GB2494909A - Control system to remotely control a taxi meter - Google Patents

Abstract

A control system 10 adapted for the remote control of a fare meter 12 in a taxicab 14 while the taxicab is driving around. The control system preferably comprises a remote control 16 and a taxicab fare meter (taximeter) 12 adapted to be controlled by the remote control when the taxicab is remote from the remote control. Preferably, the remote control is able to select a particular fare meter, using a unique identification of the fare meter. The remote control may handshake with the fare meter in order to verify the selection. The remote control may disable the fare meter, reset the fare meter, re-enable the fare meter or change the fare meter s tariff. The fare meter may upload metered fare information to the remote control. The taxicab s engine 40 may be disabled using the remote control system. The fare meter may provide confirmation that a control operation received from the remote control has been completed. The control system may include means to inhibit or thwart attempts to prevent the fare meter being controlled by the remote control. The invention allows a fare meter to be controlled remotely, while a taxicab is in use and away from a taxi station.

Description

Title: CONTROL SYSTEM

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a control system.

Background

This application (applicant reference WLD/1/GB) is one of a group of co-pending patent applications, all lodged on the same day, the whole contents of the specifications of the others cf which are hereby imported into the present specification. The group of co-pending applications have the applicant references: WLD/1/GB, WLD/2/GB, WLD/3/GB, WLD/4/GB, WLD/510B, WLD/6/GB, WLD/7/GB.

It sometimes happens, with a fleet of taxicabs, that one of the dhvers is doing something contrary to hs contract or contrary to law and the fleet owner wishes to prevent that driver from continuing to operate that taxicab at all, or until the matter has been dealt with. For example, the driver may have failed to pay his dues to the fleet owner in spite of warning or may have delayed supplying fare information. Another possibility is that the driver has abused a passenger who has reported the incident. Until now, there has been no effective method of dealing with this problem.

The Invention The inventor has realised that one way to deal with the matter is by suitably controlling the fare meter in the taxicab; and this can have other applications.

A proposal is known to the inventor in which a remote computer controls a taxicab fare meter but this control has to be effected by the ddver having to drive into an information-exchange relay station which exchanges fare information with the fare meter via short-range (e.g. 10 m range) modems (so that the relay modem and the fare meter modem have to be close to each other) and the relay station modem is in turn connected to the remote computer whereby to reay information between this and the fare meter. Alternatively, a portable or laptop computer can be taken near to the taxicab and is provided with a compatible modem to download fare information from the fare meter; and this computer can then transfer the information thus downloaded to the remote computer. The main disadvantages of this proposal are that the system can only operate when the taxicab is driven into the station (or the laptop computer is taken to the taxi), which may be only once per shift; and (in either case) there has to be a visit between the taxi and the co-operating modem. There is a brief mention that the remote computer can also disable the fare meter. This is essentially a system for transferring fare information, which is only to be done intermittently on particular occasions and at particular places, and the disablement is a minor add-on feature which can only be used on the information transfer occasions. This proposal is not in accordance with the present invention.

One aspect of the present invention provides a contrcd system adapted for the remote control of a fare meter in a taxicab when this is driving around. As explained below, in relation to various embodiments, the control will be available: substantially at all times or any time or location; or any time duhng a shift; or at least during (or throughout) normal use of the fare meter to meter fares; or when the taxicab is in normal use; or without having to restrict the taxicab to one or more particular locations; and/or without having to restrict the control to one or more particular times and/or places. This is particularly adapted for the remote control to disable the fare meter at substantially any time or place. These embodiments provide a control system adapted for distant (e.g. more than lOOm or more than 1 km) and immediate (e.g. at substantially any time chosen by the remote control, e.g. while the taxicab is in normal service and not for example laid up or off the road) and usually direct (e.g. without the need for a special or dedicated relay or repeater station) control of a fare meter in a taxicab.

For these various purposes, another aspect of the invention provides a control system comprising a remote control and a taxicab fare meter adapted to be controlled by the remote control while the taxicab is driving around. Another aspect of the invention includes the taxicab and thus provides a control system comprising a remote control and a taxicab provided with a fare meter adapted to be controlled by the remote control while the taxicab is driving around. The remote control is normally adapted to control a plurality of such fare meters in a plurality of taxicabs, e.g. in a fleet, and has selection means to select a particular fare meter. In the embodiments described herein, the control system comprises a remote control and a taxicab, the remote control comprising means adapted to transmit signals to the taxicab when this is driving around and the taxicab comprising a fare meter and having means to receive such signals while the taxicab is driving around and to use these signals to control the fare meter. The receiving means are preferably within a tamper-proof casing of the fare meter and may be 1 0 arranged to control the fare meter immediately, after an interval (to be defined) and/or when the meter is not metering a fare.

