Vehicle information display apparatus, system and method

• US 7,696,864 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2006
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kevin Dillon
• Original Assignee: Kevin Dillon
• Inventors: Dillon, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): TANG, SIGMUND N
• Application Number:
  US11/561,142
• Publication Number:
  US 20080117032A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: 340/468, 340/463, 340/988, 340/989, 340/825.45, 340/524, 340/461, 345/6, 345/5, 345/8, 345/1.1, 345/1.2, 345/1.3
• US Class Current: 340/468
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/50 for indicating other intentions or conditions, e.g. request for waiting or overtaking
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/5035 electronic displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/509 specific to unauthorised use, e.g. for indicating stolen vehicles or infringements of traffic rules
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/543 for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle indicating taxis' state of hire or fare G07B13/045
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/304 Boats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/104 characterised by the type of theft warning signal, e.g. visual or audible signals with special characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/04 by land vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle information identifier apparatus comprises a display, a receiver, a deactivation device, and a substantially encasing member. The vehicle information identifier apparatus, or similarly, the vehicle information apparatus may be practiced according to a vehicle information system by following a method of use thereof.

Claims

1. A vehicle information system, comprising:

a remote computer having a vehicle database adapted for storing a vehicular status indicative of a status of vehicle information for a plurality of vehicles,

a central processor of said computer, for converting a vehicle status into a deactivating signal;

a transmitter, for transmitting the deactivating signal; and

a vehicle information apparatus located on a vehicle, further comprising;

a display visible from the vehicle exterior, wherein said display indicates the vehicle information;

a transceiver, for receiving the deactivating signal from the transmitter and transmitting a display disabled signal to the computer; and

a deactivation device, wherein the deactivation device is configured to completely disable the display;

wherein the computer receives said display disabled signal from the transceiver of the vehicle information display apparatus, and wherein the computer updates the vehicle database with display disabled information after receiving the received transmission.

2. The vehicle information system of claim 1, wherein the display comprises a hologram member.

3. The vehicle information system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle information comprises an inactive insurance information.

4. The vehicle information system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle information comprises an expired registration information.

5. The vehicle information system of claim 1, wherein the deactivation device comprises a voltage amplifier and power source.

6. The vehicle information system of claim 1, wherein the deactivation device comprises a sensor and a material dispensing unit.

7. The vehicle information system of claim 1, wherein the vehicular status is selected from the group consisting of:

theft status, DMV status, title status, foreign status, law compliance status, emission status, inspection status, registration status, commercial permit status, VIN status, incomplete/unknown status, or combinations thereof.

8. A vehicle information identifier apparatus located on a vehicle, comprising:

a display, comprising;

a hologram member, said hologram member having a front surface and a back surface;

a transceiver, said transceiver configured to receive a deactivating signal and transmit a display disabled signal to the source of the deactivating signal, wherein the source of the deactivating signal is a computer configured to receive the display disabled signal from the transceiver of the vehicle information display identifier apparatus and automatically update a vehicle database with display disabled information after the computer receives the display disabled signal;

a deactivation device, said deactivation device coupled to the transceiver utilized for disabling the display once the transceiver receives said deactivating signal; and

a substantially encasing member, said substantially encasing member forming at least a portion of the outer most component of the vehicle information identifier apparatus.

9. The vehicle information identifier apparatus of claim 8, wherein the deactivation device further comprises a voltage amplifier and a power source.

10. The vehicle information identifier apparatus of claim 8, wherein the deactivation device further comprises a sensor and a material dispensing unit.

11. The vehicle information identifier apparatus of claim 8, wherein the vehicle information identifier apparatus further comprises a substantially adhesive material on at least one side of vehicle information identifier apparatus.

12. The vehicle information identifier apparatus of claim 8, wherein the vehicle information identifier apparatus further comprises a removably attached sheet configured to fit along at least one side of said vehicle information identifier apparatus.

13. The vehicle information identifier apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a programmable read-only memory chip.

14. The vehicle information identifier apparatus of claim 8, wherein the hologram member further comprises a hologram imprinted onto a conductive sheet.

15. A method for displaying vehicle information, comprising:

providing a remote computer having a vehicle database adapted for storing a vehicular status indicative of a status of a vehicle information for a plurality of vehicles, and a central processor of said computer;

providing a transmitter, for transmitting a deactivating signal; and

providing a vehicle information apparatus on a vehicle, comprising;

a display visible from the vehicle exterior, wherein said display indicates an initial vehicle information;

a transceiver, for receiving the deactivating signal from the transmitter and transmitting a display disabled signal to the computer; and

a deactivation device, configured to deactivate the display;

generating, by the computer, a current vehicle status;

converting, by the computer, said current vehicle status into the deactivating signal;

transmitting, by the transmitter, the deactivating signal to the vehicle information apparatus transceiver;

receiving said deactivating signal;

disabling said display with said deactivation device to identify the current vehicle status;

transmitting, by the transceiver, a display disabled signal to the computer;

receiving, by the computer, the display disabled signal; and

updating, by the computer, a vehicle database after receiving the display disabled signal.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein disabling said display comprises amplifying the voltage of a power source that is operably attached to the display to disable the display.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein disabling said display comprises dispensing a reactive material of a material dispensing unit.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein disabling said display comprises dispensing an ink of a material dispensing unit.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said reactive material comprises an acid.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein transmitting includes propagation of an electromagnetic signal.