Automatic vehicle and driver identification system

• US 10,387,979 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2017
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Sweet, Benjamin David
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thanh C
• Application Number:
  US15/667,044
• Publication Number:
  US 20180047122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1413 1D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/26 Government or public services business processes related to the transportation industry G06Q50/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/62 Text, e.g. of license plates, overlay texts or captions on TV images
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/26 at least one of which is mobile

Abstract

A motor vehicle includes an automatic driver and vehicle information reporting arrangement. The arrangement includes a memory device storing information about a human driver of the motor vehicle and registration information associated with the motor vehicle. An electronic processor is communicatively coupled to the memory device and responds to a prompt by transmitting a signal indicative of the information about the human driver of the motor vehicle and about registration information associated with the motor vehicle.

Claims

1. An automatic driver and vehicle information reporting arrangement in a motor vehicle, the arrangement comprising:

an input device configured to extract information from a vehicle registration document associated with the motor vehicle and extract information about a human driver of the motor vehicle from a driver'"'"'s license;

a memory device configured to store the information about a human driver of the motor vehicle and the information extracted from the vehicle registration document associated with the motor vehicle; and

an electronic processor communicatively coupled to the memory device and configured to respond to a prompt by transmitting a signal including the information about the human driver of the motor vehicle and including the information extracted from the vehicle registration document associated with the motor vehicle.

2. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein the input device comprises an optical character recognition device and an optical scanner configured to optically scan a driver'"'"'s photograph on the driver'"'"'s license.

3. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein the input device comprises a bar code scanner and/or a QR code scanner configured to optically scan a bar code and/or a QR code on a driver'"'"'s license.

4. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein the input device comprises a magnetic tape reader configured to read a magnetic tape on a driver'"'"'s license.

5. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein the input device comprises an integrated circuit reader configured to read an embedded chip or an integrated circuit on a driver'"'"'s license.

6. A method of operating a motor vehicle, the method comprising:

providing an input device within the motor vehicle;

using the input device to extract information from a vehicle registration document associated with the motor vehicle;

using the input device to extract the information about a human driver of the motor vehicle from a driver'"'"'s license;

storing the information about the human driver of the motor vehicle and registration information associated with the motor vehicle; and

responding to a prompt by transmitting from the motor vehicle to an entity outside the motor vehicle a signal indicative of the information about the human driver of the motor vehicle and the information extracted from the vehicle registration document associated with the motor vehicle.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the input device comprises one of:

an optical character recognition device;

an optical scanner that optically scans a driver'"'"'s photograph on the driver'"'"'s license;

a bar code scanner and/or a QR code scanner that optically scans a bar code and/or a QR code on a driver'"'"'s license;

a magnetic tape reader that reads a magnetic tape on a driver'"'"'s license; and

an integrated circuit reader that reads an embedded chip or an integrated circuit on a driver'"'"'s license.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the transmitting comprises using a short-range wireless communication transmitter, the transmitter comprising a Blue Tooth transmitter, a Zigbee transmitter, or a WiFi transmitter.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the transmitting comprises using a wireless communication transmitter, the transmitter comprising a cellular transmitter or a DSRC (Dedicated Short-Range Communications—

vehicle-to-vehicle or vehicle-to-infrastructure) transmitter.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the prompt comprises a wireless signal received within the motor vehicle from a police officer or border crossing guard.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein the prompt is received from the driver of the motor vehicle.

12. A motor vehicle infotainment system comprising:

an input device configured to extract from a driver'"'"'s license information about a human driver of the motor vehicle;

an electronic processor communicatively coupled to the input device and to a memory device, the memory device storing the information about the human driver of the motor vehicle and information about registration of the motor vehicle, the electronic processor being configured to respond to a prompt by transmitting a first signal indicative of the information about the human driver of the motor vehicle and about registration information associated with the motor vehicle; and

a transmitter communicatively coupled to the electronic processor and configured to receive the first signal and wirelessly transmit a second signal based on the first signal.

13. The infotainment system of claim 12 wherein the prompt comprises a wireless signal received within the motor vehicle from an authorized officer, the system further comprising a receiver configured to receive the wireless signal from the authorized officer.

14. The infotainment system of claim 12 wherein the input device comprises an optical character recognition device.

15. The infotainment system of claim 12 wherein the input device comprises an optical scanner configured to optically scan a driver'"'"'s photograph on the driver'"'"'s license.

16. The infotainment system of claim 12 wherein the input device comprises a bar code scanner and/or a QR code scanner configured to optically scan a bar code and/or a QR code on a driver'"'"'s license.

17. The infotainment system of claim 12 wherein the input device comprises a magnetic tape reader configured to read a magnetic tape on a driver'"'"'s license.

18. The infotainment system of claim 12 herein the input device comprises an integrated circuit reader configured to read an embedded chip or an integrated circuit on a driver'"'"'s license.

19. The infotainment system of claim 12 wherein the memory device stores information from a vehicle registration document, the information from the vehicle registration document including a vehicle identification number, the electronic processor being configured to respond to a prompt by transmitting a first signal including the information about the human driver of the motor vehicle and including the information from the vehicle registration document, including the vehicle identification number, an identity of a manufacturer of the motor vehicle, a date of the vehicle registration document, and a name of an owner of the motor vehicle.