Device intended for use in a vehicle for the input and processing of data, particularly suitable for transport- cost charging in the case of car sharing

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Patent Board

The Netherlands © Publication number: 9202084 © A REFUND © Application number: 9202084 © Submission date: 01.12.92 © Int.CI.⁵:

G07B 13/10, G07C 5/08 © Launched:

01.07.94 IE 94/13

Applicant (s):

Collect BV in Utrecht © Inventors):

Martinus Vos in Utrecht © Authorized representative:

Ir. CHJ Timmers et al. Exterpatent BV

De Bruyn Kopsstraat 9 2288 EC Rijswijk

Device intended for use in a vehicle for the input and processing of data in particularly suitable for transport costs in the event of shared car use

Device intended for use in a vehicle for entering and processing data, in particular suitable for transport costs in the event of shared car use, at least comprising:

- a data entry unit (8), at least comprising a passenger identification unit,

- a transport cost measuring unit (3),

- a central data processor (2), to which the aforementioned units are connected, which central data processor (2) is arranged to: a) at the start of a journey to identify the occupants on the basis of the data to be entered with the data entry unit (8); b) to allocate a tariff to each passenger; ) to monitor measured transport costs, and d) when a Passenger leaves the vehicle, to charge part of the costs of transport to that person and to adjust the rate for other passengers if necessary. Additional units such as a transmit / receive (17), write (13), display (11) and recording unit (18) may be present.

NL A 9202084

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The print of the description with claim (s) and any drawing (s) attached to this sheet contains deviations from the documents originally submitted; the latter can be viewed at the Patent Office upon request.

Brief indication: Device intended for use in a vehicle for entering and processing data, particularly suitable for transport costs in the event of shared car use.

The present invention relates to a device intended for use in a vehicle for entering and processing data, in particular suitable for transport costs settlement in the case of shared car use.

In the light of the growing environmental awareness, the aim is to reduce the use of cars and therefore often use public transport services instead. However, trains, buses and the like depart from and to fixed stations or stops, which are often at a relatively large distance from the desired final destination. Also, travel times with switching between the various public transport services and the associated waiting times often become unacceptably long. In addition to environmental considerations, reducing car use is also considered important in order to improve the viability of urban areas as well as the accessibility of economic centers, the latter representing a clear economic interest.

Another solution for reducing car use is the so-called shared car use ^,'carpooling^,,. An important problem with such shared car use is the mutual cost settlement of the users. Until now there was no possibility of a correct settlement of the transport costs per car among the passengers.

The present invention has for its object to provide a solution to the above-mentioned problem and to that end provides a device intended for use in a vehicle for entering and processing data, in particular suitable for transport cost settlement in shared car use, at least comprising:

- a data entry unit, at least comprising a passenger den identification unit, and

- a transport cost measuring unit, and

- a central data processor to which said units are connected, which central data processor is arranged to:

(a) to identify the occupants on the basis of the data to be entered with the data entry unit at the start of a journey;

b) grant a tariff to each passenger;

c) follow the transport cost trend measured by the transport cost measuring unit during the journey,

(d) when a passenger leaves the vehicle to charge part of the costs of transport to that passenger and, where appropriate, to adjust the rate for the other passengers.

Although the remainder of the description only refers to shared car use (carpooling), the invention is of course not limited thereto. The invention could thus also find application in other forms of transport, including goods transport, taxi companies and public transport services. Furthermore, with the device according to the invention, the possibility is created to use all kinds of different transport services, public or private, with one identification means, for example a magnetic card and / or pin code.

By using the device according to the invention, an accurate transport cost settlement can take place on the basis of a predetermined rate, whereby problems of disproportionate cost distribution are completely avoided. For example, there were previously occupants who less often took themselves as driver occupants, but more often with other drivers.

The device according to the invention offers many possibilities, a number of which will be further discussed below with reference to the accompanying figure.

It is noted that taximeters are known per se

EP-A-0 365 097 describes a device for the

Λ fr *. '· And m prevention of fraud when using a taximeter. To this end, means are present to measure and record the load of the taxi, as well as to record the driving condition of the taxi. However, none of the known taximeters identify passengers. Furthermore, the full transport costs are always charged to the passenger, who leaves the taxi last.

Advantageously, the device according to the invention further comprises a transmitting / receiving unit connected to the central data processor, so that the data of a journey after each journey or, for example, once a week or per month can be sent to a central administration. In this way, any centrally implemented changes to, for example, the price per kilometer or similar cost factor can also be sent to the establishment of the relevant user.

The passenger identification unit, which forms part of the data entry unit, is not particularly limited, but is preferably in the form of a card reading / writing unit, which can be combined, for example, with a pin code to be entered, so that the danger fraud is reduced.

In particular, the device according to the invention further comprises one or more of the following units connected to the central data processor:

- a writing unit;

- a display unit;

- an alarm unit; and

- a registration unit.

A simple matrix writer can, for example, serve as the writing unit. This serves to print a proof for each passenger with information about the journey, including the transport costs, time, date, distance traveled, etc. The display unit can be designed as a small liquid crystal display or display window (LCD), to be able to read certain data or reports from the central data processor. The alarm unit can be in the form of a visual and / or auditory alarm, such as a

9202004 warning light and / or loudspeaker, which comes on, for example, when a passenger enters an incorrect PIN code or otherwise detects an error. The recording unit is preferably embodied as a memory unit with a removable memory module or memory disk or the like, in order to be able to take out all data that the central processing unit has stored therein and to be able to read it out at a suitable time and to be able to read it to a central administration. send. For example, devices present at the so-called carpool locations, where the owner of the car has the memory module or memory disk read out at the end of the day.

