Moving vehicle monitoring system

• US 4,395,624 A
• Filed: 11/03/1980
• Issued: 07/26/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fleet Tech Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Fleet Tech Incorporated
• Inventors: Wartski, Heinz
• Primary Examiner(s): BRITTON, HOWARD W
• Application Number:
  US06/203,329
• Time in Patent Office: 995 Days
• Field of Search: 364/424, 364/424.1, 364/426, 235/92 FQ, 235/92 DN, 235/92 LG, 346/33 D, 324/160, 324/166
• US Class Current: 377/15
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 1/16 giving a value which is a function of two or more values, e.g. product or ratio
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/244 influencing characteristics of pulses or pulse trains; generating pulses or pulse trains
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/122 Speed recorders
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/127 for acceleration values
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B

Abstract

A system for and a method of recording information concerning vehicle operation comprising a logic circuit interfacing with a microprocessor whereby accurate velocity information can be recorded to provide a precise record of operation, including acceleration and deceleration information, over a period of time.

Claims

1. A system for recording data concerning machine operation, comprising:

a sensing means for generating machine pulses the number of which per a pre-selected timing period is related to the machine parameter or parameters to be measured,

selecting means for choosing a number of quanta, each selected quantum corresponding to a different pre-selected operational level or range of the machine, and at least some of which quanta corresponding to more than one number of machine pulses per said timing period,

means for counting the machine pulses for said pre-selected timing period and selecting the actual quantum into which the number of counted pulses falls,

means for comparing the actual quantum with some previous quantum or quanta, and

means for recording the actual quantum if the comparison of the actual quantum with the previous quantum or quanta indicates a non-uniform change in the machine parameter.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for counting comprises a first flip-flop and a microprocessor, said flip-flop being set by each pulse from said sensing means thereby sending its output to said microprocessor which resets said flip-flop by a control signal.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the control signal is generated by a decoder connected to said microprocessor.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein said means for counting includes a second flip-flop, said second flip-flop being set by pulses from a timing unit, the interval of the timing pulses being constant, said second flip-flop sending an output to said microprocessor and being reset by said microprocessor whereby the interval of the timing pulses is the pre-selected timing period for counting the machine pulses.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said timing unit comprises a clock, said clock feeding a counter which produces the timing pulses.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein said means for counting includes a third flip-flop which is set by RPM pulses from a second sensing means, the output of said third flip-flop being received by said microprocessor and reset by a control signal from said microprocessor whereby the RPM pulses are counted for the pre-selected timing period.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for recording only records a given quantum if the comparison by said means for comparing indicates the non-uniform change in the machine parameter has occurred within the last three timing periods.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for recording additionally records a quantum at a selected interval greater than three timing periods even if the machine parameter is uniform or even if there is a uniform parameter change over the selected interval.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for recording compresses two sequential quanta into a single recorded quantum if the two sequential quanta are related.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the compression occurs if the first of the two quantums is adjacent to the second quantum, and the next quantum is adjacent to the first quantum.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for recording includes a random access memory.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein speed is the machine parameter to be recorded and the quanta are velocity quanta.

13. A method of recording information concerning machine operation comprising:

generating a series of pulses, the number of which per pre-selected timing period is related to the machine parameter or parameters to be measured,

selecting a number of quanta, each selected quantum corresponding to a different pre-selected operational level or range of the machine and at least some of which quanta corresponding to more than one number of machine pulses per said timing period,

counting the series of pulses received in said pre-selected timing period,

selecting the actual quantum into which the number of counted pulses falls,

comparing the actual quantum with some previous quantum or quanta, and

recording the actual quantum if the comparison of the actual quantum with the previous quanta or quantum indicates a non-uniform change in the machine parameter.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein recording includes recording the quantum only if the comparing shows that there has been a non-uniform change in the machine parameter within the last three timing periods.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein recording also includes recording a quantum at a selected interval greater than three timing periods if the machine parameter is uniform or if there is a uniform parameter change over the selected interval.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising comparing two sequential quanta to determine if they are sufficiently related, and if so, compressing them into a single quantum for recording.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the compressing occurs if the first of the two quantums is adjacent to the second, and the next earlier quantum is adjacent to the first quantum.