EP0278189A1 - Supplying system for tickets with or without a counter foil - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for providing tickets with or without a stump, in particular for parking meters. The supply system comprises a roll (4) of paper with preprinted information, a thermal printing head (13) a motor (12) for driving the paper web (6) and means (14, 16) cutting paper. A control assembly (34) manages these different means for providing the user with a stub ticket (20) or a stub-free ticket (20) depending on whether he has or has not pressed the button 42 .

Description

The present invention relates to a system for providing tickets with or without a strain.

There are many machines that issue tickets with specific information on each ticket, that is to say information that will vary from ticket to ticket. When these machines are automatic, it is necessary that they are capable of controlling the printing of mentions which they have in memory or which have been transmitted to them and of cutting out the printed ticket from the rest of the strip of paper or the like, serving to the supply of tickets.

A special case of such machines is the pay parking terminals. With these terminals, the motorist who wants to leave his vehicle parked must enter an amount in the parking terminal that corresponds to the desired parking time. In exchange for this sum, the terminal issues the motorist with a ticket bearing at least the current date and the authorized parking time limit, taking into account the amount paid. The motorist must then place this ticket behind the windshield of his vehicle so that the parking control staff can check if the parked vehicle is in a regular situation. Figure 1 attached shows such a ticket. In order to remind the motorist of this operation, the ticket must clearly include a note which may be: "PLACE THIS TICKET BEHIND YOUR READY WINDSHIELD FROM THE OUTSIDE" which is referenced PM in the figure. In addition, each ticket must include clear information explaining the specific information on the ticket: "END OF PARKING AUTHORIZED";"DAY","DATE" etc ... which are referenced M₁, M₂, M₃ and M₄ in Figure 1 attached. The parking terminal comprises a strip of paper stored on a reel of the printing means, and a cutting system for separating the printed ticket from the rest of the strip.

In order to reduce the information to be printed on the strip for the issuance of each ticket, a strip is most often used on which the information mentioned above is already pre-printed for each zone of the strip corresponding to a ticket, the printing means having only to print the specific information for each ticket.

The terminal management companies tend to provide users with stub tickets. The attached figure 2 shows an example of a stub ticket. It is a ticket comprising a “ticket” part proper referenced E which is identical to the ticket shown in FIG. 1 and a so-called “stump” part, referenced F in FIG. 2, which includes at least some of the specific terms carried on the ticket itself and which must bear the mention "STRAIN" referenced DM in FIG. 2. The "STRAIN" part is pre-cut in relation to the "ticket" part. The motorist must place the ticket behind his catch-guard and he keeps the "stump" part. He can therefore constantly consult the strain to find out the authorized parking time he still has.

Depending on the degree of convenience that management companies parking kiosks want to provide their users, the kiosks are loaded with a strip of pre-printed paper for tickets without stumps or with a strip of pre-printed paper for tickets with stumps, and the machine is adjusted accordingly.

This situation has drawbacks. The pre-printed paper strip is generally of the thermal type. Paper is therefore very expensive. However, the supply of stub tickets substantially doubles the length of paper required compared to that required for a stub-free ticket. The paper reel therefore lasts half as long, this also doubles the frequency of machine maintenance operations.

However, it turns out from experience that many motorists do not use the ticket strain. Consequently, the fact of supplying a strain to these motorists does not constitute an improvement in the service, but generates for the terminal manager a significant additional operating cost.

To overcome this drawback, an object of the invention is to provide a system for supplying tickets which delivers to users a ticket with a strain or a ticket without a strain on demand.

To achieve this object according to the invention the system for providing tickets with or without a strain, in which the tickets themselves must include a first mention and not a second mention and said strain must include said second mention and not said first, comprising a strip of paper and a transmitting device, said device including means for advancing said strip, means for printing said strip and means for cutting said strip and it is characterized in that said device further comprises means for selecting the issue of a ticket with a strain or of a ticket without strain, and control means for:
in response to the selection of a ticket without strain, causing the printing of specific mentions on an interval of said strip of paper, and causing a cutting of the strip of a length equal to an interval and including said first mention; and

