AU627745B2

AU627745B2 - Credit card device for continous parking facilities with variable hourly rates

Info

Publication number: AU627745B2
Application number: AU37556/89A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Raymond Peaux; Claude Saglio
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-05-31
Filing date: 1989-05-30
Publication date: 1992-09-03
Anticipated expiration: 2009-05-30
Also published as: EP0380604A1; AU3755689A; WO1989012286A1; ES2011753A6; GR890100358A; DK169112B1; CA1332760C; BR8906996A; JPH03500942A; FI900474A0; KR900702482A; DE68916933T2; DK25090D0; EP0380604B1; ATE108920T1; DK25090A; DE68916933D1; GR1002562B

Abstract

Credit card device for parking facilities, comprising a credit card (1) having an area (2) susceptible of displaying a signal showing that the card is in operation, a meter of which the value decreases from a nominal value to tend towards zero as the parking time passes, and a device which actuates the metering device at a speed proportional to the value of the hourly rate, a support (1a) to receive the card, a power supply source, at least one contact (10) for connecting the above-mentioned devices to the electric source, and means (8, 9) allowing the user to continuously vary the value of the hourly rate of the card.

Description

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION NAME ADDRESS OF APPLICANT: Claude Saglio 7 Residence de 1'Etang avenue Villeneuve-l'Etang Versailles 78000 France

AND

Raymond Peaux 405, Allee du Nouveau Monde Montpellier 34000 France NAME(S) OF INVENTOR(S): Claude SAGLIO Raymond PEAUX ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: DAVIES COLLISON Patent Attorneys 1 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, 3000.

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR THE INVENTION ENTITLED: Credit card device for continuous parking facilities with variable hourly rates The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- I i, r ALI 8 'o 1

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I ca -1A- The present invention relates to a parking credit card device functioning with variable hourly rates.

Various devices used for the paid parking of vehicles are already known.

A first device of this type, known under the name of "parcmetre", is placed near each parking place, and the user, by introducing pieces of change, displaces a needle, which returns to its original position when the parking period has elapsed, as a function of the hourly rate in force.

In another device, pieces of change are introduced into an apparatus, corresponding to the parking time desired, as a function of the hourly rate, and a ticket is received on which is printed, among other things, the authorized parking time limit, which ticket is placed behind the windshield of the vehicle.

Other more complicated devices make use of microcomputers to manage and control parked vehicles.

Besides their complexity and their cost, these devices almost always require the collection of pieces of change introduced into the devices by the users, as payment for their parking time.

Also known are credit card devices in which the user can choose a rate 20 from among a limited number of hourly rates, corresponding to the zone in which he desires to park.

i Such devices also present a certain number of disadvantages, which are eliminated by means of this invention.

First of all, since the number of hourly rates incorporated in the credit card is necessarily limited to a few, the latter can only be utilized in zones in °*"which the hourly rate corresponds to one of them. Considering the multiplicity of hourly rates from one zone to another and from one city to another, the user who travels is required to provide himself with several cards having Sdifferent hourly rates, which is a disadvantage. In addition, such credit cards can no longer be used when the hourly rates of the different parking zones are changed, which occurs from time to time.

I ~ALlj But, from the point of view of the manufacturer of credit cards, this

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iL._ r 7t -2disadvantage is even greater, since it must manufacture a greater number of different models of credit cards, especially if it wants to cover countries in which the values of the national currencies differ as much as those of Great Britain and Italy, for example.

On the contrary, by means of the invention, a single card can be utilized no matter what the hourly rate of parking or the currency in which it is denominated.

Moreover, in the known devices that include several predetermined hourly rates, rate changes can only be carried out by changing the sale price of the card. On the one hand, this does not allow modifications to be made only to some of the predetermined hourly rates, and on the other hand, it prevents the sale of parking cards in automatic machines which accept bills whose value always corresponds to a round number.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a parking credit card device functioning with variable hourly rates, wherein it includes in combination: a credit card comprising an area for displaying an indication that the card is in operation, said credit card containing a counting device whose value diminishes from a nominal value towards zero to the extent that the parking 20 time elapses, means for displaying the hourly rate of the card and for varying in a continuous or a quasi-continuous manner the value of said hourly rate to make it equal to that in a selected parking zone, a device controlling said counting device for operating at a speed proportional to the value of the hourly parking rate; and a support for receiving said credit card, :o-said credit card further comprising at least one internal contact cooperating with said support for permitting said card to be put in operation when engaged in the support and to be put out of operation when removed therefrom.

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-3- In a preferred mode of practicing the invention, the card also includes a means permitting the operation of the credit card and the display of the indication that the card is in operation to be interrupted when the card has operated without interruption for a length of time at least equal to a predetermined duration (for example 2 hours) which corresponds to the maximum authorized parking time.

According to a preferred mode of carrying out the invention, the indication that the card is in operation flashes during the entire time that the card is in operation but does not flash when the maximum authorized parking time is exhausted or when the credit of the card has expired.

In order to avoid the card being placed in operation at an inappropriate time, it is advantageous to provide two distinct contacts, preferably close to each other, which must be actuated in a predetermined sequence, which occurs when the card is introduced into its support.

According to a preferred mode of carrying out the invention, the card also includes an area where the unconsumed credit is displayed, this credit G. being displayable in terms of money, or preferably also in terms of parking *time, at the hourly rate chosen by the user.

This display area can for example display in numbers the total amount 20 of credit not consumed, or also it can be constituted by a strip whose length diminishes or increases in proportion to the consumption of parking credit.

One single area can be utilized to display alternatively the hourly rate and the credit in reserve.

:According to another preferred mode of practicing the invention, the means permitting the counter to be caused to operate at a speed proportional S* to the hourly parking rate is constituted by a memory in which the user can introduce the value of the hourly parking rate. This rate is selected, for example, by pressing on a key which can cause the hourly rate to increase in a continuous manner, or on another key which makes it decrease in the same manner. The hourly rate thus selected is cAL 92513gdet.025,37556-g89g.,3 utilized by a microprocessor to make the value displayed by the counter decrease with a speed proportional to this hourly, rate.

According to jreferred mode of =14 Ctthe invention, the card also Includes one or several luminous Indicators which light up successively when the credit remaining on the card approaches zero, to permit the user to be aware of the credit still available to him, before having to renew his card.

According to an improved mode of carrying out the invention, the card also includes a means permitting c period of time selected by the user to be displayed, at the expiration of which the card will automatically place itself in operation, or will automatically cease to operate.

By means of this device, the card can interrupt its operation at the end of a chargeable parking period, or can begin operating at the beginning of such a period.

According to another improved embodiment, in order to permit complete utilization of the credit on the card, the latter remains in continuous operation for a predetermined time (for example 30 minutes), when it is placed in operation during a period, as indicated by a display, which corresponds to a small predetermined residual value of the usable time on the card (for example during the last 15 minutes).

It can seen that, by means of the continuous choice of hourly rate which is made by the user according to the invention, it is possible to provide a universal credit card, which is purchased for a predetermined value, and which can be used in all parking zones, no matter what their hourly rate may be, and despite the rate increases that may have come into effect since the purchase of the card.

By means of this particular aspect of the invention, it is thus possible to manufacture a single model of a parking credit card in very large quantities and at a low price. This card can include within its thickness, and enclosed in its interior, display areas whose design is created specifically for the credit card, as well as the various elements necessary to its operation, particularly its electrical battery.

The result of this is that the card according to the invention cannot practically be falsified, since on the one hand, any access to its ~ALIA4 A 0 d i _I~

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working parts causes its destruction, and on the other hand, any such falsification would have to be performed on each card. This would be very discouraging, considering the difficulty of such an undertaking, and the relatively small value of the card.

In contrast, the situation is completely different with devices that use microchip cards, which drive a microprocessor contained in a case which is integral with the vehicle, and which contains the display areas.

In this case, it is very difficult to avoid fraudulent entry into the case, which is particularly vulnerable.

In order to better explain the invention, several embodiments thereof will now be described, which are to be taken as examples for purposes of illustration only, and not of limitation, as shown in the attached drawings. In these drawings; Fig. 1 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I of Fig.

2, of a first embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view according to line II-II in Fig.

1; Fig. 3 is an electrical schematic diagram of the credit card of Fig. 1; and Figs. 4 to 7 show another embodiment of the card, in different states of operation.

Fig. 1 and 2 show the credit card 1 which is disposed in its support la generally having the shape of a U. Its interior edges are provided with a slot which permits it to receive the card 1.

