DE4314003A1 - Time control device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a time control device, in particular for parking, with activatable means for making deductions from an initial credit during use of a parking zone for which payment is obligatory, having a display device which indicates activation in a visible way as long as a remaining credit is present. The time control device is designed as an information carrier in the shape of a card without a line-bound supply of electrical energy and has a timing device (5) which can be activated or deactivated manually, and means (6, 8, 9) which are controlled by the timing device and, when the timing device is activated, reduce an item of payment information in steps which each correspond to a prescribed amount (14), the said item of payment information being retained in a payment memory (10) which cannot be reinitialised externally or cannot be reinitialised without special supplementary means. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a time control device in the Preamble of claim 1 specified type.

In many areas of human life are certain Activities or stays are chargeable. That is part of it  especially the parking of motor vehicles. Public Traffic areas are used more and more intensely there is a need to use them also for resting restrict traffic by charging fees and therefore for a larger number of road users to make available.

Control devices are available for paid parking conditions in the form of parking meters on the one hand and parking ticket machines otherwise known. While the parking meters each for each vehicle parking space must be available separately and because of the associated maintenance costs in the driver can decrease their importance one for a large number of parking spaces provided parking ticket machines after paying one take the relevant fee from a receipt on which over the end time the duration of the fee paid by the fee Parking time is noted in a suitable manner.

Such systems cause high initial investments and are also relatively expensive to maintain because they on the one hand have to be serviced regularly and on the other on the other hand also need consumables. Furthermore as in parking meters, the coins taken in be removed regularly. Furthermore, a park Automatic target of intrusion attempts and manipulation beations.

The known fee collection systems are also beyond for the user of the chargeable parking area Quirky connected, as always small change ready  must be and often longer distances have to be walked to get the parking ticket removal from the machine in the vehicle filed visibly.

Another disadvantage of parking ticket machines is in particular the fact that it is for widespread use in a larger community is unsuitable because the necessary number would be prohibitively expensive. About that In addition, such machines are not - or only with considerable effort - with a flexible fee system adjustable time and location fees.

On the other hand, it can be used with other - common in parking garages - Sy parking fee before entering the parking area can be removed from a machine without the use of Leaving the parking space by one of the drivers Control person paid the corresponding parking fee become. This leads to leg disadvantageously the flow of traffic and also requires from an effort in personnel that reduces the income device.

Similar considerations apply to everyone for a fee public or private facilities.

Based on the shortcomings of the prior art the invention has for its object a time control to create a device of the type mentioned at the beginning, through which with great functional reliability, with low Rem costs and regardless of local conditions  in a simple way, especially for parking vehicles on chargeable vehicles public parking spaces.

This task is carried out with the characteristic features of the Claim 1 solved.

The invention includes the knowledge that an indi vidually purchased electronic usage rights supply card with a pro in a timer device grammed and longer-term useful life of a per son, in particular a vehicle driver in advantageous Way the desired use, d. H. especially enabled light, his vehicle on through the respective city or Community as a parking area marked for a fee also several times without accepting additional ones Because of parking.

The use is also in all facilities possible, which require a time-dependent fee. Here, for example, ge on a uniform map which are thought for all municipal facilities including local transport, swimming pools, libraries, Adult education center, spa facilities etc. is valid. The - in this case not in contrast to the parking fees prohibitive - fees depend on the fact neutrally useful life, but the existing card will to invite the institutions concerned more intensely to use, since there are no cumbersome payments. With the Eliminate the need for individual billing and collecting fees also arises  no savings. If the device of the invention the user is visibly worn in function further checks are usually superfluous.

Such an electronic parking time control device can - advantageously in the form of a check card, Parking disc or telephone fee card trained - on central points of a locality (e.g. department stores, Service centers, authorities or shops) can be purchased. In addition, an electric African parking card can be used cheaply as an advertising medium and can be used as a customer gift free of charge or with a discount distributed the fee or also - to customers as a promotional gift - be given away.