in response to the selection of a ticket with stump, cause the printing of specific mentions on two consecutive intervals and the printing, on the second of the two consecutive intervals, of said second mention, and cause a first cutting of said strip of such that the portion of strip thus cut has a length at least equal to an interval and includes a first mention and a second cut such that the portion thus cut has a length at most equal to an interval and includes a second mention, whereby said first cut portion provides a ticket proper and the second cut portion the strain corresponding to said ticket.
According to a first embodiment of the invention, the system is characterized in that:
in response to the selection of a ticket without a strain, said control means further cause said strip of paper to print said interval on an interval; and in response to the selection of a ticket with stump, said control means further cause the printing, on the first interval, of said first mention and on the second of two consecutive intervals, of said second mention, and cause a first cutting of said strip so that the portion of strip thus cut has a length equal to an interval and comprises a first mention and a second cut so that the portion thus cut has a length equal to an interval and includes a second mention , whereby said first cut portion provides a ticket proper and the second cut portion the strain corresponding to said ticket.

According to a second embodiment of the invention, the system is characterized in that said strip includes said first mention over each interval, and in that:
in response to the order of a ticket with strain, said control means cause the printing, on the second of two consecutive intervals, of said second mention, and cause said first cutting of said strip in such a way that the strip portion thus cut includes two first consecutive mentions, and said second cut in such a way that the portion thus cut has no first mention, whereby said first cut portion provides a ticket proper and the second cut portion the stump corresponding to said ticket.

According to a third embodiment of the invention, the system is characterized in that said strip of paper includes on each of said intervals said first mention, and in that:
in response to the selection of a ticket with stump, said control means further cause the printing, on the second of two consecutive intervals, of said second mention and the obliteration of said first mention.

Thanks to these particular provisions, it is understood that the user, depending on what he has selected, receives either a single ticket or a separate ticket and strain on which the required information actually appears. However, the machine only uses one single strip of paper to issue both types of tickets.

• La figure 1, déjà décrite, montre un ticket de stationnement sans souche de type connu ;
• La figure 2, déjà décrite, montre un ticket de stationnement avec souche de type connu ;
• La figure 3 montre l'ensemble du système de fourniture de tickets avec ou sans souche ;
• La figure 4 montre un premier type de bande de papier pré-imprimé utilisable avec le dispositif de la figure 3 ;
• La figure 5 montre un deuxième type de bande de papier pré-imprimé utilisable avec le dispositif de la figure 3 ; et
• La figure 6 montre un troisième type de bande de papier pré-imprimé utilisable avec le dispositif de la figure 6.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly on reading the following description of several embodiments of the invention. The description refers to the attached drawing in which:

• FIG. 1, already described, shows a parking ticket of no known type;
• FIG. 2, already described, shows a parking ticket with a known type of stump;
• FIG. 3 shows the entire system for providing tickets with or without a stump;
• Figure 4 shows a first type of pre-printed paper strip usable with the device of Figure 3;
• Figure 5 shows a second type of tape. pre-printed paper usable with the device of Figure 3; and
• FIG. 6 shows a third type of strip of pre-printed paper usable with the device of FIG. 6.

Referring first to Figure 3 we will describe an embodiment of the ticket supply system. The system comprises a support 2 for a reel 4 of paper used for the manufacture of tickets. The paper strip 6 is entrained, for example, by a drive roller 8 and a counter roller 10. The roller 8 is rotated by a motor 12 so that the advance of the paper strip 6 becomes at known speed. Beyond the rollers 8 and 10 the paper strip is guided to pass through a printing head 13 which, in the example described, is thermal. Thermal printers are well known and therefore need not be described in detail. At the outlet of the printing head 13 there is a paper cutting device comprising a fixed knife 14 and a movable knife 16 whose movements are controlled by a motor 18. After having been cut from the rest of the strip, the ticket 20 is collected in a chute 22.

