Automobile license tag scanning system

• US 6,868,313 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2003
• Issued: 03/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rateze Remote Mgmt. L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Reino Koljonen
• Inventors: Koljonen, Reino
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeanglaude, Gertrude A.
• Application Number:
  US10/638,240
• Publication Number:
  US 20050033482A1
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701 24- 25, 701/29, 701/33, 701/36, 340/906, 340/991, 340/993
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/052 with provision for determining speed or overspeed speed measuring in general G01P

Abstract

A system for reading license tags on vehicles enables a law enforcement officer to rapidly identify stolen tags, stolen vehicles and expired vehicle registrations. According to the system, law enforcement vehicles are provided with a scanner which is optimally positioned for receiving data stored in a chip which is carried in the annual registration renewal decal attached to the license tag on all automobiles. The scanner communicates with an onboard computer for processing the data captured from one or more automobiles positioned forward of the law enforcement vehicle, either in the same lane or adjacent lanes. The onboard computer communicates with a central law enforcement database server via wireless transmission, for instance by cellular communication and/or GPS satellite communication. Data captured from the license tag decals is matched with records stored on the central database to determine vehicle registration status of all automobiles within scanning view of the law enforcement vehicle. Vehicles in violation are instantly identified and the law enforcement officer is alerted with the use of a visual display and audible alarms.

Claims

1. A system for obtaining information relevant to an automobile comprising:

a receiver device carried on a second automobile for capturing encoded data carried on a first automobile;

a computer device carried on said second automobile communicating with said receiver device for processing the captured encoded data;

a display for displaying information acquired from the processed encoded data; and

said encoded data being carried on a decal attached to a license tag on an exterior of said first automobile.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

a remote computer database communicating with said computer device.

3. The system as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

a transmitter device carried by said decal for transmitting the encoded data to said receiver device on the second automobile.

4. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said receiver device comprises a scanner device for simultaneously capturing encoded data from a plurality of independent automobiles.

5. The system as recited in claim 4 wherein said computer device is structured and disposed to simultaneously process the encoded data captured from the plurality of independent automobiles.

6. The system as recited in claim 5 wherein the communication between said remote computer database and said computer device is by wireless means.

7. The system as recited in claim 6 wherein the communication between said remote computer database and the computer device on the second automobile is by global position satellite communication.

8. The system as recited in claim 6 wherein the communication between said remote computer database and the computer device on the second automobile is by wireless cellular telephone communication.

9. A system for obtaining information from at least one secondary automobile in the vicinity of a primary automobile, said system comprising:

a receiver device carried on the primary automobile for capturing encoded data carried on the at least one secondary automobile;

a computer device communicating with said receiver device for processing the captured encoded data;

a display carried in the primary automobile for displaying information acquired from the processed encoded data; and

wherein said encoded data is carried on a decal attached to a license tag on an exterior of the at least one secondary automobile.

10. The system as recited in claim 9 further comprising:

a remote computer database communicating with said computer device.

11. The system as recited in claim 9 further comprising:

a transmitter device carried by said decal for transmitting the encoded data to said receiver device on the primary automobile.

12. The device as recited in claim 9 wherein said receiver device comprises a scanner device for simultaneously capturing encoded data from a plurality of the secondary automobiles.