For example, as indcated below, the control may have either or both of two features: first, to disable the meter, which may be immediately the signals are received; and/or secondly, for resetting fare rates or tariff, which may be carded out when the meter is not metering a fare; but these times may be modified (see below). (Resetting generally of the fare meter may be for resetting its tariff and/or may be for enabling or re-enabling the meter e.g. after it has been disabled by the remote control or 1 5 otherwise or even for enabling the meter if it has not yet been enabled.) Such a system may be used, for example, by the fleet owner to disable the fare meter, e.g. (a) to prevent the driver from setting and/or using the meter, and/or (b) to switch off the fare meter, e.g. instantly, so that in either case the driver can no longer legally and/or effectively operate the vehicle as a taxcab. If this is done before the driver takes on a passenger, the driver is unable to set the meter. If this is done in the middle of a passenger-carrying job, the meter may stop at the fare up to that point, or may revert to zero fare charge, or may go blank; all of which results are incidentally to the advantage of the current passenger, who cannot legally be charged by the driver any more fare than is shown on the meter. The meter may provide an indication that the meter is disabled, e.g. by a display, e.g. on a display face of the meter, which will be visible to the driver and possibly also to the passenger, or different displays to each of them, or on a display face visible to the driver and not be shown to the passenger, or on a display face visible to the passenger and not be shown to the driver, and/or possibly an indication to the passenger that there are now egal limitations on charging, e.g. that the passenger cannot be charged. The system may further operate so that it disables the engine, e.g. the ignition, e.g. to switch the ignition off completely or suitably control the ignition to reduce substantially the power of the engine (e.g. to allow the brakes to remain at least partially effective while substantially reducing the driving power of the engine, e.g. substantially to zero), e.g. when the taxicab next comes to a halt, which may be controlled by a delayed action circuit in or associated with the fare meter, e.g. interactively, e.g. monitoring the speed of the taxicab and/or using signals normally used by the fare meter for metering the journey, e.g. signals associated with changing the metering from distance to waiting time.

The system may also be used to disable the fare meter and/or engine of a taxicab reported stolen. Particularly useful in the latter case, the fare meter may also include a satellite position-finding device, which can upload the stolen taxicab's position to the remote control.

Once the control system is considered, it may also (or alternatively, with or without the disabling control means) be provided with a facility to control other features of the fare meter, e.g. to substitute a different fare scale/tariff. This could be useful in order to change the fare scale in all of the fare meters at the same time throughout the fleet. Thus, such a system can for example be used to avoid a bottleneck (of taxicabs having to come to depots to have their fare meters reset) if there has been a phce hse in fares, so that it will no longer be necessary for every taxicab to visit a setting station in a short space of time in order to have its fare meter reset upon e.g. a global change in fare rates.

Again, such a system may also or alternatively be used to transmit fare information, e.g. data collecled in a store in the fare meter regarding fares incurred. This (or any of the other actions indicated herein) may possibly be done at any time selected by the remote control; or this time (once triggered by the remote control) may be modified to be on the next occasion after the meter has finished metehng a fare, and/or after a shift is finished (which may be indicated by the driver, e.g. switching off his or her "For Hire" display), and/or when the engine has been switched off.

