EP0602868B1 - Appareil pour enregistrer la distance parcourue par des véhicules - Google Patents

Appareil pour enregistrer la distance parcourue par des véhicules Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP0602868B1
EP0602868B1 EP19930309786 EP93309786A EP0602868B1 EP 0602868 B1 EP0602868 B1 EP 0602868B1 EP 19930309786 EP19930309786 EP 19930309786 EP 93309786 A EP93309786 A EP 93309786A EP 0602868 B1 EP0602868 B1 EP 0602868B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
distance
journey
recorder
vehicle
unit
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP19930309786
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0602868A3 (en
EP0602868A2 (fr
Inventor
Sidney Arthur Beale
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of EP0602868A2 publication Critical patent/EP0602868A2/fr
Publication of EP0602868A3 publication Critical patent/EP0602868A3/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0602868B1 publication Critical patent/EP0602868B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07C—TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
    • G07C5/00—Registering or indicating the working of vehicles
    • G07C5/08—Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time
    • G07C5/0841—Registering performance data
    • G07C5/085—Registering performance data using electronic data carriers

Definitions

  • This invention concerns distance recording apparatus for vehicles.
  • odometer which is usually incorporated in a speedometer assembly and is driven by a rotary cable (flexible shaft) from some part, such as the gearbox, of a vehicle's transmission.
  • Some commercial vehicles are provided with a tachograph which effectively incorporates both an odometer and speedometer, but additionally provides a graphical record, by way of a removable tachogram, of the vehicle's velocity and distance travelled.
  • Some vehicles are employed for business and personal non-business uses; and, for personal, business or taxation reasons, the users of such vehicles may need to keep records of the respective distances travelled in the two categories of use. Producing such records from odometer readings is laborious, and gives rise to problems if the user forgets to make meticulous notes of the readings at the start and finish of every journey in combination with notes of the purpose of the journeys.
  • tachograms provide permanent evidence of distances, they are bulky to store and require the vehicles to be fitted with calibrated tachographs, which are expensive and cannot be retro-fitted conveniently into many kinds of private vehicles.
  • DE-A-3 319 881 discloses a distance recording apparatus of a kind (hereinafter called “said kind") which is in the form of a unit incorporating a distance recorder arranged to operate in recognised units of distance and an alarm responsive to a vehicle controlled input.
  • the apparatus can be fitted in a vehicle, and includes a journey purpose recorder actuable by a manually operable journal purpose input control, and an output control actuable to provide a correlated output of journey distance and purpose recorded by the recorders, wherein the alarm is responsive to input from a vehicle of an electrical start signal into the apparatus to generate an audible or visible warning signal for a driver of the vehicle, and wherein the journey purpose recorder is associated with the alarm to cancel the warning signal when a journey purpose is manually entered.
  • the apparatus further includes a printer to give a printed record of the correlated output for the driver.
  • the journey recorder is arranged to assume a predetermined journey purpose recording state if no manual input is entered within a predetermined period after a warning signal has issued.
  • the output control is arranged to provide items of information which includes a start distance recorded by the distance recorder upon receipt of the start signal, a finish distance recorded by the distance recorder upon input of a termination signal, the journey purpose, and is also arranged to obtain date and time information from the clock and to provide further items of information including the date of journey and the times of journey start and finish.
  • the apparatus further incorporates a display for the recorded data, time, date and data input manually.
  • US-A-5056007 discloses a vehicle distance recording apparatus similar to apparatus of said kind, wherein the distance recorder operates in arbitrary units, and wherein the apparatus incorporates proportioning means into which data representing distance measurements can be entered manually and which is arranged to compare entered measurement data with recorded unit data for generating a conversion factor for converting the recorded distances from said arbitrary units into recognised units of distance.
  • distance recording apparatus incorporating a distance recorder and an alarm responsive to a vehicle controlled input
  • the apparatus is in the form of a unit which can be fitted in a vehicle, which unit includes a journey purpose recorder actuable by a manually operable journey purpose input control, and an output control actuable to provide a correlated output via a printer of journey distance and purpose recorded by the recorders;
  • the alarm is responsive to input from a vehicle of an electrical start signal into the apparatus to generate an audible or visible warning signal for a driver of the vehicle;
  • the journey purpose recorder is associated with the alarm to cancel the warning signal when a journey purpose is manually entered into the control via manually operable members; and wherein the journey purpose and distance recorders are responsive to an additional input to cancel the warning signal and resume recording a subsequent journey as part of the last started journey; and characterised in that duplicate manually operable members are provided on a remote unit, of relatively small size, for convenient mounting in an accessible position in a vehicle.
