Vehicle information system

• US 20050173524A1
• Filed: 06/04/2004
• Published: 08/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Jeffrey L. Schrader
• Original Assignee: Jeffrey L. Schrader
• Inventors: Schrader, Jeffrey L.
• Application Number:
  US10/861,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20050173524A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/384
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/10 Registration, licensing, or like devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/105 Licence- or registration plates, provided with mounting means, e.g. frames, holders, retainers, brackets
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/052 with provision for determining speed or overspeed speed measuring in general G01P

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and a method for obtaining information associated with a vehicle through the use of a barcode attached to a vehicle. The barcode is adapted for transmission of an identifiable signal by a scanner. The signal is decoded and displayed directly and or matched to data in one or more database. The matched data is displayed.

Claims

1. A system to obtain information associated with a vehicle comprising:

a barcode attached to a vehicle, said barcode encoded with information;

a scan engine, said scan engine capable of scanning the barcode and decoding the information;

a display communicatively linked to the scan engine, said scan engine capable of transferring the decoded information to the display; and

a processor, said processor communicatively linked to the scan engine, the display, and to one or more database;

said processor comparing the decoded information to data in the one or more database and transmitting linked data to the display.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the barcode is not visible to the human eye.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the decoded information is a reference, said reference used to determine linked data.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the display displays an alert based on the linked data.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the scan engine is mobile and located in a law enforcement vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the linked data is related to the Patriots Act, an Amber Alert, an FBI list, and an international list.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein new data is added to linked data.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the new data is transmitted to or from one or more database.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the database is related to one of the Patriots Act, an Amber Alert, an FBI list, and an international list.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein linked data is used to allow at least one authorization.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein linked data is used to verify a weight.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the data is one of a VIN, year, make, model, color, owner, owner address, owner'"'"'s date of birth, county, state, and a registration number appearing on a vehicle registration plate.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the information encoded is selected from a VIN, year, make, model, color, owner, owner address, owner'"'"'s date of birth, county, state, and a registration number appearing on a vehicle registration plate.

14. A method of associating data with a vehicle comprising

creating a barcode;

encoding information into the barcode;

attaching the barcode to a vehicle;

scanning the barcode with a scanner, said scanner capable of decoding and transferring the information to a processor communicatively linked to the scanner;

matching the decoded information to one or more file in a database; and

transmitting data in the matched file to a display.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the barcode is not visible to the human eye.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the decoded information is a reference, said reference used in matching to the one or more file.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the file contains data selected from VIN, year, make and model, color, owner, owner address, owner date of birth, county, state, and a registration number appearing on the plate.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the encoded information is selected from a VIN, year, make, model, color, owner, owner address, owner'"'"'s date of birth, county, state, and a registration number appearing on a vehicle registration plate.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the data is related to one of the Patriots Act, an Amber Alert, an FBI list, and an international list.

20. The method of claim 14 further comprising adding new data to the matched file.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising transmitting and or receiving new data to or from one or more file in one or more database.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the file is related to one of the Patriots Act, an Amber Alert, an FBI list, and an international list.

23. The method of claim 14 further comprising displaying an alert based on the data in the matched file.

24. The method of claim 14 wherein the scanner is mobile and located in a law enforcement vehicle.

25. The method of claim 14 further comprising allowing authorization based upon the data in the matched file.

26. The method of claim 14 further comprising verifying a weight.