EP0522350B1

EP0522350B1 - Parking time indicator for motor-vehicles

Info

Publication number: EP0522350B1
Application number: EP92110609A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Carlo Siega; Roberto Finot
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-07-08
Filing date: 1992-06-24
Publication date: 1996-12-04
Anticipated expiration: 2012-06-24
Also published as: EP0522350A2; IT1253687B; ITPN910041A0; ATE146001T1; EP0522350A3; ITPN910041A1; DE69215590D1; DE69215590T2

Abstract

Parking time indicator for motor-vehicles, which may be fitted in the motor-vehicles interior at a position visible externally thereto, comprising a programmable microprocessor (11) connected to displays (12,19) for both the parking time duration and the solar time, a pulse shaping circuit (13) activated by an engine vibrations sensor (20), an oscillator (14) and a frequency-divider (15). The microprocessor (11) is adjustable through a set of controls (16) for regulating both the parking starting and end time and the solar time. The considered indicator is activated only when the engine is stopped, with consequent automatic starting and ending of the parking time computation, or it is activated with manual control too. Such indicator is obtained as a flat box (40) containing all the operative components, which may be coupled quickly with a support (36) subdivided in different zones to be fitted on the motor-vehicle, for supporting and housing the license tag, the insurance badge or other documents useful for the motor-vehicle. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a parking time indicator for motor-vehicles, of simple kind and automatic operation as well as to a support thereof, which is applicable removably in the motor-vehicle at positions visible from the outside thereof.
From GB-A-2185137 is known a parking time indicator for motor-vehicles, which may be fitted at an externally visible position in the interior of the motor-vehicles, comprising at least a display for displaying the parking time indication, electrically actuated control means associated with the parking time indication for actuating it so as to signal the entire parking time duration, from starting to end thereof, by displaying it through said display, said control means comprising a microcomputer powered by a battery and regulated by a quartz oscillator, by means of control push-buttons connected thereto, and adapted to select the parking fee rates, a variable capacitor for varying the frequency at which the microcomputer is regulated, and a driver circuit providing an interface between the microcomputer and the display. The indicator also comprises a separate driver circuit, providing an interface between a buzzer and the microcomputer, and an input/output port enabling the initial setting and re-setting of the microcomputer.
In this way, the parking fee rate selected by the pushbuttons is stored in the microcomputer which, during the parking time, decrements progressively such fee rate and increments progressively the time lapsed, by displaying them on the indicator.
From DE-A-3525481 is known a parking time indicator of the same type disclosed by GB-A-2185137, in which however the electrically actuated control means comprise driving means mechanically connected to a rotatable disc performing the function of the parking time indication, and electrically connected to a switch, which can be actuated either by the ignition lock key or by a sensor sensitive to the engine vibrations or other parameters of the motor-vehicle.
In this way, when the motor-vehicle engine is stopped, the switch is turned on by actuating the ignition lock key or a vibration switch acting as vibration sensor and operated in absence of engine vibrations, so that such switch energizes the driving means which in turn cause the disc to rotate and therefore the parking time indication to be started and signalled in the indicator.
From EP-A-0297531 is known a parking time indicator for motor-vehicles, which may be fitted at an externally visible position in the interior of the motor-vehicles, comprising a remote control with a receiver arranged inside the motor-vehicle and provided with an electronic digital clock for the parking time, a display for displaying the parking time indication, and controls for regulating the time, and a transmitter communicating with the receiver by means of radiofrequency, supersonic or infrared systems, which is provided with an electronic digital minute-counter, a display for displaying the parking time indication and controls for starting and ending the parking time indication on the receiver, said receiver and transmitter being both powered by an associated battery.
The receiver comprises a receiver circuit connected to a microprocessor and pilot control circuits for parking time indication, through the electronic digital clock, and for other functions. The transmitter comprises a microprocessor connected to the electronic minute-counter and the controls, so as to select the parking time duration, which is displayed by the associated display, and also comprises a coding modulator and a transmitter circuit, in order to transmit the informations corresponding to the selected parking time duration as well as the starting of such parking time to the receiver, which in turn is activated and provides for displaying such parking time indication on its display.