Advantageously, the transport cost measuring unit is arranged to measure the distance traveled and the fuel consumption over time. All this can be carried out in cooperation with the clock of the central data processor, so that a correct interpretation of the costs is always obtained. Even when a car has only traveled a relatively short distance, but has been stuck for a long time.

It will be clear that the use of the device according to the invention offers many additional advantages, apart from the proportional cost settlement. For example, the data may be useful to the tax authorities because the participation of persons in shared car use is demonstrable and thus, for example, the unjustified acquisition of a tax advantage can be avoided.

In the following, the invention will be further elucidated with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which the single figure shows a schematic representation of an embodiment for a device according to the invention.

In the figure, 1 schematically indicates the device according to the invention, the most important parts of which can be mounted, for example, in the dashboard of a car. This comprises a central data processor 2 to which the various components are connected and, for example, is in the form of a microprocessor. A transport cost measuring unit 3 connected to the central data processor 2 comprises

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a gasoline consumption meter 4, for example in the form of a level meter or the like, which is arranged in the gasoline tank 5 of the car, the latter comprising a filling opening 6. Furthermore, the transport cost measuring unit 3 is connected to the mileage counter 5 of the car. The transport costs can in this way depend on the fuel consumption, the distance traveled and the time that can be measured with the clock of the central data processor. In this way a correct transport cost determination can be carried out, without lengthy traffic jams or the like having an effect on this.

Furthermore, an input unit 8 is connected to the central data processor, which unit comprises a keyboard 9 and a card reader 10. In this way a card can be linked to a pin code, to identify the user15 involved and to prevent fraud.

For displaying messages or for checking the procedure followed by the central data processor, a display unit 11 is provided with a screen 12, which may be designed, for example, in the form of a liquid crystal (LCD) display screen.

Finally, a writing unit in the form of a conventional writer 13 is connected to the central data processor for registering certain data, such as the costs charged, the distance traveled, the duration, the date, etc.

Dotted lines 14 show connections to an optional number of additional units, including an alarm unit 14 with speaker 15 and warning lamp 16, a transmit / receive unit 17 and a recording unit 18 with a removable memory module 19, which could also be in the form of of a removable memory disk or the like.

The device according to the invention can be connected via the transmitting / receiving unit 17 to a central administration 20, the remaining arrows 21 schematically representing connections to other similar devices in other cars. The connection to the central administration can also be carried out by feeding the removable memory module 19 into a reading unit (not shown) connected to the central administration and having it read out. Such a read-out unit may, for example, be present at a carpool location.

In the following, an example of a journey with a driver and a number of passengers will be described schematically with reference to the figure.

Upon boarding, all occupants, including the driver (often owner or renter of the car) are identified by inserting the relevant cards into the card reading / writing unit, for example magnetic card, chip card, contactless chip card, and using the keyboard 9 Entering a pin code, which data is passed on by the data entry unit 8 to the central data processor and is checked and processed there. This data can, for example, be displayed on the screen 12 at the time of entry, or as a check the name of the passenger associated with the card and pin code, according to the central data processor. If necessary, a sound signal can be issued via the alarm unit 14 for approval or in the event of an error.

Prior to the journey, a certain rate can also be entered using the keyboard 9, depending on the type of car. When the car starts moving, the transport cost measuring unit 3 will measure the fuel consumption with the fuel meter 4 as well as the distance with the distance meter 7. The clock of the central data processor 2 records the time from the moment the car is started and, depending on the time elapsed, fuel consumption and distance, the transport costs are monitored.

If one or more of the passengers wish to leave the car at a specific destination, they must again insert their card into the card reading / writing unit 10, enter the pin code, after which settlement takes place. The settlement can then be passed on to the central administration 20 via the sending / receiving unit 17 or later in the day via the removable memory module. The passenger in question can get a print of said settlement with the aid of the writing unit 13.

It is possible to carry out both a direct settlement, by applying upgradable cards, and a periodic settlement, in the case of transmission of the data to the central administration, whereby a bill can be sent to the users on a monthly basis. After said passengers have left the car, the central data processor will automatically adjust the rate, since the journey was started with several people and is now continuing with fewer people, which will increase the amount per person per kilometer.

If, for example, the input of the data is tampered with, or if, for example, an incorrect pin code is entered several times, this can be indicated by means of a warning signal by the lamp 16 or the loudspeaker 15, or be transmitted directly to the central administration 20.

At the end of the journey, the driver and the passengers still present in the car must enter their cards into the card reading / writing unit 10 and, if necessary, enter the pin code again. The total settlement for that trip will be executed at that time.

It will be clear that the settlement can in fact be carried out with invoices or fictitious, whereby one always receives an amount in a fictitious account when booked by taking along passengers, and when a passenger is traveling a certain amount is deducted from the relevant account.

The device according to the invention provides, apart from the above-discussed application, numerous additional application possibilities. For example, a vehicle comprising a device according to the invention could also be provided with an anti-theft device coupled to the device. All this offers the possibility of an eventual theft instead of or in combination with a common alarm signal also sending an alarm to the central administration or directly

9202004 to the police. The central data processor can be programmed such that in the event of theft or burglary the transmitting / receiving unit according to the invention transmits an uninterrupted signal, whereby the location of the remote vehicle can be determined with the aid of a suitable receiving unit. This greatly simplifies the tracing of stolen vehicles.

Furthermore, it is possible to prevent unauthorized use of special road sections, so-called carlanes, that are reserved for public transport services, taxis and multi-passenger cars, for example in the case of shared car use. For this purpose, for example, special roadside beacons can be arranged which can receive and identify a signal transmitted by the transmitting / receiving unit present in the device according to the invention. In this way, passing vehicles on such a road section can be recognized. Vehicles that do not send a suitable signal are recognized as unauthorized users. These can, for example, be photographed and ticketed. Thus the need for personal presence of police or similar authority is removed.

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