DE10101575C2 - Counter chip - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a counter chip with egg ner impulse input, the impulses can be fed, which after preparation in a pulse processing stage a counter status of the counter chip in a programmable Read-only memory formed counter unit that can be read out via a readout level so that the respective meter reading reached by feeding pulses from the Readout level as a binary number, as a binary-coded decimal number o which can be output in another form.

There is often a need for meters to design them in such a way that their counter reading cannot be reset NEN. This applies, for example, to electronic speedometers counter in motor vehicles: It must be ensured here that the electronic tachometer counter by itself Some manipulations are not to be reset, as such resetting with fraudulent intent at for example leasing companies or used car dealers and whose customers would cause considerable damage.

Other uses of electronic meters are electricity meters ler, flow counter etc.

DE 694 06 079 T2 describes a method for electronic Payment described using a chip card. That with this The device used in the method has a counter Storage. This counter is irreversibly incremented which each correspond to a payment unit until a be certain limit is reached that one on a carrier  value shown corresponds. For the display of the limit value a pointer is used. The increment of the counter will be ends when its content equals that indicated by the pointer is a limit. He can do the value shown on the carrier be raised without the carrier being withdrawn from the device by replacing the value of the pointer on the carrier. This replacement will be due to a random event initiated after the allocation of a profit. Because in the counter no reduction in the number of units used instead finds manipulations and opportunities for fraud be prevented. The counter itself has as essential Component an EPROM memory.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a counter chip creating manipulations to reset his Meter reading can certainly not be made.

This task is called at the beginning of a counter chip solved in accordance with the invention in that the counters unit through a programmable read-only memory from fuses is formed. Thereby each pulse is entered a fuse combustible.

Furthermore, the pulse conditioning stage can be logic which contain a burning of the next one free fuse causes until all fuses of the counter unit are burned.

Has the programmable read-only memory of the counter unit a storage capacity of 16 MBits, so with one Tachometer counter with a division of 100 m, a distance of 1.6 million km is reliably saved or be counted and displayed.

The invention is based on the drawing he he explains in their single figure the structure of a Counter chips is shown.

In a pulse input 2 of a counter chip 1 , electrical pulses 3 can be fed, a pulse for example for a distance of the motor vehicle of 100 m being supplied when applied to a tachometer. After input into the pulse input 2, these pulses 3 are processed in a pulse processing stage 4 , which in particular has an amplifier, so that each time a pulse 3 of a counter unit 5 consisting of fuses 9 can be burned. For this purpose, the pulse processing stage also contains a logic 6 , which ensures that the next free fuse is always burned from the fuses of the counter unit 5 . The logic 6 ensures that only one fuse of the counter unit 5 is burned with each individual pulse 3 .

A read-out stage 7 connected downstream of the counter unit 5 reads out the fuses of the counter unit 5 , that is to say indicates the number of fuses burned in the counter unit 5 , so that in an output stage 8 the counter reading of the counter unit 5 and thus, when used on a motor vehicle, the status of the speedometer counter can be displayed as a binary number, as a binary-coded decimal number (BCD) or in another form.

Since the once burned fuses of the counter unit 5 cannot be brought back to their initial state even by complex manipulations, fraud-proof operation of the counter chip is possible, for example, as a tachometer counter or electricity meter.

The counter unit 5 with fuses can be of conventional design: The prepared from the pulse conditioning stage 4 and in particular amplified pulse 3, the logic 6 is supplied, from which it is forwarded to the respective first, not yet burnt fuse the counter unit. 5 For this purpose, individual fuses 9 can be controlled and burned in sequence in the counter unit 5 .

The readout stage 7 determines the number of burned fuses 9 and then determines the counter reading, which is then output via the output stage 8 as a binary number, BCD or the like, that is to say in another form, and in a suitable manner on a display unit 10, for example is displayed digitally. Another form of such a display is z. B. a bar graph.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

Counter chip

2

pulse input

3

pulse

4

Pulse processing stage

5

programmable read-only memory (PROM)

6

logic

7

elite level

8th

output unit

9

Fuse

10

display unit

Claims (4)

1. Counter chip with a pulse input ( 2 ), the pulses ( 3 ) can be supplied, the preparation in a pulse processing stage ( 4 ) a counter reading of the counter chip in a counter unit formed by a programmable read-only memory ( 5 ) advance, which can be read out via a read-out stage ( 7 ), so that the counter reading achieved by feeding in pulses ( 3 ) can be output by the read-out stage ( 7 ) as a binary number, as a binary-coded decimal number or in another form, characterized in that the programmable read-only memory ( 5 ) is formed from fuses. 2. Counter chip according to claim 1, characterized in that when each pulse is input, a fuse ( 9 ) is combustible. 3. Counter chip according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the pulse processing stage ( 4 ) contains a logic unit ( 6 ) ent, which causes a burning of the next free fuse ( 9 ) until all fuses ( 9 ) of the fixed value memory ( 5 ) are burned. 4. Counter chip according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by an output unit ( 8 ) for outputting the counter reading as a binary number, as a binary-coded number or in another form.