Description AN ELECTRONIC TACHOMETER SYSTEM

[I] Technical Field

[2] This invention relates to an electronic tachometer system, namely a Smartograph, setting, recording, storing and displaying data such as driving time and resting time of the drivers and information of travel, departure, speed and position of heavy vehicles and some other vehicles specified by certain criteria. Said system is used during the control of rules effective for the vehicles meeting said criteria on the highway.

[3] Background Art

[4] Several electronic tachometer systems are known in the art. In CH6822267 a tachometer system is described, in which speed limits are specified and speed limit violation is avoided by adjusting the appropriate speed limit with the tachometer.

[5] DE19829162 and GB1534729 describe a tachometer system, in which the tachometer is updated according to the speed limit values of the area and thus is made to obey the speed limit rules.

[6] DElOl 19547 discloses a device including a real time computer unit and a tachometer. It is possible to record the time of accident in this system.

[7] JP2005339572 discloses a vehicle information tracking system which includes GPS, tachometer and speedometer and in which a communication is ensured between the driver and the manager via mobile network and thus driver's information on road, driving, speed etc. can always be followed.

[8] DE3923314 describes a road tracking system for enabling the driver follow a determined route.

[9] JP2000231691 describes an information management method comprising a digital tachometer, digital MCA radio, a combined handy terminal, a radio tag controller, and a GPS receiver and making communication via DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication).

[10] JP2004017901 discloses a tachometer system which provides a vehicle accident circumstances automatic collection system.

[II] In the state of the art electronic tachometer systems comprise of an in- vehicle unit, which is a basic electronic recording device, connection cables, and a movement sensor directly connected to the gear box. The in-vehicle unit comprises of a microprocessor, a data memory, a real-time meter, led screen, an interface apparatus and two separate slots for tachograph cards, calibration/loading connector and its own printer unit. The basic aim of the systems is to provide driver's driving time and speed information. The driver's driving time and driver information are recorded for a specified period of time. And speed limit violation, penalty information and details of

calibration are also kept. The in- vehicle unit and movement sensor connected to the gear box are matched. The device operates on smart cards for drivers, operators, calibration centers and control units. The distance and speed are sensed depending on the single sensor directly associated with mechanic parts of the vehicle. The LCD screens on the apparatus are limited for visually limited implementations and not graphic-based screens. Aforementioned systems are insufficient in terms of memory capacities and the quality of the information recorded when compared to the development in technology.

[12] And also control members in the electronic tachometer implementations have problems caused by the system deficiencies while trying to access the system records of travel or the owner and the driver of the vehicle.

[13] Brief Description of the Invention

[14] The object of the invention is to improve the existing electronic tachometer system and to enhance the goals and usage area thereof.

[15] Another object of the invention is to increase the number of basic sensors for receiving speed and position information of the vehicle via GPS, to calibrate speed smart spindle data by taking up the GPS data as reference and to make auto-calibration of the device possible without need to intervention of the authorized person concerned. Thus it is possible to develop measurement and control capabilities.

[16] Another object of the invention is to provide a more reliable and practical system with the integration of smart contactless cards in which each group has different functions within the system.

[17] Another object of the invention is to facilitate control and use of the system by means of the radio communication features.

[18] Another object of the invention is to improve road safety of the system by means of electronically measuring and recording of the sudden acceleration changes on three different axes.

[19] Another object of the invention is to provide the system with an improved visual user interface by using graphic-based LCD screen.

[20] Another object of the invention is to expand the security by using SAM (Security

Access Module) and Secure Digital (SD) module.

[21] Detailed Description of the Invention

[22] The electronic tachometer system according to the invention, smartograph, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

[23] Figure 1 is a general schematic diagram of the system according to the invention.

[24] Figure 2 is flow chart of the security method used in the system according to the invention.

[25] Figure 3 is another schematic diagram of the security method used in the system

according to the invention.

[26] The parts seen in the figures are each given a reference numeral as follows:

[27] 1. Microcontroller (Microprocessor + RAM +E2PROM+ FO+ Real time clock)

[28] 2. Smart spindle

[29] 3. GPS receiver + antenna

[30] 4. 3-axes electronic accelerometer

[31] 5. Short range RF transceiver

[32] 6. Motorized smart card reader-writer

[33] 7. Contactless smart card (e.g. driving license card, calibration card, controller's card, garage card etc.)

