GB2271000A - Status monitoring device. - Google Patents

Status monitoring device. Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2271000A
GB2271000A GB9303561A GB9303561A GB2271000A GB 2271000 A GB2271000 A GB 2271000A GB 9303561 A GB9303561 A GB 9303561A GB 9303561 A GB9303561 A GB 9303561A GB 2271000 A GB2271000 A GB 2271000A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
entitlement
status
vehicle
associated vehicle
input means
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.)
Withdrawn
Application number
GB9303561A
Other versions
GB9303561D0 (en
Inventor
Michael Francis Isaacs
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.)
SCALES ALAN JOHN
Original Assignee
SCALES ALAN JOHN
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 SCALES ALAN JOHN filed Critical SCALES ALAN JOHN
Publication of GB9303561D0 publication Critical patent/GB9303561D0/en
Publication of GB2271000A publication Critical patent/GB2271000A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
    • G07F17/00—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services
    • G07F17/0042—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services for hiring of objects
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B15/00—Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points
    • 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
    • G07C5/0858—Registering performance data using electronic data carriers wherein the data carrier is removable

Abstract

A device for monitoring the status of an "entitlement", such as, the road fund licence, insurance cover and so-called "MOT certificate" associated with the vehicle, the device comprising means for receiving and storing data relating to the entitlement including the status thereof, timing means for progressing the term of the entitlement in real time and means arranged to provide an indication of said status. The device may also include input means for updating the data relating to the entitlement including the status thereof. Such data updating input means can be in the form of a card bearing the data in magnetic form and arranged to be updated with data relating to the entitlement by an authority responsible for the administration thereof.

