Tamper proof digital value accumulator and display method and apparatus
First Claim
1. Pulse counting and display storage method for storing an effectively highest successive count value as a progression of substantially permanent incremental storage cell state changes in a programmable memory means, including the steps of:
- a. providing a seriate plurality of pulse signals;
b. advancing the effective address states of a memory means by one incremental storage cell location for each provided component pulse signal;
c. entering at least a one bit and substantially permanent memory state change for each addressed said storage cell;
d. counting the effective number of incremental storage cell state changes entered and producing a binary word signal having a value representative of the effectively highest count; and
e. displaying said binary word signal value.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The totalized count obtained from a seriate train of signal pulses is stored in a programmable memory means as a permanent state change in a separate memory cell for each count increment. Memory economy is had since each count increment preferably is stored in its respective memory cell as a singular bit change. Display of the totalized count is provided, usually as visual digital characters, through decoding and displaying of the memory address byte signal. When power has been interrupted, or the memory address has otherwise been upset, the totalizing counter is reset. It then quickly runs-up, under control of a CLOCK signal, through all the changed state memory cells until the lowest order yet unchanged cell is addressed, whereupon a state detector produces a signal that inhibits the clock and enables the display of the instant memory address thus obtained. Useful application as a permanent, nonresettable motor vehicle odometer is taught, including reservation of some memory space for retention of key indicia, such as a vehicle identification number (VIN), which may be read out to authenticate the vehicle'"'"'s association with the displayed odometer mileage. A resettable vehicle trip odometer is also inclusively shown. Overall result is a bright digital display odometer indication that has intrinsically permanent, accumulated travel mileage storage and which resists tampering to an extent greater than obtained with ordinary mechanical numeral wheel odometers.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. Pulse counting and display storage method for storing an effectively highest successive count value as a progression of substantially permanent incremental storage cell state changes in a programmable memory means, including the steps of:
-
a. providing a seriate plurality of pulse signals; b. advancing the effective address states of a memory means by one incremental storage cell location for each provided component pulse signal; c. entering at least a one bit and substantially permanent memory state change for each addressed said storage cell; d. counting the effective number of incremental storage cell state changes entered and producing a binary word signal having a value representative of the effectively highest count; and e. displaying said binary word signal value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
-
-
6. Pulse counting and display storage apparatus for providing a substantially non-volatile memory storage of each effectively highest successive count value obtained from a seriate plurality of pulse signals, as a virtually permanent incremental storage cell state change in a programmable memory means;
- comprising therefor;
a. pulse signal source means; b. programmable memory means coupled with said pulse signal source means including address signal source means effective to incrementally advance the memory means effective storage cell location address for each component pulse signal occurrence; c. memory writing means coupled with said memory means and effective in response to each component pulse signal occurrence to produce a substantially permanent incremental bit state change of the storage cell at the memory means location effectively coincident with the incremental advance of the memory address signal value; and
,d. first display means coupled with said address signal source means, effective to produce sensory value indication equivalent to that of the memory address signal value. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
- comprising therefor;
-
16. Pulse counting and display storage apparatus for producing an effectively retrievable count value stored in programmable memory means as a succession of storage cell state changes;
- comprising therefor;
a. pulse signal source means; b. programmable memory means; c. memory address means coupled with said pulse signal source means, and said programmable memory means, effective to progressively advance the addressed memory position by at least one increment for each component pulse signal occurrence; d. memory writing means coupled with said programmable memory means and said pulse signal source means, effective to produce an effective state change in the addressed memory position for each component pulse signal occurrence; e. first display means coupled with said memory address means, effective to produce an indication representative of the memory address position value. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
- comprising therefor;
Specification