Communications: electrical – Vehicle parking indicators
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-12
2001-08-14
Tong, Nina (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
Vehicle parking indicators
C194S217000, C194S902000, C368S090000, C368S092000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06275169
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a parking meter with an input device for means of payment and an indicating device for indicating the course of a paid parking time, whereby the indicating device has at least one visual indicating means respectively for a corresponding number of parking spaces, whereby an actuating means with an indicating means is respectively assigned to each parking space, whereby furthermore all indicating means, the actuating means and the input device for means of payment are connected to a common control device, whereby furthermore a sound reproduction device with an acoustic announcement about the paid parking time is provided for and the input device for means of payment is configured as a chip card actuating device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Especially in town centers with dense traffic, the available parking space is often limited. According to the state of the art, so-called parking meters are used to counter long-term parking; they have a slot for coins into which different coins can be inserted, depending on the desired parking time and necessary parking fees. By actuating a turning knob existing on the parking meter, the parking meter releases the selected and paid parking time. A rotating plate, which is connected to a clock, rotates after expiration of the parking time back to a “0-mark” which indicates the expiration of the paid parking time. The disadvantage of these parking meters consists in the quite complicated mechanism which, in addition to this, is susceptible to wear. Even if such parking meters are configured as double parking meters for two parking spaces, finally a time synchronously running mechanism is respectively required per parking space.
In many towns and municipalities, parking ticket issuing machines are used besides parking meters. These parking ticket issuing machines activate, after insertion of a certain amount of money and selection of the desired parking time, a printing unit which outputs the parking time resulting from the paid fees as final parking time. With this system, the parking space user is instructed to place the issued parking ticket inside the motor vehicle so as to be visible in such a way to allow to check if the parking time is exceeded. This method is quite troublesome for the parking space user since he has to cover the way there and back from the vehicle to the parking ticket issuing machine before he can lock the vehicle and leave the parking space. In addition, when being placed into the vehicle, the parking tickets are blown away from the instrument panel, where they always have to be placed, by external blast or already by slamming the door and lay on the floor of the vehicle, unrecognizable if they are to be checked. The parking ticket issuing machines also are complicated since they must comprise an electrically drive printing unit.
Moreover, it is known by the german model of utility 296 06 229 to provide a parking ticket issuing machine for each parking space with a supplementary housing with a window for the insertion of a parking ticket.
The aim of this invention is to make available a parking meter and a device for its control of the above mentioned type, whereby the preceding mentioned disadvantages are eliminated and the construction of the parking meter is improved and simplified and whereby the parking meter is easier to operate, also for checking persons.
To avoid receipts about the paid parking time which have to be placed in the vehicle so as to be visible, the WO 98/07 123 knows a parking meter according to the type with an input device for means of payment and with an indicating device for indicating the running of a paid parking time. The indicating device has at least one acoustic or visual indicating means for a corresponding number of parking spaces, whereby an actuating means is operationally connected to the indicating means assigned to it, whereby furthermore all indicating means, the actuating means and the insertion device for means of payment are connected to a common control device. A sound reproduction device with an acoustic announcement relating to the paid parking time is provided for. The indicating means are configured as visual devices, for example in the form of luminescent diodes, or as acoustic devices, whereby an indicating means is assigned to each actuating means. The insertion device for means of payment is configured as a coin actuating device and/or as a chip card actuating device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The aim of this invention is to make available an improved parking meter of the above mentioned type which eliminates the above mentioned disadvantages and which is still easier to operate for the parking space user and which can be read by a checking person.
According to the invention, the indicating means which is assigned to each actuating means is designed in such a way that this indicating means represents at least three different states which can be read by a checking person, whereby a first state indicates to the checking person “paid parking time running”, a second state indicates to the checking person “paid parking time expired” and a third state indicates to the checking person “paid parking time expired for longer than a predetermined time”.
This has the advantage that a checking person can check centrally in a place, in a simple and quick way, for several parking spaces if the respective parking space users have paid the parking time claimed by them or if corresponding measures have to be taken to remove an unauthorized parking space user.
For a simple operability of the parking meter by a driver of a parking space assigned to a parking meter, the control device is designed so that, at each insertion of a chip card into the chip card actuating device, it debits the chip card with a predetermined unit and correspondingly adds up the units and acoustically outputs a parking time corresponding to the added units by means of the sound reproduction device. Hereby the predetermined unit corresponds, for example, to a parking time of 30 minutes.
To define a maximal parking duration, the control device is designed so that, after a predetermined number of chip card insertions, no further debit with a predetermined unit ensues or that the chip card actuating device is locked for further insertions of the chip card.
In a preferred embodiment, the indicating means contains at least one luminescent diode which represents the three states by means of at least one, however preferably two, however also three with different luminous colours and/or by means of differently intermittent or constant lighting up. For example one luminescent diode is provided for, whereby an intermittent lighting up with a first predetermined frequency or with a first predetermined interval pattern signals the first state, an intermittent lighting up with a second predetermined frequency or a second predetermined interval pattern signals the second state and eventually an intermittent lighting up with a third predetermined frequency or a third predetermined interval pattern signals the third state, whereby especially one of the predetermined frequencies is infinite and corresponds to a continuous lighting up.
Preferably, two luminescent diodes with a different colour are provided for, whereby a lighting up of the luminescent diode with a first colour, for example green, signals the first state, a lighting up of the other luminescent diode with a second colour, for example red, signals the second state and the third state by alternating flashing of both luminescent diodes with a predetermined frequency or a predetermined interval pattern.
In a further embodiment, three luminescent diodes with different colours are provided for, whereby a luminescent diode with the colour green signals the first state, a luminescent diode with the colour red signals the second state and a luminescent diode with the colour yellow signals the third state by permanent light, i.e. by continuous lighting up and/or intermittent lighting.
The exti
Krygler Agenor
Krygler Alicja
Kueffner Friedrich
Tong Nina
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