[34] 8. SAM (secure access module)

[35] 9. RSDM module (removable secure digital memory module)

[36] 10. Graphical LCD screen

[37] 11. Power supply of the vehicle

[38] 12. Smart power pack

[39] 13. Keyboard

[40] The electronic tachometer system according to the invention mainly comprises a smartograph being an in- vehicle unit, contactless smart cards (7) that are used for various functions such as, a driving license card, a calibration card, a controller's card and a garage card, a smart spindle (2), secure access module (SAM) (8), removable secure digital memory module (RSDM) (9) like a black box, a GPS receiver and antenna (3), a 3-axes electronic accelerometer (4) and a graphic-based LCD screen (10).

[41] Communication with smartograph and mobile control terminals is realized by means of contactless smart cards (7), each with its own memory and microprocessor units, wherein said smartograph being called as the in- vehicle unit (FVU) in said electronic tachometer system and said mobile control terminals being the peripheral elements of the system. Said smart cards operate when placed in the motorized smart card reader- writer unit (6) slot on the device. Said unit automatically takes the card in when it is placed in the slot and holds therein when necessary. Two smart cards may be placed on the same slot of the device thanks to the contactless cards. Thus the driver and the licensee of the vehicle or the controller/calibration attendant may introduce their cards to the device concurrently and transfer the necessary data. However, in the state of the art two different slots are used for two different cards. Said contactless smart cards (7) provide many advantages like easy access to the information of the driver, vehicle and personnel concerned at any stage of the system, said cards being used by the drivers, calibration attendants and controllers. Hence travel and driver information are completely independent and mobile.

[42] All the contactless smart cards (7) complying with the ISO/IEC 14443 standard and used in the electronic tachometer system are in four basic categories.

[43] - Smart Driving License Cards (SDL cards)

[44] - Smart Calibration Cards

[45] - Smart Controller Cards

[46] - Smart Garage Cards

[47] Co-processor chips used in these cards support cryptographic algorithms having memory management and protection units. Said cards have a long and proper operation life under suitable electrical and environmental conditions and they can easily detect and prevent any tampering, change and/or abuse.

[48] On each card

[49] - Security code

[50] - Card serial number

[51] - Card category code

[52] - Initial use and expiry dates and

[53] - Other information

[54] are recorded electronically. In practice an electronic secure communication channel is formed between the smart cards (7) and SAM (8). The information is protected independently of the producer and the user in accordance with the structure of the smart cards (7) and the SAM (8), the information being coded by the authorized person and used for data exchange realized on said channel.

[55] GPS receiver (3) and smart spindle (2) are very important for in-vehicle unit and they enable recording of the speed and distance as being protected against tampering and manipulation. In general a hall-effect sensor is used for receiving the speed information from a rotary shaft during an electronic tachometer practice. The hall-effect sensor learns the number of rotations from the rotary shaft and converts it into a pulse array. The rotation rate of the shaft and the pulse rate are proportional. That is, the pulse rate directly gives the speed information. And in the smartograph the smart spindle (2) communicates with the microprocessor (1) over one wire, the smart spindle comprising hall-effect sensor. What is important here is that instead of a pulse value proportional to the digital value of the speed the digital information is bilaterally transmitted and received as being coded between the microprocessor (1) and the smart spindle (2) over said wire. The smart spindle (2) and the GPS receiver (3) determine and use the calibration constant known as entry sign that is impulse value, which is called "k" constant and produced per 1 km distance. Thus speed and geographical position are continuously recorded depending on the time. Therefore in-vehicle units both measure the speed and designate and trace the location. This allows determine the road and speed information independently of the wheel movements, which is one of

the important points of this invention. During travel, data received over GPS (3) is compared to the prerecorded location information. The smartograph compares the geographical location of the points that are predetermined and pre-loaded therein and where the information has changed or the points where determining traffic rules and limits is crucial, with the information from GPS (3) during travel and informs the driver of the traffic rules, location and speed limits. And also when the vehicles travel out of the predetermined areas it is detected and recorded with the help of the GPS (3). Thus "a zone control" is developed. The geographical location of a point is considered a reference and a digital map is formed by marking the geographical points that specify borders with respect to that reference point in a specific resolution. When the vehicle goes out of the marked areas on the virtual digital map GPS (3) detects it and the device records it. The statuses of the vehicle for particular areas are determined such as in zone, out of zone and inhibit zone. This is particularly important for tracking a fleet of vehicles.

