Arrangement with a mobile data carrier and a hand-held device

• US 8,154,570 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2006
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Blank, Joachim, Gessner, Roland, Helbig, Patrik
• Primary Examiner(s): BLOUNT, ERIC
• Application Number:
  US12/066,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20090153598A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,042 Days
• Field of Search: 3405721-5728, 340/10.1, 340/999, 346/20, 346/30, 235/375, 235/385
• US Class Current: 346/20
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

An arrangement (1) with a mobile data carrier (2) and a handheld device (4) displays driving periods, rest periods and other types of activity recorded by a tachograph and evaluated by the hand-held device (4). The hand-held device has an evaluation unit (11), a display unit (6) and an input unit. In order to minimize the outlay necessary for evaluating the periods of time, the recording data (20) stored in digital form in a memory of the mobile data carrier (2) designed as a data card (3) can be transmitted via a data transmission interface (17), to computers or notebooks in the transport company or in the vehicle of the control units, and the evaluation unit (11) determines and evaluates the driving periods and/or rest periods and/or the period of time spent in other types of activity.

Claims

1. An arrangement comprising a mobile data carrier and a handheld device for displaying activities which can be recorded by a tachograph while a motor vehicle is operating, wherein the handheld device has an evaluation unit configured such that by means of said evaluation unit driving times and/or rest times can be determined, wherein the handheld device has a display unit by means of which the results of an evaluation can be displayed, and with an input unit by means of which a user can make entries by means of which the evaluation and/or the display can be controlled, wherein recording data is stored digitally in a memory of the mobile data carrier which is embodied as a data card, the handheld device has a data transmission interface configured such that the handheld device can set up a data transmitting connection to the mobile data carrier, and the evaluation unit is configured such that it determines, in an evaluating fashion, the driving times and/or rest times from the recording data, stored by means of the data carrier, of the tachograph, which data is accessed by the evaluation unit by means of the data transmission interface,

wherein the handheld device has a mass storage medium, and wherein the handheld device copies, at the start of the evaluation, at least some of the recording data from the data carrier into the mass storage medium.

2. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the handheld device has an insertion shaft for the data card, which insertion shaft surrounds the data card at least partially in the inserted state, and surrounds it in the region of connecting contacts which are provided on the data card.

3. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data carrier is configured such that exclusively a read-only access of the handheld device to the memory of the data carrier is possible.

4. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recording data comprises entries which each assign a type of activity to a time.

5. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the handheld device has a USB port and/or an infrared interface and/or a WLAN interface and/or a microwave interface and/or a DECT interface and/or a Bluetooth interface and/or an interface for an external charger device and/or an external display.

6. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the handheld device has a loudspeaker, and a controller of the handheld device is configured such that the loudspeaker outputs an audible warning if the evaluation determines that a limiting value for the driving time is exceeded.

7. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the evaluation calculates a residual driving period which indicates how long a driver of a vehicle may still drive a means of transportation without exceeding a specific limiting value of the driving time.

8. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the handheld device has an actuating unit which actuates the display and is configured such that symbols are assigned to individual types of activities, and that the result of the evaluation which is assigned to individual types of activities is respectively displayed together with a respective specific symbol.

9. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display has a background lighting device for a transmitted light mode of the display unit.

10. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuating unit is embodied such that a graphic speed profile or a graphic profile for driving times, rest times and other times can be displayed by means of the display unit.

11. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display unit is embodied as a touch screen so that operator control elements are an integrated component of the display unit.

12. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the handheld device has at least one lighting element, in particular a light emitting diode, which is actuated such that it displays an operating state by means of its light emission or the color of its light emission.

13. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, comprising an integrated clock, and the evaluation unit is configured such that it determines, from the recording data and the clock time, an ending time for the “

driving”

activity, or a time for the start of a break, and this ending time or this start is displayed by means of the display unit.

14. A handheld device for displaying activity which can be recorded by a tachograph while a motor vehicle is operating, which handheld device has an evaluation unit configured such that by means of said evaluation unit the driving times and/or rest times can be determined, wherein the handheld device has a display unit by means of which the results of an evaluation can be displayed, wherein the handheld device has an input unit by means of which a user can make entries by means of which the evaluation and/or the display can be controlled, wherein the handheld device has a data transmission interface which is embodied such that the handheld device can set up a data transmitting connection to a mobile data carrier, wherein recording data of the tachograph is stored digitally in a memory of the mobile data carrier which is embodied as a data card, the evaluation unit is configured such that it determines, in an evaluating fashion, the driving times and/or rest times from the recording data, stored by means of the mobile data carrier, of the tachograph, which data is accessed by the evaluation unit by means of the data transmission interface,

wherein the handheld device has an integrated clock, and the evaluation unit is configured such that it determines, from the recording data and the clock time, an ending time for the “

driving”

activity, or a time for the start of a break, and this ending time or this start is displayed by means of the display unit.

15. The handheld device as claimed in claim 14, comprising an insertion shaft for the data card, which insertion shaft surrounds the data card at least partially in the inserted state, and surrounds it in the region of connecting contacts which are provided on the data card.

16. The handheld device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the data carrier is configured such that exclusively a read-only access of the handheld device to the memory of the data carrier is possible.

17. The handheld device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the recording data comprises entries which each assign a type of activity to a time.

18. The handheld device as claimed in claim 14, comprising a mass storage medium.

19. The handheld device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the handheld device is operable to copy, at the start of the evaluation, at least some of the recording data from the data carrier into the mass storage medium.

20. The handheld device as claimed in claim 14, comprising a USB port and/or an infrared interface and/or a WLAN interface and/or a microwave interface and/or a DECT interface and/or a Bluetooth interface and/or an interface for an external charger device and/or an external display.

21. The handheld device as claimed in claim 14, comprising a loudspeaker, and a controller of the handheld device is configured such that the loudspeaker outputs an audible warning if the evaluation determines that a limiting value for the driving time is exceeded.

22. The handheld device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the evaluation calculates a residual driving period which indicates how long a driver of a vehicle may still drive a means of transportation without exceeding a specific limiting value of the driving time.

23. The handheld device as claimed in claim 14, comprising an actuating unit which actuates the display and is configured such that symbols are assigned to individual types of activity, and that the result of the evaluation which is assigned to the individual types of activity is respectively displayed together with a respective specific symbol.

24. The handheld device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the display has a background lighting device for a transmitted light mode of the display unit.

25. The handheld device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the actuating unit is configured such that a graphic speed profile or a graphic profile for driving times and rest times can be displayed by means of the display unit.

26. The handheld device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the display unit is embodied as a touch screen so that operator control elements are an integrated component of the display unit.

27. The handheld device as claimed in claim 14, comprising at least one lighting element, in particular a light emitting diode, which is configured such that it displays an operating state by means of its light emission or the color of its light emission.