Description

STATUS MONITORING DEVICE DESCRIPTION This invention relates to a device for monitoring the status of a so-called "entitlement" which enables a person or other party to comply with a legal, contractual, statutory or other obligation and which is renewable at the end of an expirable term. The invention is especially, but not exclusively, related to such a device for monitoring the status of a vehicle's road fund licence, insurance policy and, in certain cases, Ministry of Transport road worthiness certificate (MOT certificate).
To date, statutory provisions require a road vehicle to have a current road fund licence (road tax) and a driver of a vehicle to be covered by an insurance policy. Also, the law requires vehicles of a certain age, at present at least three years old, to have a road worthiness certificate issued on behalf of the Ministry of Transport by an authorised testing establishment, such as, a garage, which certificate is renewable annually. Apart from having to display the road fund licence (tax disc) in a prominent position with respect to a vehicle, the insurance certificate and, where necessary, the so-called "MOT certificate" does not have to be so displayed, although such has to be produced to the authorities, such as, the police, on official request.Thus, it is possible for a vehicle insurance policy and/or MOT certificate to expire without the vehicle owner and/or authorities being aware of such expiry. Indeed, it is possible for a vehicle's road tax to expire without the vehicle's owner or keeper also being aware that such tax has expired, even though the dated tax disc should be displayed prominently on the vehicle, such as, in the vehicle's windscreen. The system for maintaining in force the road fund licence, insurance and, where necessary, MOT certificate for a vehicle, is also open to abuse by some vehicle owners or keepers.
The present invention sets out to provide a device which overcomes, or at least substantially reduces, this major disadvantage, whereby it is possible to identify (at a glande) the status of, say, the road fund licence, insurance and/or MOT certificate of a vehicle at any time.
Accordingly, the invention resides in a device for monitoring the status of an "entitlement" as hereinbefore defined, which comprises means for receiving and storing data relating to the entitlement including the status thereof, timing means for progressing the term of the entitlement in real time and means arranged to provide an indication of said status.
Preferably, the indication means is arranged to provide a visual or other identifiable indication of the status of the entitlement at any point in time.
Also, the inventive device may comprise input means for updating the data relating to the entitlement, including the status thereof.
Up-dating of the data may be carried out by any suitable input means, preferably using a magnetic card, of the credit card type, which is insertable in a slot provided in a housing of the apparatus accommodating the respective components thereof and which bears data relating to the entitlement, including the status thereof. Preferably, such data is capable of being up-dated by an authority responsible for the administration of the entitlement.
For instance, and in the case of a road vehicle, the authority responsible for administering the road fund licence would be the Post Office acting as, say, an agent for the Department of Transport. The administrative authority for insuring the vehicle would be the relevant insurance company or its broker and that for any necessary road worthiness certificate would again be the Department of Transport acting through a road worthiness testing agency, such as, a garage duly authorised by that Department.
Alternatively or additionally, the data input means, such as, the magnetic card arrangement discussed above, may be used to identify an authorised user of the vehicle, in which case, it may be used to allow the vehicle to be mobilised (started). Further input means may be used to so-identify an authorised user of the vehicle, for instance, by means of a key pad for entering into the device the PIN (Personal Identification Number) of such a user. Such means may also be used, either additionally or in the alternative, to override the device if the databearing input means, such as, the magnetic card, becomes worn, creased, bent or otherwise damaged and, thus, unserviceable.
The means for indicating or otherwise identifying the status of the entitlement may, again, take any suitable form. For instance, it may be a visual indication, such as, a digital read-out or, in the particular case of a road vehicle, it may take the form of a traffic light" arrangement, whereby a green light indicates that the entitlement is current and in force and, thus, valid, an amber light indicates that the entitlement is about to expire, and a red light indicates that the entitlement has expired.Thus, if the entitlement is renewed by paying any requisite fee and having the information on the input means, for instance, the magnetic card, up-dated by the administrative authority in question and having that information transferred to the receiving and storage means by suitable inputting of the card into the device, then the green light will remain on or come on if the amber or red light had been on previously.
If one or more of the entitlements has expired, then the device may include means arranged to immobilise the associated vehicle on such expiry or at the end of a predetermined period of time thereafter.
Immobilisation of the vehicle may be carried out in any suitable manner, for example, by disabling the ignition system or by cutting of the fuel supply to the vehicle engine. Once the entitlement in question has been renewed, with the device being updated with corresponding data, then the vehicle may be mobilised once again.
In order that the invention may be more fully understood, a preferred embodiment of apparatus in accordance therewith will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a perspective view of the inventive apparatus for use with a road vehicle.
Accordingly, apparatus for monitoring the status of entitlements, such as, road fund licence, insurance and MOT certificate for a vehicle comprises a device, indicated generally at 1, having a housing 2 adapted to be secured inside an associated road vehicle, such that its front face 3 is visible from the exterior thereof. The front face 3 of the housing 2 has mounted thereon three vertical rows of three sets of indicator lights, the top light 'R' of each row being a red light, the middle light 'A' being an amber light and the bottom light 'G' being a green light.
A vertical slot 4 is provided in a side wall 5 of the housing 2 for receiving therein a magnetic card (not shown) bearing data relating to the status of the road fund licence, insurance and MOT certificate for the vehicle, such data being transferable to means in the form of electronic processing circuitry for receiving and storing such data, which circuitry is accommodated within the housing. Also, the magnetic card may be used to allow the associated vehicle to be mobilised (started) by an authorised user. In this manner, another card inserted in the slot 4 by, say, an unauthorised user of the vehicle would not allow the vehicle to be started or otherwise mobilised.
Also accommodated within the housing 2 is further electronic processing circuitry for up-dating the data inputted via the magnetic card, as well as means arranged to provide a visual indication of the status of each or all of the road fund licence, insurance and MOT certificate for the vehicle at any point in time.
Such indication means, in this particular case, comprises the traffic light configuration of the three vertical rows of three sets of indicator lights.
Each row of lights R, A and G is allocated to one of the three entitlements associated with the vehicle, namely, the road fund licence, insurance and MOT certificate. Thus, if the green light G is on, then that particular entitlement has a current or in force status which means that it is presently valid within its normal term. If, however, the amber light A is on, then this signifies that the entitlement is in, say, the last month of its current or valid term and will need to be renewed by the end of that month. If the red light R is on, then this indicates that the status of the entitlement is invalid, because its term has expired and renewal or reinstatement is required immediately. This device can be arranged to immobilise the vehicle when one or more of the entitlements ' has expired or at the end of a predetermined period of time thereafter.Such immobilisation may be carried out in any suitable manner, for example, by disabling the ignition or cutting off the fuel supply to the vehicle engine.
Timing means accommodated within the housing 2, in the form of a suitable electronic circuit, progresses the term of each entitlement in real time, such that the amber light A or red light R of each set of indicator lights is activated at the appropriate time.
The information borne by the magnetic card is provided thereon by an authority responsible for the administration of each entitlement. For example, the authority responsible for administering the road fund licence is the Post Office which acts as, an agent, for the Department of Transport. The administrative authority for insuring the vehicle would be the relevant insurance company or one of its authorised brokers and that for the MOT certificate would again be the Department of Transport acting through a road worthiness testing agency, such as, a duly authorised garage.
When the formal requirements for each entitlement are completed at the appropriate time, then that administrative authority will process the magnetic card either with data for setting-up the entitlement initially or for updating its status as and when necessary. As indicated above, such data is then transferred to the device 1 located within the vehicle.
In this manner, the status of the road fund licence, insurance and MOT certificate for the vehicle can be monitored continuously from outside the vehicle without the need to contact the vehicle's owner or keeper.
The device 1 may be provided with further input means for identifying the user, for example, by employing personal identification numbers (PIN) which a user can employ to access the device 1 for inputting data thereinto from the appropriate administrative authority via the magnetic card. Also, such further input means may be used as an override by an authorised user of the vehicle, if the data-bearing means, such as, the magnetic card becomes worn, creased, bent or otherwise damaged and thus unserviceable. In this manner, an authorised user of the vehicle can enter his/her PIN via a key pad (not shown) associated with the device 1 if the magnetic card for mobilising the vehicle does not operate properly.
Also, other means may be employed for indicating the status of a particular entitlement, one alternative being magnetic or electronic components which can be read by a suitable detector, thereby eliminating the need to use the visual, traffic light arrangement of the embodiment described above. This would enable the authorities to determine the status of each of the entitlement associated with the vehicle without necessarily having to contact the vehicle's owner or keeper. Radio monitoring or infra-red sensor monitoring might also be employed as other alternatives for providing the indication of the status of each entitlement.
Further, the device may include means for receiving a signal, such as, a radio, infra-red or like signal, transmitted from a remote source, whereby, upon receipt of such signal, the device immobilises the vehicle in, say, a similar manner to that described above. Transmission of such an immobilising signal may be instigated because at least one of the entitlements has expired or for other reasons.
Moreover, the device may be linked to or form part of an alarm system of the vehicle, whereby immobilisation of the vehicle can be effected and/or a visual, audible or other alarm signal can be given.
It is to be appreciated that use of the inventive apparatus need not necessarily be restricted to use with road vehicles but may be employed in other areas where the status of an entitlement requires monitoring, mainly for renewal purposes.

