Electronic calculator for determining truck driver log book values

• US 5,886,331 A
• Filed: 11/18/1996
• Issued: 03/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Michael J. Lyons Jr
• Original Assignee: Michael J. Lyons Jr
• Inventors: Lyons, Michael J. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gross, Anita Pellman
• Assistant Examiner(s): St. Cyr, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US08/752,174
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: 235/61 B, 235/145 R, 235/58 PS, 340/309.15, 340/439, 364/424
• US Class Current: 235/61.00B
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/025 adapted to a specific application
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/04 using counting means or digital clocks

Abstract

An electronic calculator for determining truck driver log book values including a liquid crystal display. Also included is a conventional numeric keypad having a matrix of numeric keys for allowing the entering of value signals representative of whole numbers upon the successive depression of the numeric keys and subsequent depression of an enter key. Finally, control circuitry is adapted to store a value signal representative of the number of hours a truck driver worked during a day, to display on the liquid crystal display a date corresponding to the day, to display the liquid crystal display the hours the truck driver worked during the day, to automatically calculate and display on the liquid crystal display a sum of the hours worked by the driver during a first amount of previous days, to automatically calculate and display on the liquid crystal display a maximum of allowable working hours minus the sum of the hours worked by the driver during the first amount of previous days, and to automatically calculate and display on the liquid crystal display a sum of the hours worked by the driver during a second amount of previous days.

Claims

1. A new and improved electronic calculator for determining truck driver log book values comprising, in combination:

a housing with a rectilinear configuration having a top face, a bottom face, and a thin periphery, the housing further having a coupling plate with an inverted U-shaped configuration coupled to and spaced from the bottom face thereof for coupling with a prong fixed to a dashboard of a truck;

a first liquid crystal display situated adjacent a top edge of the front face of the housing and having a first column situated adjacent a left edge of the display for displaying a two digit number, a second column situated adjacent the first column for displaying a four digit number with two decimal places, a third column situated adjacent the second column for displaying a four digit number with two decimal places, a fourth column situated adjacent the third column for displaying a four digit number with two decimal places, and a fifth column situated adjacent the fourth column for displaying a four digit number with two decimal places, wherein the first liquid crystal display is representative of a row of a monthly summary sheet table of an official driver'"'"'s daily log;

a second liquid crystal display situated adjacent a bottom edge of the front face of the housing and adapted to display a date thereon;

a conventional numeric keypad situated between the first liquid crystal display and the second liquid crystal display adjacent a left edge of the housing, the numeric keypad having a matrix of numeric keys for allowing the entering of numeric signals representative of whole numbers upon the successive depression of the numeric keys and subsequent depression of an enter key;

a plurality of fraction keys situated within a column adjacent the numeric keypad, the fraction keys including a 1/4 key, a 1/2 key, and a 3/4 key for allowing the entering of fraction signals representative of corresponding fractions upon the depression of one of the fraction keys and subsequent depressing the enter key, whereby the numeric keys and the fraction keys may be used in conjunction to enter value signals representative of a combination of whole numbers and fractions;

a plurality of miscellaneous keys situated within a column adjacent a right edge of the housing, the miscellaneous keys including a previous day key for transmitting a previous day signal, a next day key for transmitting a next day signal, and a new month key for transmitting a new month signal;

memory means situated within the housing for storing the signals entered via the keys; and

control means situated within the housing and electrically connected to the first liquid crystal display, the second liquid crystal display, the numeric keypad, the fraction keys, the miscellaneous keys, the memory means, and a power source, the control means adapted to store in the memory means a value signal representative of the number of hours a truck driver worked during a day, to display on the second liquid crystal display a date corresponding to the day, to display on the second column of the first liquid crystal display the hours the truck driver worked during the day, to automatically calculate and display on the third column of the first liquid crystal display a sum of the hours worked by the driver during a first amount of previous days, to automatically calculate and display on the fourth column of the first liquid crystal display a maximum of allowable working hours minus the sum of the hours worked by the driver during the first amount of previous days, and to automatically calculate and display on the fifth column of the first liquid crystal display a sum of the hours worked by the driver during a second amount of previous days;

whereby a user may utilize the miscellaneous keys to view the hours the truck driver worked during the day, the sum of the hours worked by the driver during the first amount of previous days, the maximum of allowable wording hours minus the sum of the hours worked by the driver during the first amount of previous days, and the sum of the hours worked by the driver during the second amount of previous days corresponding to the day displayed on the second liquid crystal display thereby allowing the driver to transcribe the values directly from the first liquid crystal display to a corresponding a row of the monthly summary sheet of the official driver'"'"'s daily log.

2. An electronic calculator for determining truck driver log book values comprising:

a housing with a rectilinear configuration having a top face, a bottom face, and a thin periphery;

a first liquid crystal display situated adjacent a top edge of the front face of the housing and having a first column situated adjacent a left edge of the display for displaying a two digit number, a second column situated adjacent the first column for displaying a four digit number with two decimal places, a third column situated adjacent the second column for displaying a four digit number with two decimal places, a fourth column situated adjacent the third column for displaying a four digit number with two decimal places, and a fifth column situated adjacent the fourth column for displaying a four digit number with two decimal places, wherein the first liquid crystal display is representative of a row of a monthly summary sheet table of an official driver'"'"'s daily log;

a conventional numeric keypad having a matrix of numeric keys for allowing the entering of numeric signals representative of whole numbers upon the successive depression of the numeric keys and subsequent depression of an enter key, whereby the numeric keys may be used to enter value signals;

memory means situated within the housing for storing the signals entered via the keys; and

control means situated within the housing and electrically connected to the first liquid crystal display, the numeric keypad, the memory means, and a power source, the control means adapted to store in the memory means a value signal representative of the number of hours a truck driver worked during a day, to display on the first column of the first liquid crystal display a date corresponding to the day, to display on the second column of the first liquid crystal display the hours the truck driver worked during the day, to automatically calculate and display on the third column of the first liquid crystal display a sum of the hours worked by the driver during a first amount of previous days, to automatically calculate and display on the fourth column of the first liquid crystal display a maximum of allowable working hours minus the sum of the hours worked by the driver during the first amount of previous days, and to automatically calculate and display on the fifth column of the first liquid crystal display a sum of the hours worked by the driver during a second amount of previous days a second liquid crystal display situated adjacent a bottom edge of the front face of the housing and adapted to display a date thereon.

