Device for recording information on a vehicle's itinerary

• US 6,141,609 A
• Filed: 05/08/1996
• Issued: 10/31/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Government of the United States of America, Mannesmann AG (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Mannesmann AG (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Inventors: Herdeg, Wolfgang, Widl, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US08/640,931
• Time in Patent Office: 1,637 Days
• Field of Search: 701/35, 701/29, 701/123, 701/207, 701/208, 701/213, 701/210, 701/214, 342/357, 342/457, 340/438, 340/441, 340/459, 340/460, 340/992, 340/993, 340/825.31, 340/825.32, 340/825.34, 340/990, 340/995
• US Class Current: 701/35
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0858 wherein the data carrier is removable
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/22 in combination with an identity check of the pass holder

Abstract

A device installed in a vehicle for recording information on the itinerary of the vehicle. The device includes a receiver system for receiving wirelessly transmitted information for identifying the current geographical position of the vehicle, a computer unit for computing digitalized data on the geographical position of the vehicle, and a memory unit for continuous storage of the digitalized geographical position data of the vehicle on a data carrier, which is protected against overwriting of recorded data, whereby the memory device also stores time data, which allow identification of the particular point in time at which a particular vehicle position was found. So that an itinerary taken by a vehicle can later be reconstructed without great expense the data carrier is configured to be easily exchangeable, and a data reading device is provided for the input of data that identify the driver of the vehicle and are recorded on the data carrier.

Claims

1. A device for recording itinerary data of a vehicle, the device comprising:

a receiver system for receiving wirelessly transmitted data for identification of a current geographical position of the vehicle;

computer means for computing digitalized data of the geographical vehicle position;

memory means for continuously storing the digitalized geographical vehicle position data on a data carrier, which is protected against overwriting of recorded data, the memory means additionally storing time data for identifying a particular point in time at which an individual geographical vehicle position is determined, the data carrier being exchangeably mounted in the memory means;

data reading means for inputting data which identify a vehicle operator and are recorded on the data carrier; and

additional input means for inputting data identifying the operator.

2. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the memory means is operative to record the data on the data carrier in encrypted form.

3. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the data reading means is a chip card reader.

4. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the additional input means includes a keyboard.

5. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the additional input means includes a fingerprint recognition device.

6. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the additional input means includes a voice identification device.

7. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the memory means is a diskette station.

8. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the memory means includes an optical memory medium.

9. A device as defined in claim 8, wherein the optical memory medium is a compact disk with one-time writability.

10. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the memory means includes an innerface via which current data on vehicle operation can be collected and recorded.

11. A device as defined in claim 10, wherein the innerface is configured so that at least one of vehicle speed, fuel consumption and engine speed can be collected and recorded.

12. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the memory means is operative to record the digitalized data on the data carrier in compressed form.

13. A device as defined in claim 1, and further comprising signal means for giving a warning signal in a timely manner when a capacity limit of the data carrier approaches.

14. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the memory means includes an innerface via which at least a portion of the recorded data can be read out for verification purposes.

15. A device as defined in claim 1, and further comprising communication means for transmitting the data to a receiver point for analysis.

16. A device as defined in claim 15, wherein the communication means includes a mobile telephone operative on the GSM standard.

17. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the receiver system is configured to receive data from a satellite navigation system.

18. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the receiver system is configured to receive data from a radio direction finding system.

19. A process for recording itinerary data of a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

receiving wirelessly transmitted data for identifying a current geographical position of the vehicle;

computing digitalized data of the geographical vehicle position;

continuously storing the digitalized geographical vehicle position data on an exchangeable data carrier which is protected against overwriting of recorded data, additionally storing time data for identifying a particular point in time in which an individual geographical vehicle position is determined;

inputting data which identify a vehicle operator and are recorded on the data carrier; and

inputting additional data identifying the operator and not recorded on the data carrier.