Vehicle violation enforcement system and method

• US 7,843,321 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2008
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IPT, LLC
• Original Assignee: IPT, LLC
• Inventors: Collins, Chad, Moynihan, Patrick, Blair, Bartholomew S., Marchasin, Cory D.
• Primary Examiner(s): TWEEL JR, JOHN ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US12/031,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20080238719A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• Field of Search: 340/505, 340/932.2, 705/13
• US Class Current: 340/505
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle violation enforcement and noticing system that includes a first server and a second server. The first server contains a vehicle information database that is in communication with the second server. The second server is a mobile data terminal that allows for the identification of vehicles and retrieves the vehicle information pertaining to the identified vehicles from the first server via a communications link. Once the vehicle information has been received, appropriate enforcement tactics are prepared based upon the received vehicle information. The appropriate enforcement tactics may include printing a notice informing a vehicle user of the current and outstanding debt associated with the vehicle for placement directly on the vehicle, writing a notice as per instructions displayed by the second server, for placement directly on the vehicle, booting the vehicle, towing the vehicle and/or informing a second agency of the vehicle location so that the second agency may take appropriate action.

Claims

1. A mobile data terminal for vehicle violation enforcement and noticing comprising:

an identification device, the identification device identifying a unique identification number for a particular vehicle;

a transmitter-receiver, the transmitter-receiver sending the unique identification number to a remote storage medium and the transmitter-receiver retrieving vehicle information associated with the unique identification number from the remote storage medium, the vehicle information including current and outstanding debt associated with the particular vehicle;

an electronic memory for storing the vehicle information retrieved from the remote storage medium; and

an enforcement module for preparing a notice based upon the vehicle information retrieved from the remote storage medium, the notice including the amount of the current and outstanding debt associated with the particular vehicle and a warning that the particular vehicle will be subject to further enforcement action if the current and outstanding debt is not paid within a specified time frame.

2. The mobile data terminal of claim 1 wherein the remote storage medium includes a vehicle information database, the vehicle information database comprising information pertaining to vehicles with current and outstanding debt associated with the vehicle and associated unique vehicle identification numbers.

3. The mobile data terminal of claim 2 wherein the unique identification number includes at least one of license plate numbers, vehicle identification numbers, vehicle registrations, driver information and insurance information.

4. The mobile data terminal of claim 3 further comprising:

at least one input device, the input device allowing for the input of violation information onto the electronic memory and/or the storage medium, the violation information including information pertaining to a particular vehicle, current violations for the particular vehicle and vehicle-specific data.

5. The mobile data terminal of claim 4 wherein the at least one input device is at least one of a keyboard, a camera or stored information received from an external memory.

6. The mobile data terminal of claim 4 wherein the vehicle-specific data includes vehicle identification information and vehicle location.

7. The mobile data terminal of claim 1 wherein the transmitter-receiver is part of a wireless communication system.

8. The mobile data terminal of claim 1 wherein the identification device is a license plate recognition device.

9. The mobile data terminal of claim 1 wherein the identification device is a radio frequency identification tag, the tag comprises a RF transmitter, an RF receiver, an RF modulator, memory for storing identification and enforcement data and an optional GPS system.

10. The mobile data terminal of claim 1 wherein the further enforcement tactics comprise at least one of (1) printing a second notice informing a vehicle user of the current and outstanding debt associated with the vehicle, (2) writing a notice as per instructions received from the remote storage medium, (3) booting the vehicle, (4) towing the vehicle and (5) informing a second agency of the vehicle location so that the second agency may take appropriate action.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the identification device is a license plate recognition device.

11. A vehicle violation enforcement and noticing system comprising:

a storage medium comprising a vehicle information database;

a mobile data terminal;

an identification device, the identification device identifying a unique identification number for a particular vehicle;

a communications link for allowing communication between the storage medium and the mobile data terminal, the communications link including a transmitter-receiver being located on the mobile data terminal, the transmitter-receiver sending the unique identification number to and retrieving vehicle information associated with the unique identification number from the vehicle information database, the vehicle information including current and outstanding debt associated with the particular vehicle; and

an enforcement module for preparing a notice based upon the vehicle information retrieved from the vehicle information database, the notice including the amount of the current and outstanding debt associated with the particular vehicle and a warning that the particular vehicle will be subject to further enforcement action if the current and outstanding debt is not paid within a specified time frame.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the vehicle information database comprises information pertaining to vehicles with current and outstanding debt associated with the vehicle and unique vehicle identification numbers.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the unique vehicle identification numbers includes at least one of license plate numbers, vehicle identification numbers, vehicle registrations, driver information and insurance information.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the communications link is a wireless communication system.

16. The system of claim 11 further comprising:

at least one input device, the input device inputting violation information onto the storage medium via the mobile data terminal, the violation information includes information pertaining to a particular vehicle, current violations for the particular vehicle and vehicle-specific data.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the at least one input device is one of a keyboard, a camera or stored information received from an external memory.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the vehicle-specific data includes vehicle identification information and vehicle location.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein the identification device is a radio frequency identification tag, the tag comprises a RF transmitter, an RF receiver, an RF modulator, memory for storing identification and enforcement data and an optional GPS system.

20. The system of claim 11 wherein the further enforcement tactics include at least one of (1) printing a second notice informing a vehicle user of the current and outstanding debt associated with the vehicle, (2) writing a notice as per instructions received from the storage medium, (3) booting the vehicle, (4) towing the vehicle and (5) informing a second agency of the vehicle location so that the second agency may take appropriate action.

21. A vehicle violation enforcement and noticing method comprising the steps of:

providing a vehicle information database stored on at least one storage medium;

identifying a particular vehicle using a mobile data terminal;

retrieving vehicle information pertaining to the particular vehicle from the vehicle information database via a communications network, the vehicle information including current and outstanding debt associated with the particular vehicle; and

preparing a notice based upon the vehicle information retrieved from the vehicle information database, the notice including the amount of the current and outstanding debt associated with the particular vehicle and a warning that the particular vehicle will be subject to further enforcement action if the current and outstanding debt is not paid within a specified time frame.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the vehicle information database comprises information pertaining to vehicles with current and outstanding debt associated with the vehicle and unique vehicle identification numbers.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the unique vehicle identification numbers includes at least one of license plate numbers, vehicle identification numbers, vehicle registrations, driver information and insurance information.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the communications network is a wireless communication system.

25. The method of claim 23 further comprising the step of:

inputting violation information onto the at least one storage medium via the mobile data terminal, the violation information including information pertaining to the particular vehicle, current violations for the particular vehicle and other vehicle-specific data.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the step of inputting may be performed by a keyboard, a camera or stored information received from an external memory.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the other vehicle-specific data includes vehicle identification information and vehicle location.

28. The method of claim 21 wherein the step of identifying may be performed by a license plate recognition device.

29. The method of claim 21 wherein the step of identifying may be performed by a radio frequency identification tag, the tag comprising a RF transmitter, an RF receiver, an RF modulator, memory for storing identification data and enforcement data and an optional GPS system.

30. The method of claim 27 wherein the further enforcement tactics include at least one of (1) printing a second notice informing a vehicle user of the current and outstanding debt associated with the vehicle, (2) writing a notice as per instructions displayed by the at least one storage medium, (3) booting the vehicle, (4) towing the vehicle and (5) informing a second agency of the vehicle location so that the second agency may take appropriate action.