The present invention discloses a parking time indicator for motor-vehicles which is made and operates in a manner different with respect to the indicators described in the above mentioned references.
This indicator is obtained with the features substantially described with particular reference to the accompanying patent claims.
The invention will be better understood from the following description, given solely by way of a not-limiting example thereof and with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figs. 1,2 and 3 show the electric control circuit diagram of the present indicator, on three different embodiments, thereof;
Figs. 4,5 and 6 show further embodiments of the present indicator;
Fig. 7 shows an exploded perspective view of the indicator according to the invention and the relevant support thereof; -Fig. 8 shows the support of Fig. 7 fitted inside a motor-vehicle and separated with respect to the indicator referred to.

With reference to the Figs. 1-3, is represented the electric control circuit diagram of three different embodiments of a parking time indicator 10 for motor-vehicles obtained in accordance with the present invention.
By examining the Fig. 1, it is noted that such an indicator comprises substantially at least a programmable microprocessor 11 interconnected to a display 12 of conventional type (i.e. with LED diodes, luminous, electro-mechanical, electro-luminescent, with liquid cristals, with eventual drivers etc...), as well as comprises a pulse shaping circuit 13 built-in with a noise suppressor or limiter filter (not shown) and connected to the microprocessor 11, a quartz oscillator 14 interconnected to the microprocessor 11, and a frequency-divider 15, these components being providing a conventional clock, a set of controls 16 for adjustment of the starting and end parking time, and therefore of the duration of the same parking time, and for the clock regulation, in case of need, and finally it comprises an electric supply 17 which may be constituted either by an autonomous battery built-in in the indicator or by the same motor-vehicles battery, in which case such a supply is constituted by the electric cables (not shown) connected to said motor-vehicle battery, through a suppressor and an eventual voltage stabilizer indicated by the reference numeral 18.
Besides, the indicator may comprise also an auxiliary electric supply as i.e. a buffer battery (not shown), which is cut in automatically in case of mains supply lack or cutoff, in order to keep all the electric circuit components of the same indicator always under voltage and therefore to ensure a continuous operation thereof, before to reset such mains supply.
In particular, the display 12 is provided on the considered indicator at a location visible from the outside of the car, and is adapted to indicate the parking starting and end time of the car with numerical digits which are displayed on corresponding positions of the display.
Advantageously, the present indicator may also comprise an additional display 19 of conventional type, connected to the microprocessor 11 and arranged within the car at a position visible by the car's driver, for signalling to him both the starting and end time of each parking and the time during the day.
Such an additional display 19 signals permanently the daily time and in case also the days and the months of each year and is activated by the microprocessor 11 in the manner hereinafter described, for signalling the starting and end parking time of the car too, which signalling is displayed also on the remaining display 12.
In turn, the pulse shaping circuit 13 is connected to at least a mechanical vibrations sensor 20 of per se known type, fitted inside the car and sensitive to the vibrations produced by the engine and transmitted to the entire motor-vehicle.
Such sensor, in particular, is so realized as to generate an electric pulse only when the vibrations determined by the motor-vehicle engine movement have gone out as soon as such engine is stopped, and to transmit such pulse to the pulse shaping circuit 13, which thus is activated by generating in turn the electric pulses for the operation of the parking time indicator.
The present indicator operates as follows: on the condition in which the motor-vehicle is still and the engine is stopped, and in which the microprocessor 11 has been set in advance through the controls 16 so as to regulate exactly the solar time and in case the calendar days and months, as well as to count a parking time of pre-established duration corresponding to the duration foreseen by the laws in force, the vibrations sensor 20 doesn't detect the presence of mechanical vibrations of the car and therefore does not generate any electric pulse, so as the pulse shaping circuit 13 remains inactive and doesn't provide for regulating automatically through the microprocessor 11 the parking starting time and hence the parking end time too.