The card 1 presents a display area 2 which constitutes an indicator of operation, in the present case displaying the letter P. But it is obvious, of course, that this indicator of operation could display an indication of another nature.

The card 1 has a display area 3 for the credit remaining in the memory which, in this embodiment, is constituted by an elongated strip whose right-hand part is occupied by a series of vertical marks 4 and shows in an analog manner the credit remaining on the card.

In this embodiment, to the extent that the credit is consumed, the area 4 diminishes progressively and finally disappears completely when J\ )I -4 the entire credit is exhausted.

However, it is clear that the strip 4 could also increase in length to the extent the credit is consumed.

Two marks 5 and 6, also situated in the area 2, light up successively when the credit on the card approaches its zero value, so as to permit the user to know that he must soon take care of exchanging his card.

The card also includes an area 7 for the display and entry into memory of the hourly rate for which the credit card is set.

In the illustrated embodiment, this area includes two numerals, but it is self-evident that it could include more.

Thus, according to the invention, it is preferable to define the hourly rate by two or three numerals, which permits the hourly rate to be varied in a continuous manner and permits it to be adapted to all the parking zones in different countries.

The card also includes keys 8 and 9 which permit the user to set the credit card according to the hourly rate corresponding to the location of parking.

When the user desires to increase the value of the hourly rate, it is sufficient to press the key 8, which is marked and the increasing value of the hourly rate can be seen changing progressively in tho "'i'do 7.

Inversely, by pressing on the key 9 marked the user causes the decreasing value of the hourly rate to appear in the area 7 on the card.

In this embodiment, the card includes a contact 10 which is sensitive to pressure and which is actuated by a spring 11 (Fig. 2) which is integral with the support la.

This contact 10, when it is actuated by the support, permits the card to be connected to an electrical energy source which is constituted, for example, by a battery also contained in the interior of the card.

The electrical schematic diagram of the card of Fig. 1 is shown in Fig. 3.

This diagram shows the switch 10 which applies voltage to the electronic device by means of the battery 12.

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This device is constituted by a quartz crystal 13 which supplies an oscillator 14 with a constant frequency. This oscillator includes a pre-divider which permits it to supply a series of pulses at a lower frequency.

Also seen in Fig. 3 are the contacts 8 and 9 which act on a selector 15 to load the hourly rate into the memory 16. The contents of this memory are displayed in the area 7 as can be seen in Fig. 1.

The hourly rate displayed in the memory 16 is sent, along with the pulses supplied by the pre-divider-oscillator 14, to a fractional multiplier which eliminates a number of pulses inversely proportional to the hourly rate which is displayed in the memory.

The remaining pulses are passed into the permanent credit memory 18 which is provided at its input with a pre-divider to reduce in a uniform manner the number of pulses which are sent into the permanent memory.

The credit in terms of monetary value present at any instant in the permanent memory 18 is displayed by a display device 19 which can be a digital display device which visibly displays the total credit remaining, or, as is the case in Fig. 1, can be an analog display which presents a strip 4 whose length diminishes or increases at the same time the credit present in the memory 18 diminishes.

The luminous displays 5 and 6 in Fig.1 are activated when the total credit present in the permanent memory 18 reaches predetermined low values.

In the embodiment which has been described, the battery 12 is situated in the interior of the card, which thus can have a perfectly water-tight and sturdy construction.

However, it is possible to provide a supply of electrical energy which would be transmitted to the card by metallic contacts corresponding to those on the support.

Moreover, in the embodiment shown, the contact 10 is a mechanical contact which is actuated by applying pressure to the surface of the card.

However, it is clear that it is still within the scope of the i invention to utilize a different type of contact, for example a magnetic

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o^ -i t 1 -i I contact, which would be actuated when it is placed near a magnet which could be located in the support.

A second embodiment of the invention is shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7.

The card according to this embodiment includes two display areas and 21. In the present case, the display area 20 permits two figures to be displayed, while the display area 21 permits four half-sised figures to be displayed.

In the embodiment of Figs. 4 to 7, the card includes two contacts and 10a placed side by side, one above the other, which only permits the card to be placed in operation when the two contacts are pressed successively within a predetermined interval of time. This interval corresponds to a normal engagement of the card in its support, which can be of the type shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In this manner, the card is prevented from being placed in operation by accidental pressure, when it is not being utilized in the normal way.

Inversely, pressing on either one of the contacts 10 and 10a is sufficient to stop the operation of the card.