Another aspect of the invention consists in a taxicab fare meler control system comprising a remote control and a taxicab fare meter adapted to be controlled by the remote control, the system being adapted for the control to be able to be exerted while the taxicab is dhving around. Preferably, as indicated above, the fare meter is adapted to be controlled by the remote control to disable the fare meter, e.g. so that it is no longer operable by the driver. The fare meter may comprise means to indicate (to a viewer, e.g. the driver and/or the passenger) that the fare meter is disabled/inoperative/no longer operative. The control system may comprise means to inhibit or thwart attempts to prevent operation of the control system. For example, the system will usually operate by radio communication and the fare meter may comprise an aerial to receive such communication, e.g. via a mobile telephone, GSM or satellite network or at similar frequencies, and be arranged to be disabled by attempts to inhibit such communication, e.g. to put the aerial out of acton; for example, the aerial being internal to the fare meter, the latter may be disabled upon attempts to open it in such a manner as could lead to being able to inhibit the aerial's action, e.g. opening of a so-called tamper-proof casing of the fare meter. It is possible for the fare meter to be provided with an external aerial but, in case the aerial is (deliberately) disconnected from the meter, the meter is adapted to detect such disconnection, e.g. the remote control is adapted to provide regular communication-maintenance signals, e.g. every few minutes, e.g. every five minutes, or e.g. at intervals of less than 15 minutes, e.g. at random times within each 15 minutes, and the meter is adapted to monitor receipt of such signals and to disable itself if they are interrupted, e.g. if one or a small number of them (e.g. 2 or 3) is/are missing. The system may be further refined such that the fare meter responds to each such maintenance signal with a reply and the remote control is adapted to monilor such replies and provide an indication (e.g. notify its operator) or carry out some action if one or a small number of them (e.g. 2 or 3) is/are missing. The system may be further refined to provide signals to indicate to the remote control the geographical position of the fare meter, regularly, at defined intervals and/or at arbitrary times designated by the remote control. To include this function, the system may operate via a satellite network and/or use GSP.

In some circumstances, it may be very appropriate for the system to operate in some respects without the driver being aware (either initially or at all) that such operation, e.g. failure or other disablement of the fare meter or engine, is due to external influence, for example if the police wish to apprehend the driver.

Another aspect of the invention consists in a taxicab fare meter adapted to be the fare meter of any such system.

Another aspect of the invention consists in a remote control adapted to be the remote control of any such system.

There are two parts to typical embodiments of the control means.

The first part is a remote control, which may be adapted to operate a general radio transmitter, e.g. suitable if the geographical area of the use of the taxicab is limited, e.g. to the Greater London Area for the London "licensed black cabs', e.g. in a manner suitable for paging, and/or may be adapted to operale via the GSM (global short messaging) network used for mobile telephones. In either case, the remote control will comprise means to generate a signal identifying a designated individual destination, i.e. a particular taxicab. The remote control will usually also include a handshake element to veh' that the intended destination has been reached, e.g. before transmitting a working (e.g. disabling) signal. Whether or not there is a handshake element! any disabling signal will preferably be associated with a signal coded to identify the particular fare meter intended. Preferably, the system will further comprise (e.g. the remote control will include, or be associated with, though this function could be handled by an independent monitoring unit) confirmation receiving means adapted to receive a confirmation signal from the meter to confirm that the disabling action has been carried out, and more generally a confirmation signal generated by signal generating means of the meter to confirm whether part or all of the controted operation has been effected.

The second part is a receiver connected to operate the meter. This may be provided with a facility to thwart attempts to disable its action. This may comprise means to thwart aftempts to disable the channel of communication between the receiver and the remote control and/or means to thwart attempts to disable the receive and/or means to thwarl attempts to prevent the action of the receiver from disabling the meter. For example, the receiver may be adapted (e.g. by having timing means) to require a "remain activated" signal at regular time intervals, e.g. five minutes or 1/2hr, and be adapted in the absence of such a signal, or a predetermined number (e.g. three) of such signals consecutively, to switch off the meter. (In case the taxicab has e.g. entered a long tunnel, or been out of action overnight, or in any other circumstances radio communication has been prevented, there can be provided a wake-up' exchange of signals which, after an absence of expected signals, will cause the remote apparatus to note the last previous set of readings, e.g. as to total amount charged over a given period, e.g. the last day, week or month, total mileage and time of last reading, from the meter, note the corresponding items upon the wake-up' and make a decision as to whether unauthodsed use of the meter is considered to have occurred according to preset parameters.) Again, the receiver may be provided with a handshake facility such that it can transmit an interrogation signal to the remote control unit, and monitor for a reply thereto, to ensure that the signalling channel between them is still connected, being adapted to do this as just deschbed, e.g. at regular time intervals, and being adapted in the absence of such a signal to disable, e.g. switch off, the meter. Again, the receiver may be built into a casing of the meter such that attempts to disable the receiver, e.g. by tampering with it or trying to bypass it, will require opening of the casing which will disable the meter. In case there is a more sophisticated attempt to disable the receiver! the receiver may actually be built into a FOB of the meter such that any attempt to disable the receiver will disable the FOB and hence disable the meter. AgaIn, while the method of disabling the meter could be to disconnect it (or part of it) from a power supply, attempts to thwart this method could simply provide a bypass power supply; and such attempts can themselves be thwarted by ensuring that the receiver is integrally connected into the circuitry of operation of the meter. The system preferably comprises, preferably at, or included in, the receiver and/or meter, confirmation transmitting means to transmit a signal to confirm that the disablement has been carried out, e.g. to be transmitted to the aforesaid confirmation receiving means.

