GB2214689A

GB2214689A - Vehicle display

Info

Publication number: GB2214689A
Application number: GB8824900A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gabriel Ordonez
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-01-21
Filing date: 1988-10-24
Publication date: 1989-09-06
Also published as: GB8824900D0; GB8801347D0

Abstract

In a programmable vehicle tax disc, the information displayed, e.g. at 18, relating to expiry date of tax paid, is alterable by electronic control arrangement (not shown) for updating. The disc includes a liquid crystal of the type requiring no power to maintain the display, once set by a control arrangement temporarily connected to contacts 20. The disc 10 also includes memories 30, 32 storing information relating to the vehicle and displayable when required. The disc may include additional display area activatable by pressure switch on reverse of disc to display useful information preset into one of the memories. <IMAGE>

Description

PROGAMMABLE TAX DISC The present invention relates to programmable tax discs and more particularly to tax discs in which the information can be updated to take e account of vehicle changes.

Present tax discs comprise -a printed pauper disc which is purchased annually from a Post Office or local authority taxation office on presentation of the vehicle documents. The paper disc gives the expiry date of the tax paid and minimal vehicle details such as registration number and type - e.g. car.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a programmable tax disc which is permanently retained in a vehicle for the whole of the life of the vehicle and which is capable of being updated by a central control system which has terminals at the appropriate vehicle taxation offices.

The details on such a disc would, if a secure electronic key system were adopted, be very difficult to alter and the disc could contain within an appropriate memory details of the vehicle not displayed but displayable by application of appropriate control signals.

According to the present invention there is provided a programmable vehicle tax disc which displays information relating to the vehicle the information being alterable by electronic control means.

In a preferred embodiment the tax disc comprises a programmable display of the type described in British Patent No. 2146787. The display, once established requires no power to maintain itself.

Preferably the disc includes an electronic memory in which information relevant to the vehicle but not necessarily displayed is stored.

Preferably the disc includes electrical contacts which cooperate with output contacts on a central control computer to enable the disc to be updated.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which show vehicle tax discs according to the present invention

the tax disc 10 comprises a central circular display area 12 surrounded by a border area 14 which may be plain or contain non-alterable information or advertising etc.

The central display area 12 is preferably of the liquid crystal display type such as specified in the above mentioned British Patent No. 2146787. some of the information displayed may be permanently printed such as the number of the tax disc 16 and other information such as the expiry date 18 may be alterable by suitable programming of the disc via electrical contacts 20.

The disc can be of any convenient colour combination e.g. black on white, green on white, yellow on blue, as determined by the display type.

In addition to the information actually displayed on the disc further information can be held in memories 30, 32 which are also connected to receive information from contacts 20 on lines 22, 24 when suitably addressed. Such information may comprise vehicle mileage at last taxation time the names and addresses of all vehicle owners any details of accident damage, engine changes and also any information particular to the vehicle but not requiring display such as chassis number date of manufacture etc.

This can be particularly useful in ensuring any recall faults are connected at the time of servicing.

The memories 30, 32 can be of the single write type wherein data once written in cannot be altered but can only be read out.

When a vehicle requires taxing the disc is taken to the appropriate office and is connected via contacts 20 to a central control. The new expiry date is inserted (on payment of the fee and presentation of the documents) and the mileage and any other information (change of - ouner etc.) inserted. The old mileage and owner etc. can be read out so that it is easy to check that the vehicle details are reasonable.

Thus the tax disc stores the vehicle history and can be checked by any authorised control system e.g. at a main dealer for servicing data to be inserted. For ultimate security the data in the memories 30, 32 the disc should not be alterable and therefore only additional data can be stored. Thus winding back ' of vehicle clocks for re-sale is not possible since the mileage can be inserted at each tax year end and at each service.

The data stored in the tax disc is also preferably stored in a central computer which is updated each time that the disc is renewed. Thus, should a disc be lost, or deliberately damaged a new disc can be regenerated with the correct data reinserted.

In the modified disc shown in figure 2 a rectangular area 40 is used to display additional information such as indicated at 42 and 44. The addition information may be preset into one of the memories 30, 32 and may be selectable by suitable pressure switch means (not shown) on the reverse of the disc.

Claims

1. A programmable vehicle tax disc including display means to display information relating to the vehicle, the information being alterable by electronic control means.

2. A programmable vehicle tax disc as claimed in claim 1 in which the display means once altered requires no power to maintain the displayed information.

3. A programmable vehicle tax disc as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the disc includes an electronic memory in which information relevant to the vehicle, but not displayed, is stored.

4. A programmable vehicle tax disc.as claimed in claim 1, claim 2 or claim 3 in which the disc includes electronic contacts for co-operation with a central control computer to enable the disc to be updated.

5. A programmable vehicle tax disc as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 4 in which the disc includes an area of display for displaying information relating to the driver or passenger of the vehicle.

6. A programmable tax disc substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.