EP0123267B1 - Control device for taxis - Google Patents

Abstract

1. A distance meter, especially a taximeter (T) for the commercial passenger traffic, to be supplied by an electrical or an electronical pulse generator (I) with pulses according to the distance covered and provided with different meters actuated by pulses, to be controlled by a switch operated from outside or by a further seat contact (SK), controlling the top light signal (DZ) simultaneously, with a meter for the determination of all kilometers covered with occupants (totally occupied kilometres), characterised in that a contact (S-DLZ) of the first relay (DLZ) is switched into a pulse line (I/T) through that the top light signal (DZ) and the totally occupied kilometres determinating meter are controlled by turns and that beyond it a second relay (SR) is switched into a line constructed parallel (SK) and the connection to the further meter being developped for determinating the not-regularly covered occupied kilometres and that a further line parallel to the pulse line (I/T) is provided with a relay (SAR1), bridging the relay (SR) and in case of a sabotage, preferably by contacting a sabotage line (SL) being switched sloping by reason of a contact breaker, closes the further parallel line and to be started again by a special circuitry unit (QS) only.

Description

The invention relates to an odometer, in particular taximeters for commercial passenger traffic, which is supplied with pulses corresponding to the route via an electrical or electronic pulse generator and which has various counters controlled via it, which are to be switched on via an externally operated switch or an additional seat contact. Via which the roof light signal is to be switched on and off at the same time, a counter being provided for determining all kilometers traveled with the passenger (total busy kilometers).

Typically equipped taxis have an electronic pulse generator, which identifies the rotation of the speedometer cable in electronic pulses, which are fed to the taximeter via a line, where they count the kilometers driven, the kilometers driven, and the fees due for them. The total number of kilometers driven by the vehicle and the occupied kilometers, i.e. So the kilometers traveled with the passenger are registered and saved in the taximeter and can be queried by the taxi operator using appropriate switches.

The taxi operators sometimes suffer considerable loss of revenue because many taxi drivers do not turn on the taximeter when transporting passengers and bill the transport fee privately with the passenger and thus collect the entire fee without authorization. On the basis of the difference between the occupied kilometers registered by the taximeter and the total kilometers traveled by the vehicle, this action cannot be checked or proven, because as a result of the journey to the place of order of a taxi, the return trip to the taxi station, etc., there are always a large number of kilometers without a passenger, which are the total kilometers traveled by the vehicle.

To remedy this, so-called seat contacts have been built into the passenger seats of taxis, which are actuated by the weight of a passenger and trigger a signal when the taximeter is not switched on, which should indicate to the taxi operator that an attempt at fraud has been made. These seat contacts and / or the signal transmitters you actuate can be manipulated with little effort, so that fraud can still be carried out without the taxi operator being able to prove fraud (US Pat. Nos. 3,325,097, 3,674,986 and DE) -A-3 218 093). Similar attempts at fraud can be determined in accordance with US Pat. No. 4,001,777. This known monitoring device, which can be constructed both from electromechanical components and from electronic components, has a conventional taximeter, which can usually be switched on manually for the distance-dependent registration of the occupied kilometers. If a passenger is to be transported and the taximeter is not switched on, a circuit is closed by seat contact and a relay is activated, which causes this unauthorized attempt to be registered and the taxi to be deactivated by interrupting the ignition current. It is also provided that any sabotage attempts should be displayed via switching means. A disadvantage of these known monitoring devices is that when the respective device responds, improper use is prevented, but the entire vehicle is put out of operation. The taxi operator can only determine that an attempt has been made to defraud, but must intervene immediately and take appropriate measures to put the vehicle back into operation, as otherwise it would not generate any income for a correspondingly long period of time. Such a monitoring device ultimately brings more damage than an advantage for the taxi operator.