In any case in which the meter has been disabled, the arrangement is preferably such that it can only be re-enabled by the fleet owner. The disablement is preferably such that the taxicab has to be returned to the fleet owner to re-enable the meter, although there may be circumstances in which it is sufficient for the re-enablement to be performed by remote control, e.g. by suitable radio signals.

Since the meter can be provided with extra facilities compared with a standard fare meter, it may be appropriate to include a printer (e.g. a thermal one), which can, for example, phnt fare receipts for passengers, and/or issue, e.g. upon the driver's request, a print-out of the fare information uploaded to the remote control and/or new tariff information downloaded from the remote control. Again, the fare meter may be provided with a mobile phone speech facility, e.g. of the hands-free type, for the 5 driver to use while driving; for this purpose the fare meter can be provided with loudspeaker and/or microphone facilities and/or may have a short-range communication facility for communication with a speech device e.g. worn by the driver, e.g. as known in mobile phone technology for hands-tree operation. Accordingly, a further aspect of the invention provides a taxicab fare meter with an inbuilt printer; and a further aspect of the invention provides a taxicab fare meter with a facility for speech communication.

Descriøtion of øarticular embodiments with reference to the drawings Reference will now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawings, in which: The sole Figure is a schematic block diagram, not to scale, of one embodiment of a fare meter control system embodying the invention, with some optional features.

Referring to the drawings, a taxicab fare meter control system 10 for the remote control of a fare meter 12 in a taxicab 14 while this is driving around is adapted to disable the fare meter 12 (and may further operate to disable, e.g. switch off, the engine 40) and/or, in approphate circumstances, to reset the fare meter 12, e.g. so as to re-enable the fare meter 12 after it has been disabled and/or to reset the scale of charges (tariff) of the fare meter 12 (e.g. by downloading a new tariff to the fare meter 12 and/or by tdggering the fare meter 12 to switch over to a pre-stored different tariff which may have been pre-stored in a store 24 of fare meter 12). The adaptation is that the control system 10 comprises a remote control 16 adapted to carry out these control operatons.

The control system 10 comprises remote control 16 and Ihe taxicab 14 provided with the fare meter 12 adapted to be controlled by the remote control 16 while the taxicab is dhving around. The system 10 is adapted to enable the control to be exerted while the taxicab 14 is driving around. The remote control 16 comprises means 17 adapted to transmit signals to the taxicab 14 while this is driving around and comprises the taxicab 14 comprising the fare meter 12 and having means 19, 27, 28 to receive such signals while the taxicab 14 is driving around and to use these signals to control the fare meter 12. For this purpose, the means 17 comprise: a long-range (at least 100 m) transmitter-receiver 17; and/or a GSM transmitter-receiver module 17 able to use the GSM network; and the taxicab 14 has means 19 to receive such signals by way of a ferrite rod or other aerial 18. The receiving means i9 comphse correspondingly a long-range transmitter-receiver 19 and/or GSM transmitter-receiver module 19, to co-operate with means 17. By using such long-range transmitter-receivers 17, 19 and/or OSM transmitter-receivers 17, 19 the control system is able to control the fare meter while the taxi 14 is driving around The said signals are passed from means 19, along a channe 27 to a control member 28 to control the fare meter 12. Signals can also be transmitted in the opposite direction (i.e. from taxicab 14 to remote control 16) for handshake purposes, to tell the remote control 16 that its control signals to fare meter 12 have been received and/or acted upon, to upload fare data from fare meter 14 to remote control 16, and/or for any other purpose. The transmitter-receiver means 17 of remote control 16 serves as the aforesaid confirmation receiving means. The fare meter 12 is adapted to provide to the remote control 16 an indication of whether part or all of the control operation has been effected, for which purpose meter 12 comprises confirmation signal generating means 13 to transmit such signal to remote control 16 and the lafter has confirmation signal receiving means Ii to receive and act upon such signal. This action may include initiating fare meter disabling action if metered fare upload fails a predetermined number of times or over a predetermined pedod, and notifying any such action to a human operator, e.g. located at remote control 16. Due to means 17 and 19, the control system 10 is adapted for interchange of fare information between the remote control 16 and the fare meter 12, both lo upload metered fare information from the fare meter 12 to the remote control 16 and to download tariff fare information from the remote control 16 to the fare meter 12.

