GB2136053A

GB2136053A - Controlling and monitoring usage of machinery

Info

Publication number: GB2136053A
Application number: GB08406249A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James Douglas Allan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-03-12
Filing date: 1984-03-09
Publication date: 1984-09-12
Also published as: GB8406249D0

Abstract

A device for monitoring and control of usage of machinery, for example a vehicle, incorporates a usage selector such that the machinery cannot be operated until a selection has been made from at least two possible purposes of use, and means to record the selection made. For example, a user may be required to select between private and business use of a vehicle before the vehicle can be started, a record being made of the user's selection of usage.

Description

SPECIFICATION Usage recording system This invention relates to the monitoring and control of the usage of machinery, in particular self-propelled vehicles, by the collection and presentation of data recording that usage.

Organisations, for example private companies and public authorities, responsible for running a fleet of vehicles, for example staff cars, delivery vans and agricultural or other special purpose vehicles, face ever-increasing costs of ownership and operation thereof. Because of the diverse nature of such vehicles and/or their uses the control of their usage may be difficult to administer and the costs difficult to monitor effectively. Instruments have been developed to record usage of commercial road vehicles but these are very limited in their applicability and do little more than provide a record of the extent of use of the vehicle. Typical of such instruments is the tachograph.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device which gives improved monitoring and thereby control of the usage of machinery, which is of particular value as applied to self-propelled vehicles, especially motor road vehicles.

The device according to the present invention, for the monitoring and control of usage of machinery, incorporates a usage selector arranged so that the machinery cannot be operated until a selection has been made from at least two possible purposes of use. and means to record the selection made.

Thus in one simple form of the present invention, the usage selector may require the user to indicate his intention to use the machinery, for example a road vehicle, for business or for private usage, before he can start the vehicle, his selection then being recorded for future reference, as for control or accountancy purposes.

While an important use of the device according to the invention is for application to road vehicles which may be used either for business or for private use, it may be used to monitor and control the use of machinery of all kinds, for example static workshop or hired-out machinery or heavy plant such as is used in the construction or agricultural industry.

The usage selector may control the starting of the machinery or may control another significant operation thereof, for example the brakes or other controls in the case of a self-propelled vehicle or any important operating control in the case of static machinery.

As applied to a motor vehicle, the usage selector may be associated with the ignition switch. In a preferred such arrangement, the starter feature of the ignition switch is inoperable until the selection has been made. In an alternative such arrangement, the starting may actually be effected by making the selection. Thus the selector may comprise at least two push buttons, either or any one of which starts the vehicle, the choice of push-button being the selection of usage.

In one form of the device according to the present invention, any attempt, or any successful attempt, to start the machinery without previously indicating a selection results in automatic recording of a certain predetermined selection. For example, if a vehicle incorporating the device is push-started, a selection of "private" usage or "mis-use" may be recorded. In another form of the device, a legitimate or illicit attempt to start the vehicle without first making a selection may initiate an alarm such as a "warning" buzzer to warn the user or alert the relevant authorities.

Preferably, the device is associated with a vehicle-mounted electronic recorder which records one or more other functions in addition to the selection of purpose of use. Thus the recorder is preferably directly linked to a clock, so that either the lapsed time of a given purpose of use or preferably the date and actual time of the beginning and end of a given purpose of use may be recorded. Furthermore, in the case of a vehicle, the distance travelled during each period of use may advantageously be recorded.

The recorder preferably incorporates an easily replaceable recording medium, for example a tape cassette or other replaceable cartridge. The system may be such that the vehicle or other machinery cannot be operated until a cartridge, or more particularly a cartridge having some unused recording surface available, is in place within the recorder.

Means, for example a keyboard, may be provided to permit the user to input selected data to the recording. Thus the user may record quantities and/or costs of fuel purchased, parking fees, tolls paid, car wash charges and/or repair charges. The usage selector may if desired be in the form of one or more keys or switches on the keyboard.

Particularly where provision is made for the user to key data into the record, a visual display may be provided. In this way, the user may be given information relating to such facts as time of day and/or date; instantaneous and/or average speed; instanteous and/or average fuel consumption; distance to destination; estimated time of arrival; quantity of fuel remaining in fuel tank; range on remaining fuel at current speed; and/or distance travelled on current journey.