Under this condition, then, the microprocessor 11 provides for the operation of the indicator referred to in a conventional manner exclusively as a clock, through the oscillator 14 and the frequency-divider 15, by displaying on the inner display 19 such solar time and in case also the calendar days and months, while on the contrary the starting and end parking time isn't displayed neither on the outer display 12 nor on the specific positions of the inner display 19.
This operative state of the present parking time indicator is kept unchanged even when the car engine is started and such car is driven on movement.
On the contrary, when the car engine is shutdown and thence the car is stopped on the parking with regulated parking time, the vibrations sensor 20 detects the disappearance of the engine vibrations which are transmitted to the motor-vehicle, thus generating a correspondent electric pulse which activates the pulse shaping circuit 13, which in turn generates a set of electric pulses whose electric-noises are adequately suppressed through the filter associated with such pulse shaping circuit 13, wherein these pulses are transmitted to the microprocessor 11 which identifies them and in response displays the starting and end parking time both on the outer display 12 and the corresponding positions of the inner display 19. Under this condition, then, the microprocessor 11 is regulated for providing the operation of the present indicator both as a clock, with the same previously described principles, and as a parking time indicator, by displaying the starting and end parking time on the outer display 12 and the specific positions of the inner display 19 and such microprocessor provides for displaying continuously on the two above mentioned displays the time being spent during the car parking and, as soon as the preestablished parking time period is elapsed, said microprocessor stops automatically the count and erases all the parking time numerical indications from both the displays 12 and 19, except the indications of the solar time and those of the eventual calendar.
Afterwards, these operative conditions are kept unchanged, as previously described, even when the motor-vehicle engine is started again and the motor-vehicle is driven on movement.
The microprocessor 11 of the indicator referred to is activated for operating under the same just described principles, even by utilizing sensors of a type different than that described, in combination with the pulse shaping circuit 13 and the microprocessor 11, i.e. by utilizing a weight sensor associated with the car's driver seat, which sensor activates said microprocessor when it detects the absence of the driver after that the motor-vehicle has been parked and the engine shutdown, or by utilizing a sensor monitoring the motor-vehicle engine rotation, which activates said microprocessor as soon as such engine has been shutdown after the motor-vehicle has been parked, or also by utilizing sensors of other per se known kinds, which are sensitive to further operative parameters of the motor-vehicle.
Now, by examining the Fig. 2 in which a different embodiment of the present indicator is shown, it is noted that in this case the indicator is constituted by the same previously described circuit components, which therefore are marked with the same numeral references, and that the oscillator 14 and the frequency-divider 15 are incorporated in the integrated circuit providing for the microprocessor 11, and thus are no more separated from such microprocessor as formerly.
On the other hand, also this embodiment of the indicator is identical and operates on the same manner of the preceding one.
Besides, in the Fig. 3 is shown a remote-controlled embodiment of the present indicator, in which it is noted that the indicator is substantially constituted by two separated units 21 and 22 each comprising the microprocessor 11, the pulse shaping circuit 13, the oscillator 14, the frequency-divider 15 and at least a display, of which the unit 21 acts as a remote-control unit remotely controllable by the user and formed by a least a conventional radio-frequency, supersonic or infrared operated transmitter 23, which is interfaced with the microprocessor 11 and provided with selection push-buttons (not shown), actuatable by the user for the remote regulation of both the calendar time and the parking time, so as to generate and transmit corresponding radio-frequency, supersonic or infrared coded signals, and the unit 22 acts as a receiver unit formed by at least a conventional radio-frequency, supersonic or infrared operated receiver 24, syntonized with the transmitter 23 and interfaced with its own microprocessor 11, so as to receive the coded signals transmitted by said transmitter and to display the correspondent times selected on the associated display of the receiver unit referred to.
