Registers – Systems controlled by data bearing records – Transportation
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-26
2001-05-22
Le, Thien M. (Department: 2876)
Registers
Systems controlled by data bearing records
Transportation
Reexamination Certificate
active
06234390
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a process for acquiring and/or paying a fee for pollutants in the exhaust of a combustion unit provided with a starting system and an exhaust channel, especially an internal combustion engine and a motor vehicle with an exhaust pollutant set which operates using this process.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A conventional process and a motor vehicle with a means for executing the process are known from DE 40 05 803 A1. In this design, motor vehicle performance data filed in a memory of an evaluation unit, especially with respect to exhaust data, are compared to the values which actually occur in different operating states. Deviations in the direction of unallowable values are indicated by increasing a counting pulse rate. There is an officially approved evaluation unit. The latter has a memory which can be loaded by means of a mobile counting medium which is charged with monetary units, for example a magnetic or chip card. The stored amount of monetary units is reduced by the counting pulses which occur. Payment of an advance tax by charging the magnetic or chip card and transfer of the charged amount into the memory of the debiting unit are the prerequisite for the motor vehicle operator's license. The status of the memory or the account is publicly displayed on a display. Therefore the operator's license to be derived from the account status can be read at anytime from the outside and can be evaluated accordingly by the authorities. The motor vehicle can be used at any time by the card holder when the memory is charged, but also by any third party. Therefore, in the case of theft, it can also be used without permission by a thief, a fence, rowdies or the like. These individuals generally do not pay much attention to overly high exhaust content or overly high pollutant values, thus negating the object of evaluation.
It is known from international application WO 90/15401 published on Dec 13, 1990 that, to eliminate or reduce unpleasant traffic situations, such as traffic jams on roads or lots, for example parking lots, for example by reducing the amount of time necessary to traverse a given distance, by adhering to a stipulated average speed or by recording the number of times the motor vehicle stops, a certain amount is demanded of drivers when they are driving into these zones.
To encourage drivers to avoid these zones or to leave these zones as quickly as possible, it is proposed that amounts corresponding to conditions be debited from a chip card charged with a certain amount of money in these zones. Although it would be a good idea, for example, in congested areas, to incorporate exhaust emissions in a suitable manner, there is no information thereon.
Furthermore it is known from DE 35 25 671 A1 that when a certain maximum speed is exceeded, a corresponding fine is debited from a chip card charged with monetary units. To do this, speeding can be automatically checked. However there is no linkage to an exhaust emission here either.
It has already been suggested that a so-called eco-tax be levied for exhaust pollutants in combustion units, especially in internal combustion engines. In this connection matching the motor vehicle tax to the pollutant discharge of the vehicle is considered.
It is known on the other hand that telephone charges can be debited via chip cards charged with monetary units. Chip cards of banks, warehouses or the like are known via which the amount of money corresponding to a target, bill or the like can be debited, not from the chip card itself, but from the account of the chip card holder.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of this invention, which is not known from the prior art and which is therefore new, is to prevent misuse of a combustion unit which emits pollutants.
This object is achieved by a process for at least one of acquiring and paying a fee for pollutants in the exhaust of a combustion unit provided with a start system and an exhaust channel, especially of an internal combustion engine, there being at least one pollutant sensor in the exhaust channel which produces, via a converter, an electrical signal, the signal being sent to a detector unit which outputs the signal to a computer in a form which can be processed as a control signal, and the computer makes available a value signal (S″) at an output which corresponds to the determined pollutant content, the value signal is formed from the control signal and is sent to a debiting unit which makes available a debiting signal by which the amount corresponding to the respective pollutant content is debited from a memory, the memory can be filled with monetary units by a chip card which is charged with monetary units via a chip card reader, the process comprising the steps of: providing the chip card capable of being charged with monetary units; inserting the chip card into the chip card reader, the chip card remaining in the reader during operation of the internal combustion engine for use as the memory; debiting from the chip card an amount of monetary units corresponding to the respective instantaneous pollutant content; generating and transmitting at least one warning signal by at least one of the computer and the debiting unit; said at least one warning signal corresponding to one of an amount of monetary units below a lower boundary value and an amount which is not present on the chip card; inputting said warning signal into a control unit provided with said combustion unit; preventing starting of one of the combustion unit and the motor vehicle based upon the presence of one of the insertion of the chip and being incomplete, the insertion of the chip card being complete but the chip card being uncharged, and an insufficient quantity of remaining monetary units on the chip card.
The object is also achieved by a motor vehicle with an internal combustion engine and an exhaust system connected thereto, comprising: at least one pollutant sensor located in an exhaust stream of the exhaust system, said at least one pollutant sensor adapted to react to the pollutants contained in the exhaust and output a signal which corresponds to an amount of discharged pollutant, further including a debiting unit via which an amount of monetary units corresponding to the value signal can be debited from a memory which can be charged via a chip card, wherein a chip card reader is assigned to the debiting unit, wherein the memory is directly on the chip card and the memory is chargeable with the monetary units, and wherein the debiting unit is adapted to continuously debit monetary units from the chip card during operation of the internal combustion engine according to the instantaneous pollutant content.
Using the invention, for example the operator's license is not revoked or a fine levied, as in the past, but starting of the combustion unit is prevented when there is no chip card or when the chip card is empty or has too few monetary units. In this way misuse of the combustion units which emit polluting exhausts is reliably prevented by preventing these combustion units from starting. For example this combustion unit cannot be started without the chip card in case of theft either. In addition, the emission of exhaust of any combustion units can be easily charged with a predetermined fee without additional accounting costs, administrative costs or the like. Also the users or operators are furthermore encouraged to behave economically. For example, drivers of motor vehicles are encouraged not to drive at full speed or to stop the engine when stopped for longer periods of time in city traffic or in traffic jams.
Other advantageous details of the invention are given in the dependent claims and are detailed in the following using a process diagram illustrated in the drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3961231 (1976-06-01), Gillespie
patent: 4733358 (1988-03-01), Joerg et al.
patent: 5343906 (1994-09-01), Tibbals, III
patent: 5657233 (1997-08-01), Cherrington et al.
patent: 5936221 (1999-08-01), Corder et al.
patent: 6061668 (2000-05-01), Sharrow
patent:
Cyr Daniel St.
Le Thien M.
Nixon & Peabody LLP
Sachsenring Automobiltechnick AG
Safran David S.
LandOfFree
Process for acquiring and/or paying a fee for exhaust... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Process for acquiring and/or paying a fee for exhaust..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Process for acquiring and/or paying a fee for exhaust... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2565464