  • the invention particularly provides distance recording apparatus of said kind which is characterised in that the apparatus includes a journey purpose recorder which is actuable by a manually operable journey purpose input control unit which is smaller than and remote from the main unit, so that it can be mounted in a vehicle at a convenient location, i.e. an accessible location.
  • the distance recorder may be arranged to receive a digital or analogue distance signal input from a distance signal generator.
  • Said generator may be a coupling incorporating a pulse generator connectable between a speedometer cable and a vehicles gearbox or speedometer; or may be provided by an electronic speedometer or odometer generating internal distance signals which can be tapped for the distance recorder; or may comprise a unit attachable to a vehicle to sense rotation of part of the vehicle's transmission or to sense linear movement of the vehicle along a road.
  • the alarm is preferably responsive to the input of an electrical start signal which arises when a vehicle's ignition or main electrical system is switched on, or, especially in the case of vehicles having compression ignition engines, when a vehicle's starter motor is energised.
  • the alarm may give an audible or a visible warning signal in response to said electrical signal.
  • the journey purpose recorder is preferably associated with the alarm to cancel the warning signal when a journey purpose is manually entered; and may be arranged to default to assume a predetermined journey purpose recording state if no manual input is entered within a predetermined period after a warning signal has issued.
  • the output control is preferably arranged to provide items of information which include a start distance recorded by the distance recorder upon receipt of the start signal, a finish distance recorded by the distance recorder upon input of a termination signal, and the journey purpose.
  • the termination signal may be the switching off of the vehicle's ignition or main electrical system, i.e. the cessation of the start signal.
  • the output device may also obtain date and time information from a clock of the apparatus, and provide further items of information including date of journey and the times of journey start and finish.
  • the journey purpose and distance recorders may be responsive to an additional manual input to cancel the warning signal and resume recording a subsequent journey as part of the last started journey, for avoiding the risk of producing misleading items of information if a journey is interrupted.
  • the distance recorder may be arranged to operate in recognised units of distance, e.g. miles or kilometres, from a pre-calibrated distance signal input.
  • the distance recorder it is preferred to arrange the distance recorder to operate in arbitrary units, and to incorporate into the apparatus proportioning means into which data representing distance measurements can be entered manually and which is arranged to compare entered measurement data with recorded unit data for generating a conversion factor for converting the recorded distances from said arbitrary units into recognised units of distance.
  • Both of the recorders and parts of the alarm and output control may be integrated in a microprocessor or equivalent electronic circuitry, optionally, together with parts of the proportioning means, in the main unit having thereon manually operable members for entering journey purpose and output demand inputs, and, optionally, measured distance data.
  • the manually operable members on the remote unit comprise only three keys (P,B and C).
  • Either or both of the units may incorporate a display for the warning signal, recorded data, time and date and/or data inputs.
  • the main unit is preferably provided with a printer to provide a printed output; but may be connectable to an external printer or a computer, to print or process the output.
  • the apparatus primarily comprises circuitry in a main unit 10 having associated therewith a printer 11 and an operating panel 12.
  • the circuitry is represented schematically in FIGURE 1 in the form of functional blocks shown in a block circuit diagram, whereas in reality the functions of said blocks are performed primarily in a microprocessor based system.
  • the functional blocks which form parts of the apparatus which can be integrated or embedded in a microprocessor include a distance recorder 20, proportioning means 21, a data receiver 22, an output control 23, a clock 24, a journey purpose recorder 25, an alarm controller 26 and a printer controller 27, and, optionally, a proportioning device 17.
  • An internal power supply 13 incorporating a rechargeable cell is provided in the unit 10, and a sound generator 14 is mounted on or provided in the unit 10.
  • the operating panel 12 is provided with a data-entry keyboard 30, including manually operable members in the form of multi-function keys and control keys, a display 31 and a journey purpose keyboard 32; and, a connection 33 for a remote unit 34 having a panel on which the display 31 and keyboard 32 are duplicated.
  • a data-entry keyboard 30 including manually operable members in the form of multi-function keys and control keys, a display 31 and a journey purpose keyboard 32; and, a connection 33 for a remote unit 34 having a panel on which the display 31 and keyboard 32 are duplicated.
  • the unit 34 is smaller than the main unit 10.
  • the distance recorder 20 has input terminals 35 for analogue and digital distance signals from a vehicle provided distance signal generator, and has a further input terminal 35A for signals from a distance signal generator 36, optionally via the proportioning device 17 of the apparatus.
