| 摘要 |
A control unit (10) for controlling the usage of apparatus over a time period (62) is configured to receive a validation device (12) programmable with programmable parameters, including a validation code and a time parameter. The control unit (10) is operable to respond to the validation code (61) to validate the validation device (13) for enabling operation of the apparatus and to respond to the time parameter of the validation device (12) to cause disabling of the apparatus at a time determined by the time parameter. The invention finds particular application to the control of a vehicle (20) during a rental period (70), the control unit (10) being responsive to a time parameter to immobilise the vehicle (20) following the end of the rental period (70). A grace period (72) following the end of the rental period (70) may also be programmed into the validation device (12). For safety reasons, the immobilisation of the vehicle (20) is prevented while the vehicle (12) is operating, but restarting of the vehicle (20) is prevented on the first and subsequent occasions following the expiry of the appropriate time period (62). Additional parameters may be programmed into the validation device (12), which can be in the form of a chip card (12) or other recordable medium <IMAGE> |