To make the parking permit visible, the electroni cal parking time control device on one from the outside visible space in the interior of the vehicle to be parked, for example on the top of the dashboard placed. To mark the legal parking permit serves an optical signal, which at the beginning of the park Commissioning of the parking card is triggered.

The electronic time control device preferably has one from the outside or only using special len aids loadable storage, which is called charges trained memory and its fee information is gradually reduced. The corresponding to that of the respective time of day and the location (parking zone) at which the vehicle is to be parked, dependent devaluation area te is pre-set using a manually activated timer  direction set. This cancellation rate corresponds to ei ner or an integer multiple of a park fee ren unit and becomes one when properly parked irreversible and gradual deletion of the fee file chers used. After the parking is finished, the deletion the charge memory by switching off the timer direction interrupted.

The means of reducing the in the fee memory recorded fee information in its step size - corresponding to different devaluation rates changeable by external actuating means, the Zu was the setting of each cancellation rate by selection a memory in which the designer concerned rate is recorded and its output at his Selection with a separate recognizable as different connected display. The display of the various Devaluation rates are controlled by the different display fields and / or a different one Flashing frequency and / or a distinctly different bottom sition of a triggering the respective cancellation rate Control element made recognizable. The cancellation rate can also by a - usable as an additional function - from Timer derived clock module is influenced depending on the time become.

This way in a community can be flexible Charge handling actively affects dormant traffic be without it be complicated accounting system is likely: After selection of the relevant parking zone by Akti vation of the device follows this with the fee deduction  a given time profile, the "parking fee" disproportionately increased with increasing parking time that can. Outside of store opening hours, an ent speaking reduction take place, with the expiring "Total Time / Fee Profile" after distance from Zen trum judges. In a certain geographic area, which depends on, for example, the home address and marked on an additional label can, for example, generally other conditions conditions - for example free parking - apply.

According to a favorable development of the invention is the timer device to a time module ver completes, which also when deactivating the Zeitge device remains in function. Furthermore is one Locking circuit provided in such a way that the reactivation of the timer device within ei n the first predetermined period during or after the last activation and / or deactivation prevented is. The effect of the interlock circuit can be expand advantageous way that the Betäti means for the selection of different devaluation advise to be mutually interlocked in such a way that only a single cancellation rate at a time is adjustable, with the actuation of the selection means the timer means are also activated. Dar moreover, it is particularly favorable if the locks is configured such that a change the selected cancellation rate only within one predetermined second period after activation of the Timer means can be taken, the second period is shorter than the first period.  

If the charge memory is completely deleted, changes the visual indicator for proper parking. This is also externally controllable and can be predeterminable waiting period the corresponding administrative penalty take action by local authorities.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention are the timing device and / or the other construction groups in the form of an electronic circuit, those in integrated or hybrid technology in advantageous Covered or laminated between two cover surfaces is nated.

The applicable parking zone is from the vehicle Leader of his vehicle on a fee Parking on the electronic parking time control device set manually. This is how he chooses in a simple way the parking and specific times with the validation rate controlled via the watch module which has a clock and one from the clock module Controlled timer switching the stock of fee unit for parking in predetermined steps in fees memory is debited (step by step deletion of the memory content). The end of the parking leads to the scarf ten of the parking card (switching off the supply voltage) Interruption of the deletion in the charge memory and the timer device is reset. The parking card is ready for use again. The one still available Remaining amount of fee units is via a display that normally used to display the current time of day, controllable.  

To power the electronic time control device is a long life battery, preferably a foil battery provided. According to a green final development of the invention forms the foil battery by connecting it with a solar panel, it is easy strong hybrid system. The power supply system is designed so that its performance is about a period that is at least the total time of the sum of the fee units provided in the fee memory for the parking corresponds, is guaranteed.

