Electronic trip meter for an automotive vehicle
First Claim
1. An electronic trip meter for an automotive vehicle, which comprises:
- (a) means for storing sector distances between a start check point, an intermediate check point, and an end check point;
(b) means for calculating positions of alarm points at predetermined distances ahead of each of the intermediate and end check points, based on the sector distances stored in the storing means;
(c) a first counter which counts distance travelled from the last check point passed, or if none have been passed, from the start point;
(d) a first comparator which outputs a signal for so long as the value in said first counter is equal to or greater than a value calculated by the calculating means for a position of an alarm point which corresponds to the point at the predetermined distance ahead of the next check point;
(e) a second comparator which outputs a signal to said storing means and to said first counter so as to reset said storing means to present information relevant to the next check point, and to zero said first counter, when the value in said first counter coincides with the value presented by said storing means;
(f) a first alarm device;
(g) means for activating said first alarm device whenever the distance travelled by the vehicle is such as to place the vehicle between an alarm point and an associated one of said intermediate and end check points, comprising means for connecting the output signal from said first comparator to said first alarm device thereby activating said first alarm device for so long as said first comparator provides said output signal thereof;
(h) a subtractor for subtracting the value in said first counter from the value presented by said sector distance storing means whenever said first comparator is providing said output signal, and(i) a display device which displays the result produced by the subtractor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic trip meter for an automotive vehicle comprises a memory circuit to store sector distances between a start point and intermediate and final destinations, a distance presetting circuit to determine alarm points near to and before intermediate and final destinations, a counter to count the actual distance travelled from the last destination, a comparator to output a signal from the time when the value in the counter becomes equal to that in the distance presetting circuit until the time when the value in the counter becomes equal to that in the memory circuit, an alarm device driven by the comparator output signal, and a display device. Such an electronic trip meter displays the remaining distance to the next destination while the comparator is sending out an output signal; that is, at any intermediate points in between an alarm-point and the next destination. At other times the display shows a value representative of the total distance travelled. Additionally, the alarm sound is kept ringing in between the alarm-point and the next destination.
19 Citations
15 Claims
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1. An electronic trip meter for an automotive vehicle, which comprises:
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(a) means for storing sector distances between a start check point, an intermediate check point, and an end check point; (b) means for calculating positions of alarm points at predetermined distances ahead of each of the intermediate and end check points, based on the sector distances stored in the storing means; (c) a first counter which counts distance travelled from the last check point passed, or if none have been passed, from the start point; (d) a first comparator which outputs a signal for so long as the value in said first counter is equal to or greater than a value calculated by the calculating means for a position of an alarm point which corresponds to the point at the predetermined distance ahead of the next check point; (e) a second comparator which outputs a signal to said storing means and to said first counter so as to reset said storing means to present information relevant to the next check point, and to zero said first counter, when the value in said first counter coincides with the value presented by said storing means; (f) a first alarm device; (g) means for activating said first alarm device whenever the distance travelled by the vehicle is such as to place the vehicle between an alarm point and an associated one of said intermediate and end check points, comprising means for connecting the output signal from said first comparator to said first alarm device thereby activating said first alarm device for so long as said first comparator provides said output signal thereof; (h) a subtractor for subtracting the value in said first counter from the value presented by said sector distance storing means whenever said first comparator is providing said output signal, and (i) a display device which displays the result produced by the subtractor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An electronic trip meter for an automotive vehicle, which comprises:
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(a) a distance presetting device for presetting a number of sector distances between a start check point and intermediate check points and a total distance between the start check point and a final check point and generating signals corresponding thereto; (b) a memory circuit connected to said distance presetting device for storing the signals indicative of each of the sector distances generated from said distance presetting device; (c) a distance presetting circuit connected to said memory circuit for defining a distance from each of said start and intermediate check points to an alarm to an alarm point, within each of said sector distances, at a predetermined distance ahead of each of the intermediate check points and of the final check point by executing a multiplication operation on each of the sector distances stored in said memory circuit and on a predetermined multiplier stored therein; (d) a distance sensor for detecting the actual distance travelled and generating signals corresponding thereto; (e) an intermediate distance counter connected to said distance sensor for counting up the distance travelled while the vehicle runs forward and outputting signals corresponding thereto; (f) a first comparator having two input terminals, one input terminal of which is connected to said distance presetting circuit and the other input terminal of which is connected to said intermediate distance counter, for comparing the signal output from said distance presetting circuit indicative of the distance to an alarm point with the signal output from said intermediate distance counter indicative of the actual distance travelled and for outputting an alarm signal when the distance travelled agrees with the distance to the alarm point; (g) a second comparator having two input terminals, one input terminal of which is connected to said memory circuit, the other input terminal of which is connected to said intermediate distance counter, and an output terminal connected to reset terminals of said memory circuit and said intermediate distance counter, for comparing the signal output from said memory circuit indicative of the sector distance with the signal output from said intermediate distance counter indicative of the actual distance travelled and for outputting a reset signal to said memory circuit and to said intermediate distance counter when the sector distance agrees with the actual distance travelled; (h) a first alarm device connected to the output terminal of said first comparator for producing an alarm in response to the signal output from said first comparator, and (i) activating means for causing said first alarm device to begin to operate when the automotive vehicle arrives at each alarm point and to cease to operate when the automotive vehicle arrives at each intermediate check point and at the final check point. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification