Automatic system for operating parking lots and the like

Claim 1

FOR AUTOMATICALLY OPERATING AN EXIT GATE IN A VEHICLE PARKING LOT IN RESPONSE TO RECEPTION OF A TOLL COMPUTED AS A FUNCTION OF ELAPSED TIME BETWEEN WHEN A CARD IS CODED AT AN ENTRANCE STATION BY A CLOCK OPERATED CODER AND WHEN IT IS PRESENTED FOR READING AT AN EXIT STATION, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING, AN EXIT GATE OPERATED BY A GATE CONTROL CIRCUIT, A READ-OUT DEVICE AT THE EXIT STATION FOR SENSING THE CODED-TIME INFORMATION PRINTED ON SAID CARD BY SAID PRINTER AT THE ENTRANCE STATION, AN EXIT STATION CLOCK SYNCHRONIZED WITH SAID ENTRANCE STATION CLOCK, AN ADJUSTABLE IMPEDANCE COUPLED TO SAID READ-OUT DEVICE AND TO SAID EXIT STATION CLOCK FOR REPRESENTING VARIATIONS IN AN ELAPSED TIME BETWEEN WHEN SAID CARD WAS PRINTED AT THE ENTRANCE STATION AND A LATER TIME WHEN SAID CARD IS PRESENTED FOR READ-OUT AT THE EXIT STATION, SAID IMPEDANCE INCREASING PROPORTIONALLY WITH SAID ELAPSED TIME, A SOURCE OF INCREMENTALLY INCREASING VOLTAGE COUPLED TO ENERGIZE SAID IMPEDANNCE, IN COMPUTER RESPONSIVE TO SAID IMPEDANCE VARIATIONS FOR COMPUTING A TOLL DUE, SAID COMPUTER INCREASING SAID TOLL DUE TO PRESELECTED STEPS AS SAID IMPEDANCE REPRESENTS A LONGER ELAPSED TIME, DISPLAY MEANS FOR INDICATING SAID TOLL TO THE VEHICLE DRIVER, AND A CASH COLLECTING MECHANISM RESPONSIVE TO SAID COMPUTER FOR INITIATING OPERATION OF SAID GATE CONTROL CIRCUIT TO OPEN SAID EXIT GATE ALLOWING THE VEHICLE TO LEAVE THE LOT.