  • the recorder 20 is arranged to record distances in arbitrary units, which units may be recognised units of linear measure if the vehicle equipment provides appropriate signals or if the optional proportioning device 17 is calibrated, e.g. on installation, so that pulses or signals from the generator 36 are converted to represent recognised units.
  • the alarm 26 has an input terminal 38 connectable to a vehicle's ignition or other main operating electrical circuit which has to be switched on when the vehicle is in use (and thus provides a journey start signal), and is usually switched off to stop the vehicle's engine (and thus provides a journey stop signal). A feed from the terminal is used for recharging the internal power supply 13.
  • the blocks are arranged to receive inputs, as follows:-
  • the blocks are arranged (as partially represented by the interconnections therebetween in FIGURE 1) to interrelate and function so that under conditions in which the terminal 38 is de-energised, the previously recorded and input data is held in memory, and time and date information is displayed in the display 31.
  • the internal power supply 13 may be arranged to shut down the display if the stored power falls below a predetermined level.
  • the alarm 26 Upon energisation of the terminal 38 (receipt of the start signal) the alarm 26 causes the generator 14 to emit an audible warning until halted by the recorder 25 in response to entry of a purpose code either manually or automatically by default to a predetermined code on lapse of a predetermined time; and the recorder 20 will record a start time and date.
  • the recorder 20 counts and stores the units of distance travelled and records a final count, when the terminal 38 is next de-energised (receipt of the stop signal), together with a stop time and date.
  • control 23 Upon entry of a print command into the output control 23, the control 23 causes the printer, via printer controller 27 to print-out the vehicle and user identification, the distance or distances travelled, the start and stop times and dates, and journey purpose identifications.
  • the control 23 causes the units recorded to be compared with the odometer distance data so that the device 21 calculates a correction factor to convert said units into, e.g. miles or kilometres, as commanded, for the printout. Said conversion factor and the selected units of measure are stored, for automatic conversion of subsequent journey distance data.
  • the apparatus has a memory 28 arranged to record periodical, e.g. daily, weekly or monthly, totals of stored information for printing out or to provide data to a terminal or port 16 for connection to a computer, e.g. in an office accounts or vehicle fleet management department.
  • periodical e.g. daily, weekly or monthly
  • totals of stored information for printing out or to provide data to a terminal or port 16 for connection to a computer, e.g. in an office accounts or vehicle fleet management department.
  • the apparatus includes the memory 28 also records summaries details and totals of data and information taken from the periodical print-outs of information for producing a long term e.g. annual report.
  • each journey is identified by a transaction number, which number is increased by a count of one each time the journey recorder 25 is actuated by energisation of the terminal 38.
  • the apparatus preferably has additional functions, including that of enabling parts of an interrupted journey to be recorded as a single journey, in which the journey transaction number is not altered when the appropriate key is pressed on the keyboard 32.
  • FIGURE 2 An example of the panel 12 on the unit 10 is shown in FIGURE 2, via the keyboard 30 of which various items of information can be entered, as data for storage, for example:-
  • the display shows the item and the data being entered e.g. "Company” and "A.B.SALES”.
  • the keyboard 30 also includes keys for commands to be entered, including:-
  • a "feed” key is provided on the panel, for causing the printer to feed when a new roll 29 of paper is being loaded into the printer.
  • the display 31 normally displays the time and date, the journey purpose code and the journey transition number; and the keyboard 32 has three keys "B” for business journeys, "P” for private journeys and "C” for continuations of a previous journey.
  • the proportioning device 17 may be mounted in a vehicle remote from the unit 10, and is set upon installation and at periodic intervals (e.g. of 2 or 3 years) by repeatedly running the vehicle for a known distance, e.g. on a rolling road, and adjusting a setting control 37 until a distance shown in an "output reading" display 39 matches the known distance, and then, optionally, locking or sealing the control 37 in its final setting.
  • the proportioning device 17 can be left in situ , even if the unit 10 is removed or exchanged.
  • FIGURE 6 An example of distance signal generator 36, is shown in FIGURE 6, and comprises a body 40 having male and female threaded connecting portions to receive respectively one end fitting 41 of a speedometer cable 42 and a cable connector fitting 43 of a gearbox or speedometer; a shaft 44 having fittings to receive one end of the cable 42 and a cable device or driven member 45 of the gearbox or speedometer; a rotor 46 having a magnet 47; and a pick-up coil 48 having output terminals 49 to transmit one electrical pulse for rotor revolution to the unit 10.
  • the or either of the keyboards may have a set of alpha and/or numeric keys.
  • the circuitry and memory functions thereof may permit the input and recording of other data and/or narrative information, for subsequent printout, e.g. the journey recorder may couple the purpose code with (or even replace the purpose code by) a journey identification such as the name or list number of a customer, business, office or branch to be visited, or other identification of journey purpose, e.g. a destination, which data or information is correlated in the output with the relevant distance and/or time information.

