Uninsured and/or stolen vehicle tracking system

• US 6,437,690 B1
• Filed: 09/27/2000
• Issued: 08/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pathfins C. Okezie
• Original Assignee: Pathfins C. Okezie
• Inventors: Okezie, Pathfins C.
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US09/671,522
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 340/902, 340/905, 340/539, 340/933, 340/904, 340/932.2
• US Class Current: 340/505
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/00 Fittings or systems for preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of vehicles locks for vehicles E05B77/00-E05B85/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

An apparatus comprising a first identification device, which is attached to a suspect vehicle and a suspect vehicle detection device which is attached to a police vehicle is disclosed. The first identification device contains a first set of data concerning the insurance coverage for the suspect vehicle. The suspect vehicle detection device obtains the first set of data from the first identification device. The first identification device may be comprised memory in which the first set of data is stored. The first identification device may be attached to a front windshield of the suspect vehicle and a similar second identification device may be attached to a rear windshield of the suspect vehicle. The first set of data may be comprised of an insurance underwriter code corresponding to the insurance underwriter which covers the suspect vehicle, an issue date and an expiration date of an insurance policy covering the suspect vehicle, an insurance policy number of the insurance policy which covers the suspect vehicle, a motor vehicle manufacturer identfication number of the suspect vehicle, the name of the owner of the suspect vehicle, and the suspect vehicle license plate number. The police vehicle may send the first set of data to a verification center along with a request for verification of the first set of data. The verification center may provide a verification signal to the police vehicle in response, and the verification signal may indicate whether the first set of data is valid. The verification center may include a table of information relating to the insurance coverage of a plurality of vehicles. Alternatively or additionally the police vehicle may include a table of data relating to insurance coverage of a plurality of vehicles and a processor. The processor of the police vehicle may compare the first set of data with the table of data in the police vehicle, and may cause an indication to be produced indicating whether the first set of data is contained in the table of data in the police vehicle. The police vehicle may includes a display device for displaing the indication.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising

an identification device;

wherein the identification includes electronic memory which contains insurance information about a motor vehicle;

wherein the identification device can be attached to the motor vehicle; and

wherein the insurance information in the identification device can be detected by a detection device; and

wherein the identification device automatically moves to a position outside the motor vehicle when the motor vehicle is started, and automatically retracts to a position inside the motor vehicle when the motor vehicle is shut off.