As previously, also in this case the present indicator is activated and de-activated by specific sensors of the above specified type, incorporated in the motor-vehicle and sensitive to different operative parameters of the same motor-vehicle.
Referring now to the Figs. 4, 5 and 6, three further possible embodiments of the present indicator are shown.
In Fig. 4, in particular, is noted that the numerical digits 25 of the time indication are carried by a continuous wound band 26 of paper or other suitable material, wound onto a set of apposite rolls 27, which are continuously driven in rotation during the time by a mechanic driving unit 28 of conventional type coupled to and controlled by the microprocessor and the other circuit components of the indicator, schematically represented by the unit 29, and such numerical digits are displayed at a correspondent firm opening 30 provided on the indicator referred to, with the eventual lighting thereof by a lamp 31 or the like associated to such numerical digits.
Also in this case, therefore, the indicator is activated and de-activated by suitable sensors built-in on the motor-vehicle, of the described type, in the same specified manners. Furthermore, in Fig. 5 is noted that in this case the numerical digits 25 of the time indication are carried along the peripheral zone of a disc 32 of transparent material. which is driven in rotation in the course of the time by the driving unit 28 associated to the same previously cited unit 29, under the control of sensors built-in on the motor-vehicle, and such numerical digits are also displayed at a correspondent firm opening 30 of the indicator, with the eventual lighting thereof by a lamp 31 or the like associated to such numerical digits.
Finally, in Fig. 6 is noted that in this case the numerical digits 25 of the time indication are carried by a plurality of sectors 33 in which a plate 34 of transparent material is divided, which is associated to the above mentioned unit 29 and the considered sectors are respectively lighted up, in the course of the time, by a luminous beam 35 produced by a lamp or the like incorporated in the unit 29 and deviated by the associated components of such unit toward each sector to be displayed, under the control of the above mentioned sensors built-in on the motor-vehicle.
By examining now the Fig. 7, a support 36 shaped as a box-like casing for supporting the indicator in accordance with the invention is shown.
This support, in particular, is subdivided in different zones, in the present example a central zone 37 for supporting and housing the present indicator 10 in the manner hereinafter described, and two side zones 38 and 39 for supporting and housing the licence tag and the insurance badge (both aren't shown) referred to motor-vehicles, but obviously this support may be subdivided also in more zones for housing papers or articles of various kind, together with the present indicator.
To this scope, the indicator 10 may be made as a flat box 40 of reduced thickness, in which all the operative components of the indicator, the controls 16 and one or more displays are housed, said box being provided with projected tongues 41 which may be snap coupled into corresponding recesses 42 provided through the support 36, so as to obtain a simple and quick coupling between the two parts, and the numerical digits displaying both the calendar and the parking time are visible through a correspondent opening 43 provided on the same support.
In turn, the supply voltage of the indicator operative components is obtained by a battery (not shown), which may be housed within the box 40 or outside thereof, and in this latter case such battery may be housed on the support 36 too, and is electrically connected to said operative components by metallic parts associated with the tongues 41 and the recesses 42.
Likewise, the supply voltage may be provided also by the same motor-vehicle battery, which is connected through an electic cable (not shown) to said operative components of the indicator 10.
Finally, by examining the Fig. 8, is shown the indicator 10 separated from the support 36, which in turn is fitted from the interior compartment of a motor-vehicle 44 against the front glass 45 thereof, so as the parking time displayed on the outer display 12 of such indicator is visible from the outside.
The so obtained parking time indicator, therefore, permits to regulate in a simple and quick manner the relevant parking times, the course of which occurs automatically and such indicator can be always found too for performing its function, as it is incorporated on the support 36 which is fitted at a visible position on the motor-vehicle, which support also provides for supporting other documents useful for the motorist, as in the case of the above mentioned insurance badge and licence tag.
Moreover, this indicator is versatile also for performing eventual additional control and inspection functions of the motor-vehicle operative state, by incorporating to this aim the relevant-circuits thereof on the integrated circuits of the microprocessor of the same indicator.