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Time Recorders, Dirve Recorders, Access Control (AREA)

Claims (12)

  1. Dispositif d'enregistrement de distance incorporant un enregistreur de distance (20) ainsi qu'une alarme (26) sensible à une entrée commandée par un véhicule, dans lequel le dispositif se présente sous la forme d'une unité (10) qui peut être montée dans un véhicule, laquelle unité comprend un enregistreur de but de trajet (25) pouvant être actionné par une commande de saisie de but de trajet pouvant être actionnée manuellement (30), et une commande de sortie (23) pouvant être mise en oeuvre afin de fournir une sortie corrélée par l'intermédiaire d'un dispositif d'impression (11) de la distance et du but du trajet enregistré par les enregistreurs (20, 25), dans lequel l'alarme (26) est sensible à une entrée depuis un véhicule d'un signal électrique de départ dans le dispositif afin d'engendrer un signal d'avertissement audible ou visible destiné à un conducteur du véhicule, dans lequel l'enregistreur de but de trajet (25) est associé à l'alarme (26) afin d'annuler le signal d'avertissement lorsqu'un but de trajet est entré manuellement dans la commande (23) par l'intermédiaire d'éléments pouvant être actionnés manuellement (32), et dans lequel les enregistreurs de but et de distance de trajet (20, 25) sont sensibles à une saisie manuelle supplémentaire afin d'annuler le signal d'avertissement et de reprendre l'enregistrement d'un trajet suivant en tant que partie du trajet commencé en dernier, et caractérisé en ce que des éléments pouvant être actionnés manuellement en double (32) sont disposés sur une unité à distance (34), de relativement petite taille, destinée à un montage commode en un emplacement accessible dans un véhicule.
  2. Dispositif selon la revendication 1, dans lequel l'unité (10) incorpore le dispositif d'impression (11) afin de fournir un enregistrement imprimé de la sortie corrélée destiné au conducteur.
  3. Dispositif selon la revendication 1 ou 2, dans lequel l'enregistreur de trajet (25) est agencé afin d'adopter un état d'enregistrement de but de trajet prédéterminé si aucune saisie manuelle n'est entrée en moins d'une durée prédéterminée après qu'un signal d'avertissement ait été émis.
  4. Dispositif selon la revendication 1, 2 ou 3, dans lequel la commande de sortie (23) est conçue pour fournir des éléments d'informations qui comprennent une distance de départ enregistrée par l'enregistreur de distance lors de la réception du signal de départ, une distance d'arrivée enregistrée par l'enregistreur de distance lors de l'entrée d'un signal de fin, et le but du trajet.
  5. Dispositif selon la revendication 4, dans lequel la commande de sortie (23) obtient également des informations de date et d'heure à partir d'une horloge (24) du dispositif, et fournit des éléments d'informations supplémentaires comprenant la date du trajet et les heures de début et de fin du trajet.
  6. Dispositif selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans lequel l'enregistreur de distance (20) est conçu pour fonctionner suivant des unités de distance reconnues.
  7. Dispositif selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1 à 5, dans lequel l'enregistreur de distance (20) fonctionne suivant des unités quelconques, et dans lequel le dispositif incorpore un moyen d'établissement de proportion (21) dans lequel des données représentant des mesures de distance peuvent être entrées manuellement et qui est conçu afin de comparer les données de mesures entrées à des données d'unités enregistrées afin d'engendrer un facteur de conversion destiné à convertir des distances enregistrées depuis lesdites unités quelconques en unités de distance reconnues.
  8. Dispositif selon l'une quelconques des revendications précédentes, dans lequel les deux enregistreurs (20, 25) et des parties de l'alarme (26), la commande de sortie (23) et d'autres parties (21, 22, 24, 27, 29) sont intégrés dans un microprocesseur.
  9. Dispositif selon la revendication 8, dans lequel le microprocesseur est disposé dans une unité principale (10) comportant sur celle-ci des éléments pouvant être actionnés manuellement (30, 32) afin d'entrer des saisies de but de trajet et de demande de sortie, et en option, des données de distance mesurée.
  10. Dispositif selon la revendication 9, dans lequel l'unité incorpore un affichage (31) destiné aux données enregistrées, à l'heure, à la date, et aux données saisies manuellement.
  11. Dispositif selon la revendication 10, dans lequel l'unité à distance (34) comporte un panneau sur lequel les éléments pouvant être actionnés manuellement (32) afin d'entrer le but du trajet, ainsi que l'affichage (31) sont tous deux reproduits en double.
  12. Dispositif selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans lequel les éléments pouvant être actionnés manuellement en double comprennent trois touches (B, P et C).
EP19930309786 1992-12-16 1993-12-06 Appareil pour enregistrer la distance parcourue par des véhicules Expired - Lifetime EP0602868B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB929226185A GB9226185D0 (en) 1992-12-16 1992-12-16 Distance recording apparatus for vehicles
GB9226185 1992-12-16

