Trackstop

Trackstop is an RFID/NFC-based public transport monitoring and passenger information system designed to modernize public bus transportation. The system uses RFID readers installed at fixed checkpoints along bus routes to detect RFID-tagged buses, recording their position in real time and pushing live arrival estimates to a passenger-facing mobile app and digital display boards at bus stops.

Beyond tracking, Trackstop layers an NFC-based digital ticketing system on top — passengers tap an NFC-enabled device on a bus-mounted validator, which verifies the pass with a central server and grants entry, eliminating paper tickets and manual conductor verification entirely. The project was developed at Sai Vidya Institute of Technology and is filed as a patent under The Patents Act, 1970 (Ordinary Application — Patent Office, India).

RFID readers are installed at fixed checkpoints along bus routes. Buses carry RFID tags — when a bus passes a checkpoint, the system records its position and updates a central server. The server calculates estimated arrival times for downstream stops and pushes that data to a passenger-facing mobile app and digital display boards at bus stops.

On top of tracking, the system layers NFC-based digital ticketing. Passengers tap their NFC-enabled device on an on-bus validator. The validator contacts the central server, verifies the pass balance or validity, and grants or denies entry — eliminating paper tickets and manual conductor verification entirely.

The three key figures in the patent describe (1) the overall system architecture, (2) the RFID checkpoint detection and information update flow, and (3) the NFC-based digital ticket validation process — together forming a unified real-time transit management platform.

Challenge: Deployment cost of RFID infrastructure at multiple checkpoints.
Solution: Designed the system to use minimal, strategically placed RFID readers at key route points rather than continuous tracking, reducing hardware requirements without sacrificing location accuracy.

Challenge: Not all passengers own NFC-enabled devices.
Solution: The patent acknowledges this as a known limitation; the system is designed to coexist with conventional ticketing methods during transition, with the digital layer as an opt-in channel.

Challenge: Real-time synchronization between RFID checkpoints and the central server requires stable network connectivity.
Solution: The architecture is built around a centralized server model that can buffer and reconcile checkpoint data even during brief connectivity gaps, maintaining arrival estimate accuracy.

Challenge: RFID detection accuracy can be affected by environmental conditions or tag placement.
Solution: Standardized tag positioning on buses and shielded reader placement at checkpoints were incorporated into the system design to minimize false positives and missed detections.

Trackstop addresses longstanding inefficiencies in public bus transportation — inaccurate arrival information, manual ticket verification, paper-based ticketing, and poor passenger flow visibility. The system provides transport authorities with a real-time, centralized view of fleet movement, while giving passengers reliable arrival estimates and a seamless tap-to-board ticketing experience.

The project has been accepted and published as a patent (Application No. 202641070548 A) in The Gazette of India: Extraordinary, Part II — validating the invention's novelty and practical contribution to public transportation technology.

Invented by Adeep AG alongside collaborators at Sai Vidya Institute of Technology. The project was guided by Dr. Manjunath T. N. (Principal) and Prof. Sunil Kumar B. (Department of CS&E). Co-inventors include Abhiram Mahabaleshwar Naik, Amulya GT, Akshata, Ajaykumar S, Aishwarya CL.

Have a question about the project or the patent? Reach out through the contact page or visit the patents page for the full filing details.