In this way, it is possible to incorporate on the indicator, by way of example, thermometers, antitheft devices, pressure switches, pressure gauges, measuring instruments for electric quantities of different kind, signalling devices, antennas, altimeters and similar components, which usually are built-in separately on the motor-vehicle, thus obtaining these single devices to be eliminated and the incorporation thereof on the single integrated circuit contained on the microprocessor, with consequent considerable costs reductions and productive simplification and rationalization.

Claims

Parking time indicator for motor-vehicles, which may be fitted at an externally visible position in the interior of the motor-vehicles provided with sensor means (20) which are sensitive to different operative parameters such as engine vibrations and rotation, driver's weight, the indicator comprising at least a display (12) for displaying the parking time indication and in case at least an additional display (19) for both the parking time indication and the calendar time indication, electrically actuatable control means (11, 13, 14, 15; 27, 28; 32, 34) formed by at least a microprocessor (11), programmable by a set of controls (16) for adjustment of the starting and end parking time, and therefore of the parking time duration, a pulse-shaping circuit (13) built-in with at least a noise suppressor or limiter filter, an oscillator (14) and a frequency-divider (15) connected to said microprocessor, and comprising an electric supply (17) which may be constituted either by an autonomous battery built-in into the indicator or by the same motor-vehicle battery, said sensor means (20) being connected to said pulse-shaping circuit (13), and so realized as to generate electric pulses only when they detect the disappearance of the engine vibrations or rotation, after that such engine is stopped, or the absence of the driver's weight, and in that said pulse-shaping circuit (13) is activated by said electric pulses by generating in turn a set of electric pulses, transmitted to said microprocessor (11), which in response provides for displaying the starting and end parking time on both the displays (12, 19) and the indicator operation.
Parking time indicator according to claim 1, characterized in that said control means comprise a set of opposite rolls (27) onto which a continuous band (26) of paper or other suitable material is wound, in which the digits of the parking time indication are carried, and displayed through said display (30), as well as comprise a mechanic driving unit (28) adapted to continuously driven in rotation said continuous band (26) and controlled by an unit (29) constituted by said microprocessor (11), said pulse-shaping circuit (13), said oscillator (14) and said frequency-divider (15).
Parking time indicator according to claim 2, characterized in that said control means comprise a disc (32) of transparent material, onto which the time indication digits are carried, said disc (32) being drivable in rotation by said driving unit (28).
Parking time indicator according to claim 2, characterized in that said control means comprise a plate (34) of transparent material provided with a plurality of sectors (33) in which the time indication digits are carried, said sectors (33) being selectively lighted up by a luminous beam (35) produced by a lamp incorporated into said unit (29) and deviated by the associated components of the same unit toward each sector (33) to be displayed.
Parking time indicator according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said microprocessor (11), said pulse-shaping circuit (13), said oscillator (14), and said frequency-divider (15) are comprised into each of two separated units (21, 22), which are respectively formed by a conventional radio-frequency, supersonic or infrared operated transmitter (23) and receiver (24), which are syntonized to each other and interfaced with the associated microprocessor (11), said transmitter unit (21) being provided with pushbuttons for the selection of both the parking time and the calendar one, to be displayed onto said receiver unit (24).
Parking time indicator according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said microprocessor (11), said pulse-shaping circuit (13), said oscillator (14), said frequency-divider (15), said controls (16) and said displays (12, 19) are housed on a flat box (40) of reduced thickness, which may be coupled by means of coupling means such as projected tongues (41) with corresponding recesses (42) of a support (36), obtained preferably in the form of a box-like casing which may be fitted in the interior of the motor-vehicles, at a visible position thereof, and which is provided with an opening (43) for displaying the parking time.
Parking time indicator according to claim 6, characterized in that said support (36) is subdivided in different zones, provided for supporting and housing both said box (40) and further documents, as i.e. the license tag and the insurance badge for each motor-vehicle.