System and method for tracking vehicles in vehicle lots
First Claim
1. A system for monitoring vehicles passing through an area access to a vehicle storage area comprising:
- one or more vehicle storage areas each with one or more area accesses, each area access having a base station antenna electrically connected to a base station;
one or more vehicles with a radio frequency tag attached, the radio frequency tag having a tag antenna, a tag radio frequency section, and a tag memory, the tag memory having vehicle ID information about the vehicle to which the radio frequency tag is attached;
one of more of the vehicles being a passing vehicle passing through one of the area accesses while a radio frequency signal is communicating between the base station and the radio frequency tag through the base station antenna and the radio frequency tag antenna respectively, and the tag radio frequency section placing the vehicle ID information on a return radio frequency signal sent to the base station;
one or more computers having status information in a computer memory, the status information including ownership information about the passing vehicle that is associated with the vehicle ID information, the status information further including other information; and
an algorithm, executed by the computer, that uses the ownership information about the passing vehicle and the other status information to perform a specified action.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A radio frequency (RF) tagging system is used to monitor vehicles passing through an area access to one or more vehicle storage area(s). One or more of the vehicles stored in the storage area is equipped with a RF tag which has vehicle ID information about the vehicle stored in a tag memory contained on the tag. The tag communicates with a base station when passing through the area accesses, (entering or leaving). A central and preferably one or more remote computers accesses status information that might include vehicle identification, customer, lot identification, time of day, and vehicle and lot status. The information is used in security or marketing functions. The security function can include a paging system for sending alarms and/or messages to a manager or security personnel. The marketing function can include determining how long or how many times different makes an model of vehicle are chosen by customers for test drives. Additionally, the marketing function will identify past vehicles that were sold at the dealership as an indication of a potential interested buyer.
318 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A system for monitoring vehicles passing through an area access to a vehicle storage area comprising:
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one or more vehicle storage areas each with one or more area accesses, each area access having a base station antenna electrically connected to a base station; one or more vehicles with a radio frequency tag attached, the radio frequency tag having a tag antenna, a tag radio frequency section, and a tag memory, the tag memory having vehicle ID information about the vehicle to which the radio frequency tag is attached; one of more of the vehicles being a passing vehicle passing through one of the area accesses while a radio frequency signal is communicating between the base station and the radio frequency tag through the base station antenna and the radio frequency tag antenna respectively, and the tag radio frequency section placing the vehicle ID information on a return radio frequency signal sent to the base station; one or more computers having status information in a computer memory, the status information including ownership information about the passing vehicle that is associated with the vehicle ID information, the status information further including other information; and an algorithm, executed by the computer, that uses the ownership information about the passing vehicle and the other status information to perform a specified action. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A system for monitoring cars passing through an entrance to a car dealership car lot comprising:
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one or more car lots each with one or more entrances, each entrance having a base station antenna electrically connected to a base station; one or more cars with a radio frequency tag attached, the radio frequency tag having a tag antenna, a tag radio frequency section, and a tag memory, the tag memory having car ID information, including a VIN (vehicle identification number), about the car to which the radio frequency tag is attached; one or more of the cars being a passing car that passes through the entrance while a radio frequency signal communicates between the base station and the radio frequency tag through the associated base station antenna and the radio frequency tag antenna respectively, the tag radio frequency section placing the vehicle ID information on a return radio frequency signal sent to the base station when the passing car passes through the entrance; one or more computers having status information, the status information including car ownership information about the passing car that is associated with the VIN the status information further including other car information; and an algorithm, executed by the computer, that uses the car ownership information of the passing car and the other car information to take an action. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
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31. A system for monitoring vehicles passing through an area access to a vehicle storage area comprising:
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one or more vehicle storage areas means for storing vehicles each with one or more area accesses means, each area access means having a base station antenna means electrically connected to a base station means; one or more vehicles means with an radio frequency tag means attached, the radio frequency tag means having a tag antenna, a tag radio frequency section, and a tag memory, the tag memory having vehicle information about the vehicle means to which the radio frequency tag is attached; one or more of the vehicle(s) means being a passing vehicle that passes through the area access while a radio frequency signal communicating between the base station means and the radio frequency tag means through the associated base station antenna means and the radio frequency tag antenna means respectively, the tag radio frequency section placing the vehicle information on a return radio frequency signal sent to the base station when the passing vehicle means passes through the access area; one or more computer means having status information, the status information including ownership information about the passing vehicle that is associated with the vehicle ID information, the status information further including other information; and an algorithm means, executed by the computer means, that uses the ownership information of the passing vehicle means and the other information to take an action.
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32. A method for for monitoring vehicles passing through an area access to a vehicle storage area comprising the steps of:
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storing one or more vehicle storage areas each vehicle storage area having one or more area accesses, each area access having a base station antenna electrically connected to a base station; attaching a radio frequency signal to one or more vehicles, the radio frequency tag having a tag antenna, a tag radio frequency section, and a tag memory, the tag memory having vehicle ID information about the vehicle to which the radio frequency tag is attached; passing one or more passing vehicles through the area access while communicating a radio frequency signal between the base station and the radio frequency tag through the associated base station antenna and the radio frequency tag antenna respectively, the tag radio frequency section placing the vehicle ID information on a return radio frequency signal sent to the base station when the passing vehicle passes through the access area; storing status information on one or more computers, the status information including ownership information about the passing vehicle that is associated with the vehicle ID information, the status information further including other information; and executing an algorithm by the computer, the algorithm using the vehicle ID information of the passing vehicle, the ownership information and the other information to take an action.
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Specification