VEHICLE OPERATION SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20090085725A1
• Filed: 09/28/2007
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: George Michael Brookner, Leah Faith Brookner
• Original Assignee: George Michael Brookner, Leah Faith Brookner
• Inventors: Brookner, Leah Faith, Brookner, George Michael
• Application Number:
  US11/864,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20090085725A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.410
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A compliance control system for ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements for operating a vehicle. Compliance data is received from a token or another source, is evaluated to determine compliance status, and the operation of the vehicle can be affected based upon the determined compliance status.

Claims

1. A system for ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements for operating a vehicle, comprising:

a receiver adapted to receive compliance data from a compliance device;

a compliance module coupled to the receiver, said compliance control module adapted to receive a compliance signal from the receiver and to evaluate the compliance signal to determine the compliance status of the vehicle with respect to a regulatory requirement and to affect the operation of the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an anti-sharing module that prevents compliance data from being improperly shared among vehicles.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising an anti-counterfeiting module that verifies whether compliance data has been issued by a genuine certification authority.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiver is at least one from the group of:

a Radio Frequency Identifier Device (RFID), a CD player and a smart card reader and the compliance device is at least one from the group of;

a vehicle-specific RFID tag embedded in a compliance sticker, a vehicle-specific CD and a vehicle-specific smart card.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiver is a wireless communications device communicatively coupled to a server through a network and the compliance device is the server.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the compliance module is adapted to inhibit the normal operation of the vehicle if the compliance status indicates that compliance with at least one regulatory requirement has expired.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the compliance status is compliance with at least one from the group of:

vehicle-specific registration regulations, vehicle-specific inspection regulations and vehicle-specific insurance requirements.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the compliance module causes a warning to be activated if the compliance status indicates that compliance with at least one regulatory requirement is approaching expiration.

9. A method for ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements for operating a vehicle, comprising:

receiving compliance data from a compliance device, wherein the compliance data pertains to at least one of the group of vehicle-specific registration, vehicle-specific inspection and vehicle-specific insurance compliance with regulations;

determining from the compliance data the compliance status of the vehicle; and

based on the compliance status of the vehicle, affecting the operation of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9, further including authenticating the compliance data to verify that it is specific to a particular vehicle.

11. The method of claim 9, further including authenticating the compliance data to verify that it originated from a genuine certification authority.

12. The method of claim 9, further including causing the normal operation of the vehicle to be inhibited if the compliance status indicates that the vehicle does not comply with at least one regulatory requirement.

13. The method of claim 9, further including causing a warning message to be activated if the compliance status indicates that compliance with at least one regulatory requirement is approaching expiration.

14. A medium storing instructions adapted to be executed by a processor to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements for operating a vehicle, including:

receiving compliance data from a compliance device, wherein the compliance data pertains to at least one of the group of vehicle-specific registration, vehicle-specific inspection and vehicle-specific insurance compliance with regulations;

determining from the compliance data the compliance status of the vehicle; and

based on the compliance status of the vehicle, affecting the operation of the vehicle.

15. The medium of claim 14, storing further instructions to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements for operating a vehicle, including authenticating the compliance data to verify that it is specific to a particular vehicle.

16. The medium of claim 14, storing further instructions to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements for operating a vehicle, including authenticating the compliance data to verify that it originated from a genuine certification authority.

17. The medium of claim 14, storing further instructions to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements for operating a vehicle, including causing the normal operation of the vehicle to be inhibited if the compliance status indicates that the vehicle does not comply with at least one regulatory requirement.

18. The medium of claim 14, storing further instructions to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements for operating a vehicle, including causing a warning message to be activated if the compliance status indicates that compliance with at least one regulatory requirement is approaching expiration.

19. The medium of claim 17, storing further instructions to ensure that cessation of normal operation of the vehicle does not occur while the vehicle is in operation.

20. The medium of claim 19, storing further instructions to ensure that an attempt to start the vehicle using the ignition system will not cause the vehicle to start.