Also found on the card in Figs. 4 to 7 are the keys 8 and 9 which permit the hourly rate to be varied.

In this embodiment, the hourly rate is displayed by two numerals in the area 20. As in the preceding embodiment, pressing on the key 8 displays hourly rates which increase successively in a continuous manner, while pressing on the key 9 displays hourly rates which decrease successively in a continuous manner.

In this embodiment, the key 22 permits the card to be preset to begin operating or to stop operating after a predeterminable interval of time which is displayed in the area 21.

Moreover, the credit remaining on the card is displayed in the area 21 in numerical form indicating the number of hours and minutes of parking which remain, as a function of the selected hourly rate.

The operation of the card is as follows: Initially, no indication appears on the card which the user holds in his hand. When the user presses on one of the keys 8 and 9, the area ii 21 displays the parking time in terms of credit remaining on the card (the hours at 21a, 21b, and the minutes at 21c, 21d), for the selected hourly rate. On the other hand, the area 20 displays the value of the hourly rate present in memory in the card, as shown in Fig. 6, in which the displayed hourly rate is "16 France" and the time remaining is 8 hours and 37 minutes.

If no further steps are taken, the hourly rate and the time credit continue to be displayed for example for 5 seconds, and then the card terminates all displays.

If, while the hourly rate and the time credit are displayed, the user presses on the key 8, increasing hourly rates are displayed successively in the area 20, while if the user presses on the key 9, decreasing hourly rates are displayed successively. The corresponding time credit is displayed simultaneously in the area 21.

If the card is now engaged in its support, which is analogous to that in the first embodiment, the action of the support on the contacts and 10a causes, as explained above, the card to be placed in operation at the selected hourly rate, which remains displayed in the area flashing, during the entire period of parking, and the letter P appears also flashing in the area 21, as can be seen in Fig. In this embodiment, the flashing display of the hourly rate shows that the card is operating correctly.

After a predetermined time, which can be defined by the internal program of the card (given that the maximum duration of parking is generally two hours), but which can also be preset by the user as will be explained below, the parking rate displayed in the area 20 and the letter 'P in the area 21 stop flashing, the letter P disappears, and the area o displays two non-flaohing horiontal "dititc" nark-, to indicateA that the vehicle is in violation, unless parking is free at this time.

In a variation, the display of the hourly rate can simply be extinguished.

In the embodiment of Figs. 4 to 7, a supplementary key 22 is provided which sets the end or the beginning of the operation of the card to occur after a predetermined selected interval of time.

To do this, pressing on the key 22 causes the display in the part 21a of the area 21 of an indication which can be for example the letter C, indicating the commencement of operation of the card, or the letter F indicating that the operation of the card is to finish.

This letter, which thus may be C or F, remains displayed during a predetermined time, for example 5 seconds. Another touch on the key 22 during this time causes the letter displayed at 21a to be modified. The user thus can select and display his desired instructions to the card, either to stop or to start after a predetermined interval of time.

To determine this interval of time it is sufficient, while the letter F or the letter C is displayed in the area 21a, to press on one of the keys 8 or 9, to display at 21b the hours, and at 21c and 21d the minutes, of the interval of time after which the card will begin or terminate operation, in the same manner that the hourly rate is selected.

For reasons of convenience, it is preferable for the display of the interval of time to be made, for example, in increments of 5, 10 or minutes.

The display of the letter F or the letter C and the selected interval of time remains for a predetermined period of time, for example seconds.

If during this period of 10 seconds the card is inserted into its support, the operation of the card will be based on the indications provided in the area 21.

If on the other hand, the card is not placed into its support while the area 21 is still displayed, the card will operate as soon as it is introduced into the support, but without taking into consideration an instruction to stop or start after a predetermined time.

To permit an additional reminder to the user of the fact that the card is going to begin or end its operation after a predetermined interval of time, as soon as it is introduced into its support, the letter C or the letter F remains displayed at 21a, preferably flashing.

Fig. 7 shows the credit card when the key 22 has been pressed, to make the letter C appear at 21a, and when, by pressing on the keys 8 'AL4 4 /f 0 A y and 9, the figure 1 has been caused to appear at 21b, the figure 4 at 21c, and the figure 5 at 21d. This signifies that, if the card is introduced into its support while the hourly rate in area 20 is displayed, it will stop operating 1 hour and 45 minutes after it is introduced into the support.

