FR2739205A1 - TIMER HAVING MEANS FOR TRANSMITTING MESSAGES OF ANOMALIES - Google Patents

Abstract

Real-time clock comprising light means (D1, D2) each capable of emitting a light radiation characteristic of a given type of anomalies. According to the invention, the parking meter comprises a module (20) connected to said light means (D1, D2) and comprising detection means (T1, T2; C1, C2) capable of detecting the emission of said light radiation by each of the light means in order to identify said given type of anomalies and means (22) for transmitting to a recipient unit a message representative of the type of anomalies thus identified. Application to parking meters having diodes indicating anomalies.

Description

-1- 2739205

  TIMER HAVING MESSAGE TRANSMISSION MEANS

ANOMALY

  The present invention relates to a time stamp comprising luminous means for indicating anomalies. The invention finds a particularly advantageous application in the field of time stamps including LEDs of different colors to indicate

anomalies of different nature.

  There are currently known time stamps which include a microprocessor provided, in particular, to receive information of operating anomalies of various components of the time stamp and to apply an alarm signal to a light emitting diode

  whose color corresponds to the type of anomaly detected.

  In a general way, one distinguishes, on the one hand, the anomalies which are real malfunctions of the devices, that is to say those which put out of service the timestamps, for example when the supply of the circuits is cut off , the roll of tickets is empty, the printer or coin selector is no longer working, or the piggy bank is full. On the other hand, it also means anomalies situations prior to certain malfunctions but in which the time stamps are still able to issue a ticket, this is particularly the case when the next end of the roll of

tickets is detected.

  In the presence of the first type of anomaly, the microprocessor of the apparatus applies to a red light emitting diode a periodic signal causing the flashing of said diode, whereas if an anomaly of the second type is detected the same periodic flashing signal is applied to a diode

  electroluminescent green color.

  The flashing of one or the other of the light-emitting diodes is identified by the personnel responsible for the maintenance of the park of timestamps during patrols. Following an intervention ending the anomaly,

-2- 2739205

  the application of the periodic signal to the light emitting diode

  concerned is deleted and the blinking stops.

  It should be noted, however, that for proper management of the fleet, the said monitoring rounds must be very frequent in order to avoid the too long immobilization of an out of service ticket machine, with the consequent loss of revenue. However, it is not always possible to increase the frequency of rounds without increasing parallel

  the number of maintenance personnel and therefore the maintenance costs.

  In addition, there is a need to resolve monitoring problems outside of hours

  particularly during weekend breaks.

  Also, the technical problem to be solved by the object of the present invention is to propose a time stamp comprising luminous means able to emit, each, a luminous radiation characteristic of a given type of anomalies, time stamp which would ensure a efficient maintenance of the parking meter park by centralized supervision, without having to increase the number of staff

Staff.

  The solution to the technical problem posed consists, according to the present invention, in that said time clock comprises a module connected to said light means and comprising detection means able to detect the emission of said light radiation by each of the light means in order to identify said given type of anomaly and means of transmission to a recipient unit of a

  representative message of the type of anomalies thus identified.

  Thus, the time stamp according to the invention is capable of remotely signaling to said destination unit, the type of anomalies detected directly from the operating state of the light-emitting means, for example light-emitting diodes, which has been imposed by the microprocessor of the time stamp. In other words, the detection means make it possible to know if one of the two diodes are flashing and, in this case, which one. The form of the anomaly message sent by the transmission means will depend on that of the two diodes whose blinking has been recognized. The recipient unit will then be able to know from a distance which of the two diodes

-3- 2739205

  electroluminescent flashes, so that it can intervene accordingly. The destination unit may be a fixed central station or a portable receiver which are equipped with monitoring and maintenance agents. According to a particular embodiment of the invention, said detection means of said module are optical detectors each associated with a light means, each optical detector

  being connected to the associated light means by an optical fiber.

  In another embodiment, said detection means of said module are made by electrical connections

  each associated with a luminous medium.

  The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings,

  given as non-limiting examples, will make it clear what the invention consists of and how it can be achieved. FIG. 1 is a diagram of a first embodiment of a

time stamp according to the invention.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram of a second embodiment

of a time stamp according to the invention.

  The diagram of FIG. 1 relates to a time stamp comprising two light means, here electroluminescent diodes D1, D2, able to emit, each, a light radiation characteristic of a given type of anomalies. For example, the anomalies that completely disable the time stamp will be identified by the flashing of a red light emitting diode D 1, this will be the case during a printer failure, a break supply, etc., while the flashing of a green light-emitting diode D2 will be significant of an anomaly that does not affect the immediate operation of the time stamp, but announces that an anomaly of the first type is on the not occur, as when left on the roll of

  paper only a limited number of tickets.

