DE19617859A1 - Vehicle log-book generation method - Google Patents

Abstract

The method involves producing a milestone data record with date, time of day, mileage status, by registering deadlines like garage appointment, filling, oil change, MOT, etc., assigning bills to these deadlines, and registering of other, variable vehicle costs. The logbooks can be separately kept according to drivers or other criteria. An operating panel with only 6 keys is preferably used separate from a recording device, for the entry of all necessary data. The operating panel can be very small and is preferably fastened directly to the dashboard. The recording device is preferably arranged in the trunk to be better protected against theft.

Description

Keeping logbooks is becoming increasingly important, e.g. B. if several drivers have a vehicle use or the vehicle is partly used for business and private purposes. A trip record for partially used business and private vehicles according to all criteria according to tax Legislation means hard cash.

The amount of work required to keep a logbook is considerable. For each trip, the date, time, mileage, purpose and destination of the trip must be noted. The subsequent creation of the logbook is difficult, the data required for this are usually no longer available. The workload can be reduced if data for the logbook is automatically recorded and saved.

Devices that have been developed so far to automatically generate logbooks are assumed from collecting all data already in the vehicle. These therefore require a very high level wall when entering the data. The operator terminal for input is correspondingly large and un Clear, the input requires precise knowledge of the operating instructions. The size of the Known devices prevent attachment to the dashboard and thus the simple overview operation.

It is also impractical to specify the start and destination by entering the postcode, who knows all postcodes and in a big city like Berlin the postcode is the destination too imprecise and is not recognized by the tax office. In addition, the specification of the Reason of the trip.

To simplify the keeping of a logbook and the size of the device to the min To limit the minimum necessary measure, only the data is saved in the vehicle can be recorded or entered at the push of a button. Dates like date, clock Time and mileage for each trip are automatically recorded and saved, entries such as, Art the trip or driver are assigned to each trip at the push of a button.

The entry of the missing data, such as destination and reason for the trip, is then made on the PC. This greatly simplifies the creation of the logbook. By entering stem The logbook creation software can automatically start and end again and again Recognize returning journeys and considerably simplify the work of creating the logbook chen. In addition, various logbooks can be generated by making appropriate entries the z. B. separated by drivers or by companies etc.

The device consists of a housing that contains a single-board computer and a separate one control panel.

The power supply of the device, the connection to the keyboard, to the sensor or to PC is made using connectors.

The control console required to enter the data can be mounted on the dashboard the.  

To read out the stored data, the device can be removed and connected to the interface of the PC can be connected. A laptop can be connected without removing the device, so that the data can be read out in the vehicle.

The device stores the following data

• - start of the journey
• - End of trip
• - Mileage at the start of the journey
• - route
• - Trip status (private, business, trip to work)
• - Category of the trip

or

• - Date, time, mileage and category (milestone).

With previous devices for generating a logbook, there is no possibility of tank or Record workshop dates. In the device described, this is with the generation of a Mei lensteines with the corresponding category possible. When entering a milestone, a data record with the date, time, mileage and category is generated, which then the corresponding Invoice can be assigned. The category includes certain types of invoices (e.g. plant instead of bills, gasoline bills or oil changes).

Description of the device 1. 12 V supply of the device

The 12 V supply of the device takes place via the vehicle's on-board voltage via the Ignition lock. The on-board voltage is conducted via a contact on the ignition lock or tapped directly at the ignition lock. When the ignition is switched on, the voltage goes to 12 V, when the ignition is switched off, the voltage goes to 0 V, this is the identifier for the start and End of a ride.

2. Power failure detection

Before the power failure at ( 1 ), recognizable by a voltage drop, a signal is sent to the CPU. Then all data will be saved in the battery-backed memory. This signal thus serves as the "end of journey" identifier.

When a voltage is received by switching on the ignition, the current time from the clock ( 13 ) is written into a buffer ( 15 ) and the input for the path-dependent counting pulses ( 5 ) is released.

3. Power supply to the device

The voltages required by the device are generated. The supply takes place via the vehicle's 12 V on-board voltage ( 1 ). The internal voltage and the voltage required to supply the operator terminal are generated. Any surges that occur are dissipated.

4. Clock

Generates path-dependent impulses for the registration of the route.

5. Filter

The filter discharges overvoltages coming from the clock generator ( 4 ) and filters out any interference pulses. As a result, only the counting pulses coming from the clock generator are evaluated and saved as the distance covered.

6. Operator terminal

Terminal for entering data into the device. The terminal is one line and one Connector connected to the main unit and can be, for example, on the dashboard be consolidated. Data such as driver or type of trip can be accessed via the terminal be ordered.

The terminal has 6 input keys and a loudspeaker. With the input buttons it is possible to assign the status and category to the trips. In addition, a milestone or a new trip can be created by entering the appropriate number. If a button is pressed (button function 1 ), this is evaluated as the status of the trip if a second button for the category (button function 2 ) is pressed within 3 s. If no second key is pressed within 3 s, an acoustic signal sounds. In this case, the trip is not assigned a status. To generate a milestone with a category, a key is pressed and after 3 s (acoustic signal) the same key is pressed again. This creates a milestone with the category of the key number. Categories for milestones are e.g. B. refueling, oil change, workshop appointment, etc., categories for trips are z. B. Driver 1 or 2, or ride for company 1 or 2.

By pressing button 1 three times, the old data record is closed and a new data record is started. Thus, the status of a trip can be reassigned during the trip. B. a call on the radio telephone whereupon the private trip becomes a business trip. Various tones are given to the operator via the loudspeaker to enter data or function of the device.

The function of the individual buttons is:
Key 1 Key function 1 "private trip"
The currently running trip is declared as a "private trip".
Button function 2 category 1.

