Electronic parking time indicator for autovehicles

• US 4,879,553 A
• Filed: 07/12/1988
• Issued: 11/07/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dante Siano
• Original Assignee: Dante Siano, Nardino Righi
• Inventors: Righi, Nardino
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US07/217,828
• Time in Patent Office: 483 Days
• Field of Search: 340/51, 340/539, 340/309.15, 340/309.3, 340/932.2, 340/425.5, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 368/90, 368/89, 368/92, 368/6-8, 368/243, 368/244, 368/249, 364/467, 364/569, 194/900, 194/902
• US Class Current: 340/932.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1215 with information displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1246 with clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1284 with communication systems other than radio-receivers, e.g. keyless entry systems, navigation systems; with anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/30 Parking meters registering or indicating waiting time of vehicles by means driven by the vehicle G07C5/02; coin-freed parking meters G07F17/24
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/62 Comprising means for indicating the status of the lock
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

A telecontrol system for a motor-vehicle (1) includes receiver (2) and transmitter (3). The receiver (2) is incorporated in the rearview mirror (4) of a motor-vehicle (1) and includes an electronic digital clock whose display (5) is provided on the back of the mirror and can be viewed through the windshield. The transmitter (3) controls also the elctric actuators (8) for locking and unlocking an doors of the vehicle (1), and the anti-theft device. The transmitter is of pocket size and comprises an electronic minute-counter with respective display (15). Through the provision of a control key (13) on the transmitter (3), the indication of the time is made visible and locked on the display (5) of the electronic clock of the receiver (2), and at the same time the minute-counter of the transmitter (3) is started. Two further control keys (11,12) on the transmitter (3) enable the door-locks of the motor-vehicle (1) to be unlocked and locked, and the anti-theft device (17) to be deactivated and activated. A further control key (14) on the transmitter (3) serves to reset the minute-counter to zero and - when the engine of the motor-vehicle is started - to blank off the display (5) of the electronic clock of the receiver (2).

Claims

1. An electronic device for indicating the parking time of motor-vehicles, particularly for parking in the areas requiring a parking-time disc-indicator, or the like, said electronic device comprising a remote-control unit including a receiver arranged within the motor-vehicle and provided with an electronic digital clock having an associated display which is clearly visible from the outside, and with a small-sized transmitter, said transmitter including an electronic digital minute-counter having a respective display, and the transmitter further including a control member for, when actuated, causing the indication of the time on the electronic digital clock of the receiver to be made visible and to be simultaneously locked on the display of the electronic digital clock of the receiver, and causing, at the same time, starting of the electronic digital minute-counter of the transmitter.

2. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that said receiver comprises a display indicating the parking condition of the motor-vehicle by means of a corresponding representation and being made visible simultaneously with the display of the electronic clock in response to the actuation of the corresponding control member of the transmitter.

3. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the electronic minute-counter circuit of the transmitter transmits acoustic signals at intervals, and said transmitter includes acoustic warning means.

4. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that said transmitter comprises means for entering any desired parking time and means for producing a warning signal in advance of the expiration of the parking time entered.

5. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that said transmitter includes control means for resetting to zero said electronic digital minute-counter of the transmitter.

6. A device according to claim 1, for a motor-vehicle including an engine and a starter switch for the engine characterized in that the time indicated on the display of the receiver is made invisible in response to actuation of the starter switch for the engine of the motor-vehicle, a control output of the receiver being connected to the starter switch.

7. A device according to claim 5, for a motor-vehicle including an engine and a control device for starting the engine, characterized in that the actuation of the control device to start the engine of the motor-vehicle pre-conditions the receiver so as to permit the display of the electronic clock to be blanked off by the control means for resetting to zero the minute-counter of said transmitter.

8. A device according to claim 2, for a motor-vehicle including a windshield and an internal rearview mirror having a back side, characterized in that the receiver is incorporated in the internal rearview mirror of the motor-vehicle, while the display of the electronic clock and the display indicating the parking condition are provided on the back side of said mirror, so as to be viewed through the windshield.

9. A device according to claim 1 for a motor-vehicle having further operational functions associated therewith, characterized in that the transmitter and the receiver include means for remotely controlling at least one of the operational further functions of the motor-vehicle.

10. A device according to claim 9, for a motor-vehicle including doors with door locks and electrical actuators for locking and unlocking the door locks, characterized in that the receiver includes means for controlling the electrical actuators for locking and unlocking the door locks of the motor-vehicle, said controlling means comprising control pilot circuits with control outputs, said transmitter comprising corresponding control means for said pilot circuits.

11. A device according to claim 10, for a motor-vehicle including an anti-theft device, characterized in that the receiver includes means for controlling the activation and disactivation of the anti-theft device of the motor-vehicle, in response to a command for closing and opening, respectively, of the doors of the motor-vehicle.

12. A device according to claim 1, for a motor-vehicle including doors with door locks, and an anti-theft device, characterized in that the transmitter comprises a microprocessor fed by a cell, with a first control key for activating the parking function, a second control key for resetting the zero the minute-counter, a third control key for opening or unlocking the doors of the motor-vehicle and disactivating the anti-theft device and a fourth control key for closing or locking the doors and activating the anti-theft device, and with two further control keys for entering the hour and minutes, respectively, of the clock of the receiver during times other than during the "parking" condition of the device, said microprocessor having connected thereto a minute-counter with a display and a acoustic indicator, while the signals produced by the microprocessor are coded in a coding modulator and are transmitted to the receiver by means of a transmitter circuit.

13. A device according to claim 12, for a motor-vehicle including a battery, characterized in that the receiver comprises a radio-receiver with an antenna connected to a control circuit by means of a detector/decoder, said control circuit comprising a microprocessor and at least one control pilot circuit with control outputs and said control circuit having connected thereto the electronic digital clock with said associated display and the parking condition display, said control circuit being fed from the battery of the motor vehicle through further outputs and being provided wth a control input for disactivation of the device.

14. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the receiver comprises two keys for entering the hour and minutes, respectively, of the digital clock during a time other than during the "parking" condition of the device.

15. An electronic device according to claim 2, characterized in that the receiver and the respective said displays for the electronic clock and the parking condition are incorporated in a part which can be used as a parking-time indicating disc.