  The diodes D1 and D2 are controlled by the microprocessor 10 which manages the whole of the parking meter, in particular the basic operations of calculating the parking time limit from the

4- 2739205

  sum entered by the user and the current time, and

print the ticket.

  The microprocessor 10 is also connected by terminals referenced from 1 to 6, for example, to the various members of the apparatus whose anomalies must be taken into account, such as the printer, the money box, the coin selector, etc. When an anomaly is detected on one of these organs, the microprocessor 10 applies to the corresponding electroluminescent diode a periodic signal causing the flashing of said diode and this as long as

the cause of the anomaly remains.

  FIG. 1 shows that the time stamp is also provided with a module 20 connected to the light-emitting diodes D 1, D 2, whose function is to transmit to a destination unit a message representative of the type of anomalies after it has been identified by the

module 20.

  The identification of the anomaly is carried out, in the example shown in FIG. 1, using detection means constituted by optical detectors, here phototransistors T1, T2, each associated with a light-emitting diode D 1, D2, each phototransistor being

  connected to the associated diode by an optical fiber F1, F2.

  The signals supplied by the phototransistors T 1, T2 are applied to two different terminals 1 ', 2' of a microprocessor 21 of the module 20, which makes it possible to differentiate the types of anomalies observed. The anomaly thus being identified, the microprocessor 21 of the module 20 composes a message representative of said anomaly and transmits it to the destination unit by means of transmission means such as a

  modem 22 via a radio link or the switched telephone network.

  As already mentioned above, said recipient unit may be a central station of the parking meter park or a portable receiver device which is equipped with

  maintenance during the surveillance rounds.

  In order to inform the persons responsible for intervening on a malfunctioning time clock, it is anticipated that an identifier of said time clock, a number for example, is stored in the module 20, namely here in a read-only memory associated with the microprocessor 21. The message representative of the type of anomalies transmitted then contains said identifier. Advantageously, it is expected that following an intervention on a defective time stamp, said module is able to emit an end of anomaly message. Similarly, said message of end of anomalies

  if necessary contains the identifier of the corresponding time stamp.

  Similarly, the use of the module 20 can be extended by connecting it to other anomaly indicating means such as shock detectors occurring during physical aggression against the time stamps. Finally, we can see in FIG. 2 a second embodiment of the invention in which the detection means of said module 20 are made by electrical connections C1, C2, each associated with a light-emitting diode D1, D2 each electrical connection connecting the module 20 to the associated light emitting diode. Here again, as for the example of FIG. 1, the electrical signals taken from the circuit of the diodes are applied to two different terminals 1 ', 2' of the microprocessor 21 of the

module 20.

-6- 2739205

Claims (10)

  1. Timestamp comprising luminous means (D1, D2) capable of emitting, each, a light radiation characteristic of a given type of anomaly, characterized in that said parking meter comprises a module (20) connected to said light means (D 1 , D2) and comprising detection means (T1, T2; C 1, C2) capable of detecting the emission of said light radiation by each of the light means in order to identify said given type of anomaly and means (22) for transmission to a recipient unit of a   representative message of the type of anomalies thus identified.   2. Time-stamping machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said means for detecting said module (20) are optical detectors (T1, T2) associated, each with a light means (D1, D2), each optical detector being connected by means luminous   associated by an optical fiber (F1, F2).   3. time stamp according to claim 1, characterized in that said detection means of said module (20) are formed by electrical connections (C1, C2) associated, each, with a means bright (Dl1, D2).   4. Time stamp according to one of claims 1 to 3 characterized in that   that said light means are diodes electroluminescent (D 1, D 2).   5. Time stamp according to any one of claims 1 to 4,   characterized in that said module (20) is capable of transmitting an end of anomaly message following an intervention on the time stamp.   6. Time stamp according to any one of claims 1 to 5,   characterized in that the transmission to said destination unit is performed by radio link.   7. Time stamp according to any one of claims 1 to 5,   characterized in that the transmission to said destination unit is   performed by the switched telephone network. -7- 2739205   8. Time stamp according to any one of claims 1 to 7,   characterized in that an identifier of said time clock is stored in the module (20).   9. Time stamp according to claim 8, characterized in that the message representative of the type of anomalies contains said identifier.   10. Time stamp according to claims 5 and 8, characterized in that   the end-of-anomaly message contains said identifier.