Method and apparatus for maintaining a customer database using license plate scanning

• US 6,847,965 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2002
• Issued: 01/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Rogers, Joshua D., Van Luchene, Andrew S., Walker, Jay S.
• Primary Examiner(s): ALAM, SHAHID AL
• Application Number:
  US10/124,697
• Publication Number:
  US 20020111881A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 5, 707/6, 707/104.1, 707/100, 707/101, 705/7, 705/15, 705/16, 705/37, 705/26, 705/36, 701/117
• US Class Current: 707/737
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/246 provided with vehicle proximity-detectors detecting hidden masses, e.g. metal detectors, G01V, e.g. G01V3/00; proximity switches per se H03K17/00; traffic control systems G08G1/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

An apparatus is provided for generating an image of a license plate and determining license plate characters from the image. Then, a database is searched to determine if there is a customer record that corresponds to the license plate characters. If so, the customer record is retrieved and information about the customer is available. Otherwise, a customer record is created. The created customer record corresponds to the license plate characters and stores transaction data that represents a transaction.

Claims

1. A method for maintaining a database using license plate scanning, comprising:

generating an image of a license plate of a customer in a drive through;

determining a set of license plate characters from the image, the set of license plate characters identifying the customer; and

providing customized service to the customer.

2. An apparatus for maintaining a database using license plate scanning, comprising:

means for generating an image of a license plate of a customer in a drive through;

means for determining a set of license plate characters from the image, the set of license plate characters identifying the customer; and

means for providing customized service to the customer.

3. An apparatus for maintaining a database using license plate scanning, comprising:

a storage device; and

a processor connected to the storage device,

the storage device storing a program for controlling the processor; and

the processor operative with the program to;

generate an image of a license plate of a customer in a drive through;

determine a set of license plate characters from the image, the set of license plate characters identifying a customer; and

provide customized service to the customer.