The remote control 16 has selection means 15 to select a particular fare meter 12 (among a plurality of the same within a fleet of taxicabs 14), which co-operates in known manner with the fare meters 12 to select one of them, for which purpose the fare meter 12 has selecting means 21 to enable that particular fare meter 12 to be selected uniquely by the by the remote control 16; for example, if using mobile phone technology, the means 15 selects and uses the phone number of a particular fare meter 12 or, if using long-range transmission, the means 12 uses pager-type technology to select and communicate with a particular fare meter 12. In either case (or in any other case) use is made of handshake techniques, for which purpose the fare meter has handshake means 25 to verify its selection to the remote-controlled 16.

The fare meter 12 part of the system 10 comprises an adapted form of the usual taxicab fare meter display 20, which includes an adapted form of the usual calculating means 30 for receiving distance-measuring signals from the usual odometer device 22, timing signals from the usual timing device 26 and rate-of-charging signals from store 24, to calcuate the fare and display it on display means 20. The fare meter 12 also comprises a ferrite rod receiving aerial 18, adapted to receive radio communication control signals from remote control 16 and connected through a control member 28 to control display means 20. The control member 28 acts under the influence of a suitable component (when it is present) of the signals received by aerial 18 and passing along channel 27 to disable calculating means 30; (by which is meant that calculating means 30 no longer supplies incrementing fare display signals to operate display 20 in accordance with the incrementing cost of the journey, for example, blanking display 20 or changing it to Zero or fixing it at its last displayed value or causing it to display a message indicating that fare meter 12 is inoperative.) Thus the fare meter 12 is adapted to be controlled by the remote control 16 to disable the fare meter 12, e.g. in any of the manners indicated above. The fare meter 12 comprises means 32 to indicate to the driver and passenger that the fare meter 12 is no longer operative. Means 32 may be separate from the usual meter display 20, though I prefer, so as not to alert or remind the dhver beforehand as to the possibility of external control of fare meter 12, that means 32 simply be a distinct and different display 32 appearing in place of the usual display of fare on display means 20, e.g. the wording "METER INOPERATIVE'. The fare meter 12 is connected from its control member 28 to the taxicab's engine control CPU 38 to control the ignition of the engine 40 so that a suitable component (when it occurs) of the said signals fed to channel 27 is able, in extreme cases, to operate control member 28 so as to switch off the engine 40, preferably delaying this action by means of a delay member 39 within CPU 38 to ensure that the switching off of engine 40 occurs only when the taxicab 14 is at rest (either during a metered journey, e.g. went taxicab 14 has stopped at traffic lights, or only when the current metered journey has terminated, e.g. the current metering has been signed off by the driver as being completed), either by signals originating from the odometer 22 to indicate when journey-distance is not incrementing or by a part of the CPU 38 that monitors the speed of the taxicab 14. A reset device 29 in control member 28 is responsive to a component (when it occurs) of the said signals in channel 27 to re-enable the fare meter 12 by re-enabling calculating means and (if it has occurred) re-enabling the ignition of engine 40. Messages to indicate disabling and re-enabling of the fare meter 12 and engine 40 may be caused to display on the usual dashboard display means 42 of taxicab 14 by means of signals on channel 41 from control member 28, directly or preferably by way of CPU 36.

Reset device 29 is also responsive to a suitable component (when it occurs) of the said signals in channel 27 to reset the tariff of charges of fare meter 12 within store 24 to a new tariff contained within the said signals; if this resetting component occurs during a hire journey, then, while the new tariff is retained in stall 24, the actual resetting of the tariff in stall 24 is delayed by a delay device 31 in calculating means 30 until the hire fare calculation is next signed off by the driver as being completed. An indication that this (or indeed any chosen ones of the other control operations, e.g. that the fare meter 12 is disabled) has been done is not only notified by means 19 to remote control 16 but is also displayed to the driver on dashboard display 42 and displayed on display 20 of fare meter 12. The control system lOis also arranged to upload periodically from store 24 via means 19 to means 17 of remote control 16 a record of fare information regarding metered fares since the last similar upload, responsive to a component (when it occurs) of the said signals in channel 27, effectively interrogating store 24. The timing of such interrogation sgnals may be regular, e.g. at a specific lime interval (e.g. one hour) after each shift is expected to finish; and, if the interrogation is unsuccessful, subsequent interrogation signals are transmitted from remote control 16 at intervals (usually regularly, e.g. every 1⁄4hr) until it is determined by remote control 16 that there is ongoing failure and consequently remote control 16 puts into operation the disabling procedure described above.