Since the unauthorized transportation of passengers also has disadvantages for the tax authorities, the Danish state initially stipulated that all occupied kilometers must be registered in such a way that regardless of the setting of the taximeter, exactly how many kilometers the taxi can be taken drove with a passenger. From «Ketner-Information», 15.02.1980, a counter that can be addressed via a seat contact is known, which, in addition to the taximeter, counts the total number of kilometers traveled by a taxi passenger (total busy kilometers). This mechanical control counter is very complex due to its structure and the need to convert the pulses of the pulse generator accordingly and because of the mechanically moving parts it is expensive and maintenance-intensive. Another disadvantage is that it is installed and installed separately from the taximeter, so it requires additional space. Above all, however, such a separately attached counter can be manipulated with little effort, especially since it receives the required information from the actual taximeter by correspondingly forwarding the pulses. In this respect, even such a separate meter does not provide the security desired by the taxi operator and the tax authorities.

The object of the invention is to provide a distance counter which is protected against manipulation and which offers the taxi operator the possibility of detecting unauthorized journeys.

According to the invention, the object is achieved in that a contact of a first relay is connected in the pulse line, via which the roof light signal and the totalizer determining the total occupied kilometers are alternately controlled, and in addition, a second relay is connected in a line parallel to the pulse line, that can be controlled from the seat contact and the connection to the additional, the The counter, which does not regularly drive the occupied kilometers, is designed to be activated and that a further line parallel to the impulse line is provided with a relay, which bridges the relay and, in the event of sabotage, preferably switches off when a sabotage line responds due to an interruption in the power supply, closes the further parallel line and only by separate ones Switching devices must be acknowledged again.

Such an odometer thus offers the taxi operator the possibility to ascertain perfectly whether and how many kilometers have been traveled regularly with passengers or with private billing, that is to say irregularly. The parallel line to the impulse line and the corresponding relay ensures that the total occupied kilometers are counted even if the taximeter is not switched on, since this second relay is always activated via the seat contacts when the Taxi drivers should not turn on the meter. This counter is not accessible to the taxi driver. A certain manipulation would only be possible through sabotage, but this would then be readily apparent. The basic principle of the invention is to branch the path of the pulses from the pulse generator to the counter and to lead them via several relay switches or contacts, the outputs of which are connected to the taximeter or counter in such a way that the total busy kilometers as well as those from Taxi drivers can be registered and saved by switching on the regular kilometers driven. It is ensured that with normal driving style, i.e. when a passenger is being transported and the taximeter has been switched on, a first route from the pulse generator to the taximeter is closed, the roof light signal being switched off as usual. A line is connected to the output of the Totat-Busy Kitometer, which leads to a first relay via the wiring strip on the printed circuit board, which is de-energized and drops when the taximeter is switched on. When the relay drops out, the associated relay switch is closed and the pulses go from the pulse generator to the taximeter and are registered as occupied and total occupied kilometers.

If the taxi is driven without a passenger being transported, the transmission of impulses from the pulse generator to the taximeter is interrupted, both to the counter that registers the occupied kilometers and to the total registering kilometers. If, on the other hand, a passenger is transported and the taximeter is not switched on, the path from the pulse generator to the taximeter, which has already been described, is initially interrupted because the corresponding relay is not actuated. The roof light sign still lights up. The further relay, to which the voltage is applied in any case, ensures that in such a case the necessary impulses nevertheless reach the total busy mileage counter. This relay is switched in the manner of a closed circuit. This means that if any of the seat contacts of the passenger seats are actuated, this closed circuit is interrupted and the seat contact relay drops out. As a result, the switch assigned to this relay closes and connects the pulse generator to the total busy kilometers counter via the parallel line in such a way that the total busy kilometers but no busy kilometers are registered in the taximeter. Due to the fact that the relay is switched to the closed circuit, manipulation of the seat contacts only has the consequence that the relay is de-energized, so that all the total occupied kilometers are then counted.