Claims (16)

1. A device for monitoring the status of an "entitlement" as hereinbefore defined, which comprises means for receiving and storing data relating to the entitlement including the status thereof, timing means for progressing the term of the entitlement in real time and means arranged to provide an indication of said status.
2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said indication means is arranged to provide a visual or other identifiable indication of the status of the entitlement at any point in time.
3. A device as claimed in claim 1 or 2 including input means for updating the data relating to the entitlement including the status thereof.
4. A device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said data updating input means comprises a card which bears the data in magnetic form thereon and which is insertable in a slot in a housing of the device.
5. A device as claimed in claim 3 or 4, wherein said input means is arranged to be updated with data relating to the entitlement, including the status thereof, by an authority responsible for the administration of the entitlement.
6. A device as claimed in any of claims 3 to 5, wherein said data input means is capable of identifying an authorised user of an associated vehicle in which the device is installed.
7. A device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the associated vehicle can be mobilised upon such identification of an authorised user thereof.
8. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, including further data input means arranged to identify an authorised user of an associated vehicle in which the device is installed.
9. A device as claimed in claim 8, when dependent upon any of claims 6 to 8, wherein said further input means is arranged to override said first-mentioned data input means to identify an authorised user of the associated vehicle.
10. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, including means arranged to immobilise an associated vehicle in which the device is installed, on expiry of the entitlement or at the end of a predetermined period of time thereafter.
11. A device as claimed in claim 10, wherein said immobilisation means is arranged to disable to ignition system or to cut off the fuel supply to the engine of the associated vehicle.
12. A device as claimed in claim 10 or 11, wherein said immobilisation means can be rendered inoperative when the entitlement has been renewed and the device has been up-dated with corresponding data so that the associated vehicle can be mobilised.
13. A device as claimed in any preceding claim including means arranged to receive a signal transmitted from a remote source and, upon receipt of such a signal, to immobilise an associated vehicle in which the device is installed.
14. A device as claimed in any preceding claim arranged to be linked to an existing alarm system, whereby immobilisation of an associated vehicle in which the device is installed, can be effected upon activation of the alarm system.
15. A device as claimed in any preceding claim arranged to be linked to an existing alarm system, whereby, upon activation of the system, the device is arranged to provide a visual, audible or other alarm signal.
16. A device for monitoring the status of entitlements associated with a road vehicle, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
GB9303561A 1992-09-24 1993-02-23 Status monitoring device. Withdrawn GB2271000A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB929220209A GB9220209D0 (en) 1992-09-24 1992-09-24 Status monitoring apparatus

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB9303561D0 GB9303561D0 (en) 1993-04-07
GB2271000A true GB2271000A (en) 1994-03-30

Family

ID=10722453

Family Applications (2)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB929220209A Pending GB9220209D0 (en) 1992-09-24 1992-09-24 Status monitoring apparatus
GB9303561A Withdrawn GB2271000A (en) 1992-09-24 1993-02-23 Status monitoring device.

