FR2860615A1 - Digital tachograph data unloading device for use by e.g. share holder, has case with connector for tachograph, where device transfers content from tachographs memory towards computer when computer is in wireless transmitter field - Google Patents

Abstract

The device has a case with a connector (1) for a digital tachograph, and a universal serial bus (USB) connector (2) to ensure connection with a desktop computer. The device establishes a connection and transfers content from a memory of the tachograph towards the computer when a computer is present in a wireless transmitter field. The device stores the content in its memory if the computer is not present in the field.

Description

- 1 -

  The present invention relates to a device for facilitating the unloading of data collected and stored in memory by digital tachographs in accordance with Annex 1B of the European Regulation 3821/85.

  EU Regulation 3821/85 required all vehicles over 3.5 tonnes to be equipped with a device that records the driver's activities, mileage and instantaneous speed on a piece of paper. The recording sheet was in the form of a wax-covered disc marked by stylets.

  The European regulation 3821/85 has been modified in that it imposes from August 2004 that the tachographs comply with its appendix 1B created in August 2002. The data will then be recorded in digital form in the memory of the tachograph and in the memory of a driver's own smart card.

  The companies or agents in charge of the controls who wanted to exploit the data recorded on the paper disks could do it either visually or by digitization and computer processing.

  With the digital tachograph, it is no longer possible to perform visual data processing except by reading the paper tape describing the various events that the device can print. - 2 -

  Driver activity data, stored on his smart card, can be easily downloaded to a computer equipped with a smart card reader. On the other hand, activities and information specific to vehicles and stored in the tachograph's memory can not be consulted or printed in their entirety.

  Companies using vehicles equipped with digital tachographs will be required to unload the contents of their memory at least once a month in order to be able to present it to the administrative staff responsible for the controls.

  Unloading data from the tachograph memory can be done via a serial type computer link. A socket dedicated to this function is necessarily located on the front of the tachograph. A protocol, defined in Appendix 1B, establishes the dialogue between the tachograph and a computer.

  The tachograph inside the vehicle can not be connected directly to the company computer. One solution is to use a laptop but the cost is high and the equipment unsuitable for outdoor use in any weather. In addition, access to the cabin of a truck can be difficult for a person equipped with a laptop. - 3 -

  The device according to the invention overcomes these disadvantages. It is equipped with an autonomous memory, possibly supplemented by a means of radio transmission, which makes it possible to unload the data of one or more tachographs, to store them temporarily before transferring them to the company computer or of the controller.

  The user climbs into the vehicle, connects the device to the tachograph. The device transfers the data to its internal memory. A system of lights or display indicates the state of the device which can be: on, transfer in progress, transfer completed, memory full. The user repeats the operation with the other vehicles until the memory of the device is full. When all the tachographs have been unloaded or the device memory is full, the user connects the device to a link of the computer that retrieves the data from the memory.

  In a second configuration, the device contains a radio link system with the computer. In this case, the data downloaded from the tachograph and placed in memory are immediately transferred to the computer.

  The device consists of a housing containing an electronic circuit, a connector adapted to the tachograph and a connector adapted to the computer (DB9 for a serial link or USB).

  According to some fabrications, the device can also contain a means of radio communication to the computer. - 4 -

  Depending on the method of manufacture, the device may be equipped with an alphanumeric display system or control lights indicating the progress of the transfer and the state of the memory.

  The electronic circuit of the device comprises, inter alia, a microcontroller responsible for the dialogue with the tachograph and the computer and the management of the memory, a memory of sufficient capacity to hold the data of one or more tachographs, a power supply for keep the data in memory when the device is not connected to an external power supply.

  The electronic part of the device may be constituted by a part of a personal assistant device or handheld computer.

  Depending on the manufacturing and the power consumption, the device can be powered electrically by the tachograph, by the computer, when it is connected to it, or by an external or internal power supply.

  The embodiment shown in Figure 1 is composed of three parts. The part referenced 1, is a connector specific to the digital tachograph and described in Appendix 1B. It has 6 contacts of which 4 are used by the device. Part referenced 2, is a USB connector for connecting to a desktop computer.

  The two connections have the particularity of being able to power the device electrically and thus dispense with an external power supply. - 5 -

  The part referenced 3 contains the electronics of the device, that is to say a 32 MB memory, a microcontroller, the level adapter circuits of the serial and USB links, a power supply circuit, 3 light-emitting diodes, a radio transmitter compliant with Bluetooth specifications and a battery.

  The housing of the device is made of impact-resistant plastic and is provided with protection against electromagnetic radiation.

  The device, in the version described in Figure 1, and when connected to a tachograph, searches for a computer present in the field of the radio transmitter. If the search is positive, the device establishes a link and transfers the contents of the memory of the tachograph to the computer. If there is no computer in the field of the radio transmitter, the device stores the contents of the tachograph memory in its own memory. The LEDs are activated according to the state of transmission and memory.

  When the device is connected to a computer via the USB link or the radio transmitter, it transfers the contents of its memory to the computer's memory.

  The device according to the invention is intended to be used by the companies holding or using road transport vehicles equipped with tachographs, by the various personnel authorized to carry out the control of the tachographs and the activity of the drivers as well as by the workshops and approved stations for the maintenance of tachographs.

Claims (9)

- 6 - CLAIMS   1) Device for enabling the data transfer operation of a digital tachograph to a computer, acting as a buffer memory, and characterized in that it consists of a housing grouping a serial connection for the tachograph , a memory, a serial connection for a computer and a microcontroller ensuring the transfer of data.   2) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the operation is autonomous and the data of the tachograph are transferred to the device memory as soon as the connection is established.   3) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that it is electrically powered by the tachograph when connected thereto.   4) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that it is electrically powered by the computer when it is connected via a connection type USE.   5) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that it comprises, according to manufacture, a radio transmission device allowing it to connect to the computer without physical connection.   6) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that it contains an internal memory that can contain the data of one or more tachographs to ensure the transfer to a computer. - 7 -   7) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that its operating state is embodied by LEDs or an alphanumeric display.   8) Device according to claim 7 characterized in that the LEDs indicate the power supply state, the current data transfer state, the memory state full, the transfer incident state.   9) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that its electronic part is provided in some constructions by a pocket computer.