In order to prevent further attempts at sabotage, which may consist in interrupting the power supply to the circuit board, disrupting its connection to ground or the like, a further line parallel to the pulse line is provided with a relay which bridges the relay assigned to the seat contact and at Sabotage, preferably when the sabotage line responds, switches off and can only be acknowledged again by separate switching devices. This relay is designed with latching.

A second relay is connected to this self-holding relay, which is connected on the output side to a sabotage signal. This ensures that the attempt at sabotage is also displayed visually or acoustically. An RC element is preferably assigned to the relay for short-term maintenance of voltage maintenance in the event of a power failure, in order to ensure that the sabotage device is effective in the event of operational errors. Should, for example, a loose contact occur at any point due to operational vibrations, this prevents the loose contact from triggering the sabotage device because the sabotage relays remain in the energized state for the duration of a brief interruption. Current input and output, i.e. plus and minus or ground connection of the sabotage relays, is protected by blocking diodes, on the one hand, so that the drop-out delay cannot discharge into other circuits, on the other hand, to prevent manipulation by applying external voltages. Each end of the line, which comes from the excitation coil of the two sabotage relays, is connected to ground via a sabotage line, which is closed in the vehicle or taxi and into which any points at risk of manipulation can be connected. If the sabotage line is interrupted at any point, the sabotage relays drop out as if the voltage had been interrupted beforehand. The dropping of the sabotage relays, i.e. their de-energization, has the consequence that a switch open until then is closed on the first sabotage relay and another path closes from the pulse generator to the total busy mileage counter, so that all driven total occupied kilometers are recorded in the counter. It can also be used for this ensure that the taximeter is switched on again after the tamper relay has been triggered. The second sabotage relay has a switch which is also open when the relay is activated and closed when the relay is off, which, when a sabotage attempt has been made, applies the voltage to a sabotage display signal. The fact that the sabotage relays can no longer be activated by manipulation means that the sabotage display signal is also constantly active and the taxi operator has the option of requesting information from the taxi driver about the attempted fraud, in particular he can use the difference between the total occupied and occupied kilometers to Record fraudulently received amounts or kilometers fraudulently driven. This also applies if the seat contacts come into action when the taximeter is not switched on; the difference between the total and the busy kilometers shows the taxi operator how many kilometers were not fraudulently charged.

In order to return the tamper device to its initial state after an attempt at tampering, the tamper line is connected to a key switch outside the circuit board, which via a separate path, bypassing the blocking diode provided for protection, pulls the sabotage gag back on and brings it back to its initial state. This process is called acknowledgment, which is why the key switch is identified as an acknowledgment switch.

There are several variants with regard to the design of the sabotage signal. The signal can be an indicator lamp, an acoustic signal transmitter or a radio signal transmitter that indicates to the taxi operator that the attempted sabotage has been made. Advantageously, all of these parts intended for monitoring are assigned to an electronic printed circuit board with a printed circuit, that is to say they are easy to integrate or to be replaced when maintenance work becomes necessary.