In the example presently described, the paper strip 6 is of the pre-printed heat-sensitive type. As shown better in FIG. 1, the strip of thermosensitive paper 6 comprises, in each portion of strip corresponding to a ticket, a marking point P. The marking point P, arranged near an edge of the strip of paper 6, has the function of allowing the indexing of the pre-printed mentions vis-à-vis the mentions to be printed on the ticket using the printing head 13. For this, the printing system further comprises, as the FIG. 3, an optical sensor 24 placed upstream of the print head 12. The sensor 24 is arranged to detect the tracking points P and issue an indexing signal each time a point P is detected. In addition, the printing of the different information to be printed on the ticket is done by columns of successive dots extending in the direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the paper strip. To obtain a correct printing, it is necessary to synchronize the control of the printing points of the thermal head forming a printing column with the movement of the paper strip 6. This synchronization is obtained by means of a wheel 26 provided on its periphery, of regularly spaced notches 28. The wheel 26 is rotated by the drive roller 8 and at a speed of rotation which is proportional to the speed of travel of the paper strip. A second optical sensor 30 delivers a synchronization signal at each passage of a notch.

The motors 12 and 18 and the thermal printer 13 are controlled by a microprocessor 32. The microprocessor 32 controls the progress of the steps which will be described later on from the programs stored in its memory and from the signals delivered by the detectors 24 and 30.

In Figure 3 there is also shown in a simplified way the front face 34 of the ticket supply device. There has been made a slot 36 for inserting coins to pay, for example, a parking fee. The slot 36 is associated with a coin selector, not shown, which sends information corresponding to the amount introduced into the machine to the microprocessor 32. FIG. 3 also shows a display device 38 controlled by the microprocessor 32 for display in particular the authorized parking time limit corresponding to the amount paid, an opening 40 corresponding to the ticket outlet chute 22, and a push button 42 which is actuated by the motorist if the latter wishes to obtain a ticket . When the user actuates the button 42, the latter delivers a signal S which is applied to the microprocessor 32. It would also be possible to provide two buttons corresponding respectively to the selection of a stub ticket and a stub-free ticket.

Referring first to Figure 4, we will describe a first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 shows a portion of paper strip 60 corresponding to the production of a stub ticket. This portion of strip 60 comprises two pre-printed mentions, "Place this ticket ..." referenced PM₁ and PMʹ₁ which are separated from each other by an interval L₁ equal to the length of a ticket without strain. The paper strip 60 includes other pre-printed mentions M₁, M₂, M₃ and M₄ for the first length L₁ and Mʹ₁, Mʹ₂, Mʹ₃, and Mʹ₄, for the second length L₁ of paper. These indications serve to explain the information which will be printed subsequently by the thermal printing head 13. These mentions M₁, M₂, M₃ and M₄ and respectively Mʹ₁, Mʹ₂, Mʹ₃, and Mʹ₄ are identical and occupy the same positions relative to the edge front 62 of the strip portion 60 and the dotted line 64 located at the distance L₁ from the front edge 62. Finally the strip portion 60 has a length 2L₁. If we consider the whole of the paper strip 6, it comprises a succession of pre-prints PM₁, M₁, M₂, M₃ and M₄ which are repeated generally identically with a step equal to L₁.

Returning to FIG. 3, we will explain the implementation of this first embodiment. The user enters into the slot 36 an amount corresponding to the desired parking time. The corresponding time limit is displayed by the display device 38. After validation, the user presses or does not press the button 42 according to whether he wants or does not want a stub ticket. If the button 42 has not been pressed, the printing of the ticket without stub is carried out as follows: the motor 12 is started and causes the paper strip 6 to be driven. When the mark P is detected by the sensor 24, the print head 13 is controlled to print the particulars specific to this ticket, the mentions A, B, C and D. In FIG. 4 these mentions correspond to the end time of authorized parking , the day of the week, the date and the price paid. The activation of the different points of the thermal print head is synchronized from the pulses delivered by the sensor 30 cooperating with the notched wheel 26. After the printing of the specific mentions, the drive of the paper strip is controlled until the dotted line 64 arrives in the cutting plane of the cutting tool 14, 16. The ticket is then cut from the rest of the strip. The user collects his ticket in the slot 40. The strip 6 is in position for the issuance of a new ticket with or without stump.