The visual display may, as desired, use a liquid crystal display (LCD) or light-emitting diodes (LED's). The LCD has the advantage of using less power, so that if the device is kept energised when the vehicle is not in use, the drain on the vehicle battery will be less. An LED display may be more readily readable in darker conditions of the vehicle interior. In either case, a back-up battery, which may if desired be rechargeable, is preferably provided to keep the device active if for any reason the vehicle battery is disconnected or removed.

The device according to the present invention may be mounted at a convenient position within a vehicle or may be hand-held and connected to the vehicle controls and to the source of data from the vehicle (e.g. a transducer unit) by an "umbilical cord". Conveniently, especially if the device is miniaturised by the use of integrated circuits and printed circuit boards, it may be mounted upon or within the vehicle dash-board, the transmission tunnel moulding or a sun visor.

The system overall preferably permits transmission of the stored data to a remote managerial centre for processing. The data may be transmitted at appropriate intervals, e.g. weekly or monthly, by for example the mailing of an erasable memory device such as the above-mentioned cassette or other cartridge or a floppy disc, or by telegraph or radio. "Datel" service may be used. At said remote centre, appropriate vehicle ownership data may be held, for example Thence costs, insurance and hire or hire purchase charges and depreciation provisions. In this way, the transmitted data may be used to provide a largely automated continuous costing and technical analysis system for a vehicle fleet.

In a preferred embodiment of the device according to the present invention, a compact unit comprising the recording device, input keyboard and a microprocessor is mounted on the back of a normal car sun visor, the connections to the car .controls and transducer being in the car body structure adjacent to the windscreen. The usage selector comprises two keys on the keyboard, one for business and one for private usage of the car.

The keys control relays in the starter solenoid circuit. Switching the ignition key to its first operating position permits use of those electrical circuits normally available in this way but the car cannot be started by further rotation of the ignition key until one of the selector keys has been pressed.

Optionally, the device according to the present invention includes an anti-theft device, means to indicate when the vehicle has been abused by bad or excessively fast driving and/or means to indicate when a routine vehicle service is required.

The device according to the present invention possesses many advantages, which are to some extent dependent upon the number of features incorporated in the design. However, the usage selector ensures that the purpose category of every journey is selected before the journey is begun. This is particularly significant in relation to requirements of the Inland Revenue regarding tax allowances and to the terms of contract relating to use of a company-owned car. Usages are segregated into categories for calculating the different forms of operating costs and these may in turn be allocated automatically to specific accounts, contracts or job numbers, thus avoiding the need for subsequent separate allocation by clerical staff.

The facility for transmitting data to a remote management centre permits centralised control even with geographically dispersed vehicle fleets.

Claims

1. A device for monitoring and control of usage of machinery, incorporating a usage selector arranged so that the machinery cannot be operated until a selection has been made from at least two possible purposes of use, and means to record the selection made.

2. A device for monitoring and control of usage of a vehicle, incorporating a usage selector operable to select one of at least two possible purposes of use of the vehicle, said selector being included in the starter circuit of the vehicle such that the vehicle cannot be started until a purpose of use has been selected, and means to record the selection made.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the usage selector permits the normal starter control to function when the selection has bee made.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the usage selector incorporates starter means in the form of at least two push-buttons, operation of either or any one of which starts the machinery, the choice of push-button being the selection of usage.

5. A device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein an attempt to start the machinery without making a prior selection of usage automatically records a predetermined selection.

6. A device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein an attempt to start the machinery without making a prior selection of usage initiates an alarm.

7. A device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, comprising also an electronic recorder which records one or more other functions in addition to the selection of purpose of use.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the machinery cannot be operated in the absence of recording medium in said recorder.

9. A device as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8, comprising also a keyboard to permit the user to input data to the recording.

10. A device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the usage selector is one or more keys or switches on the keyboard.

11. A device as claimed in any of claims 7 to 10, incorporating also a visual display.

1 2. A device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein an identification of the specific machinery concerned is automatically included in every data recording.

13. A device for monitoring and control of usage of machinery, substantially as hereinbefore described.