The Smart Box™ Validating Farebox is supplied as a complete fare collection system with: 1) electronic validating farebox, 2) garage revenue station, 3) money room system, and 4) a central host computer system which combines farebox, garage, and money room data into an accurate picture of daily fare collection operations.

Accuracy: Electronic validation of both coins and bills. Validation means coin characteristics such as metallic content and weight are tested--not just size. Similarly, all valid banknotes are identified by denomination electronically--$1's, $5's, $10's, and $20's can be validated and accepted. Slugs, foreign coins and counterfeit bills will be rejected. The driver does not make visual inspection of monies--all validation is handled electronically.

Speed: Accepts and validates coins and bills as fast as they can be fed into the farebox. Coins and bills are validated and counted simultaneously.

Flexibility: Integrates with other on-board electronics such as headsigns, radios, GPS systems and J1708 devices--even fare collection devices from other manufacturers. Small size allows installation on small vehicles in a variety of different configurations.

Dependability: Reduced number of moving parts, plus driver can securely clear coin and bill jams, without access to cashbox contents. Electronic design provides greater reliability and reduced preventive and remedial maintenance costs. The Smart Box™ Validating Farebox is built to perform well in the mass transit environment.

Efficiency: Faster and simpler revenue service decreases labor costs and bus dwell times in the garage. Elimination of hand stacking and facing of bills reduces costs in the money room. Automatic revenue audit trail reduces management time in balancing and revenue reconciliation process.

Safety: The driver’s eyes should be on the road--not the farebox. Electronic validation eliminates the cash inspection plate. Programmable audible tones signal events to the driver. Operator Control Unit (OCU) can be mounted anywhere convenient to the driver.

Security: Coins and bills are deposited into a single, compact cashbox which contains an electronic identification tag. Bills are neatly and tightly stacked and faced in the banknote compartment for easy and cost effective removal, handling and counting.

Adaptability: Accepts 12 different coins and tokens (in six denominations), and four banknotes (face up in two directions). Connects to ticket readers, card readers, and smart card interface devices supplied by any manufacturer.

Auditability: Every bus, every day, is balanced individually against actual cash counts and ridership. Daily reports pinpoint every aspect of ridership and fare payments. Accurate counts and secure audit trail permit you to immediately identify the source of any cash shortages.

User-friendliness: Both driver and passenger are prompted by bright and legible electronic displays. A wide variety of messaging formats are available for selection and they are easily modified to enable special messages for holidays and service announcements. The driver keypad includes up to 32 user-modifiable buttons.

Installation

Installation of The Smart Box™ Validating Farebox can be accomplished in a variety of different configurations, including wall mounting and mounting atop a transmission hump in a van or mini-bus. Pole mounting points are included on several sides of the farebox.

The Operator Control Unit (OCU) is attached via a flexible wiring conduit. The maximum length is 30 feet.

The Smart Box™ Validating Farebox is designed to operate in the bus environment. Normal operation can be sustained in the range of 9 to 18 volts. In addition, all components are rated to exceed temperature and shock/vibration specifications required of all on-board equipment.

User interface

Maximum coin feeding speed is 10 coins per second. Bills are validated, counted, and stacked at the rate of 2 bills per second. Rejected coins and bills are returned to the passenger. Bills are returned via the inlet slot. Coins are returned via a coin return chute on the front of the farebox. At the option of the transit company, an audible tone is sounded when either coins or bills are returned. A fully graphic vacuum fluorescent user display can indicate anything the transit company wishes. Typically, it will indicate the default adult fare and count down the monies inserted by the passenger. Fare "tally" information is entered by the operator through the OCU. The twenty (20) "shortcut" keys on the OCU allow operators to enter in all typical transactions with a single key press.

Driver Interface

Beginning/End of Shift

The driver logs on at the beginning of the shift and enters all data required to set up a shift/run. The farebox runs through a rapid set of self test diagnostics and goes into operation.

When returning to the garage at the end of a shift/run, the driver enters the specified bus lane for revenue service. All farebox transaction information is uploaded to the garage revenue collection station using a high speed, contactless infrared data probe. The data probe is pointed at the farebox from a distance of up to three (3) feet. The data probe transaction takes less than three (3) seconds. Infrared communications uses industry standard IrDA hardware.

Upon completion of data probing operation, if the contents of the cashbox meet the defined revenue service thresholds, the farebox automatically opens the revenue access door. If a revenue service threshold has not been met, the farebox notifies the operator through the OCU display and revenue service clerk through the customer display, and revenue service for the bus is complete.

If a revenue service threshold has been met, the cashbox is removed by the revenue service agent, and replaced with an empty cashbox. The cashbox automatically and securely locks before removal from the farebox. The cashbox is not opened again until it reaches the money room for counting.

No cash is visible at any time to any personnel during revenue service.

Cashbox Capacity

The cashboxes which have been removed from buses are moved to the money room using either a through wall system or a money cart. In the money room cashboxes are counted at cash counting stations that connect to money room system for automatic reporting of bill and coin count information by cashbox. Each cash counting station consists of a cashbox I.D. reader, an industry standard high speed coin counter/sorter, and an industry standard high speed bill counter/validator.

At the cash counting station, cashboxes are placed in a frame which contains an electronic cashbox I.D. reader. After the cashbox I.D. is read, the cashbox is opened using the revenue key and all coins automatically drop into the coin counter/sorter. Since all bills in the cashbox are neatly stacked and faced, the bills are removed from the cashbox and placed directly into the bill counter/validator. Bill and coin count information for each cashbox is automatically sent to the money room system, so it can be sent to the central host computer to be compared count information probed from the farebox during revenue service.

The entire process of bill and coin counting can be accomplished in a matter of a few seconds per cashbox. A single employee at a single cash counting station can process more than 400 cashboxes in one eight (8) hour shift.

After counting, the empty and open cashboxes are ready to be returned to revenue service.

Data Processing Operations

A complete data processing and accounting package is supplied which provides all needed basic information relating to fare collection operations on a run-by-run basis. Tools are provided to enable management to develop custom reports of any kind. Also, assistance is given with the integration into Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and passenger counting systems to provide even more accurate passenger loading and traffic counts for each individual bus stop.

Both transaction-based and summary data is generated from daily data downloaded from each bus and is made available to the report generation engine of The Smart Box™ Central Host Computer. Files are available also for export to and manipulation by any standard desktop database or spreadsheet application.

Integration With Other Bus Automation

The Smart Box™ Validating Farebox is designed from the start to interoperate with other systems on a modern mass transit bus. We will work with other vendors to interface our units logically and mechanically, including the sharing of data processing messages and protocols needed for full intercommunication with GPS systems, head signs, and radio units. Our farebox includes, for example, many spare serial communications channels and physical room to add additional industry standard circuit boards for J1708 interfaces and GPS receiving units. These expansion options can be acquired from any supplier of standard industrial electronic components.