Simultaneously with the display of the functional activity of the elek tronic time control device is the by the ma newly selected charge zone optically indicated during activity shows. In every parking lot or other communal usable facility is a scoreboard with the tariff areas applicable to him, their content essentially ent the program of the timer device speaks.

For increased security against unauthorized use the parking time control device is on the top next to the parking symbol "P" in a favorable way a font field for the registration of vehicle-specific license plates, at provided for example license plates.

As a display means for the time control device with Advantage, especially flexible, LED or LCD modules, chemical systems with color change or material wall reaction to thermal changes with color change systems responding to shock or volume changes  Systems and elements using electrochemichromism can be used in which an optically changeable hologram is saved.

The time display can be in both analogue and digital technology. In some applications conveniently to power a photo alone serve voltaic source if namely a fee only applies to daylight or other lighting tion arises, such as at sporting events or similar.

Furthermore, means can preferably be provided which an existing fee credit after a solve the specified period (expiry date) automatically .

Other advantageous developments of the invention are in the subclaims or are identified below along with the description of the preferred embodiment the invention with reference to the figures. It shows

Fig. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the invention in a schematic representation;

Fig. 2 is a schematically illustrated block diagram of Figure min. 1 embodiment of the invention shown,

Fig. 3 shows an advantageous form of display of the Ge schema schema memory programmed in one embodiment of the invention as well

Fig. 4 shows a favorable development of the invention shown in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 1, the preferred embodiment of the inven tion is shown in perspective. The electronic time control device (in the form of a parking time control device selected as an example) 1 is in the form of a credit or check card. For all other times to be checked, the activity "park" is to be replaced by the corresponding fee-based activity. Otherwise, the description is to be understood analogously.

The time control device is easy to handle in the embodiment shown and can be stored inside the parked vehicle so that it is visible from the outside. From the top of the electronic parking card 1 , the operating buttons 2.1 , 2.2 , 2.3 and 2.4 , with which the relevant one of the parking zones 1 , 2 and 3 is selected and the parking time control device 1 is put into operation, are accessible. For the corresponding optical display, the LED elements 31 , 3.2 , 3.3 and 3.4 are provided, which clearly show the selection of the corresponding charge zone and the function of the control device to the outside. The corresponding element is activated when the fee memory is gradually deleted in accordance with the respective zone. If the memory is empty, the display goes out. This means that the parking permit is always visible from the outside.

In the operating state shown, the electronic parking time control device 1 has been put into operation (flashing of the display element 3.4 ) and the parking zone 1 (identifier by the display element 3.1 ) has been selected. The, for example, color identification of the display element 3.1 corresponds to that on the display board (compare positions 16 and 19 according to FIG. 3). In the middle of the parking time control device 1 , a display 12 for (via a corresponding actuating element) optional display of the current time of day or of the fee units still available at the respective time and available in the fee memory for parking on fee-paying parking spaces is provided. The corresponding switching element 11 be found in the series with the parking zone selector switches 2.1 , 2.2 and 2.3 and is advantageously designed as a button.

For clear identification of the intended use (in the sense of the Road Traffic Regulations corresponding to a parking disc) on the lower part of the surface of the electronic parking time control device 1, the road traffic regulations corresponding symbol "P" is provided for parking or parking.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a block diagram of the embodiment of an electronic parking time control device 1 shown in Fig. 1 . The parking zone selector switches 2.1 , 2.2 and 2.3 are connected to a logic component 13 , which in turn also includes a locking circuit which, as described below, carries out the controls necessary for the operations. This logic module can be activated by the operating switch 2.4 (switching on the operating voltage from the power supply part 20 ) and in this state enables the activation of the time control device 5 , which in turn sets a programmable divider 9 corresponding to the selected parking zone area, so that the constant Rate clock signals emanating from the clock generator 8 appear as a result of the variable reduction in the respectively selected time steps. In the time control circuit, different addressable memory locations have reduction factor values for controlling the programmable divider 9 , which can be selected as a function of the respectively operated selector switch - and as can be seen further below - additionally as a function of the current time.

