Electronic timer system and method

• US 20040075581A1
• Filed: 10/02/2003
• Published: 04/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RanaVerde Tech Initiative, LLC
• Original Assignee: John Staniszewski
• Inventors: Staniszewski, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,023,360 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/932.2
• 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: G08G 1/14 indicating individual free spaces in parking areas

Abstract

An electronic timer system includes a first unit. The first unit includes a memory device configured to store predetermined parking rule data, a timer device configured to determine at least one of a day, a date and a time of day, and an alert device configured to emit an alert in accordance with the predetermined parking rule data and based on at least one of the day, the date and the time of day determined by the timer device. A method includes storing predetermined parking rule data in a memory device, determining at least one of a day, a date and a time of day, and emitting an alert in accordance with the predetermined parking rule data stored in the storing step and the at least one of the day, the date and the time of day determined in the determining step.

Claims

1. An electronic timer system, comprising:

a first unit including;

a memory device configured to store predetermined parking rule data;

a timer device configured to determine at least one of a day, a date and a time of day; and

an alert device configured to emit an alert in accordance with the predetermined parking rule data and based on at least one of the day, the date and the time of day determined by the timer device.

2. The electronic timer system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined parking rule data includes data representing municipal parking regulations.

3. The electronic timer system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined parking rule data includes data representing on-street parking regulations.

4. The electronic timer system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined parking rule data includes at least one of day, date and time data.

5. The electronic timer system according to claim 1, wherein the memory is configured to store data relating to at least one of vehicle maintenance, an address, a telephone number, an appointment and a calendar entry.

6. The electronic timer system according to claim 1, further comprising a user interface.

7. The electronic timer system according to claim 6, wherein the user interface is configured to process a security code to activate the first unit.

8. The electronic timer system according to claim 1, wherein the alert device is configured to be automatically activated at at least one predetermined time interval before a time indicated by the predetermined parking rule data.

9. The electronic timer system according to claim 1, further comprising a rechargeable battery adapted to provide electrical power to the first unit.

10. The electronic timer system according to claim 1, further comprising a connection device configured to logically couple the first unit to an external device.

11. The electronic timer system according to claim 1, wherein a surface of the first unit includes at least one indented area configured to hold at least one coin.

12. The electronic timer system according to claim 1, further comprising a sound-activated device configured to be coupled to a vehicle door locking and unlocking mechanism and configured to be activated by a predetermined sound pattern occurring in a vicinity of the sound activated device to operate the vehicle door locking and unlocking mechanism.

13. The electronic timer system according to claim 1, further comprising a second unit remote from the first unit, the second unit including a communication device configured to at least one of transmit and receive a signal between the first unit and the second unit.

14. The electronic timer system according to claim 1, further comprising a second unit remote from the first unit, the second unit electrically and logically coupleable with the first unit.

15. The electronic timer system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a position location device configured to determine a parking location of a vehicle; and

an arrangement configured to determine the predetermined parking rule data in accordance with the parking location determined by the position location device.

16. An electronic timer system, comprising:

a first unit including;

memory means for storing predetermined parking rule data;

timing means for determining at least one of a day, a date and a time of day; and

alerting means for emitting an alert in accordance with the predetermined parking rule data and based on at least one of the day, the date and the time of day determined by the timing means.

17. A method, comprising:

storing predetermined parking rule data in a memory device;

determining at least one of a day, a date and a time of day; and

emitting an alert in accordance with the predetermined parking rule data stored in the storing step and the at least one of the day, the date and the time of day determined in the determining step.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the predetermined parking rule data includes data representing municipal parking regulations.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the predetermined parking rule data includes data representing on-street parking regulations.

20. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

determining a parking location of a vehicle; and

determining the predetermined parking rule data in accordance with the parking location of the vehicle determined in the determining step.

21. An electronic device, comprising:

an alert device configured to emit an alert in accordance with predetermined parking rule data and based on at least one of a current day, a current date and a current time of day determined by a timer device.

22. A method, comprising:

emitting an alert in accordance with predetermined parking rule data and in accordance with at least one of a current day, a current date and a current time of day.