Hand-Held Device for Parking Meter Enforcement

• US 20080308631A1
• Filed: 06/23/2005
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Frederick L. Mitschele, Jason M.J. Mitschele, Michael W. Minor
• Original Assignee: Frederick L. Mitschele, Jason M.J. Mitschele, Michael W. Minor
• Inventors: Mitschele, Frederick L., Mitschele, Jason M.J., Minor, Michael W.
• Application Number:
  US11/571,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20080308631A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/384
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 1/08 portable
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/02 taking into account a variable factor such as distance or time, e.g. for passenger transport, parking systems or car rental systems G07B15/06 takes precedence; taximeters G07B13/00; parking meters per se G07F17/24; car rental systems per se G07B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 5/04 for recording or registering tickets issued

Abstract

The present invention provides a hand-held violation ticket issuing device which incorporates a digital camera so that the ticket can be printed with an image of the vehicle license plate and the expired meter and/or expired parking receipt or other evidence of a violation.

Claims

1. A hand-held violation ticket issuing device comprising:

i) a processor;

ii) a digital camera;

iii) data storage means means coupled with said processor for storing said digital image in association with a vehicle license number;

iv) keypad means coupled with said processor for entering data; and

v) means for communicating data to a printer;

whereby a violation ticket can be digitally generated by said processor and printed by said printer bearing an image of a vehicle license plate and an image providing evidence of a violation.

2. The hand-held violation ticket issuing device of claim 1 further in combination with a printer.

3. The hand-held violation ticket issuing device of claim 1 further comprising:

vi) telecommunications means coupled with said processor for communicating with a second processor.

4. The hand-held violation ticket issuing device of claim 3 wherein said telecommunications means is adapted to wirelessly transmit digital data.

5. The hand-held violation ticket issuing device of claim 3 wherein said telecommunications means is a walkie talkie.

6. The hand-held violation ticket issuing device of claim 3 wherein said telecommunications means is a mobile telephone.

7. The hand-held violation ticket issuing device as defined in claim 3 wherein said telecommunications means comprises a modem.

8. The hand-held violation ticket issuing device as defined in claim 1 further comprising clock means.

9. The hand-held violation ticket issuing device as defined in claim 1 further comprising an RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) reader.

10. The hand-held violation ticket issuing device as defined in claim 1, further comprising image analysis software stored in said data storage and operable on said processor for determining a license plate number from a digital image taken by said digital camera.

11. The hand-held violation ticket issuing device as defined in claim 1, further comprising a GPS (Global Positioning System) chip.

12. The hand-held violation ticket issuing device as defined in claim 1, further comprising clock means for recording first and second times and dates at which first and second images are taken of a vehicle license plate, whereby said processor stores said first and second times and dates in association with said first and second images and vehicle license numbers and calculates the duration between said first and second images.

13. The hand-held violation ticket issuing device as defined in claim 1