Vehicle identification system
First Claim
1. A system for identification of a vehicle, comprising:
- an interrogator for sending an interrogation signal; and
a plurality of tags located on the vehicle, each of said tags comprising a memory and a transceiver for receiving said interrogation signal and sending a response signal comprised of vehicle identification information unique to the vehicle stored in said memory;
wherein said interrogator filters weak response signals and processes the strongest of said response signals received from said vehicle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle identification system for identifying motor vehicles in a group of vehicles at distances in excess of 200 feet is disclosed. The system includes an interrogator for directionally broadcasting an interrogation signal toward a vehicle of interest and a set of vehicle identification tags attached to the vehicles for receiving interrogation signals and sending a response signal to the interrogator. The response signal consists of information from the memory in the vehicle identification tag which allows the interrogator to identify the ownership or registration of the vehicle. Preferably, the tags have at least two memory portions with one portion being more secure than the other. Information useful to law enforcement agencies may be stored in the more secure memory portion and information for public or commercial use, such as parking access codes and toll information may be stored in the less secure memory portion. The system can link to an external database to verify and obtain more information regarding the owner of the vehicle, such as name, address, and record of traffic violations. Each tag on the vehicle also communicates with the other tags in the tag set on a vehicle, and, if the tags within a set are separated beyond a preset distance or otherwise subjected to tampering, the tags will transmit an alarm to any nearby interrogator.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. A system for identification of a vehicle, comprising:
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an interrogator for sending an interrogation signal; and a plurality of tags located on the vehicle, each of said tags comprising a memory and a transceiver for receiving said interrogation signal and sending a response signal comprised of vehicle identification information unique to the vehicle stored in said memory;
wherein said interrogator filters weak response signals and processes the strongest of said response signals received from said vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A system for identification of a vehicle, comprising:
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an interrogator for sending an interrogation signal; and a plurality of tags located on said vehicle, each of said tags comprising a memory and a transceiver for receiving said interrogation signal and sending a response signal comprised of vehicle identification information unique to the vehicle stored in said memory wherein in response to said interrogation signal from said interrogator, said identification tags communicate with one another to determine which of said vehicle identification tags received a more powerful interrogation signal, and wherein said response signal from said vehicle is emitted by the tag receiving the most powerful signal. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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14. A system for identification of a vehicle, comprising:
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an interrogator for sending an interrogation signal; and a plurality of tags located on said vehicle, each of said tags comprising a memory and a transceiver for receiving said interrogation signal and sending a response signal comprised of vehicle identification information unique to the vehicle stored in said memory wherein said plurality of tags on said vehicle constitute a set, wherein said transceivers of said set periodically communicate with one another using a signal which can only be detected within a predetermined distance, and wherein a tag emits an alarm signal detectable by an interrogator if one vehicle identification tag is separated more than said predetermined distance from the other vehicle identification tags of said set. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A system for identification of a vehicle, comprising:
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an interrogator for sending an interrogation signal; and a plurality of tags located on the vehicle each of said tags comprising a memory and a transceiver for receiving said interrogation signal and sending a response signal comprised of vehicle identification information unique to the vehicle stored in said memory wherein said tag transceivers on said vehicle periodically communicate with one another, and wherein one of said tags sends an alarm signal detectable by an interrogator if a tag is subjected to tampering.
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19. A system for identifying one vehicle out of a plurality of vehicles in an area, comprising:
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an interrogator having means for spread spectrum modulation for sending an interrogation signal; and a plurality of tags located on each of a plurality of the vehicles, wherein each of said tags comprises a memory and a transceiver having means for spread spectrum modulation for receiving the interrogation signal and sending a response signal comprised of vehicle identification information stored in said memory, and wherein the vehicle identification information stored in a tag memory is unique to the vehicle on which the tag is mounted;
wherein said interrogator filters weak response signals and processes the strongest of said response signals received from said vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
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- 24. A set of vehicle identification tags comprising a memory and a transceiver for receiving a predetermined interrogation signal and sending a response signal comprising information in said memory, wherein each vehicle identification tag in said set is able to communicate with the other vehicle identification tags in said set.
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31. A method for identifying vehicles, comprising:
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directing an interrogation signal to an area containing vehicles, wherein each vehicle has a plurality of tags capable of identifying the interrogation signal and sending a response signal, said response signal consisting of information identifying the tagged vehicle; initiating communications between the plurality of tags on each vehicle in response to at least one of the tags on such vehicle identifying the interrogation signal in order to determine which of the tags received a stronger interrogation signal; directing a response signal from the tag on a vehicle receiving the stronger signal toward the source of the interrogation signal; receiving said response signals from the vehicles in said area at an interrogator; and distinguishing between response signals sent by tags from more than one vehicle and processing the response from a single vehicle.
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Specification