An electronic lock 4 for controlling the existing in the logic module 13 locking circuit ensures an additional safeguard against an unauthorized extension of the parking time be in such a way that the timer device can only be switched on (and thus the parking time control device 1 is ready for operation) if previously no activation and / or deactivation of the timer device has been carried out within a predeterminable period of time, in order to prevent repeated start-up in the case of parking time monitoring in the event of limited parking. In addition, this circuit light enables that initially for a short period of time after the last actuation of the selector switch these can be operated again in order to correct any errors in the selection of the parking zone.

If one of the parking zone selector switches 2.1 , 2.2 or 2.3 is actuated, then a corresponding output signal of the time control device 5 arrives at a programmable divider 9 controlled by a clock generator 8 so as to pass on the clock signals of the clock generator at a reduced rate corresponding to the selected parking zone to cause. The output signals of the divider 9 delete corresponding memory contents of the memory 10 with incremental fee amounts. This deletion is either ir reversible, in such a way that, for example, connections or memory locations are destroyed thermally or in a son-like manner by current flow, or reversible by means of special devices, so that with a corresponding device and payment of a charge, the charge storage can be recharged .

A clock module 6 , which in turn is also controlled by the clock 8 via a connection (not shown in the figure), supplies the time control device 5 with the current time of day in di gitalized form. Thus, the time-dependent tariff switching is guaranteed in an advantageous manner, so that depending on the time of day different - or possibly no - fees can be charged. On the other hand, the fee rate can also be changed progressively depending on the respective standing time of the vehicle, so that the increasing tariff forms an incentive to free up the parking space as soon as possible. In this way, different, time-variable tariff structures allow for an exact adjustment to local conditions. Accordingly, certain vehicle owners can also be asked to pay reduced fees if they use appropriately programmed (and accordingly labeled) cards. Such a handling would not be possible with the known accounting systems.

To inform the driver of the current time and the still stored on the electronic parking time control device 1 and he is available to pay the parking fees remaining fee units, a display 12 (LED) is provided, which receives the data to be displayed from a switch 7 . The switch 7 is connected to both the clock module 6 and the charge memory 10 via a data line. The button 11 enables an alternating display of the corresponding data in a favorable form.

In Fig. 3 the content of the block 5 is shown in a schematic form. It shows in a clear arrangement the addressing option for three different parking zones 19, the number of fee units 14 to be paid when parking, depending on the respective day time 15 . The links shown on table 16 are incorporated into the program of the timing device (position 5 according to FIG. 2) as addressing signals for the programmable divider circuit and can be determined at the discretion of the local authorities.

The further development of the electronic parking time control device 1 shown in a schematic form in FIG. 4 is shown in a state in which the charge memory is completely discharged. The optical display element 3.4 is extinguished when the parking zone is selected (display element 3.1 active) (no flashing signal). After pressing the button 11, the display 12 shows the value "zero" for the amount of the charge units still present. In the lower area of the electronic parking card 1 , in addition to the parking symbol “P”, a solar panel 17 is provided, with which a lithium foil foil battery used to power the electronic units of the parking time control device is connected to form a hybrid system. The text field 18 arranged below the solar panel 17 contains vehicle-specific data, for example a vehicle registration number, which can be entered when the electronic parking card is purchased. In this way, improper use of the parking card is prevented.

The invention is not restricted in its implementation to the preferred embodiment given above game. Rather, a number of variants are conceivable which of the solution shown also in principle makes use of different types.

