| 摘要 |
<p>A taxi meter comprises five function keys which provide operator/driven inputs to the meter to cause the meter to operate in a hire mode, a vacant mode or a not-for-hire mode in accordance with predetermined operating parameters. A further input to the meter from the vehicle speedometer drive enables a determination of vehicle movement. The meter has an automatic tariff rate calculator initiated by the hire key (9) when the vehicle speed is less than a predetermined minimum, the tariff rate calculator setting the tariff rate applicable to the date and time of actuation of key (9) and displaying an indication of the selected tariff rate in display (1). A function key (13) is operable to manually override the automatically selected tariff rate. Vehicle movement disables operation of the hire key (9) a stop key (10) and an extras key (11), and also automatically restores the meter to a hire mode or to a vacant mode following operation of the stop key (10) when the vehicle is stationary. A passenger key (12) is operable when more than one fare-paying passenger is sharing the vehicle to cause a display in the party display (5), the extras display (8) and the fare display (7) of appropriate passenger number and applicable extras and fare for each passenger. The stop key (10) is used to stop meter operation when in the hire mode and a second or subsequent actuation deletes the fare and extras amounts appropriate to the indicated passenger in the party display (5) from the displays (7 and 8). When the vehicle is stationary and in a vacant mode, operation of one or of a pair of the keys (10, 11, 12 and 13) causes the meter to perform a selected one of a number of supervisory functions including totalisator display functions from which details of the vehicle operation can be ascertained. </p> |
