METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IMPLEMENTING A VEHICLE INSPECTION WAIVER PROGRAM

• US 20120139696A1
• Filed: 12/02/2010
• Published: 06/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zonar Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Zonar Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Inventors: McQuade, Charles Michael, Brinton, Brett, Brinton, William Jr., Oliver, Christopher, Fakkema, Fred
• Granted Patent: US 8,736,419 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.7
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00 Individual registration on entry or exit
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages

Abstract

Position data received wirelessly from a vehicle enrolled in an inspection waiver program are employed to determine when the enrolled vehicle is approaching an inspection station. After determining that the enrolled vehicle is approaching an inspection station, and if the enrolled vehicle has a valid inspection waiver, a bypass confirmation can selectively be provided to the vehicle operator, authorizing the operator to bypass the inspection station. The task of determining when an enrolled vehicle is approaching the location of an inspection station can be performed using a processor disposed in the vehicle, or at a remote location separate from both the vehicle and the inspection station, or at the inspection station. The inspection stations can be mobile so that their locations are varied to prevent operators from intentionally avoiding an inspection, as may occur with fixed inspection stations.

Claims

1. A method for administering a vehicle inspection program in which enrolled vehicles can be authorized to bypass an inspection station, comprising the steps of:

(a) determining a geographical location for an enrolled vehicle while the vehicle is being operated;

(b) based upon a current geographical location for the enrolled vehicle, automatically determining if the enrolled vehicle is approaching the inspection station;

(c) if the enrolled vehicle is approaching the inspection station, selectively reaching a decision on whether to authorize the enrolled vehicle to bypass the inspection station without stopping; and

(d) based upon the decision, providing an indication to an operator of the enrolled vehicle to either stop at the inspection station or to bypass the inspection station without stopping.

2. A method for administering a vehicle inspection program, comprising the steps of:

(a) enrolling a vehicle in an inspection waiver program;

(b) equipping the enrolled vehicle with a geographical positioning component, if not already so equipped;

(c) determining a geographical location of an inspection station;

(d) using the geographical positioning component for determining a geographical position of the enrolled vehicle during operation of the enrolled vehicle;

(e) automatically comparing the geographical position determined for the enrolled vehicle with the geographical location of the inspection station, to determine if the enrolled vehicle is approaching the inspection station; and

(f) if the enrolled vehicle is approaching the inspection station, determining whether the enrolled vehicle is authorized to bypass the inspection station; and

(i) if the enrolled vehicle is authorized to bypass the inspection station, providing the operator of the enrolled vehicle with an indication that the enrolled vehicle can bypass the inspection station without stopping; and

(ii) if the enrolled vehicle is not authorized to bypass the inspection station, requiring the enrolled vehicle to stop at the inspection station.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of determining whether the enrolled vehicle is authorized to bypass the inspection station comprises the step of determining whether an inspection waiver status for the enrolled vehicle has been revoked.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of including identification data for each enrolled vehicle with the geographical position for the enrolled vehicle, to facilitate the step of determining whether the inspection waiver status for the enrolled vehicle has been revoked.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein if the enrolled vehicle'"'"'s inspection waiver status has been revoked, indicating to the operator of the enrolled vehicle that bypassing the inspection station without stopping is not authorized.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the inspection station comprises a mobile inspection station, whose geographical location is not fixed.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of automatically comparing the geographical position for the enrolled vehicle with the geographical location of the inspection station is performed at a location that is remote from both the inspection station and the enrolled vehicle.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of automatically comparing the geographical position for the enrolled vehicle with the geographical location of the inspection station is performed at the inspection station.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of automatically comparing the geographical position for the enrolled vehicle with the geographical location of the inspection station is performed at the enrolled vehicle.

10. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of conveying the geographical position for the enrolled vehicle to a remote location before automatically comparing the geographical position for the enrolled vehicle with the geographical location of the inspection station.

11. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

(a) at times, moving the inspection station so that its geographical location changes, such that vehicle operators intentionally attempting to avoid the inspection station will have a difficult time predicting the geographical location of the inspection station after it has been moved; and

(b) updating the geographical location of the inspection station after it has been moved, before the step of automatically comparing the geographical position for the enrolled vehicle with the geographical location of the inspection station.

12. A non-transitory memory medium having machine instructions stored thereon for processing a geographical position for a vehicle enrolled in an inspection waiver program, to determine if the enrolled vehicle can be authorized to bypass an inspection station that the vehicle is approaching, the machine instructions, when executed by a processor, carrying out the functions of:

(a) automatically comparing the geographical position for the enrolled vehicle with a geographical location of the inspection station, to determine when the enrolled vehicle is approaching the inspection station; and

if so,

(b) determining whether the enrolled vehicle has a valid inspection waiver, so that the enrolled vehicle can be authorized to bypass the inspection station without stopping.

13. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 12, wherein the machine instructions, when implemented by a processor remote from the vehicle, further carry out the function of transmitting an indication to an operator of the enrolled vehicle that the operator is authorized to bypass the inspection station without stopping, but only after determining that the inspection waiver is valid.

14. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 12, wherein the machine instructions, when implemented by a processor, further carry out the function of automatically notifying a person at the inspection station that the enrolled vehicle is approaching the inspection station, to enable the person at the inspection station to decide whether to transmit an indication to an operator of the enrolled vehicle approaching the inspection station that the enrolled vehicle is authorized to bypass the inspection station without stopping.

15. A method for administering a vehicle inspection program, comprising the steps of:

(a) enrolling a plurality of vehicles into an inspection waiver program, to define enrolled vehicles;

(b) equipping each enrolled vehicle with a position sensing component and a bi-directional communication link component, if not already so equipped;

(c) determining a geographical location for an inspection station;

(d) using the position sensing components on the enrolled vehicles for determining a geographical position for each enrolled vehicle during operation of the enrolled vehicle;

(e) transmitting the geographical position determined for each enrolled vehicle to a remote computing device using the bi-directional communication link component in each enrolled vehicle during operation of the enrolled vehicle;

(f) automatically comparing the geographical position received from each enrolled vehicle with the geographical location of the inspection station, to identify each enrolled vehicle that is approaching the inspection station;

(g) wirelessly communicating with each enrolled vehicle that is approaching the inspection station, to provide the operator of said enrolled vehicle with an indication that said enrolled vehicle is authorized to bypass the inspection station, without stopping, if said enrolled vehicle is so authorized; and

(h) requiring each enrolled vehicle approaching the inspection station that has not received an indication that said enrolled vehicle is authorized to bypass the inspection station, to stop at the inspection station.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of transmitting the geographical position for each enrolled vehicle to the remote computing device is implemented in real-time.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of automatically comparing the geographical position for each enrolled vehicle that was transmitted, with the geographical location of the inspection station, is implemented at the inspection station.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of automatically comparing the geographical position for each enrolled vehicle that was transmitted, with the geographical location of the inspection station, is implemented at a computing device that is disposed remote from the inspection station.

19. A system for managing vehicle inspections, so as to selectively allow authorized vehicles enrolled in a waiver program to bypass an inspection station, while requiring non-authorized vehicles to stop at the inspection station, comprising:

(a) a position sensing component for each enrolled vehicle, the positioning sensing component determining a geographical position for the enrolled vehicle during operation of the enrolled vehicle;

(b) a processing component to implement the function of automatically identifying enrolled vehicles approaching an inspection station based on geographical positions of the enrolled vehicles; and

(c) a communication link for indicating to an operator of an enrolled vehicle that is approaching the inspection station, that a bypass confirmation has been issued for said enrolled vehicle, authorizing the operator of said enrolled vehicle to bypass the inspection station without stopping.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the processing component is disposed on an enrolled vehicle.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the processing component is disposed at the inspection location.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the processing component is disposed at a location remote from both the inspection station and the enrolled vehicles.

23. A system for managing vehicle inspections, so as to selectively allow authorized vehicles that are enrolled in a waiver program to bypass an inspection station without stopping, while requiring non-authorized vehicles to stop at the inspection station, comprising:

(a) a position sensing component disposed on each enrolled vehicle, the positioning sensing component determining a geographical position for the vehicle during vehicle operation;

(b) a bi-directional data link for each enrolled vehicle, the bi-directional data link being configured to convey position data for the enrolled vehicle that is determined by the position sensing component to a data store at a remote location spaced apart from the enrolled vehicle;

(c) a remote computing device spaced apart from each enrolled vehicle, and configured to access the position data from the data store to determine if an enrolled vehicle is approaching the inspection station, the remote computing device including a non-transitory memory for storing machine instructions and a processor, the machine instructions, when executed by the processor, carrying out the function of comparing the position data received from enrolled vehicles with a location of the inspection station, to determine when an enrolled vehicle is approaching the inspection station; and

(d) a communication link for conveying a bypass confirmation to an enrolled vehicle that is approaching the inspection station to indicate to an operator of the enrolled vehicle that said enrolled vehicle is authorized to bypass the inspection station without stopping.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the machine instructions executed by the processor further determine if the enrolled vehicle approaching the inspection station has a valid waiver that enables the enrolled vehicle to bypass the inspection station without stopping.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the machine instructions executed by the processor further cause the bypass confirmation to be transmitted to each enrolled vehicle approaching the inspection station that is also authorized to bypass the inspection station without stopping.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the remote computing device is disposed at the inspection station.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the remote computing device is disposed at a location different than the inspection station.

28. The system of claim 27, further comprising an additional computing device disposed at the inspection station, the additional computing device comprising a non-transitory memory for storing machine instructions and a processor, the machine instructions, when executed by the processor, determining if the enrolled vehicle approaching the inspection station has a valid waiver that enables the enrolled vehicle to bypass the inspection station without stopping.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein execution of the machine instructions stored in the non-transitory memory of the additional computing device by the processor of the additional computing device cause the communication link to be used to convey the bypass confirmation to each enrolled vehicle approaching the inspection that is also authorized to bypass the inspection station without stopping.

30. The system of claim 23, wherein the communication link provides data communication between the inspection station and the enrolled vehicle that is approaching the inspection station.