US3760160A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Automatic fee determining system for parking garages
Assignee: CINCINNATI TIME Inc
•
Filing: 1972-04-14
•
Granted: 1973-09-18
•
Expires: 1992-04-14
Abstract
Abstract An automatic fee determining system is provided with a real time clock associated with a storage register for recording in encoded form the identification of a given 15-minute time interval of the day. A ticket issuer is positioned adjacent the entry lane of a parking facility to encode the entry time upon the ticket information from the real time storage register. The information is encoded by passing the ticket beneath continuously energized tone heads which place BCD codes on the tickets. Switching of the signal to the tone heads in response to the position of the tickets at the issuer provides for multiple digit encoding in longitudinally spaced relationship on the tickets. The tone heads are transversely movable and register with the edge of the card for proper alignment. A ticket reader reads a separate channel on the ticket to test its proper orientation and validity and then stores the information read from the ticket in an IN-time storage register. A third storage register stores the elapsed time and is differentially coupled to the real time storage register and the IN-time register loaded by the reader. Mechanical and electronic storage registers are alternatively provided. The differential comparator is similarly either a mechanical differential drive or an electronic comparator. The mechanical version includes an overdrive anti-slack feature. Fees are computed based on the elapsed time computed and stored in a fee register. The coded fee information operates either a recording cash register or an automatic cash-receiving pay station.
Inventors
- 👤 C Gieringer
- 👤 P Singer
- 👤 E Zimmer
- 👤 V Kleimeyer
- 👤 T Schinner
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 19:11
CPC Classifications
G; G07; G07F; G07F17/00; G07F17/14; G07F17/145; G06; G06K; G06K7/00; G06K7/08; G07B; G07B15/00; G07B15/02; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S194/00; Y10S194/902
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
203 words
An automatic fee determining system for computing a fee based on the number of elapsed time intervals between real time and the time of a previous event comprising: a clock for generating discrete output signals at real time intervals; a first digital storage register responsive to said output signals of said clock for storing data correlated to real time; a record reader for reading the time of the previous event from a record of the time of such event; a second digital storage register responsive to said record reader for storing data representative of the time of the previous event; a third digital storage register for storing a digital representation of elapsed time intervals; a differential time computing device for causing the data stored in said third register to equal the number of elapsed time intervals corresponding to the difference between the time data stored in said first and second registers, including a register incrementing element for incrementing the data stored in said second register and said third register until the data stored in said second register corresponds to the data in said first register; and a fee determining computer responsive to said third register for generating digital data representative of a fee.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
203 words
An automatic fee determining system for computing a fee based on the number of elapsed time intervals between real time and the time of a previous event comprising: a clock for generating discrete output signals at real time intervals; a first digital storage register responsive to said output signals of said clock for storing data correlated to real time; a record reader for reading the time of the previous event from a record of the time of such event; a second digital storage register responsive to said record reader for storing data representative of the time of the previous event; a third digital storage register for storing a digital representation of elapsed time intervals; a differential time computing device for causing the data stored in said third register to equal the number of elapsed time intervals corresponding to the difference between the time data stored in said first and second registers, including a register incrementing element for incrementing the data stored in said second register and said third register until the data stored in said second register corresponds to the data in said first register; and a fee determining computer responsive to said third register for generating digital data representative of a fee.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 1 further comprising: a recorder for dispensing records encoded with information correlated with the data stored in said first register.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system of claim 1 further comprising: a fourth digital register for storing digital data representative of the output of said fee computer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
48 words
The system of claim 3 further comprising: a cash acceptor for receiving cash; a gate; means for comparing the amount of cash received by said acceptor with the data stored in said fourth register; means for operating said gate in response to the result from said comparing means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system of claim 1 further comprising: a recording cash register; means for controlling said cash register in response to the output from said fee computer.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
40 words
The system of claim 5 wherein: the output from said fee computer is in the form of a plurality of parallel data elements; and said system includes a data serializer for transmitting said parallel data serially to said cash register.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
33 words
The system of claim 1 wherein: said first, second, and third registers are mechanical registers, and said differential computing device is a mechanical differential drive connected to said first, second, and third registers.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
57 words
The system of claim 7 wherein: said differential drive includes two of said connections each driven by one of said registers including said first register and third one of said connections through which the remaining one of said registers is driven, said drive including means including a slip clutch for relieving the strain on said differential drive.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
62 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said reader further comprises: means for reading a data channel from said record so that only an encoded record and a record received in one and only one orientation by said reader results in a reading of a given signal therefrom; and means for initiating a control function in response to the reading said given signal.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
15 words
The system of claim 1 wherein: said second and third registers are solid state registers.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
251 words
An automatic fee determining system for parking facilities capable of computing a fee based on the number of elapsed time intervals between the real time of a customer''s exit from the facility and the time of the exiting cutomer''s entry, comprising: a clock for generating discrete output signals at intervals correlated to real time; a first digital storage register responsive to the output of said clock for storing data representative of real time; a record issuer adjacent an entrance lane of said facility for dispensing records encoded with information corresponding to the data stored in said first register at the time of issuance of said record; a record reader for reading the data stored on a recoqd which corresponds to the time of entry into said facility; a second digital storage register responsive to said record reader for storing digital data representative of the time of said entry; a third digital storage register for storing a digital representation of elapsed time intervals; a differential time computing device for causing the data stored in said third register to equal the number of elapsed time intervals corresponding to the difference between the time data stored in said first and said second registers, including a register incrementing element for incrementing the data stored in said second register and said third register until the data stored in said second register corresponds to the data in said first register; and a fee determining computer responsive to said third register generating digital data representative of a fee.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
251 words
An automatic fee determining system for parking facilities capable of computing a fee based on the number of elapsed time intervals between the real time of a customer''s exit from the facility and the time of the exiting cutomer''s entry, comprising: a clock for generating discrete output signals at intervals correlated to real time; a first digital storage register responsive to the output of said clock for storing data representative of real time; a record issuer adjacent an entrance lane of said facility for dispensing records encoded with information corresponding to the data stored in said first register at the time of issuance of said record; a record reader for reading the data stored on a recoqd which corresponds to the time of entry into said facility; a second digital storage register responsive to said record reader for storing digital data representative of the time of said entry; a third digital storage register for storing a digital representation of elapsed time intervals; a differential time computing device for causing the data stored in said third register to equal the number of elapsed time intervals corresponding to the difference between the time data stored in said first and said second registers, including a register incrementing element for incrementing the data stored in said second register and said third register until the data stored in said second register corresponds to the data in said first register; and a fee determining computer responsive to said third register generating digital data representative of a fee.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2906505A
Cited
US2913172A
Cited
US3484586A
Cited
US3433932A
Cited
US3548161A
Cited
US3604898A
Cited
US3541308A
Cited
US3588450A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-09-17 | 1977-03-19 | 1977-09-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-09-17 | 1981-03-19 | 1981-09-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-09-17 | 1985-03-19 | 1985-09-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |