Motorola Corporation

Timothy D McCarthy

Steven D Bromley

Scott T Christians

William J Barbiaux

Gary W Milliorn

A Dale Olmstead

Robert E Wayland

Robert M Arenas

Driver interface module or similar article for a vehicle monitoring

A vehicle monitoring system is described having an arrangement installed within a vehicle, wherein the system includes an external data terminal for communicating information to a remotely located base station. The arrangement includes a plurality of communication modules, each being capable of communicating messages associated with performance of the vehicle; a data bus member for electrically intercoupling the plurality of communication modules and for receiving the communicated messages therefrom; a driver interface module for transmitting messages to and for receiving messages from a vehicle operator; and a recorder coupled to the data bus member for recording information associated with performance of the vehicle which has been transmitted over the data bus member by the plurality of communication modules, coupled to the driver interface module via a second data bus member for transferring messages therebetween. The external data port is provided by the recorder and is used for communicating messages with the base station, preferably over an RF link.

Vehicle monitoring arrangement and system

A microprocessor is utilized to store a total accumulated driven mileage (odometer) signal in a non-volatile random access memory (RAM). Trip mileage manual pushbuttons are coupled to the microprocessor and enable the calculation and display of elapsed driven mileage (trip mileage), and a units pushbutton converts the displayed total accumulated driven mileage and/or the elapsed trip mileage from a miles to a kilometer visual display. The microprocessor effectively retrieves non-volatile stored odometer signals, loads them into a microprocessor volatile memory, increments the volatile memory mileage signal in accordance with signals from an actual mileage sensor and provides a visual mileage display on an odometer display. The magnitude of the odometer signal stored in the non-volatile memory can be preset to a predetermined mileage after the non-volatile memory is coupled to the microprocessor. This presetting can only be implemented a maximum of three times and only if a non-volatile, non-presettable actual mileage memory indicates the vehicle has been driven less than ten miles. In response to a substantial adjustment of the non-volatile stored odometer signal, an overflow flag is non-volatilely stored and the odometer display provides a visual indication that this adjustment has occurred whenever the odometer display provides a visual indication corresponding to the total accumulated mileage. The presetting of the odometer signal in the non-volatile RAM is accomplished through utilization of the trip and units manual controls, and the vehicle ignition switch.

Field presettable electronic odometer

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Palatine, IL, United States of America

Timothy D McCarthy