Taximeter system for avoiding operator fraud in the computation and display of trip fares

• US 4,389,563 A
• Filed: 10/06/1980
• Issued: 06/21/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Claude F. Ricard
• Original Assignee: Claude F. Ricard
• Inventors: Ricard, Claude F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zache, Raulfe B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Williams, Archie E.
• Application Number:
  US06/194,261
• Time in Patent Office: 988 Days
• Field of Search: 364/467, 235/92 DN, 235/92 FP, 235/92 TC, 235/92 MT, 235/92 CP, 235/92 PE, 235/92 DM, 235/144 ET, 235/30 R, 235/33, 235/45, 235/97, 235/91 D, 235/92 P , 235/92 CA, 235/927, 235/92 R
• US Class Current: 377/20
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16542 for batteries charge condition monitoring in G01R31/36
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0284 Time or distance, e.g. usage of parking meters or taximeters
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 13/02 Details; Accessories

Abstract

This anti-fraud system includes a process and devices for avoiding fraud on the price indicated by an electronic taximeter. The taximeter apparatus, which includes a luminous display unit and a computing unit, is supplied with d.c. voltage V by the vehicle battery. One particular fraud, made more difficult by this system, involves voluntary cut-off of the voltage supply to the meter. To execute this fraudulent maneuver the cabdriver firstly starts the meter, and records a price on the fare meter, with no passenger in the taxi. Secondly, before a customer is picked up, the operator cuts off the current supply to the meter, which extinguishes the fare display. Thus, as the customer enters the cab, it is not apparent that the meter has already been run-up to a non-zero value. To preclude this maneuver, the anti-fraud system has a first comparator which compares the voltage V with a reference voltage Vr and emits a constant voltage Vc if V<Vr and a zero voltage if V>Vr. Another comparison device compares the duration during which V remains lower than Vr with a reference time period duration. The computing unit and the display unit are returned to zero each time the reference time period duration is exceeded.

Claims

1. A process for avoiding fraud on the price of the fare indicated by an electronic taximeter of the type powered by a vehicle battery and having a computing unit for calculating the fare value, a luminous display means to display the fare, and a voltage comparator means which compares the supply voltage from the battery with a safety threshold voltage level and which suspends the calculation of the fare in the computing unit when the battery voltage drops below said safety threshold voltage level comprising the steps of:

comparing the supply voltage level of the taximeter with a safety threshold voltage level;

measuring the actual time period duration that the supply voltage level is below said safety threshold voltage level;

comparing the actual time period duration with a reference time period duration when the supply voltage level returns and exceeds said safety threshold voltage level; and

returning the value of the fare in the computing unit and the luminous display means to zero if the actual time period duration exceeds the reference time period duration, but resuming the calculation of the fare starting with the fare value reached when the operation of the computing unit was suspended if the actual time period duration does not exceed the reference time period duration.

2. A device for avoiding fraud on the price of the fare indicated by an electronic taximeter which is supplied with electrical current by the vehicle battery and having a computing unit for calculating the fare value and a luminous means for displaying the value of the fare, comprising:

a first voltage comparator means for comparing the supply voltage delivered by the battery with a safety threshold voltage level and for delivering a first output voltage if the supply voltage is greater than said safety threshold voltage level, and for delivering a second output voltage lower than said first output voltage if the supply voltage is lower than said safety threshold voltage level;

means for suspending the operation of said fare calculating computing unit in response to said first output voltage;

an R-C circuit comprising a capacitor which is connected to the output of said first voltage comparator through a load resistor and which is connected to a discharge resistor so that when said second output voltage is emitted, said capacitor discharges through said discharge resistor with a determined discharge time constant;

a second voltage comparator which compares the voltage remaining at the terminals of the capacitor with a second reference voltage intermediate between said first and second output voltages; and

a logic circuit which receives the output of said second voltage comparator when said first output voltage is emitted from said first voltage comparator, and resets the fare value in the computing unit and the luminous display means to zero when said remaining voltage at the terminals of the capacitor is less than said second reference voltage, and resumes operation of said computing unit starting with the fare value reached when the computing unit was suspended if said remaining voltage is greater than said second reference voltage.

3. A device for avoiding fraud on the price of the fare indicated by an electronic taximeter which is supplied with electrical current by the vehicle battery and having a computing unit for calculating the fare value and a luminous means for displaying the value of the fare, comprising:

a voltage comparator means for comparing the supply voltage from the battery with a safety threshold voltage level and which outputs a first output voltage if said supply voltage is higher than said safety threshold voltage level and a second output voltage if said supply voltage is lower than said safety threshold voltage level;

means for cutting off the supply voltage to said taximeter in response to said first output voltage being emitted and for storing information contained in the computing unit representative of the current calculated fare;

an auxiliary source of DC current incorporated in said taximeter;

an electronic clock which produces pulses at a predetermined frequency;

a pulse counter of determined capacity which receives and counts the clock pulses;

a switching device which is connected to the output of said pulse counter and which changes state if the number of pulses counted by said counter reaches a predetermined count indicating that the actual time that said supply voltage has been lower than said safety threshold voltage level has exceeded a predetermined reference time period duration;

and a logic circuit connected to said switching device which resets the fare value in said computing unit and the luminous display means to zero when said supply voltage again exceeds said safety threshold voltage level if said switching device changes state, but which resumes operation of said computing unit and display means to the fare existing at the time the supply voltage dropped below said safety voltage threshold level when the supply voltage returns to exceed the safety threshold voltage level if said switching device does not change state.

4. Electronic taximeter of the type powered by a vehicle battery and having a computing unit for calculating the fare value, and a luminous means for displaying the fare, and further having means for avoiding frauds on the displayed fare due to voluntary cutting off of the supply voltage from the battery comprising:

means for measuring the actual time period duration that the supply voltage level is below a safety threshold voltage level;

means for comparing the actual time period duration that the supply voltage level was below the safety threshold voltage level with a predetermined time period duration; and

means for resetting the fare value in the computing unit and the display means to zero when the supply voltage returns to exceed the safety voltage threshold level if the actual time period duration exceeds the predetermined time period duration, and for returning the computing unit and the display means to the fare which existed at the time the supply voltage dropped below said safety threshold voltage level when the supply voltage returns to exceed the safety threshold voltage level if the actual time period duration does not exceed the predetermined time period duration.