[56] The information transported between the smart spindle (2) and the smartograph, the in- vehicle unit, is encrypted. Each smart spindle (2) is introduced to the in- vehicle unit it co-operates, in other words, there is an identification procedure between the two units. The smart spindle transports encrypted information unique for the tachometer (in- vehicle unit) with which it co-operates. The whole information is stored in SAM (8), another important component of the smartograph. Since using GPS receiver (3) and the smart spindle (2) together enables a bilateral data control, abuse of calibration can be detected and the device is protected against tampering. Auto-calibration of the smart spindle (2) is done by means of GPS (3). Data received from the spindle between two specific geographical points is compared with the data from GPS for the same two points and thus the distance. Data from GPS is considered a reference and thus the smart spindle is calibrated. Therefore there is no need for the authorized person to calibrate the tachometer. The device can automatically calibrate itself. The authorized person can control an existing calibration while an extra calibration is unnecessary due to the correlation between the smart spindle and GPS. In other words, the ability of the system to calibrate itself helps the system verify the calibration made by the authorized person and can do this over and over.

[57] SAM (8) acts as a control mechanism for fraud protection. SAM (8) includes a crypto co-processor which uses a different switching method for coding and decoding with asymmetric cryptography. SAM (8) transports registered information about a particular member of the device. For example when the machine reads a smart card SAM (8) uses said registered information in order to determine whether the smart card is valid or not. A more secure data exchange procedure, which is encrypted and protected via some specific algorithms, is formed in the system with the integration of secure access

module (8) in which registered information such as sensors and components of the device, peripheral members, users' and controllers' identity information is protected. SAM (8) stores the following reference information in standard encrypted form in said electronic tachometer system by means of smart cards (7).

[58] - Registry number of the vehicle

[59] - Serial number of the in- vehicle unit

[60] - "k" constant, a calibration value, and smart spindle (2) authentication information

[61] - Identity (ID) of the authorized person for calibration

[62] - Expiry date of authorization

[63] - ID of the controller

[64] - SDL authentication information

[65] - Speed limit violation penalty information

[66] - Driving and resting time violation penalty information

[67] The smart driving license card can reach the authentication information in a shorter time than 100ms. In case the smart card is fake or out of date it is automatically excluded from the reader slot and this is recorded and displayed. SAM (8) also keeps authentication information of the spindle (2) and thus it is avoided that another spindle (2) which is not introduced to the smartograph cannot be used with this unique information of the sensor. This simple procedure is the basis for the identification procedure between the spindle (2) and the Smartograph. SAM in accordance with the ISO 7816 standards (8) is within the in- vehicle unit and is microprocessor-based.

[68] A graphical LCD screen (10) is used for visual user interface in the smartograph.

Said LCD screen (10) is an active dot-matrix TFT screen which is illuminated from behind (backlight) and has low power consumption and of which illumination rate and angle of view are set from the menu. The novelty brought by the graphical LCD screen (10) is that it can display histograms of travel information. Displaying histograms of travel by using the speed, time and distance the vehicle travels as axis parameters is novel for electronic tachometer systems. Time-speed histograms of the last 90 days and distance-time histograms of 24 hours are displayed in separate screens. And also it is possible to display graphics of specified time and distance sizes. Thus it is easier to check the travel information and to examine the records of limitations and traffic regulations. In addition the print-outs of histograms can optionally be obtained at the mobile and station control terminals, together with the identity information of the driver. And said LCD screen (10) enables all the characters of all languages be displayed due to dot-matrix characteristics thereof, thereby enabling usage of all kind of fonts.

[69] The position information is stored compressed at a particular detail level which includes daily reports and time-location coordinates within the Smartograph' s memory.