The present invention solves the problem in a particularly advantageous manner, especially since no wearing parts are used and deviations between the individual meter units cannot occur due to the developed procedure, since they are connected to the same pulse path. For this purpose, three, preferably four relays, a plurality of fuse holders with fuses, three blocking diodes and an RC element as a dropout delay device for at least one of the relays, including a connecting bar, are arranged and connected to one another on an electronic printed circuit board with printed circuit, a connection from the When the taximeter is switched off, the live line leads to the roof light and one of the relays and from the relay output to ground, and a line coming from the pulse generator leads to the taximeter via the switch, which is closed when the relay has dropped out or is de-energized, and triggers the counting of the total occupied kilometers in the taximeter , while another relay is connected to voltage and is connected on the output side via a line and the connecting strip to seat contacts which lead to ground and are arranged in or under the passenger seats, and the switch belonging to the relay is connected to a live relay is opened and drops when the seat contact is loaded by opening it, a further line coming from the pulse generator is connected to the taximeter via the switch which is closed when the relay has dropped out and triggers the counting of total occupied kilometers when the taximeter is switched off and one, preferably two relays via an RC - Member, which ensures a drop-out delay of at least 1 to 2 seconds, is connected to voltage via one of the blocking diodes and, via a further one of the diodes, to a line leading to the connecting bar, which leads to a sabotage line closed in the taxi and connected to ground, the switch provided on the sabotage relay, which is open when there is no non-spin relay, is connected to the pulse generator on the input side and the taximeter on the output side and is closed when the relay has failed as a result of sabotage attempts and causes the counting of all kilometers driven as a total occupied kilometer, while preferably The sabotage relay provided, with its switch open when the relay is pulled, is connected on the one hand to the voltage and on the output side to a sabotage display signal and activates this in the event of sabotage and the relay having dropped out, and that outside the circuit card is connected to the sabotage line and the connecting bar, an acknowledgment key switch that connects the a sabotage attempt due to manipulation as a result of a further blocking diode no longer brings the sabotage relay that can be converted into the energized state.

The electrical circuit of the monitoring device designed according to the invention is shown in the drawing.

The figure shows the essential connections and switching elements of the monitoring device in a simplified form. A pulse generator I of the taxi leads to a connecting bar of an electronic circuit card 1, which is not shown in the figure for clarity, which is shown in the figure in dash-dotted lines not in its geometric shape but in the functional detection of the switching elements. A connection V1 on the electronic circuit board 1 takes voltage from an output line AL of a taximeter T and leads it to the field winding of a first relay DLZ. The line AL leads to the roof light sign DZ and is therefore always de-energized when the taximeter T is switched on. While the relay DLZ is in the tightened state when the taximeter T is switched off, it drops when the taximeter T is switched on taximeter T and closes the switch S-DLZ of the relay DLZ, which thus closes the impulse line to the taximeter T.

When the taximeter is switched on, the impulses come from the pulse generator via the relay switch S-DLZ to the taximeter T and are registered as total occupied as well as occupied kilometers.

The electronic circuit card 1 contains a further relay SR, which is connected to the voltage by means of a closed circuit and on the output side to ground via the connecting strip and via seat contacts SK, which are arranged in or under the passenger seats FS. If a passenger seat FS is loaded, the seat contact SK is actuated, i.e. opened and the closed circuit of the relay SR interrupted, whereby the relay drops out and its associated switch S-SR, which is open when the relay is energized and closed when the relay is off, closes a further line path from the pulse generator I to the taximeter T, such that when the taximeter is not switched on, the total line is now occupied be registered. Since the taximeter now registers the total number of kilometers occupied, without simultaneously registering the number of kilometers occupied, the taxi operator has the option of using the difference between the two kilometers to prove to the taxi driver the number of kilometers occupied by fraudulently and to invoice or take other measures.

Since the relay SR is in the quiescent current circuit, manipulations have the result that, in the event of interruptions of any kind which occur as a result of manipulations, the relay SR is automatically dropped and the total occupied kilometers are registered under all circumstances.

Other manipulations, for example by disconnecting the power supply to the circuit board 1 or disconnecting the earth connection of the circuit board 1 etc., are identified by the fact that two sabotage relays SAR1 and SAR2 are arranged on the circuit board 1 in accordance with the circuit shown. These sabotage relays are live via an RC element and a first diode D1. The RC element causes a drop-out delay of one to two seconds in the event of operational vibrations and loose contacts and keeps the normally energized relays SAR1 and SAR2 in the energized state. The output-side line coming from the field windings of these relays SAR1 and SAR2 is also secured against manipulation from the outside with a diode D2 and is connected via the connecting strip and a protective diode D3 to a sabotage line SL which is closed in the vehicle and leads to ground. If the power supply is manipulated, the sabotage relays SAR1 and SAR2 drop out. If the ground connection is manipulated, the same process occurs.

The dropping of the sabotage relay SAR1 closes the associated switch SA1, which is open when the relay is activated, and in this way creates a connection between the pulse generator and the taximeter T. Closing the switch SA1 means that total occupied kilometers are registered in the taximeter. It can be ensured that further commissioning, i.e. Turning on the taximeter T is blocked.

The second tamper relay SAR2 has a switch SA2, which is also open when the relay SAR2 is activated, which closes when an attempt is made to tamper and supplies a tamper signal SAS with voltage. This signal can be a simple signal lamp, an acoustic signal or a radio signal. A wide variety of signals can be used individually or in combination.

By triggering the sabotage indicator signal SAS, which the taxi driver is no longer able to extinguish due to the activation of the sabotage device, the taxi operator knows immediately that an attempt has been made to sabotage, i.e. that not only fraudulent intent, but also sabotage, and can take the appropriate measures .

So that the sabotage device can be returned to the initial state, an acknowledgment key switch QS is provided outside the circuit board 1, at which the sabotage line ends or to which it is connected. By pressing the acknowledgment key switch QS, the sabotage line, which was previously fraudulently interrupted, can be closed again, so that the sabotage relays SAR1 and SAR2 pick up again and are ready for operation.

In order to protect the individual functions, several fuse holders SH with correspondingly adapted fuses are arranged on the circuit board. On the one hand, they serve to protect downstream devices and equipment against overload, but on the other hand they also help attempts to sabotage, with the aim of destroying devices on the circuit board, e.g. by applying overvoltage. The number and arrangement or circuitry integrations of the fuse holder SH and associated fuses differ from vehicle type to vehicle type and are therefore not shown in detail in the circuit.

In the circuit, ground was indicated with the sign - and voltage with the sign +, whereby only the free ends were shown. In the printed circuit card 1, the voltage-carrying elements are combined in a suitable manner, deviating from the geometric representation in the drawing, and connected to the connecting bar (not shown).

The monitoring device has the advantage that it can be easily and cheaply produced in series, that it can be installed in normally equipped taxis with relatively little effort and without major intervention.

Claims (5)

1. A distance meter, especially a taximeter (T) for the commercial passenger traffic, to be supplied by an electrical or an electronical pulse generator (I) with pulses according to the distance covered and provided with different meters actuated by pulses, to be controlled by a switch operated from outside or by a further seat contact (SK), controlling the top light signal (DZ) si- mulatneously, with a meter for the determination of all kilometers covered with occupants (totally occupied kilometres), characterised in that a contact (S-DLZ) of the first relay (DLZ) is switched into a pulse line (I/T) through that the top light signal (DZ) and the totally occupied kilometres determinating meter are controlled by turns and that beyond it a second relay (SR) is switched into a line constructed parallel (SK) and the connection to the further meter being developed for determinating the not-regularly covered occupied kilometres and that a further line parallel to the pulse line (I/T) is provided with a relay (SAR1), bridging the relay (SR) and in case of a sabotage, preferably by contacting a sabotage line (SL) being switched sloping by reason of a contact breaker, closes the further parallel line and to be started again by a special circuitry unit (QS) only.

2. Distance meter according to claim 1, characterized in that parallel to the relay (SAR1) a second relay (SAR2) is planned for the activation of a sabotage indication (SAS).

3. Distance meter according to claim 1, characterized in that a RC-member (RC) for a short time self-conversation in case of a breakdown of voltage is assigned to the relay (SAR1 ).

4. Distance meter according to claim 1, characterized in that the relays (SAR1 and SAR2) connected to the sabotage line (SL) are secured by diodes (D1, D2, D3).

5. Distance meter according to claim 1 and the following claims, characterized in that the relays (SR, SAR1, SAR2,), the fuse panel (SH) with the fuses, the diodes (D1, D2, D3) and the RC-member (RC) including a connection border are assigned to an electronical conducting unit (1 ) with a printed curcuit.

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