3. An electronic calculator for determining truck driver log book values as set forth in claim 2 wherein the housing further has a coupling plate with an inverted U-shaped configuration coupled to and spaced from the bottom face thereof for coupling with a prong fixed to a dashboard of a truck.

4. An electronic calculator for determining truck driver log book values as set forth in claim 2 and further including a plurality of fraction keys situated within a column adjacent the numeric keypad, the fraction keys including a 1/4 key, a 1/2 key, and a 3/4 key for allowing the entering of fraction signals representative of corresponding fractions upon the depression of one of the fraction keys and subsequently depressing the enter key, whereby the numeric keys and the fraction keys may be used in conjunction to enter value signals representative of a combination of whole numbers and fractions.

5. An electronic calculator for determining truck driver log book values as set forth in claim 2 and further including a plurality of miscellaneous keys situated within a column adjacent a right edge of the housing, the miscellaneous keys including a previous day key for transmitting a previous day signal, a next day key for transmitting a next day signal, and a new month key for transmitting a new month signal, whereby a user may utilize the miscellaneous keys to view the hours the truck driver worked during the day, the sum of the hours worked by the driver during a first amount of previous days, the maximum of allowable wording hours minus the sum of the hours worked by the driver during the first amount of previous days, and the sum of the hours worked by the driver during a second amount of previous days corresponding to various days.

6. A method of calculating and transcribing truck driver work log information for a monthly summary sheet table of an official driver'"'"'s daily log comprising the steps of:

providing a housing with a rectilinear configuration having a top face, a bottom face, and a thin periphery;

providing a coupling plate with an inverted U-shaped configuration coupled to and spaced from the bottom face of the housing for coupling with a prong fixed to a dashboard of a truck;

providing a first liquid crystal display situated adjacent a top edge of a front face of the housing and having a first column situated adjacent a left edge of the display for displaying a two digit number, a second column situated adjacent the first column for displaying a four digit number with two decimal places, a third column situated adjacent the second column for displaying a four digit number with two decimal places, a fourth column situated adjacent the third column for displaying a four digit number with two decimal places, and a fifth column situated adjacent the fourth column for displaying a four digit number with two decimal places, wherein the first liquid crystal display is representative of a row of a monthly summary sheet table of an official driver'"'"'s daily log;

providing a second liquid crystal display situated adjacent a bottom edge of a front face of the housing and adapted to display a date thereon;

providing a conventional numeric keypad situated between the first liquid crystal display and the second liquid crystal display adjacent a left edge of the housing, the numeric keypad having a matrix of numeric keys for allowing the entering of numeric signals representative of whole numbers upon the successive depression of the numeric keys and subsequent depression of an enter key;

providing a plurality of fraction keys situated within a column adjacent the numeric keypad, the fraction keys including a 1/4 key, a 1/2 key, and a 3/4 key for allowing the entering of fraction signals representative of corresponding fractions upon the depression of one of the fraction keys and subsequently depressing the enter key, whereby the numeric keys and the fraction keys may be used in conjunction to enter value signals representative of a combination of whole numbers and fractions;

providing memory means situated within the housing for storing the signals entered via the keys;

providing control means situated within the housing and electrically connected to the first liquid crystal display, the second liquid crystal display, the numeric keypad, the fraction keys, the miscellaneous keys, the memory means, and a power source, the control means adapted to store in the memory means a value signal representative of the number of hours a truck driver worked during a day, to display on the second liquid crystal display a date corresponding to the day, to display on the second column of the first liquid crystal display the hours the truck driver worked during the day, to automatically calculate and display on the third column of the first liquid crystal display a sum of the hours worked by the driver during a first amount of previous days, to automatically calculate and display on the fourth column of the first liquid crystal display a maximum of allowable working hours minus the sum of the hours worked by the driver during the first amount of previous days, and to automatically calculate and display on the fifth column of the first liquid crystal display a sum of the hours worked by the driver during a second amount of previous days;

entering a value signal by user which is representative of the number of hours a truck driver worked during the first amount of previous days excluding a current day by the depression of the corresponding numeric keys and fraction keys and subsequently pressing enter;

entering a value signal by user which is representative of the number of hours a truck driver worked during the current day by the depression of the corresponding numeric keys and fraction keys and subsequently pressing enter; and

transcribing the values displayed in the columns of the first liquid crystal display to a corresponding a row of the monthly summary sheet of the official driver'"'"'s daily log.

7. A method of calculating and transcribing truck driver work log information as set forth in claim 6 and further comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of miscellaneous keys situated within a column adjacent a right edge of the housing, the miscellaneous keys including a previous day key for transmitting a previous day signal, a next day key for transmitting a next day signal, and a new month key for transmitting a new month signal; and

utilizing the miscellaneous keys to view the hours the truck driver worked during the day, the sum of the hours worked by the driver during the first amount of previous days, the maximum of allowable wording hours minus the sum of the hours worked by the driver during the first amount of previous days, and the sum of the hours worked by the driver during a second amount of previous days corresponding to various days.