Patent ID: 6687552
Filing Date: 2004-02-03
Classification: G07C

Abstract:
A data indicator formed as a single unit mountable upon a host apparatus and comprising a housing which comprises an enlarged head part and a body part, the body part being insertable into the host apparatus such that the head remains accessible from outside the host, the housing containing electronics, which comprisea non-volatile memory, control circuitry by which data can be read from and written to the memory, a timer, means for connection to an electrical supply of such host apparatus, an interface through which the data can be exchanged with the memory, and electrical terminations which are carried by the body part and so are connectable in use to electrics of the host apparatus, the interface comprising contacts used to exchange the data, said contacts are carried by the head and accessible from the exterior of such host apparatus so that a connection can be releasably made to the data indicator for exchange of the data, wherein in use the timer measures the duration of periods during which such host electrical supply is switched on and in dependence on the timer output the control circuitry maintains a cumulative record of elapsed host apparatus running time which is stored on the non-volatile memory, other data relating to such host apparatus being writable to the non-volatile memory so that the indicator can be used to record and, through the interface, supply elapsed host apparatus running time in conjunction with said other data relating to such host apparatus.