MILEAGE RECORDING

• US 3,754,122 A
• Filed: 01/24/1972
• Issued: 08/21/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Charles E. Wood, Donald Friedman, Howard A. Wilcox, Nicholas Dinapoli, Robin P. Nicholls
• Original Assignee: Charles E. Wood, Donald Friedman, Howard A. Wilcox, Nicholas Dinapoli, Robin P. Nicholls
• Inventors: Friedman, Donald, Dinapoli, Nicholas, Nicholls, Robin P., Wilcox, Howard A., Wood, Charles E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilbur, Maynard R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thesz, Jr., Joseph M.
• Application Number:
  US05/220,384
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 324/94 73/490 235/95R,92DN,92NT,92TC,61.7B,61.8A,97 340/149A 328/127
• US Class Current: 377/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/22 in combination with an identity check of the pass holder
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/23 by means of a password
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices

Abstract

An automatic automobile rental system having a plurality of remote rental stations and a central data processing station for system control and customer billing is described. A system user employs a credit card that is automatically read at a rental station to identify the user, and this information is checked at the central station to verify that the card holder is entitled to receive an automobile. The same card identifies the holder when the automobile is returned to the same or a different rental station. An ignition key and machine-readable car identification and mileage module are interconnected for reading and dispensing at a rental station and for use in operating an automobile. Mileage or other measure of usage of the rented automobile is recorded in an electrolytic cell as a state of charge proportional to mileage. The cell is transferred to the automobile for mileage recording and to the rental station for discharge and mileage reading. Standard pulses of charge in a number proportional to milegage are used to charge the electrolytic cell. Data read from the electrolytic cell, from the user card, and from the automobile identification are transmitted to the central data processing unit over conventional telephone lines.

Claims

1. In an automatic vehicle rental system an improved combination of;

means for sensing vehicle mileage;

means for generating digital signals proportional to mileage comprising;

means for generating pulses in direct proportion to mileage, and means for standardizing the electric charge of each pulse generated;

an electrolytic cell connected to the pulse generator for recording vehicle mileage as electric charge, said electrolytic cell being detachably connectable to the vehicle for recording mileage;

means for enabling vehicle operation when thE electrolytic cell is connected to the vehicle and disabling vehicle operation when the electrolytic cell is disconnected; and

means remote from the vehicle for reading the recorded electric charge and generating a digital signal in proportion thereto.

2. In a vehicle having an odometer, means in parallel with the odometer for recording mileage for removal to a remote mileage reader comprising:

pulsing means connected in parallel with the odometer for generating pulses, the number of pulses being in direct proportion to mileage of the vehicle;

pulse former means for forming each pulse from the pulsing means to have the same total electric charge;

an electrolytic cell removably connected to the pulse former means for recording the total electric charge;

means for preventing accidental discharge of the electrolytic cell; and

means for enabling vehicle operation only when the electrolytic cell is connected to the pulse former means.

3. Improved means for recording mileage as defined in claim 2 wherein the means for preventing accidental discharge comprises a voltage controlled normally open switch means in series with the electrolytic cell, the voltage controlled switch means permitting current to flow in the electrolytic cell only when a selected voltage is applied to the switch means.