If we now consider the case where the user pressed the button 42 to obtain a stub ticket, the operations proceed as described above until the printing of the specific indications A, B, C and D. Then the microprocessor 32 controls the activation of the motor 12 until the solid line 66 arrives in the cutting plane of the tool 14, 16. The line 66 is located at a distance L₂ from the front edge 62 of the paper strip . We have the relation L₂ = L₁ + 1, 1 being the strip length occupied by the first mention PM₁, PMʹ₁ etc ... After this cutting, the user collects in the slot 40 an actual ticket which simply has the distinction of having twice the mention PM₁ "Place this ticket ..". The microprocessor controls the restarting of the motor 12 which causes the drive of the strip. When the sensor 24 detects the passage of a new mark P, the print head 13 is again ordered to print a second mention DM₁ which corresponds to the information "Strain", as well as the specific mentions Aʹ, Bʹ, Cʹ and Dʹ identical in terms of their meaning to the specific terms A, B, C and D but with a different design.

When the paper strip has progressed by a length L₃, with L₃ = L₁ - 1, the motor 12 is stopped, and the cutting tool 14, 16 is controlled to cause the separation of the strain thus produced from the rest of the bandaged. The paper strip 6 is in position for printing a new ticket with or without stub.

The user thus holds a ticket proper which effectively includes the first mention PM instructing him to put this ticket behind the windshield of his vehicle and a stump which actually includes the second mention DM₁.

From the pre-printed strip shown in Figure 4 it is possible to implement a variant of the first embodiment of the invention. After the printing of the specific mentions of the ticket, the motor 12 is stopped when the strip has progressed by a length L₁ and the cutting of the paper strip is controlled by the microprocessor 32. A strictly standard ticket is thus obtained. Then we control the motor 12 to that the strip progresses by a length 1 corresponding to the length of the first PMʹ₁ mention. The cutting tool 14.16 is again ordered. We then find ourselves in the same situation as before for the printing of the strain.

Referring to Figure 5, we will describe a second embodiment of the ticket delivery system. This figure shows a portion 70 of the paper strip used. The strip 70 comprises sets of pre-printed mentions M₁, M₂, M₃ and M₄; Mʹ₁, Mʹ₂, Mʹ₃, and Mʹ₄ ... identical to those of Figure 4 and which are repeated with an interval equal to L₁ from the front edge 72 of the strip. The difference with Figure 4 therefore lies in the absence of the first mentions PM₁, PMʹ₁.

Returning to Figure 3, we will explain this second embodiment of the invention. If the user has not pressed the button 42, that is to say if he does not wish to obtain a strain, the following operations take place: The motor 12 is started to cause the drive of the paper strip 6 which in this case carries the pre-prints shown in FIG. 5. When the sensor 24 detects the passage of the mark P the print head 13 is activated to print the specific mentions A, B, C and D already described but also a first mention PM₂ which has the same meaning as the first mention PMI₁ in FIG. 4 but which has another graphic design. When the paper strip has progressed by a length L₁ the motor 12 is stopped and the tool 14, 16 is controlled to cause the cutting of the strip. The user then collects in the slot 40 a ticket without strain consisting of the strip portion limited by the lines 72 and 74 of FIG. 5. If the user actuates the button 42 to obtain a ticket and a strain, the operations which have just been described are implemented to provide a simple ticket, then the motor 12 is restarted. When the sensor 24 detects the passage of a new mark P the print head 13 is again controlled by the microprocessor 32 to print a second mention DM₂ having the same meaning as the second mention DM₁ and the specific mentions Aʹ, Bʹ, Cʹ and Dʹ. When the strip has progressed by a length equal to L₁, the motor 12 is stopped and the cutting tool 14,16 cuts the stump thus printed from the rest of the strip.

Referring now to Figure 6, we will describe a third embodiment of the invention. According to this embodiment, the paper strip 80 includes the following pre-prints having a periodicity equal to L₁: the mentions M₁ to M₄ already described and the first mention PM₃ which, as for its meaning, is identical to the first mentions PM₁ and PM₂ but which is arranged entirely in the center of the paper strip 80 so that it is completely accessible to the print head 13.

With this type of strip 80, when the user has selected the issue of a ticket without stump, the motor 12 is controlled to drive the paper strip 6 and the print head is controlled by the microprocessor 32 to print the mentions specific A to D. When the strip has progressed by a length L₁, the motor 12 is stopped and the paper strip is cut to separate the ticket from the rest of it. If the user actuates the button 42 to obtain a ticket with stump, firstly, the device for supplying tickets performs the same operations as for issuing a ticket alone. In a second step, corresponding to the development of the strain, after starting the engine 12, the print head 13 is ordered to print the second mention DM mention corresponding to the information "STRAIN", and the specific information Aʹ to Dʹ.

