GB2071894A - Ticket dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

A ticket dispensing machine comprises a photographic booth with a camera system having a split field whereby one part of the field is directed towards the purchaser of the ticket and the other towards a data display panel serving to indicate the period of validity of the issue ticket. The photograph of the purchaser and the data indicating the period of validity are printed on the same photographic record in order to safeguard against tampering and to obviate the need for plastics encapsulation.

Description

SPECIFICATION Ticket dispenser The invention relates to a ticket dispenser and is particularly intended for the automatic dispensing of a pass for a transport system.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a ticket dispensing machine which comprises photographic equipment operated by a currency, credit card or token receiving apparatus and operative to provide a ticket in the form of a photographic record, one part of which consists of a picture of the purchaser and another providing date photographed on the same record sheet indicating the period of val idity of the ticket.

Aticket dispenser in accordance with the invention may thus have the form of a photographic booth in which a ticket purchaser sits or stands and a camera system having a split field of view of which one part is directed towards the purchaser and the other against a data display panel.

The data display panel conveniently includes a time or a day display which may be updated either manually or automatically to indicate the period of validity. Thus, the day displayed on the data panel may either be altered by an operator at the beginning of each day or a clock mechanism may be incorporated as part of the photographic booth.

Whereas the ticket dispenser can be operated by coins, the typical value of a transportation pass makes the use of a coin-freed mechanism inappropriate. Because equipment for identifying paper currency is expensive, it is preferred that the booth be operated by purposely designed tokens which could be purchased as and when required from stores.

It has previously been proposed to use a photograph as part of a transportation pass but hitherto the photograph and a card indicating the period of validity were separately prepared and placed in a common encapsulation. This system was expensive, susceptible to fraud and not readily adaptable to total automation. The fact that the validity period is part of the photographic record offers an effective safeguard against tampering with the validity date, thereby obviating the need for plastic encapsulation.

The tokens may either be suitably shaped solid pieces or magnetically recorded cards analogous to tickets issued by some London Underground stations. An extension of the latter principle could be the acceptance of credit cards enabling the price of the pass to be billed directly without the need for the purchase of a token.

The field of view of the camera system may be split by means of a mirror or prism in order to incorporate the validity data on the same photographic record sheet but in view of the general resemblance of the ticket dispenser in other respects to a photographic booth, it is believed that the invention will be readiiy understood by a person skilled in the art without any further description.

1. A ticket dispensing machine comprising photographic equipment operable by a currency, credit card or token receiving apparatus and operative to provide a ticket in the form of a photographic record, one part of which consists of a picture of the purchaser and another providing data photographed on the same record sheet indicating the period of validity of the ticket.

2. A ticket dispensing machine as claimed in Claim 1, comprising a photographic booth having a camera system the field of view of which is split whereby one part is directed towards the purchaser and the other towards a data display panel.

3. Aticket dispensing machine as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the data display panel comprises an automatically up-dated time or day display.

4. A ticket dispensing machine as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the data display panel provides two day displays, the first for indicating the date of issue of a ticket and the second the date of expiry.

5. A ticket dispensing machine as claimed in Claim 3 or 4, wherein the data display panel is additionally operative to provide a display of the price of the ticket.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (5)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Ticket dispenser The invention relates to a ticket dispenser and is particularly intended for the automatic dispensing of a pass for a transport system. In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a ticket dispensing machine which comprises photographic equipment operated by a currency, credit card or token receiving apparatus and operative to provide a ticket in the form of a photographic record, one part of which consists of a picture of the purchaser and another providing date photographed on the same record sheet indicating the period of val idity of the ticket. Aticket dispenser in accordance with the invention may thus have the form of a photographic booth in which a ticket purchaser sits or stands and a camera system having a split field of view of which one part is directed towards the purchaser and the other against a data display panel. The data display panel conveniently includes a time or a day display which may be updated either manually or automatically to indicate the period of validity. Thus, the day displayed on the data panel may either be altered by an operator at the beginning of each day or a clock mechanism may be incorporated as part of the photographic booth. Whereas the ticket dispenser can be operated by coins, the typical value of a transportation pass makes the use of a coin-freed mechanism inappropriate. Because equipment for identifying paper currency is expensive, it is preferred that the booth be operated by purposely designed tokens which could be purchased as and when required from stores. It has previously been proposed to use a photograph as part of a transportation pass but hitherto the photograph and a card indicating the period of validity were separately prepared and placed in a common encapsulation. This system was expensive, susceptible to fraud and not readily adaptable to total automation. The fact that the validity period is part of the photographic record offers an effective safeguard against tampering with the validity date, thereby obviating the need for plastic encapsulation. The tokens may either be suitably shaped solid pieces or magnetically recorded cards analogous to tickets issued by some London Underground stations. An extension of the latter principle could be the acceptance of credit cards enabling the price of the pass to be billed directly without the need for the purchase of a token. The field of view of the camera system may be split by means of a mirror or prism in order to incorporate the validity data on the same photographic record sheet but in view of the general resemblance of the ticket dispenser in other respects to a photographic booth, it is believed that the invention will be readiiy understood by a person skilled in the art without any further description. CLAIMS

1. A ticket dispensing machine comprising photographic equipment operable by a currency, credit card or token receiving apparatus and operative to provide a ticket in the form of a photographic record, one part of which consists of a picture of the purchaser and another providing data photographed on the same record sheet indicating the period of validity of the ticket.

2. A ticket dispensing machine as claimed in Claim 1, comprising a photographic booth having a camera system the field of view of which is split whereby one part is directed towards the purchaser and the other towards a data display panel.

3. Aticket dispensing machine as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the data display panel comprises an automatically up-dated time or day display.

4. A ticket dispensing machine as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the data display panel provides two day displays, the first for indicating the date of issue of a ticket and the second the date of expiry.

5. A ticket dispensing machine as claimed in Claim 3 or 4, wherein the data display panel is additionally operative to provide a display of the price of the ticket.