It
will be readily understood that the aspects of the present disclosure, as
generally described
herein, and illustrated in the figures, can be arranged, substituted,
combined, separated,
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and designed in a wide variety of different configurations, all of which are
explicitly
contemplated herein.
With respect to any or all of the message flow diagrams, scenarios, and flow
charts
in the figures and as discussed herein, each step, block and/or communication
can
represent a processing of information and/or a transmission of information in
accordance
with example embodiments. Alternative embodiments are included within the
scope of
these example embodiments. In these alternative embodiments, for example,
functions
described as steps, blocks, transmissions, communications, requests,
responses, and/or
messages can be executed out of order from that shown or discussed, including
in
substantially concurrent or in reverse order, depending on the functionality
involved.
Further, more or fewer steps, blocks and/or functions can be used with any of
the message
flow diagrams, scenarios, and flow charts discussed herein, and these message
flow
diagrams, scenarios, and flow charts can be combined with one another, in part
or in
whole.
A step or block that represents a processing of information can correspond to
circuitry that can be configured to perform the specific logical functions of
a herein-
described method or technique. Alternatively or additionally, a step or block
that represents
a processing of information can correspond to a module, a segment, or a
portion of
program code (including related data). The program code can include one or
more
instructions executable by a processor for implementing specific logical
functions or actions
in the method or technique. The program code and/or related data can be stored
on any
type of computer-readable medium such as a storage device including a disk or
hard drive
or other storage media.
The computer-readable medium can include non-transitory computer-readable
media such as computer-readable media that stores data for short periods of
time like
register memory, processor cache, and/or random access memory (RAM). The
computer-
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readable media can include non-transitory computer-readable media that stores
program
code and/or data for longer periods of time, such as secondary or persistent
long term
storage, like read only memory (ROM), optical or magnetic disks, and/or
compact-disc read
only memory (CD-ROM), for example. The computer-readable media can be any
other
volatile or non-volatile storage systems. A computer-readable medium can be
considered
a computer-readable storage medium, for example, or a tangible storage device.
Any data
identified as being stored within a data storage device or transmitted to a
device for storage
within a data storage device can comprise a computer data signal embodied in a
carrier
wave.
Moreover, a step or block that represents one or more information
transmissions
can correspond to information transmissions between software and/or hardware
modules in
the same physical device. However, other information transmissions can be
between
software modules and/or hardware modules in different physical devices.
While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other
aspects
and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various
aspects and
embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not
intended to be
limiting.