Information of 24 hours has the 1st detail level, 30-day information the 2nd, 90-day information the 3rd and 365-day information the 4th and sampling resolution of the following records are registered in a lower manner. Since the existing tachometers do not have memory at such level travel information of a vehicle cannot be stored at that high detail level.

[70] The device can also serve as an accelerometer, which is another important function of the device in terms of road safety. Sudden acceleration changes are measured and recorded on three different axes by the 3-axes electronic accelerometer (4) for evaluating impact moments of accidents later on. Said data on acceleration changes are stored for reference after being time-stamped. During the examination of an accident, recording of acceleration changes at each 100ms of the last ten seconds provides all the technical details of the accident since the first degree integral of the change data mathematically provides a speed change and the second degree integral the distance and thus position change information.

[71] Smartograph has another important component which is a mobile memory unit (9).

Said mobile memory unit (9) records the position information together with the time- stamped acceleration data received from the accelerometer (4) and in case of an accident allows reaching the position, time and acceleration data after the accident. Said removable secure digital memory module (9) acts as a black box after the accident. Only the authorized personnel can reach and read this memory module, which is in a reinforced and sealed area. The system receives a second protection such that authorization is required for reaching the information within the memory module, which is protected against impact, vibration and heat etc. within in a physically reinforced area.

[72] Short range radio transceiver unit (5) on the device is used to load the data within the in- vehicle unit memory to control terminals within the short range. The transceiver unit (5) is a multi-channel transceiver communicating in a short distance, the unit being important in registered data control part of the system. The smartograph may communicate with the mobile control devices of the controllers by means of bidirectional transceiver unit (5) having lower power consumption and transparent protocol features. The mobile units eliminate many excuses such as shortage of printer papers, which hinders reporting during controlling procedure, since said mobile units take on the task of printers in the in- vehicle devices in the state of the art. If required, reports are printed by means of the printer in the mobile terminals carried by the controllers. And thus the capability of the controllers improves. It is also aimed to improve control stage effectiveness of the electronic tachometer systems. The smartograph may communicate over transceiver (5) thereon and load new regulations related to the system in general without need to any particular procedure by means of

radio transceiver units placed at specific points on the roads. Thus the device automatically receives the information that must be updated through said transceiver stations on the roads. The electronic tachometer system according to the invention is a system not only to operate on vehicles but also to be controlled by the authorities and to facilitate the work of the user and the controllers due to its interactive relationship with the present highway infrastructure. ,

[73] Smart power pack (12) is a novelty in the system which ensures the smartograph to continue operating when the power supply (11) is cut off. If a usual battery pack is used unauthorized people may easily put the power supplies into the system. But the power cut is noticed at once by using a smart power pack (12) and the main processor (1) is informed. The last GPS data is received and registered, and it is set whether the power cut is ordinary or intentional. Later GPS (3) is deactivated and backlight of the LCD screen (10) is closed. And the smart power pack (12) initiates procedures necessary for making the microprocessor (1) operate the device in flash mode. In this mode speed data is only received from the smart spindle (2) and the operation of the spindle changes. The measurements switch from continuous phase to sampling phase since there is a limited power supply. In short, it is not possible to provide feed and receive data sample as in the normal operating mode. Instead a sampling frequency is required. As SAM (8) keeps the registered information about smart power packet (12) the system will not allow an ordinary battery. The device has the capacity to store speed data and smart driving license card data for minimum 90 days by means of the smart power pack (12). The pack enables the alarm function to operate, the pack feeding and protecting the real-time clock.

[74] The GPS and radio communication within the system according to the invention are not to be considered only a novelty in the state of the art. It constitutes a basis for some wide scale projects such that heavy vehicles with commercial freight on will pay for the distance they travel in near future and this will be applied to member countries of the European Union. In this project it is also mentioned that on-board devices are to be integrated within the system that will support GPS and radio communication of some specific procedure. The advantages of the system according to the invention enable infrastructure facility for adaptation to such a project.

[75] Within the scope of this main concept it is possible to develop various embodiments of the electronic tachometer system according to the invention and the invention is as in the claims and cannot be limited to the examples stated herein.