AU754914B2 - Travel data collection and recording device for motor vehicles - Google Patents

Description

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR OFFICE USE Short Title: Int. Cl: Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification-Lodged: Accepted: Lapsed: Published: Priority: Related At: 00 0 *0 0 0 0 00 00 0 *0.

*0 000 0 **00 000.

0000 00 00 0 000* 00 0 @000 0 00 Name of Applicant: Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT Danny Dragan Mazevski 108 Caravan Head Road OYSTER BAY NSW 2225 AS ABOVE M&IDftMjv MAjZk-VK) pO.&okf OyS^6 9_'y (:2K 2.6 f I n TT- a rjIeLo &Gwonuc BAY':rYa 2I2 249 Complete Specification for the invention entitled: TRAVEL DATA COLLECTION AND RECORDING DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: -1- This invention relates to a data collection and recording device. More particularly although not exclusively it discloses a novel trip recording device for use in motor vehicles.

Existing taxation laws require detailed documentation to be maintained regarding the use of motor vehicles for business purposes. In many situations however vehicles are used by an operator for both business and personal activities. In such situations to properly support a deduction for business related vehicle expenses the tax office requires that portion of the vehicle travel to be accurately identified. Similarly, with employee car allowances the employer normally requires a monthly statement detailing business trip distances and destinations for which the employee's vehicle was used.

Maintaining such diaries is considered tedious and bothersome for most people with the result that entries are usually left to the last minute before the submission deadline and are often based on inaccurate recollections of the operator.

It is therefore an object of this invention to ameliorate the aforementioned disadvantages and accordingly a travel recording device for installation in a motor vehicle is disclosed, said device including means to store identifying particulars of user selected trip destinations, means to 0. record distances travelled by said vehicle from starting points to said destinations, and means to enable downloading of data on said destinations and associated travel distances into a personal computer or the like to enable preparation of a formal travel diary.

Preferably said travel recording device is adapted to operate from or through the conventional electric odometer of a motor vehicle.

It is further preferred that the device require the entry of operator identification details to prevent unauthorised use.

One currently preferred embodiment of this invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings in which: Figure 1 shows the front operating panel of a travel recording device according to this concept, and Figure 2 shows the recording device with the front panel removed to enable re-programming.

Referring first to figure 1 the vehicle operator before the start of a journey would first enter a PIN and then press the YES key to activate the device. The UP/DOWN keys would then be used to move a cursor to the DESTINATION FROM field appearing on the display and the select key pushed to lock this in. The UP/DOWN keys would then be used again to scroll S: through a set of pre-programmed place names commonly used as starting points by the operator such as for example "Home" or "Hurstville Office" etc. Upon display of the desired starting -3point the SELECT key would be pushed twice to record this as the start for the automatic distance tabulation. The UP/DOWN keys would then be used to move the cursor to the DESTINATION TO and PURPOSE OF JOURNEY fields and pre-programmed selections such as for example "Parramatta Office" and "Weekly Sales Conference" would be recorded in a similar manner. The remaining functions such as ODOMETER AT START, ODOMETER AT END, DATE/TIME etc would be automatically recorded by the device without any input from the operator.

Once the vehicle starts to move a running total of the distance travelled is automatically kept without any further intervention by the driver. At the end of the journey when the STOP key is pushed the total distance travelled is then recorded in association with the previously selected place names, purpose of journey and date and time if required.

At the end of a given period such as for example a month or year the data recorded may be downloaded through the interface port shown in figure 2 into any DOS operating system to produce a formal travel log that satisfies the taxation office and/or the operator's employer. It is also envisaged that alternative software as required could be periodically re-supplied for the device with allowable travel allowances built-in. Monetary amounts for tax deductions or allowances could thereby be automatically calculated prior to downloading.

-4- In order to revise or edit the DESTINATION TO and DESTINATION FROM menus it is envisaged that the front panel shown in figure 1 would be removable to access a set of re-programming keys numbered 1 through 9. To re-program the menu of place names the UP/DOWN keys would be used first to select the desired field which could be say DESTINATION TO and the SELECT key then pushed to lock this in. The aforementioned re-programming keys would then be used to enter new place names. For example Perth as a possible DESTINATION TO would be entered by pressing key #6 once, key #2 twice, key #6 thrice, key #7 once and key #3 twice. Pushing the SELECT key twice would then lock in this new place name in the menu.

Similar procedures would then be used for re-programming the DESTINATION FROM and PUPOSE OF JOURNEY menus.

It will thus be appreciated that this invention at least in the form of the embodiment disclosed provides a novel and useful device for generating business vehicle travel logs.

Clearly however the example described is only the currently preferred form of this invention and a wide variety of modifications may be made which would be apparent to a person skilled in the art. For example the layout of the operating panel and the procedure for editing and entry of data may be changed according to design preference or to adapt the device for different applications. The invention also extends to the S: use of any suitable type of software or hardware in the device for effecting the above operations.

Claims (7)

1. A travel recording device for installation in a motor vehicle, said device including means to store indentifying particulars of user selected trip starting points and destinations, means to record distances travelled by said vehicle from said starting points to said destinations and means to enable downloading of data on said starting points destinations and associated travel distances into a personal computer or the like to enable preparation of a formal travel diary.

2. The travel recording device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said device is adapted to operate off or through a conventional electric odometer of a motor vehicle.

3. The travel recording device as claimed in claim 2 wherein a front operating panel of said device includes DESTINATION FROM and DESTINATION TO display fields and key entry means are provided for selecting pre-programmed place names to be associated with said displays.

4. The travel recording device as claimed in claim 3 wherein said means include UP/DOWN keys for identifying desired display fields and place names and a SELECT key for locking in said identified fields and place names.

The travel recording device as claimed in claim 4 wherein -6- said operating panel further includes a PURPOSE OF JOURNEY display field and said key entry means are further adapted for selecting and entering a pre-programmed brief to associate with said PURPOSE OF JOURNEY display field.

6. The travel recording device as claimed in claim 5 wherein the front operating panel is removable to access a set of re- programming keys adapted to enter new place names for said DESTINATION FROM and DESTINATION TO display fields.

7. A travel recording device for installation in a motor vehicle, said device being substantially as described herein with reference to figures 1 and 2. Dated this /V day of ee~- 19-1999 Danny Dragan Mazevski By his Patent Attorney MICHAEL ANDERSON-TAYLOR **e -7-