Jan 2 2013
World Moto, Inc. ("World Moto" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has filed a patent for "an apparatus providing automated fare calculations and operating statistics to be installed on any means of conveyance." Changing the way the world goes around, World Moto is a global authority on the $500 billion dollar a year motorcycle taxi industry and inventor of the Moto-Meter, the world's first motorcycle taxi meter.
Speaking about the problems addressed by this patent, World Moto's CTO Chris Ziomkowski explained: "An enormous challenge in the design of the Moto-Meter was to include the functionality that drivers really needed to meet their complex mix of passenger transport and delivery services, while still making it lightweight and resistant to dust, weather and insects. The technology we have described in our patent application should help to revolutionize the entire industry."
It is problematical to install traditional taxi meters on motorcycles due primarily to the harsh environment that tends to quickly render them unusable. Moreover, a traditional meter has only limited utility for a moto taxi driver, who spends a significant fraction of his time running errands and courier services. In such instances, metering for the distance incurred walking and waiting can be just as important as the time and distance spent driving.
The Moto-Meter overcomes this limitation by including the most advanced rating engine in the industry, complete with MEMS technology, altitude sensors with sub meter resolution that can detect which floor of a building the device is on, and integrated GPS for detecting all types of motion. It can be ported between vehicles and carried by hand when required, and is equipped with Bluetooth and high speed wireless interfaces for reporting precise location.
The patent application also covers other important aspects of operation such as reduced fares through advertising and the ability to charge simultaneously in multiple currencies and ration coupons.
Source: http://www.worldmoto.com/