Check-actuated control mechanisms – Including value accumulator for plural checks – Having solid state circuitry
Reissue Patent
1999-04-08
2001-05-29
Olszewski, Robert P. (Department: 3652)
Check-actuated control mechanisms
Including value accumulator for plural checks
Having solid state circuitry
C194S902000, C368S090000
Reissue Patent
active
RE037193
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
I. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to parking meters. More particularly, the present invention relates to individual parking meters that control multiple parking spaces or bays.
II. Description of the Prior Art
A variety of electronic and mechanical parking meters are. well-known in the prior art. Typical parking meters receive one or more coins to begin a timing interval during which a vehicle may remain parked in an appropriate space associated with and adjacent to the parking meter.
The timing interval, or the amount of time vended by the meter to the user, is typically determined by the number and value of the coins which are inserted into the parking meter.
Recently, electronic parking meters have evolved for digitally, electronically vending time. Although such electronic parking meters often have mechanical parts, the primary thrust of modern parking meter technology is directed to solid state circuitry and apparatus for parking meters which minimizes downtime, reduces mechanical unreliability, and provides an electronic means of accounting.
An advantage of modern electronic computerized parking meters is that they may be triggered externally without the use of coins. Accordingly, payment slots may be included for the use of debit cards which are incremented by the circuitry. Prepaid parking “time” represented by magnetic information on the cards may be used to vend time.
As an example, attention is directed to U.S. Pat. No. 4,880,097, owned by the same assignee as in this case. When such a “debit” card (i.e. normally the size of a plastic credit card) is used to purchase time, it need be simply inserted into the parking slot or the coin slot. Alternatively, the parking card and coins may be inserted into separate slots. A purchaser may vary the amount of time purchased on the meter, either by using his debit card or by inserting required coins.
A further advantage of the electronic meters is that fewer coins need be collected and handled, since much of the meter time is purchased by the park card. The meter then electronically stores in its memory the meter activity thereby reducing the number of coins in the meter.
Advanced electronic meters of the type described in the '097 patent further simplify accounting procedures. An auditor is typically used to program the parking meter and/or to extract data from the parking meter, such as the activity of the meter, etc. Also, the auditor can be used to program and gather data from the parking meter by connecting the auditor directly.
Older mechanical parking meters require the meter reader to manually empty the coins from each meter and tally them to determine meter activity. With electronic parking meters, this may be substantially avoided. For example, accumulated parking time and accumulated sales may be stored within electronic memory. Moreover, “busy” times of the day may be computed. Electronic programming responsible for such meters allows the user to easily vary parking rates or change them when desired.
Outdoor vending devices such as meters must be capable of withstanding the elements. To lessen the likelihood of failures, the meters must be relatively well-protected from weather conditions.
However, known prior electronic and mechanical parking meters fail to maximize the potential storage capacity and vending capabilities of electronic meters while remaining user friendly. A desirous parking meter would be able to store multiple parking space activity while concurrently vending the multiple parking spaces.
Preferably, the meter would remain relatively simple to operate and would not require an operator to learn or acquire any new skills or programming expertise. Such a new parking meter would greatly increase the efficiency of the individual parking meter while reducing maintenance requirements, costs, accounting and verification procedures.
Ideally, this meter could record and store the activities for up to four parking spaces, thus requiring data to be retrieved from only one meter instead of several individual meters. Also, coins would only need to be collected from one meter.
Of course, a single multiple bay parking meter would consume less power than several single bay parking meters. Another requirement of any multiple bay parking meter would be that any operator would be able to accurately select the particular parking bay to be paid for. Such a multiple bay meter would preferably use a digital screen that would permit the operator to quickly identify the desired bay. Of course, the meter should require no special skills on the part of the operator to manipulate the meter.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
My multiple bay parking meter permits a single meter to vend time to several parking bays concurrently. Three embodiments are illustrated. The two bay version may comprise either a digital display alone, or the display may be combined with a colored indicator using a rotary display flag-wheel. A four bay version omits the flag wheel.
The meter comprises a generally
cubicle
cubical
, exterior metallic casing that protectively houses the internal mechanism. The exterior casing also supports a removeable top. The top has a base and an integral arched portion that circumscribes a front view port and a back view port.
The casing interior houses the meter mechanism, that comprises a support frame, a front and a rear shell. A main circuit board is housed between the front shell and the rear shell. The generally cubicle frame portion includes a raised face portion that registers within a rectangular notch defined in the front of the casing. The face portion thus forms a portion of the meter exterior.
Portions of the payment system project outwardly from the exterior frame face. The payment buttons associated with the selection system also project outwardly from the frame face, and register with casing orifices that are adjacent to the notch.
The payment system and selection system permit an operator to selectively vend time for a chosen parking space or bay. Typically, payment system comprises a debit card slot and/or a coin slot for acceptance of payment. The debit card slot may receive a “debit” card that is mechanically guided and electronically interrogated through a variety of known techniques.
An internal card reader communicates with the card slot to accept and interrogate the card. A plug on the back of the reader extends through the front shell to connect to the main circuit board.
Coins inputted through the coin slot in the face drop into a chute system that may ultimately trigger the meter circuitry to initiate a vend. A plug on the back of the chute system extends through an orifice in the front shell to an appropriate connector on the main circuit board.
The selection system permits an operator to selectively choose which of the parking spaces or bays vended by the meter the operator desires to utilize. The selection system comprises an external switch plate, a plurality of external switches and an internal switch board. The switch plate rigidly mounts on the frame.
The switch board comprises a front connector that mounts directly to switch plate inside the frame. A plug projects on the opposite side of board. The plug extends through the front shell to the main circuit board.
A digital display is provided by an LCD display on the main circuit board. The meter displays the status of each bay via the LCD display. In the two bay embodiment, the meter uses digital indicators that may be combined with colored displays. All are visible through the top view ports. With the alternative two bay embodiment and the preferred four bay embodiment, only digital indicators are used. On all three embodiments, the front digital indicator may display the time remaining for a selected bay or the status of each bay.
On the preferred two bay embodiment, a colored flag wheel indicates the immediate status of each bay. Pie-shaped segments of the flag wheel are visible at the meter front through two side windows located adjacent each end of the digital indicator. The sid
Brown R. Todd
Speas Gary W.
Ward II Seth
Formby Betty
Groover Robert
Groover & Associates PC
Jaketic Bryan
Olszewski Robert P.
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