In addition the print head cancels the first mention PM₃. When the paper strip has progressed by a length L₁, the motor 13 is stopped and the cutting tool 14, 16 separates the stump thus printed from the rest of the strip.

It should be noted that, in the variant of the first embodiment and in the second and third embodiments, when the issue of a stub ticket is selected, the machine begins by issuing a ticket which is identical to a ticket corresponding to the selection of a ticket without strain. It is then possible to modify the operation of the selection member constituted by the button 42. Whatever the type of ticket desired by the user, the machine delivers a ticket without strain of the type corresponding to the strip loaded in the machine. If the user wants a strain ticket, he has a limited period of time to press the button 42 a second time, which causes the emission of a strain according to one of the processes described above. Of course, if during this time the second press on the button 42 occurred after the introduction of coins, the microprocessor will interpret this second press as the selection of a new ticket without strain. The same applies if the second pressure occurs after the expiration of the determined period of time.

It will be understood that, thanks to the invention, the user can obtain, on request, a ticket with a strain or a ticket without a strain, although the device for issuing tickets only contains a single strip of pre-printed paper. Furthermore it is important to underline that the ticket includes only the mention "Place this ticket behind the ..." and not the mention "Strain" and that the strain includes only the mention "Strain" and not the other mention. Thus the user cannot justify an attempt at fraud consisting either in not placing his ticket behind the windshield of his vehicle or in placing a stump behind his windshield by claiming an ambiguity in the information affixed on the ticket or on strain. In addition, the information affixed to the ticket and to the stump is sufficiently different for the parking attendant to be able to carry out its control without being deceived by a stump which has been fraudulently placed behind the windshield.

Claims (4)

1. A system for providing tickets with or without stub, in which the tickets themselves must include a first mention and not a second mention and said strain must include said second mention and not said first, comprising a strip of paper and a device for transmitting, said device including means for advancing said strip, means for printing said strip and means for cutting said strip, characterized in that said device further comprises means for selecting the transmission of a ticket with strain or a ticket without strain, and control means for:
in response to the selection of a ticket without strain, causing the printing of specific mentions on an interval of said strip of paper, and causing a cutting of the strip of a length equal to an interval and including said first mention; and

in response to the selection of a ticket with stump, cause the printing of specific mentions on two consecutive intervals and the printing on the second of the two consecutive intervals, of said second mention, and cause a first cutting of said strip of such so that the portion of strip thus cut has a length at least equal to an interval and comprises a first mention and a second cut in such a way that the portion thus cut has a length at most equal to an interval and includes a second mention, for example what said first cut portion provides a ticket proper and the second cut portion the strain corresponding to said ticket. 2. Ticket supply system according to claim 1 characterized in that:

in response to the selection of a ticket without stump, said control means further cause the printing, over an interval of said strip of paper, of said first mention; and

in response to the selection of a ticket with stump, said control means further cause the printing, on the first interval, of said first mention and on the second of two consecutive intervals, of said second mention, and cause a first cutting of said strip in such a way that the portion of strip thus cut has a length equal to an interval and comprises a first mention and a second cutting of said strip so that the portion thus cut has a length equal to an interval and comprises a second mention, whereby said first cut portion provides a ticket proper and the second cut portion the strain corresponding to said ticket. 3. Ticket supply system according to claim 1, characterized in that said strip includes said first mention over each interval, and in that:

in response to the order of a ticket with stump, said control means further cause the printing, on the second of two consecutive intervals, of said second mention, and cause said first cutting of said strip so that the portion of tape so cut included first two consecutive mentions and said second cut so that the portion thus cut has no first mention, whereby said first cut portion provides a ticket proper and the second cut portion the stump corresponding to said ticket. 4. Ticket supply system according to claim 1 characterized in that said strip of paper comprises on each of said intervals said first mention, and in that:

in response to the selection of a ticket with stump, said control means further cause the printing, on the second of the two consecutive intervals, of said second mention and the obliteration of said first mention.

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