GB2076200A - Electronic Taximeters - Google Patents

Abstract

An electronic taximeter has a display (7) which normally shows basic and extra fares separately but which at the press of a key (6) shows the total. The basic fare is computed from time and distance data and is accumulated in a first register (8), the extra fares are entered by key (6) operation into a second register (9), and both basic and extra fares are additively entered in a third register (10). The display is normally governed by the first and second registers, which retain their contents while the total is shown and which enable the components of the total to be re- displayed. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to electronic taximeters This invention relates to electronic taxi meters.

A taxi fare is generally the combination of two items, one being the fare generated by the distance travelled and time elapsed, and the other being the extras incurred by further incurred by further passengers, luggage, awkward hours and so on. It is usual to display these items separately, and of course at the end of the journey they have to be combined.

It is the aim of this invention to provide an electronic taximeter which gives this presentation of the fares in a convenient manner, and which enables the final total fare to be plainly indicated and checked against its components.

According to the present invention there is provided an electronic taxi meter comprising a store for tariff data, means for providing timing and vehicle progress information, means for deriving from said information and the tariff data signals representing basic and extra fares incurred, first, second and third means for registering the basic fare signals, the extra fare signals and the combined basic and extra fare signals, and display means selectively operable to respond to the first and second register means or to the third register means to show either the basic and extra fares separately or the combined fare alone.

The combined fare display, which will usually only be shown at the end of a journey, can be switched out again to show its components.

For a better understanding of the invention one embodiment will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a block circuit diagram of an electronic taxi meter.

The basic signals for the taximeter are distance signals derived from a transducer circuit 1 and timing signals from a clock in a peripheral interface adaptor (PIA) 2. In operation, these signals are translated into fare unit signals in a micro-processing unit (MPU) 3, which also receives tariff information, such as the price of a fare unit and the price of an extras unit, from random access memory (RAM) 4. A program from read only memory (ROM) 5 and manually operated keys 6 guide the data manipulation. This part of the taximeter can largely be as described in our copending Application No. (PEC 14).

As well as providing timing signals, the PIA 2 provides information on the state of the manually operated keys 6 to the MPU 3, detects and passes pulses from the transducer 1, and energises displays 7.

The MPU incorporates three accumulator registers 8, 9 and 10. The first register 8 stores the cost of a hiring attributable to the distance travelled and time incurred. The second register 9 stores the extras. The first register is incremented every time the MPU measures the requisite number of time/distance demands from the PIA, using information from the RAM 4. The second register 9 is incremented by the price of one extras unit, also supplied from the RAM 4, once for every legitimate operation of the extras key in array 6. The third register 10 receives and accumulates both the basic and the extras fare units.

In other words, it stores a running total.

During normal operation the contents of the first register 8 are transferred to the first half of a display array 11, and thence it is written to the fare display 7. The contents of the second register 9 are similarly transferred to the second half of the array 11 and thence bo the display 7, which thus shows separately the basic fare and the extras. However, on operation of the total key, their contribution is blocked, and the contents of the third register alone are shown on the display. No addition operation is performed, and when the total key is released the separate components reappear. The part of the display on which the total appears is immaterial: it could be in place of the basic fare or the extras, or even, somewhat unnecessarily, separately.

1. An electronic taximeter comprising a store for tariff data, means for providing timing and vehicle progress information, means for deriving from said information and the tariff data signals representing basic and extra fares incurred, first, second and third means for registering the basic fare signals, the extra fare signals and the combined basic and extra fare signals, and display means selectively operable to respond to the first and second register means or to the third register means to show either the basic and extra fares separately or the combined fare alone.

2. A taximeter as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the display means can be switched back from showing the combined fare to showing the basic and extra fare separately.

3. A taximeter as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the store for tariff data is a random access memory.

4. A taximeter as claimed in Claims 1, 2 or 3, wherein the deriving means is a microprocessing unit governed by a program from a read only memory and by manually operable keys.

5. An electronic taxi meter substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (5)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to electronic taximeters This invention relates to electronic taxi meters. A taxi fare is generally the combination of two items, one being the fare generated by the distance travelled and time elapsed, and the other being the extras incurred by further incurred by further passengers, luggage, awkward hours and so on. It is usual to display these items separately, and of course at the end of the journey they have to be combined. It is the aim of this invention to provide an electronic taximeter which gives this presentation of the fares in a convenient manner, and which enables the final total fare to be plainly indicated and checked against its components. According to the present invention there is provided an electronic taxi meter comprising a store for tariff data, means for providing timing and vehicle progress information, means for deriving from said information and the tariff data signals representing basic and extra fares incurred, first, second and third means for registering the basic fare signals, the extra fare signals and the combined basic and extra fare signals, and display means selectively operable to respond to the first and second register means or to the third register means to show either the basic and extra fares separately or the combined fare alone. The combined fare display, which will usually only be shown at the end of a journey, can be switched out again to show its components. For a better understanding of the invention one embodiment will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a block circuit diagram of an electronic taxi meter. The basic signals for the taximeter are distance signals derived from a transducer circuit 1 and timing signals from a clock in a peripheral interface adaptor (PIA) 2. In operation, these signals are translated into fare unit signals in a micro-processing unit (MPU) 3, which also receives tariff information, such as the price of a fare unit and the price of an extras unit, from random access memory (RAM) 4. A program from read only memory (ROM) 5 and manually operated keys 6 guide the data manipulation. This part of the taximeter can largely be as described in our copending Application No. (PEC 14). As well as providing timing signals, the PIA 2 provides information on the state of the manually operated keys 6 to the MPU 3, detects and passes pulses from the transducer 1, and energises displays 7. The MPU incorporates three accumulator registers 8, 9 and 10. The first register 8 stores the cost of a hiring attributable to the distance travelled and time incurred. The second register 9 stores the extras. The first register is incremented every time the MPU measures the requisite number of time/distance demands from the PIA, using information from the RAM 4. The second register 9 is incremented by the price of one extras unit, also supplied from the RAM 4, once for every legitimate operation of the extras key in array 6. The third register 10 receives and accumulates both the basic and the extras fare units. In other words, it stores a running total. During normal operation the contents of the first register 8 are transferred to the first half of a display array 11, and thence it is written to the fare display 7. The contents of the second register 9 are similarly transferred to the second half of the array 11 and thence bo the display 7, which thus shows separately the basic fare and the extras. However, on operation of the total key, their contribution is blocked, and the contents of the third register alone are shown on the display. No addition operation is performed, and when the total key is released the separate components reappear. The part of the display on which the total appears is immaterial: it could be in place of the basic fare or the extras, or even, somewhat unnecessarily, separately. CLAIMS

1. An electronic taximeter comprising a store for tariff data, means for providing timing and vehicle progress information, means for deriving from said information and the tariff data signals representing basic and extra fares incurred, first, second and third means for registering the basic fare signals, the extra fare signals and the combined basic and extra fare signals, and display means selectively operable to respond to the first and second register means or to the third register means to show either the basic and extra fares separately or the combined fare alone.

2. A taximeter as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the display means can be switched back from showing the combined fare to showing the basic and extra fare separately.

3. A taximeter as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the store for tariff data is a random access memory.

4. A taximeter as claimed in Claims 1, 2 or 3, wherein the deriving means is a microprocessing unit governed by a program from a read only memory and by manually operable keys.

5. An electronic taxi meter substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.