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0602868A2 EP0602868A2 (fr) 1994-06-22
EP0602868A3 EP0602868A3 (en) 1995-08-30
EP0602868B1 true EP0602868B1 (fr) 1999-08-25

Family

ID=10726681

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19930309786 Expired - Lifetime EP0602868B1 (fr) 1992-12-16 1993-12-06 Appareil pour enregistrer la distance parcourue par des véhicules

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0602868B1 (fr)
DE (1) DE69326127D1 (fr)
GB (2) GB9226185D0 (fr)
TW (1) TW248546B (fr)

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7352445B2 (en) * 2004-02-10 2008-04-01 Fluke Corporation Electronically generating an outline indicating the size of an energy zone imaged onto the IR detector of a radiometer

Family Cites Families (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1328367A (en) * 1969-12-05 1973-08-30 Yazaki Corp Recording apparatus used with a taximeter
DE3147314A1 (de) * 1981-11-28 1983-06-09 Dieter Dipl.-Volksw. 7022 Leinfelden-Echterdingen Wesser Elektronisches geraet zum erfassen von betriebsdaten eines kraftfahrzeuges
JPS59108164A (ja) * 1982-12-13 1984-06-22 Hitachi Ltd トリツプコンピユ−タ
EP0224616A1 (fr) * 1985-10-14 1987-06-10 Carolyn Gelhorn Dispositif pour l'enregistrement de distances voyagées à usage personnel et professionnel
DE3319881A1 (de) * 1983-06-01 1984-12-06 Lutz Frommherz Schaltungsanordnung zur erfassung der zurueckgelegten strecke eines kraftfahrzeuges in abhaengigkeit vorgegebener gruppierungskriterien
EP0129949A3 (fr) * 1983-06-17 1985-11-06 Fleetmaster (Proprietary) Limited Système de contrôle pour véhicules
US4685116A (en) * 1984-11-01 1987-08-04 Motorola, Inc. Incremental count display system
DE3505068C1 (de) * 1985-02-14 1986-06-19 Mannesmann Kienzle GmbH, 7730 Villingen-Schwenningen Fahrtschreiber fuer Kraftfahrzeuge
US4685061A (en) * 1985-03-12 1987-08-04 Ketek Inc. Vehicle movement monitoring system
US5046007A (en) * 1989-06-07 1991-09-03 Accutek Industries, Inc. Motor vehicle data collection device

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0602868A3 (en) 1995-08-30
DE69326127D1 (de) 1999-09-30
GB9324950D0 (en) 1994-01-26
GB9226185D0 (en) 1993-02-10
GB2273563A (en) 1994-06-22
TW248546B (fr) 1995-06-01
EP0602868A2 (fr) 1994-06-22
GB2273563B (en) 1995-05-03

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US5499182A (en) Vehicle driver performance monitoring system
US5893893A (en) Device for the computerized recording of mileage and expenses in vehicles
JP3442397B2 (ja) 自動車用走行データ記録装置
US7340332B2 (en) Fleet tracking system with reporting feature
JPH0512852Y2 (fr)
EP0592166A2 (fr) Tachygraphe
US6856933B1 (en) Vehicle accessory for monitoring travel distance
US20010020204A1 (en) System for tracking vehicle and driver location and mileage and generating reports therefrom
US4630292A (en) Fuel tax rebate recorder
US20080319605A1 (en) Fuel monitoring device, system, and method
US20030182033A1 (en) Vehicle usage data tracking system
US20080133432A1 (en) Automated rental vehicle check-in system
US20090292418A1 (en) Trip logger
CA2359380A1 (fr) Systemes et methodes de reperage de vehicules
CA2001887A1 (fr) Peage automatique et distributrice de recus
US5541858A (en) Trip log odometer
US4547781A (en) Device for recording distances traveled on personal and business use
US20060167593A1 (en) Wireless vehicle performance information communication system
EP0129949A2 (fr) Système de contrôle pour véhicules
EP0629978A1 (fr) Système pour enregistrer des informations relatives aux frais en combinaison avec des informations liées à une ou plusieurs des caractéristiques d'opération d'un véhicule
JP2865237B2 (ja) デジタル式車両運行記録装置
US6275768B1 (en) Fuel pump with fuel mileage calculation option
EP0602868B1 (fr) Appareil pour enregistrer la distance parcourue par des véhicules
US20050096939A1 (en) Automated rental vehicle check-in system
US5065349A (en) Method for and apparatus of monitoring how an operator operates a machine

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PUAI Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A2

Designated state(s): BE DE DK ES FR GB IT

RBV Designated contracting states (corrected)

Designated state(s): BE DE DK ES FR IT

PUAL Search report despatched

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009013

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A3

Designated state(s): BE DE DK ES FR GB IT

17P Request for examination filed

Effective date: 19960227

17Q First examination report despatched

Effective date: 19970203

GRAG Despatch of communication of intention to grant

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOS AGRA

GRAG Despatch of communication of intention to grant

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOS AGRA

GRAH Despatch of communication of intention to grant a patent

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOS IGRA

GRAH Despatch of communication of intention to grant a patent

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOS IGRA

GRAA (expected) grant

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009210

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: B1

Designated state(s): BE DE DK ES FR IT

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: IT

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT;WARNING: LAPSES OF ITALIAN PATENTS WITH EFFECTIVE DATE BEFORE 2007 MAY HAVE OCCURRED AT ANY TIME BEFORE 2007. THE CORRECT EFFECTIVE DATE MAY BE DIFFERENT FROM THE ONE RECORDED.

Effective date: 19990825

Ref country code: FR

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 19990825

Ref country code: ES

Free format text: THE PATENT HAS BEEN ANNULLED BY A DECISION OF A NATIONAL AUTHORITY

Effective date: 19990825

Ref country code: BE

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 19990825

REF Corresponds to:

Ref document number: 69326127

Country of ref document: DE

Date of ref document: 19990930

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: DK

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 19991125

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: DE

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 19991126

EN Fr: translation not filed
PLBE No opposition filed within time limit

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009261

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: NO OPPOSITION FILED WITHIN TIME LIMIT

26N No opposition filed