The system 10 comprises means 12, 18, 28, 30, 34, 36 to inhibit or thwart attempts to prevent operation of the control system to control the fare meter 12, i.e. to prevent the fare meter 12 from being controlled by the control system 10; more particularly, the system 10 being operable to control the fare meter 12 by radio communication, the fare meter 12 is arranged to be disabled by attempts to inhibit the radio communication from remote control 16 used to control the fare meter 12. For this purpose, since the fare meter 12 comphses aerial 18 arranged to receive said radio communication to control the fare meter 12, this aerial 18 is placed internal of a casing 121, 122 of the fare meter 12; the casing 121, 122 comprises two parts 121 and 122 which are held together by means of screws 36, e.g. at each of the four corners of the casing 121, 122 as seen in Figure 1; adjacent each screw 36, is a pair of contacts 34, one mounted to part 121 and the other mounted to part 122 such that when the two parts 121 and 122 are screwed together tightly each pair of contacts 34 is closed so as to close a circuit passing serially through all four of the pairs of contacts 34; breaking of any one of these pairs of contacts 34 (by removing the adjacent screw 36 and/or starting to open the casing 121, 122) breaks such circuit and indicates to control member 28 that the casing 121, 122 has been opened in such a manner as could lead to someone being able to inhibit the action of aehal 18; in response, control member 28 disables fare meter 12 by dsabling calculating means 30. Depending upon the degree of security required, other means can be used to inhibit or thwart such attempts to prevent operation of the control system 10 to control the fare meter 12: e.g. a different pressure from atmospheric pressure, whether above or below it, e.g. a low pressure, may be provided internal of casing 121, 122 together with a pressure sensor (not shown) arranged to operate control member 28 if there is a change, e.g. an increase, in this internal pressure indicative of an action such as could lead to one being able to inhibit the action of aerial 18, e.g. penetrating or breaking open the casing 121, 122. Again, the aforesaid circuit may be replaced or supplemented by a wire running electrically serially through each screw 36 and an electrically isolated, electrically conductive, mounting for the same, so that removing any one of screws 36 will break such circuit wilh a similar result to that mentioned above. Generally, the control system 10 may have any of the teatures mentioned above in relation to embodiments of the invention.

For ease and reliabiUty of operation, and so that the aehal iSis readily accessible to the radio communication for the control of the fare meter 12, and not unduly shielded from this by the metal body of the taxicab 14, the system 10 is adapted and arranged for the radio communication to be via a GSM or mobile telephone network or at similar frequencies.

For the purposes mentioned above, fare meter 12 has a thermal printer 41 connected to store 24 and also has a speech channel mobile 42, which may be connected to make use of fl'ansmitting-receiving means 19 or may be independent of means 19 and comprises a loudspeaker 43 and a microphone 44.

Of course, a taxicab fare meter 12 adapted to be remotely controllable when forming part of a system 10 such as deschbed above, can be sold on its own, e.g. to a manufacturer or outfitter of such taxicabs 14, e.g. for retrofitting. Likewise, the suitable remote control 16 may be sold on its own, e.g. to a fleet operator taking over, for the first time, taxicabs 14 already having suitable fare meters 12 for operation as part of the system 10.

In relation to the uploading of metered fare information from fare meter 12 to remote control 16, it is possible, as an alternative, for the times of uploading to be dictated by the fare meter 12 (or chosen by the driver operating fare meter 12) and normally for this to be done without any control from the remote control 16 (which then acts not as a control but simply as a receiver to receive the uploaded information). Normally, the control unit 16 will exercise some control over fare meter 12 at some time or other, e.g. as indicated above in the absence of sufficiently frequent uploadings, but there may be cases in which this control facility is not needed, e.g. for a driver working on his own to upload data, e.g. once or periodically, to his own central storage unit 16. The fare meter may also include a credit card reader 45 connected to means 19 to upload read credit card data to remote control 16 together with metered fare charge data from store 24; remote control 16 is for this purpose connected to the usual credit card authorisation network; authorisation can then be returned from remote control 16 to fare meter 12 and thermal printer4l can then issue a receipt.