Claims (23)

1. Time control device, in particular parking time control device, with activatable means for reducing an initial charge credit during the use of a chargeable parking zone, with a display device which makes the activation visible as long as there is a remaining charge credit, characterized by
the design as a card-shaped information carrier without a wired supply of electrical energy,
a timer device ( 5 ) to be activated or deactivated manually, and
means ( 6 , 8 , 9 ) controlled by the timer device, which reduce charge information stored in a charge memory ( 10 ) that cannot be reinitialized externally or not without special aids when the timer device is activated in steps corresponding to a predetermined fee amount ( 14 ). 2. Time control device according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for reducing the fee information held in the fee memory can be changed in step size - corresponding to different cancellation rates - by external actuating means, the state of the setting of each cancellation rate being carried out by selecting a memory, in which the cancellation rate in question is recorded and the output of which, when selected, is connected to a separate display ( 3.1 , 3.2 , 3.3 ) that can be recognized as different. 3. Time control device according to claim 2, characterized in that the display of the different cancellation rates by the activation of different display fields and / or a different flashing frequency and / or a recognizably different position of a triggering the respective cancellation rate triggering control element ( 2.1 , 2.2 , 2.3 ) is made recognizable. 4. Time control device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the timer device is completed to a timed module ( 9 ), which remains in function even when the timer device is deactivated. 5. Time control device according to one of claims 3 or 4, characterized in that the change in the cancellation rate depending on ability of an output signal of the timing device, in particular depending on the time.   6. Time control device according to one of the claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the memory for different cancellation rates at the Manufacturing once at certain devaluation rates per is grammable. 7. Time control device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a locking circuit ( 4 ) is provided in such a way that the renewed activation of the timer device within a first predetermined period during or after the last activation and / or Deacti vation prevented is. 8. Time control device according to claim 7, characterized in that the locking circuit ( 4 ) interlocks the actuating means for the selection of different devaluation rates in such a way that only a single Ent valuation rate is simultaneously adjustable, with the actuation of the selection means also the timer means are activated. 9. Time control device according to claim 8, there characterized by that the Verrie gelungs circuit is designed such that a change change in the selected cancellation rate only within one predetermined second period after activation of the  Timer means can be taken, the second period is shorter than the first period. 10. Time control device according to one of claims 4 to 9, characterized in that further actuating means are provided in order to alternately supply a common display to the output signal of the time module ( 9 ) and a memory value derived from the remaining number of fee units. 11. Time control device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a shape or design that one of the usual parking disc, check card and / or telephone charges card corresponds. 12. Time control device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the timing device and / or further assemblies ( 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 8 , 10 , 12 , 13 ) are designed in the form of an electronic circuit. 13. Time control device according to claim 12, there characterized in that the electro African circuit in the form of an integrated circuit between two cover surfaces are laminated or laminated.   14. Time control device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an energy store ( 20 ) and / or a solar cell are provided for independent power supply. 15. Time control device according to claim 14, characterized in that the energy store ( 20 ) is designed as a foil battery. 16. Time control device according to one of claims 14 and 15, characterized in that the energy store ( 20 ) has a lifespan that is greater than the maximum parking time achievable with the stored fee amount. 17. Time control device according to claim 14, characterized in that the energy store ( 20 ) is designed as a hybrid system supported by solar energy. 18. Time control device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a title block ( 18 ) for handwritten entries, in particular for the registration of vehicle-specific license plates, such as the motor vehicle number plate or a geographical indication, is provided. 19. Time control device according to one of the preceding Claims, characterized that to display at least one, especially flexible, LCD and / or LED element is provided. 20. Time control device according to one of the claims 1 to 18, characterized that a thermal working system is provided for display hen is a thermosensitive layer over a heat emitted by the timer irreversibly discolored or an element from a me morymetall changes according to its external configuration. 21. Time control device according to one of the claims 1 to 18, characterized that a chemical system is provided for display at to a corresponding output signal from the timer by merging at least two components or thermal initiation a chemical reaction that triggers a color change or a visible Material removal leads. 22. Time control device according to one of claims 1 to 18, characterized in that a display system using electrochemichromism is provided.   23. Time control device according to one of the claims 1 to 18, characterized in that a system is provided for display, in which by a corresponding output signal from the timer a holo ver with respect to at least one optical property will change.