System for managing a plurality of motor vehicles

• US 5,206,643 A
• Filed: 12/14/1990
• Issued: 04/27/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Akustische V Kino-Geraete GmbH, Manfred Eckelt
• Original Assignee: Swiss International Air Lines Limited Incorporated
• Inventors: Eckelt, Manfred
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Jin F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Edward
• Application Number:
  US07/628,388
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 194/902, 194/212, 235/33, 235/384, 368/111, 377/90, 364/401, 364/467, 340/932.2, 340/928, 340/904
• US Class Current: 340/932.2
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 6/42 Devices or arrangements peculiar to garages, not covered elsewhere, e.g. securing devices, safety devices , monitoring and operating schemes; centering devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/04 comprising devices to free a barrier, turnstile, or the like turnstiles with registering means G07C9/10; coin-freed aspects G07F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/065 by counting the vehicles in a section of the road or in a parking area, i.e. comparing incoming count with outgoing count
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/207 with respect to certain areas, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas with possible alerting when inside or outside boundaries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 194/902 Check-operated device for controlling parking lot

Abstract

A system for managing a plurality of motor vehicles that are driven by different people is provided. A parking area having an entrance and an exit is provided with a data acquisition device for controlling user access, as well as a receiver that is disposed in the vicinity of a barrier and that receives vehicle operation data that is transmitted by a transmitter that is integral with the vehicle, with this data being transmitted to a central control unit that controls the barriers, the data acquisition device, and the receiver.

Claims

1. A system for managing rental processes of a plurality of motor vehicles that are driven by different people, comprising:

a parking area for said vehicles having at least one entrance and one exit;

barrier means for securing said at least one entrance and one exit;

at least one card reader, for controlling user access, disposed in front of said barrier means, as viewed in a direction of travel, of said at least one entrance and one exit;

at least one receiver, disposed in the vicinity of said barrier means, for receiving a vehicle identification code as well as vehicle operation data that is transmitted by a transmitter that is integral with a vehicle; and

a central control unit that is connected to said barrier means, said at least one card reader, and said at least one receiver, whereby during exit of a vehicle from said parking area, not only does said central control unit compare identification data read by the pertaining card reader with the vehicle identification code received from the pertaining receiver for controlling said barrier means, but said central control unit also stores vehicle operation data received by said at least one receiver, and whereby during entry of a vehicle into said parking area, not only does said central control unit compare identification data read by the pertaining card reader with the vehicle identification code received from the pertaining receiver for controlling said barrier means, but said central control unit also records vehicle operation data received by said at least one receiver and correlates this recorded vehicle operation data with said vehicle operation data stored during exit of said vehicle in order to settle a rental process.

2. A system according to claim 1, in which said at least one receiver is provided with an antenna loop that is disposed in a roadway of said parking area.

3. A system according to claim 1, in which said central control unit is connected to a control computer.

4. A system according to claim 1, in which said central control unit is a computer.

5. A system according to claim 4, in which said central control unit is a personal computer.

6. A system according to claim 1, in which said at least one data acquisition device is a card reader.

7. A system according to claim 1, in which said at least one data acquisition device is a receiver that receives emitted information.

8. A system according to claim 1, in which said vehicle operation data is transmitted by said transmitter as 8-bit information.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein said vehicle operation data includes at least mileage reading and how full a fuel tank is.

10. A system for managing a plurality of motor vehicles that are driven by different people, comprising:

a parking area having at least one entrance and one exit;

barrier means for securing said at least one entrance and one exit;

at least one data acquisition device, for controlling user access, disposed in front of said barrier means, as viewed in a direction of travel, of said at least one entrance and one exit;

at least one receiver, disposed in the vicinity of said barrier means, for receiving vehicle operation data that is transmitted by a transmitter that is integral with a vehicle;

a central control unit that is connected to said barrier means, said at least one data acquisition device, and said at least one receiver, with said central control unit being connected to a control computer; and

a guide means activated by said central control unit for the return of a vehicle to a prescribed parking space.

11. A system for managing a plurality of motor vehicles that are driven by different people, comprising

a parking area having at least one entrance and one exit,

barrier means for securing said at least one entrance and one exit;

at least one data acquisition device, for controlling user access, disposed in front of said barrier means, as viewed in a direction of travel, of said at least one entrance and one exit;

at least one receiver, disposed in the vicinity of said barrier means, for receiving vehicle operation data that is transmitted by a transmitter that is integral with a vehicle; and

a central control unit that is connected to said barrier means, said at least one data acquisition device, and said at least one receiver, with said central control unit storing and correlating said vehicle operation data in order to calculate and settle a rental process, and with said central control unit also being connected to a control computer, which is connected to a dialogue unit for use by an authorized user to effect vehicle selection.

14. A system according to claim 11, in which said proportional value is transmitted by said transmitter as a digital value and is converted into a corresponding gallon value in said central control unit.

12. A system for managing a plurality of motor vehicles that are driven by different people, comprising:

a parking area having at least one entrance and one exit;

barrier means for securing said at least one entrance and one exit;

at least one data acquisition device, for controlling user access, disposed in front of said barrier means, as viewed in a direction of travel, of said at least one entrance and one exit;

at least one receiver, disposed in the vicinity of said barrier means, for receiving vehicle operation data that is transmitted by a transmitter that is integral with a vehicle;

a central control unit that is connected to said barrier means, said at least one data acquisition device, and said at least one receiver; and

an automatic safe system for holding vehicle keys and documents, with said automatic safe system being activated by said central control unit.

13. A system for managing a plurality of motor vehicles that are driven by different people, comprising:

a parking area having at least one entrance and one exit;

barrier means for securing said at least one entrance and one exit;

at least one data acquisition device, for controlling user access, disposed in front of said barrier means, as viewed in a direction of travel, of said at least one entrance and one exit;

at least one receiver, disposed in the vicinity of said barrier means, for receiving vehicle operation data that is transmitted by a transmitter that is integral with a vehicle;

a central control unit that is connected to said barrier means, said at least one data acquisition device, and said at least one receiver; and

an analog measuring device for determining and transferring to said transmitter, via an analog/digital converter, a proportional value that corresponds to contents of tank.