In case taxicab 14 is reported stolen, and for other purposes, the fare meter 12 also includes a satellite position-finding device 45, which can upload the stolen taxicab's position to the remote control 16, andlor or provide a satnav information display for the driver. This display may have to be part of the dashboard display 42, for ready viewing by the driver.

Many variations of the invention and embodiments herein described will be apparent to people skilled in the art. For example, features of the different embodiments disclosed herein (including the imported contents of the specifications of the co-pending applications) may be omitted, selected, combined or exchanged in order to form further embodiments. Again, where a preference or particularisation is stated, there is implicit the possibility of its negative, i.e. a case in which that preference or particularisation is absent. The invention is considered to extend to any new and inventive embodiments formed by said variations, further embodiments and cases.

Claims (1)

1. <claim-text>CLAIMS1. A control system adapted for the remote control of a fare meter in a taxicab while this is driving around.</claim-text> <claim-text>2. A taxicab fare meter control system comprising a remote control and a taxicab fare meter adapted to be controlled by the remote control while the taxicab is driving around.</claim-text> <claim-text>3. A taxicab fare meter control system comprising a remote control and a taxicab provided with a tare meter adapted to be controlled by the remote control while the taxicab is driving around.</claim-text> <claim-text>4. A system as claimed in claim 2 or 3, in which the remote control has selection means to select a parcular fare meter among a plurality of the same.</claim-text> <claim-text>5. A system as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4, in which the fare meter has selecting means to enable that particular fare meter to be selected uniquely by the remote control.</claim-text> <claim-text>6. A system as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5, in which the fare meter has handshake means to verify its selection to the remote control.</claim-text> <claim-text>7. A system as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 6, adapted for the remote control to disable the fare meter.</claim-text> <claim-text>8. A system as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 7, adapted for the remote control to reset the fare meter.</claim-text> <claim-text>9. A system as claimed in claim 8, adapted for the remote control to reset the fare meter to re-enable the same.</claim-text> <claim-text>10. A system as claimed in claim 8 or 9, adapted for the remote control to reset the fare meter's tariff.</claim-text> <claim-text>11. A system as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 10, adapted for interchange of fare information between the remote control and the fare meter.</claim-text> <claim-text>12. A system as claimed in claim 11, adapted to upload metered fare information from the fare meter to the remote control.</claim-text> <claim-text>13. A system as claimed in claim 11 or 12, adapted to download tariff fare information from the remote control to the fare meter.</claim-text> <claim-text>14. A system as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 13, adapted for the remote control to disable the taxicab's engine.</claim-text> <claim-text>15. A system as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 13, in which the fare meter is adapted to be controlled by the remote control to disable the taxicab's engine.</claim-text> <claim-text>16. A system as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 15, in which the fare meter is adapted to provide to the remote control an indication of whether part or all of the control operation has been effected.</claim-text> <claim-text>17. A system as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 16, in which the fare meter comprises means to display an indication that the control system has operated as aforesaid.</claim-text> <claim-text>18. A system as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 17, in which the fare meter comphses means to display an indication that the fare meter is disabled.</claim-text> <claim-text>19. A system as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 18, comprising means to inhibit or thwart attempts to prevent the fare meter from being controlled by the control system. 10</claim-text> <claim-text>20. A system as claimed in claim 19, operable to control the fare meter by radio communication, the fare meter being arranged to be disabled by attempts to inhibit such communication.</claim-text> <claim-text>21. A system as claimed in one of claims 2 to 20, adapted for the control to be by radio communicaton via a GSM or mobile telephone network or at similar frequencies.</claim-text> <claim-text>22. A taxicab fare meter control system substantially according to any example of the invention hereinbefore deschbed.</claim-text> <claim-text>23. A taxicab fare meter control system substantially according to any example of the invention hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.</claim-text> <claim-text>24. A taxicab fare meter adapted to be the fare meter of a system as claimed in any preceding claim.</claim-text> <claim-text>25. A remote control adapted to be used to provide the taxicab fare meter control of a system as claimed in any one of claims 1to23.</claim-text>