Status Indicator, System, and Method of Use

• US 20090093923A1
• Filed: 08/05/2008
• Published: 04/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Marschall Scott Owens
• Original Assignee: Marschall Scott Owens
• Inventors: Owens, Marschall Scott
• Application Number:
  US12/185,962
• Publication Number:
  US 20090093923A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/30 Parking meters registering or indicating waiting time of vehicles by means driven by the vehicle G07C5/02; coin-freed parking meters G07F17/24
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0825 using optical means

Abstract

A system comprises a status indicator comprising a persistent display. The System allows unidirectional or bidirectional data transmission from a status computer to allow visual status indication of a predetermined status. In an embodiment, insurance policy status, e.g. in force or expired, is displayed on the persistent data display of a status indicator attached to a visible portion of a vehicle.

Claims

1. A status indicator, comprising:

a. a housing;

b. a receiver at least partially disposed within the housing;

c. a display disposed proximate the housing, the display configured to maintain a persistent display characteristic in the absence of applied power;

d. a memory store comprising a unique status indicator device identifier;

e. a processor, operatively in communication with the receiver, the display, and the memory store, the processor comprising;

i. process logic adapted to process a data signal received by the receiver;

ii. determination logic adapted to determine if the data signal comprises a status indicator identifier that uniquely matches the unique status indicator of the memory store; and

iii. indicator logic adapted to cause an indicator related to the processed received data signal to be displayed on the display as the display characteristic; and

f. a power source operatively in communication with the receiver, the display, and the processor.

2. The status indicator of claim 1, wherein the receiver further comprises an antenna.

3. The status indicator of claim 1, wherein the receiver comprises a transceiver.

4. The status indicator of claim 1, wherein the display further comprises an electronic paper display.

5. The status indicator of claim 1, wherein the display is disposed at least partially within the housing.

6. The status indicator of claim 1, wherein the power source further comprises a solar cell.

7. The status indicator of claim 6, wherein the power source further comprises a solar powered battery operatively connected to the solar cell.

8. The status indicator of claim 1, further comprising a fastener, the fastener adapted to secure the housing to a vehicle.

9. The status indicator of claim 8, wherein the fastener removably secures the housing to the vehicle.

10. The status indicator of claim 8, wherein the fastener secures the housing to a visible window of the vehicle.

11. The status indicator of claim 1, wherein the display further comprises a heat shield disposed at least partially within the housing, the heat shield adapted to maintain visible light transmission but reduce infrared energy and ultraviolet radiation.

12. A system for controlling a status of a vehicle, comprising:

a. a status computer, comprising;

i. a computer;

ii. a database of a predetermined vehicle status, the database resident in a data store operatively in communication with the computer;

b. a transmitter, operatively in communication with the status computer; and

c. a status indicator, comprising;

i. a housing;

ii. a receiver at least partially disposed within the housing;

iii. a display configured to maintain a display characteristic in the absence of applied power;

d. a processor, operatively in communication with the receiver and the display, the processor comprising;

i. process logic adapted to process a data signal received by the receiver;

ii. determination logic adapted to determine if the data signal comprises a status indicator identifier uniquely associated with the status indicator; and

iii. indicator logic adapted to cause an indicator related to the processed received data signal to be displayed via the display characteristic of display;

e. a power source operatively in communication with the receiver, the display, and the processor; and

f. a fastener, the fastener adapted to secure the housing to a vehicle.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the fastener removably secures the housing to a vehicle.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein:

a. the system further comprises a receiver operatively in communication with the status computer;

b. the receiver further comprises a transceiver; and

c. the processor further comprises response logic adapted to communicate data back to the status computer.

15. The status indicator of claim 12, wherein the data signal is at least one of a cellular, radio or satellite data signal transmitted from a location remote from the status indicator.

16. A method of providing a status indication for a vehicle, comprising:

a. obtaining a predetermined status for a vehicle;

b. storing the predetermined status in a status computer;

c. transmitting data representative of the predetermined status via a transmitter, the data comprising status data and an identifier associated with the status data;

d. receiving the transmitted data at a status indicator, the status indicator comprising a receiver adapted to receive the transmitted data;

e. determining if the transmitted identifier matches a unique identifier associated with the status indicator;

f. processing the status data by the status indicator if the transmitted identifier matches the unique identifier associated with the status indicator;

g. creating status indicator display data representative of the processed status data;

displaying a display characteristic on the created status indicator on a display associated with the status indicator; and

h. maintain the display characteristic in the absence of power supplied to the display.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the predetermined status comprises current insurance status for a vehicle.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the created display indicates whether or not the current insurance for the vehicle is that the insurance is in force or is expired.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

a. programming a status indicator to contain a unique code;

b. entering the unique code into a database operatively associated with the status computer;

c. pinging the status computer by the status indicator at a predetermined set of times;

d. sending a status from the status computer to the status indicator in response to receiving the pinging per day to determine its status; and

e. sending an acknowledgement signal to the status computer from the status indicator.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the acknowledgement signal is selected from the set of data signals consisting of data representative of a successful completion of the displaying of the created status indicator in response to the status received from the status computer, data representative of an unsuccessful completion of the displaying of the created status indicator in response to the status received from the status computer, no response which will be interpreted as a successful completion of the displaying of the created status indicator in response to the status received from the status computer, or no response which will be interpreted as an unsuccessful completion of the displaying of the created status indicator in response to the status received from the status computer.