Family Applications Before (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB929220209A Pending GB9220209D0 (en) 1992-09-24 1992-09-24 Status monitoring apparatus

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (2) GB9220209D0 (en)

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2287804A (en) * 1994-03-18 1995-09-27 Henry Rea Service interval timer
EP0731007A1 (en) * 1995-03-10 1996-09-11 Mercedes-Benz Ag Vehicle security method for preventing unauthorised use, particularly for leased or rented vehicles
ES2116926A1 (en) * 1996-09-20 1998-07-16 Sanchez Valero Francisco Total-control system for vehicles and drivers
WO1998031574A3 (en) * 1997-01-20 1998-09-11 Sultan Ali Mirzai An electronic vehicle immobilisation system
FR2773407A1 (en) * 1998-01-05 1999-07-09 Joseph Miceli Vehicle security device that can enable or disable functions in accordance with insurance requirements
GB2388228A (en) * 2002-05-02 2003-11-05 Mark Richard Goode A vehicle immobiliser system combined with a road tax, MOT and insurance payment system
GB2388207A (en) * 2002-04-23 2003-11-05 Mervyn Donaldson Motor vehicle tax indicator arrangement
GB2491909A (en) * 2011-06-15 2012-12-19 Bryan Leslie An immobilisation device and system for a vehicle

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3520124A (en) * 1969-02-13 1970-07-14 Sumner Myers Timer device
GB2173934A (en) * 1985-04-19 1986-10-22 Andreas Heumann Vehicle parking vouchers
WO1987003389A1 (en) * 1985-12-02 1987-06-04 Green David L Rental contract timer system
GB2196156A (en) * 1986-09-23 1988-04-20 Dennis Christopher Dent Timing apparatus
US4995018A (en) * 1989-10-10 1991-02-19 Drew Edwards Method and apparatus for timing the delivery of a speech

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3520124A (en) * 1969-02-13 1970-07-14 Sumner Myers Timer device
GB2173934A (en) * 1985-04-19 1986-10-22 Andreas Heumann Vehicle parking vouchers
WO1987003389A1 (en) * 1985-12-02 1987-06-04 Green David L Rental contract timer system
GB2196156A (en) * 1986-09-23 1988-04-20 Dennis Christopher Dent Timing apparatus
US4995018A (en) * 1989-10-10 1991-02-19 Drew Edwards Method and apparatus for timing the delivery of a speech

Cited By (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2287804A (en) * 1994-03-18 1995-09-27 Henry Rea Service interval timer
EP0731007A1 (en) * 1995-03-10 1996-09-11 Mercedes-Benz Ag Vehicle security method for preventing unauthorised use, particularly for leased or rented vehicles
US6552648B1 (en) 1995-03-10 2003-04-22 Daimlerchrysler Ag Method for protecting hire vehicles against unauthorized use
ES2116926A1 (en) * 1996-09-20 1998-07-16 Sanchez Valero Francisco Total-control system for vehicles and drivers
WO1998031574A3 (en) * 1997-01-20 1998-09-11 Sultan Ali Mirzai An electronic vehicle immobilisation system
FR2773407A1 (en) * 1998-01-05 1999-07-09 Joseph Miceli Vehicle security device that can enable or disable functions in accordance with insurance requirements
GB2388207A (en) * 2002-04-23 2003-11-05 Mervyn Donaldson Motor vehicle tax indicator arrangement
WO2003091063A1 (en) * 2002-04-23 2003-11-06 Muteli Jae Carifa Improvements in or relating to an indicator arrangement
GB2388228A (en) * 2002-05-02 2003-11-05 Mark Richard Goode A vehicle immobiliser system combined with a road tax, MOT and insurance payment system
GB2491909A (en) * 2011-06-15 2012-12-19 Bryan Leslie An immobilisation device and system for a vehicle

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB9220209D0 (en) 1992-11-04
GB9303561D0 (en) 1993-04-07

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
WAP Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1)