Electronic odometer and comparative rate indicator

Claim 2

An odometer having a pulse generator, a pulse ratio transformative circuit, and a first pulse counter connected in cascade, said pulse generator having a trigger input adapted to be coupled to the road wheel of a vehicle such that the rate of pulses supplied by said pulse ratio transformative circuit is a direct linear function of the rate of rotation of said road wheel, said pulse ratio transformative circuit providing to said first pulse counter electrical pulses at a rate equal to the rate at which pulses are supplied by said pulse generator divided by a predetermined constant, said first pulse counter providing output coded signals according to the distances traveled by said road wheel, a decoder and odometer display device, means connecting said first pulse counter to said decoder and odometer display device, said decoder and odometer display device responding to application of said coded signals to display digits indicating the actual distances traveled by said road wheel at particular times.

Claim 3

An odometer as claimed in claim 1 wherein said ratio transformative circuit is a pulse divider, first presetting switch means connected to said divider, said first presetting switch means being set according to the diameter of said road wheel to provide correct distance readings on said decoder and odometer display device.

Claim 4

An odometer as claimed in claim 2 having second presetting switch means connected to said first pulse counter, said second presetting switch means being operable to set said first pulse counter to provode coded signals corresponding to selected actual distances.

Claim 5

An odometer as claimed in claim 1 having coded counter means operable at a constant rate and means for connecting said counter means to said decoder and odometer display device for displaying desired distances.

Claim 6

An odometer as claimed in claim 4 wherein said coded counter means includes an oscillator, a logic array and a second pulse counter connected in cascade, means for controlling application of pulses from said oscillator to said logic array, said logic array determining the ratio between the rate of the pulses applied from its output to said second pulse counter and tHe rate of the pulses applied from said oscillator to the input of said logic array, said means connecting said first pulse generator to said decoder and odometer display device and said means for connecting said counter means comprising a multiplexer switching device having first input circuits connected to said first pulse counter, second input circuits connected to said second pulse counter, and output circuits connected to said decoder and odometer display device, and means for controlling said multiplexer switching device to operate it in first and second modes for applying selectively coded output from said first and second counters respectively to said decoder and odometer display device.

Claim 7

An odometer as claimed in claim 5 wherein said logic array is presettable, and third presetting switch means connected to said logic array and operable to different settings for determining the ratio between the rate of the pulses supplied to said second pulse counter and the rate of the pulses in the output of said oscillator, said last mentioned ratio determining said constant rate.

Claim 8

An odometer as claimed in claim 6 having fourth presetting switch means connected to said second pulse counter, said fourth presetting switch means being operable to set said second pulse counter to provided coded output corresponding to a selected desired distance.

Claim 9

An odometer as claimed in claim 5 having a comparator, said comparator having first and second input circuits connected to the outputs of said first and second pulse counters respectively, an indicator connected to the output of said comparator, said indicator showing which of said counters is storing the larger number.

Claim 10

An odometer as claimed in claim 5 having a subtractor, said subtractor having first and second input circuits and a coded output circuit, said first and second input circuits of said subtractor being connected to the outputs of said first and second pulse counters respectively, said multiplexer switching device having third input circuits connected to said coded output circuit of said subtractor, and said means for controlling said multiplexer switching device being operable to a third position to operate said multiplexer in a third mode for applying coded output from said subtractor to said decoder and odometer display device, said decoder and odometer display device operating in response to application of signals from said subtractor to display the difference between the actual distance stored in said first pulse counter and the desired distance stored in said second pulse counter.

Claim 11

An odometer as claimed in claim 9 wherein said subtractor has an output upon which is applied different signals according to whether the signal in the output of said first counter represents a number larger or smaller than the number corresponding to the signal in the output of said second counter, said last-mentioned output of said subtractor being connected to said decoder and odometer display device through said multiplexer switching device while said multiplexer switching device is operating in said third mode, said decoder and odometer display device having a ''''+'''' and ''''-'''' indicator operated according to the signal applied from said last-mentioned output of said subtractor.