The trip marked in this way is assigned to Category 1. In evaluating this A different assignment can be made with this category, e.g. B. Driver 1 or trip for company 1 etc. This makes it possible to have separate logbooks for different drivers of a vehicle or travel expenses for several Create companies or departments for which this vehicle drives with one device.  

Key 2 key function 1 "business trip"
The currently running trip is declared as "business trip".
Button function 2 category 2
Like key function 2 of key 2 only with the category 2 assignment.

Key 3 key function 1 "drive to work"
The currently running trip is declared as "trip to work".
Button function 2 category 3
Like button function 2 of button 2 only with the category 3 assignment.

Key 4 key function 1 currently no function
Button function 2 category 4
Like button function 2 of button 2, only with the category 4 assignment.

Key 5 key function 1 currently no function
Button function 2 category 5
Like key function 2 of key 2, only with the category 5 assignment.

Key 6 key function 1 currently no function
Button function 2 category 6
Like key function 2 of key 2, only with the category 6 assignment

"Milestone"

When this function is triggered, a new one is created regardless of the current journey Data record generated. The new data record receives the identifier milestone, the time, the kilometer terstand and the category. Categories are workshop, refueling, oil change, TÜV, AU. The Categories can then be assigned to costs. This is the registration of the vehicle possible with date and mileage.

7. Buffer input

The entries in the operator terminal are stored in this buffer until the data record is saved. New entries reset previous ones. At the end of the trip, recognizable by the power failure identifier ( 2 ), the saved entries are coded and saved in the data record for this trip.

8. Program

Permanently stored program that the logical links within the device carried out and the data processed and forwarded.

9. Vehicle master data

Data that are assigned to the vehicle, such as the transmission ratio of the speedometer pulses Distance, speedometer reading, device number and device time. The data are used for loading calculate the distance traveled and the current speedometer reading. The Ge When reading out the data, the council number is used for the correct assignment in the logbook. The Logbook software in the PC can keep several logbooks. By the device number the data is automatically assigned to the correct logbook. The device number  must be entered during the software installation. If the device number is incorrect no data read out, this serves to protect against theft and protect against misuse chem use of the data.

10. CPU

Carries out all data and arithmetic operations controlled by the program ( 8 ).

11. Interface

Connection point to the external device (PC) for reading and reading the data.

12.Buffer battery

Provides the energy required to store the records and keep the watch running available when the ignition is switched off.

13 o'clock

Continuously forms the current time and date in serial form.

14. Buffer distance

The distance covered during this journey is saved during the journey. When driving At the end this value is saved in the data record of this trip.

15. Buffer start time

At the start of the journey, the current value of the watch is written to this buffer. At At the end of the trip, this value is saved in the data record for this trip.

16. Buffer time

The device time from the clock ( 13 ) is constantly written to this memory while the vehicle is in motion. At the end of the trip, this value is saved in the data record for this trip.

17. Record storage

Battery-buffered memory in which the data records of the trips are saved. For each trip, a data record is created in which the data start of trip and end of trip are entered at the end of the trip. From this data and the vehicle master data ( 9 ) who calculated and transmitted the data records with the information trip start, trip duration and distance during the transfer to the PC. When the "Milestone" button is pressed, a data record is generated with the information device time and mileage.

18. Connector

All connections to and from the device go through this one connector. So that's the Connection of the device possible very quickly.

19. Interface

Connection point to the external recording device for reading and reading the data.

20. Program

Permanently stored program that the logical links within the device carried out and the data processed and forwarded.

21. Master data

Master data are data about the vehicle such as car number, device number and kilometers stand, these are used to control the read data and to assign them to Logbook. Other master data are recurring trips, recurring destinations  and driving reasons, with this master data many trips can be made when creating the logbook automatically recognized and assigned.

22. Entries

The logbook is completed using the entries. The entries refer to different areas. First, the entries for the master data. Second, the one to the logbook, the read journeys are entered by Destination, reason for travel, etc. completed and the logbook generated. The third serve Inputs defining the form of the expression. It can be the logbook data controlled by inputs in various forms, total logbooks or by driver separate logbooks etc. can be printed out.

23. CPU

Carries out all data and arithmetic operations controlled by the program ( 8 ).

24. Buffer records

The read data records of the individual trips are saved here and are available available for further processing.

25. Logbook saved

The trip generated from the imported data records, the master data and the entries tenbuch is saved in the form of data records and is available for printing.

26. Output device

Output device is the output of the complete logbook. This is in in most cases a printer, but also all other forms of data output.

27. Logbook printed out

This is the printed form of the logbook for delivery to z. B. the tax office.

Claims (6)

1. Possibility of generating a milestone (data record with date, time, mileage)

• 1.1 Registration of appointments such as workshop appointment, refueling, oil change, TÜV or AU
• 1.2 Allocation of invoices to these dates
• 1.3 Recording the variable vehicle costs.

2. Trip logs can be printed out separately according to drivers or other criteria. 3. A control panel separate from the recording device with only 6 keys for entering all necessary data

• 3.1 The control panel is very small and can be attached directly to the dashboard
• 3.2 The recording device can be installed in the trunk and is thus better protected against theft.

4. Acquisition of the start and destination using a PC or laptop

• 4.1 Only a few data need to be entered while driving, press two buttons.
• 4.2 By creating recurring journeys and master data, in the PC or laptop, the start and destination locations can be recognized and assigned automatically. After entering a few repetitive trips, the logbook is generated almost completely automatically. Only the data is checked.
• 4.3 A data backup of the recorded data is created automatically in the PC. This data and the completed logbook can also be saved.

5. The end of a journey is automatically recognized by switching off the ignition. So that is a distinction to the vehicle standstill in a traffic jam possible. 6. Several logbooks can be managed. A device number is used for a automatic assignment of data to the logbook.