Method for and apparatus of monitoring how an operator operates a machine

Claim 1

A device for use with a vehicle comprising a recorder to be mounted on the vehicle; said recorder including a first programmable logic circuit, an analog to digital converter having an input to be connected to a measuring instrument on an instrument panel of the vehicle, and a memory circuit for recording at determined periods of time a digital signal commensurate with the output value of the converter; and a reader to be kept by an owner of the vehicle and to be temporarily connected from time to time to the recorder, said reader including a second programmable logic circuit, manually activated digital signal source for deriving a digital value introduced by an owner of the vehicle, and a readout device; the first and second programmable logic circuits being programmed to exchange binary signals while the recorder and reader are connected so that each time the recorder and reader are connected, the reader logic circuit: (a) compares a first code stored in the recorder with a second code stored in the reader, (b) authorizes a further coupling of signals from the recorder to the reader in response to the compared first and second codes having a predetermined relation, (c) is activated to read a digital signal representing the value stored in the memory circuit of the recorder in response to the existence of the predetermined relation and (d) transmits a digital signal representing said stored signal to a read-out device of the reader to be read by the owner; the first and second programmable circuits being programmed so that, while the recorder and reader are connected with the vehicle in operation while the measuring instrument is deriving a non-zero value, the second programmable logic circuit responds to an introduced digital value derived from the manually activated digital signal source introduced by the owner of the vehicle, said introduced digital value being identical to a value indicated by the measuring instrument, the first logic circuit being programmed to respond to the digital signal value derived by the converter and to calculate a coefficient corresponding to the relative values of the introduced digital value generated by the digital signal source and the digital signal value derived by the converter for permanently storing said coefficient so that during subsequent connections of the recorder and reader, the first logic circuit responds to the stored value and multiplies it by said stored coefficient, the first and second logic circuits being programmed so the result is a signal having a value transmitted to the readout device to be read by the vehicle owner.

Claim 2

A device for use with a vehicle comprising a recorder to be mounted on the vehicle; said recorder including a first programmable logic circuit, an analog to digital converter having an input to be connected to a measuring instrument on an instrument panel of the vehicle, and a memory circuit for recording at determined periods of time a digital signal commensurate with the output value of the converter; and a reader to be kept by an owner of the vehicle and to be temporarily connected from time to time to the recorder, said reader including a second programmable logic circuit, manually activated digital signal source for deriving a digital value introduced by an owner of the vehicle, and a readout device; the first and second programmable logic circuits being programmed to exchange binary signals while the recorder and reader are connected so that each time the recorder and reader are connected, the reader logic circuit: (a) compares a first code stored in the recorder with a second code stored in the reader, (b) authorizes a further coupling of signals from the recorder to the reader in response to the compared first and second codes having a predetermined relation, (c) is activated to read a digital signal representing the value stored in the memory circuit of the recorder in response to the existence of the predetermined relation and (d) transmits a digital signal representing said stored signal to a read-out device of the reader to be read by the owner; the first and second programmable circuits being programmed so that, while the recorder and reader are connected with the vehicle in operation while the measuring instrument is deriving a non-zero value, the second programmable logic circuit responds to an introduced digital value derived from the manually activated digital signal source introduced by the owner of the vehicle, said introduced digital value being identical to a value indicated by the measuring instrument, the first logic circuit being programmed to respond to the digital signal value derived by the converter and to calculate a coefficient corresponding to the relative values of the introduced digital value generated by the digital signal source and the digital signal value derived by the converter for permanently storing said coefficient so that during subsequent connections of the recorder and reader, the first logic circuit responds to the stored value and multiplies it by said stored coefficient, the first and second logic circuits being programmed so the result is a signal having a value transmitted to the readout device to be read by the vehicle owner.

Claim 17

A method of monitoring how an operator operates a machine having a sensor for a variable value operating parameter and a meter responsive to the sensor, the sensor deriving an analog signal having an amplitude indicative of the variable value of the operating parameter, the method being performed with an apparatus including a recorder section and a reader section, the recorder section including means to be connected across the sensor for deriving a digital signal having a value representing the amplitude of the analog signal derived by the sensor, a data collecting memory, and a first logic network; the reader section including a second logic network, a digital readout device and manually activated means for supplying numeric representing digital signals to the second logic network; the method comprising the steps of: activating said sections and said digital signal deriving means so the sections are interconnected during a start-up period while the operator is initially operating the machine and the means for deriving the digital signal is connected across the sensor, whereby during the start-up period the digital signal has a value representing the amplitude of the analog signal derived by the sensor; during the start-up period: (i) coupling the digital signal having a value representing the amplitude of the analog signal derived by the sensor to the data collecting memory, (ii) connecting the second logic network with the manually activated means while the manually activated means supplies numeric representing digital signals to the second logic network, (iii) activating the manually activated means to a value commensurate with a maximum value being read on the meter, and (iv) coupling the numeric value representing the maximum value from the manually activated means from the reader to a memory; activating the reader and recorder so the reader and recorder are disconnected during operation of the machine by the operator; during operation of the machine by the operator, coupling digital signals having values commensurate with readings of the meter from the converter means to the data memory; activating the recorder and reader so the second logic network is connected with the read-out device after operation of the machine has been completed so that the second logic network supplies to the read-out device digital signals representing values commensurate with the relative value of the numeric and the digital signals derived while the machine is being operated; and monitoring the relative values to determine how the operator operates the machine.

Claim 18

A method of monitoring how an operator operates a machine having a sensor for a variable value operating parameter and a meter responsive to the sensor, the sensor deriving an analog signal having an amplitude indicative of the variable value of the operating parameter, the method being performed with an apparatus including a recorder section and a reader section, the recorder section including means to be connected across the sensor for deriving a digital signal having a value representing the amplitude of the analog signal derived by the sensor, a data collecting memory, and a first logic network; the reader section including a second logic network, a digital readout device and manually activated means for supplying numeric representing digital signals to the second logic network; the method comprising the steps of: activating said sections and said digital signal deriving means so the sections are interconnected during a start-up period while the operator is initially operating the machine and the means for deriving the digital signal is connected across the sensor, whereby during the start-up period the digital signal has a value representing the amplitude of the analog signal derived by the sensor; during the start-up period: (i) coupling the digital signal having a value representing the amplitude of the analog signal derived by the sensor to the data collecting memory, (ii) connecting the second logic network with the manually activated means while the manually activated means supplies numeric representing digital signals to the second logic network, (iii) activating the manually activated means to a value commensurate with a maximum value being read on the meter, and (iv) coupling the numeric value representing the maximum value from the manually activated means from the reader to a memory; activating the reader and recorder so the reader and recorder are disconnected during operation of the machine by the operator; during operation of the machine by the operator, coupling digital signals having values commensurate with readings of the meter from the converter means to the data memory; activating the recorder and reader so the second logic network is connected with the read-out device after operation of the machine has been completed so that the second logic network supplies to the read-out device digital signals representing values commensurate with the relative value of the numeric and the digital signals derived while the machine is being operated; and monitoring the relative values to determine how the operator operates the machine.