Run efficiency measuring system, a vehicle and a certificate

• US 20100325049A1
• Filed: 06/12/2010
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NL Giken, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NL Giken, Inc.
• Inventors: Tanaka, Masahide
• Application Number:
  US12/814,452
• Publication Number:
  US 20100325049A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/44
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists

Abstract

A run efficiency measuring system measures both investment into a vehicle for run and actual run performance by the vehicle. The investment means cost of energy, toll, and budgeted time, while the actual run performance means travel distance and saved time. Run efficiency is calculated on the measurements separately by difference in driver, between toll run and free run, and in unit price of energy. The measurement is summarized every time when one of the differences occurs, or day changes, or predetermined travel distance has been run. Vehicle is in wireless communication with IC card type certificate integrated with credit card which is inserted into card slot of the vehicle to identify driver for the individual run efficiency calculation, authentication as qualified driver, and ETC payment. Run efficiency data gotten in a vehicle can be taken over to next different vehicle for accumulation by way of memory of the certificate.

Claims

1. A run efficiency measuring system for a vehicle comprising:

a first measuring unit arranged to measure investment for the vehicle to run;

a second measuring unit arranged to measure actual performance relating to run;

a distinguishing unit arranged to distinguish conditions of run; and

a processing unit arranged to process the measured investment and the measured actual performance in accordance with the distinguished condition of run.

2. The run efficiency measuring system according to claim 1, wherein the distinguishing unit is arranged to identify driver who actually drives the vehicle, and wherein the processing unit is arranged to separately process the measured investment and the actual performance by the driver in response to the distinguishing unit.

3. The run efficiency measuring system according to claim 2, wherein the distinguishing unit includes a communicator arranged to communicate with a certificate kept by the driver to read identification data of the driver.

4. The run efficiency measuring system according to claim 1, wherein the distinguishing unit is arranged to distinguish one of toll run and free run from the other, and wherein the processing unit is arranged to separately process the measured investment and the actual performance by toll run and free run, respectively, in response to the distinguishing unit.

5. The run efficiency measuring system according to claim 4, wherein the distinguishing unit includes electronic toll system unit arranged to detect getting on and of a toll road.

6. The run efficiency measuring system according to claim 1, wherein the distinguishing unit is arranged to distinguish unit price of energy fed to the vehicle.

7. The run efficiency measuring system according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit includes a data creating unit arranged to summarize the measured investment and the measured actual performance every time when a predetermined event occurs.

8. The run efficiency measuring system according to claim 7, wherein the event is a change in the condition distinguished by the distinguishing unit.

9. The run efficiency measuring system according to claim 7, wherein the event is a change in day.

10. The run efficiency measuring system according to claim 7, wherein the event is a detection that predetermined travel distance has been run.

11. The run efficiency measuring system according to claim 1, wherein the investment includes cost of energy consumed, toll paid and time taken for performing run.

12. The run efficiency measuring system according to claim 1, wherein the performance includes travel distance and time taken for the vehicle to run the travel distance.

13. A vehicle capable of communicating with a certificate kept by a driver to drive the vehicle comprising:

a communicator arranged to communicate with the certificate;

an identifying unit arranged to identify the driver by means of identification data transmitted from the certificate through the communicator; and

a processing unit arranged to process the identification data identified by the identifying unit.

14. The vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the processing unit includes a run efficiency measuring system arranged to measure run efficiency with respect to the identified driver.

15. The vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the processing unit includes an authenticating unit arranged to authenticate a qualified driver permitted to drive the vehicle.

16. The vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the processing unit includes an authenticating unit arranged to carry out credit card payment in electronic toll system.

17. The vehicle according to claim 13 further comprising a slot into which the certificate is to be inserted for communication through the communicator.

18. A certificate capable of communicating with a vehicle, the certificate being kept by a person who is to drive the vehicle comprising:

a communicator arranged to communicate with the vehicle; and

a memory arranged to store data treated by the communicator.

19. The certificate according to claim 18, wherein the memory is arranged to store identification data of the person keeping the certificate, and credit card data necessary to carry out payment in electronic toll system.

20. The certificate according to claim 18, wherein the memory is arranged to store run data measured by the vehicle with the vehicle driven by the person and transmitted from the vehicle through the communicator.