Automated system for filling in and delivering offence tickets

• US 20040140355A1
• Filed: 02/17/2004
• Published: 07/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Paul Grison
• Original Assignee: Paul Grison
• Inventors: Grison, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 6,923,368 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/384
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/025 adapted to a specific application
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/00 Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00

Abstract

A system for issuing and managing offence tickets comprising a portable input device (12) provided to the police officer (10), an unalterable tamper-resistant ticketing card (14) adapted to be presented in front of the input device so as to record vehicle-related data, clipping means enabling the police officer to clip the card onto the windshield wiper arm such that the card is not damaged by rain and cannot be easily removed after it has been clipped, a viewing device (18) enabling the vehicle owner to read and print the information relative to the offence, a processing center (22) containing the information relative to all registered vehicles, and access means via the cellular phone network (20) so as to enable the police officer to obtain information about the contravening vehicle from the processing center.

Claims

1. A system for issuing and managing offence tickets comprising:

a portable input device (12) provided to the police officer (10) in charge of ticketing a contravening vehicle (16) for recording vocally therein data concerning said vehicle,

an information medium designed to be issued to the owner of said vehicle and adapted to be presented in front of said input device so as to record onto it the vehicle-related data entered using said input device,

clipping means enabling the police officer to clip said information medium onto the windshield wiper arm (55), such that said information medium is not damaged by rain and cannot be easily removed after having been clipped,

a consultation device (18) provided with a display screen, a printer and a means for reading said information medium in order to enable the vehicle owner to print the information relative to the offence displayed on said display screen,

a processing center (22) containing information relative to all registered vehicles, and

microwave link transmission means (20) located in said input device to enable the police officer to obtain information concerning the ticketed vehicle from the processing center;

said system being characterized in that

said portable input device comprises voice recognition means so that the police officer may vocally register the information relative to the vehicle, and

said information medium is an inalterable and tamper-resistant contactless smart card (14) and adapted to be presented in front of said portable input device in order to register therein the information relative to the vehicle.

2. The system according to claim 1 in which said consultation device (18) is at the same time a payment device enabling the vehicle owner to pay the fine, the information relative to which were recorded in the information medium (14).

3. The system according to claim 1 or 2, further including a follow-up file (24) designed to record the information transmitted by said data acquisition terminal during a predetermined time prior to processing.

4. The system according to any one of claims 1, 2 or 3, in which said processing center (22) has automatic access to the vehicle registration file so that said input device (12) immediately receives the information indicating whether the vehicle is stolen in answer to the transmission of the vehicle license number by said input device.

5. The system according to any one of the previous claims in which said input device (12) includes a miniature camera enabling the driver of the vehicle to be filmed or photographed and to transmit the photo to said processing center (22) in order to obtain the identification of said driver in return.

6. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 5 in which the clipping means of the information medium (14) consist of an opening (50) prolonged by a slot (52) terminated on the edge of the information medium by a special notch (54) enabling the wiper arm (55) to be inserted into the slot until it penetrates said opening.

7. The system according to claim 6, in which a notch (56) located in said opening (50) forms a frangible zone enabling said information medium (14) to be separated from the windshield wiper arm (70) by pulling firmly on said medium in order to rip it starting from said notch.

8. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which said clipping means of the information medium (14) consist of an arrow-shaped part (64) comprising a point (66) and two barbs (68), and a triangular V-shaped slot (62) enabling said arrow-shaped part to be inserted into said slot once the windshield wiper arm (55) has been introduced into a rounded opening (60) delimited by said arrow-shaped part.

9. The system according to claim 8, in which a hinge part (74) connecting the arrow-shaped part (64) to the rest of the information medium is a frangible zone enabling said information medium (14) to be separated from the windshield wiper arm (55) by pulling firmly on said information medium in order to rip it in the location of said hinge part.