This device can be utilized for example in a case in which parking is free starting at 7 p.m. and the user parks his vehicle at 5:15 p.m.

The user could similarly cause the letter F to appear and display 1 hour and 30 minutes, when he parks at 12:30 in order to cause the card to begin operating at 2 the hour at which paid parking begins.

[Sic; The letters C and F are reversed in this paragraph in the original French.] In an improved embodiment of the invention, when the parking time credit is lower than a predetermined duration (for example 15 minutes) and when the card is introduced into its support to make it operate in a continuous manner, it remains in operation for a predetermined duration which is greater than the above-mentioned duration (for example minutes), after which it is definitely exhausted.

This improvement gives the user the ability to completely exhaust the credit on his card.

It can be seen that, according to the invention, it is possible to avoid any handling of change when the card is used; and to adapt the cost of parking to the effective parking time, while taking into consideration the different parking charges, which can be changed in a continuous manner, even after the card has been sold. Thus the card is universally usable, no matter what the hourly parking rates are, and the currencies in which they are expressed.

It is understood that the embodiments that have been described can be modified in any desirable way, still within the scope of the invention.

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Claims

1. Parking credit card device functioning with variable hourly rates, wherein it includes in combination: a credit card comprising an area for displaying an indication that the card is in operation, said credit card containing a counting device whose value diminishes from a nominal value towards zero to the extent that the parking time elapses, means for displaying the hourly rate of the card and for varying S: in a continuous or a quasi-continuous manner the value of said hourly rate to make it equal to that in a selected parking zone, a device controlling said counting device for operating at a speed proportional to the value of the hourly parking rate; and a support for receiving said credit card, said credit card further comprising at least one internal contact cooperating with said support for permitting said card to be put in operation when engaged in the support and to be put out of operation when removed therefrom.

2. A device according to claim 1, further including a means for interrupting the operation of the card and of the indication that the card is in operation, when the card has been in operation without interruption for a 0% duration at least equal to a predetermined duration corresponding to the maximum authorized parking time. 25 3. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the •indication that the card is in operation flashes when the credit card device is in operation but does not flash when the maximum authorized parking time is exhausted or when the credit of the card has expired.

4. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the card includes two distinct contacts which must be actuated in a predetermined I sequence when the card is introduced into its support. 920513,tgdet025,37556-89.gjn,12 i'. I i4, -13- A device according to claim 4, wherein the contacts are close to each other.

6. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the card includes an area for displaying the credit not consumed, expressed either in money or in parking time as a function of the hourly rate determined by the user.

7. A device according to claim 6, wherein said means for displaying the hourly rate and said area for displaying the credit not consumed constitute a single display which permits alternatively the display of the hourly rate and the display of the unconsumed credit.

8. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the card includes a memory into which the user can introduce the selected hourly S• parking rate value which is utilized by a microprocessor to cause the value of S: unconsumed credit displayed by the counter to decrease with a speed proportional to the hourly rate. 20 9. A device according to claim 8, wherein the hourly parking rate value is introduced by actuating means which causes the hourly rate to increase or by actuating means which causes it to decrease.

10. A device according to claim 8 or claim 9 wherein the hourly rate selected includes at least two figures.

11. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the card includes a display which lights up when the credit remaining on the card approaches zero.

12. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the card pLsincludes several displays which light up successively when the credit remaining AlInt 920513,tgdet025,37556-89.gjn,13 -14- on the card approaches zero.

13. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the card i includes means permitting a period of time selected by the user to be displayed, at the expiration of which the card will place itself automatically in operation, or will automatically stop operating.

14. A device according to claim 13, wherein it includes a display area indicating whether the card will stop operating or begin operating at the end of the selected period of time. A device according to claim 13 or claim 14, wherein the means which permit the selection of the hourly rate also permit the period of time to be selected, at the expiration of which the card will place itself automatically in operation or will automatically stop operating. *16. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein when the card is placed in uninterrupted operation, and when it contains no more than a small predetermined residual value of parking credit, it nevertheless remains in operation for a predetermined minimum of time, which can exceed the amount of parking credit. o•

17. A device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this 13th day of May, 1992. CLAUDE SAGLIO and RAYMOND PEAUX By their Patent Attorneys DAVIES COLLISON CAVE t k 920513,tgcleLO25,37556-89.gjn,14